Bow to the One who Creates, Redeems, and Equips Us.
Psalm 92:2-3
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night,
Romans 15:5-6
May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Words of Grace For Today
Discord is easy to pursue.
It is very difficult to create harmony when and where so many people strive for their own great advantage, at other’s cost.
One could think that great advantage is won by years of practice:
If we were to give God thanks and sing God’s praise, declaring God’s steadfast love in the morning and God’s faithfulness by night, then perhaps we would know better how to live in harmony.
Not at all. Only the goodness of God, extended to us by the Holy Spirit, can enable us to do anything good, find any harmony, no matter how small or fleeting, or even sacrifice of ourselves so that others will know they live in God’s Grace.
Hold on to your hats, though, for what the Holy Spirit will bring us to, will be an adventure of our lives beyond all imagination.
Hang on to your hats, for the Holy Spirit will bring us to know joy, as we have never before.
Full of honour and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures for ever.
2 Timothy 2:19
God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his’, and, ‘Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.’
Words of Grace For Today
The Lord knows those who are His.
Are you one of God’s, one of Hers or one of His?
Do you know that even those who call on the Lord’s name need, desperately need, to turn away from wickedness?
If you do not, where have you lived? Have you lived with blinders on? For those who gather in Jesus’ churches think, say and do as much wickedness as anyone else.
Where are you living your days? Wherever it is and with whomever you keep company, God’s work is full of honour and majesty. It is not cheap or deceptive. It stands clear in the open and those who keep secrets to develop schemes and cheap lies cannot stand with those who do God’s will. The righteousness of God endures, no matter the cheap tricks, secrets, and schemes that supposed good people pursue, as if theirs could ever be the work of God.
May we and our loved ones turn from the wickedness that tempts each of us. May we turn instead toward the goodness that we should all remember from at least a fog tinged memory. For God has not left any of us without an idea of goodness.
Let us enjoy and trust all that God does, in righteousness, honour, and majesty.
Washed in the waters of baptism we know God’s work is righteous.
The challenges of Covid 19 raise the background tensions so high that people are behaving madly, and still we know God’s work is righteous.
The challenges of Covid 19 are not the restrictions, lock-downs, and new practices we must follow. The challenges of Covid 19 are the mental-health-deficit-craziness that good people jump into without a sane reflection of what it will cost them, and us all.
Still we know that God’s work is righteousness, honour and majesty.
Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will keep us from this madness, and firmly rooted, humbly in God’s Grace, so that God can work through us … to bring righteousness, honour, and majesty to be also here, today.
I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Ephesians 5:17
So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Words of Grace For Today
The myriad of choices that we make each day, determine what choices come our way for the rest of our day, and years.
Sometimes this is remarkably clear.
If we choose to marry someone we have fallen in love with, with no regard for what kind of a person they are, there may be hell to pay, especially if they are not a kind person.
If, on the other hand, you choose to marry someone you have not fallen in love with, even if they are a kind person, you may certainly not be. For there are good motives to marry not for love, though there are many more evil motives.
Who you marry, or choose to live with, makes and breaks all sorts of future options. There is not much good in the greed, jealousy, and pride that drives one’s spouse to abuse you for all you’ve got to give.
If you choose to lie, cheat, and break others of hope in order to get ahead, no matter the cost to others, your choices will sooner than later be hemmed in by the record you make for yourself. With little to no good choices left you feel obliged to continue to find your own way toward a future that ruins all who it will touch.
Sometimes this is remarkably clear.
More often it simply is not clear at all. In those times as we attempt to move toward a future that offers life to some, if not many, or maybe just one’s own greedy self, we need some guidance.
That is all foolishness, for God keeps His eyes on all that we think, say and do.
You can also say God keeps Her eyes on all that we think, say and do. We cannot apply gender to God, though our speech limitations often lead us to do exactly that. The foolishness is to think our limitations determine God’s being! Blimey foolishness!
If we are so inspired by the Holy Spirit to be righteous beyond normal days, and we seek a choice in each fork in our roads, that will bring life to people, all people, even if it costs us in the process, then …
Then where does one turn to find such abnormal choices forward?
One can find all sorts of supposed wisdom, how to make life better for oneself and a few others. One can find all sorts of supposed wisdom, how to make oneself better.
That is all foolishness.
Where can one turn to find the purpose of life fulfilled in one’s choices, so that the Will of God through oneself, if it be so granted by God, will be pursued?
Where does one turn to find truth and real wisdom, instead of foolishness?
Where else can one turn, than to God? And where does one find God, other than in the story of Jesus?
This we trust, that the Holy Spirit will guide us, and we will not be led astray. We will not find ourselves doing what is illegal, nor what is plain stupid. We will not need to do what is foolish by any standard or meaning of the word, like blatantly flaunt a constitution that governs our ways and means.
I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
God help those who continue to walk down ways that are foolish.
God help us as we choose today what forks we will follow, God help us and those we love.
May they be all of God’s creatures, even our enemies.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Words of Grace For Today
People say that there is no reason to hope that … and then they go on to say what they have no hope for.
Everyday language would use the word ‘hope’ that way. But hope is really something much different.
It may help to put the word hope in a few wider contexts with comparisons to other words.
Pessimism is looking at all the evidence available and drawing a conclusion that gives the bad evidence more importance. So the glass is half empty and going down. The world is in the worst shape it’s ever been. Humans are the worst species and are quick capable of destroying the whole earth. That’s pessimism for you, always coming up with the trajectory straight into trouble and deeper.
Optimism is looking at all the evidence available and drawing a conclusion that gives the good evidence more importance. So the glass is half full and getting fuller. The world is in the best shape it’s ever been. Humans are the best species with the greatest chance of saving planet earth. That’s optimism for you, always coming up with the trajectory straight into a wonderful world and beyond.
Realism what people use to say their view of optimism and pessimism is right, not skewed like the other views.
Hope looks at all the evidence available, finds none that indicates God’s will is being done, and yet with no evidence to support this belief, lays everything on the line, trusting that God’s will is being done, God’s will is what we are supposed to be cooperating with, and in the end God will provide all that we need, even if that means all we get is a room prepared for us in the city of light, in life eternal.
Hope beyond hope is just hyperbole. Properly said one might mean: hope beyond all evidence, which is hope in it self anyway.
If we need to remember how great hope can be, remember Noah building the ark and ridiculed by all around … until the water starts pouring down, and keeps pouring down.
We may face challenges, on top of Covid 19, someone we most trusted has broken that trust by doing something blatantly illegal; of cancer has returned; or your lies in court have been noticed by the police; or your cheating on your taxes is being investigated, or (fill in your favourite sin) has been noticed by someone close to us and we have gravely disappointed them, or … the kids are just getting on your nerves too much … or the idiots are running their unlicensed motorcycles and quads all over the place, set off fireworks every night, and party until 3 and 4 in the morning so that it’s terrific when it storms at night to shut it down.
Pessimists would say: it’s just going to get worse.
Optimists would say: it’s just people blowing off steam. It will get better soon.
The person of Hope would say: God’s creation will withstand also these assaults on good sensibilities, and God provide all enough sleep, despite the neighbours late hours.
Perhaps Noah would like to take the fireworks, motorcycles and quads, and the party-ers on the ark for a little ride … somewhere far away. But that’s just hope beyond hope.
Perhaps God has other plans?
Perhaps there is hope yet, that some sense, respect and common decency will enter into these people’s lives …
or more likely I will gain an understanding of how helpful and beneficial all these late hour activities are for other people, so I will smile, instead of grimace, at their occurrences, waking me from my sleep.
There’s always hope.
Here’s hoping.
I Hope.
.
Faith is beyond hope. It is a gift of trusting when there is no reason to trust, or to hope.
Faith is a gift that the Holy Spirit continually renews in us, since we wear it thin so quickly.
Faith is the most powerful thing we will ever know in our lives.
Love comes in almost tied with Faith.
Some have said Love comes in first.
Regardless, there are these three: Faith, Hope and Love.
Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing.
Colossians 1:12
Give thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.
Words of Grace For Today
The Movie “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” portrays a hero who can with compassion, listening and friendship transform us from angry, cynical realists who doubt anyone is or can be really good, into kind, compassionate, loving spouses and fathers (or mothers, not to leave anyone out.)
The movie’s byline is We Could All Use a Little Kindness. Today’s polarized political worlds, the echo chamber of self absorbed opinions available on line, and the falsehoods presented as truths by those we previously would have respected, leave us needing kindness, compassion, and a renewed hope in humanity. We need a few new heroes to inspire us to be better people, especially with those people who are different than us.
We need a bit of truth to prevail, and decency: Hope Lutheran Edmonton’s council just voted and distributed material to the members: They know it is against their constitution, but they have, without proper process to leave the ELCIC voted to hold a mail-in vote to call a non-ELCIC pastor. It is blatant breach of trust.
The Bishop or the Bishop’s representation must be present at the meeting for it to be legal.
But if the council will vote to act against the constitution, and blatantly so, who can trust that any of the rest of the process will be anything close to fair or even decent.
That, and many stories like it, leave us knowing we need a LOT more kindness, compassion, and a renewed hope in humanity. We need a few new heroes to inspire us to be better people, especially with those people who are different than us. We need a few good people, a new kind of hero, to stand up to blatant evil and put it in it’s place.
There is nothing to support this hope, or to fill this need.
Instead we worship the Lord with gladness and come into his presence with singing. We give thanks to the Father, who has enabled us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.
For no matter what or who assaults us in this life, we know who transforms us from wretched sinners into saints, who can only share God’s sacrificial Grace with all people, even those who exercise such blatant, and raw evil against the little ones of Christ.
We know that our very breath relies not on the goodness of other sinners. Neither does the terribleness of others’ sins take our breath, our spirit, our faith, our gratitude, our love for all people, nor our hope from us. For nothing can separate us from the love of God, and the love of God is what gives us life, no matter what else we face.
Thanks be to God.
Covid 19, you have got nothing on the sin and hurt that people are capable of causing others. We are thankful for all the people who are kinder, more compassionate, and more loving, having grown through the challenges of Covid 19.
Stay safe, for yourself, but even more so for those around you! We are in this together, this entire journey on the good creation earth.
but more nourishing than greed, pride, and bearing false witness,
and other ways we forsake our God.
Jeremiah 2:17
Have you not brought this upon yourself by forsaking the Lord your God, while he led you in the way?
John 8:31
Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples.
Words of Grace For Today
God does not forsake us, ever, no matter what.
The Holy Spirit always leads us onward to serve Christ, and Christ alone.
It is not that the Holy Spirit leads us onward to serve our vision of the future, say what our own congregation should look like, or how much money we will save by cheating others, or how much comfort is due us at others expense, or even seemingly good goals: like that we will build family camps to nurture the faith at home, or that we will bring Vacation Bible Schools to remote areas in the North, so that First Nations people will be educated in the Christian Faith (as patronizing as that has always been!), or that we will recruit more and more people to join our church so that we are strong again.
The Holy Spirit always leads us onward to serve Christ, and Christ alone.
Discerning what Christ’s will for us is seemingly difficult, which we get so wrong over and over again. Only hindsight shows us how wrong we’ve too often been: take slavery, or exclusion of others by race, or nationality, or social class; or sexual orientation; or now on gender identification.
The ways we forsake God and go our own way seems to be unlimited.
The ways that the Holy Spirit uses to bring us home again, are actually unlimited, as unlimited as God’s Love and Jesus’ Grace.
Continuing in Jesus’ Way cannot be reduced to a few or even many sayings, rules, or verses. Democracy is not about a constitution, but rather democracy is about an attitude that toleration of others and their opposing ideas is essential to life and therefore to governing a people.
Being Jesus’ disciples is not reducible, not at all, to a set of rules, sayings or a constitution. It is a full experience of God leading us in ways and in places, toward ends that we cannot imagine, nor as we are underway, even fathom. It is about holding Jesus’ story of bringing Grace to all people at great cost to himself (his own life) as the guide to how we live. Following Jesus’ Way is about living out an ever evolving ethics that holds us humbly needing Grace, and bearing our own crosses, while not dumping the cross on others.
When we have nothing left to lose, then we are totally free.
We lose everything to follow Jesus, including the right to claim our right to live. Everything is the Holy Spirit’s to use. We are bold to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus, for though it cost us our lives on earth, no one can separate us from the Grace of Jesus, the Love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit.
What freedom that is! What security! What everlasting hope that provides!
Your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise. O dwellers in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a radiant dew, and the earth will give birth to those long dead.
2 Corinthians 4:14
We know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence.
Words of Grace For Today
The images for resurrection abound. Glorious, wonderful, hopeful.
The south wind blows hot air as I write this, warming it up into the high 30⁰. Not that comfortable.
Deception and lies abound all around, making lots of people hot under the collars. Not that comfortable.
Rule of law is lost as police brutality takes centre stage, with peaceful protests in response that are hijacked into violent riots in the heat of the nights for weeks. Not that comfortable.
Patterns of RCMP here at home, blatant in statistics, are racially focused and motivated by hatred spawned from irrational fears. Real crime is ignored, or abided, in a subtle agreement that it must exist, or it is attacked as if it were already war … and truth is the first victim in war. Society decay receives the heat of corruption applied, speeding it’s crumbling beneath a veneer of nice politeness. Not that comfortable at all.
In every generation the creative progress has always moved only along with the corruption of evil that permeates human efforts, so that eventually all (seemly) good things rot away.
The dead bodies of all human ‘achievements’ litter history and all creation.
In this dust, we each come to rest, at the end of our lives.
.
..
…
The promise made evident with Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is that God does not abandon us to this dust, not after we die, nor as we live.
From this dust God will bring us back to new life, raised with Jesus Christ, to live in God’s presence.
It is a promise in which we place our trust and hope.
Hope pulls us up and out of the dust that surrounds us each day. We live differently, better, at peace, simply because we have this hope. We no longer need to struggle to be good, God makes us saints in spite of ourselves. We no longer need to struggle to make things happen, and in the process become the evil that we try to conquer, trying to do in secret what is certainly wrong, destructive, and futile.
Hope makes all the difference in how we live. We surrender to serve Christ and Christ alone, no longer making our own goals the purpose of life, at all costs.
Even today the Holy Spirit guides us to live this life. This life is as Christ provides: that we accept our own sinfulness, his forgiveness, and the renewed life that the Holy Spirit gives us – then we turn to other sinners and forgive them, helping them turn from the evil that consumes them.
God help us. Raise us from this dust that catches in our throats as we try to breathe. Give us Light, Breath, and Hope … by Grace alone.
Only the Holy Spirit can show us how love blesses everything and everyone.
Psalm 8:6
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet
Ephesians 5:1-2
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Words of Grace For Today
God gave humans dominion over the works of God’s hands, over creation, putting all things under our feet.
It is true that we, humans, do appear to be able to work our will over many aspects and creatures in creation. Certainly we do not have dominion over everything in the universe.
Since we pretty much destroy so much of what we attempt to control, perverting even our own good intentions into things terrible beyond imagining (remember how nuclear bombs, declining faithfulness, and pastor shortages came to be), it is probably good we have not mastered the entire universe.
Where we show most fearfully our successes is in our efforts to control and/or destroy other people. Warfare has developed to the point where we can all too easily dispatch a drone to blow up a village, missiles from a plane, ship, submarine, or land based silo that can obliterate whole cities, or suicide bombers to blow up a crowd. Terrorist attacks come by land, sea, air, and cyber means delivering projectile, poisons, explosions. Infamous leaders turn words that have no bearing in reality into deadly weapons, inspiring hate crimes, that invite protests, that are hijacked as violent riots, which in turn are use as excuses for more hate crimes inspired by infamously dangerous and irrational power hungry leaders.
Where did all this hate come from?
From our fearful hearts!
We fear that our share of the pie is disappearing, so we want to blame someone else, instead of take our own responsibility for living lives that demand others destroy air, land, and sea … and people, in order to satisfy our insatiable appetites for things that do not satisfy the soul.
How different Jesus’ life story is, filled with healing words and touches, wise words that reach the soul with truth, actions that demonstrate God’s omi-present, all-powerful, self-sacrificial love.
Be imitators …
not of those who pursue dominion over creation and creatures, especially other people.
Be imitators …
of Jesus, extending love, especially to the strangers, to the ones who is different, to the ones who cannot return our love, to the most vulnerable, to the most needy and to our own selves.
You can tell, in a congregation, who the people are who do not love themselves as God loves them. They always worry and try to make something (usually something impossible) happen according to their own plans. They lie. They cheat. The sow chaos, trying to keep their plans in the dark until the destruction is beyond repair, as if they somehow win with their lies, secrets, and interpretations of constitutions, bylaws, and contracts that are only possible if one suspends normal manners of thinking. While they demand more and more of others, they produce less and less real, loving work. What appears as loving actions is really power games to gain influence in order to rise out of their own chaos as a saviour.
Unfortunately people always follow leaders who create chaos and false fears, like Hottelstedter, who will then say they really had no idea where all the people disappeared to, those the cattle cars carried through their village… on the way to the extermination camps.
One has to pity those who are so fearful that the best they can imagine for the future is to create chaos and false fears to drive people to do irrational and destructive things. Yes! the pitiful have exercised dominion, the kind of dominion the Devil tempts us to, the kind that eats out our own souls and corrupts each piece of creation it touches.
Thank God, Jesus’ love, which the Holy Spirit equips and empowers us to imitate and act out for all people, even the most pitifully corrupt, cannot be overpowered by the Devil and his evil work, no matter the guise they come in. We are not separated from the love of Christ, not even by the Devil himself, not as God’s love flows into us in overwhelming measures, nor as it flows over, around, and through us to everyone around us.
Thanks be to God.
Therefore we pause at all hours, to be astounded with gratitude for all God has done for us.
Therefore we pray each day: may we not forget the over-abundance of God’s Grace and Love which saves us, even from ourselves.
Therefore each day we pray: may this day bring us to share God’s love with those so thirsting and hungry that they succumb to the Devil’s empty promises.
Yes, let us have dominion over all creation, as we imitate Christ, for Jesus’ kind of dominion is to pour God’s unconditional, irrationally prodigal Love and Grace into life around us … at all costs to ourselves.
From a Lutheran to Lutherans, other Christians and people of other faiths:
Here are some documents and posters I’ve collected that may be helpful.
Note: no guarantees are offered or implied: Inform yourself. Fact Check everything. The process proposed may help, or not. The Checklist surely is not complete, especially not for your situation and event.
Links to source documents are provided throughout the files, here in both .odt and .docx.
