Meet Together Often

"And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Heb 10:24-25

With Ash Wednesday behind us, we have begun our journey through the Lenten Season to the cross which will culminate at the empty tomb. Who will make this journey with us? Who will gather with us at worship as we struggle with our own crosses as we follow in the footsteps of Jesus to Calvary?

St. Paul admonished the Hebrews, even as we are admonished to not neglect coming together as a community of saints. During Lent many congregations gather together more often (here at Zion on Wednesdays as well as Sundays) to hear God's Word and to worship Him.

May God plant in the hearts of all who would bear the name of Christ the desire to gather more often to worship Him and glorify His Holy Name.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Christian Fellowship

Do not neglect to meet together for encouragement.

"And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25 NRSV

We gather together to worship God. As we hear the word and receive the Sacrament, the love of God fills us to overflowing. That overflow pours out into the community around us.

Yet, as we reach out to the community around us with the love of God, there are times that we can be emptied pretty quickly. St. Paul warned in this second letter to the Corinthians (6:14) not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. That does not mean that we should shun unbelievers; for how will they know the love of God if we do not share it with them? However, it does mean that we should make time to gather together with other believers not just at worship, but as often as possible so that we have the opportunity to encourage and support one another in our faith.

May God bless the fellowship of all the saints.

God's Peace - Pr. J

P.S. This was just a reminder to our local community to remember to join us at our back to school picnic in September to fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

John 13:31-35 Smile On Your Brother; Love One Another

John 13:31-35 NIV
My shoulders are totally messed up. I have problems with the rotator cuffs. Some days they are fine. Others not so good. I see a masseuse twice a month for them. I've been noticing recently; though, that the days when they are really hurting are days when I have been witnessing a lot of disrespect rather than love. It's as though the weight of the problems that this disrespect causes is resting on my shoulders. Of course, it is not. But, just the same, it feels like it and I do end up dealing with a lot of the consequences, one way or another.

So much nastiness... Neglect, abuse, rudeness, abrasiveness... I ask you, is this the way that we should love one another? Jesus loves us so much that he was willing to die for us. Yet, we love our neighbor so little that we cannot even express little tokens of kindness like saying thank-you or please or excuse me, let alone actually go out of our way to help and support them in their time of need.

Jesus said, "By this everyone will know that your are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (vs 35)

In addition to an occasional massage, I've recently decided I should start singing out loud whenever people start acting really bad. My singing usually makes people smile (yes, it is that bad) and I'm thinking smiling is a really good alternative to what I've been witnessing. As I read the lesson for today, a song sung by the Youngbloods in the 60's came to mind.

Love is but the song we sing,
And fear's the way we die
You can make the mountains ring
Or make the angels cry
Know the dove is on the wing
And you need not know why
C'mon people now,
Smile on your brother
Ev'rybody get together
Try and love one another right now.

Smile, right now... because, you don't have to listen to me sing it! Be kind and love one another, today and everyday.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Zephaniah 3 - Blessed are the Oppressed; Woe to the Oppressors!

"Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled!" (Zephaniah 3:1 NIV)

Woe to those who oppress others. Woe to those who neglect and abuse others, whether it is by word or deed that is done or left undone!  Woe to those who continue in their unrighteous ways and know no shame. What is with that, anyway? What good is in it for anyone who persecutes others unjustly?

God dispenses justice. He so wants to dispense mercy and grace to all His children. He so desires that His children would turn to Him and love Him as He loves them. But, anger abounds; jealousy lives, and greed survives.

But, the story does not have an unhappy ending for those who love Him. He will save! He does save! He is with the oppressed. He is with the abused and neglected. He is, even now, gathering those who love Him, into the Kingdom that is prepared for us by Jesus Christ, our LORD.

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matt 5:8)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Isaiah 49 - Can A Mother Forget Her Child?

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!
See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are ever before me. (Isa 49:15, 16 NIV)

Most of us cannot even begin to consider that we might forget our children. However, the sad reality is that there are many mothers who do. There are many mothers who prefer not to have children and live as though they don't. Once, again, I consider that the court systems in this country still tend to give preferential treatment to mothers over the fathers. And... if and when the courts do grant a greater proportion of the custody of a child to a father or other person due to gross neglect or abuse by the mother, society tends to want to say that the courts were unfair - that they should never take a mother's children away from her. They need her. What they really need is a mother who will love them. She will love them as God loves her. She will put their lives before her own even as God was willing, in Christ Jesus, to give his life for us.

Isaiah 49 was read by me often when my own children were teen-agers and beginning to stretch their wings beyond what was good for them. Those years are long gone and I had almost forgotten the reassurance they gave me. Now, that I have grandchildren hitting those teen years, I suspect I should probably be reaquainting myself with these verses:

"Your children hasten back,
and those who laid you waste depart from you.
Lift up your eyes and look around;
all your children gather and come to you.
As surely as I live,” declares the Lord,
“you will wear them all as ornaments;
you will put them on, like a bride.

“Though you were ruined and made desolate
and your land laid waste,
now you will be too small for your people,
and those who devoured you will be far away.
The children born during your bereavement
will yet say in your hearing,
‘This place is too small for us;
give us more space to live in.’
Then you will say in your heart,
‘Who bore me these?
I was bereaved and barren;
I was exiled and rejected.
Who brought these up?
I was left all alone,
but these—where have they come from?’”" (Isa 49:17-21)

 

God's Peace - Pr. J