7420 Fourth Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11209
(718) 745-8520
info@goodshepherdbayridge.org
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd
It was one ministry in a complicated arena of mission that allowed us to “go out look toward the heavens and count the stars” (v.5). God literally asked us to go out and look. We hope the stars of the kingdom were polished by our efforts.
Nations who boast they have God on their side would love to isolate verse 12a. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…” It could give permission to continue to claim more than we should about our engagement around the world.
However, the poem clearly speaks nothing of the
self-interest of nations, kings, queens, or any over zealous
multinational hegemony. It doesn’t even consider war or arms to be
helpful when it comes to strength, victory, or salvation. Rather the
poem speaks of a proper alignment of values with public life. It
reminds us that God is watching. So, the poet invites
the soul to wait for the
Lord, who is our help and shield” (v.20).
We know about security cameras hovering around our cities. They are imposed by our own sense of security. The Psalm, however has its own version of security cameras. It invites the community to put right our public life by remembering that we are not alone. God is watching.
We give you thanks Gracious God for the bounty of your earth and the hearty spirit you offer freely and wonderfully. Amen.
I love the mythological phrase attributed to Blessed Martin Luther, “if the world were to end tomorrow I would still plant a tree today to pay me debt.” It keeps my faith real. Whether or not he said it matters not. What matters is that we remain vigilant in the kingdom; ready, willing, and able to care for the earth today.
Contemporary environmental catastrophe may have something to do with what we treasure. Perhaps in this gospel Luke reminds us that Jesus primarily takes the fear away by putting our treasure in hearts that cannot be consumed, lost on the NYSE, or destroyed by a thief.
Jesus reminds us that fearless living, that is,
kingdom living, has to do with where we put our heart more than
where we put our possessions. He reminds us that our hearts are
eager and ready when we keep the light burning.
Fearless God, we give you thanks for settling for nothing less than our whole self. We pray that we may live your Gospel fearlessly. Amen.
Luke
12.32-40
I like the notion, ‘dressed for action,’ more than ‘dressed for success.’ It makes me think I do not need to worry about my wardrobe as much as my attitude. “Dressed for action” has a different sound than the success mode we consumed with in the good ‘ol USA. Dressed for action means we are ready.
What does it mean, however, to be dressed for action? The first three verses offer a hint: (1) fear not, (2) downsize your materials and give, (3) make strong purses, (4) converge your treasure with your heart.
After all that work, we are “dressed for action.” It sounds good even though I wonder about the details. But, fear not. The heart of the message leaves it up to us to decide how to get dressed and the Good News simply reminds us of “the Father’s good pleasure,” and “the kingdom.” It is wonderful how God takes pleasure in giving. Perhaps that is the heart of the story.
May we
prepare our lives to receive your love so that we may give it away
wholesale. Amen.
This passage is a classic. It brings up memories of hope resounding through difficulty. It reminds me of the phase “a wandering Aramean was my ancestor” That is title to the epic journey of our faith parents, Abraham and Sarah, venturing out for meaning not fortune. The Hebrew Christian keeps hope alive through that faith story.
A goat herder once said the phrase “wandering” could be translated cimarron. Cimarron could refer to a purposeful wanderer; like a freed slave entering a promised land, or a migrant family dedicated to find hope in a new land. Or a goat that knows where to find water in the desert.
We live a migrating world. Families search to catch up with an economy gone global ~ leaving locals in the lurch. Presently the congregation I serve partners in ministry with the New York Sanctuary Movement. We accompany migrant families through the complicated migrating process. Because of that ministry, we watch migrants face the potential of separation, loneliness, and difficult work.
They do not live with anger on their faces,
just a lot of stress. They exude a spirit of purposeful wandering;
cimarron. They seem to instinctively house the faith of our
ancestors that links them to the hope funded by God.
Loving God, you are the source of our hope. You fund the gifts of our living. We offer you thanks as we follow the call into the wilderness, not knowing yet confident of your presence and your faith. Amen.
It is time to Sabbath. It is time to stop and remember. It is time to sing.
Every summer we engage our gathered worship community in singing favorite hymns. Someone in the community always selects “Joy to the World.” When we sing it in our liturgy some worry that we’re doing something wrong by singing hymns out of season. Some smile at the thought of Christmas in July. Others just listen to the Sabbath sounds and think about the Joy of God entering our own lives, the lives of our families, neighbors, and as far reaching as earth.
The hymn reminds us to take Sabbath ~work stoppage ~ and return to the significance of our living as we til the earth and all living things.
Earth tends to do joy better than our own voices, but when we stop, look, listen, smell, taste, touch, and sense we become full of joy.
Dear
joyous God, we raise our voices in joy to the earth and all your
living beings. We life your name above all names because it is lift
itself. Our voices say thanks. Amen.
In 1948 the famous theologian, Rev. Dr. Howard Thurman (a mentor to
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.), reminded his community that, “There
must be always remaining in every man’s life some place for the
singing of angels.” This phrase, like the hymn selected for
today’s meditation, is like a choir director’s baton used to lead us
into music. Perhaps we could sing with the mystery of angels or
incline an ear to their sounds. Who knows what music may be made.
For Lutherans it is evident that singing is not only the vocation of
heavenly realm. Our vocation is to sing that same glory even when
steeples are falling and kingdoms pretend to secure their borders
through swift weapons that do not negotiate.
Perhaps music will recover the generous spirit behind Scripture’s
deep ecology of faith that values all life as sacred. It is, after
all, to the glory of God that we harmonize with the angels to
remember how blessed we are. Let the music sing.