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Why we walk – Out of the Darkness

Again this year, on Sept 28th, at the Salem Capital steps, we will walk to support people struggling with the issue of Suicide. Some will have experienced the death of a loved one to suicide. Some are struggling with their own issues around suicide. Join us  – we gather about 9 and the walk officially begins at 10:30am.  But I have attached an article from last year’s Western Oregon newspaper which summarizes the event so well, I thought you should read what Bailey Thompson | News Editor had to say:  Continue reading “Why we walk – Out of the Darkness”

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Layman’s prayer

Today’s blog is from Loran Sell, member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, and my friend. Enjoy.

Perhaps many of you were raised like I was with the impression that worship and prayer were very formal.  There was some kind of template that needed to be followed to pray correctly. There was a right way to pray. Ie. Come, Lord Jesus; Now I lay me down to sleep; Our Father, Who are in Heaven.

I grew up in the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church. I’m sure that “saved by grace” and “talking with God” were present in my learning but the message was masked with the formality.  There were petitions of forgiveness and praise that needed to be included in each prayer if you were going to do it right.
Formality in prayer definitely has a place in services, organized events, and even in personal prayer. But if it’s just repeating the words without letting their meaning sink in, are you praying or reciting?
Where I actually learned to pray was sitting on a bench outside the barn,  probably an old buggy seat, with my Reoganized Laterday Saints grandmother while Grandpa and Dad milked the cows. She shared Bible stories, we sang Jesus loves me and This Little Light.  We imagined shapes in the clouds and thanked God for them. Yes, we prayed. I learned that Jesus loves me and I could talk with him about whatever was on my mind.
I also learned that God answers prayers. When I was a child, perhaps 5 or 6, Santa brought me a bat and ball for Christmas.  I was anxious try them out but the yard was covered with several feet of snow. Against the advise of my parents I went out between the drifts to play catch with myself. You can probably guess what happened next.  When I batted the ball it disappeared into the snow. I looked and looked. I prayed asking God to help me find my ball. I looked some more, but to no avail.  When the snow melted there in the middle of the yard was my ball. The words “God answers prayers in his way an time, not ours” came back to me.
So when should we pray?  Jesus said “pray unceasingly “so I’d say “anytime.”  When narrowly avoiding an accident, “Thank you God.”  When something good happens, “praise the Lord.”  When you screw up, ” Please forgive me, Lord.  I did it again. Give me the strength to resist the next temptation. ” When you feel weak or uncertain, ” Dear Jesus, please walk with me and give me the strength to do this. “
What about when you are disappointed or angry? Is it ok to be angry with God? The Rodney Atkin’s lyrics “talking to God like he was talking to a friend” tells the story. We can pray like we are talking to a friend. Do you every get mad at a friend? If you want to stay friends you probably talk about it. The same goes for God. Tell him about it.
I believe God hears and answers our prayers.  Where we get into trouble is placing our expectations on God’s answer. We think “How can God let this bad thing happen? Didn’t he hear my prayer? ”  Be assured, he heard. He may not, however, give you the answer you want.
I sometimes find that telling God my troubles helps me talk through a problem. Just getting it off my chest and thinking it through often produces an answer and it makes me feel better. If I feel better, hasn’t God answered my prayer?
It wouldn’t be right to write about prayer without praying, so allow me to share my prayer for this blog with you.
Dear Lord, Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts on prayer with this audience. Please help me find words that express the ease, value and importance of prayer that are acceptable in your sight and of assistance to others. Forgive me for the times when I fail to come to you or assist others who I could help with a prayer. May these thoughts find a home in at least one heart and help and encourage them to come to you in prayer.   In Jesus name I ask this of you.  Amen
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Finding a Place to Call Home

 

This week we have a guest blog about important issues for people of faith from our Council President, Doug Odell – Take a moment read, won’t you?

What would you do if you were suddenly cast out of your home and had to live in your car or on the streets? Over fourteen hundred people in Marion and Polk counties are in that position right now. This includes families with children. How did they get there? Illness, loss of employment, unwarranted evictions, or lack of transportation are some of the many factors that lead to homelessness.

How can we help the homeless, especially the children? Continue reading “Finding a Place to Call Home”

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We are Lutheran – are we Evangelical?

“Comparisons are odious” I have quoted John Donne many times.  Comparisons can be a waste of time, a ‘spinning of wheels’ instead of getting out and getting the job done.  However, this blog will contain a few comparisons in order to help shed some light on this word Evangelical and the fact that it is in the name of the denomination which ordained me to be a pastor.
 Here’s what google says about the word, “e·van·gel·i·cal”
/ˌēvanˈjelək(ə)l/
adjective
adjective: evangelical
  1. 1.
    of or according to the teaching of the gospel or the Christian religion.
    synonyms: scriptural, biblical, Bible-believing, fundamentalist, orthodox

    “evangelical Christianity”
    • of or denoting a tradition within Protestant Christianity emphasizing the authority of the Bible, personal conversion, and the doctrine of salvation by faith in the Atonement.
      synonyms: evangelistic, evangelizing, missionary, crusading, propagandist, propagandizing, converting, proselytizing, televangelical; More

       
    • zealous in advocating something.
      “she was evangelical about organic farming”
noun
noun: evangelical; plural noun: evangelicals
  1. 1.
    a member of the evangelical tradition in the Christian Church.
Origin
mid 16th century: via ecclesiastical Latin from ecclesiastical Greek euangelikos, from euangelos(see evangel).
Well, let’s start over. Because the last part of that definition finally got to what Evangelical means in the name of our synod – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  The Euangelion – In GREEK – Means – the Good News – the proclamation that Jesus has come and changed the world, from being a focused on rules to being focused on LOVE – God SO LOVED the world, that God gave God’s only begotten Son that we might have eternal life!

Continue reading “We are Lutheran – are we Evangelical?”

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Enoch – walking with God

In our worship on Sunday, we will be studying Hebrews 11 – which lists a bunch of guys with faith! You may have heard of Abel, and Noah, and Abraham (and Sarah), but Enoch is also mentioned. Here’s the verses –

Hebrews 11 – 4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith he still speaks. 5By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and ‘he was not found, because God had taken him.’ For it was attested before he was taken away that ‘he had pleased God.’ 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith.

8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised. 12Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, ‘as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.’

And so, I am writing this blog because it’s not very often we get around to Enoch. He’s obscure. He’s mentioned in Genesis, but not much.

Genesis 5:21-24 New International Version (NIV)

21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah.22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

So, why did the author of Hebrews think Enoch important enough to list in the “Heroes of the faith” list given to believers who were struggling in the first century. I’ve been saying that the book was written to the “so, what?” generation of Jewish Christians. They are at a point in faith where the unpleasantness heaped upon them for being Christians is not feeling ‘worth it’. Ever feel like that?  Well, these folks did. And so Enoch.

Enoch was part of the family tree of Adam and Eve. After being expelled from the garden (for messing up pretty bad), Adam and Eve raised a family, and generations followed. Seven generations down we encounter Enoch. (Spoiler alert – God will send the great flood in Noah’s generation – the 10th generation from Adam!  By then, the depravity and sinful nature of man has grown to a level that requires God to destroy the world, except for Noah and his family, and start over!)

Enoch, however, embedded in generations of people who struggle with sin is an exception. Enoch walks faithfully with God. I have pictured that phrase to mean a literal walking- there’s Enoch walking in his garden, and God is walking with him, chatting about important things. And then, Enoch was no more, because God took him away. The author of Hebrews offers us this image – God loves Enoch, and Enoch loves God, and so Enoch does not have to endure death. He is simply taken away to be with God. It’s a tiny story in the bible, but, as you and I encounter so much death in our lives, it is an amazing possibility – skipping death, and going straight to God.  If you are like me, you might think that sounds pretty good.

But how can we learn from Enoch, to make our own lives better? I am afraid I find this pretty obscure, and far from concrete, but still I am encouraged by Enoch – in a time of much sin and struggle, he was able to find a way to be with God.

Friends, the journey for those who love God  is a journey from despair to hope. Perhaps you can visualize, with me, the man Enoch, walking with God, and draw hope for your own life, taking time to walk with God in the midst of busy times, in the midst of hard times, and in the midst of frightening times. Hold on to Hope, friends, and be like Enoch, walking with God.

Pastor Patricia+