Providing Promising Futures

Lenten Message 

Our first Lenten message for 2023

Dear Fellow Workers in the Vineyard:

Here is the text for the 5th Lenten message. To watch the video version, follow this link: https://youtu.be/A-MaBXYP9nU

John 12:44-50

44Then Jesus cried aloud: "Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness. 47I do not judge anyone who hears my words and does not keep them, for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48The one who rejects me and does not receive my word has a judge; on the last day the word that I have spoken will serve as judge, 49for I have not spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak. 50And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I speak, therefore, I speak just as the Father has told me."

Reflection

There is no God the Father without Jesus. Likewise, there is no Jesus without God the Father! If we believe in Jesus, we also believe in the Father who sent him. Jesus has come to enlighten the world, to scatter the darkness and heal those who are blind (i.e. those who are lost in the darkness). Jesus emphasizes here that he does not judge! He says that those who reject him and don’t receive his word will be judged by the Father by virtue of that word. What does this mean? What is Jesus trying to say? 

Jesus is telling us that he has revealed the Father to us in his fullness. If we want to know the Father, we have only to look at Jesus. If we wish to follow the will of God, we must follow Jesus and the way of the cross. They are one. There is no God outside of the one made known in Jesus! He is the light of the world and our belief in him makes us children of the light. Here is the important point in this passage. Jesus does not judge those who hear his words but do not keep them. Keeping them is hard! Self-denial is hard. Loving others is hard! If Jesus doesn’t judge us, then we should not judge each other!! Jesus has come to save us, not judge us. We are to proclaim his salvation, not pass judgement. Jesus tells us plainly, if we fail to receive his word, then we shall be judged by that very word. There is no way to follow God apart from Jesus! We cannot be judgmental, hateful and intolerant of others and kid ourselves into thinking that we’re doing God’s work! Our mission is to proclaim Christ’s salvation, not heap contempt and scorn on those with whom we disagree! 

Let us pray.

O God, with steadfast love you draw us to yourself, and in mercy you receive our prayers. Strengthen us to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, that through life and death we may live in your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

Lenten Blessings,

Pastor Frenz

Lenten Greetings!:

Next week (March 28-April 3) is Holy week and we will have some extra opportunities for worship.

The Holy Week schedule is:

Sunday of the Passion (Palm Sunday) at 5pm in the Chapel

Morning Prayer on Wednesday at 8am in the Chapel

Stations of the Cross on Good Friday at 12pm (noon) in the Chapel

The Resurrection of our Lord (Easter) on Sunday April 4th at 5pm in the Chapel

On Easter we will celebrate the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion!

All staff and residents are welcome at any or all of these services!

In addition to these opportunities I will be presiding and preaching during Holy Week at the following services:

Maundy Thursday at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Knox, Pa, 7:30pm

Easter Vigil at Faith Lutheran Church, Venus, Pa, 7:30pm

Easter Festival Service at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Warren, PA at 9:30am

Easter Festival Service at Bethany Lutheran Church in Sheffield, PA at 11:15am

All are welcome.

I hope to see you during Holy Week.

Dear Fellow Workers in the Vineyard:

This is the text for today’s Lenten Message! To watch the video version, click here: https://youtu.be/WKWev8fgLAM

The scripture for today’s Lenten Message is John 8:12-20

12Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." 13Then the Pharisees said to him, "You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid." 14Jesus answered, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15You judge by human standards I judge no one. 16Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. 17In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. 18I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf." 19Then they said to him, "Where is your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also." 20He spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury of the temple, but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

Reflection:

In this passage Jesus starts by making a declarative statement “I am the light of the world.” He states that whoever follows him will not walk in darkness, meaning that Jesus will bring them the truth! Specifically, he will bring them the truth about who God is! God is Light! God is Truth! God is Life! He is speaking to the Pharisees who are questioning him concerning his mission and authority. He is, quite literally, “testifying to the Light”! The Pharisees tell him that his testimony is invalid, because he is testifying on his own behalf. Jesus lets them know that according to their own law it only takes two witness to establish the truth, in this case Jesus, and God the Father! The Pharisees can’t know Jesus or what he’s about, because they live in darkness! They are liars and unable to know the truth. They know Jesus is right! They know he is from the Father and they are very afraid!

Even though they know that Jesus is the messiah sent by God, they don’t like what he’s saying. They don’t want to hear it! As Jesus tells them, they judge by human standards from a position of utter darkness! They are blind to the truth. So are we. We continue to stumble around in the dark while the way forward is clear to those who can see the light. They way of the cross, of love and compassion for others, of self-sacrifice. The way of putting the needs of the many over the needs of the few! This is how Christ wants us to live. The sad thing is that I know that this world is still one of darkness and we would crucify him all over again. We’ve learned nothing. Thankfully, Easter still follows Good Friday. Praise God for that!

Let us pray.

O God, rich in mercy, by the humiliation of your Son you lifted up this fallen world and rescued us from the hopelessness of death. Lead us into your light, that all our deeds may reflect your love, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Dear Fellow Workers in the Vineyard:

Here is the text for today’s Lenten message!

Mark 11:15-19

15Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; 16and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17He was teaching and saying, "Is it not written,

 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'?

 But you have made it a den of robbers."

18And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. 19And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.

Reflection:

Jesus is not always a nice guy. While we think of him in the popular imagination as someone who “loves his enemies” and “turns the other cheek “we often forget that there is another side to him that we must account for. To “turn the other cheek” means to be reluctant to engage in physical violence when we are assaulted, not because we are humble or meek per se but because we realize from a tactical point of view that retaliation leads to escalation which most often leads to a negative outcome for both parties. To “love our enemies” Means to treat others with dignity and compassion, even when they are acting against our interests. “niceness” or “kindness” has little to do with it. 

In today’s lesson we are told that “they” (Jesus and his disciples) came to Jerusalem and Jesus entered the temple and began to clear it out. He drove out the animals that were being sold for sacrifice and overturned the tables of the money changers, scattering the money and forcing them out. This was a violent act started by Jesus. Due to the size of the temple courtyard and the number of people attending the Passover celebrations, he could not have been alone. In one of the Gospels we are told that the Romans dispatched a legion of soldiers to quell the uprising! That’s a lot of soldiers for a gentle teacher and a motley crew of fishermen! For Jesus, engaging in commerce of any kind in the temple precinct was blasphemy and indicated how corrupt the temple priesthood had become. Jesus says plainly , "Is it not written,  'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'?  But you have made it a den of robbers." 

In addition, Jesus often referred to the ruling class as “hypocrites”, “Vipers” and “liars”! These are not gentle actions or kind words. This is not a meek and mild savior who cuddles sheep! This a man who has come to “set the oppressed free!” To declare the good news of God’s salvation and liberation (See Luke 4:18 and 19.)

Unfortunately, people in power do not respond to polite requests to treat others fairly and to institute just economic or social policies. If they did we would have had a just society long ago. If we are Christians and we truly love and serve others, at a certain point, like Jesus, we may have to get radical!

Let us pray.

Holy God, through your Son you have called us to live faithfully and act courageously. Keep us steadfast in your covenant of grace, and teach us the wisdom that comes only through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 

Amen.

Pax et Bonum,

Dear Fellow Workers in the Vineyard:

Here is the text for today’s Lenten Message. The video is available here: 

https://youtu.be/YRj7lJWGu3s

Today’s scripture is from John 12:36-43

36While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light."

After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them. 37Although he had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in him. 38This was to fulfill the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

 "Lord, who has believed our message,

 and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"

39And so they could not believe, because Isaiah also said,

 40"He has blinded their eyes

 and hardened their heart,

 so that they might not look with their eyes,

 and understand with their heart and turn —

 and I would heal them."

41Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke about him. 42Nevertheless many, even of the authorities, believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; 43for they loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God.

Reflection:

Many of us are blinded to the light. Satan, the adversary, has blinded us and hardened our hearts to prevent us from experiencing the love of Jesus and turning back to God (repenting)! But God would heal us of our blindness and our broken hearts. 

This passage goes further and says that even so, many believed! Even many in authority believed in him. However, they were afraid to confess it. They were afraid that they would be thrown out of the synagogue and lose their privilege. They were afraid that they would be ridiculed and reviled. That they would be treated as outcasts and marginalized.

So it is today. Many are blinded by the Adversary. Jesus came to restore sight to the blind, and so we Christians are called to do that, to restore sight to those who live in darkness who cannot see the light! However, there are many of us who do believe. Who attend and support our churches, but we are afraid to follow the teachings of Jesus. We are afraid to dedicate our lives and our resources to helping the poor and the marginalized. We are afraid to advocate on their behalf politically. We don’t want to be ridiculed and ostracized by the blind ones in our society, many of whom are our friends and family. 

Our material comfort is too important to us. We love human glory. Human ideas of success and wealth. Our churches must be beautiful monuments not to God, but to our own greatness. We spend money on them that could and should go toward ministry to the poor. That’s what God wants. He doesn’t want us to build monuments, he wants us to feed the hungry and provide shelter to the stranger. It’s not enough to believe in some abstract disconnected Jesus. We must believe in the Jesus who came …”to bring good news to the poor. To proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free.”! Amen.

Let us pray.

Holy God, through your Son you have called us to live faithfully and act courageously. Keep us steadfast in your covenant of grace, and teach us the wisdom that comes only through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Fellow Workers in the Vineyard:

Here is the video link: https://youtu.be/zto5owGFEmA

The Scripture reading for the first Wednesday in Lent is:

1 John 2:18-25

St. John writes:

18Children, it is the last hour! As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. From this we know that it is the last hour. 19They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But by going out they made it plain that none of them belongs to us. 20But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and all of you have knowledge. 21I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and you know that no lie comes from the truth. 22Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23No one who denies the Son has the Father; everyone who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25And this is what he has promised us, eternal life.

Reflection:

We often wonder when the Antichrist is coming, as if it’s some future reality, a prophecy that has yet to be fulfilled! According to John, there have been many antichrists! And he says they have gone out from us but have not belonged to us. Here john is talking about those were members of our community of Christians but have become apostate, those who have renounced Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah. An antichrist is simply one who denies Christ! In John’s day there were many who denied Christ by saying that he was human, or a prophet. Or some outside the church saw him as a deceiver and a fraud. Because those who left the community left because they were never really part of the community in the first place. They had become caught up in the spirit of the antichrist, the liar who denies that Jesus is the Christ.

There are many such deceivers today. Many were born into the Church and baptized into our community. Many have left because of the secularization of our culture. Some are atheists and believe that science argues against the existence of any God. This, of course, depends on how you interpret science. There’s no logical reason why science and religion can’t co-exist. A supreme being surely could have set the laws of physics in motion during a cosmic “big bang”! The truth is that Jesus’ messiahship makes us uncomfortable! It makes demands on us as people. We need to love one another! Feed those who are hungry. Care for the ill. Welcome the marginalized. In a complicated world, God and Jesus are simply one less complication. We can be self-centered and narcissistic without the need for guilt or change. As a culture, we have become so enamored of fame and fortune and our creature comforts that any idea of living a life for others becomes anathema. For John, the antichrist is the one who denies the Father and the Son. Denial can be out right, or simply assigning God to a lesser place on our list of priorities. If you fully embrace the Son than you have also embraced the Father. Let us remember during this Lenten season that the son died so that we might live! He deserves our full attention! Amen.

Let us Pray:

God our Father, great builder of the heavenly Jerusalem, You know the number of the stars and call each of them by name. Heal hearts that are broken, gather those who have been scattered, and enrich us all from the plenitude of Your eternal wisdom, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Fellow Workers in the Vineyard:

Here is the text for the Morning Prayer for Epiphany! The link to the video is here: 

https://youtu.be/z69nnxOdqJk

Have a great day!

Matthew 2:1-12

1In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” 3When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

 6‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

  are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

 for from you shall come a ruler

  who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

  7Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Reflection (available on the video!)

Prayer for a Pandemic 

May we who are merely inconvenienced 

Remember those whose lives are at stake. 

May we who have no risk factors 

Remember those who are vulnerable. 

May we who have the luxury of working from home 

Remember those who must choose between their health or  

paying their rent. 

May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close.

Remember those who have no options. 

May we who have to cancel our trips 

Remember those who have no safe place to go. 

May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the  

economic market, 

Remember those who have no margin at all. 

May we who settle in for a quarantine at home 

Remember those who have no home. 

As fear grips our country 

Let us choose love. 

During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms 

around each other 

Let us find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbor. 

Amen. (from the Daughters of the King)

God’s Peace,

Pastor Frenz

Fellow Workers in the Vineyard:

Welcome to the fourth Sunday in Advent. The video was interrupted before the end of the service. I’ve included the text of the service including the part that got cut off of the video. 

Prayer of the Day

Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. With your abundant grace and might, free us from the sin that would obstruct your mercy, that willingly we may bear your redeeming love to all the world, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

Psalm: Luke 1:46b-55

You, Lord, have lifted up the lowly. (Lk. 1:52)

 My soul proclaims the greatness | of the Lord,

 my spirit rejoices in | God my Savior,

 for you, Lord, have looked with favor on your | lowly servant.

 From this day all generations will | call me blessed:

 you, the Almighty, have done great | things for me

 and holy | is your name.

 You have mercy on | those who fear you,

 from generation to | generation. R

 You have shown strength | with your arm

 and scattered the proud in | their conceit,

 casting down the mighty | from their thrones

 and lifting | up the lowly.

 You have filled the hungry | with good things

 and sent the rich | away empty.

 You have come to the aid of your | servant Israel,

 to remember the prom- | ise of mercy,

 the promise made | to our forebears,

 to Abraham and his children forever. R

[P] The Holy Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to Luke the 1st chapter. 

Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Homily (on video)

Apostles’ Creed

[P] Let us confess our faith using the words of the Apostles’ Creed.

[C] I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead.*

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers of Intercession

God of power and might, fulfill your promise and come quickly to this weary world. Hear our prayers for everyone in need.

Gracious God, all generations call you blessed. In this holy season we pray for our neighbors of other denominations and faiths.  Inspire the faith of their people. Cultivate understanding among us and strengthen us in love and service to our community. 

Creator God, you scatter the proud. Everything we have belongs first to you. Bless and protect the seas, mountains, plains, forests, skies, and soils that surround us. Give us humility as we tend them. 

Righteous God, you humble the powerful and lift up the lowly. We pray for the leaders of all nations, that they amplify the voices of people in need. Guide all people entrusted with leadership, to create societies in which everyone can flourish. 

Compassionate God, you fill the hungry with good things and send the rich away empty. Nourish those who lack access to adequate food and nutrition. Bless the work of advocates, community organizers, and food pantries. Encourage others to provide for their neighbors in need. 

Healing God, you pour out mercy to all who cry out to you. Surround everyone in need of healing in body, mind, or spirit with your tender presence (especially). 

Eternal God, you are faithful to the promises you made to our forebears. We give thanks for the ministry of Katharina von Bora Luther and other ancestors who organized, planned, dreamed, encouraged, and reached out as they served you. We give thanks for the bold leadership of female leaders in our own time. Inspire others with their steadfast witness. 

Draw near to us, O God, and receive our prayers for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Lord’s Prayer

[P] Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us. [C] Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

A Prayer for Times When We Are unable to Receive Holy Communion

[P] Dear Jesus, we believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. We love You above all things and desire to receive You into our souls. Since we cannot now receive You sacramentally, come spiritually into our hearts. We embrace You as if You were already there and unite ourselves wholly to You. Never permit us to be separated from You. [C] Amen.                [Adapted from a prayer by St. Francis]

Blessing

[P] The Creator of the stars bless your Advent waiting, the long-expected Savior fill you with love, the unexpected Spirit guide your journey, ☩ now and forever.

Amen.

Dismissal

Go in peace. Prepare the way of the Lord.

Fellow Workers in the Vineyard:

Here is the text for Morning Prayer for the 3rd week in Advent. Here is a link to the full service on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/AXwHfP3ssrM

Mark 9:9-13

9As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead could mean. 11Then they asked him, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" 12He said to them, "Elijah is indeed coming first to restore all things. How then is it written about the Son of Man, that he is to go through many sufferings and be treated with contempt? 13But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written about him."

Reflection

Grace to you and Peace! Today’s scripture is interesting because it contradicts John’s Gospel reading from Sunday! In the passage from John, the Baptist flatly denies being Elijah or the prophet (i.e. Moses). In this passage however, Jesus affirms that Elijah (i.e. John) “has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased”.

I believe that John the Baptist denied his connection with Elijah for the same reason that Jesus kept his messianic secret for so long! He did not want to be arrested before the time was right. It’s the same, I think, with John the Baptist. He came to us in the spirit of Elijah to prepare the way for the messiah. He was imprisoned and beheaded, but only after Jesus had been baptized and begun his ministry. Had he admitted to being Elijah, that would have been considered sacrilege and he would probably have been arrested and executed right then and there! With God, all things happen in the fullness of time. He will come again in the fullness of time. Rejoice in the waiting! Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!   

Prayer for a Pandemic 

May we who are merely inconvenienced 

Remember those whose lives are at stake. 

May we who have no risk factors 

Remember those who are vulnerable. 

May we who have the luxury of working from home 

Remember those who must choose between their health or  

paying their rent. 

May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close 

Remember those who have no options. 

May we who have to cancel our trips 

Remember those who have no safe place to go. 

May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the  

economic market, 

Remember those who have no margin at all. 

May we who settle in for a quarantine at home 

Remember those who have no home. 

As fear grips our country 

Let us choose love. 

During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms 

around each other 

Let us find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbor. 

Amen. (from the Daughters of the King)

Grace and Peace to you,

Pastor Frenz

Dear Fellow Workers in the Vineyard:

Here is the Text for Sunday Chapel for the 3rd Sunday in Advent. In addition, here is the link for the full service:

https://youtu.be/nmjUW6HLSp0 

Gospel: John 1:6-8, 19-28

6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.

  19This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” 21And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23He said,

 “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,

 ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ ”

as the prophet Isaiah said.

  24Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” 26John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” 28This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

Reflection

Grace to you and Peace, from God the Father and our lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

John came shouting the Good News to the Poor! Repent for the reign of God is near!!

John came as an ascetic, an itinerant holy man. He ate simply off of the land and baptized people with a water baptism, a sign of their submission to God’s reign! It was a purification baptism, a cleansing of sin in the same way that a bath cleanses one from dirt! To repent means to turn 180o! To make an about face. To head towards God instead of away from him.

Thousands came to John to hear him preach and to receive his baptism in the Jordan River. John recruited many as disciples who followed him throughout Galilee and Judea. Some of John’s disciples became followers of Jesus following John’s eventual arrest and imprisonment by Herod Antipas. The leaders of the temple and the authorities were afraid of John because of his message and his large following. This is the rationale behind the visits from the priests, Levites and Pharisees in this passage. They are trying to trap him. They want him to say something or make some claim that they can turn against him. A way they can accuse him of heresy or treason against Herod, or better, against the Roman authorities! 

John simply tells the truth. He states plainly that he is not the messiah, Elijah or the Prophet!

He is the one foretold by Isaiah, the voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way!

John has 3 purposes. 1) To proclaim good news to the poor. 2) To baptize those who repent and as for forgiveness and 3) to testify to the coming of the messiah, to testify and bear witness to Jesus as the Christ. That is also our mission as Christians: To bring good news to the poor, to baptize all who seek forgiveness and to bear witness to Jesus, our savior and liberator! Amen.

Let us pray

Stir up the wills of your faithful people, Lord God, and open our ears to the words of your prophets, that, anointed by your Spirit, we may testify to your light; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

Peace and Joy,

Pastor Frenz

Dear Fellow Workers in the Vineyard:

Here is the text for our Advent 2 morning prayer. You can access the full service by using this link below.

LUKE 1:5-17

5In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. 7But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.

8Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, 9he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. 10Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. 11Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. 13But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. 14You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. 16He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

In this passage from Luke we hear the story of Zechariah and his vision concerning the birth of John the Baptizer. We are told that Zechariah and Elizabeth lived blamelessly according to the commandments and had no children. They were also “getting on in years”. Zechariah, a priest, is chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary and offer incense! It is here that Zechariah encounters an Angel of the Lord. He is told that he and Elizabeth will have a son named John. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, the spirit and power of Elijah and will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

Can we possibly imagine how Zechariah must have felt? Afraid, crazy, delusional? Then honored, humbled, mystified! And finally I’m sure he felt the love and the joy that service to the Lord engenders! As we discover if we read on, Zechariah didn’t believe the angel, so he was struck mute until the time that John was born. Being mute served to remind him that God isn’t to be trifled with; and of course his voice returned to him after John was born, just as Zechariah was told! What can we learn from this? First of all, God chooses the most unlikely of us to serve him. Though Zechariah was a righteous man, he thought that he and Elizabeth were too old to bear a child. He lacked faith. Second, when we are approached by God and realize that our lives are going to change, we are afraid. Despite assurances to the contrary, we fear what we don’t understand. Finally, if we stop out in faith and follow through answering God’s call, we feel the love and joy that God has in store for all who answer his call to serve. During these challenging and uncertain times let us rededicate ourselves to his service! 

Let us pray.

We give thanks to you, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have protected us through the night from all harm and danger. We ask that you would also protect us today from sin and all evil, so that our life and actions may please you. Into your hands we commend ourselves: our bodies, our souls, and all that is ours. Let your holy angels be with us, so that the wicked foe may have no power over us.

Amen.

Grace and Peace to you,

Pastor Frenz

Good Morning Fellow Workers in the Vineyard!

Please disregard my last email. This is the correct link!

The Following is the text for the Morning Prayer service for today. Below that is a link to view the whole service (it is less than 8 minutes long)

Luke 21:34-38

34Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, 35like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

37Every day he was teaching in the temple, and at night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives, as it was called. 38And all the people would get up early in the morning to listen to him in the temple.

This can be a worrisome life. No question about it. And excessive worry can lead to attempts to escape our worries through drunkenness, dissipation (other forms of escape, video games, gambling, drug abuse, partying, etc.)! It’s sometimes easier to ignore what’s going on around us when we feel powerless. This pandemic has been an exercise in powerlessness for all of us. All we can do is what the scientists tell us, and that doesn’t always work. Still, people die, despite our best efforts! Who can blame people for wanting to check out? Would that we could go to sleep and wake up when the nightmare is over!

But still Christ warns us! Be on guard! Stay awake! Pray that we may have the strength to escape all these things: pandemic, economic hardship, grief and loss! The reign of God is coming near and we must be ready to reach out to others with love and compassion! We must be ready to step out beyond our own personal fears and let the Holy Spirit empower us to serve others in the face of darkness and danger! God loves us and Christ, our brother, stands with us as we take up our crosses and follow him!

May the lord strengthen you for the times ahead! Amen.

Let us pray.

We give thanks to you, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have protected us through the night from all harm and danger. We ask that you would also protect us today from sin and all evil, so that our life and actions may please you. Into your hands we commend ourselves: our bodies, our souls, and all that is ours. Let your holy angels be with us, so that the wicked foe may have no power over us.

Amen.

“32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." John 8:32

“It’s time to stop prioritizing tradition and civility over the lives of the marginalized. Our well-meaning desires to be tolerant and welcoming have left us ill equipped to face radical evil.”

―Lenny Duncan, Dear Church: A Love Letter from a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the US

What is the truth? This is a question asked by Pilate during his interrogation of Jesus when Jesus tells him “I have come to bear witness to the truth.” This is a cynical question on Pilates part because, like most politicians, he doesn’t believe in the existence of truth. For Pilate, truth is that which is expedient. That which maintains a semblance of order in a chaotic world. Tell me anything, just don’t tell me I have to change anything!

For Jesus, the truth is that he has come to free us from radical evil! Wealth inequality and racism are two of the forms that radical evil takes today and they work together hand in glove. Wealth inequality and other forms of oppression were the faces of evil in Jesus day.  As out of control police officers take their rage out on powerless unarmed citizens, they make personal the institutional violence inflicted on our brothers and sisters of color from the beginning of this nation! We need to stop militarizing the police! We need to make them accountable to the communities in which they serve. We need to make them obey the laws to which we are all subject. The killing of an unarmed person of color who is already in police custody is murder! It is lynching in all its most stark and horrible reality. White supremacy runs deep in our nation and even deeper in our church. It is no accident that 2/3 of the clergy in the German church supported Nazism! Anti-Semitism and racism have been rampant in the Lutheran Church since its foundation. As an institution our church has only rarely been on the right side of history, if ever.

Mostly, we don’t want to hear this truth. It’s ugly, it’s shameful and worst of all , unchristian! And it will require us to change! If we repent, then we must change. We must call upon the Holy Spirit to transform our lives so that we can have courage to make changes in our church and in our society. We must learn from those who are willing and have the courage to critique us. We must listen to our sisters and brothers of color and take what they say to heart. If we truly don’t want to be the “whitest denomination in America”, then they are the only ones who can tell us how to change it! Our cities are burning! Perhaps it’s time to shut up and listen! Thanks to Pastor Duncan for loving us enough to tell the truth. If we listen and act accordingly, as Jesus said, “the truth will make us free.  

Let us pray. Loving Father, send your Holy Spirit to us so that our ears and eyes may be opened to the truth. Help us to learn to hear it without rancor or defensiveness. Set us free from our complicit role in radical evil!. Amen.

Pax et Bonum

Pastor Frenz

The scripture for Pentecost is Acts 2:1-4

1When the day of Pentecost had come, [the apostles] were all together in one place. 2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Pentecost derives its name from the Jewish festival celebrating the harvest and the giving of the law on Mount Sinai fifty days after Passover. Fifty days after Easter, we celebrate the Holy Spirit as God’s presence within and among us. In Acts the Spirit arrives in rushing wind and flame, bringing God’s presence to all people. Paul reminds us that though we each have different capacities, we are unified in the Spirit that equips us with these gifts. Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit on his disciples, empowering them to forgive sin. We celebrate that we too are given the breath of the Holy Spirit and sent out to proclaim God’s redeeming love to all the world. (Sundays and Seasons)

Let us pray.

Come Holy Spirit. Amen.

Pax et Bonum,

Pastor

The Gospel Lesson for Ascension Day is: Luke 24:44-53

44[Jesus said to the eleven and those with them,] “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.”45Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

  50Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 52And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; 53and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

Why Do You Stand Looking Up Toward Heaven?

We often cast our eyes upward to look for God. When we are feeling lonely or misunderstood, we raise our hands to ask why, or shake our fists in gestures of prayer, anguish, or praise. While the scriptures promise that God is king of all the earth, sitting on his holy throne (Psalm 47), we need not only look up for God’s action in our lives. Our ascended Lord lives in the heavens, but Jesus does not leave his disciples—or us—to fumble while he naps in the clouds. Before he ascends, Jesus promises that we are clothed with the Holy Spirit’s power, witnesses “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

“Why do you stand looking up toward heaven?” the two men in white robes asked the witnesses remaining after Jesus ascended. Why do we stand still in our lives? Is it that we just saw God (Look! Up there! Did you see?), so we expect God to arrive in the same way again? Can God be that expected and predictable? This story of Jesus ascending to the heavens after his time with us on earth gives us mixed feelings: we know he’s returning to where he belongs—out of this world full of brokenness and sin to holiness and glory. Still, our longing is intense: Lord, we want to see you! How will we know it is you when you come again?

Ascension Day could be explained as the cynical “I’m outta here” of a God weary of us self-centered, broken humans, but that explanation would be short-sighted because it leaves out the important stop on the cross. Instead, Jesus’ departure is accompanied with the promise of the Spirit’s presence remaining among us. We look up to the skies for help, then return our gaze to those among us in need of our care, to the body of Christ and the wind of the Spirit among the baptized, preparing for the time when Jesus comes again to gather us in.

-Sundays and Seasons

I know many denominations don’t commemorate the ascension. Many might think of it as a “catholic thing”, which is somewhat true. But it’s an ancient commemoration in the Church and is often observed in the Lutheran and Episcopal traditions as well as in the Roman Catholic Church.

I want to share with you an opportunity to  experience an Ascension Day service in the Lutheran Tradition. This Service is provided by Good Hope/Zion Lutheran Ministry of Oil City, PA and the Preacher is a retired Pastor, the Rev. Robert Rigg, who is a member of Good Hope Lutheran Church. Just follow the link below. Enjoy!

https://www.goodhopezionlutheranoilcity.org/worship-together 

Christ is Risen!

Pastor

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

Our scripture for today is taken from John 14:15-21:

[Jesus said to the disciples:] 15“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

  18“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” 

This is a very seminal passage of scripture because it tells us a few very important things! First of all, Jesus tells us what it means to truly love him. It is not about emotion or belief, but rather, obedience! If we love him we will obey him and follow his teachings to the best of our ability. Next, he promises us an advocate, the Holy Spirit. This is the very Spirit of Truth which the world cannot receive because the world is blinded to it. We who abide in him, in other words, we who seek to obey him and follow him are able to see him and to know him. Then he goes on to promise that he will not leave us orphaned, he will not abandon us! We will be able to see him with the eyes of faith and we will know that because he lives, we will also live! We will also know that he is one the Father and that we are one in him! Again, he reiterates that those who seek to obey him are the ones that love him, and those that love him are also loved by the Father. And through the agency of the Holy Spirit, empowered by love, he will continue to reveal himself through us! When we love Jesus and obey him God loves us as his beloved children.

Let us pray.

Dear Lord, help us to obey you more fully and love you more deeply! In Jesus name. Amen.

In 1 Peter 2:2-5, St Peter writes:

2Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and 5like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Many of us don’t like to admit that we are spiritual infants! Especially those of us who are lifelong church goers or are church professionals. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but all you have to do is look at the state of the Church and compare it to the state of society. We in the Church like to think that we have it all figured out and that we are somehow better than our more secular brothers and sisters.

All we have to do is look at the history of the Church to know that we are decidedly NOT better than anyone, and humility would demand that we realize that most of us are “spiritual infants”! we should “long for the pure, spiritual milk” that will enable us to “grow into salvation”! That spiritual milk is the word of God in the Bible, the prayers that we pray for ourselves and others, the teachings of Jesus and the discipline of our liturgical practice. These are the things that enable us to grow in our faith and spirituality! These are the things that give us moral authority in our society.

I’ve known far too many people who have been active in Churches, but have left because of the way they were treated and because of the way we treat each other! We are to be “little Christs”, treating each other with love and respect. We should be “rejected by mortals” because we are different, because we show compassion even to our enemies! Instead, we are rejected because we are too much like them. Our secular brothers and sisters often think of us as hypocrites because we tend to be judgmental and intolerant rather that forgiving and hospitable.

Our behavior needs to be much more congruent with the beliefs we profess. We need to be willing to be formed by the Church’s teachings into a “holy priesthood” of all believers. To be built into a “spiritual house” with strong foundations in the word of God and our spiritual traditions. My ongoing prayer is that this time of trial during the coronavirus will be an impetus for us to do just that!

Let us pray.

Lord God, help us to become the people you want us to be. Amen.

Many Blessings

Pastor Frenz

Christ is Risen, Alleluia!

Our scripture for today is from 1 Peter 2:19-21:

19For it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. 20If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God's approval. 21For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.

Life is hard. Doing the right things does not guarantee that one will not experience difficulties, hardships, rejection, or even suffering. Here Christ is presented as the model for our path of endurance and loyalty to God, particularly amid adversity.

In Luke 6:22 Jesus is even more explicit: 22Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.

When we do what Jesus wants us to do, when we follow him, we will often find the road difficult and full of suffering. In fact, the word for “love” in the new Testament is “Agape” which means “compassion”. Compassion is having the ability (empathy) and the willingness to “suffer with” others. In other words, we, as Christians, are most blessed when we are suffering with others and when we are suffering for our adherence to the teachings of Christ. Many Christians believe that if you are blessed by God, you will not suffer. That is not biblical! God loves us! He is present with us in our suffering and he expects us to be present in the suffering of others! This is the very meaning of the word love! As we strive to alleviate the suffering of others we are, indeed, blessed beyond measure!

Let us pray.

Father, give us the strength and courage to endure suffering for the sake of others as Jesus did for our sake! Bathe us ever in the living waters of your love! In Jesus name, Amen.

Pax et Bonum!

Pastor Frenz

Christ is Risen! Alleluia!

Our devotion for today comes from our Gospel lesson for Sunday:

[Jesus said:] 1“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

  7So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:1-10) 

In this passage, Jesus uses an image familiar to the people of his day to make a point about spiritual leadership. These passages in John are often more obscure to us because we aren’t a pastoral people, that is, we don’t herd sheep. We understand little about that ancient lifestyle, so things that are readily clear and understandable to them sometimes leave us scratching our heads! The gist of it is simple, however. Those who listen to Jesus are led to abundant life. People who are harmless and non-threatening always enter through the front door in the light of day. People with nefarious intent enter through a window or climb the wall and they do it in the dark of night. Jesus is the gate to the Sheepfold (the Kingdom of God) and one can only enter through him. However, we must hear his voice and follow him in order to enter his Kingdom. There are many competing voices telling us what to do and what to believe. Many of these voices distort scripture and quote Jesus out of context. Many of these voices don’t even claim to be the voice of Jesus! We must look to the prophets and their tradition to better discern Jesus’ voice! Jesus stands squarely on their shoulders and his voice blends beautifully with Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah and Elisha! Those who truly seek justice and peace hear his voice most clearly! We have but to read the Word and listen for His voice!

Let us pray.

O God our shepherd, you know your sheep by name and lead us to safety through the valleys of death. Guide us by your voice, that we may walk in certainty and security to the joyous feast prepared in your house, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

In the Name of Jesus,

Pastor Frenz

Easter Greetings!

Christ is Risen, Alleluia! Christ is Risen indeed, Alleluia!

Our scripture for today comes from 1 Peter 1:3-9:

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7so that the genuineness of your faith — being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire — may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

We must always remember that as long as we live in this world, there will be trials and tribulations that will test our faith. Our faith is perishable. It can be destroyed, if we allow it! That is the great danger of this secular age. That we might allow our faith to be destroyed by the scientific worldview that has given us so much. We must always remember that science and faith are not opposed to each other. God has given us science to make our lives more abundant! Faith and superstition are not the same thing, though some would have us believe that! Like precious metals, our faith is refined and strengthened by the fire of various trials. Jesus came into this world to demonstrate God’s love and power for times such as these. When faced with disease, suffering and death we must, through faith, allow it to result in praise and glory to God for the extraordinary things he has done for us and revealed to us through Christ. May we be strengthened by COVID-19 in true faith and perfect love for one another! May we experience daily our new birth into a living hope! Praise be to God, come Lord Jesus!

Let us pray.

Father in heaven, strengthen us in our faith for the challenges that lie ahead. Help us to praise you and see your glory in all things! Give us the courage to persevere until the end of this age! In Jesus name, Amen.

Pax et Bonum,

Pastor Frenz

Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

My wife ran across this anonymous poem on social media last week. I thought the sentiment was great (even though the poetry wasn’t)!

I felt that it was well worth sharing!

WE ARE NOT IN THE SAME BOAT ...

I heard that we are in the same boat. But it's not like that. We are in the same storm, but not in the same boat.

Your ship can be shipwrecked and mine might not be. Or vice versa. For some, quarantine is optimal: moment of reflection, of re-connection. Easy, in flip flops, with a whiskey or tea.

For others, this is a desperate crisis. For others it is facing loneliness. For some, a peace, rest time, vacation.

Yet for others, Torture: How am I going to pay my bills?

Some were concerned about a brand of chocolate for Easter (this year there were no rich chocolates).

Others were concerned about the bread for the weekend, or if the noodles would last for a few more days.

Some were in their "home office" .

Others are looking through trash to survive.

Some want to go back to work because they are running out of money.

Others want to kill those who break the quarantine.

Some need to break the quarantine to stand in line at the banks. Others to escape.

Others criticize the government for the lines.

Some have experienced the near death of the virus, some have already lost someone from it, some are not sure their loved ones are going to make it, and some don't even believe this is a big deal.

Some of us who are well now may end up experiencing it, and some believe they are infallible and will be blown away if or when this hits someone they know.

Some have faith in God and expect miracles during this 2020.

Others say the worse is yet to come.

So, friends, we are not in the same boat.

We are going through a time when our perceptions and needs are completely different.

And each one will emerge, in his own way, from that storm.

Some with a tan from their pool. Others with scars on the soul (for invisible reasons).

It is very important to see beyond what is seen at first glance. Not just looking, more than looking, seeing.

See beyond the political party, beyond religion, beyond the nose on your face.

Do not underestimate the pain of others if you do not feel it.

Do not judge the good life of the other, do not condemn the bad life of the other. Don't be a judge. Let us not judge the one who lacks, as well as the one who exceeds him.

We are on different ships looking to survive. Let everyone navigate their route with respect, empathy and responsibility.

Unknown author

Father in heaven, as we navigate our way through this shared storm, let us be mindful of those who are also afflicted. Help us to be open to the needs of others and give us the strength and compassion to serve. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Easter blessings,

Pastor Frenz

Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

“The resurrection of Jesus changes the face of death for all His people. Death is no longer a prison, but a passage into God’s presence. Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there.”

Clarence W. Hall

55"Where, O grave, is your victory?

 Where, O death, is your sting?"

1Corinthians 15:55

The whole point of Easter is very simply that death no longer has a hold on us. Because we have been baptized into the body of Christ, death is no longer the final word! What was once a prison is now only a passage into a greater existence! Christ came to liberate us from sin, death and the devil (according to Luther) and in the resurrection Christ has done just that. Anytime death rears its ugly head in our lives we know that because of the resurrection, death is no longer the end! There is now written at the end of our lives a tagline that says “To be continued….)

When I was in college many years ago I preached a sermon in which I said that for Christians, death is a categorical mistake! It doesn’t apply to us. It is ultimately irrelevant. I defined the term “categorical mistake” by using the example of baldness and lizards. You can’t accurately say that a lizard is bald, because it never had hair in the first place. In order to “go bald” one has to have hair to lose. Lizards have never had hair, therefore they can’t be bald. The category of death simply doesn’t apply to Christians following the resurrection. Death is no longer the end. It is merely the transition to another state of being, i.e. a state of being in the presence of God. It makes no sense to live in fear of something that no longer applies to you. As Jesus says to us constantly, “Do not be afraid”. That is his unfailing promise to us!

Let us pray. Father, for Jesus sake, give us the faith to believe your promises so that we can cease to fear death and serve you more fully In Jesus name. Amen

Pax et Bonum,

Pastor Frenz

Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

Today’s scripture comes from John 20:24-29:

24But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

26A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

I’ve always felt sorry for “Doubting” Thomas! What an unfortunate nickname to be stuck with! And yet, of all of the disciples he is in many ways the most relatable for us! We are doubters. That shouldn’t be surprising since we live in a society where lying has been raised to an art form. It begins with the need to sell people things. We exaggerate the quality and usefulness of the products we sell. Before long, truth in advertising goes out the window! Then our politicians make promises that they don’t keep in order to win votes. We become so used to being lied to that we no longer hold advertisers or politicians accountable! We come to expect it! We doubt everything! We gradually become cynical and faithless. Even when it comes to that which is otherwise believable!

So who can blame Thomas? He is being asked to believe something that is not only unbelievable, but impossible! I don’t think Thomas believes he’s being lied to. I think he’s afraid that the other disciples are delusional, that their grief has driven them mad! So he demands proof! He has to see it! He is rewarded with proof and he responds “My Lord and my God!” Seeing is believing! Then the risen Christ says to Thomas and to us:   “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” 

Faith is the ability to see with the heart! It is a form of perception that does not depend on our physical eyes. It is the ability to see God active in our lives. To discern his presence in the life and teachings of Jesus! To hear him speaking to us in the resurrection! Jesus lives and because he lives so will we!! I have seen God active in my life! We generally find what we are looking for! What are you looking for?

In Jesus’ Name

Pastor Frenz

Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

This poem was posted on Facebook. I thought it was worth sharing.

How the Virus Stole Easter

By Kristi Bothur

With a nod to Dr. Seuss 😊

T’was late in ‘19 when the virus began

Bringing chaos and fear to all people, each land.

People were sick, hospitals full,

Doctors overwhelmed, no one in school.

As winter gave way to the promise of spring,

The virus raged on, touching peasant and king.

People hid in their homes from the enemy unseen.

They YouTubed and Zoomed, social-distanced, and cleaned.

April approached and churches were closed.

“There won’t be an Easter,” the world supposed.

“There won’t be church services, and egg hunts are out.

No reason for new dresses when we can’t go about.”

Holy Week started, as bleak as the rest.

The world was focused on masks and on tests.

“Easter can’t happen this year,” it proclaimed.

“Online and at home, it just won’t be the same.”

Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the days came and went.

The virus pressed on; it just would not relent.

The world woke Sunday and nothing had changed.

The virus still menaced, the people, estranged.

“Pooh pooh to the saints,” the world was grumbling.

“They’re finding out now that no Easter is coming.

“They’re just waking up! We know just what they’ll do!

Their mouths will hang open a minute or two,

And then all the saints will all cry boo-hoo.

“That noise,” said the world, “will be something to hear.”

So it paused and the world put a hand to its ear.

And it did hear a sound coming through all the skies.

It started down low, then it started to rise.

But the sound wasn’t depressed.

Why, this sound was triumphant!

It couldn’t be so!

But it grew with abundance!

The world stared around, popping its eyes.

Then it shook! What it saw was a shocking surprise!

Every saint in every nation, the tall and the small,

Was celebrating Jesus in spite of it all!

It hadn’t stopped Easter from coming! It came!

Somehow or other, it came just the same!

And the world with its life quite stuck in quarantine

Stood puzzling and puzzling.

“Just how can it be?”

“It came without bonnets, it came without bunnies,

It came without egg hunts, cantatas, or money.”

Then the world thought of something it hadn’t before.

“Maybe Easter,” it thought, “doesn’t come from a store.

Maybe Easter, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

And what happened then?

Well....the story’s not done.

What will YOU do?

Will you share with that one

Or two or more people needing hope in this night?

Will you share the source of your life in this fight?

The churches are empty - but so is the tomb,

And Jesus is victor over death, doom, and gloom.

So this year at Easter, let this be our prayer,

As the virus still rages all around, everywhere.

May the world see hope when it looks at God’s people.

May the world see the church is not a building or steeple.

May the world find Faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection,

May the world find Joy in a time of dejection.

May 2020 be known as the year of survival,

But not only that -

Let it start a revival...

Amen!

Pastor Frenz

Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

Our devotion is from the 28th Chapter of Matthew:

1After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. 5But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” 8So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Most of us are familiar with this story. After the traumatic events of the last week the disciples are in hiding. Their beloved master had been arrested, tried, tortured and crucified! They are grief-stricken and despondent. All hope has been dashed. Jesus had promised to come back to them. at this point, that doesn’t even seem possible. They are still reeling from the terrible reality of his death! Mary Magdalene and the other Mary get up early and go to see the tomb. They are greeted with a new reality, Jesus is Risen! Just imagine their excitement and Joy at the news! And then they see him, and their joy is complete! Jesus is alive! Death no longer has the last word! Even in times such as these, when disease and death seem to be closing in on us, we can stand on the promises of God that those of us who believe and are baptized shall be saved. Since we have been baptized into a death like Jesus, we shall experience a resurrection like Jesus. During this COVID-19 crisis many will die! But know that because of Christ, death does not have the last word! This time of crisis will pass and we will experience the resurrection of our society and our economy. We will also be resurrected as people who have gone through a time of trial together and have learned more deeply the meaning of life. Life will be renewed, and those whom we have lost will live again when the Kingdom of God comes in it’s fullness. He has promised! May it be so!

Let us pray.

O God, you gave your only Son to suffer death on the cross for our redemption, and by his glorious resurrection you delivered us from the power of death. Make us die every day to sin, that we may live with him forever in the joy of the resurrection, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

Easter Blessings!

Pastor Frenz

“In a civilization that glorifies success and happiness and is blind to the sufferings of others, people’s eyes can be opened to the truth if they remember that at the center of the Christian faith stands an unsuccessful, tormented Christ, dying in forsakenness.”

― Jürgen Moltmann, The Crucified God

As we head deeper into Holy Week, we are confronted with the disturbing reality of Christ’s passion. There is no question that this story is fundamentally true! Given our societal obsession with “success” and all of the trappings thereof, the story of Jesus in the Gospels is an absolute scandal! He rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. An event that is clearly the coronation of a king, he rides into town with humility. As the crowd waves palm branches and shouts Hosanna, Jesus is sealing his fate. He cannot survive this! He has just claimed the throne in the face of Roman authority!

While the Romans are probably somewhat amused by this event, it  is an act of sedition and must be punished severely. The Jewish leaders are afraid that Jesus and his antics, first his healings and miracles and now this coronation, are going to bring the Romans down on them and they will lose their power! So Jesus is arrested after the Passover meal. Judas betrays him and turns him over to the authorities. He is arrested and tried, condemned and tortured.

By any worldly measure he has been “unsuccessful”. If his goal was to assume the throne of Judea and defeat the oppressive Romans, he has been an utter failure! Let us remember those in our lives and in our society who suffer, those who are failures, defeated, unsuccessful by the worlds standards! Let us remember that Christ took on the mantle of their humanity and so is with them in their suffering! He will die an excruciating death! Let us remember those among us who suffer and are defeated by the world in which we live!

Let us pray.

Lord God, help us to remember those who suffer this day, physically and emotionally. Keep us mindful of those facing the specter of illness and even death due to COVID-19 and be with them through their suffering! In Jesus name we pray! Amen.

Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. John 12:24-25

I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess.

Martin Luther

During times of crisis such as these, we learn an important lesson very quickly! We are not in control. Many times the choices we are offered by reality are not the ones we want to make. These days we’re being asked to stay home or risk death. This is a hard choice for many, and some of as work delivering “essential services” and don’t even have that choice! Jesus reminds us in today’s Gospel that serving him is the most important thing. In order to do that, we must be willing to let go of our lives, to lose them if necessary. This can be difficult to wrap our brains around, but this is the theme of Holy Week, being willing to sacrifice ourselves in order to do God’s will! If we love our lives more than we love Christ, we will lose them! But if we hate our lives in this world give our lives to service in God’s Kingdom, we will keep it eternally. Martin Luther says it more plainly. Anything we try to hold onto, we lose.  Anything we give to God, we keep. The worst that can happen during this pandemic is that we might die! And we might die whether we serve God or not. As Jesus said, “Whoever serves me, the Father will honor!”. Let us put Christ at the center and serve him by serving others!

Let us pray.

Lord, help me to love you more than life itself. Help me to choose you! Amen.

In Love and Light,

Pastor Frenz

Even the disciples of Jesus all fled from their master's cross. Christians who do not have the feeling that they must flee the crucified Christ have probably not yet understood him in a sufficiently radical way.

Jürgen Moltmann, German theologian.

I must confess that during times like this I often feel like running and hiding. The overwhelming nature of the crisis before us is daunting even for the most courageous! However, I am in good company! The disciples, faced with the arrest and likely death of their master, were very afraid. Not only were they afraid to lose him, they were also afraid for their own lives and families. The disciples did what human beings often do. They denied, they ran and they hid. Who would seriously blame anyone in that circumstance! Certainly Christ understood and forgave them. He didn’t want to drink of the cup of suffering either. But he ultimately did God’s will! The disciples ultimately also did God’s will, as terrifying as it was at times. They suffered and died a death like his so that they could experience a resurrection like his! God never turned his back on them. He was present with them in their suffering and they are now present with him, just as he promised! He promises all of us the same thing. He will be with us in our suffering and we will be with him in his Kingdom! We will die a death like his to experience a resurrection like his! Moltmann says it this way: "When all hopes have died, there comes the wave of the future like a spirit of resurrection into the dead bones (Ezekiel 37), creating hope against hope."

Let us pray.

God of hope. We come to you raw and afraid. We ask that you be with us and guide us. Calm our fears and give us the courage and compassion to serve others in this unprecedented time of need. Keep us safe and deliver us from harm. We are your people. Send us! In Jesus name. Amen.

In Love and Hope,

Pastor Frenz

Today’s devotion is from John 13:34-35:34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

I have a brother who’s ten years older than me. As you might imagine, when I was younger he would occasionally give me advice. One time I remember him telling me that life was a like a game. The goal was to follow the rules and win. To him, winning was measured by material success (money, cars, houses). He was determined to be a winner and he is! He has all of those things. But through the years, I’ve found myself disagreeing with him, mainly because there are far more losers than winners. And the relatively few winners seem to rig the game in their favor.

I believe that life is like a school. We’re here to learn lessons. Sometimes hard ones. We learn through experience, the good and the bad! The most important lesson we have to learn is to love one another! As Jesus teaches us, If we love one another with the sacrificial love that he has for us, then everyone will know that we belong to him. It’s that simple. Simple, but not easy. Our success is measured by the love and compassion we have for others, including the “losers”. God in the person of Jesus Christ loves us with a sacrificial love and demonstrated to us on the cross the true meaning of life. We’re here to love one another when times are good and especially when times are bad!

Let us pray.

Holy Father, give us the strength and compassion to love each other through this pandemic. Let us feel your presence in the suffering of others calling us to acts of kindness and patience. Give us the courage to serve each other in the manner of Jesus, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever!, Amen.

Pax et Bonum!

Pastor Frenz

Our devotion for today comes from a quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German pastor and theologian:

“The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children.”  

This is, to me, a very painful question: What kind of a world are we leaving to our children? One of the things that this corona virus crisis

has made clear is that our priorities as a society are very questionable. We are ill equipped to respond to this crisis because of cuts that federal, state and local governments have made to the agencies that are responsible for our preparedness in the face of these crises! Everything from masks and ventilators to hospital beds and medical personnel are in woefully short supply.

Many thousands more people will die because of our need to practice austerity. Meanwhile, we are giving trillions of dollars of tax relief to the wealthiest members of our society and now a 2.2 trillion dollar bailout to banks and large corporations. Meanwhile, many parents don’t have an income or health insurance and no way to feed their families during this crisis. The at risk children we serve are hit especially hard during times such as these. The pressures and stresses on struggling families are unbelievable during times of crisis! Outside of the current pandemic, we have an environmental crisis that is also spiraling out of control.

People must become more important than making profits! As Jesus reminds us in Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”  As taxpayers, we must demand that our leaders put the needs of our children first. As Christians, we must be true to Christ’s teachings:  “And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 'Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.'" Mark 9:36-37.

All of us who work for and support Bethesda understand this clearly in terms of our agency and the work that we do. It is also important for us to understand this in the broader context of our society. Many children will lose parents and grandparents during this pandemic. We must put our children and their needs first!

Let us pray:

Eternal Father, guide our leaders called to serve us in our Nation. May they respond to the challenges of this affliction with prudence and sound judgement. Give them the wisdom and courage to put the needs of our children first. With foresight, may their planning alleviate the economic burdens, compensate for losses, protect employment and ensure ample food for the poor and isolated. Amen.

God bless you all,

Pastor Frenz

Our devotion for today comes from Colossians 1:11-12a:

“May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his [God’s] glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father….”

We must be constantly reminded where our strength comes from. God in Christ is our strength, without him we are powerless. What could make that more obvious than our present crisis. We are faced with something that we are totally powerless over, a pandemic of microbes that we can’t even see! An invisible threat if there ever was one! All we can do is either react or respond. When we simply react, we are like volatile chemicals in reaction, nitro and glycerin. Explosive, uncontrolled! When we respond, however, we can be measured and thoughtful, doing that which is thoughtful and rational, measured and helpful. If we turn our will and our lives over to God’s care, we can respond rather than simply react. Only God can give us the strength to endure because only God is in control. Let us endure patiently and thank God for the opportunities that he has given us to serve others. There is great joy in loving others as God first loved us.

Let us pray.

God, our peace and our strength, we pray for our nation and the world as we face new uncertainties around coronavirus. Protect the most vulnerable among us, especially all who are currently sick or in isolation.

Grant wisdom, patience, and clarity to health care workers, especially as their work caring for others puts them at great risk. Guide us as we consider how best to prepare and respond in our families, congregations,

workplaces, and communities. Give us courage to face these days not with fear but with compassion, concern, and acts of service, trusting that you abide with us always; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

God’s peace be with you!

Pastor Frenz

Our devotion is from the 28th Chapter of Matthew:

1After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. 5But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” 8So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Most of us are familiar with this story. After the traumatic events of the last week the disciples are in hiding. Their beloved master had been arrested, tried, tortured and crucified! They are grief-stricken and despondent. All hope has been dashed. Jesus had promised to come back to them. at this point, that doesn’t even seem possible. They are still reeling from the terrible reality of his death! Mary Magdalene and the other Mary get up early and go to see the tomb. They are greeted with a new reality, Jesus is Risen! Just imagine their excitement and Joy at the news! And then they see him, and their joy is complete! Jesus is alive! Death no longer has the last word! Even in times such as these, when disease and death seem to be closing in on us, we can stand on the promises of God that those of us who believe and are baptized shall be saved. Since we have been baptized into a death like Jesus, we shall experience a resurrection like Jesus. During this COVID-19 crisis many will die! But know that because of Christ, death does not have the last word! This time of crisis will pass and we will experience the resurrection of our society and our economy. We will also be resurrected as people who have gone through a time of trial together and have learned more deeply the meaning of life. Life will be renewed, and those whom we have lost will live again when the Kingdom of God comes in it’s fullness. He has promised! May it be so!

Let us pray.

O God, you gave your only Son to suffer death on the cross for our redemption, and by his glorious resurrection you delivered us from the power of death. Make us die every day to sin, that we may live with him forever in the joy of the resurrection, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

Easter Blessings!

Pastor Frenz