ILC Devotion - 11 February 2013

Immanuel Lutheran Church Weekly Devotion

Monday 11 February 2013

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^NRSV Luke 4:9-12  Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, ¹⁰ for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ ¹¹ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” ¹² Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

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When I was growing up as a young elementary student, it seemed to me I was always being tested. I was in 3^rd grade when I encountered the dreaded Iowa tests, where we had to take our No. 2 pencil and darken circles corresponding to our response to the questions on the test. To this day, I hate taking a test where I have to darken circles on a testing form, I would much rather take an essay test. We are tested in so many other ways - the copier always seems to not cooperate when we are in a hurry to make copies; when we are in a hurry and busy cleaning up, we spill the coffee grounds over floor and counter; we are running late to an appointment and we encounter traffic. Life gives us plenty of opportunities to be tested. Our patience is tested, our persistence is tested, our temper is tested - we do not always pass the test. At such times when we are in a desperate situation, we may even want to test God - we bargain with God. We offer a prayer to the effect: “O God, if you get me out of this fix, I will promise to go to church every Sunday.” We may or may not get out of the fix we are in. But regardless of the outcome, do we ever keep up our end of the bargain?

Jesus is being tempted by Satan. These are not your every day, run of the mill temptations - these are pretty grand temptations. The devil is challenging Jesus Identity and bargaining with Jesus. I will give you all of this, if you fall down and worship me; if you are the Son of God, turn stones into bread, or God will bear you up lest you dash your foot against a stone. These are pretty compelling temptations; any one of us would have capitulated after the first one. Who among us is able to resist responding to anyone who would challenge our identity?

Jesus spends 40 days in the wilderness struggling, wrestling with His identity and His call to ministry. Jesus is being tested. This is a stringent and severe test. But it is a test that will prepare him for what he must endure when he sets his face to Jerusalem and the cross.

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We pray: Dear Lord, we face many tests in our life. Help us to endure them, help us to struggle through them. We may not be successful in our being tested. Forgive us and help us, as we face new tests in life. In Your Holy Name we pray.  Amen.

ILC Devotion - 4 February 2013

Immanuel Lutheran Church Weekly Devotion

Monday 4 February 2013

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Luke 9:28b-31^NRSV Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. ²⁹ And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. ³⁰ Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. ³¹ They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

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It is ironic this season of Epiphany - a season of light - is celebrated during winter, when at least in the Northern Hemisphere it is mostly dark. Epiphany starts with the magi coming to celebrate the new light which comes into the world - which no darkness can overcome. The season ends with Jesus shining with the glory of God, and God saying to Peter, James and John: “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”

Jesus is basking in the glory of God, but there is an ominous foreshadowing going on here as well. Jesus will go from the mountaintop experience and we will walk that lonesome valley with Jesus as he sets his face towards Jerusalem. The prophets Moses and Elijah speak to Jesus of his departure which is to accomplish in Jerusalem. This is the last Sunday before we celebrate Ash Wednesday and our journey through Lent. Jesus is recognized by God the Father and claimed as His Son. On Good Friday, Jesus will wonder where his Father is, as he dies on the cross. Two mountain top experiences, one glorious, the other is ignominious, sad and heart wrenching. The disciples, through the transfiguration as well as at Jesus betrayal and crucifixion, are a rather clueless. Jesus indeed has taught them, been with them, they have witnessed the signs, and manifestations of God’s glory through Jesus, but they do not understand what Jesus will have to go through in Jerusalem or why he will have to suffer and die.

There is something about Epiphany - we don’t want it to end. It starts with Jesus receiving gifts from magi from the east. It ends on the mountaintop full of light. In between we have witnessed the sign of the water turned to wine at the wedding feast of Canna. Jesus is welcomed at his hometown synagogue. It starts well at first but soon becomes ugly. Again, more foreshadowing of what Jesus will face in Jerusalem. Some of us welcome the light, especially during the darkness of winter. But there are some people who have embittered hearts who would rather live in the darkness and shun the light. Jesus comes for both, and there are times when we are both types of people. At this one last shining moment when Jesus is with us on the mountain, share the joy of the light, God’s proclamation to us of Jesus, His chosen one, His Son.

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We pray: Lord God, only you can turn us away from the darkness and share the joy of the light of the world - your Son, Jesus. Forgive us our hardened hearts and help us to see the joy of the light which comes into our lives - your Son Jesus. In His Holy Name we pray.  Amen.

ILC Devotion - 28 January 2013

Immanuel Lutheran Church Weekly Devotion

Monday 28 January 2013

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^NRS 1 Corinthians 13:3-8a  If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. ⁴ Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant ⁵ or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ⁶ it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. ⁷ It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ⁸ Love never ends.

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The above text is part of the 13^th chapter of First Corinthians. The 13^th chapter is often selected by couples and used in their wedding. Sometimes families select the 13^th chapter for use in a funeral service. Maybe we need to apply the above text to our daily lives, rather than saving it for weddings or a funeral. Before writing my Monday devotion, I saw a TED talk on domestic violence - see link:

http://www.ted.com/talks/leslie_morgan_steiner_why_domestic_violence_victims_don_t_leave.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2013-01-27&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email

Leslie, the speaker, offers a compelling narrative of her experience of domestic violence. Domestic violence is what happens when Paul’s 13^th chapter is not heard, honored or followed. In domestic violence, love is perverted, love is desecrated - turned into a demonic caricature of control, anger and abuse. There are two victims: the abuser and the one being abused. For whatever reason the abuser has lost this ability to love and forgive. Love becomes a manipulative tool, used to control and intimidate. The abuser has lost any sense of the beauty, trust or comfort love brings to a relationship. Likewise the one being abused sees love in a distorted sense where the warmth, trust and beauty of love has been transformed into something grotesque and damaging rather than edifying.

The only way to save love is for the one being abused to leave, escape the abuser. Both need to find healing. But all too often the abuser continues abusing others. The one who was abused has to work to rebuild their confidence in love as Paul represents it. Paul presents the ideal of love, as God intends it for us in our daily living. Love is a bright light proudly shining in our lives. Abuse of love hides in the darkness. In darkness is the power to deceive.  It [love] does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. Paul calls upon us to live in the light of love as God intends it and to shine the light of truth in situations where abuse takes place.

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We pray: Loving God, you bestow upon us your perfect love and call upon us to share this love with everyone. Forgive us when we distort this precious gift. Help us to live in your love and faithfully share it with others. In your Holy Name we pray.  Amen.