Daily Devotions

Throughout the Easter Season, the daily devotions have been written by members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Denise Adams.

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

What a miracle!  Imagine that you are in that room and suddenly you (and all those around you) are able to communicate and understand using all different languages.  Now, imagine you are three years old and you just moved away from your home to a new city, state, or country,  and your parents are bringing you to a new school where you don’t understand the language and you can’t communicate your wants and needs.  Sounds frightening, doesn’t it?  The miracle in this situation is that in only a few weeks, this child is understanding and speaking a new language!  I absolutely know that God is here with this child.

Sometimes I think about the story of Pentecost when I welcome the new, non-English-speaking children to the Day School.  Right away, they start learning about God when they attend our school.  Even though the stories are not told in their language, soon enough the Holy Spirit comes to them in the language of love.  Perhaps the people in that room long ago may have had some of the same trepidation as our new students until the Holy Spirit came upon them.

In both scenarios, God has sent the Holy Spirit to be among us, comforting, encouraging and teaching us all to spread the message of God’s love.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for your gift of the Holy Spirit.  Please help us to recognize the many glimpses of You that surround us.  Amen.

Throughout the Easter Season, the daily devotions have been written by members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Tessa Holmes.

So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection. So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed and said, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles. Acts 1:21-26

This passage of scripture picks up after Judas is no longer an apostle, so there is a spot open that needs to be filled. In the grand scheme of the Bible 11 is not a holy number, and the disciples must strive to remain 12 in number so that they can be a whole number. Therefore, Peter establishes the essential criteria for the person who will replace Judas as an apostle.

The criteria was he must have been an active disciple from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry (his baptism) to the end (his ascension). There were two options to pick from so the disciples decided to cast lots.

Casting lots was a process of divination by which participants sought God’s guidance with regard to important decisions or problems.

The overall message of this scripture is that they prayed to the Lord for guidance when they were unsure what they should do. When the disciples had questions and doubts on their next course of action, they did the one thing they knew is possible at all times of the day – pray.

Prayer is something you can do no matter what is happening or where you are. The disciples prayed to the Lord when they were incomplete and as a result he helped the disciples through their problem. I think this can be applied to all of our lives. When we feel incomplete in any facet all we need to do is pray, and the Lord can help us through that problem.

Let us pray: Dear Lord, You, who know the hearts of all men, can help us all to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away. Please be with us as we continue our journey through your love. Amen.

Throughout the Easter Season, the daily devotions have been written by members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Olivia Fu.

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers. Acts 1:12-14

One of my favorite part of going to church every Sunday is to pray with all my brothers and sisters in Christ, just as what the disciples did after they returned to Jerusalem, waiting for the Spirit’s promised coming.  They had not been commanded by the Lord to pray. They were only asked to wait. However, they were all engaged and united in prayer because they learned to pray by looking at the prayer life of Jesus.

Jesus provided his disciples with enough guidance on how to pray alone, and how to pray with others, as well as being persistent in prayer. This is the example that I continue to learn from.

In praying, I see and I feel the power of prayer. It is the power of God, who hears and answers prayer. In praying, I build my love relationship with Jesus. I have conversations with Jesus every day in my prayer.  I carry to God my worries and my sorrows. I ask God to guide me when I come upon important decisions. I thank God for giving me the strength to win the battle against various temptations.

My son, a very inquisitive five-year-old, has been constantly praying to God since he became a Christian one year ago. He turns all his little thoughts and worries to God. I sense his calmness after he talks to God, just as I did. Prayer is powerful and should never be underestimated. God listens, God answers and God responds to prayer. I’m so thankful to be a Christian and realize the importance and power of prayer.

Let us pray: Father, I come to you to give thanks for giving me direction in my prayer life. And at this very moment I ask that you continue to guide me in ways that only you can do. In Jesus name…Amen.

Throughout the Easter Season, the daily devotions have been written by members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Mary Ann White.

“So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?”  He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or the periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.“ Acts 1: 6-8

At this time the disciples were expecting an earthly king, not a heavenly king so they wanted Jesus to take action.

As believers we are called to be Jesus’ witnesses wherever we are, by telling others that God the Father loves us so much that He gave His only Son to die for our transgressions so that we might have everlasting life.

We can witness by inviting friends, neighbors or even strangers to come visit our church.  Welcome them, introduce them to fellow members, tell them about our learning groups and outreach ministries. Through our deeds of love and kindness they will see what it means to be a child of God and walk in His ways.

There are so many wonderful hymns.  Two of my favorites are “Amazing Grace” and “I love To Tell the Story”.  I do love to tell the story and have been sharing it for many years with the little children I have taught in Sunday School.  Children love to sing, and as I was writing this, a song they learned came to mind – “The Whole World Ought to Know About Jesus.”

We’re never too young or too old to witness.  They will know we are Christians by our love.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, Being your witness is not always easy. We want to tell others about your amazing love but there are times when we are fearful and feel inadequate.  Help us to be bold and give us the courage to share our faith with others.  Amen.

Throughout the Easter Season, the daily devotions have been written by members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Karen Elsen.

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:1-5

This is the introduction to Luke’s second book, Acts.  His first book is the Gospel of Luke.  Both books are written for “Theophilus” perhaps a new initiate to the faith since Theophilus means “one who loves God.”  Luke’s stated purpose in writing the Gospel of Luke was to chronicle a carefully researched account of the life and ministry of Jesus.

Luke ends with Jesus leading his disciples out to the vicinity of Bethany where he blesses them.  “While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.” (Lk. 24:52)

The book of Acts takes up where the first book leaves off with Jesus’ disciples returning to Jerusalem, as Jesus had commanded, to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Acts is the chronicle of a small band of believers, empowered by the Holy Spirit, continuing the work Jesus had assigned them.  “…repentance and forgiveness will be preached in [my] name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem.  You are witnesses of these things.”  (Lk. 24:45-48)

In the remaining chapters and verses of Acts we follow them as they quickly begin to grow and establish the church.  We meet heroes of this movement as they persist despite hardships and persecution.  Luke’s second book ends with Paul telling the leaders of the Jews that the word of God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles “and they will listen.”

And now a sequel is being written—not by Luke, but by those who came after including saints like Martin Luther, Dietrich Bonhoeffer,  Corrie ten Boom, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and many more.  Such a book would include many lesser known saints, witnesses to all that God has promised and to the love and provisions and mercy of God—witnesses like you and me.

Let us pray:  Oh God, fill us with your Holy Spirit.  Show us how to love and serve all those to whom you send us.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Throughout the Easter Season, the daily devotions have been written by members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Wendy Farner.

They said, “What will we do with them? For it is obvious to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable sign has been done through them; we cannot deny it. But to keep it from spreading further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” So they called them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:16-20

This text begins with the high priests and elders in Jerusalem conferring about how to handle Peter and John after they have been healing and teaching in the name of Jesus.  The response of the powerful is predictable: they try to silence and contain the Jesus movement, even as they cannot deny the miracles being performed in His name.  It is the response of Peter and John that strikes me here: they stand up to the elders and refuse to be silenced.

Yes, these are the same disciples who scattered and hid when Jesus was arrested, unwilling to stand with Him in His time of need.  Yes, this is the same Peter who denied Jesus three times on the night He was betrayed, refusing to even acknowledge Jesus.  How much their faith has grown, how certain they are of their calling, on the other side of the cross.

While these Biblical times can seem distant and remote to us, are they really?  Are we not still confronted with societal pressures today to keep silent about our faith and deny the true power of Jesus and the cross?  How do we respond?  Do we scatter and run like the disciples on the eve of the crucifixion?  Do we remain quiet about our faith life, keeping religion in church on Sunday and going about the rest of our week like any non-believer?  Do we conform to the expectations of our day, following in the secular path our society cuts for us?

Or have we seen the risen Lord and do we respond, “we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard”?

Friends, if you, like me, have acted more like the scattering disciples, take heart in the power of the cross.  Take heart that even the disciples who lived and followed Jesus scattered; but that was not the end of their story.  Jesus was not done with them, and He rose to return to them and guide their paths.  Let us allow Jesus to act in our lives, let us be open to His call.

We may not be called to perform miracles or confront the powerful of our times, but we may be called for equally important tasks.  We may be called to befriend the lonely, to invite a neighbor to church, to start a ministry for the hungry, or to sing in the choir.  These are all important jobs in the kingdom, as we spread the word of God’s love.  So friends, be open to the call and look for God’s path.  I believe it is there waiting for us all.

Let us pray:  Dear Lord, continue to come to us, as You came to Peter and John. Embolden us to speak what we know to be true of You and your love for us all.  Guide us as we seek to follow your will, and help us be passionate in telling others of your love.  In your name we pray.  Amen.

“Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions.

But if that wicked slave says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know. He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 24:45-51

In the church we call this week, the week before Easter, Holy Week. Together we remember the events of the last week of Jesus’ earthly life. Today, Tuesday, we remember him teaching in the temple in Jerusalem.

Who was there to listen? Visitors from all over. People whose lives had long included regular trips to Jerusalem for various religious festivals. People there perhaps for the first time. Jews, of course, but also Gentile traders, many doing brisk business in and around the temple. And, also of course, the religious leaders. The lawyers (the scribes), the pastors (the Pharisees), the priests (the Sadducees), the opportunists (the Herodians). And the Roman guards who corralled the crowds and kept the peace.

Each, it seems to me, would have heard these words of Jesus in their own circles of influence. Each had a daily calling they could use to do good or to only serve themselves.

We all know the difference between following our daily callings in the best interests of those we serve or in using our daily work only to serve ourselves. Jesus applauds and encourages the former and he harshly criticizes the latter. One is blessed, the other cursed. Eventually.

And that is the word that hangs in the air. Eventually. Because, for the time being, in the real world, the self-serving types are the ones who succeed, who advance, who make their mark. The scribes who twist the words of scripture to justify anything. The Pharisees who use religion to manipulate and control people with demands that they themselves cannot fulfill. The Sadducees who treat the temple as their own personal piggy bank. The Roman guards who treat their charges like animals to be threatened, harassed, and tamed rather than human beings who deserve respect, safety, and freedom.

That is the world then. How does the world today look? Have we really come as far as we think we have? Are we as enlightened, educated, and sophisticated as we imagine ourselves?

By the end of the week, it is going to look like the powerful win. Jesus, their agitator, will be safely in the tomb. The crowds will thin. The temple will empty. Business will go on like usual without that pesky religious/political/social reformer stirring up trouble. Just about everyone will go to sleep peacefully.

But just wait until Sunday morning….

Let us pray: Dear Lord, you call each of us to serve our neighbor in our daily lives, in our daily callings, in the places where we live our lives. Help us serve well. To love our neighbor. To practice justice, to live with integrity, to serve humbly. And in that, to be your hands and feet in the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” Matthew 24:36-44

Last night I had to drive to the airport to pick Kelley up. It was 8:39 PM when I glanced out my window as I passed a baseball complex. It was full of little kids playing baseball. Little as in grade school kids. That would not have happened when I was a kid. But honestly I would have loved it. Sports had their place but no little kid would still be outside playing an organized game at that time on a school night.

Of course I can’t be critical of something like that. It wouldn’t be American of me. Just as the ancient Romans used games as a public distraction, a way to keep the masses happy and entertained, sports have long passed apple pie as a quintessential slice of Americana. Today we are engulfed by March Madness, spring training in baseball, spring football for colleges, the upcoming NFL draft, and the Masters just around the corner. Why this fascination with sports?

I know all of the arguments for the good that sports can bring into young lives. I agree with just about all of that. My life would have been very different without the role that sports played along the way. But today I’m wondering if there is something deeper involved that sports deliver into our lives.

Something as simple as winners and losers, good guys and bad guys, clear rules and boundaries, contests with beginnings and endings, and a scoreboard at the end that tells the story. All of this is very pleasing to us, especially since real life in the real world is never as clear, never as simple, never as predictable, never as harmless. Sports have a way of distracting us with a clarity that we don’t get in the other areas of our lives. A clarity we long for.

Jesus’ words today are unsettling for the same reasons we find sports to be pleasant. He describes our lives as something along the lines of soccer’s “extra time.” You don’t know for sure when the game will be over. You don’t know when that final whistle will blow. Jesus tells us that the only thing we can expect is the unexpected. He doesn’t even know.

Jesus also tells us that fairness doesn’t get to play. One is taken, one is left. Such uncertainty is a given…and the advice Jesus gives us is to be ready.

The fundamentals of most sports includes teaching something called “the ready position.” Feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, eyes on the target, ready to move in any position. My new golf teacher began by changing my stance and posture. The ready position is crucial.

Jesus says that same thing. You just never know when God will show up. You never know for sure what will happen next. All we can do is to be ready. To come at life from a place of anticipation and preparation rather than anxiety and desperation. Just like every coach I ever had said on more than once occasion – keep awake!

Let us pray: Gracious Lord, open our eyes today that we might see signs of your on-going presence in our lives, in our world. Awaken us to the realities of life lest we be overly distracted by that which doesn’t truly bring life. Give us words and occasions to share with others the trust and hope that you birth within us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Matthew 24:32-35

Is anyone else tired of pundits and pollsters? Mathematical games that reduce policy deliberations to numbers (+/-4%). Approval ratings, opinions, and predictions followed by nonstop dissection and competing interpretations. Evidently we love these things or we wouldn’t be constantly barraged by them.

The newspaper tells us that NASA is making plans to blast an earthbound asteroid out in space in 2134. Social Security will run out of money in 2030 (I’ll be 70 then, ouch.) Stephen Hawking’s final research paper, “A Smooth Exit from Eternal Inflation”, predicts the end of the universe. Or at least this universe. (But I’m still going to save for retirement.) The only thing we know for sure is that the universe as we know it has clearly outlived Stephen Hawking.

As we work our way through this 24^th chapter of Matthew we always keep in mind that the cataclysmic event of the day was the destruction of the Jewish temple and the attempted decimation of the population in and around Jerusalem. By the time Matthew was written, those things had already happened. What Matthew gives us in Jesus is a narrative seeking to make sense of all of it.

Today Jesus wonders, “Can we read the signs of the times?” Do we see, in the current realities of our lives, signs of God’s activity? Do we see, in the current realities of our lives, signs of the rejection of God’s ways of being?

Is it possible that our fascination with polls and opinions, with future predictions and possible outcomes, are simply diversionary tactics that fill the air so we can’t hear, or see, what is truly happening in and around us?

A month ago no one in Austin was afraid of a FedEx delivery. Not today. Fear has gripped an entire region. Eventually the perpetrators of these gutless bombs will be stopped and caught. But until then suspicion and fear will cast a dark pall over life. No one knows when it will end.

Jesus tells us “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” What words are these? These words so closely tied to the destruction of the temple, or these words so closely tied to the tensions of our lives, the “now but not yet-ness” in which we live? His words of impending doom or future glory or both?

Sometimes I wonder how it is that many people pay much more attention to, and take much more stock in, the poll numbers they read in the papers than the words of Jesus in the Bible. If the talking heads on television are more influential than preachers doing their best every Sunday to bring Jesus to bear on our lives. That many people take Stephen Hawking more seriously than Jesus.

The bottom line is that I don’t know what the future holds, but I trust the One who holds the future in the palm of His hand. I trust his Word. I trust his promises. I trust Him.

Let us pray: Gracious Lord, we live in an age of anxiety and fear. In that we join people of all times and all places for there has always been, and will always be, a precariousness to our lives. There is always tension. There is always the temptation and desire to control, to explain, to justify. Come to us today, as you always have and always will, to assure us that you have the whole world, now and forever, in your hands. Soften our fear with faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

“Immediately after the suffering of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’ with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:29-31

I’m at a loss with what to do with this passage. The poetry is powerful. The images are indelible. This passage needs to be painted. It needs to become a symphony performed by the finest orchestras in the world. We need to see, hear, and feel it. But the temptation is to explain it and then it loses something significant.

I read this passage and I see the world as we know it, the universe as we imagine it, coming apart from the seams. Coming apart, not in destruction, but in bursting forth with new creation.

This passage, in fact this entire chapter, stands in opposition to the idea that life is meaningless and purposeless. It flies in the face of any idea that life is just a random collection of atoms moving along the currents of electromagnetic energy. This is about life heading somewhere, actually toward someone, who will finally be revealed in power and great glory.

This is not a fireworks show on the 4^th of July. A show you just sit back and admire. This is the sound of an approaching army that demands a reaction. The rumble of a great unknown that shakes the windows, strikes a fire in your belly, and renders you speechless. Whether in awe or in terror, you will both move and be moved at the sights and sounds.

For centuries the people of Israel imagined the Great Day of the Lord. These were the images that captured those hopes. The loud trumpet – the sounds that leveled Jericho’s walls, that called the people of Israel to worship, that led the people of Israel in worship – would herald the arrival of the Messiah.

That sound continued in the Christian imagination. Those who expected Jesus to right all the wrongs of the world NOW, began to trust that Jesus simply hadn’t fully accomplished their ideals YET. The angels in Revelation 8 prefaced the unsealing of the mystery with their own trumpets. But, to see this vision coming to reality SOMEDAY is challenged by the ministry of Jesus which seeks to be realized every day.

Far better than seeing this as a preview of coming attractions, is to imagine the power of its musical score playing in our mind’s eye, like that ear worm song that we can’t quit thinking about, even as we go about the daily tasks of life. It’s goal is to fill us with hope, not dread.

Let us pray: Bring it on, Lord! Whatever you have in store for us, wherever you would lead us, bring it on. Give us a vision of your coming among us that encourages us to be the best we can be, to do the best that we can, to love completely, to follow willingly, to embrace what you have shown us to be that matters. In Jesus’ name. Amen.