e-vo for week of December 26

Dearest e-votees-

Blessings on your on-going celebration of Christmas.

Christ has come into the world. We are blessed when we remember this and live into this truth. The world is blessed when we remember to show this message and live in such a way that others are wooed into this truth.

Peace to you and yours. Have a blessed 2013.

Karl

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12 As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:12-17, NRSV

These words to the Colossian church with just a little tweaking could be the words spoken within the Trinity as Jesus prepared for his earthly ministry:

As God’s chosen one, holy and beloved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Bear with them and, if any needs forgiveness, grant it; you must forgive. Above all, clothe yourself with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let your peace remain in you and them, as they are called to be one body. And be thankful. Let your word dwell in them richly; teach and admonish them in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do in your name give thanks to God your Father.

Jesus came covered in attributes of care and long-suffering, humble service. He suffered fools and arrogance and returned grace and forgiveness. Jesus came as love bringing unity and reconciliation where we had sown hatred, discord and factions. Jesus comes bringing peace to a war-torn, combat-weary world. Jesus taught and lived thankfulness. His words are recorded to teach us and admonish us and grow us up into wisdom. And so, having been saved by love, we are drawn into the same sorts of works as Jesus. We sing praises and we give thanks to God for that high and holy calling.

We are chosen by God. God’s love is for us and for all. In baptism we are clothed in Christ and made holy. We are called along with the Colossians saints to put on the ways of Jesus. Letting forgiveness, love, thankfulness and joy win the day. This may take many shapes and forms as all of us have different bodily functions to which we have been called. But thankfully and with praise we are able to go about the tasks and ministries God has set before us. We do this in Jesus’ name and we thank God.


God, continue to draw us up into you. Help us to be shaped and reshaped by the deep truths and abundant life found in this Colossians text. All to your glory. Amen.

e-vo for week of December 19

Dearest e-votees-

Blessings on you and yours as you draw near to celebrating Christmas. We rejoice that Jesus comes into the world to accomplish the will of God.

Jesus taught us to pray “Our Father who art in heaven, Thy will be done…” What exactly are we praying for when we pray the Lord’s Prayer? Our appointed epistle text for this Sunday perhaps sheds some light on that question.

Peace,

Karl

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5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; 6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. 7 Then I said, "See, God, I have come to do your will, O God' (in the scroll of the book it is written of me)." 8 When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, "See, I have come to do your will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. 10 And it is by God's will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 10:5-10, NRSV

According to the author of Hebrews Jesus came into the world to do God’s will. God’s will was not fully accomplished in sacrifices and sin offerings and burnt offerings. God had commanded such things in the Law given to Moses but the Law didn’t fully accomplish God’s purposes. Jesus came into the world and through his life, death and life again he abolishes the requirements of the Law. Some see the destruction in 70 AD and persistent non-reconstructing of the Temple as a sign that such sacrifices really have become a thing of the past. Jesus’ sacrifice an sin offering are sufficient and fulfill the forms established by the Law as given to Moses.

So what is God’s will for us? (which we pray for whenever we pray the Lord’s Prayer) It is to be sanctified through Jesus’ offering once and for all. God wills that we are made clean and made holy by what Jesus did. God wills that we remain sanctified forever.

If we truly want to live out the Lord’s Prayer we will trust that God has saved us, made us clean and made us holy. We abide in God’s will when we trust. We are saved. We are made well. And so we rejoice. And that joy might beckon others to, with us, taste and see that the Lord is good.


Lord, teach us to continue to pray that Your will be done. Help us trust that you give us what you say—forgiveness, adoption and an abiding forever love.

e-vo for week of December 12

Dearest e-votees-

On this 12th day of the 12th month of 2012 we have 12 days left until Christmas Eve (or still fewer days left of the world at all if you buy into the hype about the Mayan calendar).

How shall we be as we wait for Jesus to come to us again in the manger or as we wait for Jesus to come to us anew at the end of the world as we know it?

Peace,
Karl

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2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth. 6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 12:2-6, NRSV

Our appointed Old Testament text for this coming Sunday has some insights into how we might be during this time for waiting.

1. Fearlessly trusting in the salvation from the Lord God
2. Joyfully drinking in salvation of our Lord God
3. Thankfully making our Lord God’s deeds known
4. Musically praising the glories of our Lord God
5. Enthusiastically extolling the Lord God

We are saved. God has done this. We could not do it. Even if we could we could not do it reliably. If our salvation rested on our shoulders we would have every reason to be fearful. If we were in this world without God we would have good reason to be afraid. We are saved by grace, accepted by faith, through the work, life, ministry, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Jesus’ promises of salvation and deliverance are sure. Therefore we are sure and free from fear.

We are saved by the promises attached to the waters of baptism. Our spiritual thirsts and our parched souls are slaked by the living waters that are our Lord Jesus. It is cause for great joy that we have been saved. We can daily revisit the waters of our baptism and drink from the well of salvation. We are free to approach and be made new. We are called to bring others to these waters as well. We are called to invite others to “Drink and see that the Lord is good.” We are called to beckon them to rejoice with us.

We are witnesses to the deeds that the Lord has done. We are not to grudgingly hoard the goodness that the Lord has done but rather to thankfully share that good news with all. We are called to evangelize (to “good news”) people about what God has done. We are to be thankful in spite of the challenges that have beset us. We are to be thankful in a world that cultivates envy and dissatisfaction. We are to be thankful and call on the Lord God’s name. We are to be thankful to Jesus and proclaim his name.

With music and voice we are to praise the Lord God. Our praising transcends purely the spoken and written word. With rhythm and notes, harmony and crescendo we remember how the Lord God has treated us gloriously even when we treated him with shame and scorn. God’s glory trumps our tragedy. God’s love trumps our contempt. And so we sing and praise and glorify and exalt so all the earth--neighbor, enemy, those far away, creatures, plants and all others--might be aware of our praises to the Lord God.

With shouts and joyful song we extol the Lord God. More than writhing, adoring crowds in the largest of athletic venues we proclaim the greatness of our Lord. Overwhelming the stadia full of lighters and cell phones paying homage to earthly idols we let our lights so shine before humanity that our good works might be seen and glory given to God. With all that we are and have we pour ourselves into extolling the Lord God. The Lord of our salvation.


God, we wait for Jesus to be born again. Draw us to that silent night. We wait for Jesus to come again. Temper our fears, renew and inspire our faiths and receive our praise. Amen.

e-vo for week of December 5

Dearest e-votees-

Advent is a time of gathering and waiting trusting that God will make good on the promises God has made.

Our appointed lesson from the New Testament this week, Philippians 1:3-11, is a powerful reminder of how we can gather as community, partner in the gospel, trust in the Lord and patiently wait until the day of Jesus Christ.

Peace,
Karl

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3 I thank my God every time I remember you, 4 constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, 5 because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight 10 to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, 11 having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:3-11, NRSV

There are really two strands of Advent.

We wait for God to bring Jesus into the world in the manger in our liturgical cycle. The essence of the gospel is that God comes into the world to restore a broken relationship with creation and to bring salvation. God longs for us with compassion. God does whatever is required. God comes into the world as a frail and susceptible mortal. This is a profound saving move of God. It is so important that commemorate this time-splitting event every year. In order to best commemorate it we slow down and take time to recall the promises that are coming into being in Jesus. This is a deep and important strand of Advent.

We wait, too, for Jesus to usher in the end of all times. The essence of the gospel is that God who began this good work of salvation will bring it to completion. It is God who does the work—not us—which is how we can rest secure. God longs for us with compassion. God continues to do whatever is required. God is coming back into the world to save us frail and susceptible mortals. This is the most profound saving move of God. It is so important that we ritually wait for this time ending event every year. In order to fully appreciate this coming fulfillment we slow down and take time to recall the promises that will be fulfilled in Jesus. This, too, is a deep and important strand of Advent.

We wait collectively. We partner in the gospel. We gather and pray and sing and trust. We know that God began this good work in creation. We know that God began this good work of salvation in Jesus Christ and the incarnation. We know that God will bring this work to completion in the day of Jesus Christ. This is God’s plan. This is our hope. Thanks be to God.


God shape us as we wait. Help us receive Jesus in the manger again and prepare to be received by Jesus at the end of all time. Help us be thankful and faithful in the meantime. Amen.

e-vo for week of November 28

Dearest e-votees-

Happy New Year! This Sunday is the first of our new liturgical year. We begin our lingering trip to the manger. While the world is already starting to tire of Christmas refrains and Salvation Army bells and manic shopping we begin to turn our eyes to our coming Lord. Jesus coming again in the manger in four weeks and Jesus coming once and for all in who knows who many months or weeks or days or moments?

Peace,
Karl

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25 "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see "the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." 29 Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 34 "Be 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, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be 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."

Luke 21:25-36, NRSV

There are so many things that can worry us and capture our attention. Jesus talks about not being weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life.

A look on Merriam Webster’s on-line dictionary (www.m-w.com) gives the following as synonyms for dissipation: abjection, corruptness, debasement, debauchery, decadence, decadency, degeneracy, degenerateness, degeneration, degradation, demoralization, depravity, dissipatedness, corruption, dissoluteness, libertinage, libertinism, perversion, pervertedness, rakishness, turpitude. How easy it is to fall into such practices in a culture with little focus and more wealth than we know what to do with. And with the wealth of cable channels available with which we can voyeuristically engage in such dissipation as well. Our time, our minds and our souls can be drawn into the tawdry, the obscene and a pointless. This can weigh us down.

Drunkenness is how so many chose to self-medicate and escape the pains of this life. Through drink and other escapist endeavors the world falls away. But so to does the reality in which God has called us to live. Families and careers and physical well-beings are drowned along with ones sorrows. The cycles and pains and expenses of chemical abuse can and do weigh us and those we love down.

This world is full of uncertainties. There are so many things that could happen—so many more than actually do. The demons exploit that fact when drawing people into worry in The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. Fretting about what might come to pass can rob us blind of the joys immediately before our eyes. As Jesus says “People will faint from fear and foreboding”—there is much that can captivate and terrorize our souls. Those constant worries can steal our sanities, corrupt our health and smother our joy. This can be a crushing blow.

But Jesus encourages us to remember that the day of his return is coming. Heaven and earth will indeed pass away but his promise to return will not pass away until it comes to pass.

May we find ways to encourage one another to shun the vain amusements of this world, to keep sober and to not let worry steal our hope. We don’t find these on our own. Through prayer and God’s empowering we, as community, are and will be able to stand before the Son of Man. Thanks be to God.


Jesus, give us eyes to see, hearts to endure, minds to discern and steely spines to stand—all to your glory. Amen.

e-vo for week of November 21

Dearest e-votees-

Have a blessed time of Thanksgiving with friends and family.

Peace,
Karl

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33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" 34 Jesus answered, "Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?" 35 Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?" 36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here." 37 Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

John 18:33-37, NRSV

This coming Sunday is the last of the church year. The year ends with the world and how it understands power and authority colliding with Jesus and how he exercises power and authority.

In a few short chapters of John Jesus will be exalted on the cross. Jesus wins by losing. Jesus triumphs by being crushed. Jesus attains what we could not by giving away what we would not.

Pilate can’t wrap his head nor his heart around the way in which Jesus chooses to rule the world—love, sacrifice and submission.

Jesus speaks truth. A truth that Pilate can’t comprehend. A truth the world opts to silence in exchange for Barabbas. A truth that can get lost in the jingle and jangle of the holidays and the merchants selling their wares. A truth that our unredeemed selves has little to no time for.

Yet Jesus speaks the truth. And even more Jesus is the truth. This truth won’t stay silent. This truth won’t stay dead. This truth bears a royal and saving message to all who would hear. God redeems us and redeems all that we might hear and listen and change.


God, have your way with us. Help us follow your way and be your way in the world. Your Kingdom come. Amen.

e-vo for week of November 14

Dearest e-votees-

I will be about as far away (mentally and physically) from being able to post an e-vo next week as possible as I float about the Mexican Riviera with my newly betrothed so here is the e-vo for the week of November 14th.

Blessings to you and yours.

Peace,
Karl

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11 And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, "he sat down at the right hand of God," 13 and since then has been waiting "until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet." 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

[15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying, 16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds," 17 he also adds, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more." 18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.]

19 Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:11-14 [15-18] 19-25, NRSV

In this text Jesus’ flesh is connected with the curtain (the separation in the Tabernacle between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place—see Exodus 26:31-34). In the Temple there was also a curtain which separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. That curtain was torn, top to bottom, when Jesus died—see Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45b. As Jesus’ life was torn from him the separation between where God was thought to dwell and the rest of the world was torn apart. Humanity has been granted access to God—or, as Peter Mayer sings, God is Loose in the World.

God has spilled into the world and into our lives. We have been cleansed and washed. Jesus has promised to save us. Jesus has promised to hear us. Jesus has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. Jesus has promised to go and prepare a place for us and return and to take us to be with him. When Jesus pours gracious promises into our lives they will come to pass. Our eternity is secure. Our eternal life has begun. Jesus will bring all of his good and gracious promises to bear fully on that Day.

So what is left for us to do in the meantime? We can provoke one another to love and good deeds. We don’t do this to secure our salvations—that was tended already by Jesus. We respond to that good news by allowing God to bring love to bear in the world through us. We respond to that good news by allowing God to bring good works to bear in the world through us. This happens as we meet together with other believers and with God and allow that promised presence when 2 or 3 are gathered in Jesus’ name to stir us. We gather that we might praise God and find encouragement. We gather that God might set us loose in the world.


Dear God, you have torn down every barrier between us and you. You have poured love into this world. You have saved us. Help us live in ways that bring your love and salvation to all who need it. Amen.