God

Mid-week Prayer – Veterans Day

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Read: Isaiah 2:2-4

Reflect: The prophet Isaiah speaks of a day when all the nations of earth shall turn to God and learn God’s ways; a day when instruments of war will be transformed into tools for the feeding of the world. How I long for that day when we fight for victory over hunger, poverty, and homelessness, instead of fighting for control over fossil fuels; land, water, and resources; and the subjugation of those who are somehow “different” from us!

On this Veterans’ Day, I am thankful for those who have answered the call to protect and defend us from our nation’s enemies. I’m grateful for the individual and family sacrifices that are made each day in the cause of the freedoms I often take for granted. And I dream of the day when “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn way anymore.”

Prayer: God of justice and freedom, look with compassion on our military veterans. Sustain them and their families during their times of enlistment. Heal the visible and invisible scars they carry. And create in us all the will to work for peace in our world. Amen.

Mid-week Prayer

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Read:  Matthew 6:19-21

Reflect:  What do you value most?  Some will say that we only need to look at our bank statements or our day planners to see which people, things, or causes matter most to us.  How is it that we become so busy that we have to schedule in time to be with the people closest to us?  How can it be that the One who gives us everything – including the breath of life and the air we breathe – so frequently takes last place on our list of priorities?  Maybe,  just maybe, it’s time for a change…

Prayer:  God, our gracious giver, your Son Jesus taught us that where our treasure is there our hearts will be also.  Teach us to love people more than money, relationships more than things, and you above all, that the way we live will reflect what we truly value and believe.  We ask this in the name of Jesus, who emptied himself in love for us, and now reigns with you and the Holy Spirit forever and ever.    (from All Creation Sings, p. 50.  ©2020 Augsburg Fortress, used by permission.)

Reflection for Labor Day

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Read:  Matthew 20:1-16                                                        

Reflect:   In the United States, the first Monday in September is Labor Day.  It dates back to 1894, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being.  In those days work weeks were long and working conditions left much to be desired.  This was the era of the “Robber Barons” – those wealthy industrialists and captains of industry deemed by many to be not much better than thieves and scoundrels. Their business practices, including the building of various industrial monopolies, made them extremely wealthy at the expense of their employees and the general public.  In many ways, it seems we are living in our own time of “robber barons”.  The rich keep getting richer, the middle class is shrinking, and the most vulnerable among us feel more and more acutely the disparity between the “minimum wage” and the increasing cost of living. 

Jesus’ parable about the laborers in the vineyard invites us to imagine a society in which employers value their employees, honor their obligations, and are generous beyond all expectation.  It invites us to imagine a society where there is opportunity and meaningful work for all according to their abilities, and where every worker is able to earn enough that they and their families may thrive.  It invites us to let go of our entitlements and be generous with all – as God is generous with us.

Prayer:   Generous God, we thank you for the many ways you bless us each and every day.  On this Labor Day, we remember those who are unemployed or under-employed, and those who are overworked. Provide work and rest as it is needed.  We pray for employers:  let them truly appreciate the contributions of their workers and honor them with wages that allow them to thrive.  Guide boards of directors, stockholders, and shareholders toward policies and practices that strengthen and support the well-being of all people.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

An Easter Reflection (see Matthew 28:1-10)

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According to Matthew, the Easter story is all about God: God’s power and love and what God has done for the world in raising Jesus from the dead. And about how God has come out in full force against the powers of sin, and death and the grave. The battle is engaged once and for all, and God is unquestionably the victor! Jesus lives! Alleluia!

Easter is also a story about us. It’s about how God chooses to work in and through the whole of creation in the cause of bringing new life from death. It’s about how the good news of Jesus’ resurrection is able to transform our grief and despair into hope and great joy. It’s about how our proper response (like that of the women) is one of worship and obedience EVEN in the face of things we don’t fully understand. It’s about being eager and courageous as we tell others what God in Christ has done for us, inviting them to “come and see” him for themselves.

The invitation is there for you, too. Come and see!