Jesus

Mid-week Prayer

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Read: Acts 6:1-7

Reflect: The church leaders were busy proclaiming the good news of the risen Jesus. The Holy Spirit was busy too – inspiring those leaders and opening the hearts and minds of those who heard their message. As a result, many believed and were baptized. But with the growing numbers of believers there was less time and energy to care for the needs of the most vulnerable among them. The solution: to set apart for special service faithful individuals with gifts for serving those in need. In this way, the message of God’s abundant love made known in Jesus would be shared not just through preaching and teaching, but also through deeds of compassion and mercy.

Two thousand years later, the church is still setting apart such persons for special service – we call them deacons. Frequently (but not always) they serve in food pantries and soup kitchens, hospitals and nursing homes, and shelters for unhoused neighbors. Deacons don’t relieve the rest of us from our responsibility to act wherever we find God’s children in need of help, hope, or advocacy. Instead, the Holy Spirit empowers and guides them to lead us in this work by their own examples of faithfulness and generosity.

Prayer: God of compassion, your Son came among us not to be served but to serve. We give you thanks for those whom you have called to the ministry of word and service [especially

name/s ]. Give to all deacons faith to serve you with gladness; sustain them with a living hope, especially in times of despair; and kindle in them your love, so that they see in every neighbor the face of Jesus Christ, our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen. (from All Creation Sings, p. 46. ©2020 Augsburg Fortress, used by permission.)

Mid-week Prayer

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Read: John 4:1-14

Reflect: Giant Springs State Park is located just outside Great Falls, MT. The park itself is a beautiful place to picnic, walk, or just enjoy the outdoors. The best part, however is the water. Giant Springs is one of the largest freshwater springs in the United States. Every day, approximately 156 million gallons of water flow up out of the rocks before making a 200 ft. journey to the Missouri River. The water is crystal clear, warm enough to sustain water plants year-round, and the sound of its flow brings a sense of peacefulness and calm.

In his encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus describes himself as being just such a source of abundance, peace, and life. The water he gives has the power to cleanse us from guilt and shame. He strengthens and sustains us through all the challenges and seasons of our lives. He renews us for life one hour, one day at a time. He speaks words of peace that can silence the world’s noise and calm our restless lives. The abundance of his love never runs dry.

Prayer: God our source, our hearts are restless until we find our rest in you. As Jesus once offered living water to a Samaritan woman at the well, so we ask you to meet our deepest needs with your eternal life. Help us to honestly name the desires that have power over us. Forgive us our injuries to self and other. Give us the strength we need to face each day. Direct our thoughts and actions toward the life that truly is life. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. (from All Creation Sings, p. 53. ©2020 Augsburg Fortress, used by permission.)

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!