Archive for August, 2011
On the first day of Sunday School, Pastor Floyd will be starting a class entitled: Introduction to Lutheranism”. It will be held in the sanctuary from 9:00am to 9:45am.
We look forward to seeing you at this interesting and informative class.
Our Feed Your Neighbor Food Pantry is now open. We are open the first Tuesday of the month from 10:00am-12:00pm. If you know someone that is in need of help during these hard times, please let them know about Zion’s Food Pantry.
The plans for our 150th Anniversary are moving along. We are asking members to write down some of their memories or stories about Zion and submit to either Pastor Ron. There will be a section on reminiscing and we need stories from the congregation. There are books in the Fellowship Hall to reserve a copy of the Congregation picture or the 150th Book. Cost of each is $1.50. You may give your payment to Pastor Ron.
Who Do Those People Think They Are?
Matthew 15:10-28
I read a story about a LITTLE TOWN in Minneapolis called PELICAN RAPIDS. This little town of about 1500 people was settled chiefly by Norwegians and Swedes. There are SEVEN Lutheran churches in this community. But Pelican Rapids is not Scandinavian ONLY– any more.
The TURKEY PROCESSING PLANT has HIRED PEOPLE from all over the WORLD to work there;– most come from MEXICO and CENTRAL AMERICA but others from BOSNIA, SOMALIA and VIETNAM. The article highlighted HOW WELL this community was doing INTEGRATING these NEW FOLKS into the town.
But I also know that people from that community DISLIKE the CHANGES.
"These new people AREN'T LIKE US,"— they say,— "They are DIFFERENT."
We may not want "THOSE PEOPLE" in our little town.
It has always been EASY to DRAW A CIRCLE so that some are INSIDE and OTHERS are OUT.
It may be people of a DIFFERENT RACE or ETHNIC ORIGIN,– different GENDER or–AGE, –EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND or ABILITY. It is easy to look at the MAN with TATTOOS or the WOMAN with many PIERCINGS,– the MAN who STUTTERS or the WOMAN who didn't make it through HIGH SCHOOL and say that— THIS PERSON is JUST NOT LIKE US.
I AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT ZION IS NOT LIKE THAT.
******Our Bible passage speaks directly to “US” and “THEM.”******
Jesus has gone out of the land of Israel into the region of Tyre and Sidon –– GENTILE TERRITORY.
Then a WOMEN from the AREA comes to Jesus –– She is a "Canaanite".
Canaanites were the PAGAN PEOPLE whom the Israelites FOUGHT for CENTURIES.
The Canaanites were IDOL WORSHIPERS and OPPONENTS of the ONE TRUE GOD.
It was a CANAANITE WOMEN who came to Jesus SHOUTING LOUDLY,———
"Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David."
This woman had THREE STRIKES AGAINST HER –– she was NOT JEWISH –and Jesus' mission, so He told her,— was to the LOST SHEEP of the house of Israel." STRIKE ONE
She was a WOMAN –– STRIKE TWO–– and she SPOKE to a MAN without a MALE INTERCEDING FOR HER.
STRIKE THREE–– she was a PEST whose SCREAMING and SHOUTING would not IMPRESS Jesus and His followers.
The disciples came to convince Jesus to, —"Send her AWAY, for she keeps SHOUTING AT US."
The CIRCLE is clearly DRAWN –– JESUS and the DISCIPLES and JEWISH MEN are INSIDE. This bothersome, CANAANITE WOMEN is OUTSIDE.
What I find VERY INTERESTING is how much a MAN OF HIS TIME and PLACE JESUS WAS.
Jesus AGREED,– it seems,– with the DISCIPLES.
He tried to BRUSH the WOMAN OFF……………..HIS MISSION was to ISRAEL ONLY.
Yes, –she had CONFESSED HIM LORD and MESSIAH,– something many IN ISRAEL would NOT CONFESS. She asked him for MERCY and KNELT DOWN BEFORE HIM.
She had FAITH that Jesus COULD HEAL HER DAUGHTER of a tormenting DEMON.
What did Jesus do when she would NOT GO AWAY?……….. He called her a DOG.
In the Middle East, even today, people DO NOT keep PET DOGS.
We do. We SHAMPOO THEM–and TRIM THEM,– DRESS THEM UP for holidays, buy them treats.
This is a WORLD AWAY from THAT of the MIDDLE EAST.
In Islam,– DOGS are considered UNCLEAN– and they SCAVENGE at the EDGE of the VILLAGES and TOWNS. It was the SAME in Bible times.
The Jews called the Gentiles "DOGS" and it was NOT A TERM of ENDEARMENT but rather A PUTDOWN.
It is the term used BY JESUS for this woman, "It is NOT FAIR to take the children's BREAD and throw it to DOGS." But she turned around and USED the SAME PHRASE to say to Jesus, "Yes, Lord,– yet even THE DOGS eat the CRUMBS that fall from their MASTER'S TABLE." She had Him there.
She BROKE the CIRCLE—- and ENTERED IN.
SALVATION came to HER and HER POSSESSED DAUGHTER– not because she became JEWISH or promised to keep the LAW of MOSES. Jesus said to her, "Woman,– GREAT is your FAITH!
Let it be DONE to you as YOU WISH." And her daughter was HEALED INSTANTLY.
The Gospel is NOT just FOR MEN,– for Jews,– for people who CONFORM to our EXPECTATIONS of THEM. It took the CHURCH a long time to realize this. The first great CONTROVERSY in the Christian Church was whether Gentiles HAD TO BECOME JEWS before they could become CHRISTIANS.
Paul ARGUED that GENTILE MEN did NOT NEED to be CIRCUMCISED to be BAPTIZED and Peter had revealed to him by God that the DIETARY LAWS commanded in the Hebrew Bible were NO LONGER REQUIRED. No person was to be called COMMON or UNCLEAN.
At the Council of Jerusalem it was AGREED that GENTILES could become CHRISTIANS.
I remember READING ABOUT the American Lutheran Church when they decided that WOMEN must be ALLOWED to be VOTERS in their CONGREGATIONS. Some CONGREGATIONS WITHDREW from ALC because they would NOT give WOMEN THE VOTE.
One women ASKED, “Is DIVORCE an UNFORGIVABLE SIN?"
Divorce is NOT an UNFORGIVABLE SIN.
Being GAY or a LESBIAN is NOT an UNFORGIVABLE SIN EITHER.
What does the BIBLE SAY about that?
"ALL have SINNED and FALLEN SHORT of the GLORY of GOD."
We are NOT SAVED by WHO WE ARE –– the Jews were NOT SAVED because they were JEWS because as Jesus said,– he could RAISE UP sons of Abraham from the STONES of the field.
Paul, writing to the Romans, declares that JEWS and GENTILES are BOTH SINNERS and invited to be God's people through FAITH in JESUS. We are NOT SAVED by our GENDER or our STATUS,– our RACE or EDUCATIONAL LEVEL,– by our ORIENTATION or our GOOD BEHAVIOR.
We do not find our self worth in what others may think of us but in being CHILDREN of GOD and HEIRS to GOD'S KINGDOM through FAITH in CHRIST ALONE. What our Gospel text CLEARLY SAYS is we are SAVED BY FAITH in Jesus alone.
We did not read this but in the beginning of the fifteenth chapter of Matthew, Jesus talks on the HOLINESS CODE of the Old Testament. He and his disciples were ACCUSED of NOT WASHING their HANDS before they ATE. Jesus argued that it was NOT what went in a PERSONS MOUTH that DEFILED–
but rather the EVIL and MALICE that come out of the human heart. If the RULES and regulations HURT PEOPLE,– they could be put aside.
Remember that the Sabbath was MADE for HUMANS———- NOT HUMANS for the Sabbath.
In the SECOND PART of the same chapter– Jesus is SETTING ASIDE the whole system of SALVATION in the Old Testament. The Hebrew Bible did care about the GENTILES and looked for the day when ALL the NATIONS would come to Zion. God's mission was IN and THROUGH the JEWISH PEOPLE ONLY.
This is what Jesus STARTS to AFFIRM–– the Gospel is for the LOST SHEEP of the house of Israel.
But the TEXT does NOT STOP THERE and in this passage,– we SEE that the Old Testament scheme is SET ASIDE. God's GOOD NEWS—— is for ALL PEOPLE– NOT JUST SOME.
Christ DIED for ALL—— not just SOME.
FORGIVENESS is for ALL———– not just SOME.
The ONLY CONDITION—— is FAITH—– which is itself —–a GIFT OF GOD.
Others may be DIFFERENT from OURSELVES and often what makes THEM DIFFERENT—is something we DON'T LIKE.
The CHURCH has been GUILTY of keeping people OUT– rather than INVITING THEM IN.
AND WHO IS THE CHURCH? WE ARE.
We are HUMAN BEINGS—— and FALLEN, SINFUL ONES at that.
We KNOW what we LIKE and we LIKE what WE KNOW.
Think of the DISCIPLES,— they were the SAME WAY.
Some of you may BE HERE because you have been HURT by the PEOPLE in a PREVIOUS Church,–
by what people have SAID about YOU— or what a PASTOR HAS SAID.
You may have been HURT by other people too.
In SOME CHURCHES –at coffee hour the SAME PEOPLE talk to the SAME PEOPLE every week–
and if you are a NEWCOMER you may be ignored. I DON'T SEE THAT HAPPENING HERE.
In some Churches— you could get DIRTY LOOKS for sitting in someone else's PEW.
You may have been asked to LEAVE the service if your CHILDREN WERE FIDGETY.
You may have been SHAMED because you DIDN'T KNOW the PROCEDURE for making COFFEE or how THE TOWELS should be HUNG in the kitchen.
Remember, the disciples were NOT GOD.
Remember that NEITHER the CHURCH nor the PASTOR nor the COUNCIL is God either.
God is FAITHFUL and LOVING even when God's SERVANTS MAY NOT BE.
God draws the CIRCLE WIDE ENOUGH to bring EVERYONE IN.
Never let ANYONE or ANYTHING try to SEPARATE YOU from God's love in Jesus Christ.
GOD LOVES YOU AND SO DO I…..Enjoy your Labor Day weekend and no matter where you are take time to attend Church services.
Pastor Ron
September: Assemble kits for LSS, they will include Layettes, school kits, and personal hygiene kits.
September 25: Blessing of Quilts
October: Blanket Month
November: Food Drive
December : Cookie Walk & assembly of trays for the shut ins.
December : Christmas Circle meets @ Judy Niemans
Some Sow, Some Water..But He Reaps The Harvest
Matt 13:1-9, 18-23
Many years ago,– a FRIEND of mine CRITICIZED Martin Luther King for stirring up TROUBLE. "Trouble follows him wherever he goes," he said,– as if that PROVED SOMETHING. I DON'T REMEMBER how I RESPONDED,– but I know what I would say TODAY. Today I would ask, "What about Jesus? Trouble followed HIM wherever he went too!"
TROUBLE did follow Jesus wherever he went. Our Gospel lesson today comes from the 13th chapter of Matthew. That chapter is just PACKED with TROUBLE:
** Jesus' disciples PLUCKED GRAIN on the Sabbath,– which got them in TROUBLE with the PHARISEES,– who accused them of WORKING on the Sabbath .
** That very same day,– Jesus went to the synagogue, where he MET A MAN with a WITHERED HAND. Jesus' ENEMIES asked "Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath?"
If Jesus said, "No, it isn't lawful to heal on the Sabbath," they would REMIND HIM that HE HAD,– in fact,– HEALED on the Sabbath.
If he said "Yes, it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath," they would ACCUSE HIM of being a Sabbath-breaker. But Jesus reminded them that,– if a sheep fell into a pit on the Sabbath, they would rescue it. He said that a PERSON is MORE VALUABLE than a SHEEP,– so it is GOOD — NOT BAD– to heal on the Sabbath. Then– he HEALED THE MAN.
** Then Jesus healed a man who was POSSESSED by DEMONS. The Pharisees responded by ACCUSING Jesus of HEALING by the power of DEMONS. So I guess you could say that it was just ONE THING after ANOTHER. No matter WHAT Jesus DID,– the scribes and Pharisees tried to make it SOUND BAD.
It must have been DISCOURAGING for Jesus' disciples to see Jesus' ENEMIES always NIPPING at his HEELS — always setting TRAPS — always trying to BLOCK HIM. Some of Jesus' disciples were fishermen who were USED TO seeing WAVES coming at them — one after the other — never ceasing. Jesus' ENEMIES were like that. They NEVER managed to STOP HIM,– but they never QUIT trying EITHER. That gets TIRING after awhile.
Not long before this,–Jesus had sent his disciples on a MISSION to "cure the SICK,– raise the DEAD,– cleanse the LEPERS, (and) cast out DEMONS". He told them to ACCEPT HOSPITALITY when it was OFFERED,– and to SHAKE the DUST off their FEET– and TO MOVE ON –when people REFUSED to WELCOME THEM. I suspect that,– by the time of our Gospel lesson,– the disciples had SHAKEN quite a bit of DUST off their FEET. That can be discouraging.
So Jesus gives this parable — the Parable of THE SOWER– to ENCOURAGE his disciples — and to ENCOURAGE US. He talks about a SOWER sowing seeds.
In those days,– FIELDS were SMALL– and farmers SOWED SEED BY HAND. (NOT LIKE TODAY)
** In Jesus' parable,– as in REAL LIFE,– some SEED fell on a hard-packed PATHWAY.
The seed could NOT put down ROOTS in the hard-packed soil,– so it just LAY there.
Birds came to EAT IT.
** Some seed fell on ROCKY GROUND — ground with a thin layer of soil over a ROCK SHELF. The rock collected HEAT from the SUN,– and the heat encouraged the SEEDS TO SPROUT. However, once they SPROUTED,– they had NOWHERE to put down ROOTS,– so they soon WITHERED and DIED.
** Some seed fell among THORNS. Some of those seeds GERMINATED,– but the thorns soon crowded them out. WHY is it always like that? The plants that WE WANT are TENDER and DELICATE — but WEEDS that we DON'T WANT–are like a thousand pound GORILLA!
** But some SEED fell on GOOD SOIL. That SEED gave the farmer a harvest of a HUNDRED-FOLD– or SIXTY– or THIRTY. Even thirty-fold would have been a MAGNIFICENT HARVEST.
JESUS EXPLAINED his parable to his disciples. He started by explaining the HARD PACKED PATHWAY. The Gospel-seed that FELL on PACKED PATHWAY. The Gospel-seed that FELL on the Pathway is like PEOPLE who HEAR God's word– but DON'T UNDERSTAND IT. The Gospel-seed just BOUNCES OFF their HARD HEARTS(or their thick noggins). They just DON'T "get" it. They DON'T even TRY to "get" it. The Gospel-seed just can't PENETRATE deeply enough in their HEARTS to do any good. Jesus told his disciples that,– with PEOPLE LIKE THAT,– the EVIL ONE swoops in like a bird and EATS THE SEED.
As we go about our work as Christian disciples,– we will MEET PEOPLE who fit THIS DESCRIPTION. They PASS by CHURCHES without NOTICING THEM. They HEAR people TALK about GOD,– but it DOESN'T REGISTER with them. We invite them to COME to church,– but they SIDESTEP the INVITATION. Their RADAR is set to TUNE OUT GOD-TALK. For whatever REASON,– they just DON'T want to be BOTHERED. We could get DISCOURAGED when we ENCOUNTER people like that. But the GOOD NEWS is that ONLY PART of our Gospel-seed falls on the HARD PACKED PATHWAY. Keep listening!
**The SECOND KIND of Gospel-seed was that which fell on ROCKY GROUND. Jesus said that this seed was the PERSON who received the Gospel with JOY,– but didn't last long — especially when TROUBLE CAME.
We see PEOPLE in the church like that. They JOIN. They are EXCITED. They jump into ONE thing after the other. Then, suddenly,– THEY ARE GONE. We CALL THEM "a flash in the pan" — someone who STARTS STRONG but FINISHES WEAK. These people JUMP from ONE church to ANOTHER. Such people always seem to be UNHAPPY with the way things turn out.
But the good news is that only PART of our Gospel-seed FALLS on ROCKY GROUND. Only a little bit springs up QUICKLY and then DIES. Only a FEW people jump into the CHURCH with BOTH FEET– and then leave just as QUICKLY. The Gospel-seed that falls on ROCKY GROUND is BAD NEWS– but it is NOT the whole story.
**The THIRD KIND of Gospel-seed was that which FELL among THORNS. Jesus said, "This is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing." To some extent,– THIS DESCRIBES ALL OF US. Who is NOT affected by "the cares of the world"? Who is NO TEMPTED by "the lure of wealth"?
Speaking of "the cares of the world," "If you feel OVERLOADED,– you're NOT CRAZY. You're NORMAL. But you may feel DISTRACTED,–FRUSTRATED,– or HALF SICK, because the average office worker gets 220 messages a day –in e-mails, memos, phone calls, interruptions, and ads."
THOSE are just some of the "cares of the world" that we have to negotiate every day.
Regarding "the lure of wealth," Jesus had plenty to say..He said: "No one can serve two masters….You cannot serve God and wealth".
**I like the old King James Version of that verse. It says, "You cannot serve God and MAMMON." Mammon is MORE THAN JUST WEALTH –it is THE LOVE OF MONEY. And mammon DOES threaten to ENSNARE US. Jesus tells us about a RICH MAN who came to ask what he needed to do to INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE. Jesus recited some of the commandments, –and the man responded, "Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth."
**Jesus then said, "You lack ONE THING;– go, SELL WHAT YOU OWN,– and give the money to the POOR, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come and FOLLOW ME." But the man "was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions".
The message is that there are people whose HEARTS are so full of LOVE FOR MONEY that they have NO SPACE LEFT for LOVING God. But the GOOD NEWS is that the Gospel-seed that falls among the THORNS is not the only seed. There are OTHER SEEDS. Jesus tells us that some of those will fall on GOOD SOIL,– and will bring forth grain, "some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty".
In Jesus' day, a thirty-fold harvest would have been a bonanza, and a hundred-fold harvest would be like winning the LOTTERY. In those days, a seven-fold harvest was GOOD, and a ten-fold harvest was a BUMPER CROP. So when Jesus says that the Gospel-seed that falls on good soil will bring forth a grand harvest. JESUS is SAYING that the GOOD SOIL is THE INDIVIDUAL that RECEIVES HIS WORD and takes HIS WORD– (THE BIBLE)– and CHOOSES to SHARE IT with EVERYONE. The more people that HEAR and RECEIVE HIS WORD the GRANDER the HARVEST.
Jesus had TWO REASONS for telling his disciples about that grand harvest:
** For one thing,– he wanted to encourage his DISCIPLES. They were facing OPPOSITION and needed to know that their SACRIFICES in behalf of the Gospel would produce a REAL HARVEST– a bountiful harvest.
** For another thing,– Jesus wants to ENCOURAGE US. We make sacrifices too. We need to know that OUR WORK for Christ is going to mean something. Jesus promises that IT WILL.
When I hear this I think of VBS. Some of those children, I am sure, are like the hard-packed pathway. Some are like the rocky ground. Others were like the thorn-infested ground. But others were fertile soil. I am confident that there are many Christians today, raising their families to know Christ, because of a faithful witness from a SUNDAY SCHOOL or a VBS TEACHER. (Jon Keck -Kala Gray)
All that– ONE PAIR OF HANDS-was the result of someone taking the time to spread a little Gospel-seed — to invite a young person to VBS-SUNDAY SCHOOL or CHURCH. What a nice harvest came from that simple invitation. **Jesus says: "But as for what was sown on GOOD SOIL,– this is the one WHO HEARS the WORD and UNDERSTANDS IT,– who indeed BEARS FRUIT and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."
When we do things for Jesus,– he PROMISES that OUR WORK will NOT be in VAIN.
He promises that OUR WORK will produce a BOUNTIFUL HARVEST.
Yes,– some of our Gospel-seed will fall on PATHWAYS. Yes,– some of it will fall on ROCKY SOIL. Yes,– some of it will fall among THORNS. Yes,– some of it will come to NOTHING.
But Jesus promises that a LIFE DEDICATED to Jesus– will produce a bountiful harvest. Jesus will NOT allow our EFFORTS on HIS BEHALF to come to NOTHING.
I believe that one of heaven's joys will be seeing the FRUITS of our LABORS.
** I can imagine Jesus saying, "Do you remember when you invited that couple to church?
Let me show you what happened!" Or "Do you remember that little girl in your Sunday school class. Let me show you what she did."
**Hear it! Believe it! When we spread Gospel-seed, Jesus promises that SOME of it will FALL ON FERTILE GROUND and will PRODUCE an ABUNDANT HARVEST.
God Loves You and So Do I……….Pastor Ron