In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"
Luke 2:8-14
Poor, illiterate, dirty, unkempt, mostly loners…to shepherds guarding their flocks for the night, the angels announced the greatest news ever! This dark outpost, far from the powerful communities and major synagogues, became the center of the world.
Naturally, when an angel appeared with the breaking news of the birth of the Messiah, they were afraid. Why would this Good News be shared first with those tending sheep, rather than with high priests?
Why? Because the news of this night is too big for a temple, or a city, or even a nation to contain. The promise fulfilled that night upends the status quo and makes room for those not welcome elsewhere. After their initial shock, the shepherds live into new identities as they become alert, courageous, and obedient to the direction of the Great Shepherd. Luke tells us they leave their fields and go to worship the newborn child not in the holy temple but in a rough stable, a place for the outsiders whom God led there as well.
The Good News of Jesus’ birth invites everyone, even those who aren’t usually accepted, to be embraced by an accepting community of faith. It reaches each one of us in our dark and broken places, and makes us whole.
May Christ’s light and peace and welcoming grace fill you this Christmas—and overflow so that all the people you come in contact with will know through your witness that the birth of Jesus is Good News for them.
Gracious God, fill our hearts with joy at the news of your presence and light in the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Inspire us to share this Good News with our service and love. Amen.
Rev. Claire Burkat serves as Bishop of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
In the midst of suffering, worry and trouble, it is often difficult to see how God is making things work together for God according to his purpose. It is precisely at these times, when those around us are quietly and courageously revealing God’s compassion and hope.
In October, Liberty Lutheran’s Hospice received a letter from the family of a gentleman who passed away under hospice care. In the letter, the family acknowledged that their father’s decline and death were very difficult but that the compassion and care of the hospice staff brought comfort in simple, yet profound ways.
It was the time spent with the family in visits patiently talking about options for care, late evening visits to keep their father comfortable, education, smiles, and cheerful conversation that made the biggest difference. “Helping an individual with such basic needs is caring beyond what most people can do.”
God’s purpose is not complicated. It is simply that we love and care for one another when suffering overwhelms our ability to reach out. In God’s work together as the community, we take turns reaching out to those who are in need and being helped in our time of need. Thanks be to God for those who care for us, who show us the good even in the worst of circumstances.
Healing God, you offer help to us in our worst times by the care and compassion of the community. Thank you for your love. Help us to share it with those who are in need this day. Amen.
Family letter to Liberty’s Hospice summarized by Rev. Jennifer Ollikainen.
Romans 8:28
In the midst of suffering, worry and trouble, it is often difficult to see how God is making things work together for God according to his purpose. It is precisely at these times, when those around us are quietly and courageously revealing God’s compassion and hope.
In October, Liberty Lutheran’s Hospice received a letter from the family of a gentleman who passed away under hospice care. In the letter, the family acknowledged that their father’s decline and death were very difficult but that the compassion and care of the hospice staff brought comfort in simple, yet profound ways.
It was the time spent with the family in visits patiently talking about options for care, late evening visits to keep their father comfortable, education, smiles, and cheerful conversation that made the biggest difference. “Helping an individual with such basic needs is caring beyond what most people can do.”
God’s purpose is not complicated. It is simply that we love and care for one another when suffering overwhelms our ability to reach out. In God’s work together as the community, we take turns reaching out to those who are in need and being helped in our time of need. Thanks be to God for those who care for us, who show us the good even in the worst of circumstances.
Healing God, you offer help to us in our worst times by the care and compassion of the community. Thank you for your love. Help us to share it with those who are in need this day. Amen.
Family letter to Liberty’s Hospice summarized by Rev. Jennifer Ollikainen.
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.
Ephesians 2:19-20
Being a member of a household, having a sense of home, is vital to our lives and our quality of life. In a senior community, staff, family and residents endeavor to find ways to spark a sense of home in a new living situation. Often, it is the relationships which blossom that make a new residence a home.
Recently, the daughter of a resident of Artman who died wrote, “We don’t know when death will come except that it is in God’s hands and in God’s time…I am so thankful that Artman was her home for 6 years. I am so thankful for all of your care and support. She was wonderful, strong and sharp as a tack. Thank you for allowing her to remain herself. You never took her identity or spirit away…You have a calling for which I will always be thankful to have observed.”
In God’s hands, we are beloved as saints as children of God, members of God’s house. When we build relationships and move beyond being strangers to becoming brothers and sisters in the family of God, we glimpse the joy and hope God promises. Jesus Christ comes into the world to reveal a way of compassion and love. We follow Christ in this way, building a new home wherever we find ourselves using the foundation of God’s love.
Loving God, thank you for welcoming us into your house built on a foundation of joy and hope. Strengthen our calling to offer care and compassion to those whom we encounter as a sign of our shared membership in the household of God. Amen.
Excerpted from a note sent to Artman.
Ephesians 2:19-20
Being a member of a household, having a sense of home, is vital to our lives and our quality of life. In a senior community, staff, family and residents endeavor to find ways to spark a sense of home in a new living situation. Often, it is the relationships which blossom that make a new residence a home.
Recently, the daughter of a resident of Artman who died wrote, “We don’t know when death will come except that it is in God’s hands and in God’s time…I am so thankful that Artman was her home for 6 years. I am so thankful for all of your care and support. She was wonderful, strong and sharp as a tack. Thank you for allowing her to remain herself. You never took her identity or spirit away…You have a calling for which I will always be thankful to have observed.”
In God’s hands, we are beloved as saints as children of God, members of God’s house. When we build relationships and move beyond being strangers to becoming brothers and sisters in the family of God, we glimpse the joy and hope God promises. Jesus Christ comes into the world to reveal a way of compassion and love. We follow Christ in this way, building a new home wherever we find ourselves using the foundation of God’s love.
Loving God, thank you for welcoming us into your house built on a foundation of joy and hope. Strengthen our calling to offer care and compassion to those whom we encounter as a sign of our shared membership in the household of God. Amen.
Excerpted from a note sent to Artman.
Monday, December 21, 2015
Monday, December 21, 2015
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace.
Micah 5:4-5a
This year we watched as the worst refugee crisis since World War II unfolded in Europe. Hundreds and thousands of Syrian refugees flooded into Europe as they fled from terror in their own country. Families and individuals set out on a journey to seek safety and shelter, often not finding it.
It is like when Mary and Joseph, who set out on a journey only to find no room at the inn, gave birth to Jesus in a manger . Jesus was born on the road, wandering with his parents, and without a place they could call home. God redeems this story with hope and light brought to even the darkest of situations.
We are birthing hope across vast networks of people and resources. In collaboration with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service and Lutheran Children and Family Service, we are finding homes and making new lives for countless numbers of refugees right here in our own communities. It takes a whole network of folks to support this effort. No action is ever too little.
I marvel at how easy it was for St. Mark’s to get involved by offering an empty garage at our church to store some furniture that was collected and awaiting placement in a refugee’s home. That small act was transformed into a full donation center in our Education Wing which holds kitchen and household items that are used to set up a home for refugees in our area. Through our collective work, we offer much more than what Mary and Joseph experienced in being offered a stable! We offer these refugees hope and a chance to live securely, because Christ first came and offered to make his home with us and give us hope.
Holy God, we thank you for your presence on our journey no matter where we go. Continue to guide and lead our care for refugees. Help us all to be instruments of your peace and protection so that all may live safely and securely. Amen.
Rev. Bryan Penman serves as pastor of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Conshohocken. The church stores donated household goods for the refugee resettlement program.
Micah 5:4-5a
This year we watched as the worst refugee crisis since World War II unfolded in Europe. Hundreds and thousands of Syrian refugees flooded into Europe as they fled from terror in their own country. Families and individuals set out on a journey to seek safety and shelter, often not finding it.
It is like when Mary and Joseph, who set out on a journey only to find no room at the inn, gave birth to Jesus in a manger . Jesus was born on the road, wandering with his parents, and without a place they could call home. God redeems this story with hope and light brought to even the darkest of situations.
We are birthing hope across vast networks of people and resources. In collaboration with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service and Lutheran Children and Family Service, we are finding homes and making new lives for countless numbers of refugees right here in our own communities. It takes a whole network of folks to support this effort. No action is ever too little.
I marvel at how easy it was for St. Mark’s to get involved by offering an empty garage at our church to store some furniture that was collected and awaiting placement in a refugee’s home. That small act was transformed into a full donation center in our Education Wing which holds kitchen and household items that are used to set up a home for refugees in our area. Through our collective work, we offer much more than what Mary and Joseph experienced in being offered a stable! We offer these refugees hope and a chance to live securely, because Christ first came and offered to make his home with us and give us hope.
Holy God, we thank you for your presence on our journey no matter where we go. Continue to guide and lead our care for refugees. Help us all to be instruments of your peace and protection so that all may live safely and securely. Amen.
Rev. Bryan Penman serves as pastor of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Conshohocken. The church stores donated household goods for the refugee resettlement program.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Saturday, December 19 and Sunday, December 20, 2015
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
Luke 1:41-45
The excitement of the presence of God is palatable in this story. Mary feels the baby jump in her womb and Elizabeth exclaims with great joy. This is not a rational, well-thought out response, but radiant, unbounded delight. These women were both givers and receivers of the grace of God and in finding that grace in one another, they overflowed with joy.
In my work, I am blessed to experience the presence of God in many ways as I work to coordinate social ministries connecting those who want to serve with those who are vulnerable. While I am passionate about serving those who are vulnerable, I am often surprised that the outpouring of delight is more often found in those who are blessed to give. When they realize that God worked through them to bring a bit of healing and hope into the world, it is as if they are set on fire with possibilities. The donations multiply. There are more volunteers. Those who serve bring together their friends and fellow church members to take the next step into service.
The good news of God’s presence with us in Jesus Christ moves through our service with overflowing grace. The joy of service is contagious with radiant, unbounded delight when we open ourselves to that joy. Mary and Elizabeth show us that our service is never a burden, but a privilege.
God of joy and delight, fill us with joy as we encounter your presence through service. Make us shine with delight as a sign of your grace for the sake of the world. Amen.
Rev. Jennifer Ollikainen serves as Executive Director of Lutheran Congregational Services.
Luke 1:41-45
The excitement of the presence of God is palatable in this story. Mary feels the baby jump in her womb and Elizabeth exclaims with great joy. This is not a rational, well-thought out response, but radiant, unbounded delight. These women were both givers and receivers of the grace of God and in finding that grace in one another, they overflowed with joy.
In my work, I am blessed to experience the presence of God in many ways as I work to coordinate social ministries connecting those who want to serve with those who are vulnerable. While I am passionate about serving those who are vulnerable, I am often surprised that the outpouring of delight is more often found in those who are blessed to give. When they realize that God worked through them to bring a bit of healing and hope into the world, it is as if they are set on fire with possibilities. The donations multiply. There are more volunteers. Those who serve bring together their friends and fellow church members to take the next step into service.
The good news of God’s presence with us in Jesus Christ moves through our service with overflowing grace. The joy of service is contagious with radiant, unbounded delight when we open ourselves to that joy. Mary and Elizabeth show us that our service is never a burden, but a privilege.
God of joy and delight, fill us with joy as we encounter your presence through service. Make us shine with delight as a sign of your grace for the sake of the world. Amen.
Rev. Jennifer Ollikainen serves as Executive Director of Lutheran Congregational Services.
Friday, December 18, 2015
Friday, December 18, 2015
Friday, December 18
And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 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 10:24-25
The saying, “It takes a village,” comes to mind when I read this text from Hebrews and think about the work of working with congregations supporting refugee resettlement.
Back in December of 2013, two of us from Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansdale’s refugee resettlement team headed to the airport to meet and welcome three young sisters traveling to Philadelphia from a refugee camp in Namibia, Africa. Their journey began many years before our church community ever met them. The journey began when these three were forced to flee for their lives from their home of the Democratic Republic of Congo, live in a refugee camp and then travel to the US to begin a new life.
We didn’t know much about them except that they were traveling alone without parents. We were nervous because we didn’t know what they looked like, how to find them at the airport, and how we should greet them. We were strengthened by the help, encouragement and reminders to each other about what is important. When we found the three sisters, we easily knew what to do. We welcomed them with hugs and brought them to the home our congregation had decorated and furnished. We ate a warm meal together and they finally slept in a safe place, a place they now call home.
Hebrews teaches us that we are called to show others what it means to welcome, care, support, help, and love one another. By working together, refugees are able to transition into a new life with new relationships. They are able to heal from their past, have a voice for themselves, and regain their humanity.
Gracious God, give us courage to welcome those who are different from ourselves and inspire us to help one another offer your compassion and love to those who are vulnerable. Amen.
Jane Jorgenson is a Resource Developer for Lutheran Children and Family Service Refugee Resettlement program in Philadelphia.
And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 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 10:24-25
The saying, “It takes a village,” comes to mind when I read this text from Hebrews and think about the work of working with congregations supporting refugee resettlement.
Back in December of 2013, two of us from Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansdale’s refugee resettlement team headed to the airport to meet and welcome three young sisters traveling to Philadelphia from a refugee camp in Namibia, Africa. Their journey began many years before our church community ever met them. The journey began when these three were forced to flee for their lives from their home of the Democratic Republic of Congo, live in a refugee camp and then travel to the US to begin a new life.
We didn’t know much about them except that they were traveling alone without parents. We were nervous because we didn’t know what they looked like, how to find them at the airport, and how we should greet them. We were strengthened by the help, encouragement and reminders to each other about what is important. When we found the three sisters, we easily knew what to do. We welcomed them with hugs and brought them to the home our congregation had decorated and furnished. We ate a warm meal together and they finally slept in a safe place, a place they now call home.
Hebrews teaches us that we are called to show others what it means to welcome, care, support, help, and love one another. By working together, refugees are able to transition into a new life with new relationships. They are able to heal from their past, have a voice for themselves, and regain their humanity.
Gracious God, give us courage to welcome those who are different from ourselves and inspire us to help one another offer your compassion and love to those who are vulnerable. Amen.
Jane Jorgenson is a Resource Developer for Lutheran Children and Family Service Refugee Resettlement program in Philadelphia.
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Thursday, December 17
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Jeremiah 31:33
The prophet Jeremiah is speaking of a change in the way God’s people will know who God is. The covenant God made with Moses was being disobeyed. Now God will provide another way to see who God is and the love God has for the people. The law will no longer appear on stone tablets, but upon the hearts of God’s people.
The covenant Jeremiah proclaims is here and now. We have the opportunity to establish a permanent loving relationship with God through Christ and the dwelling of the Holy Spirit. This new relationship is founded on the grace of God through Christ: God’s free unconditional love given to all through Christ. It is God’s grace, God’s love, God’s life and light to all God’s people. In our relationships, in our hearts, and in our love, God lives.
The ministries and services of Liberty Lutheran are an extension of this relationship with God and love for neighbor. As a Disaster Spiritual Partner, I am privileged to be a point of contact and support in times of tragedy or disasters which occur within our neighbors’ lives. Disaster Spiritual Partners accompany our sisters and brothers in Christ to comfort the hurting and brokenhearted and to find ways of extending God’s love to the community. Our ministry is the extended hand of God in love, light, and life to all.
Loving and gracious God, you dwell within our hearts, you light our way, and we live in service to you and our neighbor. Amen.
Rev. Barry Spatz is pastor of Jacobs Lutheran Church and Outwood Lutheran Church in Pine Grove. He serves as a Disaster Spiritual Partner with Lutheran Disaster Response – Eastern PA.
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Jeremiah 31:33
The prophet Jeremiah is speaking of a change in the way God’s people will know who God is. The covenant God made with Moses was being disobeyed. Now God will provide another way to see who God is and the love God has for the people. The law will no longer appear on stone tablets, but upon the hearts of God’s people.
The covenant Jeremiah proclaims is here and now. We have the opportunity to establish a permanent loving relationship with God through Christ and the dwelling of the Holy Spirit. This new relationship is founded on the grace of God through Christ: God’s free unconditional love given to all through Christ. It is God’s grace, God’s love, God’s life and light to all God’s people. In our relationships, in our hearts, and in our love, God lives.
The ministries and services of Liberty Lutheran are an extension of this relationship with God and love for neighbor. As a Disaster Spiritual Partner, I am privileged to be a point of contact and support in times of tragedy or disasters which occur within our neighbors’ lives. Disaster Spiritual Partners accompany our sisters and brothers in Christ to comfort the hurting and brokenhearted and to find ways of extending God’s love to the community. Our ministry is the extended hand of God in love, light, and life to all.
Loving and gracious God, you dwell within our hearts, you light our way, and we live in service to you and our neighbor. Amen.
Rev. Barry Spatz is pastor of Jacobs Lutheran Church and Outwood Lutheran Church in Pine Grove. He serves as a Disaster Spiritual Partner with Lutheran Disaster Response – Eastern PA.
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