Devotion- Time of Waiting

 

2 Peter 3:8-15 If there is one thing That all people don’t do well It is using time wisely  While having to wait From our first breath to our last We are creatures in motion Physically or emotionally always  Moving from what was to what is Patience in a time of waiting  Does not come gracefully As we wait for something to begin Or for something else to end The first Christians were impatient too Their lives anxiously anticipating  That Jesus would soon return in glory So they wondered about the delay Peter acknowledged their anxiety But invited  them to use their time For continued growth in their faith And having peace in their hearts There is likewise a part of our heart That also expects God to act To change  someone or to fix something We too often grow impatiently weary Peace comes when we let God be God Simply content in the divine love for us And  boldly trusting that its Spirit is still at work In us and through us While we wait, we use our time wisely Using who we are and what we have To incarnate the gospel hope In a restlessly impatient world A Devotion By Rev. Donald Shaefer, Northern Region Mission Engagement Facilitator Southeastern District LCMS

ADVENT ONE- 2020

Advent 1

Liturgically, the first Sunday in Advent is the Sunday closest 

to or on The Feast of St. Andrew (November 30^th). 

This year, try something new. Begin the Advent season 

with the hymn, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, read it or sing it, 

all of the verses, but omit the refrain. It is a long hymn 

and accurately reflects the centuries long wait 

from the promise made in the garden of Eden 

until the angelic announcement to the shepherds. 

O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high, Who ord’rest all things mightily;

To us the path of knowledge show, And teach us in her ways to go.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might, Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height

In ancient times didst give the Law In cloud and majesty and awe.

O come, Thou Branch of Jesse’s tree, Free them from Satan’s tyranny

That trust Thy mighty pow’r to save, And give them vict’ry o’er the grave.

O come, Thou Key of David, come, And open wide our heav’nly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path to misery.

O come, Thou Dayspring from on High, And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

O come, Desire of nations, bind In one the hearts of all mankind;

Bid Thou our sad divisions cease, And be Thyself our King of Peace.

This year, as we tire of the struggle with the virus

 and the divisions that politics impose, 

we can more readily identify with the agony

 of our first parents when they were separated from God, 

when they lost those loving evening visits, 

when they experienced illness, thorns, pains, and guilt. 

They longed for Emmanuel, for God to be with them again. 

Pray the hymn again. Use it as your prayer in this time of trial. 

Then “Let the Amen, sound from His people again.”

This Devotion written by Journeys of Faith Contributing Writer-

 Natalie Grace Hartwig.

The Advent calendar for marking your Advent journey

 may be downloaded for free right here:

advent-calendar-2020

Devotion- The Mission Intended

1 Thessalonians 5:1-13 The house church in Corinth Begun through Paul’s efforts Had become conflicted Mistrustful divisions abounded Paul’s response does not begin With a torrent of criticism But by reciting the litany of blessings God had provided for them Grace, gifts, calling and hope None of these were earned But had been freely given Through God’s divine generosity These were the things  Paul wanted them to focus on So that they might faithfully fulfill The mission God intended Our congregations may be struggling now As was the one in Corinth In this restlessly divisive time Disagreements are many Since it is always easier to tear down Than to build up We sometimes lose sight  Of what unites us as Christians The outstretched hands   Of an outstandingly gracious God Have likewise presented us with Grace, gifts, calling and hope These things likewise shape our faith Moving us beyond division Toward unity in serving A higher purpose than our own Living as God’s Advent people We are encouraged by grace So that we may use what God has richly provided To present a lively hope to the world A Devotion By Rev. Donald Shaefer, Northern Region Mission Engagement Facilitator

Devotion- Be awake in the Light

 

1 Thessalonians 5:1-13 In yesterday’s epistle lesson Paul encourages early disciples By reminding them of the uniqueness Of the Christian perspective By using contrasting imagery Of darkness vs light Being asleep vs being awake Paul makes the difference clear We are called to meet other’s needs Before we satisfy our own wants We are called to be shrouded in humility Not surrounded by pride We are called to be people of hope  And not be trapped in despair We are called to live each day with wonder And to face difficulty with courage We look at life and death differently Not as hopeless romantics  But out of a compelling belief that God’s love is our truest companion              Our perspective differs from society As much as day from darkness Or sleep from wakefulness So we are labeled as fools Nevertheless we persist Encouraging each other So that our collective lives May incarnate the gospel hope As we do, others through us Catch a glimpse of how faith Can satisfy the wandering heart And lead it to joy A Devotion By Rev. Donald Shaefer, Northern Region Mission Engagement Facilitator The photo is Temple Mount in Jerusalem after a rain storm. This spot also brings together the Christian  and Muslim faith traditions on such a Holy spot. The building is bright with the gold dome  but this is still in the darkness without Jesus.  photo by Connie Denninger

Ordination and Installation at Peace in Christ- Walkersville, MD

 

An ordination and installation service 

was held on September 13, 2020

 at Peace in Christ Lutheran Church

in Walkersville, Maryland.

Rev. John Jakupciak (left) and 

Rev. Richard Benjamin were ordained

 as Specific Ministry Pastors and installed 

as Co-Vacancy Pastors at this service.

                                Southeastern District President

 Rev. Dr. John R. Denninger  (Left) 

officiated at the service.

Rev. David Betzner (Right) has been serving as the 

Interim Vacancy Pastor.

Rev. Benjamin

                                          Rev. Jakupciak

                               We give thanks for your ministry

 in the Southeastern District.

                         The photo that reminds us that this day 

was during the COVID19 2020 Season of life.

Devotion - Resilient Courage

 

1 Thessalonians 1: 1-10

In this week's epistle lesson         Paul affirms a house church in Thessalonica He praises the members for their “work of faith,  Labors of love, and enduring hope”   That three legged stool is  the Christian life Faith’s certainty in our mind Drives the compassion of our heart Both of which hang on hope   This hope is not wishful thinking         But a resilient courage To accept the gospel’s promise         Through every season of our life   It is sometimes hard to hold onto such hope         As life often wars against it Caught by our fears and societal doubt         Faith’s promise seems fragile   Then we  recall that  our hope is grounded  in the singular event of the cross  God’s extraordinary love offered freely         For we most ordinary people   Life events may wound us         People’s actions may hurt us But no one and no thing         Can change God’s love for us    Filled with that certainty         We live our life With unequivocal faith         And unending servanthood   By doing so, we offer to others         A glimpse of what life was meant to be And an invitation to enter         God’s unending embrace Thanks to Rev. Don Schaefer- Southeastern District Mission and Ministry Facilitator for this Devotion.

Devotion- Divisions to Cease

 

Philippians 4: 1-9 Differences of opinion Create divisions of heart Changing how we look at  And think about each other Yesterday’s epistle lesson Acknowledges such a division Two faithful Christians in the church at Philippi Were divided and creating disunity Paul’s response is a plea For the divisions to cease He encourages instead an overall rejoicing So that the community can refocus on mission In our present moment in America We live among many differences of opinion Driven by big questions with elusive answers There is among us a great division of heart Paul’s words encourage us to refocus To learn again how to rejoice This begins with seeing one another  As children of God with gifts to share The encouragement to do so Comes from the cross Through which all are equally redeemed Each one precious in God’s sight It is easier to see differences Before we see likenesses But the gospel calls us to a larger vision Shaped by God’s unconditional love As we live less in a spirit of dividing And more in a spirit of dividing All are brought closer to God’s infinite love And a wholeness of heart

Thank you to LCMS Southeastern District facilitator- Rev. Donald Schaefer for this devotional reflection.

Rev. Craig Beaton- Welcome to the Southeastern District!

                                                    Newly installed Rev. Craig Beaton with 

                                            Southeastern District President John R. Denninger.

                           A Worship service celebrating this event was held on September 20, 2020

                                          at Trinity Lutheran Church, Bowie, Maryland.

                                                  Clergy supporting the service included:

                                                  Left to Right- Rev. Lloyd Gaines, 

                                    Rev. Dr. Jon Diefenthaler- SED President Emeritus,

Rev. Craig Beaton, Rev. Steve Saxe, Rev. 

Dr. John Denninger, Rev. Dr. David Maack, and Rev. Derrick Miliner.

The Beaton Family.

 Rev. Craig with wife Jennifer

and their 5 children.

We are blessed to have you in the Southeastern District.

May God's grace cover your ministry.
 

A Reset for Days of Unrest

 

Earlier this week I said, “These times certainly make it easy to follow the instruction to pray constantly.” News of the west coast fires, the east coast storms, the national unrest, and the global pandemic present an endlessly changing list of needs for prayer. I called my pastor, complaining about the internal angst. He told me to keep on praying. I spoke to my sister. She told me to read Job. I did not re-read Job, but I did remember God’s answer to Job when he complained, and I did keep on praying. Today God answered those prayers through two spirit filled messages.

This morning Berith and I went to church (Trinity Lutheran Church, Richmond, VA) and listened to our pastor speak the word of God using the parable of the vineyard reminding us that the entire parable is one of God’s great mercy and grace. Mercy in calling us at many and varied times to come into his kingdom. You can listen to the same powerful words by going to TLCRVA.org. 

We headed home and I went to the computer so I could go to church with my sister. What a blessing, Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Chicago was participating in a service of renewing creation. Pastors and people from around the world spoke the word and shared the peace. The sermon, based on Jonah, spoke to us, inviting us not to put ourselves in the place of Jonah, but to see ourselves as Nineveh. Nineveh, the largest city of its day, known as a center of sin and evil. Nineveh, a most un-lovable city, beloved by God and given a warning of approaching doom. When Nineveh headed God’s warning and turned from evil, then there was grace and mercy. Then God did not destroy the city. You can hear this same message by going to Pilgrim’s web site. ( http://www.pilgrimchurchandschool.org/church/index.php )

I urge you to take advantage of either or both of these messages that have soothed my heart and soul this morning. 

Each service carried some things that also sparked joyful memories. 

At Trinity, our new organist selected a prelude based on the hymn, “Salvation Unto Us Has Come.” The prelude includes a long passage of solo pedal work. As I listened to the rich notes and looked back towards the choir loft I saw the organist glancing at his feet at intervals to verify their placement. Then I remembered another time, more than 30 years ago, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Horse Prairie, IL, when the organist selected an offertory that also included a long passage of pedal work. I don’t recall if it was the same hymn, but remember this was before 1977, so I can be forgiven for forgetting that point. What I do remember is John coming home after church chuckling about the way the very young, short, slim, new teacher-organist had used both hands to grab hold of the organ bench and hang on while her feet pounded out the melody line. John was the only one who could see her effort. Trinity’s building is an old brick country church with a balcony that embraced the church. The organ, a tracker action organ that was more than 100 years old, was in the center of the balcony and the bench was right next to the balcony railing. Since John was standing in the chancel, facing away from the altar, he was the only one looking at the organist.

Pilgrim’s worship service included the installation of their faculty and staff for this year at their school. They had to do it via zoom, but watching that service reminded me of the opening services for the Lutheran grade school I attended. It is good to see the tradition of Lutheran education continuing even during these days of a global pandemic. One time the service was held at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, University City, Missouri. Dad was the principal and told us he had picked his favorite hymn for the service. Dad chose, “Shepherd of Tender Youth,” one of the most ancient hymns still in use today, for the choir to sing. I looked that hymn up again and will use the 4^th verse as a prayer-

Ever be Thou our Guide,

Our Shepherd and our Pride,

Our Staff and Song;

Jesus, Thou Christ of God,

By Thine enduring Word

Lead us where Thou hast trod,

Make our faith strong.

 Thanks to Journeys of Faith Contributing Writer-

Natalie Grace Hartwig.

We encourage you to find a service that blesses you-

 if you are not able to join for inservice worship at this time.