Edgwood Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA)

2012 Easter Devotions

Thursday, May 3

Psalm 22:25–31
²⁵From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
²⁶The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the LORD.
May your hearts live forever!
²⁷All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the LORD;
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before him.
²⁸For dominion belongs to the LORD,
and he rules over the nations.
²⁹To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
and I shall live for him.
³⁰Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the LORD,
³¹and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,
saying that he has done it.

“All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord.”

 A couple of weeks ago, my office-mate came into my office to tell me about a movie she had seen the night before.  “It’s sooooo much better than I expected it to be.  You’ve just GOT to see it and tell me what you think.  It was absolutely amazing!”  I took her advice, saw the movie I hadn’t planned to see and, indeed, it was absolutely amazing.

 Because the psalmist has had the experience of worshiping the Lord in the “great congregation”, he knows how powerful the experience can be.  Because he has experienced the love of God firsthand, he wants everyone to know it as well.

 In his ecstasy, the psalmist dreams of the day when “all the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord”.  What is it that they will remember?  They will remember that they, along with everything else in creation, have been created by God and that their purpose is to love and serve their creator.  Everything now is preparation for the day when that vision is finally fulfilled.

 Lord God:  I know the pure joy of worshiping you in the great congregation.  Use me to draw others to yourself.  AMEN

2012 Easter Devotions

Wednesday, May 2

 2 Corinthians 4:1–6
Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. ²We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God. ³And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. ⁶For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

“… since is it by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart …”

 Hanging on the wall in my office at the church is a needlepoint prayer attributed to Martin Luther that I received as an ordination gift. While written specifically for pastors and bishops, its meaning extends to all who seek to the serve the Lord. Each day, as I look upon it and ponder its meaning, I remember that, without the Lord’s mercy and divine guidance, everything I seek to do would come to naught.

 However, its meaning reaches deeper into the heart of every believer. While you may be neither pastor nor bishop, you are a servant and minister in the Church. I offer it to you, as you ponder both the reading from Paul, your own life in Christ, and the power of God active in your words and deeds. Luther’s Sacristy Prayer:

 Lord God, You have appointed me as a Bishop and Pastor in Your Church, but you see how unsuited I am to meet so great and difficult a task. If I had lacked Your help, I would have ruined everything long ago. Therefore, I call upon You: I wish to devote my mouth and my heart to you; I shall teach the people. I myself will learn and ponder diligently upon Your Word. Use me as Your instrument — but do not forsake me, for if ever I should be on my own, I would easily wreck it all. Amen

2012 Easter Devotions

Tuesday, May 1

Festival of St. Philip and St. James, Apostles

John 14:8–14

⁸Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” ⁹Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. ¹¹Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. ¹²Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

“… ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied’ …”

 “Show us again!” the children demanded. “Just do it one more time.” The focus of their attention was my friend Sam, a known jokester and purveyor of card tricks. For perhaps the tenth time, he had just gone through the “pick a card” trick. You know the one: Where the person chooses a card, looks at it, and returns it to the deck. After some manipulations and shuffling, the chosen card ends up on top.

 “Do it again,” the children egged him on. “Just one more time, then we’ll be satisfied.”

 Jesus has time and time again revealed to the disciples his relationship with the Father. Again and again, he manifested the glory and power of God. Yet, Philip (and undoubtedly the other disciples) still don’t get it. “Show us again,” Philip demands. “Just one more time, then we’ll believe!”

 Philips still exists in the church. “Pastor, I want to believe in Jesus, but I need proof. I need some kind of evidence that will show, without a doubt, that what you are proclaiming is true.”

 Actually, that’s not what they say. It is, however, what they mean. “Just one more thing, tell one more story, relate one more incident, show us one more time that Jesus is really the Christ, illustrate one more time that he is the Risen Lord, then we’ll believe.”

 Jesus answer to Philip: “Have I been with you all this time, and you still do not know me?”

 Lord Jesus, you have revealed the fullness of your glory in the Resurrection. I believe. Help my unbelief. Amen.

2012 Easter Devotions

Tuesday, April 17

Acts 3:12–19

“…why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?”

When I was performing, I always enjoyed the part of the curtain call where the leading lady (or man) accepts the final bow and then, with a sweeping gesture, directs the audience’s attention to the orchestra.  I like this for two reasons.  First, it’s always a good idea to recognize the people who work behind the scenes and, second, the singer is only as good as her accompanist.

 As Christians, we recognize that all our talents and abilities are gifts from God.  While we take pride in our accomplishments, we also remember to give the final bow to God.  I’m not talking about the sort of overblown attempts at humility where we protest loudly against any form of praise.  That’s just veiled vanity.  I’m talking about genuine humility which allows us to accept credit where credit is due while giving all the glory to God.  It’s a fine line, but it makes all the difference in the world.

Creator God:  Everything that I have and everything that I am comes from your gracious hand.  May I always return all the glory to you.  AMEN

2012 Lent Devotions

Monday of Holy Week, April 2

John 12:1-11
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ²There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. ³Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ⁴But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, ⁵Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor? ⁶(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) ⁷Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. ⁸You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
⁹When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, ¹¹since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.

“… the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume …”

 The contrasts of aromas in this text are amazing. Intermingled with the sweet smell of the costly nard linger the odors of death, betrayal and fear. As Mary pours the ointment on Jesus’ feet, essentially anointing him beforehand for burial, others wait in the wings, plotting, planning and conniving.

 Lazarus has just been raised. The odor of the tomb still drifts in his nostrils. While he lives, others plot just outside the door, wanting to kill him along with Jesus. After all, if Lazarus can be raised, perhaps Jesus himself has the power over death.

 Judas too stinks to high heaven. Behold, the stench of the betrayer wafts over the gathered community. His treachery is not simply rooted in his thievery. He is the one who will turn Jesus over to the authority for a mere thirty stinking pieces of silver.

 Yet, surrounding the entire scene and filling the very atmosphere of the room is the fragrant aroma of sweet perfume. Like a spiritual air freshener, Mary’s act of love and compassion drives out the rank and fetid odors of betrayal, fear and death. At least for a moment, we can all take a deep breath and inhale the sweet aroma of grace – an odor which will return again Easter morning.

 Sweet Lord, the power of your love overwhelms us. May the aroma of life which surrounds you fill me also. Amen.