A Brief Look Back...A Glimpse Ahead...

2012 brought its share of sweat and tears but also its share of smiles and laughter…For me, it was certainly a growing year. I always say that I like a challenge, and I learn from them. :)

I am so thankful for the opportunities to lead and learn at my contextual education site, House of Prayer Lutheran Church, further solidifying that this is my call. :) I am so thankful for everyone there, for the chance to spread my wings in ways that I haven’t done before. :)

I also did things I never thought I would do…From that, one of the most memorable moments for me was running the Disney Princess Half-Marathon on February 26^th. It was my first trip to Florida (and first vacation in YEARS)…I had the chance to visit the “happiest place on earth”…My first exposure to “Disney World” was running 13.1 miles through it! LOL February 26^th is a day of a lot of significance for me…In 2010, my sister Char passed away…In 2011, we said good-bye to my grandma…In 2012, I ran a half-marathon. Friends of mine also reached this milestone in Florida: Katy, Debbie, Dawn M., and Dawn G…Congrats to you all! :)

 

 

February 26^th, 2012, a day treasured…Holding my loved ones in my heart…It was on a Sunday morning, and I will always remember the Gospel choir that was singing towards the end of the race…Hearing the songs “Don’t Stop Believin’” (which would be my 2012, even my life, anthem) and “Stronger” during the race, to motivate us all onward…And, running the race every step of the way with Katy…Whenever I think of this experience, I get choked up, in a good way, because the emotions surrounding it are so strong…I can’t help but smile. :)

What will 2013 bring? Only God knows…We take each step in faith, seeing only in part…Exactly a year from now, I have NO idea where I’ll be, as I will be on internship somewhere…Scary, yes, but also very exciting…The possibilities are endless. Trusting the One Who knows all…Is that easy? Of course not. But what freedom it brings when we lay down our worries and replace it with the peace that surpasses all understanding. :)

I am thankful for my family…Thankful for the friends I have made this year and the friends who have stayed…All of y’all’s love, prayers, support, and encouragement mean the world to me and make the difference…May your 2013 be full of much love, joy, peace, hope, laughter, and MANY blessings! Oh, and throw in some coffee and warm fuzzies, too. ;)

Love, peace, and blessings to you all! Here’s to a happy, healthy, and hopeful 2013! :)

“'How Can I Keep from Singing'”…Are You Ready?" - Sermon from 12/23/2012

“How Can I Keep from Singing”…Are You Ready?

Texts: Luke 1:39-55 (main focus); Micah 5:2-5a; Hebrews 10:5-10

   Dear friends in Christ, grace and peace to you from the one who is and who was and who is to come, our living Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

   So, I put off working on this sermon this week, as the end of the world was scheduled to happen on Friday. I mean, why work on something if you don’t have to, right? Well…As we can see, that didn’t happen. And, people have been joking about the end of the world like there’s no tomorrow. Wait a second…

   But, in all seriousness, there will come a day when Christ returns, and NO ONE knows when that will be. Are you ready? Our theme this Advent has been, “Ready or not, Christ is coming”…My friends, the time has come. Christmas Eve is tomorrow night! Are you ready?

   Now, granted I didn’t procrastinate writing this sermon because of the end of the world, but how many of you would consider yourselves as procrastinators? How many of you have EVERYTHING ready for Christmas? Decorations up, shopping done, cards mailed, cookies baked, gifts wrapped, ingredients bought for dinner, house cleaned for company, suitcases packed for traveling? If you are ready, can you see me afterwards, so I can enlist your services to help me? Actually, is Barb Lind here? She has already offered to do my shopping for me. I participated in a “non-cookie” exchange, where some friends of mine and I skipped the baking this year and got together for lunch. As for my Christmas cards, I have made peace with the fact that they will be New Year’s or Epiphany cards.

   Johnny Mathis sings, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” but does it feel like it? As I wrote in last month’s Breadcaster, and my mom can attest to this, I once had a lady threaten to run me over with her shopping cart at Target! Just last night, my family and I were almost T-boned by a car blowing through a four-way stop sign, on our way to my second-cousin’s wedding reception! Amid the preparations, it may be hard to find and experience joy. But, one thing that helps the heart is a song. Christmas music. It’s hard not to start belting out “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” at the end of “It’s A Wonderful Life” or “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” The music brings joy and peace amid the chaos.

   In today’s Gospel reading, Mary sings such a song. Now, how ironic is it that I get to preach on the passage that has singing in it! WOO HOO! Thank you, Holy Spirit! Actually, Luke’s Gospel has a lot of singing in the first two chapters. Mary’s song is the first, followed by Zechariah at John the Baptist’s birth (1:68-79), then the angels announcing Jesus’ birth (2:14), and finally Simeon sings a blessing (2:29-32), which is the text for next week.

   There’s music for every mood and emotion…Today, let’s ask ourselves, What song is my heart singing as the time of Christ approaches, ready or not? Or am I procrastinating in my singing, and why?

   First, let’s take a little closer look at our passage from Luke…Verse 39 says Mary went “with haste” to visit her relative Elizabeth. Why did she go “with haste?” Was she scared? Imagine…This is after the angel told her she was to have a child, the Son of God. A teenager, unmarried and pregnant, many women died in childbirth, judgment from others, how would she and Joseph provide for this child? Raise him? Would people recognize him as the Son of God?

   Yet she sings a joy-filled song. How can Mary sing at a time like this? Breaking into a song, like a musical or flash mob? Hey, that gives me an idea…Okay, I promise, no flash mob this morning.

   Joy is a recurring theme in Luke. In verse 44, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb, which is John the Baptist, “leaped for joy” upon Mary’s greeting. The Holy Spirit revealed to Elizabeth and to John that the Lord was coming. A beautiful aspect of this is that the work of God’s Spirit is not limited by age, gender, or status. God was working in and through Elizabeth, a woman who was old in age, having her first child…In John, a baby in the womb, leaping for joy…In Mary, an ordinary person like you and I, giving birth to the Savior of the world. Amazing. Are we open to God’s Spirit, to work in and through us? The Good News of Jesus shared, cause for great joy.

   We, too, can have that joy, and better yet, can multiply it when we share it with others. It’s not meant to be kept to ourselves. One of my coworkers at Caribou asked, since I sing all the time at work, if I was bubbly and sing all the time at church. So, how would you all answer that question? My manager at Caribou encourages my singing…Woo hoo! “How can I keep from singing…” So, what song is your heart singing as the time of Christ approaches, ready or not?

   Or are you procrastinating in your singing, and why? Right now, we are living in dark times, after the shootings in Connecticut and the stabbings in China. Maybe you’re wondering, How can we sing? Maybe you’ve tried opening your mouth, but nothing comes out. You know, Friday was not only supposed to be the “end of the world,” but it was the shortest day of the year, with the least amount of sunlight. But, do you want to know something? The sun shone brightly on Friday. No matter where we may find ourselves today, light conquers the darkness. The smallest light can pierce darkness. God is with us. Now the days are getting longer again.

   Our voices may start out with a hoarse whisper, but together, in a chorus, they gain strength. Christ came, died, and rose again, so we can and must sing this song of faith, hope, and love. We witness and participate in God’s promise to change the world.

   These two children, John and Jesus, were going to change things. Are you ready? Things would never be the same. Many people fear change. Why is that? Is it the fear of the unknown? We get so comfortable and we don’t want to disrupt it? We can either allow Christ to change us, dying to our old selves, being reborn, or we can resist change and die anyway.

   Mary’s joyful words of praise speak of God’s redeeming work not as future but as already having been fulfilled. The overthrow of the powerful has not come about through the mounting up of the weak in rebellion but through the coming of God in the weakness of a child. The baby Jesus.

   People may say that forgiveness is a sign of weakness, but it’s actually a sign of strength. Is it easy? Of course not. But it’s life-changing, transformative. Do we take our own forgiveness for granted? Time? Our loved ones?

   The fourth candle of Advent represents peace…Christ is the Prince of Peace, coming to reconcile us with God and others, and helps us to see that peace is possible. If we hold onto fear, anger, and unforgiveness, it tears us further away from one another. We want people to pay a debt that they can’t pay. But, unforgiveness is like us drinking the poison, wanting the other to be harmed. It hurts us and our relationships with others. We are meant for community. Maybe today, call that loved one whom you haven’t talked to in ages. Invite the person at work whom you’ve never taken the chance to know to lunch. Visit the elderly who cannot make it to church and may feel forgotten.

   Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “…Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder the hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiples violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Love comes tomorrow night to that manger in Bethlehem; Are you ready?

   Mary sings for joy for what God has done, is doing, and will do. The end of Mary’s song is really only the beginning. The season of Advent reminds us of that. God’s mercy cannot be stopped. God is with us amid the hurts, frustrations, losses, and difficulties of life. God is about transformation. Allow God to lift you up, to live out who you are called to be. Who are you? A loved child of God.

   I want to close by showing a music video…How many of you are familiar with the story of Zach Sobiech? His story was on the cover of the Pioneer Press a couple of weeks ago. Zach is 17-years-old, a senior at Stillwater High School, and battling a rare form of bone cancer. He was diagnosed in the fall of 2009, and in June, he was told that he had months, maybe a year, to live. So, this young man of faith has been finding ways to say goodbye to loved ones the best way he knows: through writing and recording his songs. Zach chose to write songs instead of letters, because, as he says, “they might be around longer. It’s more powerful…because a song can get stuck in your head. You find yourself humming it during the day.” Here is “Clouds,” one of the songs he wrote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDC97j6lfyc

   From Mary’s song to Zach’s song…We all have a song. What song is your heart singing as the time of Christ approaches, ready or not? Or are you procrastinating in your singing, and why? Are you ready to let go of fear, anger, unforgiveness, and, in its place, pick up joy and peace? You can’t pick up something if your hands are full of something else. Does your song magnify God, like Mary’s? Do you fill your days with hope and joy, like Zach? Share the joyous song with others. The Christ child is coming…Christmas Eve is tomorrow night…Are you ready? Or not?

   And now may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Caroline Harthun

House of Prayer Lutheran Church

8:30am and 10:45am

Sunday, December 23, 2012

"Taking a Second Look...'I Can See Clearly Now...'" - Sermon from 9/30/2012

Taking a Second Look…"I Can See Clearly Now…"

Texts: Mark 8:22-26 (main focus); James 5:13-20

   Dear friends in Christ, grace and peace to you from the one who is and who was and who is to come, our living Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

   Have you ever taken a second look? Better yet, do we need to take a second look? Are there times when we didn’t take it but would’ve been beneficial if we would have?

   For example...On Saturday, September 1^st, I ran in my second half marathon in Saint Paul. There were thousands of women participating in this event. We needed to board a shuttle bus that took us from the finish line to the starting line, 13.1 miles away. Before I boarded the bus, I could see a lady through the window, sitting in the front seat, who looked familiar. She saw and recognized me and waved. It was one of my co-workers from Caribou! Or so I thought…

   As I boarded the bus, we said hi to each other, and she said my name. Adrenaline is pumping at events like this. I was excited and gave her a high five, saying, “Hi, Jess!” Woo hoo! Exciting!

   The next day, I posted something on Facebook about the race, mentioning the names of those who I knew participated, including Jess’s name. Later in the day, I received a message from Sarah, saying, “Nice to see you at the race. Great job.” Ohhh…It wasn’t Jess that I saw but Sarah, whom I had worked with at my previous job...In fact, we had been in the same training class 11 ½ years ago! Now, in my defense, I hadn’t seen her in YEARS! And the two of them look very similar. But, I’m a little embarrassed, because I called her by the wrong name! And Jess may have been wondering why I mentioned her. I guess I needed a “second look.”

   Okay, who else has had that happen to them? Speaking of second looks, in today’s Gospel reading from Mark, Jesus heals a blind man. This miracle is unique and unusual, in the sense that it takes two attempts to heal him, with the first attempt only offering partial vision. What’s up with that? Could Jesus lack in power? Did the blind man lack faith? Was the blindness that stubborn and hard to cure? Did the blind man REALLY want to see? Would he be overwhelmed by having ALL his sight back at once? After all, peoples’ lives drastically change when they are healed.

   A question for us to consider: If too much is revealed to us right away, would we feel overwhelmed? Maybe we think we can handle it, but can we? “You can’t handle the truth!” (“A Few Good Men”) Are we trusting God rather than ourselves, our own understanding?

      Of course, a song popped in my head with Mark’s Gospel: “I can see clearly now the rain has gone.” Who’s familiar with that song? I don’t know who sang the original, and I can’t remember who sang the remake, but we could sing: “I can see clearly now since Christ has come.”

   This healing story appears between two examples of the disciples’ blindness. Prior to this passage, in verse 18, Jesus asks the disciples, “Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember?” (NRSV). This was in reference to the feeding of the five thousand. Do they REALLY see who Jesus is? How often do we look but not see?

   What if…Could this two-part physical healing of the blind man be a hint that the disciples need a kind of healing, that they will receive spiritual healing?

   For the first time, Jesus asks an afflicted person about the success of his healing attempt, much like a doctor would do. As Jesus asked the blind man, “Can you see anything?” he later asks the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” which we heard a couple of weeks ago. As you may remember, in verse 29, Peter sees something, after the mighty works, and shares his insight: “You are the Messiah.” The one that was going to free them from oppressive political power. The first stage of healing appears to be complete.

   But, in verses 31-33, Jesus foretells his death and resurrection. How the Son of Man is to undergo suffering, rejection, death…What??? Who wants any part of that? Who wants the “I Heart Suffering” shirt? Peter doesn’t want to hear it, and Jesus says in verse 33, “Get behind me, Satan!” Peter sees, but it is the equivalent of walking trees. That second touch is needed to see all things clearly: The Messiah is to suffer and die. What kind of a victorious hero or conqueror has to suffer and die? It’s easy to dwell on that part, but we, as the disciples need to remember, that in three days he will rise again. The disciples were looking for a political king not a redeemer. Jesus would save them in a different way. Yes, Jesus suffers and dies a humiliating death. But, his rising from the dead reveals God’s power to restore sight and life.

   A concept for us to remember today is that just as Jesus never gives up on bringing sight, we are to never give up seeing and never give up walking with others in their journey to see.

   Healing of the disciples’ sight would come gradually and with great difficulty, much like the sight of the blind man, but Jesus never gives up on them. Nor us. No matter how many times we may stumble due to our blindness. As humans, we will relapse. We are sinful creatures. But, through our baptism, we die to the old and brought to new life in Christ. Baptism is to be renewed and experienced every say. As Martin Luther said, the Christian life is nothing else than a daily baptism, begun once and continuing, purging the old, sinful ways so that the new, living ways arise. The slaying of the old and resurrection of the new person continues lifelong.

   We cling to the water, the promise, amidst all the pain, sorrow, trials, and death in this world. We are not removed from all of that; baptism is an incorporation not only into the death but also the resurrection of Jesus. Where we stand today is not the end, the “be all, end all.”

   So, how are we never to give up seeing and never give up walking with others in their journey to see? An answer can be found in our reading from James, as two words ring from it: prayer and community. Prayer needs to surround everything we do, whether happy, sad, suffering, cheerful. Now, how many of you have always had your prayers answered in the way you wanted them to be? Why do you think that is?

   Why are some people healed and some not? I remember when my oldest sister Char was sick, we prayed and we prayed and we prayed for her healing. All the driving back and forth from HCMC in Minneapolis, amidst keeping up with work and school…It was exhausting. I truly believed with my whole heart, my whole family did, that she would get better…Even with the transplanted kidney failing, having it removed, being sent to transitional care, being sent back to the hospital with an infection in the wound, discovering a hole in her bowel, her vitals crashing, liver failing, heart attack and a stroke she would never wake up from, having to make the decision about removing from life support…I had said the whole time that she was going to walk out of that hospital, and you know something? She did…Just not the way that we were hoping for.

   As you may know, I am a Country fan. Martina McBride sang a song called “Anyway,” and the chorus goes, “God is great, but sometimes life ain't good / When I pray it doesn't always turn out like I think it should / But I do it anyway.” Why pray anyway? Because God does heal. And Prayer draws us closer to God, and God draws closer to us. A local pastor offered his insight on the James passage by saying, “The first several times I read this passage, I read it as if the author was telling us, ‘pray and you will be healed.’ Though we continue to pray for healing, I read it now as ‘you who are suffering or sick, pray to remind yourself that Jesus is with you.’ We have the promise that we will be ‘raised up,’ as the promise of eternal life with God.” You are not alone. Jesus walks with you. We walk with each other. Pray for each other. Let people know you are praying for them.

   One way we can pray for each other is to be a prayer mentor, praying for one of our new members who will be joining this congregation next week. Please prayerfully consider it.

   There is no such thing as a wasted prayer, as God hears all of our prayers. Would I have prayed all those prayers all over again? Of course. During this time, it seems that many people, here in this community, also people from my life, are all going through some sort of hard time, whether it’s loss, illness, broken relationships, you name it. There are a LOT of hurting people right now. My heart breaks for each one, feeling that hurt. We live in an imperfect world, all of us imperfect people. Things happen outside of our control, like disease, bad weather, accidents, the recent Minneapolis workplace shootings. “Are any among you suffering? They should pray,” as James 5:13 states.

   In our brokenness, we’re recreated; a new creature. We all have scars: physical, emotional…The scars tell the story…Through the sharing of stories and experiences, we are transformed. Like a puzzle, yes, you still see the lines…And we are put back together, as the Holy Spirit brings wholeness. In James, we see how we can walk through the brokenness together.

   If you think about it, Jesus didn’t remove suffering from this life…In a sense, he was preparing the disciples for it. The good news is that light triumphs over darkness every time. As an author once said, “You stick a candle into the dark, but you can’t stick the dark into the light.”

   Walking with others in their journey to see…That goes for both inside this community as well as those outside the walls. The last verses in James reference bringing people. After all, in Mark’s Gospel, people brought the blind man to Jesus. Who are we bringing?

   I was informed that this last Tuesday, September 25^th, had exactly 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of darkness. Being in the middle, I stumbled upon a quote that said, may we “Dare to reach out [our] hand[s] into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light.” Be bold for Christ, like a dark roast coffee. For those who don’t drink coffee…Um, another analogy…Hmmm, I’ve got nothing, so just be bold! J

   We are to be involved in each other’s lives. What happens to one impacts the other. Last week, for the first time in years, I watched “Finding Nemo.” How many of you are familiar with it? Nemo’s dad searches for him, and he encounters another fish named Dory, played by Ellen DeGeneres. This complete stranger makes the entire journey with him, in searching for his son. There are some down moments, and Dory reminds him, “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming,” (to the congregation) c’mon, sing it with me, “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.” We all need that reminder from time to time. When one wants to give up, we see the power of mutual encouragement.

   I want to close with a story…Some of you may have seen this on my Facebook page, and, no, I’m not talking about the celebration of National Coffee Day yesterday. And, I have a confession to make…I did not get my free coffee from Caribou yesterday in celebration of National Coffee Day. Although, trust me, I drank my share of coffee from home. J

   In Memphis, 17-year-old Seth Goldstein was feeling well and running a good race. He was halfway done. Then, that’s when it happened…One of the kids in the group that had just passed him fell to the ground. The others the kid was racing with kept running onward toward the finish line. But, Seth did something altogether different. He stopped. The kid’s lips were turning blue and his eyes were rolled back in his head. Seth called for a parent to phone 911. Blood was bubbling out of the kid’s mouth, because he had bitten his tongue. Seth rolled him over, so he wouldn’t choke to death. His calmness kept everyone else calm. When the boy started to come out of it Seth kept reassuring him, “You're going to be OK. We're here. We're with you. You're going to be OK.” Before long, an ambulance arrived, and the real EMTs took over. Then, Seth asked, “Can I finish the race?” No one realized he was another competitor. They said yes, and he did, long after all the others were done. The fallen runner did turn out to be fine. He had suffered a seizure because of the heat. Seth finished the race, and if you ask him, he will tell you it's the slowest race he's ever run. But, it's also his personal best. As Christians, we put others first. We stop when others fall. We bring them across the finish line with us, even if it means we finish in last place, because, more importantly, love wins.

   As you come forward for the body and blood of Christ today and to ask for prayer, do you need to take a second look? Remember that just as Jesus never gives up on bringing sight, we are to never give up seeing and never give up walking with others in their journey to see.

   And now may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Caroline Harthun

House of Prayer Lutheran Church

8:30am and 10:45am

Sunday, September 30, 2012 – Healing Service

“Putting It All on the Table” - Sermon from 8/26/2012

“Putting It All on the Table”

Texts: John 6:56-69 (main focus); Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18; Ephesians 6:10-20

   Dear friends in Christ, grace and peace to you from the one who is and who was and who is to come, our living Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

   Who’s full? Or, better yet, who’s hungry? I apologize in advance, because I’m going to talk about food…Or, maybe I should say, “Eat your heart out.” As I referenced in the children’s message, I went to the Minnesota State Fair on Thursday. It’s a Harthun family tradition to go the first day. Coworkers from my previous job would try to predict each year how many times I would end up going to the Fair, as I tend to go multiple times. I can try to eat it all in one day, but it’s hard. Let’s see…Thursday, I had a foot long hot dog, fresh French fries, deep fried Oreos, cheese curds, a bite of funnel cake, bacon ice cream, mini donuts, chocolate mint Dippin’ Dots, Sweet Martha’s chocolate chip cookies, a chocolate-dipped salted cashew roll…I also bought some saltwater taffy, but didn’t eat it yet, as I didn’t want to overdo it. Does someone have some Tums or Rolaids that I can get after the service? I’m running in a half marathon on Saturday, so I’m going to have to run that 13.1 miles just to get everything back in balance!

   So, just in that little, or not-so-little, sampling of food, one has MANY choices at the Minnesota State Fair. In today’s readings, we also see choices. In our first reading from Joshua, in verse 15, he tells the Israelites, “ Now if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve,” whether it was different gods, and then Joshua gives his resolute statement: “but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

   So, I guess the first question to ask you is, “Are you in or are you out?”

   Your being here in worship this morning is a good step towards the “in” side. The Israelites claim in verse 18 that they will also serve the LORD. The verses after the reading make it sound like Joshua is asking the Israelites, “Are you sure? Are you REALLY sure?” They claim that they are. So, after that declaration, one can’t help but wonder, “Now what?”

   Now what…Jesus in today’s Gospel reading from John makes some pretty bold statements. Many of his disciples find the teaching “difficult,” and they turn their backs on Jesus. In fact, in the passage after this week’s lesson, in John chapter 7, we see that even his brothers did not believe in him (verse 5). After many disciples leave, Jesus asks the twelve remaining disciples in verse 67, “Do you also wish to go away?” Are you in or are you out? Peter answers for all of them. We often use Peter’s profession of faith in our Gospel Acclamation, singing the words, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” They were in…Now what?

   As I was sitting with John’s text, a new commercial for Perkins Restaurants came on TV. Okay, besides me, who else wants pancakes? After the service, let’s go! Who’s buying? Anyway, their new slogan is, “Putting it all on the table.” So, the Good News for us to remember today is that Jesus is putting it all on the table, not hiding who he is, offering life and to abide in us. So, in response, the question to ask ourselves today is, “Are we putting it all on the table? Letting go of the things that weigh us down? Being as Christ to others, inviting others to this life-giving bread?” Think about it…

   First, a little background to our passage in John…So, this is the fifth and final week of bread texts in John. Now, lucky for me, as a runner, I like carbs, especially the night before a big race. Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve heard about how you are what you eat and about hunger. Today’s passage from John actually overlaps last week’s lesson. In verse 56, Jesus says, “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.” Whoa, Jesus! Eating flesh? Drinking blood? What in the world…? The children of God wouldn’t even eat flesh with blood still in it, so this image would be disturbing…What would you do if someone said that?

   One of my coworkers at my former job was raised Catholic but considered himself to be a “non-practicing atheist.” Years later, I’m still trying to figure that out exactly. It was always interesting to converse with him. I think he was trying to bring me around to his side, like he was trying to convert me. He focused on the “blood-drinking” element, saying Christians partook in vampire-like customs. He approached Scripture from a human-reason perspective, but that alone doesn’t comprehend Jesus’ teaching.

   Martin Luther states in the Large Catechism, “Neither you nor I could ever know anything about Christ, or believe in him and receive him as Lord, unless these were offered to us and bestowed on our hearts through the preaching of the gospel by the Holy Spirit” (p. 436). So I, like Peter, once hearing truth through the Spirit, couldn’t turn from it.

   Is the teaching difficult? YES. But, through the Spirit, we, like Peter, come to believe, despite our doubts, fears, weaknesses. With the Spirit’s help, Peter realized these difficult words unveiled the promise of eternal life. Sometimes the most difficult words are the ones we need to hear. After all, what are some of the hardest words to say? “I love you”...”Good-bye”…”I was wrong”…”I need you”…”You’re forgiven”…”I’m sorry”…”There’s no coffee”…J

   The disciples who leave get distracted by the flesh-eating and blood-drinking that they miss the most important words, “abide in me, and I in them.” In John’s Gospel, the Greek word for “abide” (meno) appears 40 times and almost in every chapter. This abiding appears to be one of the main goals in John. Abiding in Jesus and having God abide in and among us refers to quality of life and not quantity. We don’t need the best-this or the fastest-that. It’s true living, really living, eternal life. A true fullness. Jesus is the only one who can feed them…Jesus put it all on the table. But, they bite the hand that feeds them, so to speak.

   But, the moment people hear something they don’t like or understand, they complain about it. How often do we do that? (whiny voice) “But, I don’t get it!” I liked and was good at math, was even on the math team my senior year in high school. But, just ask my mom, story or word problems ALWAYS got the best of me. I let them. On Facebook, someone posted the following, and this is how I read word problems: “Every time I see a math word problem it looks like this: If I have 10 ice cubes and you have 11 apples. How many pancakes will fit on the roof? Answer: Purple because aliens don’t wear hats.” We need to relax, and how many of you watched the TV show, “Reba?” In the words of her goofy son-in-law Van, we need to—one word—“let-it-go!”

   Giving up control is hard, isn’t it? But, when we give it up, it’s so freeing. In our Ephesians reading, it says to “Be strong IN THE LORD”…It’s not our strength but God’s. How many of you are familiar with the “Footprints” poem? On Facebook, someone posted a cartoon, and some of you may have seen this on my page. The Lord says, “My child, I never left you. Those places with one set of footprints? It was then that I carried you.” Then, in the next frame, the Lord points and says, “That long groove over there is when I dragged you for a while.” Are we allowing God to carry us, or are we causing God to have to drag us?

   We live in the midst of struggle. There are numerous joys in life, “warm fuzzies” as I like to call them, but there are also challenges and difficulties, the “cold pricklies.” There’s life, there’s death…We love people, we hurt them…People love us, they hurt us. We tend to hurt the ones who are closest to us, don’t we? What other things may be weighing you down today? What do you need to put on the table? Is it the want of material goods? Finding validation for yourself in what others think? The want to be first all the time? Doubts? Fears? Loneliness? Loss? Grief? Anxiety? Worry? Feeling disenchanted? Discombobulated? That’s one of my favorite words…Whatever it is or they are, be free, put it all on the table.

   Upon hearing the words of God’s love and grace, we have a choice as to what to do with it. During the month of August, I have been receiving daily devotions from the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German Lutheran pastor who was executed for his role in standing against Adolf Hitler, involved in plans to assassinate him. He writes about cheap grace and costly grace. In a nutshell, “cheap grace is grace without discipleship,” staying “as you are and” enjoying “the consolations of forgiveness.” Costly grace “is costly, because it calls to discipleship; it is grace, because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ.” Are you singing, “Give Me Jesus” first thing in the morning, or are you wanting something else? So, are you in or are you out?

   When we accept God’s love, it flows from us, and we love others. By being here, you are in, like Peter and the rest of the twelve…We are walking forward together with Christ. Just as Jesus is God in the flesh, we in the here and now are Christ’s body in and to the world. So, now what? 

   So, after putting all of our burdens down, are we putting it all on the table, being as Christ to others, inviting others to this life-giving bread? How are we at inviting people? To the table here in worship, at church? To the table in our homes? To the table in a restaurant or coffee shop? We have so many chances to be as Christ to others, to invite them.

   Last week was the Buffalo Roast, and I enjoyed my first one! It was great to see the church full of people. It’s great to see that today, too. Wouldn’t it be great to see that every week? Sunday, September 9^th is Rally Sunday, the beginning of Sunday School and the Faith Matters education hour. Invite people to come. Or, if you are interested in teaching, there will be a Sunday School teacher prep meeting after this service. Whatever it is, consider your gifts and what it is you like to do, how you could use them to reach out.

   All of this talk of inviting reminds me of the song “Be Our Guest” from Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.” I’ve had that song in my head this week. Okay, who else has it in their heads now? I almost want to take the words and change them…”Be our guest! Be our guest! Give your soul a little rest! Try the bread! Try the wine! Let the light of Christ shine! / Today you'll be Christ’s feet / But for now, let's eat! Be our guest! / Be our guest! / Be our guest! / (Invite congregation to sing along) Please, be our guest!” Ah, seminary has ruined me…Or my favorite Disney movie.

   Another line from “Be Our Guest” goes, “Life is so unnerving / For a servant who's not serving.” We are to serve God and others. Are we serving? If not, why? Maybe we don’t think we are adequate enough. What do I have to offer? Everyone has something to offer. Or, maybe you are afraid to be bold and let that light shine. Maybe you don’t realize the gifts that God has given you? I have struggled with being bold, and I continue to do so. Someone shared with me the following from Marianne Williamson’s A Return to Love: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Do we seek the easy way or the hard way? After all, Christ gave of his whole self…Who are we not to do the same?

   Life in Christ is not easy. We seek Christ…We come to worship…We hear the words of Christ…We take in the bread and wine, his body and blood…With each encounter, we become more like Christ. Martin Luther said that the Lord’s Supper is given as daily food, sustenance to refresh and strengthen our faith. As you come forward today for Holy Communion, where Jesus put it all on the table, not hiding who he is, offering life and to abide in us, I invite you to reflect on the table--“What do I need to put on the table, to let go of?” Receive Jesus’ graces. As you go back to your seat, take with you the joys and burdens of your neighbors, with whom you’re sharing this meal, and ask yourself, “How can I put it all on the table, being as Christ to others, inviting others to this life-giving bread?” So, are you in or are you out?

   And now may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Caroline Harthun

House of Prayer Lutheran Church

9:30am

Sunday, August 26, 2012

 

 

 

 

Children’s Message - Junk Food Christians (Revised from Sermons4Kids)

Objects: A variety of junk foods
Theme: Feed on the Word of God to become strong.
Scripture: Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Ephesians 6:10
   Can you believe that school is starting soon? How many of you are ready? I’m not. What are some things you like to do before summer ends? I like to go to the Minnesota State Fair. For me, it’s a good way to say good-bye to summer.

   What I have here is my school bag that I carry my books in. Do you have yours ready to go? Inside my bag, I have a lunch packed. I try to bring something to eat with me. Do you bring a lunch? Or buy a lunch? Do you carry yours in a bag like this? With your name on it?
   Let's see what I have for lunch in my brown bag today. Here are some mini donuts. Oh, and here are some cookies…Sweet Martha’s from the Fair, to be exact. Let's see what else…Here is some saltwater taffy. Hey, do you think my mom would pack me a lunch like this? Would yours? No way! This is all junk food! This is all stuff that I had from the Fair the other day. Do you know what would happen to me if I ate a steady diet of junk food like this, ALL the time? I would become weak and sickly because this junk food does not have the vitamins and nourishment needed to grow a strong, healthy body. Our bodies need the nourishment we get from proteins, bread, fruits, and vegetables. No one can survive for very long on a junk food diet.
   No one would think of feeding their body a steady diet of junk food. And yet, many people feed their minds with a steady diet of junk food every day. They feed it with TV, movies, comic books, magazines and other junk, on things other than God. They never give their minds the real nourishment that it needs to be strong and healthy. In our Ephesians reading, we are told to be strong in the Lord. And, in our Gospel reading from John, Jesus tells us to eat the bread from heaven. What does that mean?

   We can take Holy Communion, the body and blood of Christ…Christ abides in us, and we in him…Reading the Word of God, we can feed our souls with that. The Bible says that our strength comes from the Lord, and that comes to us through God’s Word.
   Let us pray: Lord, help us to remember that just as our bodies can't survive on junk food, neither can our minds. Help us to remember that our strength comes from you, and that to learn about you, we need to feed on your Word. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

   And, since I have PLENTY of Sweet Martha’s cookies left over, make sure to get one from me after the service as a treat…Thanks for coming up! J

"Come and Get It!" - Sermon from 8/5/2012

“Come and Get It!”

Texts: John 6:24-35 (main focus); Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15; Psalm 78:23-29; Ephesians 4:1-16

   Dear friends in Christ, grace and peace to you from the one who is and who was and who is to come, our living Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

   [Ring bell] “Come and get it!” How many of you have heard a dinner bell or used one? Typically we see them used on ranches or farms, more of a Western, cowboy instrument, to summon when it was meal time.

   It also leads me to think about what people may ask when they hear that dinner bell. How many of you remember the old “Hee Haw” show? It was a little before my time, but I have seen the reruns…People would shout to Grandpa Jones and ask, “What’s for supper?” Then, he would offer some reply…Let’s try it: What’s for supper? “Here’s what’s on the menu tonight: Fresh country sausage and apples stewed, the best cup of coffee that ever was brewed. Hot biscuits with plenty of country butter and chocolate cake so rich, it’ll make you shudder” (Episode 19 from Season 4; Episode 96, aired 2-3-73). Okay, who’s hungry now? J

   So, a question: Do you eat to live, or do you live to eat? Think about it…For many years, I lived to eat, but then I surrendered that way of thinking. Now, I still love to eat…For example, I had a couple of dinners to celebrate my birthday—one with friends at Davanni’s and another one with family at Olive Garden…Then, later that week, last weekend, we were out of town for a family reunion. It was a potluck, so everyone brought something…Celebrating time together around a meal is good. After all, we partake in a meal together in the Lord’s Supper almost every week. Bread was meant to give us life.

   Do we recognize true bread when we see it? There are MANY different types of bread out there. The question or concept to think about today is, “Where am I going to be fed?” “Which bread do I seek for fulfillment?”

   Think about it…But, first, a little background to this passage in John…Last week, we have the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, in verses 1-15. Verses 16-21 report that in the evening, the disciples got into a boat and started across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, encountering strong winds. Jesus demonstrates another miracle by walking on water, and somehow, immediately, the boat reached the land toward which it was going. Then, we approach the text for the day—the next day, the crowds go looking for Jesus. Today’s text helps to explain the meaning of the feeding miracle of last week.

   In verses 26-27, Jesus explains that the focus should not be on the loaves but on the real food that endures for eternal life. Instead of focus on the gift, it needs to be placed on the giver, the true bread, Jesus.

   In verse 31, mention is made of manna in the wilderness, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” This references our reading from Exodus and the Psalm. There was fascination about this manna, when the people were fed in the wilderness each day, after they left slavery in Egypt, during the time of Moses. It some Jewish literature, it was believed that this treasury of bread from heaven would be reopened with the coming of the Messiah, the Savior and Redeemer they have been waiting for. God provides.

   Three things we can remember from today’s passages, all connected with God providing: 1) God provides manna for the Israelites…2) God provides us with our daily bread…And 3) God provides everyone with the eternal, life-giving bread, Jesus Christ.

   1) God provides manna for the Israelites…It almost caused me to start writing a song, “It’s raining bread, hallelujah”…The Israelites are released from slavery in Egypt. Freedom! But, instead of rejoicing, we hear complaining in the Exodus text. This food crisis becomes a faith crisis…They would rather be in slavery, because there they at least had food to eat. In their hungriness, they forget about how God saved them from slavery! But, guess what? God still provides them their needs.

   The Lord gives the Israelites what they don’t deserve…How often does God do that for us? We deserve death for our sins, but He sent Jesus to take that burden off of us. We are not saved by anything we do, but as gratitude, we need to help alleviate the burden off of Jesus, by being his hands and feet here today. Since we are the body of Christ, we help alleviate the burden off of one another, helping to carry one another’s burdens. What happens when your foot starts hurting? You tend to put more weight on the other foot, to alleviate the pressure. When one of us is hurting, we can help alleviate the pressure.

   And, each time they complained, God still provided for them. When God sent the manna, this daily bread from heaven, they didn’t even recognize what it was! In fact, the English words, “what is it,” can be retranslated back into Hebrew as the word “manna.” How often do we receive such bread, but we don’t recognize it? Do we give thanks for it? Did the Israelites? They asked, “What is it?”

   How soon do people forget when you do something good for them? Or how soon do we forget when someone does something good for us? Are we like the Israelites and ask, “What is it?”

   And, this bread appeared every day, as the people were to only gather enough for the day, trusting God for that provision, not relying on themselves.

   Do we trust God, or do we rely on ourselves? So, as I was sitting down to work on this sermon, I was thinking, “What in the world does the Spirit want said about bread? What am I going to say?” I don’t have time for a mental block, because then I began thinking about all of the things that await me this week, which I won’t go into detail about. I started to stress a little bit, feeling tension in my right shoulder specifically. How am I going to get everything done? BOOM! The minute I thought about me, thinking it depends on me and what I do, the focus was taken off the Holy Spirit. It’s not about me; I needed to and put trust back where it belonged: with and in the Holy Spirit. I needed to relax and trust God for that daily bread. God provides. I give thanks for that.

   2) God provides us with our daily bread… What is daily bread? We pray it every week in the Lord’s Prayer. “Give us this day our daily bread”…What does it mean?

   Martin Luther explains in both the Small and Large Catechisms that “daily bread” is everything that is needed for this life, like food, clothing, home, work, but also peace in our daily activities and associations, with people we live with and interact with. It also includes favorable weather and the lands that produce the crops, for if God didn’t cause them to grow and preserve it, we wouldn’t have food to eat. It includes orderliness in our communities and government. As Luther states, “Although we have received from God all good things in abundance, we cannot retain any of them or enjoy them in security and happiness were he not to give us a stable, peaceful government” (The Book of Concord, p. 450). God is faithful and provides our daily needs, even the needs for those who reject Him. We need to remember God’s goodness and continually give Him thanks for that.

   Receiving our daily bread with thanks…How are you showing thanks for your daily bread? How are you pointing others to the life-giving bread, which is Christ?

   3) God provides everyone with the eternal, life-giving bread, Jesus Christ…After the feeding miracle, many continue to follow Jesus. Are they physically still hungry, or are they hungry for something more? Jesus urges them to seek the food that endures forever.

   The people ask for a sign in verse 30, in order to believe…And, as is a common occurrence in John’s Gospel, when people want a sign, Jesus gives himself. He takes a belief or ritual from Judaism, like manna in the wilderness, and reinterprets it to refer to himself. HE is the manna, the bread from heaven, sent by God that they have been waiting for, not some flaky bread.

   With the feeding of the five thousand last week, sometimes the physical need of the body has to be met before the soul can be nurtured. Jesus certainly gained their attention!

   But, with the people seeking Jesus, at what point does fulfilling the need become greed? When do needs turn into wants? Instead of bread, what if the crowd has asked for ice cream instead? Or coffee? J We live in a consumer society, being offered many different types of bread. If I buy this car or wear this outfit, I will feel better about myself, bettering my self-image.

   One of the toughest phases of life has to be middle school. At least it was for me. If you didn’t wear Guess? jeans and safety pin them at the ankles, and if you didn’t carry an Esprit bag, you were a nobody. You wanted those things, just so you could fit in. So you could survive the terrors of middle school. Twenty years later, it doesn’t make a difference. It doesn’t define who I am. It doesn’t define who you are, either. I might have a Hypercolor T-shirt hiding somewhere yet…Anybody have Zubaz pants? But, guess what? Once we have that item, it loses its luster, and so we move on to the next bigger and better thing that will gratify us.

   So, I ask: “Where are you going to be fed?” “Which bread do you seek for fulfillment?”

   Two words: God provides. God provides manna, daily bread, and Jesus…In John 6:35, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry.” We are called to come, believe, and through that relationship, we know the One Who sent him. And, when we have that relationship, we also acquire a relationship with our fellow brothers and sisters.

   Relationship is so very important…We hear about it in the Ephesians text, unity in diversity, everyone having gifts, all parts making the whole. How many of you watch the Olympics? Okay, sing the theme with me…[Sing Olympic theme]. If I could, I would stay in front of my TV, 24/7, ingesting the coverage. Unfortunately, one has to do things such as work, if one wants daily bread. Anyways, Tuesday night’s coverage was wonderful, with the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team winning gold for the first time since 1996.

   Prior to Tuesday’s event, reigning world champion Jordyn Wieber was last seen sobbing Sunday night, as she failed to qualify for the all-around singles final. She finished third among the Americans, but only the top-two from each team get to compete. It would’ve been easy for her to throw in the towel and sulk, missing her moment to shine, which would’ve hurt her team.

   But, she overcame her disappointment and came back strong. With her strong vault, it motivated her teammates to also go big. After taking the time to grieve her loss and by shaking off her disappointment, taking the focus off herself and putting it on her team, she helped motivate them to a first-place finish. She wanted to be a part of something bigger than herself. She needed her teammates, and they needed her. We need Christ, and we need each other.

   Exercise is important for Olympians, and for us, too…I want to show a slide that demonstrates a good form of exercise.

May we exercise our hearts today in such a way and ask ourselves, “Who can I reach down to and lift up today?” Christ has come to us and continues to come to us in the faces of our neighbors.

   We can meet people where they are…With Jesus, it’s all about an encounter. We can be as Christ to our neighbors. Maybe God is working through us to supply their daily bread. I have a challenge for you today…Take something for a day that you would spend on yourself and give it to someone else. For example, if you buy coffee for yourself, instead of buying one for yourself, buy one for the next person in line. That one fits me to a T. J Or the money you would spend on going out to dinner, buy school supplies to donate towards the supply drive that we’re having here at Holy Cross. Instead of getting dessert with that dinner at the restaurant, add the amount you would’ve paid for it to the tip for that waiter or waitress. These are real ways that we can all share in daily bread, pointing to that true bread of life, which is Christ Jesus our Lord.

   If you’re interested in taking the challenge, please let me know after church. And, I want to hear about your experience. You can e-mail me at caroline.harthun@hotmail.com or you can message me on Facebook—look for Caroline Harthun, I’m not too hard to find. J I love hearing people’s stories. In a sense, Jesus is ringing that dinner bell today [ring bell], saying, “Come and get it!” to us, in offering himself as the bread of life. And, in response, are you going to ask, “What is it?” like the Israelites did, or will you give thanks and ask, “Who can I share this with today?”

   And now may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Caroline Harthun

Holy Cross Lutheran Church

8:30am and 10:30am

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Children’s Message (Revised from Sermons4Kids) - Our Daily Bread

Theme: God supplies our every need. Proper 13 (18) 10th Sunday after Pentecost Object: Monkey Bread on a covered cake plate. (See the recipe at the bottom of the sermon.) Scripture: When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. Exodus 16:15 (NIV)

I have something under this cover this morning that I think you are going to like. When I take the cover off and you see it, some of you may ask, "What is it?" It might be something you have never seen before. Are you ready to see it? Okay, here it is. (Remove the cover.)    Yum, yum. That sure looks good, but what is it? It's called Monkey Bread. I'm not really sure why it is called Monkey Bread, but I have heard some people say that it is called Monkey Bread because when you eat it, you pull it off and eat it one piece at a time, much the same way that a monkey eats his food. I will put this in the back, so after church, make sure to try some, okay? Because if we eat it now, I will most certainly make a mess, and we don’t want to do that when the pastor is away. J    When I said that some of you might ask, "What is it?" when you saw the Monkey Bread, it reminded me of a story in the Bible about Moses and the Israelites. The Israelites had been held captive in Egypt, and God had chosen Moses to free the people and lead them to a land that he had promised them. The journey to the promised land was not an easy one. The Israelites had been wandering around in the desert for a long time. Often, they had little to eat or drink. The people began to grumble and complain to Moses. "When we were in Egypt, we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out here into the desert to starve us to death." God heard the people complaining and told Moses that he would rain down bread from heaven for them, and each day the people could go out and gather enough bread for that day. The next morning when the people went outside their tents, the ground was covered with a fine, flaky substance. It was unlike anything they had ever seen. When they saw it, they asked, "What is it?" Moses answered, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat."    Moses told them that God had said that they were to gather only enough bread for one day. Why do you think he told them that? It is because he wanted to see if the people would obey him and trust him to send the bread that they needed each and every day. God still provides what we need for each and every day, doesn't he? That is why Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Jesus is the one who points us to God. Jesus says in our reading from John, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry.” May we remember that God provides all of our needs, most importantly Jesus, and let’s share that goodness and good news with others today.    Let us pray: Dear Heavenly Father, just as you provided daily bread for your children in the time of Moses, you provide all our needs each and every day. For all of our goodness, we give thanks. We thank you for your Son, the Bread of Life. Help us to help others to this bread. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Monkey Bread INGREDIENTS: 4 ten count tubes of canned biscuits 1 Cup Granulated Sugar 1 Stick Butter/Margarine 3 Tablespoons of Cinnamon DIRECTIONS: 1) Mix sugar and cinnamon 2) Quarter biscuits and roll each in the above mixture until coated 3) Put all the coated quartered biscuits in a greased bunt pan - just pile them in there. 4) Melt the butter and mix it with the extra cinnamon and sugar mixture 5) Pour the mixture from #4 over the biscuits in the bunt pan 6) Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.