bearing gifts

Good afternoon friends,
In today's reading Paul continues his thoughts about his coming visit to Jerusalem. When Paul and Barnabas were first commissioned to minister to the gentiles, they are encouraged to contribute to the needs of the poor Christians in Jerusalem. Raising contributions for that ministry is a frequent subject of Paul's letters to churches. Like here, he believes that since gentiles in some ways owe their faith to the church, which was originally Jewish, they should help the original community of believers in other ways. For him the contribution to Jerusalem is a sign of his loyalty to the faith and his continuing connection with the first apostles.

God bless,
Sam

Romans 15:25-33

²⁵At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem in a ministry to the saints; ²⁶for Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to share their resources with the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. ²⁷They were pleased to do this, and indeed they owe it to them; for if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material things. ²⁸So, when I have completed this, and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will set out by way of you to Spain; ²⁹and I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

³⁰I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in earnest prayer to God on my behalf, ³¹that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my ministry to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, ³²so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. ³³The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.

Christ or the world

Good morning/afternoon brothers and sisters,
Paul sets out two choices for his readers: set our minds on Jesus or follow the ways of the earth. Notice, that doesn't mean that all people who follow Christ will agree on everything, only that our focus is on what Jesus calls us to do. We see daily examples of the way of the earth, the focus on what is ours and how to get ahead. We see those examples, but we are called to turn away, to hope, work, invest and pray for something better.
May you feel Christ's presence today,
Sam

Philippians 3:15-21

15Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. 16Only let us hold fast to what we have attained.



17Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. 18For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. 19Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.

Caesar and God

Good morning sisters and brothers,
First, I want to remind everyone of the dinner and talent show at the church tonight. We'll be serving a fabulous spaghetti dinner at 5:30 for our neighbors. Everyone is welcome and the dinner is free. After dinner we'll enjoy a talent show featuring several different musical acts as well as our very own Adam Ozuna on the devil sticks. It should be a fun evening and a great chance to get to know our neighbors a little better.

This is one of the Jesus conflict stories most people know. The religious leaders are watching his every more to see if they can get him to slip up and give them an excuse to arrest him. They have tried many of the religious hot-button topics without success. Now they try to catch him in his political opinions. As a proudly and religiously independent people, paying taxes to Rome was a touchy subject for most Jewish people at the time. If Jesus says Jews shouldn't pay taxes the religious leaders can trap him with the Roman authorities. If he sounds favorable to Roman rule they can try to paint him as a sellout. Beyond his deft response, Jesus' answer keeps asking us a question: are we giving to God what is God's; are we giving to Caesar what is Caesar's?

God bless,
Sam

Luke 20:20-26

20So they watched him and sent spies who pretended to be honest, in order to trap him by what he said, so as to hand him over to the jurisdiction and authority of the governor. 21So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you are right in what you say and teach, and you show deference to no one, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. 22Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” 23But he perceived their craftiness and said to them, 24“Show me a denarius. Whose head and whose title does it bear?” They said, “The emperor’s.” 25He said to them, “Then give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 26And they were not able in the presence of the people to trap him by what he said; and being amazed by his answer, they became silent.

Who is God?

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Today’s reading starts the most direct confrontation between the worshipers of Baal and the worshipers of the Lord in Israel Elijah goes to King Ahab and proposes basically a religious duel. While he certainly has strong words for Ahab for leading Israel astray, he also challenges the people, since they have not kept faith with God either.

Elijah puts the question clearly: “How long will you go limping along with two different opinions?” For each of us there can be only one God; only one power that holds first place, first loyalty in our lives. There can be many different things that are important; but only one can be our Lord, otherwise we will limp along ineffectively. May God keep us on the right path this week.
God bless,
Sam

1 Kings 18:17-24
17When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” 18He answered, “I have not troubled Israel; but you have, and your father’s house, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals. 19Now therefore have all Israel assemble for me at Mount Carmel, with the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” 20So Ahab sent to all the Israelites, and assembled the prophets at Mount Carmel.

21Elijah then came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” The people did not answer him a word. 22Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets number four hundred fifty. 23Let two bulls be given to us; let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it; I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. 24Then you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the Lord; the god who answers by fire is indeed God.” All the people answered, “Well spoken!”

Lord and lord

Good morning all,
Our readings from Elijah's story so far have taken place during the drought God sent to let the Kings of Israel know God's power and anger with their idolatry. Today Elijah hears the announcement that God's drought is coming to an end. God sends him to tell the news to King Ahab. Elijah's contact person is a man named Obadiah. If you watch the word "lord" (both Lord and lord) in the story you'll see some interesting plays on how challenging loyalty can be in the real world. Obadiah works for the king and also follows the Lord. That's put him in some tough spots before because the queen led persecutions of God's prophets.

Obadiah is reverent of Elijah when he appears, but he's also scared. It's dangerous to take one's faith seriously, especially when faith brings persecution, so Obadiah fears that Elijah's appearance will make his tough balancing act even tougher. The question this passage and the few after it really focus on is "who is the Lord?" That's a question we have to answer everyday with our actions as well as our words. May we always find the courage to answer truly.

God bless,
Sam

1 Kings 18:1-16
After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year of the drought, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab; I will send rain on the earth.” 2So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.

The famine was severe in Samaria. 3Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah revered the Lord greatly; 4when Jezebel was killing off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets, hid them fifty to a cave, and provided them with bread and water.) 5Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the wadis; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals.” 6So they divided the land between them to pass through it; Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction by himself.

7As Obadiah was on the way, Elijah met him; Obadiah recognized him, fell on his face, and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?” 8He answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here.” 9And he said, “How have I sinned, that you would hand your servant over to Ahab, to kill me? 10As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom to which my lord has not sent to seek you; and when they would say, ‘He is not here,’ he would require an oath of the kingdom or nation, that they had not found you.

11But now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here.’ 12As soon as I have gone from you, the spirit of the Lord will carry you I know not where; so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have revered the Lord from my youth. 13Has it not been told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a hundred of the Lord’s prophets fifty to a cave, and provided them with bread and water? 14Yet now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here’; he will surely kill me.” 15Elijah said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.” 16So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.