Sunday morning prayer

New Covenant

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

“The time is coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord.  [Jeremiah 31:31-32]

Loving God…

despite the fact that we have broken the old covenant over and over again you have made a new covenant with us.

Despite the fact that you KNOW we will continue breaking the old covenant over and over again, you have made a new covenant with us.

Despite the fact that you KNOW we will stray and go after other gods, over and over again, you have made a new covenant with us.

Despite the fact that we are unworthy, you have made a new covenant with us.

What wretched people we are…

…but…

what an AWESOME God YOU are!

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” [Jeremiah 31:34]

I just can’t get over it.
I just can’t understand why.
I just can’t fathom your reasoning.

Through faith in Jesus you forgive us…and…remember those sins no more.  Wow…that is AWESOME!

Loving God…

stir in our hearts faith to receive this promise and live for you.
Stir in our hearts faith to run to you.
Stir in our hearts faith to remain with you.

Thank you, God, for this New Covenant and for Jesus Christ who died and rose that we may live.  Thank you, God, for showing patience and love and grace and mercy.  

Thank you God…may you be praised always and forever. 

Amen 🙂

edh -|—

Let’s eat

/ The Pastor / 3 Comments

May God bless you this morning as you worship and enjoy some Sabbath rest. Take some time and read Matthew 22:1-14 about the Wedding Banquet God has prepared for us through Jesus Christ.  See and hear a gracious God calling YOU to “eat”.  Let’s pray together:

Loving God,

Life is busy.
Life is hectic.
Life is stressful.
But you have provided a feast for me to look forward to.

Life is challenging.
Life is demanding.
Life is draining.
But you have provided a party for me to look forward to.

I am sinful.
I am undeserving.
I am unfaithful.
But you invite me anyway.

O gracious God, you have prepared a wedding feast for me and invited me to come.  You have made all the preparations and have sent out the invitations through your Son Jesus Christ.  My prayer this morning is that my heart may be ready when the summons comes.  We don’t know when Jesus will return ~ we just know that you are faithful, gracious, loving and forgiving.

Lord God Almighty, I so look forward to dining with you at Your table.  Thank you for giving me hope beyond this busy, hectic, stressful, challenging, demanding and draining life despite my sinful-undeserving-unfaithfulness.

Hear my prayer and accept my confession.  I want to eat with you.

Through Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

edh -|—

Grant me…

/ The Pastor

Most gracious God,

Grant me the words to say this morning.
Grant me boldness to proclaim your truth.
Grant me faith to receive your grace.
Grant me patience to receive everyone in love.
Grant me a heart to see everyone as you see them.

Help me to be faithful to my calling and help me to be faithful to the Word that is placed before me today.

Now may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O God, my Rock and Redeemer.

Amen!

edh -|—

Sunday morning prayer

/ The Pastor / 4 Comments

Good morning all…long time no “see”.  I have been somewhat absent from regular blogging recently.  This past week it has been due to the fact that I have been recovering from a touch of food poisoning (don’t worry mom, I am alright) and the energy and drive to blog just hasn’t been there.  I am not sure what I ate, but for those who have never dealt with this before…well…it sucks (sorry for the language, but that’s how I feel about it).

Continuing education
Today I leave for St. Cloud, MN where I will be attending the SW MN Fall Theological conference.  This year our focus is on evangelism so I am really looking forward to what they have for us.  I should have Internet access up there so hopefully I can have some more blog entries for you this week.

Worship
October is mental illness awareness month.  It is a time to remember those who suffer from mental illness and brain disorders (i.e depression, bipolar, brain injuries, etc).  There is such a sigma out there about mental illness and I am willing to bet that most if not all people have been or know of someone who has or who has dealt with mental illness.  I have a friend who has dealt with depression.  She took medication sought and counseling to help her cope.  Today she is fine, but I remember back when she was really struggling, a friend of hers started getting after her about taking medication for depression.  My friend was told that she needed to have more faith and pray more.  That was not helpful to my friend, but it shows and gross misunderstanding that many people have about mental illness.

Depression, along with other mental illnesses are illnesses that need to be treated.  They are physical inflictions and we as the body of Christ need to be mindful of those who are struggling.  We need to be supportive and prayerful.  We need to be open and welcoming.  We need to be more understanding.  So today remember to pray for those struggling with mental illness and seek more information if need be to help you gain a better understand.

Prayer
Please join me in a word of prayer…

Healing God, today we come before you seeking understanding, compassion and empathy.  We seek these so we may better understand our brothers and sisters in Christ who struggle with mental illness.  We are created in your image and you desire no one to suffer.  Grant us eyes to see those who need your loving care ane grant us understanding, compassion and empathy to love those we sometimes push to the fringes.  Through Christ you have claimed ;  through Christ you have forgiven us; through Christ you have a place prepared for us in your mansion.  Gracious God, we give you thanks and praise.  In Christ name we pray, Amen.

Take care and God bless!

-edh-

Sunday morning prayer

/ The Pastor

Week 1 of post-marathon life is done and recovery is going well.  My legs are no longer sore.  I am still not supposed to do any running yet (that will start next week).  This week will involve some light weight lifting and some cross training (exercise bike).  I am looking forward to getting back in the saddle again and setting my sights on my next race in January at the Okoboji Winter Games 5k/10K run.  After that I plan to run the Fargo 1/2 marathon in May.  And after that…who knows.

This past week has been a light blogging week since I had a very short week.  On Wednesday night my wife and I headed to Wisconsin Dells to meet my parents and my sister and her family for a little vacation at a resort.  We got home last night.  Our time at the resort was fun and relaxing, but now I am ready to get back at it.

So with that, let’s get back into our routine and start today with a prayer.  Let us pray…
Loving and Creator God, you have prepared a lavish banquet and have chosen us to partake in this grand and eternal celebration.  But too often the trails , demands and temptations of this world distract us from the party that awaits us.  We often focus our attention on the now and forget the later.  Gracious God, turn our attention from our selfish selves and focus our sight on the cross where you gave your one and only Son so we may have life.  Help us see this amazing sacrifice so your glory may shine forth through our lives.  In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

Take care and have a very blessed day!

-edh-

Sunday morning prayer – one more week

/ The Pastor

One more week…

…it’s hard to believe I am actually typing those words.  One more week until the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon.  Thirteen months of training will be tested to see if I have done enough.  Even though I have been training and talking about this for quiet sometime, part of me thought this date would never get here (if that makes any sense whatsoever).  One more week to go…

Starting this Thursday I will be taking some vacation time through Monday, Oct. 6 (I am thinking that on Monday I will be getting a nice massage).  On Friday or Saturday, Connie and I will be heading to my sister’s place in Apple Valley where my parents will also be going to join “Team Eric”.  I am so very thankful that I will have a cheering section there for me.  This will indeed be a source of strength for me.  Later this week I will publish a post that will have some more information on marathons, the Twin Cities marathon and how you can track my progress on line (if you are interested).  But basically I ask for your prayers as I finish the preparation stage and run this grueling test of human endurance.  Thank you for the encourage and support people have given me these past 13 months.

Let us pray…merciful Lord and gracious God, we pray that in our hearing we may hear the Word of truth and life. We ask that this word of truth and life you may strengthen us to serve as faithful disciples in your creation; that as we are encouraged and comforted by your tenderness and compassion we may show the same to others; having the same attitude of that of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord in whose name we pray, Amen.

Take care and God bless!

-edh-

Sunday morning prayer

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

Hey there…long time no see.  No…it’s not that you haven’t been here for a while it’s that I haven’t stopped by my own blog for a couple days.  So please allow me to make excuses here:
(1) The busyness of September seemed to sneak up on me.
(2) The busyness of September seemed to sneak up on me.
…and (3) The busyness of September seemed to sneak up on me.

That is enough said on that.  I think I am beginning to get a hold of things now so you will see me a little more in the coming weeks.

Anyway…the Gospel text I am preaching on today comes from Matthew 18:21-35.  This is the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant.  Peter asks Jesus the question, “How many times should I forgive my brother when he sins against me?  Seven times?“.  Jesus goes on to basically say, “You forgive continuously.   There is no number.”  Then we get this parable.  What hits me square in the face is the contrast in debts.  The debt God forgave me and the debt I often refuse to forgive others.  This is indeed a convicting parable.  The debt we owed God was a debt we could not hope to repay but yet God says, “I love you so much and I want so much to be in a relationship with you that I am going to forgive this debt of yours.”  Wow…that is an amazing God.  Let’s go and do likewise…forgiving others the sins they have committed against us; showing them Christ’s love.

Let’s pray…
Gracious and forgiving God, we can’t even begin to express how thankful we are for the forgiveness you show us in Jesus Christ.  We are so unworthy.  But yet you love us anyway.  Grant us strength to forgive others as you have forgiven us. So we may mend and nurture relationships with them as you do with us.  In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

-edh-

Sunday morning prayer

/ The Pastor

I don’t know about you, but there’s something so comforting and soothing about a candle burning near by…especially when it smells like Strawberry Cream.  It almost makes me crave a Strawberries and Cream drink at Starbucks.  It’s just too bad that the Starbucks near us is being closed.  Darn it anyway.

But that aside I am enjoying a nice cool morning…with an aroma of strawberries floating in the air…giving thanks to God for another day.  And what a great day it is.  Connie and I have had a fun week with friends and a fun weekend at home with family.  My cousin and his wife renewed their vows yesterday and when we as a family get together (cousins and all) we have a great time.  I just wish I could have stayed longer last night but I had a 2 1/2 hour drive to get home.  Oh well…some time with family is better than nothing.

Anyway…last week I let my busy schedule get the best of me but not today.  I am not going to leave without praying with you this morning.  So let’s join our hearts together as fellow members of the body of Christ and offer our prayers to God.  Let us pray…

Father in heaven we praise you for your incredible love and mercy.  You offer forgiveness; you give us life; you show us your will.  But Lord God, we too often follow the ways of this world.  We too often conform to the patterns of this world.  Instead of standing up for you we take the easy way out.  Loving God, we ask for wisdom and courage to follow you so others may see our good works and give you glory.  All this dear God, we pray through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. [ Reference:  Romans 12:1-8 ]

 

 

May God richly bless your day with His abandant love and mercy.

 

Take care!

 

-edh-

Sunday morning prayer – 06/08/08

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

Thank you for all your prayers this week.  Those big storms the so-called "weather experts" were predicting never happened around here.  The severe weather tracked to the west of us, but even that weather wasn't anything too bad.  I did hear of some farm trees being blown down and that's about it.  Fortunately those Oklahoma storm chasers that traveled to our area didn't have any tornadoes to chase.  Right we are praying for dry weather.  It has been unseasonably wet this spring.  With the wet ground we can't start our ramp construction project here at Salem.

Sermon prep
This I have been captivated by Hosea's words from God that say, "I desire mercy not sacrifice…" (NIV translation…the translation we use in worship), but I like how the NRSV translates this verse, "I desire STEADFAST LOVE, not mercy…".  I like the NRSV because earlier God is saying to the people that their LOVE is like the morning cloud; like the morning dew that quickly disappears.  Connecting these two verses together by using "steadfast love" drives home the point better.  We are good at showing love…at times…when it is convenient.  But God desires STEADFAST love; a love that is never ending.  The Israelites were doing all (or almost all) the "right" things according to the law, but they were not loving their neighbor.  They were more focused on their acts of worship than on people.  I guess we can still relate to that today…can't we?

Let us pray…
God of mercy you have given your one and only Son so we may live.  Help us to show that mercy to others so people may come to know you.  And help us to daily learn what this means, "I desire steadfast love, not sacrifice…".  Amen.

Praise be to God always and forever!

-edh-

Sunday morning prayer

/ The Pastor / 7 Comments

Happy Sunday morning to you all…and what a beautiful day it is…finally…

…first off, I am sorry that I have been so absent these past couple weeks.  It never seems to fail, that when May rolls around things start picking up again until school is done.  Also, last Sunday we (Salem) participated in a "Thanksgiving and Retiring Rite" for the Lutheran Book of Worship.  The service went well, but things did not really set in with me until this past week when I was removing all the LBWs and WOV (With One Voice) hymnals out.  It felt a little surreal.

Today at Salem is Dedication Sunday for our NEW hymnals…the Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW/cranberry hymnals).  Today will mark a new chapter in our worship life.  It may also mark a time of new controversy as I know some people (a minority of people) are not in favor of these new books.  But my prayer is that over time, they will grow to understand that we do not worship books, but rather we worship an awesome God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  It will take some time getting used to the "new" page numbers (i.e. the Brief Order of Confession and Forgiveness is not on page 77 but on page 147).  I wonder if I will instinctively turn to pg. 77 this morning.  It will also take some time getting used to hymn numbers in the 800s.

But I also feel fortunate because I do not have to say "good bye" completely to the LBW.  Belmont Lutheran Church (the other congregation I serve) still uses the LBW.  Now I just have to stay focused; trying to keep the two worship services straight in my head (I wonder if I will ask Belmont to turn to pg 147 for the Brief Order of Confession and Forgiveness).

In any case, I am looking forward to worship this morning.  I am not sure what it will bring (but then again do I ever know).  But one thing I do know…is that my prayer will be that everything we do today (and everyday) be to the GLORY OF GOD and not to us.  And that also happens to be my sermon focus:  What does it mean to glorify God — with the scripture reference the Gospel text from John 17:1-11.

So with that, let’s pray together…
O Lord our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the world.  I can’t help but think of that Psalm today, O God.  When I think of all you have created and all you have done, you are still mindful of us.  You still remember us.  You still care for us.  Within this massive creation you know our needs, you give us daily bread and you love us as if each one of us were the only person in the world.  But if that was not enough, you sent you one and only Son, Jesus Christ to die and rise from the grave so we may have life. It is for these reasons (and many more) that all praise, honor and GLORY belongs to you.  O Lord our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the world.  Amen

God’s blessings to you this day and always.  Take care.
-edh-