Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a; Luke 4:14-21 - Epiphany 3

Jan. 24, 2010

    When I first heard this song, it made me think of Jesus. And it still does even though the one who wrote it probably did not have Jesus in mind, but his lyrics sure fit.

    When you're weary, Feeling small, When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all     I'm on your side, When times get rough And friends just can't be found    Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down

    Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down    When you're down and out When you're on the street

    When evening falls so hard I will comfort you    I'll take your part When darkness comes And pain is all around    Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down    Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down        (Simon & Garfunkel, vs. 1-2, Bridge over troubled water)

    These lyrics are very comforting and reassuring especially in times of great calamity and...

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Second Epiphany - 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; John 2:1-11

January 17, 2010

    Turning 150-180 gallons of water into fine wine would be a big hit in many places today. But in the Old Testament an abundance of wine was taken as a sign of God's promised salvation being fulfilled. The prophet Amos speaks of this time when "the mountains shall drip sweet wine and all the hills shall flow with it."(Amos 9:13) And the prophet Joel also: "In that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine…" (Joel 3:18) In the Jewish Passover wine is served as the sign of God's Kingdom to come.

    The symbolism of the wine and its abundance form a sign that reveals the glory of Jesus and the extravagance of God's salvation that is present in him. This sign of God's generosity is also demonstrated when Jesus multiplies a small quantity of bread and fish to feed over 5000 people. God's salvation bestows abundant life, abundant mercy, and abundant gifts upon those who are saved. "I came that you may have life," he...

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1st Epiphany - Luke 3:7-17, 21-22

Jan. 10, 2010

We were in New Ulm, Minnesota on vacation after Christmas. I knew we were in trouble when I got up on Saturday morning and the weather channel said it was a minus 32 degrees. This was not the wind chill, but the temperature. I waited until it warmed up to a -17 before trying to start the car. But it was a no go.

The next morning it was minus 26 when I got up. This time I waited until it was -11 before trying to start the car. But after a couple of cranks the battery was officially dead. Fortunately my insurance has a help line which I had never used before. I dialed the 800 number and answered all the questions some of which seemed kind of ridiculous. Like "Will you be at the vehicle when assistance arrives?" I felt like saying: "Well, I won't just stand out in the cold until help arrives. But on the other hand, you can bet I won't be too far away either!" I held my tongue though.

A man in a SUV arrived within the hour and hooked up the...

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Dec. 24, 2009 - Christmas Eve Service

Luke 2:1-18                                

    We were Christmas shopping in the Mall where we bought our wedding rings. And as we walked along out of over 100 stores I could count only 5 that were there when the mall opened in the mid 1970s. How things come and go. Is there anything that endures in this world? I wonder if other shoppers have stopped to think about this?

    We spend so much time trying to find something to fill the appetite for a better life without realizing that everything "in style" today becomes a collectible tomorrow. In fact I noticed 2 collectible stores in this mall now where you can buy back the things you used to have but threw away. No fooling. And you get to pay even more for your stuff now than the first time you bought it.

    Finally we came to the place where we had bought our wedding rings and remembered how the salesman told us that they had a life time guarantee. But now the store is gone. We never...

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Luke 2:22-40

Dec. 27, 2009 – First Sunday after Christmas

    A column by Dave Bakke who writes for the State Journal Register caught my attention recently. He tells the story of Jay and Pat Landers and their son Ryan who was killed in an auto accident in April 2007. A program about organ donation was presented at Ryan's high school shortly before he died and he was inspired to sign up as an organ donor. As a result Ryan's organs and corneas were donated along with authorization for all tissue, bone, and vein recovery that could be done. "Overall," Jay Landers says, "Ryan has either saved or improved the lives of 49 people in 11 states" with one receiving both a kidney and pancreas from Ryan.

    Nothing can ever completely take away the pain of losing a loved one. Yet this is a story of hope that shows how grief can be redeemed and turned into something positive so that in the end others are helped to live. It's not a huge story, but it is a good story, a moving story which reminds us of Jesus. ...

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Dec. 6, 2009 – Advent 2

Philippians 1:3-22; Luke 3:1-18

    For farmers the growing season this year has been a puzzle and very frustrating. It started with a wet spring and late planting followed by a cooler than normal summer and a late start for the harvest. Several inches of rain this fall delayed it even more. In spite of all this the USDA reported this week that the harvest is roughly 75% complete compared to 95% in a normal year.

    Though the season has been unusual no one has ever questioned whether or not there would be a harvest. Though it is taking longer than expected, still the good work which began in the spring is coming to an end both for better as well as for worse as the case may be.

    This sounds similar to something Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, a church he had founded years before. "I am confident that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ."(Phil 1:6) He is referring, of course, to the harvest of righteousness which began with the word of Christ planted like a seed in the hearts and minds of the Philippians. The growing of this spiritual harvest also faced adverse weather – persecution, ridicule, disappointment, even death. Yet Paul is confident that what God started to do in Christ he will finish....

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Jeremiah 33:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-36

Nov. 29, 2009 Advent 1

    When we were young my brothers and I would watch Illinois basketball games on TV. When a game was over we would go outside even late at night to replay the game ourselves by pretending to be the ones we had just watched on TV. Of course, we did the same with baseball during the summers. We played in several major league cities in those days - Sportsman's Park, Busch Stadium, Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium and we never had to leave home.

     This weekend you may have watched some of the high school football playoffs on TV too. My alma mater, the Unity Rockets were in the Class 3 title game yesterday. And closer to home both Williamsville and Rochester did very well in the playoffs this year and have a lot for which to be proud. The baseball season ended with the Yankees winning the World Series a few weeks ago. The Super Bowl will be coming up in February, followed by March Madness in basketball. After...

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by Pastor Mike Pennell

Joel 2:23-27; 1Timothy 2:1-7; Matthew 6:25-33

Nov. 22, 2009 - Thanksgiving Sunday    

 

    Mondays have been my personal day away from the church since the beginning of my ministry. And so it was a Monday morning a few years ago that began with loading up our recyclables (milk jugs, tin, glass, plastic bottles, newspapers, etc.) and took them to the local recycling center. On the way back I stopped to have the oil changed in the car. When I returned home the grass needed mowing it was still too wet. So I worked the garden awhile with my tiller and when the grass was dry I went to mowing, The clippings were very thick and so I had to use the grass catcher attachment which slowed me down. But that was okay. I wasn't in a hurry. By mid-morning I was roughly half done. It had been a good day so far. I was getting a lot done. So I sat down on the bench by the side of the house to rest and sip on a cup of coffee.

    A moment or two passed before...

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By Pastor Mike Pennell

    Jonah is one of the most lovable characters in the bible, a children's classic with the whale that swallows him and saves him from drowning. But it is far more than a fish story. Jonah is a story about a reluctant prophet who doesn't want to do what God sends him to do, namely to warn the people of Nineveh that they will be destroyed if they don't repent.

    Jonah doesn't want anything to do with Nineveh because she has oppressed Israel with much pain and suffering over the years. Nineveh is to Israel what Iran might be to Israel today. Or a white person is to a person of color. Jonah doesn't want to open the door even slightly that might lead God to forgive and bless an old enemy. Sometimes we don't want to open the door either.

    Barry was a 17 year old high school student about 6 feet tall with strong muscular arms and legs. We first met at Meadow Ice Cream where I worked summers during college. We worked together in the hardening room where it was...

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Isaiah 25:6-9; Revelation 21:1-6a; John 11:32-44

All Saints Day

Today is All Saints Day to honor the witness of faith of those before us and to celebrate the hope in which they lived. Our focus passage is taken from the book of Revelation which many find to be very frightening. But this is unfortunate because it can and should be very comforting.

We are so far removed from the time and history in which it was written that it is difficult to know precisely the references of all the symbols and metaphors John uses to describe his visions many of which are indeed quite scary. But if one focuses only on trying to figure out every detail they can become like the man who couldn't see the forest because of all the trees. And thus end up missing the comfort of John's vision.

We do know that Revelation was written in latter part of the first century A.D. There are clear references to the Roman Empire and Emperors who persecuted Christians.

One was Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus...

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