Daily Devotion for November 30, 2001

E-Mail from a Pauline Source – 3

 

Just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

 

If Paul's letters are viewed as E-mail (evangelical, ethical), then another of the E's is ecclesiastical. That's a word that sends shivers down some people's spines. It conjures up visions of the Church as an institution, often protecting its own power and privilege, or of the Church as a building. But of course the Church in Paul's day had neither power, privilege, nor buildings. The Greek ecclesia, frequently used by Paul, means the people of God called out from wherever they are to come together to worship and serve God.

 

The Church is the body of Christ, apart from which individual members are dead. For Paul, to be a Christian was to be part of the people of God, the ecclesia, the body of Christ. "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you,' nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you'" (1 Corinthians 12:21). It's ridiculous to say that the parts of the body don't need each other; it's equally ridiculous to suppose that a Christian can exist in isolation.

 

When someone buttonholes me and asks, "Have you accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?" I'm sometimes tempted to ask in reply, "Have you accepted him as your corporate Lord and Savior?" Opinion polls suggest that there are many people in the US today who claim that they are Christians yet do not belong to the Church. But as Paul constantly reminds us, to be "in Christ" is to be incorporated into his body, the ecclesia.

 

Prayer
We thank you, O Lord, that you have called us to faith and personal commitment, but have also incorporated us into your Church. Help us by your Spirit to function as healthy members of the body of Christ so that the Church may grow and be built up in love. Amen.

 

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Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
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At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for November 29, 2005

E-Mail from a Pauline Source - 2

 

By grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God - not because of works, lest any one should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. Ephesians 2:8-10

 

Paul's letters can be regarded as E-mail. If his message is basically evangelical then it is equally true that it is also ethical. That term comes from the Greek ethos, meaning habits or customs, thus referring to a person's character or manner of life.

 

It's easy to misquote or misrepresent Paul, as he himself found out when some people asked, "Why not sin that grace may abound?" (Romans 6:1). Note how in Ephesians 2:8-10 Paul asserts that we are saved by grace not because of works, yet in the same breath goes on to say that we are created in Christ Jesus "for good works." Too many so-called "evangelicals" simply say, "Hallelujah! I'm saved!", period. They forget that Paul's position is that we are saved by grace, through faith, for works.

 

That's why, as a reading of Paul's letters plainly shows, he expected believers to follow in their lives the highest moral standards. Ethical living is not the root of salvation but it must be the fruit of salvation. Our faith must be expressed in the way we live and in all our dealings with others in society, a society which shows many signs of having lost its moral compass. Evangelism and social action are not mutually incompatible, for the evangelical must always lead to the ethical.

 

Prayer
Remembering. O Lord, that we are saved for good works, grant us grace to live out our faith in our daily lives and in all our relationships both with individuals and with the society in which we live. Amen.

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Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for November 28, 2005

E-Mail from a Pauline Source - 1

 

I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith. Romans 1:16

 

Paul's letters are among the most influential ever written even if by today's standards they were certainly snail mail. In another sense, however, they might be regarded as E-mail, for the leading themes of Paul's letters all seem to begin with E.

 

Paul's message, for example, was fundamentally evangelical. That's a word that has various connotations, and a word that makes some people feel uneasy. Gospel or evangel (from the Greek euangelion), let's remember, means good news.

 

Against the background of the bad news about human nature and human society (evidence of which fills our newspapers and the TV news every night), the good news according to Paul is that we are justified or accepted back into a right relationship with God "as a gift" (Romans 3:24). Normally we're pretty suspicious of free gifts: when I get a printed letter in the mail which begins, "Dear Mr. Hetzner, you are in the final round to win one million dollars," it goes straight into the wastepaper basket. But the Gospel proclaims that in Christ God offers us his grace as a gift, to be received through faith. That is the basic conviction which transformed Paul's life and which can transform our lives also.

 

Prayer
Help us to realize, O God, that while by ourselves we can never earn or merit your salvation, nevertheless that salvation is freely offered to us as a gift. May we claim the free gift of your grace through faith so that our whole lives may thereby be transformed. Amen.

 

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Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for November 25, 2005

Learn To Live With Those You Love

 

Dear friends, I love you and long to see you. Please keep on being faithful to the Lord. You are my pride and joy ... always be gentle with others. God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.  Philippians 4:1, 5,7b

 

Prize above all else in the world
those who love you and wish you well.
Do not hurt them or scold them,
and never part from any of them in anger:
after all you simply do not know,
but it might be your last act,
and that will be how you are imprinted in their memory.
(Alexander Solzhenitsyn)

 

Yesterday was Thanksgiving.  Family and friends and relatives and all that.  Today, well is a new day.  Many may be tired and a little irritable. 

 

I don't like the squabbles that are part of every family's experience when kids squawk and spouses spout off. It really doesn't make the drive to work any easier, or drying the dishes any more enjoyable or the walk to school any shorter. Why do we hurt the people we love in ways that would shame us if they were strangers?

 

Solzhenitsyn offers us a wisdom born out of a Soviet Gulag. Will it take tragedy to transform our lives and make us appreciate the loves that are so crucial to our health and well being?

 

Today is a new day. What should we do about that squabble, squawk, or spouting off right now to ensure that the last memory imprinted on those we love is filled with more than our morning meanness?

 

Prayer
God of new possibilities: Make possible a new heart and a new spirit in our families and with our friends. Help me never hurt or harm those you have given me to make my life full. Let your love lead the way. In Jesus' name. Amen.

 

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Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for November 24, 2005

As some of you may be aware, I am down in the Golf States today (this whole past week) with Lutheran Church Charities – The Feeding of the 5000, working through our churches that have lost so much since Aug. 29th – but who are all SO THANKFUL TO GOD.  I though of this poem for this Thanksgiving day 2005

 

Thanksgiving Devotion

 

Twas the day of Thanksgiving,
When all through the city,
Not a creature was giving thanks -
Oh, what a pity.
No church doors were open,
No prayer meetings going on;
In this city of Christians,
Something was terribly wrong.
So the spirit of the Lord walked
To and fro
In search of thanksgivers -
Where could he go?

 

Ah, now there is a home in which
Thanks should be many,
For I have blessed its occupants
With the horn of plenty.
The turkey and trimmings
Have been prepared with great care,
For family and friends
Will soon be there.

 

I have lifted some from
Their beds of affliction;
I have delivered others from
Crippling addiction.
I have sheltered some from
The dangerous storm;
I have sent goodness and mercy to
Protect from harm.

 

I have given them health and strength
To meet life's demands,
Yet they fail to do what I command.
Upon their babes I have showered
Blessings from above -
Health and happiness and agape love.
Now as they gather around the table.
One by one,
Surely they will feel the presence of
My outstretched arms.

 

After each one had taken
His respective seat,
Without giving thanks,
Each one did eat.
They devoured the turkey,
Dressing and yams
Without giving thanks to
"I am that I am."

 

Now after all had partaken
Of the scrumptious meal,
They gathered around the television
For their greatest thrill.
While some of the little ones
Went out to play,
Others preferred a nap,
For it had been a long day.

 

Someone shouted,
"Let the football begin!"
But there were no thanks still,
And no amens,
Just the laughter, chatter,
Yells and screams
Coming from loyal fans
Supporting their teams.
While some little ones rested,
Undisturbed from their naps,
Others wiggled restlessly on their
Mommies' cushioned laps.

 

Now surely during halftime,
Either one or all
Will remember to give thanks for
Blessings great and small.
But the excitement of the game
Kept their attention;
No thanks were given,
And My name was not mentioned.
When the games had ended
And the day was done,
There were no thanks still;
No, not one.

 

Now, concerning their fate,
My heart did ponder.
How could they not give thanks?
My spirit did wonder.
Perhaps I should destroy
Their fine homes with a storm,
Or refuse to shelter them and
protect them from harm.
Maybe I will allow SIDS to rob
Their babies' cradles -
Surely then they will know I am God
Who is able.

 

If I make my presence known
In a famine or drought,
Then they will really know what
Giving thanks is all about.
If I take away their jobs and
Give them poverty instead,
Then they will learn to thank me for
Their daily meat and bread.
If I allow them to be overtaken by
Affliction and addiction,
My unmerited favors they will declare
With true spirit and conviction.

 

I am that I am -
Yes, that is My name.
To give life more abundantly is
The reason I came.
I am He who rides through
The mighty wind.
I am the giver of life and
The forgiver of sin.
I am He who causes the lame to walk.
I give words to the dumb
So they may talk.
I am the Lord that healeth thee.
Yes, I am He who divided
The Red Sea.
Yes, "I am that I am" is
Still My name -
Was, am and will be, I am the same.

 

"Who will give thanks today?"
The Lord continues to ask.
"I will," say the homeless,
Unemployed, hungry and sick.
"After all, it is our
Reasonable service;
It is not a difficult task."
Maybe someday those with the
Horn of plenty
Will pause to give thanks,
For their blessings are many.

 

Now to the readers,
Before you must go,
There is one more thing
I want you to know.
Through the words of this poem,
I have attempted to say:
Don't forget the true meaning of
Thanksgiving Day.
Remember, "It's not by power
Nor by might,
"But by my spirit," says the Lord.
Happy Thanksgiving to all,
And to all a good night.

 

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Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for November 23, 2005

Seven-Day series on the Lord’s Prayer - Day Seven

 

A Theologian at Prayer

 

Jesus said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.'" Luke 11:2-4

 

In the last days of war, and the first days of Allied occupation of Germany, Helmut Thielicke preached on the Lord's Prayer to a congregation under siege in Stuttgart.

 

Thielicke shared his congregation's fear of the bombs, their relief that the reign of terror was ending, and their unease about the future. All of these concerns could be contained in the Lord's Prayer. He wrote:

There was not a single question that we could not have brought to it and not a one that would not have been suddenly transformed if it were put in the form of a prayer.

 

The Lord's Prayer is truly the prayer that spans the world: the world of everyday trifles and universal history, the world with its hours of joy and bottomless anguish... the world of monotonous routine and sudden terrible catastrophe, the world of carefree children and at the same time problems that can shatter grown men.

 

The world rests in the hands of the Lord... And it also rests in our hands when we lift it to the Lord in prayer.

Jesus' disciples asked what we may well ask, "Lord, teach us to pray." His answer to them is his answer to us.

 

Prayer:
We thank you, Lord, for your pattern for prayer and the gift of prayer. In this world that seems to have gone off the deep end, help us look and trust in you. Amen.

 

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Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for November 22, 2005

Seven-Day series on the Lord’s Prayer - Day Six

 

The “Why” of Prayer

 

Jesus said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.'" Amen. Luke 11:2-4

 

Why pray, when God is all-powerful? God can do whatever God pleases. God created the universe, set it in motion, and still controls it. Why pray? How could we ever hope to move the great God's hand?

 

We pray because something in us longs to reach out to God. What child is able to accept that her parents will do whatever is right for her, so she need never ask for anything? A child asks. The answer may be "no", or "wait"; but that doesn't stop her from asking. To call God "Abba" is to want, to need to pray, to communicate with the loving God.

 

Pray because that is how God's will is done. It's a great mystery. We can't say that God wouldn't act out of love for us if we didn't pray, but Jesus believed that prayer made things happen, got things done.

 

Prayer isn't so much telling God what to do as it is discerning God's will, asking God to act, and trusting God to do what is best.

 

Why pray? Pray because God wants to hear us, and waits to answer us. "Ask. Seek. Knock," Jesus said. Knock and the door will be opened. Through the open door you will find your answer, the loving God. Pray because prayers are answered.

 

Pray the Lord's Prayer from Luke 11 slowly, savoring each phrase.

 

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Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for November 21, 2005

Seven-Day series on the Lord’s Prayer - Day Five

 

The Assurance of Presence

 

Jesus said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.'" Amen. Luke 11:2-4

 

"And lead us not into temptation." Perhaps it's better to say, "Don't let us walk into temptation alone." It also suggests, "Don't leave us to be tested beyond our strength." Of course it's hard to imagine God doing either of those things, but there are times in life when we feel that God has done just that.

 

What to pray when life's trials seem much more than we can handle? "Lead us not into temptation. Don't leave us. Don't give up on us."

 

Following Jesus isn't easy. There are other, more tempting ways to live; simpler creeds to confess. So Jesus included this petition in his prayer-pattern.

 

The wonderful truth is that we are never alone. Even when we willingly walk away from the centre of the path of discipleship, God is with us. It's our will, our choice that takes us into temptation. It's God's will, God's choice for us that brings us back to where we should be.

 

It's amazing how these simple, yet powerful petitions can gather together the “what “of prayer. We should use our own words, of course; but, if we reflect on our own practice of prayer, we'll see how closely we follow this pattern.

 

Pray the Lord's Prayer from Luke 11 slowly, savoring each phrase.

 

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Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for November 18, 2005

Seven-Day series on the Lord’s Prayer - Day Four

 

The Courage Needed To Pray

 

Jesus said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.'" Amen. Luke 11:2-4

 

"Give us each day our daily bread." Think of the manna in the wilderness. God provided enough bread for each day's needs. No more, and certainly no less. Pray for enough to meet our need. Trust that God will provide enough. Just what we need. That may turn out to be far more than we expect!

 

Do we dare pray the next petition? "Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us." "Sin" is a high-tech theological term that's not as easy to grasp as "debt". We may not understand what it means to sin against God, but we know what it's like when someone owes us money, and how we feel when we owe money!

 

We can pay back our loans, but all we can say to God is, "Forgive me." There are times when we are unwilling to forgive even people who have repaid us. An unforgiving spirit is closed to God's mercy.

 

When we pray for forgiveness we must be honest with God and ourselves. Jesus challenges us with this discipline: to expect God to forgive us only to the degree that we are willing to forgive others. Praying with that in mind might just change our lives!

 

Pray the Lord's Prayer from Luke 11 slowly, savoring each phrase.

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Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for November 17, 2005

Seven-Day series on the Lord’s Prayer - Day Three

 

What Matters Most

 

Jesus said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.'" Amen. Luke 11:2-4

 

What we pray for reveals what really matters to us. These words of Jesus show us what mattered to him, and what we should seek when we approach God.

 

First pray that God's name will be honored. In ancient times, a person’s name meant nature, and the name of a god meant power. "Hallowed be your name" is a prayer that meant more than the name of God, but God's self and God's power will be recognized and honored universally.

 

If God's name is to be honored, God must be revealed to those who should honor God. So we dedicate ourselves to making God's name known.

 

What to pray? Pray that God's kingdom will come. What is that about? Read the parables of the kingdom, the stories of the miracles. They tell us what God wants for the world. Justice. Peace. Forgiveness. Healing. Joy, and more. The kingdom is all about recognizing God's name; doing and celebrating God's will.

 

Jesus didn't limit his pictures of the kingdom to some far-off, dreamy place or time. "Let this be real among us now, Father! Your kingdom come, now! And may our prayers and our lives be directed to revealing your kingdom to all the world."

 

What to pray? Pray that the kingdom's reality will break through into our reality.

 

Pray the Lord's Prayer from Luke 11 slowly, savoring each phrase.

 

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Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for November 16, 2005

Seven-Day series on the Lord’s Prayer - Day Two

 

The “Who” of Prayer

 

Jesus said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.'" Amen. Luke 11:2-4

 

If we look at Jesus' words in Luke 11, we can learn the who, the what, and the why of prayer.

 

First the who of prayer. Luke tells us that Jesus began by saying "Father". It's a different form of address from the "Our Father who art in heaven" that we're used to. That's a formal approach, acknowledging a title that God carries, like a mayor's "Your Worship" or a judge's "My Lord".

 

Prayer is a personal address to the sovereign God. Imagine presuming to approach One called the Father of all, who is creator, high above all!

 

The disciples asked how they should pray, and Jesus taught them to call God not just "Father", but "Abba", "Daddy". A relationship between parent and child, yes, but that relationship at its most intimate.

 

"Father" is what you call him as you stand before him, waiting for an answer. "Daddy" is what you say when you're cradled in his arms and his attention is all yours.

 

Jesus wasn't saying that God is male, or that God can only be called "Father". Jesus showed that God's love for us is an adoring parent's love, and that God looks on all of us as favorite children.

 

That's the who of prayer: to whom we pray, and who we are when we pray. As confident of God's listening love as a child should be confident of her parent's love. Accepted, free to tell God all that is in our hearts, able to trust completely.

 

Pray the Lord's Prayer from Luke 11 slowly, savoring each phrase.

 

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Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for November 15, 2005

Lord, Teach Us To Pray

 

Jesus said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.'" Amen. Luke 11:2-4

 

Over the years, people have told me that each Sunday the words of the Lord's Prayer strike them in a different way, as a reminder of something that's wrong in their lives, or challenging them to forgive others, to struggle against temptation, to put Christian faith first in life. Sometimes we may not want to say those words, but the rest of the congregation carries us along and, somehow, helps us to face what we need to face.

 

This pattern for prayer is a precious gift of Jesus. It must be handled with care. Each phrase, whether in Luke's, or Matthew's longer version, is theological dynamite. When we remember and repeat it in church, we make a daring declaration: "This is what we want for the world and for ourselves!"

 

Martin Luther said, "The Lord's Prayer is the greatest martyr, for everybody tortures and abuses it." How? By becoming so comfortable with it that we pray it without even a thought. When we reduce it to rote recitation, it's just a jumble of pious words. When we pray it carefully, lovingly, it's more powerful than we know!

 

Prayer
Heavenly Father – help me to pray with reflection, thinking of what I am praying.  Help me then to do what it is I am praying.  Amen

 

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Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for November 11, 2005

Walking With Jesus

 

Jesus himself came near and went with them. Luke 24:13

 

Christian takes a journey with Jesus as the primary character in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.

 

In my Baptism, without my knowing it, Christ has lived in me to make this journey through life with me as my personal friend who sticks closer than a brother, and He has never yet disappointed me, though I have often disappointed my God.

 

During this journey with God, I've taken with me a special verse to be my very own: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13). Along with this verse, I have offered a special prayer, which we all know as the prayer of St. Francis.

 

Prayer:
1. Make me a channel of your peace: where there is hatred, let me bring your love; where there is injury, your healing power, and where there's doubt, true faith in you.

 

2. Make me a channel of your peace: where there's despair in life let me bring hope; where there is darkness, only light, and where there's sadness, ever joy.

 

3. O Spirit, grant that I may never seek so much to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love with all my soul.

 

4. Make me a channel of your peace, It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, in giving to all that we receive, and in dying that we're born to eternal life.

 

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Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for November 10, 2005

No, Never Alone

 

Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:16-20

 

On this journey of life, we find it hard going, especially when we presume that we journey alone. We all need the company of our friends, our family, and the faithful, all those willing to make the journey with us, those eager to help ease the burden, and share the load.

 

In Pilgrim's Progress, on Christian's journey, many join in, and those are the good times. Some friends are lost along the way, and that hurts, but others take their place and the journey continues.

 

The idea of the pilgrimage of life is not new, though each generation needs to discover it anew for themselves, and that, in fact, life has a purpose and a path. From Pilgrim's Progress and Christian's ongoing journey, to the modern words of "Footprints in the Sand", the message is the same...

 

We are not alone.

 

God is indeed with us on this journey as our special friend to carry us through, especially when the way seems long, and the destination distant.

 

Prayer:
We thank you God that you sent your only son to be our Savior. And that we might live no longer for ourselves, but for him who died and rose for us, he sent the Holy Spirit, his own first gift to those who believe, to complete his work in the world, and to make us more like Jesus. Enable us to receive your gifts and walk with Jesus every day. Amen.

 

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Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for November 9, 2005

Each Stage Of The Journey

 

Whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out on each stage of their journey. Exodus 40:36

 

Christian in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress is on a journey, a journey of faith in the promises of God - a journey that takes us, along with Christian, from where we are now to where God wants us to be.

 

We join Christian on the journey seeking a city whose builder and maker is God, the Celestial City. This is a crucial moment, for we must recognize that it is on the journey that the real living occurs.

 

When we take the kids on a trip, whether to Disney or to Frankenmuth MI, the favorite line is...

 

"Are we there yet?"
"No, we're still in the driveway."

 

If you are wise and wonderful modern parents in tune with child psychology, you put as much effort into what the kids will do on the journey as on what you will do when you reach your destination. Life's like that.

 

Prayer:
Dear God, whose glory fills the whole creation and whose presence is with us wherever we go; preserve all those who journey this day to work or anywhere in the world. Surround them with your loving care; guide them as they venture into new and unknown places; protect them in every danger and sustain them until their journey's end; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

 

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Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for November 8, 2005

Day's Journey

 

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil. Psalm 23:4

 

Christian's journey in Pilgrim's Progress takes him places he never intended to go - like through the Slough of Despond or through Vanity Fair, or down a number of dead-ends that lead nowhere and slow down the journey or end it altogether.

 

You know the many difficulties you've encountered on your own personal journey - trials and tribulations are no strangers to any of us. But what we need in order to see them through is an adequate faith, and an assurance that through the chances and changes of life there is One who will walk with us all the way through, if we will but trust.

 

Christian found that only as he pressed forward could he both continue and overcome...listen to his thoughts:

 

This hill, though high, I covet to ascend
The difficulty will not me offend.
For I perceive the way of life lies here:
Come, pluck up heart, let's neither
faint nor fear.
Better, though difficult, the right way to go,
Then wrong, though easy, where the end is woe.

 

Prayer:
When the journey gets rough and the path obscure, open our eyes to see Christ before us, Christ behind us, Christ beside us, Christ our all in all. Amen.

 

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Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for November 7, 2005

The First Step

 

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Hebrews 11:8-11

 

The old saying is that every journey begins with a single step. We are joining the journey of Christian in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. What better place to start than at the beginning. For Christian this beginning results from an encounter with a character called Evangelist. Evangelist offers Christian guidance and seeks to get him on the right road. This is their opening exchange.

 

Evangelist says, "Do you see yonder shining light?" "I think I do," responds Christian. "Then", says Evangelist, "Keep that light in your eyes."

 

The journey begins by following the light.

 

The bible is my light, Jesus is that living light, my inspiration for life, and it is in the bible that I see this imagery of the journey, a journey much like that of the fleeing Hebrew children, one step ahead of Pharaoh’s army, those same Hebrews who would spend the next 40 years on a journey of faith wandering and waiting to enter the Promised Land.

 

Prayer:
God who gives strength for the journey; we seek to follow the way of Christ in a world that is filled with detours.

 

"We need your light to lead us, your hand to hold us, and your love to complete us. In Jesus' name we now ask for your blessing". Amen.

 

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Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for November 4, 2005

Life Is The Journey

 

Get up, go on your journey. Deuteronomy 10:6-11

 

Come with me back to the days of John Bunyan, and join the journey recounted in Pilgrim's Progress, and especially the journey of the one called CHRISTIAN.

 

Bunyan wants every one of us to identify with this primary character, Christian. His journey is to be our journey. As you watch Christian on his perilous pilgrimage, you actually see humanity,

 

you see yourself,
you see your life
and all that happens to you.

 

Life is the journey and our faith teaches us that the journey is crucial. The destination often seems far distant. The here and now and what we do with the day determines whether we ever reach the goal, in this case, the Celestial City.

 

Prayer:
God of work and play, of labor and of rest: bless us as we set out this day, we pray.
May our journey be in safety;
may we be a joy to people we meet;
may we be refreshed in the goodness of your creation;
may we be renewed in mind, body, and spirit;
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Guide. Amen.

 

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Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for November 3, 2005

In Our Darkest Moments

 

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff - they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

 

I once heard a Bible scholar assure me that the "darkest valley" is for real in Israel. Using some considerable detail he made it clear that some terrifying gorges awaited the ancient traveler. These situations are still with us, even if in a different form.

 

Life is not always easy. Sometimes we experience terrible episodes, times of deep despair and excruciating pain. These are occasions when we don't think we can endure one more moment of agony. For some of us, this is our darkest valley. I recently talked with a gentleman who had for the past several months struggled with cancer.  He shared about some low and desperate moments when there seemed to be no way out of the dark, dark valley. He remember that even simple tasks like standing up, creeping along with a walker, getting dressed, attempting to eat, shaving and brushing teeth were sheer agony. It was in these darkest moments that "I fear no evil; for you are with me" came to his rescue, he said.

 

The rescue came in the form of the still small voice of God our Father whispering saving words. "Just do it! Just do it!" he said. "Trust me! Trust me! Trust me!" That was all he could hear, but that was enough. With his last ounce of strength he pushed on. He struggled to his feet once more. Once more the walker clicked along its weary and painful way. In time, however, the crisis passed. He was surviving. Unsteady feet and shaking hands were still part of the routine chores but little bits of progress were noticed. Dressing was slightly less painful and slowly, very slowly meals became tolerable. Concentrating and remembering are returning bit by bit. A new day is beginning to be something to enjoy not merely something to endure.

 

It is true that life is not always easy. It is, however, equally true that even in our worst moments we have nothing at all to fear and for one reason only: that the Lord is with us. Through all Scripture the words "do not fear" and "I am with you" appear again and again in one form or another. Watch for them! Let them sink in and pray that they will control your whole being; body, mind and spirit. They are truly our rod and our staff. Maybe you too know because you have been there.

 

Prayer:
O Lord our God, great Shepherd of your flock, in your great mercy and compassion let the simple but marvelous words of that old Twenty-Third Psalm become a vital part of our total being so that even in our most desperate moments we will never be afraid and never lose the sense of your powerful but gentle presence. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

 

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Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom

Daily Devotion for November 2, 2005

Two Wanderers

 

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! James 2:1, 8-10, 12-13

 

From the corner of my eye, I first glimpsed him. Loosely fitting clothes, well worn and soiled. I walked purposefully toward my car. Wool-suited, suede-shoed, pay check cashed. Confidently, I walked. Head held high. He staggered. Eyes downcast. Grasping first the wall, then a parking meter, then a post. Red-faced from drinking Aqua Velva filtered through a loaf of bread. Erroneous in his belief that it would do him no harm. He gingerly made his way past my car. If he saw it, he never indicated by lifting his head or even glancing my way. I saw him. I pitied him. I, the smug Levite passing by, never once seeking to help him. To my shame.

 

Would our Lord Jesus have called out to him, "Friend, may I go with you?" Would He have taken his elbow to steady him, or offered His own work-worn, nail-pierced hand? Would He have shared His own loaves and fish with him? Certainly Jesus would have healed him of his disease.

 

Jesus died for him just as He died for me. St. Paul wrote, "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8)

 

That applies to the staggering gentleman and it applies to me, the well-heeled wandering Pharisee. While his sin was obvious for all to see and judge, mine was no less repugnant to God. In fact, it probably was more so. My sin was to judge him and to fail to help him. Sins of commission and omission.

 

Prayer
God of Love, in Jesus' name I confess my own fault and ask Your pardon for failing You, another wanderer, and myself. Grant me Your loving perspective. Grant me courage and strength to reach out. Enable me to express Your love tangibly to others. May my hands and feet be used by You to reach out to the lost who wander in a bleak wasteland world. For I pray in the Name of the One who died for us all. Amen.

 

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Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom