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Recently in worship, we’ve been using the following prayer after we collect our offering and before we begin our communion liturgy:

Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things. Through your goodness you have blessed us with these gifts: our selves, our time, and our possessions. Use us and what we have gathered, in feeding the world with your love, through the one who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. 

All that we are, and all that we have, belongs to God. It’s one thing to say that…and it’s a whole ‘nother thing to live that. Because if we live knowing and trusting that all that we are belongs to God, in the words of Pastor Brian Stoffregen, “we cannot say about our lives that ‘this part belongs to God, so I will give it to God. Everything we are and everything we have belongs to God. Everything we are and everything we have we are to give back to God.” And that includes our very being. As people made in the image of God, and gifted with the gifts God has given each of us, God is at work in each of you to bear the image of God’s Kingdom to the world. 

So this week, consider for yourself:

1. When people look at you, how might they see you as an image of God? 
2. And, how might your presence re-present God to others? 

In all that we are, we are image bearers of our God who desires to live in relationship with us, and in relationship with all creation. We might restrain ourselves from giving our whole selves to God as a sacrifice of praise. But even still, God’s light within us will shine through as the Spirit moves us to join in God’s mission today. 

Throughout October, you’ve been hearing a variety of individuals share testimonies of how the mission of Jesus through SOTC and our shared ministry has impacted them. In so many ways, lives are being touched by what happens both inside our walls and out in the community!

But why have we been sharing these stories? For a variety of reasons. At the core, we’re sharing these stories to uplift the fruit that has been born within individuals lives, within the congregation, and within our greater community, by the work of the Spirit. And beyond that, we’ve been sharing these stories for you to consider how you’ve been impacted by SOTC and our shared ministry, and for you to consider how you are being led to be a part of the mission of Jesus through SOTC in your participation and in your financial gifts.

So this week, as you consider how you’ve been impacted by the ministry of SOTC and your response, consider these questions:

1. How have the testimonies of Mackenzie, Joseph, and the Thoma’s within worship impacted you? 
2. Thinking about yourself: have you grown in faith in the past year(s)? How? What has assisted your growth? 
3. How might God be calling you to participate in continuing to share the Good News of Jesus Christ within our congregation and broader community?
4. Thinking of your financial budget: can you commit to financially supporting the mission of Jesus through SOTC? If so, would you be willing to make a commitment to yourself by utilizing the Estimate of Giving Worksheet?  

We thank you, in advance, for your continued partnership with us as we live on purpose for a purpose in the name of Jesus. Together, we form this unique body of Christ; and together, we are a part of the whole living body of Christ within the world…called and sent to spread God’s liberating love with all the world. 

If I were to ask you, what are you pursuing in your life right now?, what would you say? 

At various stages of our lives, we likely find ourselves pursuing different things. In young adulthood, we may pursue a degree, a partner, or begin a family. In time, we may pursue a change of job, or we may pursue a healthier lifestyle. We may pursue a passion project, or we may pursue something to help us grow. 

Point being: throughout life, we pursue many, many things. And this past week, we heard encouragement from Paul of what to pursue, and what not to pursue. Calling a spade a spade, Paul reminds the Philippians that it is not worth our time to pursue wealth, possessions, status, or even merit-badges. Instead, what is worth our time and our pursuit is 1) to know Christ, and 2) to become like him. 

So as you enter into another week, consider for yourself, what is it that you are pursuing in your life right now? Reflect on your pursuit, and consider how it does or doesn’t intersect with your life of faith. 

If you’re looking for more questions to reflect on following this past Sunday’s focus, consider the following:

1. You may have heard people refer to money or other material possessions as “blessings” from God. Do you agree? What makes this mindset dangerous? 
2. Is there an aspect of your life you are hesitant to give to Jesus? What do you need to do to submit your whole self to Christ and to your neighbors in humility and service? 

For any one of us to fully give ourselves to Christ and to one another would be impossible without the work of the Holy Spirit. But transformed by the Spirit, and led by Christ, we can go forth into our daily lives as stewards: serving one another in humility and servitude. 

This past Sunday was the first week of our stewardship emphasis for the month of October. Dwelling in Exodus 17, we heard the story of the Israelites struggling with the reality of scarcity in the middle of the desert. Not seeing any water, they begin to panic, leading to fear. But this fear only leads to their mistrust in Moses as their leader and their mistrust in God’s promise to provide for them. 

Though we might not be Israelites wandering in the middle of a literal desert, there are times in our lives in which we find ourselves in wilderness places. Perhaps we have felt the tinge of scarcity, or perhaps we know others who have. Either way, each and every one of us has felt the power of fear and how easy it is to hold onto fear, limiting our ability to trust ourselves, to trust others, and most importantly to trust God. 

Fear is powerful and has the ability to lead us to mistrust. And, when we are held tightly in the grip of fear, it may be challenging to receive the provision God has for us. But here’s the good news: even when we are bound by fear, and even rescind our trust in God, God promises – always – to be faithful to us, no matter what. 

So, as you go into the coming week, if you’re looking to ponder these ideas and our Scripture lesson a bit further, I invite you to consider these questions:

1. In the midst of scarcity, what is your knee-jerk response?
2. What fears are you holding? What fears have you held onto and how did it impact you?
3. What makes trusting God’s provision so gosh darn hard?
4. You’ve heard it said that God helps those who help themselves. Why might that not be true? How does the Exodus story help reshape this phrase we’ve heard before?

In faith, we trust that God promises to provide enough for us, and enough for all people. And thanks be to God, it’s not up to what we “do” to receive God’s provision. But now, as people who trust in God’s faithfulness, it’s our responsibility as stewards of God’s provision to share what we have received with all the world.

Throughout September, we dwelled in four “Marks of Discipleship.” We explored how we are called to lose ourselves to Christ – giving our full selves to Christ and Christ’s will; we wrestled with how to approach one another even in sin and conflict; we heard the command to forgive as we have been forgiven to be free to live fully, now; and we were encouraged to consider the health of our perspective of ourselves, God, and God’s Kingdom for our sake and for the sake of the world. 

Now, in the month of October, we’re taking another step as disciples of Christ. Yes, we’re talking about stewardship. 

Often, when the word “stewardship” is uttered, our first reaction is to think about money. But the truth is that stewardship is much, much more than money. Stewardship is the way we live in response to what God has entrusted to us as disciples of Jesus. And, that includes how we live in response to the grace that God has entrusted to us!

So, for the next month, we’ll be focused on the theme “You’ve Heard It Said,” unpacking what Scripture (and Jesus) have to say about stewardship (and money) and unpacking church traditions when it comes to stewardship. 

Similar to September, we’ll provide some questions for you to consider that reflect on the previous Sunday’s emphasis. Additionally, the Stewardship Team is providing At-Home Practices for adults, teens, and kids! Click the link above to download the practices and see what practices might be appropriate for you and your family. The first two pages are specifically geared toward adults and teens, page 3 is aimed at conversation with families with kids, and pages 4-5 give a template for not only discussing, but enacting stewardship as an act of faith within an entire household. 

At the heart, stewardship is love in action. Stewardship IS discipleship. We hope you’ll join us in worship, and take advantage of the resources shared with you to deepen not only your stewardship practices, but also your walk with Christ. 

Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase “forgive and forget.” For years, I figured that’s what a “good Christian was supposed to do.” Isn’t that what Jesus alluded to in our parable from Sunday in which the slave was forgiven all his debts and he was in turn to offer that same forgiveness to the person who owed him money? 

Perhaps. But the more I’ve found myself in dicey situations, and the more stories I’ve heard from others, I can’t support the notion that we are to completely forget what’s happened when forgiveness is offered. Because if we are to just “forget” what’s happened, that seems to suggest that in forgiveness, you’re giving permission for someone to continue in sin rather than holding that person accountable. 

So instead of “forgive and forget” what would it be like to “forgive and let go”? 

The two sound quite similar. But consider these words from Pastor Craig Koester: “Forgiveness is not acceptance of the past. Forgiveness is the declaration that the past will not define the future. With that gift of forgiveness Christ Jesus opens up a future that is defined by love.”

By offering, and receiving, forgiveness, we are consciously letting go of whatever it is that happened so that that event won’t continue to dictate us (or our future interactions with another person) into the future. In short, forgiveness is freedom from that hurt, pain, guilt, or shame, so that we can live into a renewed future, and possibly a renewed relationship. 

So as you continue to ponder what it means for you to live forgiveness as a disciple of Jesus, ponder these questions this week:

1. Is there something that you did, or something that happened to you, that you’re hanging onto? What would it take for you to let go of that?
2. What makes offering forgiveness challenging for you, if anything?
3. What makes receiving forgiveness challenging for you, if anything? 

Living in a way of forgiveness takes practice, time and time again. But as we practice forgiveness as a way of life, we will receive a foretaste of the freedom and healing that God desires for us, and for all people.

 

As much as we’d like to avoid it, conflict is a given. It happens. Whether we like it or not, sin and brokenness have woven themselves into the very fabric of humanity, leading to hurt and division. Since sometime around preschool and kindergarten, we’ve learned how to react to not getting our way, and we’ve learned how to approach someone who’s hurt us. And yet, still, even as followers of Jesus in the church, resolving conflict (indeed, even approaching conflict!) can be quite challenging. 

Why? Well, there are a whole host of reasons. But at the core, I wonder if the reason we avoid conflict, or approach it in unhealthy ways, is based on fear. Because even to approach one another – either as the one who has sinned, or as the one who has been sinned upon – takes a good dose of courage. In any given situation, you can’t predict how another person is going to respond to what you have to say!

In short, there’s uncertainty in even attempting to resolve conflict. And yet, as we heard this past Sunday, as people who have already been reconciled to God through Christ Jesus, now we are the ones who are sent forth to carry out the ministry of reconciliation as ambassadors of Christ. Which means that now you have been given the ministry of testifying to what God has done for you. You have been given the ministry of enacting that reconciliation in your relationships. And you have been given the ministry of advocating for reconciliation between all peoples so that each and every person has a place within God’s community, and within God’s holy church. 

So as you continue to ponder what it means to witness to community, and to live as a minister of reconciliation this week, consider these questions:

1. What is your natural reaction to conflict? 
2. Does the way you engage with those around you – even with those who have sinned against you – witness to the message of God’s reconciliation? Why or why not? 
3. How are you being called to witness to community by carrying out the ministry of reconciliation? 

We won’t be able to create lives void of conflict. But as we look to Christ, who is in the midst of us, and as we rely on the power of the Spirit, we can live together in community – more fully and more freely – and we can witness to the promise that all people have worth, and a place, in God’s Kingdom.

This past Sunday, I shared with you all a story of my childhood dog, Dakota. She was a good dog, but one habit she never grew out of was finding Mom’s socks. She’d never do anything with the socks. Never shred em. She’d just take ’em around the house with her all day, and greet us at the door with ’em stuffed in her mouth. 

As one can guess, this led to commands of “drop it,” which, often wasn’t heeded the first time. So sometimes, in desperation, we’d try a “trade.” Trade the socks for a treat (not great dog training!), resulting in (eventually) getting the socks back. 

In our Gospel this past weekend, we heard a strong command from Jesus to “deny ourselves.” Other Gospels sometimes use the phrase “lose yourself.” Over the course of church history, this command has been interpreted to mean a whole host of things. But at the core, Jesus was inviting his disciples, and us, simply to let go of the things that we often hold so tightly onto (physically or metaphorically) that keep us from receiving the “treat” of God’s Kingdom that Jesus is trying to offer us. 

So as we take this Sunday’s message with us into the coming week, I encourage you to consider these questions:

1. Are there things, expectations, perceptions, or long-held beliefs that you’re clutching, keeping you from receving Christ’s promise for you? 
2. Are you satisfied with the “sock” that you have? Or, do you desire something more? 
3. What would need to happen for you to let go of the “sock” you’re holding to receive God’s life for you?

As we’ll discover in the weeks to come, Jesus’ call to discipleship isn’t always a fuzzy-wuzzy, comfortable message. But the irony is that as we lose ourselves to Christ, and to one another, we actually won’t be losing anything…and we will be gaining everything. 

This past Sunday, we explored how we are both conformed to Christ and transformed into Christ. Drawing on Paul’s letter to the Romans, we were challenged to conform ourselves to Christ’s teachings, Christ’s grace, and Christ’s Kingdom while also allowing the Spirit to transform us and our faith. 

So then what does that look like to conform ourselves to Christ and allow the Spirit to transform us more and more as people of faith who seek God’s will? 

Well, in the next four weeks of worship (through September), we’ll embrace this question as we explore what it means to live as a disciple of Jesus. But fair warning: what we’ll hear in our Gospel passages isn’t fuzzy-wuzzy comfortable stuff. Discipleship asks something of us: to lose ourselves, to live in community even when there’s potential for hurt, to forgive one another, and to extend God’s boundless generosity with those that we’d rather not associate with or even think about ever again. Not easy asks. And yet, as we reach this point in the Gospel of Matthew, as Jesus himself begins to turn himself toward the cross, this is the message Jesus has for his disciples – and for us.

So as we make our way through September, I hope you can join us as we dive into, and adopt, these marks of discipleship. On our own, these upcoming teachings would be too much to absorb. But led and transformed by God’s Spirit, all of us (indeed, all people), are ushered into God’s Kingdom. 

As many of our kids in the greater Muscatine community return to school tomorrow, we offer a prayer for all students, teachers, mentors, coaches, nurses, and all who form our children and youth. Have a great first day back Shepherd students – whether here in Muscatine or away at college!

Dear God, as we get ready to start another year in school, we ask your blessing on students. Bless them with eagerness to learn, that their world may grow large; respect for teachers and fellow students, that they may form healthy relationships; love for nature, that they may become caretakers of your creation; happiness when learning is easy and stick-to-it-iveness when it is hard; faith in Jesus as their best teacher and closest friend. We ask for your protection over all who learn and teach. Watch over them and keep them safe as they travel to and from school. As they learn, help them also to discover the different gifts that you have given each one of them to be used in your work in the world; and as they hear the many voices that will fill their days, help them to listen most carefully for your voice, the one that tells them you will love them always, no matter what. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Blessings to all engaged in education in the coming year, and blessings to all of us as we continue to grow and learn in faith!