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Showing posts from May 6, 2018

Memories

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This is the reflection I shared with the people of St. Timothy for our weekly e-ministry.  Gospel: Luke 24:44-53 44 [Jesus said to the eleven and those with them,] “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures,  46 and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day,  47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.  48 You are witnesses of these things.  49 And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”    50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them.  51 While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.  52

Friendship with God

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This is the sermon I preached on Sunday, May 6 at  St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The text was John 15:9-17 . Ask any child who has moved to a new place and they will probably tell you that their biggest worry was if they’d make new friends. As parents, we worry if our teenager, young adult or older adult has friends that will be kind and generous, if our son or daughter will find mutually beneficial relationships when they move far from us.  When my son Christian and his wife, Marisa moved from Syracuse to Kansas City, Kansas, we were concerned about them. They had wonderful neighbors and great friendships in Syracuse. Would they make friends in Kansas? Well...they have and we are thankful for that.  We are not immune either from our own relationship trials. Busy lives, competing priorities, transitions, and death can mean the end of a sustaining relationship. Bullying, fear-tactics, and misuse of others are common problems, so friendship is precious. We treasure new frien