Sunday, January 23, 2005

January 23rd Reflection

Sunday 1/23/2005
Luke 18.1-17 - Keep on praying and never give up - pray to God day and night- just like the widow who was persistent with her requests to the judge in Jesus story- keep on praying - confess your sin in prayer - don’t pray and think you’re all great and stuff - confess your sin in prayer - God will forgive you - be humble - especially before God! - be like a little child - you won’t get into God’s kingdom unless you enter it like a child!
Genesis 29.31-30.43 - God knew Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah - so he gave children to Leah, but not to Rachel-- what’s that about? - cause now Leah is thinking Jacob will love her more than Rachel -- is this a competition or something? - this whole cultural thing does get in the way though -- cause Jacob didn’t want Leah in the first place - so now poor Leah is trying to gain Jacob’s favor- makes you feel sorry for her- so now Rachel is jealous of Leah -- I’m not sure if Jacob cares about Leah anyway yet - boy what a Soap Opera! -- Jacob is mad a Rachel now cause they can’t have children and thinks that Rachel is blaming him- So Rachel gives Jacob her servant to have children with- Jacob has a couple of kids - then Leah wants Jacob to sleep with her servant -- Jacob is just some stud! - then Leah sleeps with Jacob after dealing off some mandrakes that were supposed to give sexual powers to Rachel -- I’ve heard other interpretations of the whole mandrake thing too -- different - but I’m not going there - Finally God let Rachel have a child-- Joseph - Now Jacob decides he is ready to leave Laban and go to his own country - Laban wants Jacob to stay - but Jacob wants to look out for his own family now- so he makes a deal with Laban - Jacob will continue to work for Laban with the spotted or speckled goats and the black lambs--well Laban is rotten- he separates out all the spotted or speckled goats and the black lambs and puts his sons over them and give the rest to Jacob-- well if there are any that aren’t spotted or speckled now they will belong to Laban -- since Jacob doesn’t have any spotted or speckled or black sheep to work with -- Jacob doesn’t stand a chance of building up a flock and what he does build up will belong to Laban -- what a jerk Laban is! -- Jacob figures out that if he peels of the bark from branches and makes the branches look speckled and spotted -- when the sheep and goats drink and mate and see the spotted and speckled branches that they will produce spotted and speckled offspring -- and they do! -- then once he had a few he made the others face in the direction of the spotted or speckled or black sheep and they kept reproducing that way -- now - I don’t have a clue as to how Jacob figured that crap out! - but he sure is getting a studly reputation -- with the women and now with how to get animals to reproduce!
Psalm 23 - God is my shepherd- I don’t need a thing - I need to follow God - he will give me rest - he will protect me when I’m in danger- I don’t need to be afraid of anything - God will fill my cup to overflowing - nothing else can fill my cup but his love
OK-for a Sunday this is a good “Luther� prayer
I do not worship my pastor, but he tells me of a Lord whose name is Christ, and makes him known to me. I will be attentive to listen to his words as long as he leads me to this Master and Teacher who is the Son of God. Amen
God’s always present with his people. Nothing can separate us from Christ.
Forgive my sins Lord as I will on my part heartily forgive and gladly to good to those who sin against me.
Matthew 4.12-23 - When Jesus heard of John the Baptist’s arrest he went from Nazareth to Galilee - Jesus was a great light to the people- and he proclaimed to the people to repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near- Jesus had come down to the people - and as he came to the people he asked some to follow him - and they got up and followed - immediately! -- Jesus comes to me-- I must immediately follow -- he comes inside and takes me out - inside out -- go!-- then Jesus went throughout Galilee proclaiming the good news - healing diseases and teaching -- go out! -- inside out!
Ephesians 1.2-10 - I was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. I was adopted to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely gave me in Jesus. I Jesus I am saved - I am to live for the praise of his glory - It’s not about me - it’s all about God
Psalm 103.8-18 - God is abounding in steadfast love- he does not deal with me according to my sins - nor repay me according to my iniquities - his love is steadfast and he removes my sin - forgives me and has compassion on me- he gets over it real nice- the steadfast love of God is from everlasting to everlasting
Prayer - Jesus - you teach how to pray - you make prayer an all day event - you keep me humble in prayer - even when I get all stubborn and am in need of your forgiveness - you teach me to turn to you in prayer - to repent - to turn around and you forgive me - with you I’m like a child - a little kid - I like this -- then I think of Jacob - all the perseverance he showed with Laban - how you made his life so exciting and interesting - but you were always with him - even in his soap opera of a life- well - I know you will be with me also - you will come to me just like you come to those disciples- you come my way - I’m ready to go -it’s time we go out - to proclaim your gospel message - it’s all about you - I’m ready to serve so it’s time I get over my sin - confess it and accept your forgiveness and go -- cause you chose me to go before I even knew about it -- lead me - guide me- show me the path - protect me and shepherd me your speckled goat! -- Amen

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