March 20th Reflection by Bill Lynch

Numbers 20:1-13 (NRSV)
God gives water from the rock
The Israelites, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died there, and was buried there.

Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and against Aaron. The people quarreled with Moses and said, "Would that we had died when our kindred died before the Lord! Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here? Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to bring us to this wretched place? It is no place for grain, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates; and there is no water to drink." Then Moses and Aaron went away from the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting; they fell on their faces, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and your brother Aaron, and command the rock before their eyes to yield its water. Thus you shall bring water out of the rock for them; thus you shall provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.
So Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he had commanded him. Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, "Listen, you rebels, shall we bring water for you out of this rock?" Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff; water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their livestock drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me, to show my holiness before the eyes of the Israelites, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them." These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel quarreled with the Lord, and by which he showed his holiness.


Reflection
Again, God saves his complaining people. Again, God brings water from a rock. I can't help but to think to Jesus in this passage. I recall statements relating Jesus to the cornerstone of the Church. I recall my baptismal waters and think of this life saving water flowing from this rock. Baptism, a gift from God. God gives baptism and salvation to me before I can begin to recognize what I've been given. That's grace! A God that gives you something no matter if you decide to accept it or not. God loves me and you so much we are granted salvation and water from the rock no matter what. You have no choice. Now, you can believe and live a response of thanks, praise and give honor to God. Or you can run. But the gift of water from the rock and salvation is given. Even if you are crying about it. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, your love amazes me. How much you love your people. Thanks...I believe. --- Amen

March 19th Reflection by Bill Lynch

Exodus 15:22-27 (NRSV)
God gives the people water
Then Moses ordered Israel to set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter. That is why it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" He cried out to the Lord; and the Lord showed him a piece of wood; he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the Lord made for them a statute and an ordinance and there he put them to the test. He said, "If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you."

Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they camped there by the water.

Reflection
Even though the Israelites had been delivered from the Egyptians by a loving and gracious God, they still needed to pray and cry out to God for help along their journey towards the promised land.

Isn't it amazing how a tree planted years prior to this situation of the Israelites tasting of the bitter water would be the tree that would make the bitter water sweet. God had so lovingly thought of the Israelites in advance.

Today, too, God has loved all people. God had planned in advance our deliverance from sin through Jesus life, ministry, suffering, death and resurrection. But we still walk the journey in the wilderness. Even though delivered, life can be tough. We, too, need to cry out in prayer to God for the wood that makes the water sweet. Doesn't this make you recall your baptism and the cross? And to think that it's a corporate action that comes also in an individual experience. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, hear your peoples cry as we walk through this wilderness of life towards the promised land. You alone deliver and sustain us... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen

March 18th Reflection by Bill Lynch

Fourth Sunday in Lent
John 3:14-21 (NRSV)
The lifting up of the Son of Man
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.


"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God."

Reflection
The gospel in a nutshell is a title many have given to John 3:16, but this passage contains so much more to give thought to and to live in. God commanded Moses to raise a post with a bronze figure of a snake for the people to look at and live. The Israelites had complained about having to eat worthless food in manna and judgment came in the form of poisonous snakes. Many people died. Soon the Israelites realized the sin they had committed and confessed their sin.

I'm just as sinful as the Israelites. I too complain about my place in life, income, health and many other aspects of daily living. I sin in wanting more and more without giving thanks for what I have. No different than the Israelites. I too have confessed my sin both personally and corporately.

The Israelites saw how God had blessed them with life. They were taught that deliverance from death only comes from God. They were invited to look and live. Likewise today, all people have been invited to confess their sin and look and live. Today we can look at Jesus on that cross, see Jesus become our sin, take on our sin and die for our sin. We can look and live. As we look we believe and see the pain and sorrow our sin has caused God in Jesus to endure and we are given life. Given life not because we looked, we looked to believe, but we are given life because of what Jesus has done.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life."

We look and believe in that life. As the Israelites looked at the serpent they believed in God's deliverance from death and lived.

In this promise of life we no longer need to worry about sin. We no longer need to hide in the darkness with our sin. Sin itself, in Jesus has been brought to the Light and has been exposed in all of it's ugliness and Jesus in our sin, put it to death.  We have seen and our sin has been exposed before all. Even though we may still sin today, Jesus has defeated that sin. We may still live with sin, but we no longer need to fear that sin because of what Jesus has already done. We now can live in the Light of the day.

It's confusing, I know, even still to me, but it seems to say to me, now our focus is not so much on our sin but on the response to what Jesus has done for us on that cross. We don't focus on our sin, because Jesus died with our sin, so we focus on the eternal life we have been granted through Jesus. Now we live as children of the resurrection of new life and live for God in the Light of Jesus. We wait for the return of Jesus when he will gather all together with him in glory.

Until that time? Until then we live in the Light. We are disciples of Jesus, learning, working, loving and living for him with those he gives to us each day. We are called, gathered and enlightened to live eternal life beginning now, as we have looked, believed and received life. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Jesus, as I live in your gracious Light, may your light shine brightly in and through me that I may actively love those you have given to me this day that they too may look at you, believe in you and live... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen

Good Gifts - Connie Cow

1 Peter 2:1-7 (New Revised Standard)

1 Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and 5 like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in scripture: "See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." 7 To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,"

Reflection
At first I didn't think that my milk was spiritual milk, but maybe it is. Maybe my milk is good for more than nourishment. Maybe my milk is good for more than strengthening the bones and teeth of humans. I think my milk may have a little bit of that spiritual taste to it at times, moo-re times than not.

God has gifted me with many qualities. I'm good for milk, fertilizer, my babies, and hopefully, in the end, some meat. I can make a family rich enough to sustain life.

Since God has gifted me with many qualities, I like to think of myself as part of this cycle of life. God granted me a blessing of life that I may give my life to bless others. It's kinda like that spiritual milk the humans long for. Humans desire to taste the kindness of life God has granted them through drinking in the spiritual milk only God can provide.

This milk is available through the love of Jesus Christ sometimes referred to as the cornerstone of a building. Jesus is the Living Stone and Christians become like him through the drinking of the spiritual milk. But living stones can't be kept alone, they must come together and be built one on another with Jesus as the cornerstone. All creatures are only fulfilled in God. So humans live to place all those bad qualities behind them and live to love Jesus the Living Cornerstone of all creation.

And that's where you and I come together. Through "Good Gifts" you can purchase me and more like me to be given to people in need. But, I only want you to do this out of the love of Jesus. I want you to show Jesus' love to another in need because you have tasted that wonderful spiritual milk only God can provide. After all, we love Jesus by serving others. Sometimes I feel moo-ved to express my love for God in offering myself up to God's creation. Don't you feel moo-ved too?

Your Friend,
Connie Cow

Prayer
Lord, give me that spiritual milk that I may love as you have loved. --- Amen

www.elca.org/goodgifts

March 17th Refelction by Bill Lynch

Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 (NRSV)
God delivers from distress
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
those he redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south. ...

Some were sick through their sinful ways,
and because of their iniquities endured affliction;
they loathed any kind of food,

and they drew near to the gates of death.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress;
he sent out his word and healed them,
and delivered them from destruction.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices,
and tell of his deeds with songs of joy.

Reflection
One has to wonder sometimes, why me? Why did God choose to rescue me from my sin and selfishness? Why did God come to me and call me? What does God want with me when so many others are out there so much better than me?

But, as you take an honest look at the words of the Bible, you see that God has come to the sick, the poor, the sinful and the needy and called, gathered and enlightened them with the Holy Spirit and used them for God's work. It truly is God's work our hands as expressed so many times. Here is the mystery of many of the passages this week revealed. Through the loving actions of God in Jesus Christ, we have been called, sinful though we are, to respond to God. The Holy Spirit builds our faith and we soon believe in what Jesus has done for us and are in Christ.

Having sought our own redemption and failed, we turn to Jesus sinful people that we are, humbled in our sin and weakness, Jesus takes us in and gives us the promise of resurrection in and through what he has already done.

Psalm 107 is often referred to as the Song of the Redeemed. God's love endures our sin. God's love is steadfast and true. God has become our next of kin (ga'al) in relationship and has taken us in to be his, forever. Through our sickness and sin, God in Jesus has rescued us and God in the Holy Spirit sustains us and delivers us. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, you did it... you did what I couldn't even come close to... you did it and I give you my life... my love... my heart... my hands. Use me this day to love those you give to me and proclaim the glory of all you do for all your people... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen 

Good Gifts - Alfred Alpaca

Judges 6:36-40 (New Revised Standard)

36 Then Gideon said to God, "In order to see whether you will deliver Israel by my hand, as you have said, 37 I am going to lay a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will deliver Israel by my hand, as you have said." 38 And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, "Do not let your anger burn against me, let me speak one more time; let me, please, make trial with the fleece just once more; let it be dry only on the fleece, and on all the ground let there be dew." 40 And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.

Reflection
OK, I know it wasn't my fleece that Gideon used or even the fleece of one of my relatives, but it was a fleece. My fleece is what I'm known for. My fleece is used for clothing, bedding, rugs and many other things. My fleece is even warmer and softer than that ol wool fleece that Gideon used. After all, just look how cute I am. But to be fair to Gideon, he would have had to travel half a world to get hold of my fleece. Now that would have really been a test for God!

Maybe not, come to think of it. I suppose God could have picked up some of my fleece and taken it to Gideon to have him run a test on it. Gideon thought he was putting out the test to see if God would deliver Israel by Gideon's hand. After all, even I could believe if there was dew on the fleece and that rocky hard threshing floor was dry, but flip it around, now there's a test! So Gideon did and the fleece was dry and the floor was wet! Gid ol boy, you better get with it and surprise those Midianites!

God surprises me all the time. He created me and gave me a purpose with you in mind. With a little of your money and a bunch of your prayers for those in need, I can provide an income for people for twenty years or so. Together with "Good Gifts" we can respond to the test of love that God gave to Gideon, the Israelites and to you and me. You see when I think of all that God has done for us, what more of a joyful reason would we have than to love God by serving others. So, ol buddy ol pal... we better get with it and suprise a few people!

Your Warm Friend,
Alfred Alpaca

Prayer
Lord, may we serve and love all creation by loving others as you have loved us. --- Amen

www.elca.org/goodgifts

March 16th Reflection by Bill Lynch

Ephesians 1:7-14 (NRSV)
We live to the praise of God's glory
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.

Reflection
All things are in Christ. All things from beginning to eternity. The mystery of it all is in Christ. We have life in Christ and we exist in Christ. We are united in Christ, Jew, Gentile and all people. It is through God's love for us that Jesus was sent into this world to gather us together as one. We are gathered to hear the Word and witness to the truth that is in Christ. We receive the gospel and accept Christ as the one who fulfills all the Law and Commands. We are sealed through the promise. Once a seal of circumcision and now a seal of baptism as a show of an earthly element, the Word and the promise of God. We are sent with the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us along life's way to proclaim the glory of all that God has done for us through and in Christ.

As we live in Christ we are being gathered together with those throughout all time along with all things on heaven and earth. All in Christ and to the glory of the Father through the Holy Spirit. Wow! In Christ! Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Jesus, gather, empower, seal and send each and all of us in you that we may joyfully proclaim to all what you have done... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen

March 15th Reflection by Bill Lynch

Ephesians 1:3-6 (NRSV)
Blessed be God, who chose us in Christ
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Reflection
A couple of things come to mind to me in this passage. I have always liked, wondered and pondered names of churches that contained "in Christ" or "in Jesus." The second thought is the mystery of divine election.

The Church does exist in Christ. As a church Christ is the center, the cornerstone and even the Head. So, as a Church we do exist in Christ. We are chosen and hear the gospel and respond to the message in faith. We exist in Jesus who has taken us before the Father to be his Chosen People.

It's no wonder that Paul breaks out into a litany of praise in this passage. It's fantastic to know how special and unique and loved we are as we exist in Christ. We have been elected and confirm our election with praise and thanksgiving for all God has done. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Jesus, I rejoice in being in the Church and in Christ, chosen, elected, called and sent to praise your loving acts of kindness today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen

March 14th Reflection by Bill Lynch

Mark 11:15-19 (NRSV)
Jesus cleanses the temple
Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. He was teaching and saying, "Is it not written,
'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'?
But you have made it a den of robbers."

And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.
Reflection
I notice in this passage how Jesus takes action then teaches. He puts things in order and cleanses the temple of people trying to just make money from Jews who need certain coins to offer and animals to sacrifice to God, then he teaches us about the temple.

We can apply Jesus teachings about the temple building to the temple body as well. We also should be a house of prayer to God. We were made to worship and honor God. In this way we keep the temple of our bodies and spirits clean. But the real cleansing comes through and in the acts soon to follow in this passage. The ultimate cleansing for our own temples comes in the acts of Jesus suffering, death and resurrection. This is the cleansing we so long for and it is given freely to us. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Jesus, I give you thanks for cleansing the temple, in so many more ways than one. --- Amen

March 13th Reflection by Bill Lynch

2 Chronicles 29:1-11, 16-19 (NRSV)
Hezekiah cleanses the temple
Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty five years old; he reigned twenty nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, just as his ancestor David had done.

In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. He brought in the priests and the Levites and assembled them in the square on the east. He said to them, "Listen to me, Levites! Sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and carry out the filth from the holy place. For our ancestors have been unfaithful and have done what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God; they have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the dwelling of the Lord, and turned their backs. They also shut the doors of the vestibule and put out the lamps, and have not offered incense or made burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel. Therefore the wrath of the Lord came upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he has made them an object of horror, of astonishment, and of hissing, as you see with your own eyes. Our fathers have fallen by the sword and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this. Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger may turn away from us. My sons, do not now be negligent, for the Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence to minister to him, and to be his ministers and make offerings to him." ...

The priests went into the inner part of the house of the Lord to cleanse it, and they brought out all the unclean things that they found in the temple of the Lord into the court of the house of the Lord; and the Levites took them and carried them out to the Wadi Kidron. They began to sanctify on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the vestibule of the Lord; then for eight days they sanctified the house of the Lord, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished. Then they went inside to King Hezekiah and said, "We have cleansed all the house of the Lord, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the table for the rows of bread and all its utensils. All the utensils that King Ahaz repudiated during his reign when he was faithless, we have made ready and sanctified; see, they are in front of the altar of the Lord."

Reflection
When we fall away from God and move towards sin and selfishness our temple becomes unclean and disgusting. In this reading the people had fallen away to idol worship and many other sins. The king wanted to change this, so he began with the cleaning of the temple. It reminds me of the upper room in which Jesus and his disciples had the Last Supper. The room was made clean and put in order. We too clean our rooms in the presence of Jesus. We put things in order because we know the wonderful acts that Jesus has done for us. We clean our upper rooms for one another to bring comfort to our friends. We clean our upper rooms and temples to welcome one who is important.

Prayer
Lord, please come into my temple or my upper room this day. I am delighted with your presence. --- Amen

March 12th Reflection by Bill Lynch

1 Kings 6:1-4, 21-22 (NRSV)
Solomon builds the temple
In the four hundred eightieth year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the Lord. The house that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits wide, across the width of the house. Its depth was ten cubits in front of the house. For the house he made windows with recessed frames. ...


Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold, then he drew chains of gold across, in front of the inner sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold. Next he overlaid the whole house with gold, in order that the whole house might be perfect; even the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.

Reflection
The Temple wasn't intended to be a church like we think of today. A church for a congregation to gather anyway. The Temple was intended to house God. No wonder the materials and design were of the best human abilities of the age.

But the Temple then could never come close to the Temple that God sent us in Jesus. In Jesus body, his suffering, death and resurrection; we have graciously been granted entry into the temple of Jesus body the Church and Jesus into the temple of our body, part of the Church. We are slowly becoming one with Jesus and one another. Now that's a beautiful Temple! Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Beautiful Savior, I look to you and give my temple to your Church... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen

Good Gifts - Jenny Jug

Mark 14:12-16 (New Revised Standard)

12 On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, "Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?" 13 So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, "The Teacher asks, Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there." 16 So the disciples set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.


Reflection

Jesus, we are honored when you use us to unfold the Gospel to all people. Use us to love another as you love us... today ... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen

www.elca.org/goodgiftsGramps told me it was Thursday evening. It was usually only the women that carried us around, but for some reason this time it was a man. Jesus told these men to follow the man that was carrying Gramps. Follow Gramps to where the man was taking him. Now Jesus had an arrangement with the owner of this big upper room to use that evening. This upper room that Gramps entered was tidy, in order, and everything was in place. A clean upper room for what must about to be one tremendous occasion. Some disciples stayed in the upper room with Gramps and prepared the food for the feast.

Funny thing about this feast, all around town the people in their homes were preparing meals all around a lamb as the main course. These disciples didn't have a lamb prepared. Gramps thought that was the weirdest part of it all.

Gramps also told me that years ago the people would eat the feast standing up, but now since they were no longer servants and weren't in a hurry, they would eat it sitting down in that funny reclining position. During supper there was some argument that took place and Jesus made one of the guys upset enough to leave.
The party present surrounded Jesus and he broke bread and served some wine. Apparently Jesus was leading on like he was the lamb to be slain. But Jesus left some hint in his conversation that he would be resurrected from the dead. It left all the disciples pretty upset and confused.

Now as Gramps recalls, he had a relative years ago, when this Jesus guy turned the water inside of him into some really good tasting wine. It was another party too, and Jesus brought life back to that party by loving and caring for the people present to make the best wine ever tasted.

So Gramps thought that this might be something on the same lines. A party with some wine and bread, with Jesus who brings new life to people that has fallen into sin. Gramps wasn't sure what he might be carrying now; perhaps he had the wine. But the whole idea of all of our ancestor’s experiences was that we contained water that brought new life. It's still that way today. We baptize, we wash hands before this great communion, and we are an earthly element in the restoration of new spiritual and new life.

Through the years they began to make us out of plastic and other materials, but we do the same thing. We bring water that sustains life to people in so many ways. We have to be durable for long times and long trips. I have so many relatives today that are needed to bring life to so many people. They have this program called Good Gifts where disciples can give something called money so that more jugs can be created and more of that life giving water can be moved from one place to another for giving new life to those who don't have it. You can be involved with the giving of new life too. Just like Jesus used Gramps and so many others to bring the new life you too could do something like that.

What a better response could you have than to care for those who need that water? After all Jesus gave himself as the lamb that night just for you. I would be honored to carry some of that water for you.

Follow me,
Jenny Jug

Prayer

March 11th Reflection by Bill Lynch

Third Sunday in Lent
John 2:13-22 (NRSV)
The cleansing of the temple
The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!" His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me." The Jews then said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews then said, "This temple has been under construction for forty six years, and will you raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Reflection
How we take our offerings and what God desires of them and turn them into forms of monetary and individual gain appalled Jesus. This was the temple of God and human acts of selfishness were taking place rather than offerings from the heart to honor and praise God. This temple had turned sour.

Jesus, knowing the sacrifice required, wanted to show that the real temple of his body would be slain and rise again to glory. Through Jesus each one of us will make up the Temple of God. Each of our bodies as individual temples will house God and be reunited with spirit to the Spirit of God.

And it's this that we slowly begin to grasp, after the events of the resurrection. We see the Word of God revealed. Just as today we see the Word revealed to us slowly and meaningful for daily living. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, show me how to maintain a clean spirit and mind as I dedicate myself as a living sacrifice to you this day. --- Amen

March 10th Reflection by Bill Lynch

Psalm 19 (NRSV)
The commandments give light to the eyes
The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
their voice is not heard;
yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.

In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,

which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,
and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them;
and nothing is hid from its heat.

The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey,
and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can detect their errors?
Clear me from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from the insolent;
do not let them have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Reflection
Have you been listening to the news about the sun lately? It's up to something fascinating with solar flares and sun spots. It's causing wonderful night skies in the north with the Aurora Borealis. God's work not only through nature but through God's divine Word. As we observe nature and the handiwork of God, it's as if, God is showing us tiny peeks at awesome power and creativity beyond what we can fathom.

Then we turn to the Word and see Jesus revealed in it from beginning to end. Jesus revealed in his saving grace to bring light into our lives and recreate us into something new that is free of sin, death and the devil. We witness Jesus light and as it travels to us, in us and through us, we wonderfully light up the sky with a host of beauty in the night sky.

Yes, it's all about God and how the Spirit is active in this world, even as we await the fulfillment of God's plan today. So we proclaim with joy... "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer."

Prayer
Beautiful Savior, may your light shine through me today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen

Good Gifts - Nancy Net

Mark 1:16-20 (New Revised Standard)

16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

Reflection
Yoo hoo! Over here. Come on over here. Someone is calling your name. Just get up and go. Leave where you are and what you are doing and come on over here. It's better over here anyway. You get to meet me! Yoo hoo! Over here. Come and see me. I have some good news for you. I can give you protection too. Come over here!

Years ago there were these fellas that used nets to catch fish. They were pros at this thing. They would cast those nets into the sea and draw in fish good enough to feed so many people. They made a living doing this. Fish is some good eatin' so I've been told. One day while these guys was casting their nets a man named Jesus came by with his own kind of net. Jesus asked them to pack it up and follow him. Jesus had some nets that would catch people.

There are all kinds of nets, nets for fish, butterflies, hair, volleyballs, tennis, and me, a mosquito net. Nets come in almost all shapes and sizes. I'm used for preventing mosquitoes from getting to people. The mosquitoes bite the people and the people get sick and die. It's a horrible thing. It's a job I just love to do, because the mosquitoes can't hurt me and I give people life. Especially the young ones. I like to watch those little babies and get them to give me a smile every once in a while. Now that smile can make your day.

People need nets badly in some areas because of the mosquitoes. Hey! I have an idea that I'm sure Jesus would love. He talked about fishing for people, well on one side of me is people and the other side of me are those nasty mosquitoes. This thing called Good Gifts allows you to give money so those mosquito nets can be made for people that need them to live. You give the money and together we will fish for people! Sometimes I amaze myself. But, I'm not the first to think of this whole thing.

I think that's what Jesus meant. When Jesus catches the people in the net on the inside is love and life and on the outside are all those things that bring death and sin. This new net we get can show the love of Jesus on the inside and keep the mosquitoes of death on the outside and we can give those little babies a goofy face and raspberries too for a laugh or two. How about it?

Don't waste any time. Get up and go give just like those guys called disciples years ago. You are disciples today so go. Get with it!

Your protective friend,
Nancy Net

Prayer
Jesus, wrap us and all you give to us this day tightly in your net of love and grace that we all my bring joy and new life to your Kingdom. --- Amen

www.elca.org/goodgifts

March 9th Reflection by Bill Lynch

Acts 7:30-40 (NRSV)
God spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai
"Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight; and as he approached to look, there came the voice of the Lord: 'I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look. Then the Lord said to him, 'Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have surely seen the mistreatment of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. Come now, I will send you to Egypt.'

"It was this Moses whom they rejected when they said, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge?' and whom God now sent as both ruler and liberator through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. He led them out, having performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years. This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, 'God will raise up a prophet for you from your own people as he raised me up.' He is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living oracles to give to us. Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him; instead, they pushed him aside, and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, saying to Aaron, 'Make gods for us who will lead the way for us; as for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.'
Reflection
God shows up anywhere and everywhere it seems. God is not too choosy about where he goes or who he chooses. We tend to see the Biblical Characters in a light that raises them up, and rightly so, but we forget sometimes to see them for the humans that they really are like. They are like you and me. In many ways almost exactly like you and me.

But God is closer than you think. God will come to you in places you least expect it. Yes, come to you! God chooses you also. You are precious in God's sight. When asked to do something, you have received an honor. Don't take it lightly. Just as mentioned in the past few reflections, turn to God first,  not to your own means. Turn to God and pray about that service God has requested. Check it out with a few other's. Search it out in the Word and at Church. Then decide. This can be done quickly. It's not like this needs to take days or months. It can also be done slowly. You will know how much time to take. And expect some push-back from God.

God is closer than you think and loves you more than you could imagine and wants you to be his disciple in the unfolding of new life in this world for all people. It's a joyous journey of faith, hope and love. Have fun with God and be bold to play with Jesus, Moses, Elijah and someone else in God's Kingdom every day of your life.

Prayer
Lord, you come to my door each day with your friends and mine; let's go play! --- Amen

March 8th Reflection by Bill Lynch

1 Peter 2:4-10 (NRSV)
You are God's own people
Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture:
"See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."

To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,
"The stone that the builders rejected
has become the very head of the corner,"
and
"A stone that makes them stumble,
and a rock that makes them fall."
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Once you were not a people,
but now you are God's people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.

Reflection
Here we consider the corporate aspect of our faith. We are built together, stones though we are, we are brought to life as living stones through the corner stone of our faith in Jesus. As we gather as a church we come alive and begin to imitate Jesus upon whom we are connected.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, bring us together as your Church that we may do your will in the way only you would have it done... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen

Good Gifts - Chelsea Chick

Matthew 23:37 (New Revised Standard)

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! "

Reflection

He loved his young so much. He wanted to protect them from all harms. But his desires to love and protect only seemed to cause his young to question him. Is this guy for real? Is this love for us or is it to take over what we have spent years to construct, to plan, to organize and to build? We put much into this to get along with the local government and still be able to live our lifestyle as we please. Maybe this guy is trying to deceive us and take us away from our God and lead us somewhere God would not wish for us to go?

But this guy, Jesus, he really did love his young. He loved them so much that we wanted to gather all of them under his wing and protect them. But he didn't have any wings that I can see. It's almost like Jesus wanted to be a chicken for a day to protect his chicks. That wasn't going to happen. After all, even if this Jesus were God, why would he want to be a chicken?

Reading this story got me to thinking. If Jesus loves his people so much, why don't the people love one another that much too? Instead, they turned on him and killed him. They killed Jesus on a cross! But that wasn't it for the Chicken Man, I like that image! In a few days, he surprised the whole bunch of them early in the morning. A few of my relatives were there that day poking around in the dirt looking for that first worm of the day. You know the early bird gets the worm. Anyway, this Jesus rose from the dead and surprised them all. Chicken Man wins in the end! Yea! Cluck...cluck...cluck...

So a bunch of his followers finally got the right idea. Jesus showed them more love than could ever be shown for fellow people. He gave his life out of love for them. The disciples or his sidechicks as I like to call them, caught on and started spreading this Chicken Man love. Jesus lives on through all of them in Spirit and by the words he gave to them.

Ok, that gets me back to what I was thinking. You and my sisters could get together on this love thing and work out a plan. This Good Gifts thing allows you to purchase a bunch of chicks, that's me and my sisters and a whole bunch more, we could be sold to some people who need to eat and take care of themselves. Your love would help another person feed a family and have a job too. Just like Chicken Man, oh that's Jesus to you, loved his people, you could love people too just like Chicken Man's sidechicks did. And the real chicks get to show that life giving love to all. Deal? OK! Give some money!

Flapping lovingly for you,

Chelsea Chick

Prayer

Jesus, you set the example of all examples for all creatures. May we all come together in love to help and love one another and take each other under your wings... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen

www.elca.org/goodgifts

March 7th Reflection by Bill Lynch

John 12:36-43 (NRSV)
The unbelief of the people
While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light."

After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them. Although he had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah:


"Lord, who has believed our message,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"
And so they could not believe, because Isaiah also said,
"He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
so that they might not look with their eyes,
and understand with their heart and turn
and I would heal them."

Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke about him. Nevertheless many, even of the authorities, believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God.

Reflection
God acts first. God acted first in flesh and blood with Jesus coming into this world. Jesus performed many acts convincing that he was the Messiah. God acts first. But in our hard hearts we refuse to see Jesus as God. We can't deny that we attempt to act first on our own. In illness or times of trouble we tend to turn inward and depend on ourselves. We forget that God acts first and don't turn to God until we have run out of our own failed attempts.

But as I think about God's activity, I must learn to turn to God first. God acts first. Once I realize that I need God first, I can act. It's a discipline that's hard for me to do, but I'll continue to look to God. As I see the actions of Jesus in the lives of others and myself, I soon realize that God has acted first. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, as I turn to you, show me the direction to take in all I do that I may honor you. --- Amen

March 6th Reflection by Bill Lynch

Genesis 22:1-19 (NRSV)
God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac
After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you." So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you." Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father Abraham, "Father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." He said, "The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together.

When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place "The Lord will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided."


The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, "By myself I have sworn, says the Lord: Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies, and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my voice." So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beer sheba; and Abraham lived at Beer sheba.

Reflection
So here is the faith of Abraham on display for all to see. His only son, born of Sarah, was to be sacrificed to God. How could a great nation arise from this act? Abraham had faith and hope in God that he could even bring one from death to lead a new nation. Abraham had a hope in the resurrection.

It is through this steadfast belief that we hold that God will keep the covenant. God's promises are good. And God keeps the promise. God not only keeps the promise, God fulfills the promise with Jesus. Jesus becomes Isaac in some way and is the sacrifice for our sin. Jesus rises from the dead so that all may have a resurrection. But we have to have trust and hope to believe in the promise of God that all this is true. We need to believe like Abraham.

We also need to believe like Isaac. We need to be willing to give our life in the hope of the covenant of God. For we know what has been done for us through Jesus life, teaching, suffering, death, resurrection, ascension and we look for his coming again. As Isaacs of this world we can believe in the promise of God.

This was beyond circumcision as a sign. This was a sign of God's love in Jesus. Even in all those years prior to Jesus' birth. Just think of what a sign this is for us today, even in all those years prior to Jesus return. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, I believe in you and your promise. Increase my faith like Abraham and my actions like Isaac and Abraham, that I may bring you glory today... tomorrow... and forever for all you have done. --- Amen

March 5th Reflection by Bill Lynch

Genesis 21:1-7 (NRSV)
God gives Abraham and Sarah a son
The Lord dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised. Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Now Sarah said, "God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me." And she said, "Who would ever have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."

Reflection
Abraham and his belief in God is about to grow in faith as he witnesses the birth of Isaac. God has done what seemed to be impossible in giving a child to an extremely elderly couple in natural birth. So the name Isaac was given for more reasons than one. Laughter not only for the situation but laughter for the joy of God's promise and Word be kept alive and well.

Laughter amidst pain though. For this is the dividing point of a couple of world religions. Abraham and Isaac or what about Abraham and Ishmael (see picture). Both accounts lead back to the belief and faith of Abraham in God. Peoples divide but God unites in faith. As we look to God in faith we have seen the story unfold through our Savior Jesus. Through the covenant of circumcision God has promised to save us and has. In Jesus we look to the hope of the resurrection and work towards our calling to love the sick, the poor, and all those in need. We are called to proclaim the Gospel that God has given us through Jesus to all the world. God saves and has saved and we can rejoice. We can rejoice even though we are in the midst of the fire and in the midst of a sinful world, for we have a faith and a hope for new things to come. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, teach me to love all people of this earth and to be bold enough to proclaim the love you show to all throughout the ages... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen

March 4th Reflection by Bill Lynch

Second Sunday in Lent
Mark 8:31-38 (NRSV)
The passion prediction
Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."

He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

Reflection
We have our body and we have our spirit and we have God. We protect our body and care for it. Sometimes we abuse our body with over-indulgence of food, alcohol, sex, sound, touch or any number of over-indulgences, but in some way we seek to protect our body too. Our body decays all on it's own and we resist this decay however we can.

We have our spirit. For the Christian or for any religious person we feed our spirit's with the faith and practices of our God. Some call our spirit our soul.

Jesus goes as far in this passage as basically telling his disciples that his body will be persecuted and he will die. But his soul will live. Jesus Spirit will live on. He even reveals that his body will be reunited with his Spirit at the resurrection. This is too much to handle for people who want to see Jesus as an earthly ruler over governments and religious institutions. It's beyond what Peter could comprehend at the time.

In some way Jesus was taken back to the desert forty days with Satan, and Peter was used as Satan's disciple to tempt Jesus away from enduring this suffering. But Peter belonged to Jesus. Peter was Jesus' disciple, so a harsh response was a loving response. Peter needed his eyes opened to Satan's tricks.

Jesus calls the disciples together and teaches. You must give yourself to God. It's OK to joyfully give your soul to God. You need not worry about the pain and persecution and loss of body, because there will be a resurrection. A resurrection, yes, even for you and for me. Our bodies will be reunited with our spirits and we will be one with God.

Don't take this as a means to escape the ills we suffer. We are to take on those ills and care for our body, knowing that God has a purpose for us to carry out as we live in this decaying and dying body. We trust in Jesus' resurrection that we too will be resurrected. But until then we joyfully carry on as disciples of Jesus following in his footsteps of love and sacrifice to all he gives to us. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, you teach me and I get it little by little. When I'm in error, rebuke me and correct me and show me your love... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen

Good Gifts - Teddy Textbook

Acts 1:1-6 (New Revised Standard)

1 In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"

Reflection

In the words of my ancestor Andy Acts, to sum it up, Andy told me that he was all about the kingdom of God. Andy was about what happened with Jesus life, death, resurrection and ascension. Andy told of people, telling with passion, the victory of the message of what Jesus has done for creation and how the created respond to such a wonderful and powerful life.

Andy was one serious book of a collection of books that came to be known as the Bible. Throughout the ages I have descended from so many different types of relatives. Some of my uncles are the studious types like Dick Dictionary; others are a bunch of jokers like Connie Comic Book. But there is a whole sequence of relatives that I respect. They all come together in schools around the world and are written in various languages and used to help human children and adults grow in the learning of basic skills that seem to help them walk through life. This is my family the "Textbooks." What a wonderful last name to have.

For the most part my family has been made out of wood, which is for the paper in the pages of our books. Ink is applied to the pages and thoughtful words are added with a message. My family works together with some really smart people that come up with the words and some really cool workers that put us all together.
My birth happens through a cooperation of God, creation, love and care and the hands, minds and skills of humans and machines. Then out I come, all fresh and smelling good! Lately I’ve seen a few snot-nosed kids come out that don’t even have pages. They look like a shiny hunk of plastic that lights up in the day or night by using a bunch of 1’s and 0’s. They think they’re cool, but I don’t get it.

I think Andy Acts had it right when he told about Jesus. Jesus did so much for all creation, that we should have some response for what Jesus did. I know I appreciate beyond words – ha! What Jesus did for me! Really, I know I can’t repay Jesus but I can respond to Jesus. We could get together on this thing and help those in need with new members of my family. Jesus was all about helping those who were without. I know of so many children without textbooks that we could help them. There is this opportunity called ELCA Good Gifts where you can give some money and out will pop some new baby relatives of mine for young children to learn the basics of life. We all get something great out of this. And who knows, perhaps one day these children will pick up one of my other families that Andy is included in, the Bible’s, and learn more about Jesus. That would be a great way to put to use the tree too. Sometimes, I’m pretty smart for a Textbook after all!

Look me up sometime,
Teddy Textbook

Prayer
Lord, teach us to use all of our resources to love and teach one another about all you have done. Even the humans… --- Amen
www.elca.org/goodgifts

March 3rd Reflection by Bill Lynch

Mark 8:27-30 (NRSV)
Peter's confession
Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Reflection
Peter got it right here, but barely. The vision was still foggy. The understanding of what it meant to be the Messiah wasn't clear to Peter, the disciples or any of the people of that day or even of this day. Sure, we know the story of old, but it continues to unfold to us what the real meaning of what Jesus has done for all creation even to this day. We don't see it clearly yet. Even though God, loves us and has called us his own, we don't see God as God is.

Yet, we are called to live in this sinful world and as sinful people, to follow Jesus as disciples. We are called to use the gifts the Spirit freely gives to the glory of God. We live in the hope of the return of the Messiah to raise the living and the dead. We live in the hope and the promise of the resurrection. We can live lives full of joy and hope because of what God has done for us through Jesus and the Spirit. We are children of a new creation that we don't see clearly as yet but that we know will be made clear by God some day.

So, we can boldly proclaim to Jesus--- You are the Messiah! Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, you are God! Use me to bring glory to you today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen

March 2nd Reflection by Bill Lynch

Romans 4:1-12 (NRSV)
Abraham counted righteous by God for his faith
What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. So also David speaks of the blessedness of those to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works:
"Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin."

Is this blessedness, then, pronounced only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We say, "Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness." How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the ancestor of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them, and likewise the ancestor of the circumcised who are not only circumcised but who also follow the example of the faith that our ancestor Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Reflection
It's not the good things that we do that make us right with God. We could be perfect in works, yet not be right with God, even though none of us are perfect in works. If we think that we can make things right with God by the things that we do, then we could work our way into being just like God perhaps. Or even we could earn all favor with God that heaven would be open to us now. Perhaps even we could obtain the sinless world here and now.

But it's not about our works. Abraham was right with God even before he was circumcised. In somewhat the same way we can be right with God even though we are sinful. We are brought to God through the acts of Jesus, not our own acts. When we believe this, God will grow our faith. We will hunger for God and seek to be disciples of Jesus. We will do the very acts that God desires for us to do, not to become right with God through our own actions, but because we believe that Jesus made us right with God already.

It seems complicated but is so simple in other ways. Believe in God! Abraham's righteousness didn't depend on his circumcision, it was faith, then justification, then circumcision. The circumcision was a sign or seal. So too in our baptism, we come by belief in God that we are saved through God and are justified by what God has done through Jesus and the gifts of the Spirit. All this before we are sealed with the sign of the cross. Baptism was the confirmation of the covenant made by God just as circumcision was the sign of the covenant made by God with Abraham. It's a gift.

Here is the beauty of the parents that present the child for baptism. The child has been unable to be tarnished with the thought that works may gain God's favor first. The child is open to the belief of the parents that God has given such a great gift that nothing can separate us from God. As the child grows to believe on their own, faith grows and the child can accept this wonderful gift of their own recognition. God gives the faith. Jesus provides the justification. God's covenant is sealed through the act of baptism. We are justified by faith apart from works of the law. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, I believe. Increase my faith and response to what you have done for me... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen

March 1st Reflection by Bill Lynch

Romans 3:21-31 (NRSV)
Righteousness through faith
But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.

Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Reflection
Put your ego away, it will do you no good here. But we seem to be caught in our own self. We consider the good that we do to have some effect on our placement with ourselves, one another and God. We expect some reward for being good. Here we need to put the ego aside.

Even if we thought we were able to uphold every point of the law, that would only distance ourselves from what God desires for each one of us. We have been born into sin which separates us from God, but God has graciously given us himself in Jesus to take on our sin for us. It's not about our ego, but about God's action in Jesus that fulfills the law. Through faith in what God has done we can live anew. Through this faith in God we become children of God and respond to the law with the knowledge that Jesus has fulfilled the law.

Now, instead of being burdened by keeping the law we live lives of joy and freedom to keep the law in response to what God has done for us. Put your ego aside and live fulfilled as a disciple of Jesus. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Jesus, as I ponder what you have accomplished and the love you have shown; in joy I strive to keep your law and follow your command. Thanks for the freedom to live joyously and boldly in the face of my sin. --- Amen