From Dust To...

"By the sweat of your face

    you shall eat bread
until you return to the ground,
    for out of it you were taken;
you are dust,
    and to dust you shall return.”

                        (Gen 3:19 NRSV)

Once a year we mindfully return to the beginning. We remember who is actually in charge. It is God. He who formed us from the dust of the earth has the ability to return us to that place. As children of Adam and Eve, we remember, that like our parents we also have rejected the will of God for us and are subject to death.

Fortunately, we can look at all of this with hindsight. We can look back and know that even as the first man, Adam, chose to do his thing and not God's will; the second man who is from heaven, did accomplish God's will on earth for us. This man, Jesus the Christ, came so that; although we must return to the dust, all who believe in him will be raised from the dust, even as he was raised from the dead. That is the Good News on this day of sorrow and repentance.  

Thus it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven. (1 Cor 15:45-49)

It is always an emotional time for me to make the ashy sign of the cross on the foreheads of people that I care about; knowing that we must all return to the dust that we have come from. That reminder that we must die can be very heart-shaking. For those few seconds death overshadows the hope of life. But, in the grand scheme of things, I know that all who believe that Jesus died for our sins, will be raised imperishable. Therein lies the hope within this perishable, sinful life.

Death is inevitable. For all who believe, so is life eternal in the presence of God. God's creation; His children, will walk in paradise once again.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Ashes to Ashes and Life!

"By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread
until you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
you are dust,
and to dust you shall return."

Gen 3:19

To the dust you shall return was the sentence. For eating of the tree of knowledge which God had forbidden, Adam's sentence was death. His sentence (and ultimately ours) was that he would return to the dust from which he was formed.

There in the middle of the garden was also the tree of life. Had he eaten of the free gift of the fruit from the tree of life, he would have lived. But, he did not. Adam and Eve neglected the food that was good for them; that God had desired for them to eat, and chose the thing that they were not to have. How often it is that we, too, neglect the free gift of life given to us through the sacrifice of His Son, our Savior, Jesus the Christ! How often we neglect to come to the table that He has prepared for us! There Jesus is! "Come and eat." He says. "This is my body given for you for the forgiveness of sins." Do not neglect this life-giving gift!

In the Small Catechism, Martin Luther wrote that the benefit of receiving the Lord's Sacrament of Holy Communion "...is shown us in these words: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins; namely, that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation."

That is the Good News. Today is Ash Wednesday. This evening we will remember with the imposition of ashes that from dust we have come and to dust our bodies shall return. But, we will also eat at the Lord's Table and remember that in Him there is life and salvation.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Gather Together Often

"And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Heb 10:24-25

Even as St. Paul admonished the Hebrews, we are admonished not to neglect coming together as a community of saints. We have a very busy Lenten season fast approaching. The season will present many extra opportunities to gather together in worship and in fellowship. Today, the crafting ladies from Christ Lutheran are having a "Fat Sunday" lunch following worship. I am not sure what all they have planned; but, I am looking forward to the opportunity to be able to spend time with brothers and sisters in Christ.

On Tuesday, Ngaio Carlisle, an author and two-time cancer survivor is the speaker at "Cancer Knows No Boundaries" Workshop at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday.  Another opportunity to be with others and to support one another.

And.. then comes... Ash Wednesday! Beginning with Ash Wednesday and then every Wednesday throughout Lent we will meet together to worship at 5 p.m.. We will be using the Small Catechism and "what does this mean" as the format for our liturgies. After every service (except Ash Wednesday) worship will be followed by a soup supper. And, of course, we will not neglect to gather for worship at the two Senior Living Apartment Complexes each Wednesday. It is good to meet together to provoke one another to love and good deeds.

As Ash Wednesday approaches, we prepare for our journey to the cross which will culminate at an empty tomb. Who will make this journey with us? Who will gather with us to remember and thank God for all that he has done for us through Jesus Christ our Lord?

May God plant in the hearts of all who would bear the name of Christ the desire to gather more often to worship Him and glorify His Holy Name.  

God's Peace - Pr. J

Take Up Your Cross

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.  (Mark 8:34)

Ash Wednesday is less than a week away followed by the season that we call Lent. During Lent it is traditional to give up something that we enjoy. We will fast. We will not, with the help of God, break that fast until Easter Sunday.

In these days before Lent begins I would ask you to consider what indulgence you might give up. Many give up certain foods. Others attempt to give up bad habits. How about giving up some of you personal time to serve others; maybe to spend more time at worship or in Bible study with others. Or, how about taking an extra hour or two each day to spend that time in prayer for the church and for all of God's creation?

But, no matter what it is that we give up for Lent, we ought not think of it as a sacrifice. There is nothing that can compare to the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for us.

But; after all our plans are made, if we are honest with ourselves, we will say, "I cannot even pick up my own cross and follow Jesus to his cross." May God help me! And, he will. And, he has. He will be with you no matter how large or small your cross is.

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt 11:28-30_

God's Peace - Pr. J 

Take Up Your Cross

Christ Lutheran Church, Bunnell, FL

   But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
   Then Jesus told his disciples, “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 will find it.                                                   (Matt 16:23-25  NIV)

Years ago, I was serving as a missionary to remote areas of Upper Michigan where there was no or very little church presence.  I led Bible studies at 3 different sites and led Worship at up to 6 sites any given week.  The worship sites included a state park, house church, an historic Lutheran church, an historic Episcopal church, a community center, a youth correctional facility, and sometimes my home.  The area I covered was about 45 miles north and south and 20 miles east and west.  Yes, it was what would be considered in today's world - wilderness.  I carted everything needed for worship between sites.  Packing and unpacking - setting up and tearing down - the same stuff over and over again. We had one of those big gold crosses for the altar, which was included in the stuff I needed to carry with me from worship site to worship site.  On one Ash Wednesday afternoon as I was rushing between Worship sites about 25 miles apart when I panicked thinking that I had left the altar cross at the last site.  So driving down the road while reaching in the back seat to see if I could feel it back there someplace, I heard myself say:  "I am so sick and tired of having to carry that cross with me all the time."  Fortunately, I said it out loud so that the impact of what I had said hit me full on.  What about the cross that Jesus bore for me?  And... this little cross was a bother to me?  If I couldn't carry this little altar cross, what kind of cross was I really willing to carry?  As a reminder to myself of my own hard heartedness and of what Jesus was willing to do for me, throughout that Lent I carried that cross on the seat next to me; not just between worship sites, but every day, every where I went.  While driving from place to place, that cross would remind me of my weakness, of my sin, and I would take hold of it, confessing my sins and thanking God for the cross he bore for me.  For I know full well that the cross I have been called to carry is nothing compared to the one he bore for me.  And I cannot even carry the little one without the help of God.  

Taking up our crosses and following Jesus is not easy. It will mean that our own will may have to be crucified in order for our Father's will to be done through us. May God help each of us to take up our cross to follow him wherever he would lead us.

God's Peace - Pr. Judy

Mary and Martha

Both Marys and Marthas

     As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
     “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”  (Luke 10:38-42 NIV)

Prior to worship on Wednesday afternoon, I watched the women in the kitchen preparing the meal that the congregation would share after the service. We have some very dedicated Martha's. They love to serve others. But, these women are also faithful Mary's. They do not neglect to worship. They are with us faithfully to hear the Word of the Lord on Sunday mornings and now during Lent on Wednesday evenings, as well.

We have many Martha's and Mary's at Christ Lutheran and not all of them are female. It is a good thing to serve together. It is a great thing to be able to worship the Lord together. Join us! Everyone is welcome!

Thanks be to God for all of our brothers and sisters in Christ!

God's Peace - Pr. J 

The Tree of Life

By the sweat of your face    you shall eat bread
until you return to the ground,
    for out of it you were taken;
you are dust,
    and to dust you shall return." Gen 3:19


To the dust you shall return was the sentence. For eating of the tree of knowledge which God had forbidden, Adam's sentence was death. His sentence (and ultimately ours) was that he would return to the dust from which he was formed.

There in the middle of the garden was also the tree of life. Had he eaten of the free gift of the fruit from the tree of life, he would have lived. But, he did not. Adam and Eve neglected the food that was good for them; that God had desired for them to eat, and chose that thing that they were not to have. How often it is that we, too, neglect the free gift of life given to us through the sacrifice of His Son, our Savior, Jesus the Christ! How often we neglect to come to the table that He has prepared for us! There Jesus is! He is there inviting us: Come and eat. This is my body given for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do not neglect this life-giving gift!

In the Small Catechism, Martin Luther wrote that the benefit of receiving the Lord's Sacrament of Holy Communion "...is shown us in these words: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins; namely, that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation."

That is the Good News. Today is Ash Wednesday. This afternoon we will remember, with the imposition of ashes, that from dust we have come and to dust our bodies shall return. But, we will also eat at the Lord's Table and remember that in Him we have eternal life and salvation.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Join us at 5 pm today (Ash Wednesday) at Christ Lutheran Church, 2323 N. State St., Unit 112, Bunnell, FL as we remember that without Christ we are lost; but, with him we have life!