ps from ps (And now back to our Buffalo Bills and Jesus inspired devotions)
“Everybody eats!”
That’s the catch phrase of the current offensive side of the ball for the Bills this season. And it makes them the most Lutheran football team in the NFL!!
After their #1 receiver left last season (don’t let the door hit you in the butt on the way out), the team brought in a few new receivers but also realized that there wasn’t a clear #1 target anymore because everyone had gifts to bring to the team. And therefore, everybody eats! Meaning, everyone is going to get targets and handoffs to spread the wealth and opportunity. And it seems to be working.
How does this make them the most Lutheran team in the league? I’m glad you asked.
First, Martin Luther wholeheartedly believed in the “ministry of all the baptized.” That means, it you’re a baptized child of God, you have gifts to share in the world. Like talents on the football field, everyone has something to offer in God’s kingdom and it’s important that everyone gets a chance to share those gifts.
Second, Paul talked about those same spiritual gifts throughout 1 Corinthians where he emphasizes that there is no #1 Christian but that everyone of us is a needed “part of the body” and is important (see my sermon titled “Even the sphincter has role!” for details).
And third, as the Lutheran community, we announce before communion each week that Everybody Eats. All are welcome to the table. Everyone on the roster (God’s children) and team (God’s team) are invited to receive God’s grace through bread and wine, not because of what we’ve done but because of who God is.
There it is. Three points. That makes it true! The Bills are the Lutheranest. (Biegnerism). And maybe you are too.
So be part of God’s team today. Use the gifts God’s given you for this team and for this world. And enjoy the feast of God’s grace because Everybody Eats!
Lord, thanks for the gifts. And thanks for the feast. Go team! Amen
ps from pk ——- Hopefully you noticed the slight change in the email from “ps from ps” to “ps from pk”. Kristen Arends has joined the pastoral staff at St. Paul’s and will be sharing some of her own “post scripts” periodically in the weeks to come. I’ve always appreciated your feedback on the emails/thoughts/rants over the 26 years of writing. So, feel free to email Kristen at [email protected] as well.
Blessings, ps——- ps from pk
Music is one of my favorite ways to let the Holy Spirit speak to me. Sometimes through Christian artists but usually not. God’s words can speak out in all sorts of unexpected ways and sometimes music that’s not explicitly faithful can give voice to doubts or fears in a way that a Christian musician may not want to be honest about. Because, honesty is hard, it makes you vulnerable. I referenced the Ben Rector song “Sailboat” during my sermon this week. I invite you to listen to it HERE. Close your eyes. Take a minute (or 4) and see what God has to say to you.
(Kristen anxiously awaits your return after hearing the song)Did you catch this part?“I’m pretty sure I’m heard… at least I know I’m speaking… But I feel like a fool… ‘cause I can’t hear you listening” Sounds a lot like prayer to me. And such an honest response to feeling unsure about God’s response to our prayers. Wouldn’t it be so much easier to have faith and feel comforted if we could hear God listening to us?? It’s hard sometimes, to be hoping and praying and to not be able to tell for sure that God is listening. It definitely can make us feel alone. And that’s when God comes close. That’s when God nudges us and brings other people alongside us to remind us that God is right here with us. So if you’re feeling alone today – raise up your sails and let God fill them and lead you home. -pk
ps from ps: On an important day in our country’s history and as we remember those we lost on the first 9/11, can we follow the footsteps of Jesus and all work a little harder on being less divisive and remind ourselves how lucky we are to live in the US of A?
It will require some basic components of Jesus’ teaching: 1. More acceptance, less judgement. 2. More listening, less speaking. 3. More compromise, less digging in. 4. More grace, less condemnation. 5. More seeing another’s perspective, less narrow viewpoints. 6. More love. And more love.
As our firematic fire responders continue to run into burning buildings and dangerous MVAs scenes, they never ask party affiliation, sexual preference or religious background. They just use their gifts and training and do their work.
23 years after our worst national tragedy, it’s now up to every one of us to use our gifts and training from Jesus (see 1 thru 6 for details) and do our work.
Lord, stand with all who are hurting today. Help us to use our gifts, remember your training and do our work. Amen
ps from ps: Are you humble and hungry, like Coach asks us to be?
Coach McDermott asks this question of his Bills team….and WNY in general. Jesus asks his disciples the same thing. Except he adds one more piece….are you humble, hungry and hopeful.
In Mark’s gospel, Jesus busted the disciples arguing about who is the greatest. So he paused the crew, told them that the “last will be first, and first will be last” and grabbed a little tyke and said: stay focused on these guys! But before he did any of that, he had already told them his plan: head to the cross, give his life, beat death itself and rise again to return to his father so that all humanity would have eternal life.
He was teaching the disciples: that’s staying humble in how you follow, hungry in who you reach and hopeful for the promise that God’s gave to us.
You humble today? Are you keeping yourself in check? Are you remembering that it’s not about what we amass, it’s about how we love the masses?
You hungry today? Are you looking to see how you can change and affect the world? When your feet hit the ground in the morning, are you saying: “Thanks God for giving me another day! Now let’s get after it together!!”
You are staying hopeful today? Are you hanging onto the promise? Are you sharing that promise with those who are struggling? Are you letting that hope be your motivation to love your family? Your neighbors? To work through the grudges and hurts together? To know if you worry and grieve that the promise is there no matter what?
We/They as disciples sometimes argue about the wrong thing. We forget/forgot to deeply listen and focus on Jesus.
Guess what? Tomorrow…the next game…is another chance to let God’s love motivate us to be – Humble. Hungry. Hopeful.
Lord, help me to stop arguing about the wrong things and instead, be humble, hungry and hopeful. Amen
Jesus’ TSA requirements from Mark’s gospel – “He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.” Makes it much easier loading and unloading the Temple area with so much less luggage I guess.
Travel light is an understatement here from Jesus as he instructs on what to take and then sends out the disciples. Long story short – he’s trying to get them to trust in God, relying less on themselves and more on God’s guidance and provision. In other words, God’s Light. So maybe Jesus’ instructions are exactly that – Travel Light.
They are being sent into the world to take God’s Light – light of love, light of grace, light of compassion, light of forgiveness. And in the times and places that the Light isn’t accepted or the timing isn’t right, they are invited to kick off the dust from their sandals and move on. Some other person is maybe better in that space. Some other timing might be better. More time for God’s Light to work its way into the nooks and crannies of the situation.
And when they Traveled Light, a couple verses later, we find out what happened: “They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.”
Not bad!
What does Traveling Light look like for you this summer? No doubt, most of us are traveling from Point A to Point B for vacations, rest and maybe a family gathering or two. But what about Traveling Light in our normal daily routine? Could we travel lighter and Travel Lighter?
1. Can we travel light? What would it look like for each of us to depend on ourselves a little less and God’s provision and guidance a little more? Could we carry less literal baggage as we move through the day? The stuff we have. The damage we’ve had happen to us? The grudges we haven’t let go? The extra and more that we sometimes amass?
2. Can we Travel Lighter? Where is God calling us to go in our dailiness and as our Point B? Are there people dealing with “demons” that we can go to and be part of their healing process? Are there locked doors we are trying to push open that we need to walk away from and let God manage?
I don’t know about you, but as I envision this for myself, my chest feels less tights, I breathe easier and it feels like less weight on my shoulders.
Maybe Traveling Lighter is a gift we can give to ourselves, God and the world around us this summer.
Lord, thanks for the invite to Travel Light. Amen
Still in One Peace, ps ******* This will be the last “ps from ps” until September. In place of the weekly email, our leaders at St. Paul’s have compiled some of their favorite Bible verses to share with you. You will be able to find them on our YouTube page each week by clicking HERE. Enjoy summer, Travel Light and stay God’s course. ps
I could list out 126 things that you could potentially start your day with and probably still not hit all the possibilities.
I’m starting my sermon out this weekend with a song. You can listen to it HERE. Maybe you start your day off with this exact song?!
Whatever you do….however you start…today and everyday…do it with God’s purpose and intention in mind.
A friend of mine, Pat Hilkey, the pastor at Evangel Church in Clarence, is biking across the country this summer. This is his second go around. I’ve noticed in his updates on FB that he continues to encourage people following him to: Stay God’s Course. Notice he doesn’t say Stay The Course. But instead, intentionally, he says God’s Course. That’s a very different type of Course.
On his ride so far this summer, it hasn’t always been easy. There have been unexpected road surfaces, bike issues and extreme heat and weather challenges. But it every instance, he Stays God’s Course and has been able to see more clearly the Holy Spirit mixed in and among all the ups and downs of the ride.
But this only works because he’s set his intention. He started the ride, and each day of it, setting his focus on God’s hope and promise.
Where are you riding today? How are you…can you…start or re-start this day and set your intentions on Staying God’s Course. When you do that, just like Pastor Pat, you will see the Holy Spirit a bit more easily in and amoung the entire ride.
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