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Haggai 1:15b--2:9
John Meacham, senior editor of Newsweek magazine, wrote an editorial in the June 21, 2010, publication titled, "Primary Examples For Our Daughters." He discussed the importance of the 2010 primary elections for young women. The number of women running for public office, along with an African-American in the Oval Office, demonstrates the promise of opportunity for all women and minorities. He was quick to note that the "fabled glass ceiling" has not yet been broken as we still struggle with prejudices. Yet, he declared, from the recent elections, "But one thing is clear: We are living in a different, and I think better, country than we had just a few years ago, for the iconography of politics has changed in ways that are impossible to undo. African-Americans and women are now embedded in elective life."
Watching the elections with him was his 3½-year-old daughter, Mary. When asked, John told Mary that these women wanted to be president. Hearing that, she paused, and then answered, "But girls can't be president." Upon further inquiry as to why girls cannot be president, Mary showed him a place mat souvenir that the family purchased in an excursion to the nation's capital. As it showed all the color portraits of the presidents she confessed why a woman could not be president, "There aren't any pictures of them." Meacham wrote, "She had drawn this conclusion from, of all things, a place mat." Meacham concluded, "The color bar has now been broken on those knickknacks, and soon, one hopes, the gender barrier will be, too."
The passage from our lectionary reading is titled, by some commentaries, as "The Encouragement." The people were discouraged at the small size and even smaller progress that was being made in the rebuilding of the temple. Then Haggai reminded his people that there are a few people in the community who were present and remember the splendor of Solomon's Temple. They realize though this temple is smaller, "The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house." This is because God will once again claim the temple as his own.
Those of us who have lived prior to the Civil Rights Movement are encouraged in the change of the political landscape we see today. It is a change that is not limited to politics, but has extended itself into all facets of our society. Along with Haggai, we can offer words of encouragement that, "The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house." There is a future for all the Mary's of our nation.
Ron L.
Haggai 1:15b--2:9
If you asked Sasha what her dearest wish was, she would tell you this: peace. Sasha's parents have been constantly fighting lately, and she hates going to bed with the sounds of their arguments ringing in her ears. Even closing her bedroom door and burying her head under her pillows is sometimes not enough to block out the sounds of a disagreement between mother and father. So Sasha does not wish for a kitten or a pony; she does not wish for a hundred dollars or a vacation to Disney World. What Sasha wants is peace in her household -- and unfortunately, that is not something that anyone on earth has the power to give her.
Leah T.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Germany was so destitute in the 1930s from losing World War I and the economic depression that engulfed the world that when Adolf Hitler came to power many Germans saw him as the spirit of Jesus Christ moving across their land. German pastor Herman Gruner preached, "It is because of Hitler that Christ, God the helper and redeemer, has become effective among us." Gruner went on to preach, "Hitler is the way of the Spirit and the will of God for the German people to enter the Church of Christ." Messages similar to this were heard from the pulpits throughout Germany.
There were some Christians who realized that Hitler was evil and the pulpits were recognizing a false prophet. One of those who stood in opposition to Hitler was Protestant theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He, along with several others, established what became known as the Confessing Church. It was a church whose message denounced Nazi propaganda and condemned Nazi atrocities.
During these years Bonhoeffer traveled to the United States to study at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. As things became worse in Germany, he could have allowed the Atlantic Ocean to keep him safely away from the Nazi persecutions. Instead, as a pastor, he knew his place was among his people. This is stated in a letter he wrote to his professor Reinhold Niebuhr, "I made a mistake in coming to America. I must live through this difficult period in our national history with the Christian people of Germany. I will have no right to participate in the reconstruction of Christian life in Germany after the war if I do not share the trials of this time with my people." Bonhoeffer returned to Germany and became actively involved in the resistance movement. Because of this involvement he was arrested and executed on April 9, 1945.
Paul in his letter to the church at Thessalonica warned the congregation against false prophets who will misrepresent the message of Jesus. "Don't let anyone deceive you," Paul emphatically wrote. Paul then encouraged the Christians to "stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you." As true as these words were in 51 AD to a church in Thessalonica, they were as true for a church in Germany in the 1930s. And if read carefully, they are true for our church this day.
Ron L.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
In many parts of the world, there are people in positions of power who seek to undermine the Word of God. In the Middle East, in Africa, in Asia, even in Europe and parts of the Americas, there are leaders and judges who do not want the gospel of Christ proclaimed in their lands. For those who defy those leaders and preach the gospel, there are often dire consequences, from being ostracized to being imprisoned or even executed.
I would encourage Christians in those situations to take to heart what Paul says here (and although this translation just says "brothers," we all know this is for both men and women): "So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter" (v. 15).
Craig K.
Luke 20:27-38
"Why is the grass green?" a grandchild asks her grandmother after playing outside. "There is no sense in worrying about things we cannot know," says Grandmother. "Instead, enjoy the beauty of the grass." "Why do we feel pain?" the grandchild asks when Grandmother becomes ill. "There is no sense in worrying about things we cannot know," says Grandmother. "Instead, come here and tell me a story." "What will happen when you die?" the grandchild asks her grandmother. "There is no sense in worrying about things we cannot know," says Grandmother. "Trust God to take care of me. Set your mind toward living things." We cannot control or predict what happens to us after we die. Our fate is in God's hands. As Grandmother says, there is no sense in worrying about things we cannot know.
Leah T.
Luke 20:27-38
Mrs. Thomas Alva Edison shared with the renowned minister Norman Vincent Peale this story. She said when her husband was dying it was evident that he very much wanted to speak. So she bent over and placed her ear next to his mouth. Thomas Edison, in a faint whisper, spoke his last words, "It is beautiful over there."
Reverend Peale noted the importance of this. Peale wrote, "Edison never reported as fact something he did not believe or see. He was not a dreamer or a poet but an exact scientist." From the vision of Thomas Edison, we know that heaven is a beautiful place.
The Sadducees wanted to trick Jesus about the meaning of the afterlife, as they denied the resurrection. Jesus avoided their confrontation by saying life in heaven is different than life with Caesar. In heaven we will be a new creation. Thus, we can honestly say, "It is beautiful over there."
Ron L.
Haggai 1:15b--2:9
John Meacham, senior editor of Newsweek magazine, wrote an editorial in the June 21, 2010, publication titled, "Primary Examples For Our Daughters." He discussed the importance of the 2010 primary elections for young women. The number of women running for public office, along with an African-American in the Oval Office, demonstrates the promise of opportunity for all women and minorities. He was quick to note that the "fabled glass ceiling" has not yet been broken as we still struggle with prejudices. Yet, he declared, from the recent elections, "But one thing is clear: We are living in a different, and I think better, country than we had just a few years ago, for the iconography of politics has changed in ways that are impossible to undo. African-Americans and women are now embedded in elective life."
Watching the elections with him was his 3½-year-old daughter, Mary. When asked, John told Mary that these women wanted to be president. Hearing that, she paused, and then answered, "But girls can't be president." Upon further inquiry as to why girls cannot be president, Mary showed him a place mat souvenir that the family purchased in an excursion to the nation's capital. As it showed all the color portraits of the presidents she confessed why a woman could not be president, "There aren't any pictures of them." Meacham wrote, "She had drawn this conclusion from, of all things, a place mat." Meacham concluded, "The color bar has now been broken on those knickknacks, and soon, one hopes, the gender barrier will be, too."
The passage from our lectionary reading is titled, by some commentaries, as "The Encouragement." The people were discouraged at the small size and even smaller progress that was being made in the rebuilding of the temple. Then Haggai reminded his people that there are a few people in the community who were present and remember the splendor of Solomon's Temple. They realize though this temple is smaller, "The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house." This is because God will once again claim the temple as his own.
Those of us who have lived prior to the Civil Rights Movement are encouraged in the change of the political landscape we see today. It is a change that is not limited to politics, but has extended itself into all facets of our society. Along with Haggai, we can offer words of encouragement that, "The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house." There is a future for all the Mary's of our nation.
Ron L.
Haggai 1:15b--2:9
If you asked Sasha what her dearest wish was, she would tell you this: peace. Sasha's parents have been constantly fighting lately, and she hates going to bed with the sounds of their arguments ringing in her ears. Even closing her bedroom door and burying her head under her pillows is sometimes not enough to block out the sounds of a disagreement between mother and father. So Sasha does not wish for a kitten or a pony; she does not wish for a hundred dollars or a vacation to Disney World. What Sasha wants is peace in her household -- and unfortunately, that is not something that anyone on earth has the power to give her.
Leah T.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Germany was so destitute in the 1930s from losing World War I and the economic depression that engulfed the world that when Adolf Hitler came to power many Germans saw him as the spirit of Jesus Christ moving across their land. German pastor Herman Gruner preached, "It is because of Hitler that Christ, God the helper and redeemer, has become effective among us." Gruner went on to preach, "Hitler is the way of the Spirit and the will of God for the German people to enter the Church of Christ." Messages similar to this were heard from the pulpits throughout Germany.
There were some Christians who realized that Hitler was evil and the pulpits were recognizing a false prophet. One of those who stood in opposition to Hitler was Protestant theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He, along with several others, established what became known as the Confessing Church. It was a church whose message denounced Nazi propaganda and condemned Nazi atrocities.
During these years Bonhoeffer traveled to the United States to study at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. As things became worse in Germany, he could have allowed the Atlantic Ocean to keep him safely away from the Nazi persecutions. Instead, as a pastor, he knew his place was among his people. This is stated in a letter he wrote to his professor Reinhold Niebuhr, "I made a mistake in coming to America. I must live through this difficult period in our national history with the Christian people of Germany. I will have no right to participate in the reconstruction of Christian life in Germany after the war if I do not share the trials of this time with my people." Bonhoeffer returned to Germany and became actively involved in the resistance movement. Because of this involvement he was arrested and executed on April 9, 1945.
Paul in his letter to the church at Thessalonica warned the congregation against false prophets who will misrepresent the message of Jesus. "Don't let anyone deceive you," Paul emphatically wrote. Paul then encouraged the Christians to "stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you." As true as these words were in 51 AD to a church in Thessalonica, they were as true for a church in Germany in the 1930s. And if read carefully, they are true for our church this day.
Ron L.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
In many parts of the world, there are people in positions of power who seek to undermine the Word of God. In the Middle East, in Africa, in Asia, even in Europe and parts of the Americas, there are leaders and judges who do not want the gospel of Christ proclaimed in their lands. For those who defy those leaders and preach the gospel, there are often dire consequences, from being ostracized to being imprisoned or even executed.
I would encourage Christians in those situations to take to heart what Paul says here (and although this translation just says "brothers," we all know this is for both men and women): "So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter" (v. 15).
Craig K.
Luke 20:27-38
"Why is the grass green?" a grandchild asks her grandmother after playing outside. "There is no sense in worrying about things we cannot know," says Grandmother. "Instead, enjoy the beauty of the grass." "Why do we feel pain?" the grandchild asks when Grandmother becomes ill. "There is no sense in worrying about things we cannot know," says Grandmother. "Instead, come here and tell me a story." "What will happen when you die?" the grandchild asks her grandmother. "There is no sense in worrying about things we cannot know," says Grandmother. "Trust God to take care of me. Set your mind toward living things." We cannot control or predict what happens to us after we die. Our fate is in God's hands. As Grandmother says, there is no sense in worrying about things we cannot know.
Leah T.
Luke 20:27-38
Mrs. Thomas Alva Edison shared with the renowned minister Norman Vincent Peale this story. She said when her husband was dying it was evident that he very much wanted to speak. So she bent over and placed her ear next to his mouth. Thomas Edison, in a faint whisper, spoke his last words, "It is beautiful over there."
Reverend Peale noted the importance of this. Peale wrote, "Edison never reported as fact something he did not believe or see. He was not a dreamer or a poet but an exact scientist." From the vision of Thomas Edison, we know that heaven is a beautiful place.
The Sadducees wanted to trick Jesus about the meaning of the afterlife, as they denied the resurrection. Jesus avoided their confrontation by saying life in heaven is different than life with Caesar. In heaven we will be a new creation. Thus, we can honestly say, "It is beautiful over there."
Ron L.
