Stewards of Our Resources

This Sunday I begin a two week series on the topic of stewardship, where I will focus on looking at how we are stewards of our resources.

We hear more and more today the words "sustainable" and "renewable." We want to be able to care for creation in a way where we are not wasting what resources we have. Certainly, we can think of the many things we do in our homes with recycling, using the fluorescent bulbs, and using energy efficient appliances; but I also want to think of the importance of making our own personal lives to be sustainable and renewable. Do we take care of ourselves with eating properly, getting adequate sleep, sufficient exercise, that will allow us to be functioning at our optimum capacity?

We also must look at how we handle our own financial resources. Do we manage our finances properly so that we can be generous in giving to the church for its mission? The tithe was the basic unit of giving in the Old Testament, where the 10% came from the first-fruits. I fear that too often we think of ourselves first and give God the leftovers.

The challenge for us is to be a good "managers" for what God has given us!

Is your carbon footprint increasing or decreasing? Do you think you are doing a good job in managing your finances?

The Communion of Saints

This Sunday, November 1, is All Saints Day. It is a day for us to remember not only those who have died in faith but also think about ourselves as being in the company of saints.

The focus for my message will be on the phrase in the Apostles' Creed, where we confess: "I believe in...the communion of saints." That phrase means that as a believer I am not to see myself in isolation from the rest of the saints in the church - past and present (and future).

The church is made up of this communion or fellowship of all believers. We can learn from the saints of the past as we recall their endurance and faith that kept them going until their very last breath.

The phrase "communion of saints" could also be translated as the "communion of holy things,"where it can be viewed as a reference to Holy Communion. The Sacrament of Holy Communion draws us to Jesus and to one another. We remember that as saints we are not just a human organization, but we have a connection to the living Lord, who is the head of the church.

In preparing for All Saints Day, what saints do you remember who have been an inspiration to you in your spiritual journey?

Looking at Our Lutheran Identity

Last Sunday we celebrated Savior Divine's 69th anniversary. This coming Sunday we will be celebrating the 492nd anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation. It is also the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Joint Declaration by the Lutheran World Federation and Roman Catholic Church regarding an agreement on the doctrine of justification.

The Protestant Reformation was a movement of recovering what had been lost in the church. It brought a breath of fresh air as it highlighted the biblical truth of our being justified before God by grace through faith on account of Christ.

I will be emphasizing three facets of the Reformation in my message.

Sola fide

We are saved alone through faith. There is nothing that we can do to earn our salvation. It is only Jesus' work on the cross that makes us righteous before God. Our faith in Jesus' work puts us in God's favor that works salvation for us.

Sola Scriptura

We ought to base our doctrines of the church solely on the Bible not on tradition. While this was true at the time of Martin Luther, it is also true for us today. Are there any traditions that we have that are not congruent with what Scripture says?

Sola gratia

We are saved alone by the grace of God. How easy it is for us to just say these words, but do we understand the impact of God's grace? Grace, by definition, is God's undeserved love. It comes to us because of God's choosing to rescue us from our sin and to do what we could not do. How powerful it is to live by God's grace.

I believe it is good to be reminded of our heritage and not take it for granted.

Which one of three emphases seem most important to you at this time in your life?

Celebrating Savior Divine's 69th Anniversary

This month comes as the time to celebrate our anniversary. We at Savior Divine want to give recognition to another year of ministry. I thought about what we did and would like to list our activities.

• The daycare from Moraine Valley Community College began meeting here in January
• Confirmed three students at end of May
• Joint worship with Hickory Hills Presbyterian Church during Holy Week
• Held a Benefit Concert for Royal Family Kids Camps
• Collected food for pantries in the area
• Held our annual picnic
• The congregation studied several books of the Bible as a sermon series
• Repair work done on roof

There are still some activities to come such as participation in the CROP Hunger Walk this Sunday. Overall, we as a congregation seek to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our world. Jesus said in the words of our Gospel for this Sunday: "For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45) James and John wanted the top positions when they came into heaven. However, Jesus used it as a teachable moment to instruct them by focusing on service.

Our council is having us expand our prayer ministry as a means of service. We will opening up our church during the week for people to come and pray. We will be more open to having people submit prayer requests for us.

I look forward to our congregation making an impact on those within our sphere of living.

Is service a fundamental part of your life? Can you envision any new ways that you can be helpful to people you meet?

The Bible: Sharper Than a Two-edged Sword

The Bible comes to us as God's revelation. As such, it is not just to give us information about the story of God's love and salvation. It also serves to give us a status update about our living and seeks to transform us in living as God's people.

We read in one of our lessons for this Sunday, "The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Heb. 4:12

God's word confronts us in the most intimate way. It is delves deep into our lives. This verse directs us to the type of communion that God desires to have with us, to know us on a very deep level.

This intimacy also means that we are drawn into the story with God. God wants to shape us in our living. As we read Scripture, we are always being drawn into God's story. That is why we need to be constant students of God's word.

My sermon on Sunday will have us look at this power of God's word and how to incorporate the Bible more into our lives.

How often do you read from Scripture? When you do read it, do you feel it is revealing anything about your life? Are you willing to let God transform you?

Keeping Faith

This Sunday brings us to Chapter 3 in the book of Habakkuk as I conclude my sermon series on this prophet. This chapter shows us how he is going to be keeping faith despite the crisis he is experiencing. Habakkuk had to deal with making sense of the presence of violence and injustice. We had learned in the previous chapter that he has decided to listen and wait on the Lord.

Chapter 3 now brings us to see the "content" of his faith. Here, he rehearses the kind of God that he has. God is powerful and has done awesome things in the past in leading Israel. It is this remembering that will support Habakkuk during his current crisis. I think at times we are apt to forget what God has done in the past. By remembering God's actions in the past, it brings to mind the character of the God we have. We have hope.

Now, we get to where Habakkuk will put complete faith in God- regardless of what comes. We read: "Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails, and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will exult in the God of my salvation." Hab. 3:17-18

Can you have that kind of faith? Will you give up easily or will you cling to God- regardless? What do you believe about God that will help you to get through difficult times?

Hymn Sing

The Lutheran Church has been known as a singing church. On Sunday, September 27, we will have a traditional hymn sing. We explore the rich heritage of music that is used to lift up our voices in praise and thanksgiving to God.