Larry Devich
Monday, June 26, 2006
Pride
Pride, that is the first sin, the original sin. "You will be like God!" was the temptation. Pride.
Yesterday San Francisco held its annual "Gay Pride" parade. The actual name of the thing is much longer but it's just so silly I won't bother with looking it up for this post. There were reportedly "hundreds of thousands" of people there, both participating and watching. It is always held on a Sunday, starting at around 10:00 am. I suppose there might be other reasons but I think one reason for the day and time is to slap Christians in the face by marching during the hours when most of them are going to church.
The reason I'm even mentioning this is because yesterday after work I was delayed for an hour getting home because the trains were too full to get on with my bike. I found myself muttering curses against "fags" and "perverts" and was full of anger over this delay. And maybe pride that I wasn't "like these sinners."
After about 30 minutes of this quiet ranting the Holy Spirit moved me to do something different and I began to pray for the participants in this abomination of a parade. I slowly began to relax as I found compassion within me instead of the hatred that had been there only moments before. Not approval of the sin or of the display, but compassion for their obvious pain. While they claim to be "gay" they certainly look anything but. They seem distressed and desperate, lost and seeking love. I prayed for God to move into their lives, to bless them and to save them.
Pride. My pride said I was better than these people. The Holy Spirit said, Jesus died for them, He loves them, they are your brothers and your sisters and you should pray for them.
In the end I prayed, for them and for forgiveness for my lack of love, and for my pride. ¶ 6/26/2006 04:48:00 AM 0 Comments
Yesterday San Francisco held its annual "Gay Pride" parade. The actual name of the thing is much longer but it's just so silly I won't bother with looking it up for this post. There were reportedly "hundreds of thousands" of people there, both participating and watching. It is always held on a Sunday, starting at around 10:00 am. I suppose there might be other reasons but I think one reason for the day and time is to slap Christians in the face by marching during the hours when most of them are going to church.
The reason I'm even mentioning this is because yesterday after work I was delayed for an hour getting home because the trains were too full to get on with my bike. I found myself muttering curses against "fags" and "perverts" and was full of anger over this delay. And maybe pride that I wasn't "like these sinners."
After about 30 minutes of this quiet ranting the Holy Spirit moved me to do something different and I began to pray for the participants in this abomination of a parade. I slowly began to relax as I found compassion within me instead of the hatred that had been there only moments before. Not approval of the sin or of the display, but compassion for their obvious pain. While they claim to be "gay" they certainly look anything but. They seem distressed and desperate, lost and seeking love. I prayed for God to move into their lives, to bless them and to save them.
Pride. My pride said I was better than these people. The Holy Spirit said, Jesus died for them, He loves them, they are your brothers and your sisters and you should pray for them.
In the end I prayed, for them and for forgiveness for my lack of love, and for my pride. ¶ 6/26/2006 04:48:00 AM 0 Comments
Monday in the 3rd Week of Pentecost
In the Name of Christ. Amen. What makes you special? Who you are? Where you are from? Is it your ethnic background? Or the fact that you are a Lutheran?
None of that makes you special – at least, not in God’s eyes. There is nothing about you that makes you special, but there is something about you that makes you special.
Your Baptism makes you special. Your faith in Christ makes you special. St. Paul says there is “no distinction between Jew or Greek.” There’s no difference between Christians of differing backgrounds. There is one God and one Lord who saves us all.
It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from. If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for your sins, and that He came to life again to lead the way to eternal life in heaven, then you are truly His. You are special. You are saved.
That’s the only way it happens. St. Paul says “faith comes from hearing the word of Christ.” We can’t call on Him who we don’t know, but when you come to know Him, you can’t unknow Him.
The Word of Christ plants faith that takes root, is watered by Baptism, grows throughout your life, is fed by His Body and Blood, and is fertilized by more of that saving Word until the day comes when we stand with all those who have gone before – those made special by that same Word, regardless of their background or circumstances. Saved. Alive. For all eternity. Amen.
The Higher Things site provided part of verse six of this hymn, but this is yet another hymn that I remember singing and that I love, so here is the whole thing:
"All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name"
by Edward Perronet, 1726-1792
Text From: THE HANDBOOK TO THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL
(St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1942)
1. All hail the power of Jesus' name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown Him Lord of all.
2. Crown Him, ye martyrs of our God,
Who from His altar call;
Extol the Stem of Jesse's rod
And crown Him Lord of all.
3. Ye seed of Israel's chosen race,
Ye ransomed from the Fall,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace
And crown Him Lord of all.
4. Hail Him, ye heirs of David's line,
Whom David Lord did call,
The God incarnate, Man divine,
And crown Him Lord of all.
5. Sinners, whose love can ne'er forget
The wormwood and the gall,
Go, spread your trophies at His feet
And crown Him Lord of all.
6. Let every kindred, every tribe,
On this terrestrial ball
To Him all majesty ascribe
And crown Him Lord of all.
7. Oh, that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song
And crown Him Lord of all.Daily Readings
Ecclesiastes 2:1-15
Galatians 1:1-17
Matthew 13:44-52
¶ 6/26/2006 04:44:00 AM 0 Comments
“Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” (Romans 10:11-13)
In the Name of Christ. Amen. What makes you special? Who you are? Where you are from? Is it your ethnic background? Or the fact that you are a Lutheran?
None of that makes you special – at least, not in God’s eyes. There is nothing about you that makes you special, but there is something about you that makes you special.
Your Baptism makes you special. Your faith in Christ makes you special. St. Paul says there is “no distinction between Jew or Greek.” There’s no difference between Christians of differing backgrounds. There is one God and one Lord who saves us all.
It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from. If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for your sins, and that He came to life again to lead the way to eternal life in heaven, then you are truly His. You are special. You are saved.
That’s the only way it happens. St. Paul says “faith comes from hearing the word of Christ.” We can’t call on Him who we don’t know, but when you come to know Him, you can’t unknow Him.
The Word of Christ plants faith that takes root, is watered by Baptism, grows throughout your life, is fed by His Body and Blood, and is fertilized by more of that saving Word until the day comes when we stand with all those who have gone before – those made special by that same Word, regardless of their background or circumstances. Saved. Alive. For all eternity. Amen.
The Higher Things site provided part of verse six of this hymn, but this is yet another hymn that I remember singing and that I love, so here is the whole thing:
"All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name"
by Edward Perronet, 1726-1792
Text From: THE HANDBOOK TO THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL
(St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1942)
1. All hail the power of Jesus' name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown Him Lord of all.
2. Crown Him, ye martyrs of our God,
Who from His altar call;
Extol the Stem of Jesse's rod
And crown Him Lord of all.
3. Ye seed of Israel's chosen race,
Ye ransomed from the Fall,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace
And crown Him Lord of all.
4. Hail Him, ye heirs of David's line,
Whom David Lord did call,
The God incarnate, Man divine,
And crown Him Lord of all.
5. Sinners, whose love can ne'er forget
The wormwood and the gall,
Go, spread your trophies at His feet
And crown Him Lord of all.
6. Let every kindred, every tribe,
On this terrestrial ball
To Him all majesty ascribe
And crown Him Lord of all.
7. Oh, that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song
And crown Him Lord of all.Daily Readings
Ecclesiastes 2:1-15
Galatians 1:1-17
Matthew 13:44-52
¶ 6/26/2006 04:44:00 AM 0 Comments
