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The Prayer of Faith

9/26/2021

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James 5: 13-20 Mark 9: 38-50
​The epistle of James has always been a kind of enigma. Martin Luther famously called it an epistle of straw. Jesus is explicitly mentioned only twice in its 5 chapters. James can be read in such a way as to conflict with Paul's theology of faith as the sole means to salvation. He puts a lot of emphasis on works. But it seems fairly clear that he writes about practical works of faith, not works for salvation. I see it as a realistic book on living out faith in a community of faith.
I've used today's passage as my guide for how we ought to pray for one another. “Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.”

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Questions...

9/19/2021

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Proverbs 31: 10-31; Mark 9: 30-37
Our first reading today begins with a question: A capable wife who can find? Now if you know me, you know I am greatly tempted to make some wife jokes here but I am showing restraint today... at least for now. When the author asks the question, he is inviting us to join him in pondering this issue. It is not really a question that is asking for an answer but gets the readers thinking about a good wife.
Now in our gospel, Jesus was telling his disciples for the second time that they were going to Jerusalem and that he would die there. They didn't understand. So what are we to do when we don't understand something? Ask questions. But note what Mark wrote, “they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.” Has that ever been you? It has happened to me plenty of times. I didn't understand something but I figured everybody else did or they would ask a question. So I stayed quiet and missed out on understanding. And that's what the disciples did and we learn during the passion of Jesus that they hadn't understood what was coming at all.

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9/11 Twenty years later...

9/12/2021

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Proverbs 1: 20-33; James 3:1-12
​I think we all know what yesterday commemorated. The world took a dramatic turn on 9/11. A date that has it's very own meaning in our vernacular. What is truly hard to believe is that it happened twenty years ago! And for the vast majority of Americans, the sting has lessened. If you weren't directly affected, the memory is sad; maybe it produces anger, but the urgency seems to have decreased.
But then the end of August brought much of it rushing back. American troops were removed from Afghanistan. As we look back, there were some victories—Osama Bin Laden is no longer leading terrorist actions. But there were sacrifices as well, 800,000 Americans served, 2352 gave their lives in the conflict. 66,000 Afghan soldiers are estimated to have died. Over 19 years fighting ignited by the events of 9/11.
Our initial reactions following 9/11 found communities pulling together, church attendance rising, prayer meetings held for wisdom and peace. We found a sense of common purpose. We drew closer as a nation. But it didn't last, this unity and community. In our reading from Proverbs, I get a sense of how the author saw his world and how history keeps repeating itself. 

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The Many Faces of Jesus

9/5/2021

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Proverbs 22: 1-9; Mark 7:24-37

We've got two stories today of healings by Jesus. And they both are rather unique as accounts of healings go. First is the woman who begs for the demon to be cast out of her daughter, which isn't unique. But the seemingly cruel response of Jesus is. And then the blind man being healed has details seldom given, Jesus, “put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. 34Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha,"”. This morning I want us to consider the different views of Jesus we might recognize in the gospels.

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    Pastor Gordy

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