Judy Lentz   Death and Dancing

David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals. When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore, God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.  Scripture: II Samuel 6:5-7

In January, the Dr. Rev. Chris Leonard of Rock Presbyterian Church in Greenwood, S.C. preached a sermon titled “Death and Dancing”. The scripture lesson for this sermon was the story of Uzzah as written in the scripture lesson above. At face value, to me, it seemed confusing.

Why would God kill Uzzah? After all, wasn’t he a Priest and didn’t he take care of the Ark of the Covenant for years? Why, then, did God get so upset with him for trying to prevent the ark from falling to the ground resulting in God striking Uzzah down due to this irreverent act?

Historians tell us the Covenant scrolls were intended to be carried on the shoulders of two men who could then assure the Covenant itself was never touched by human hands or could be desecrated by falling on the ground. When Uzzah was commanded to bring the Covenant to God, Uzzah in his controlling way, chose to bring it on a cart pulled by oxen rather than be carried by men on their shoulders.

 When the oxen stumbled, the Covenant shifted. Uzzah feared it was going to fall on the ground so he reached out to grab it. Seems like he was doing the right thing, right? After all, he was seeking to prevent it from falling on the ground.

What was expected of him by God? Uzzah’s irreverent act was ignoring God’s expectations of how to carry the arc and taking control of that decision himself. Then when it almost fell to the ground, Uzzah reached out to prevent that thereby touching the sacred Covenant. Uzzah’s independence in taking control over the way to carry the arc was inconsistent with God’s wishes and therefore irreverent.

 Uzzah’s controlling nature was not new to God. Due to this incident, Uzzah was struck down. After Uzzah’s death, we read further in II Samuel and see that David danced and Michal, daughter of Saul, despised him for doing so. David chose to dance in celebration of God and His Covenant.

 There are two diametrically opposing behaviors here – control versus celebrate and death versus dance. God is in charge: then, now and in the future. We are expected to celebrate and dance not to control and thereby risk being struck down.

Sharon is celebrating in 2017 – dancing in gratitude to God for 200 years of worship and service to the glory of our Lord. We celebrate this year but have we always been celebratory? Will we continue celebrating even after this anniversary year has ended? God has a plan for us – all we need to do is listen and respond.

Prayer: Dear Lord, we often forget who is in charge. We try to control how we live our lives, the decisions we make, the places we go, the things we do instead of turning to you for guidance before making these decisions. Forgive us for our selfish ways. We know you have a plan for us. Teach us to trust in that plan, and to follow you every day as we dance and celebrate your faithfulness in us. Eradicate any desires to control and guide us to celebrate and dance always in gratitude to you and for your glory. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Bearing Fruit  BECOMING RICH

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21

Through the working of the Holy Spirit, who opens our hearts and minds to understand God's Word, we learn that riches do not consist of money. In fact, riches have nothing to do with money. We can have very little money and be very rich or be very wealthy and be impoverished. True riches have to do with a right relationship with Jesus who brings us satisfaction, joy, love and peace and who enables us to "take hold of that which is truly life" (1 Timothy 6:19).

Material possessions do not constitute real riches, as many have discovered to their sorrow. Material things are transitory. What we possess materially can be lost... All material things can be gone very quickly.

The wise person who desires to be rich will look at Jesus' words. Enlightened by the Spirit, he will understand what God's Word means when it speaks of the lack of foundation material riches provide. He will understand what a poor investment wealth alone is. He will see that true riches are found in investing in eternity, in laying up "treasures in Heaven" (Matthew 6:20).

How insightful C.S. Lewis was when he wrote, "He who has God and everything has no more that he who has God alone."

Jesus told us that he came "that [we] may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). Let us not settle for the cheap counterfeit the world offers but embrace wholeheartedly the treasure of Jesus and his good gifts.

Prayer:   Lord, you are the provider of all things. Help me to put my trust and faith in you rather than in material things. I thank you for your incomprehensible love demonstrated in the gift of your Son, Jesus, who gave his life that I might have true riches: the forgiveness of sins and life eternal in Heaven. In your precious name I pray. Amen.

Jan Bernard

-Do not be afraid-for I am with you!  Isaiah 43:5 (Today's English Version)

Every time I go to work I must travel on an airplane. This requires a lot of trust in a lot of people from the fueler of the plane to the pilots. I have no trouble believing they will do their jobs and I will arrive safely.

Sometimes I wonder why I ever had doubts that God would always be with me. I have come to believe that God is with me on each flight and find myself sitting in the jump seat during turbulence with a calm feeling knowing God is with me. After many years of flying, I have learned that I am not in control of the airplane or my daily life.

 I have learned to listen to God with a much more open heart and know he is with me no matter what happens.

Prayer:  God, help us to remember you are with us always.

Debbie Williams 

A Lesson in Faith

My mother passed away on November 19, 2016 from cancer.   The whole experience was to say the least, difficult.   But she left me with a fresh outlook at faith. 

She had beaten the odds several times - a bout with melanoma, breast cancer, a severe respiration infection.  But not this time. The melanoma came back. It started with her just being a bit more tired than usual. Then in a matter of days it spread to her throat and her brain. Her tongue was swollen, so she could not eat much and she could talk, but just a little slower and harder to understand.

When we went to the doctor's office and he told her...well he was telling me the diagnosis...she promptly informed him. “Talk to  me Dr. Sherry, not my daughter. It's ok. Just tell me.” So the doctor told her she had maybe 12 weeks to live.

She went home and called a few friends. A few minutes later her phone was ringing off the hook. Friends told other friends. So her calendar filled with meetings. Pastor Doug, all of her friends, family, the neighbors...they're were all scheduled to visit.  And she's was excited. She's THANKFUL to have these people in her life that want to see her. She's GREATFUL to God to have the time to say goodbye. Because most don't get that luxury.

She didn’t have any regrets. She was not afraid to die because she's spent her whole life being faithful to God.

After receiving the news of 4 to 6 weeks to live she sat me down and “dictated” to me her wishes for memorial service, songs, bible verses, funeral arrangements and met with Pastor Doug to tell him.

Bearing Fruit For Jesus! 

KEEPING OUR FOCUS

"Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." John 12:16. ...for it is time to seek the Lord until he comes..." Hosea 10:12

Have you ever felt that life is so full of distractions and that there are such pulls on your time that you have lost your focus? As God's stewards, our goal is to live our lives for God's purpose according to his grace given us by the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacrament.

 Getting our priorities straight and sticking to them is one of the most difficult tasks we face. We are called to be faithful and not misdirected by the world, our flesh, or Satan. "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all that you do" (1 Peter 1:14-15).

It is challenging, but with God's help it is possible to keep God at the center of our busy lives and to keep some of life's diversions from consuming our time...

We may ask ourselves the question, "Does the way I live my life reflect the importance of my relationship with God?" We may also ask, "Does my faith focus my life or does my faith get lost in the blur of busyness and day-to-day routine?" Our goal is to keep "the main thing the main thing," which is to love, serve, trust, and obey our heavenly Father.

Prayer:  Father, I thank you for the gift of life. Please grant me your wisdom so I can see the foolishness of my ways. Help me, Lord, to use my time wisely so that I may glorify you. Guide me in your path. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Playing with Yarn  

Megan Hamsher

Exodus 35:25      Every skilled woman spun yarn with her hands and brought it: blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.  (Holman Bible)

Here's some things I've come across "playing with yarn":

Yarn can tangle and form knots.

Sometimes the pattern and my hook are not on the same page and frustration occurs;

I have to rip things out and start over again.

Stare at the back of a pattern to weave in ends ...

and forget to look at the front design.

If stitches are practiced enough,

beautiful projects can be made to brighten someone else's day.

It's a one person deal: a pile of yarn and a hook....

it's up to you to actually make the design.

Who would have thought messing with yarn could teach us about our lives?

Life is full of "unexpected tangles" and plenty of frustrations that we often can't prevent,

but we learn eventually to "de-tangle" and move on.

Life is about new beginnings - starting with each morning!

We can't always see the "main picture" until we are finished with that chapter in our lives, sometimes taking years before we understand it....

but God knows the "big picture" always!

If we take time to keep learning and sharing that knowledge with others,

we can brighten others' lives in so many ways.

Now add Jesus to the story.

Jesus gave us a personal way, a one-to-one method, to connect to God.

Jesus accepts us if we are open to His love ...

no matter how many tangles and frustrations we face.

Jesus gives us new hope, and offers us a new way to spend our lives.

If we spread the Good News ... we spread His love and enrich those around us.

"Weave in the faith and God will find the thread."

(couldn't find the author, but I love this quote!)

Prayer:  Dear God,

Thank you that we can learn about You in the simplest of things, like yarn.

May we take what we learn and share it with others, whether it's through our words, actions, or gifts.

Amen

W Roy Behling  

WONDERFUL TEACHERS

Jesus said: "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." - Mark 10:14 (NIV)

Even as I approach 80 years of age, I cannot forget my Sunday School teachers and youth leaders. I attended Sunday School and Youth Fellowship from toddler age through high school. During this period, I received Jesus as my Savior. I am grateful for my teachers who taught the living word of God with deep commitment and love. All these years later, I still have respect for these teachers.

In Luke Chapter 2, we see twelve-year-old Jesus sitting with the teachers in the Temple, and they were all astonished by his wisdom and answers. He was well versed in old testament scripture.

What about our children? I firmly believe it is part of God's plan to use Sunday School to produce faithful servants for His church. Children are precious in the sight of God and by attending Sunday School our children can learn about Jesus Christ and the scriptures and then pass on these lessons of faith to future generations.

Dear Lord, I ask for Your continued blessing on Sunday School teachers, youth leaders and students as they grow in the faith, become Your disciples and spread the Gospel as fruitful members of Your church. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Amen.