Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA's Podcast

Christmas Reflections Indiana-Kentucky Synod Bishop Bill Gafkjen Harp accompaniment by Nicholas Burrus "He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word." -Hebrews 1:3, NRSV; appointed for Christmas Day This child, this Jesus, this Emmanuel, is God's gift to us, God's gift to the world, blessing the mangers of our days with the shimmering light of God's glory.

Podcast for Week Three "God is there and the party has begun" by Pr. Rudy Mueller Harp and violin accompaniment by Nicholas and Christopher Burrus Zephaniah 3.17 The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; who will rejoice over you with gladness, who will renew you in love; who will exult over you with loud singing.

Podcast for Week Four "New life….nestled within new life is the stirring of the Holy Spirit" by Pr. Nancy Nyland Harp and violin accompaniment by Nicholas and Christopher Burrus Luke 1:39-45 Mary Visits Elizabeth 39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

By Pr. Carolyn Lesmeister Luke 3: 1-6 John the Baptist Prepares the Way 3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all people will see God’s salvation.’”

Advent 2012 Devotions from the staff of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA Week One The Kingdom is Here by Pr. Heather Apel Harp accompaniment by Nicholas Burrus

Holy Week is about God’s faithfulness to us, even at our worst. It’s about Jesus’ stubborn insistence that he stay friends with us, despite our betrayal and denial and inability to stay awake. Whether your Lenten disciplines and practices have been “successful” … or if you’ve failed spectacularly even at those … this week it’s not about you. Or me. It’s not about what we’ve done or haven’t done. It’s not about the promises we've made, or the ones we’ve broken. It’s about God and God’s promises.

Dying for the sake of someone else, just as Jesus did when he died on the cross for us, is a bit like what we do when we serve others in our family, communities, and in our God-created world. As we near the end of our Lenten journey and approach Holy Week, we need to remember that we must be willing to die to this world and be open to God, to follow Jesus.

The Lenten journey brings us back to our baptism where the seal of the one who died was etched upon our foreheads. In our baptism we hung on the cross with Jesus, knew the cold and dark of the tomb with him, and were raised to a new life with him.

Paul writes: “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him. ‘So shall your offspring be.’ Without weakening in his faith he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead – since he was about a hundred years old – and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” (Romans 4:18-21 NIV) As you live your life each day with family, at work, at school, as a friend, as a member of a faith community….. • do you go with the sure thing • do you choose the easy way, the way that’s quick, that requires no risk • do you choose the way that enables you to rely only upon yourself rather than relying on God?

Jesus calls anyone who wants to be his follower, to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him (Mark 8:34). This is true not just during the 40 days of Lent, but 365 days of the year. In spite of our best efforts, in spite of our regular attendance at worship and Bible study, in spite of our daily time of devotions and Scripture – we will have times when we do not succeed to live as a disciple of Jesus. There will be times when we set our mind on human things, rather than focusing on the divine.

Using Lent? Using God? The disciplines of Lent are not bad or wrongheaded in and of themselves. They can be ways in which God works in us to open our hearts and hands to welcome and share God’s reign. But the good news, the best news, is that Lent begins and ends not with us, but with God.

Written and read by Pr. Carolyn Lesmeister, Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assistant to the Bishop

Written and read by Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assistant to the Bishop Rudy Mueller

Written and read by Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assistant to the Bishop Heather Apel

"Even God Waits" by Indiana-Kentucky Synod Bishop William O. Gafkjen