tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96678372024-03-12T20:09:29.587-04:00Pastor Jim's BlogThoughts by James Debner, Senior Pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Ann Arbor, MIpr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.comBlogger236125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-78099217475227037562018-10-29T11:36:00.003-04:002018-10-29T11:36:43.785-04:00
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Dear
Sisters and Brothers,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">I write
to you with a broken heart – for the lives lost, wounded, and shattered by
horrific hatred and violence at Tree of Life Congregation this morning. We join
our Jewish neighbors and enter into mourning for all that has been lost. In our
grief, God is our comfort. "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and
saves the crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18). </span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">From Pittsburgh
to Portland, and around the world, Jews are living in fear. Anti-Semitism is on
the rise. Public acts of hatred and bigotry against Jews are commonplace. As
Christians, and particularly as Lutherans, we deplore and reject this bigotry.
"We recognize in anti-Semitism a contradiction and affront to the Gospel,
a violation of our hope and calling, and we pledge this church to oppose the
deadly working of such bigotry, both within our own circles and in the society
around us" (1994 Declaration of the ELCA to the Jewish Community). </span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">We are
reminded that hate-filled violence knows no bounds – whether a Sikh Temple in
Oak Creek, a Christian church in Charleston, or a Jewish synagogue In
Pittsburgh. As people of faith, we are bound together not only in our mourning,
but also in our response. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Therefore,
in this tender moment of grief, let us reach out to those whose hearts are most
broken – our Jewish neighbors. I encourage you to contact your local synagogue,
or your Jewish colleagues, friends, and family members, to share your words of
care, support, love, and protection. There may be specific acts you might offer
to demonstrate your care, such as when the members of Faith Lutheran Church
surrounded Congregation Beth Israel of Chico, California, serving as <i>Shomrim</i>,
or guardians, as they observed Yom Kippur following a hate crime in 2009. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Such
simple acts can go a long way to demonstrate our love, as an extension of God's
love. As we seek to heal the brokenhearted, we are assured that God is near.
There is no greater promise in the face of grief. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">In
peace,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton</span><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Presiding
Bishop, ELCA</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-48203150644189048472018-10-29T11:36:00.001-04:002018-10-29T11:36:08.375-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-87933639999133871692018-07-18T16:50:00.001-04:002018-07-18T16:50:21.027-04:00July 18, 2018<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mBsrXp-9WD0" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-83813970741336192852018-07-03T12:27:00.001-04:002018-07-03T12:27:52.094-04:00video update 7 3 18<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LRuvpNlZblI" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-87210203651098378142018-06-26T16:53:00.001-04:002018-06-26T16:53:25.983-04:00video update 6 26 18<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-4jfN9s5UiY" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-76993214789623431662018-06-20T16:57:00.001-04:002018-06-20T16:57:38.900-04:00video update 6 20 18<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YV1yZNQEbrA" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-26854673364576846162018-06-05T14:38:00.001-04:002018-06-05T14:38:25.806-04:00video update 6 5 18<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ra_Iq-nwPQs" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-16308144833689816582018-05-30T09:47:00.001-04:002018-05-30T09:47:14.219-04:00video update 5 30 18<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_MULdtPkFYs" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-81829967447478426292018-05-23T10:50:00.001-04:002018-05-23T10:50:53.176-04:00video update 5 23 18<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pFsIr_Y2pkk" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-56400120320331495332018-05-17T14:07:00.001-04:002018-05-17T14:07:33.349-04:00video update 5 17 18<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T-EyTjvpPZw" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-13900018863083607242018-05-09T11:48:00.001-04:002018-05-09T11:48:06.508-04:00video update 5 9 18<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D0URI20_Li8" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-41718162180720615652018-05-02T16:33:00.001-04:002018-05-02T16:33:53.352-04:00video update 5 2 18<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Mmiwe0vIYBg" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-2513888637932231502018-04-30T13:59:00.001-04:002018-04-30T13:59:53.897-04:00Resurrection Power<br />
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt; font-style: italic;">Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 1 Cor. 15:58 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Because Jesus was raised from death our service and work are worthwhile.</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: underline;"> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">As followers of Jesus Christ, we are part of an amazing story with a glorious ending. But right now, as we await that ending, we live in the “troublesome middle” of the story. We live in a broken world and sometimes we wonder if the gospel is making any difference. Crime, injustice, violence, sexual abuse, and hatred only seem to escalate. Even, within the church, Jesus’ followers often behave poorly. We complain, covet, gossip, lie, and cheat. The ten commandments are broken consistently day after day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">It’s nothing new. Paul was writing to a church in Corinth that was struggling to follow Jesus. So why belong to a church if it struggles with following Jesus commands? Why preach the good news if people who claim to be Christ-followers fail to respond?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The answer is resurrection. Paul encourages believers to stand firm and give themselves totally to the work of the Lord. The verb translated “</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt; font-style: italic;">always excelling” </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">means to</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt; font-style: italic;"> “be always abounding” </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">or</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt; font-style: italic;"> “overflow.” </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">This is the language of extravagance and excess. Rather than pull back, we are to push forward in our work and service despite what this world feels like and what we see happening around us. The resurrection is what gives our work significance, meaning and success. We will see limited success now, but the ultimate victory will come when we are raised as Christ was raised. So in the now, we need each other. In the community of the church we find support, hope and purpose as we grow in faith and discipleship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We as Christians are called to practice resurrection in our daily life. We are called to practice resurrection daily as we engage in a life permeated by the presence and companionship of the resurrected Jesus at home and work. </span><span lang="en-US" style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We are to be living witnesses to the one who conquered death and lives still. We should be able to tell the story of his resurrection, but we should also be looking for stories of resurrection that are around us. We need to have eyes to see anew resurrection happening around us. This week I found a flower blooming all by itself, proclaiming the resurrection. Sometime we need to bloom even when we are by ourselves to proclaim the resurrection. Without resurrection the story of Jesus would at most be good advice (how to live a life) and not good news. Resurrection changes everything, let’s be looking for its work still going on around us. </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-82759779068812192692018-04-25T11:21:00.001-04:002018-04-25T11:21:19.644-04:00video update 4 25 18<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_YUfmM0xzjg" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-60100256558681250042018-04-18T13:47:00.001-04:002018-04-18T13:47:44.634-04:00video update 4 18 18<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/upvVcxQTsAk" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-54515071035783641722018-04-10T16:55:00.001-04:002018-04-10T16:55:20.739-04:00video update 4 11 18<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GHze7U0HefQ" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-43621377428186090222018-04-04T14:49:00.001-04:002018-04-04T14:49:28.868-04:00video update 4 4 18<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/crKzu8w0Ow0" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-50329155581719381892018-03-28T18:00:00.001-04:002018-03-28T18:00:22.665-04:00vidoe update 3 28 18<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lRCx2KrVX54" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-2172460537940195332018-03-21T18:38:00.001-04:002018-03-21T18:38:58.857-04:00video update 3 21 18<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RkvVk7-AWwQ" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-62981360423959341252018-03-13T12:05:00.001-04:002018-03-13T12:05:53.055-04:00video update 3 14 18<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iuuKhkcTu4Q" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-70040061210401282282018-03-07T12:54:00.001-05:002018-03-07T12:54:49.217-05:00video update 3 7 18<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EHBKlkY5NMc" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-69972726285699032132018-02-28T10:22:00.002-05:002018-02-28T10:22:16.523-05:00Infected By Love<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Infected by Love </b></div>
“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35 There is nothing messier than love. If you grew up in a family with sisters or brothers, if you have a spouse, you know how messy love can be. Yet Jesus reminds us that “We are to be known – by our love.” What are we known for or by? Is it by our love? This goes for us as individual followers of Jesus and as a congregation of Jesus followers. Love is to be our identity. In this season of Lent we are invited to examine our lives and see if what we say with our lips is lived out in our actions. It is so easy to say I believe, but so hard to live out discipleship. I read this week from a book, Julian, Letters 22 by Wilmar C. Wright, about a conversation that happened in Rome. “By their care for those in distress, the early Christians said to the Roman Caesar, ‘We will take care of your sick. We will take feed your hungry. We will shelter your widows. We will adopt and raise your children with special needs. We will take care of your pregnant mothers.’” “By the third century AD, the fabric of the Roman society was transformed—‘infected by love,’ as one historian has said. Even the Emperor Julian, known by history as ‘Julian the Apostate’ because of his hatred of Christianity, conceded in a letter to his friend that the growth of the ‘Christian sect’ had gotten out of control because the Christians took better care of Rome’s afflicted than Rome did.” What could our community look like if it was infected by love? Take a minute and think about all the other things of the world that infect us and our community. What if this messy love of God infected everything we did as followers of Jesus? I believe this is what the season of Lent is all about, dreaming about God’s vision for us and for the world. Reminds me of the old camp song: “We will work with each other, we will work side by side. We will work with each other, we will work side by side. And will guard each man’s dignity and save each man’s pride. And ...They’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, Yes, They’ll know we are Christians by our love.” The cross and empty tomb are all about God’s great love for this world and everyone in it. It’s love that makes Good Friday, good. It’s love that makes resurrection possible for us. It’s love that Jesus commands us to live and be known. May this Lenten Season be our tutorial on being and living loved. Looking forward to our journey to Easter on April 1st when we join the world to celebrate the greatest love of all. God, Infect us with your compassion & love. Let our devotion to you shine so others can experience your good news. Amen pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-48060415176754237822018-02-28T10:17:00.001-05:002018-02-28T10:17:50.532-05:00video update 2 28 18<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KcQdAS-Wyb0" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-39726255366755510252018-02-21T14:45:00.001-05:002018-02-21T14:45:22.276-05:00video update 2 21 18<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I6BLxSEKvBI" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9667837.post-33022854784931181372018-02-13T17:00:00.001-05:002018-02-13T17:00:21.288-05:00video update 2 14 18<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KbtD7jwrjgo" width="480"></iframe>pr Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049418750827197666noreply@blogger.com0