Everyday Lutherans

Ezra 7:6-10, 16-26 6 this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses that the Lord the God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was upon him. 7 Some of the people of Israel, and some of the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple servants also went up to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. 8 They came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 On the first day of the first month the journey up from Babylon was begun, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the gracious hand of his God was upon him. 10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach the statutes and ordinances in Israel. 16 with all the silver and gold that you shall find in the whole province of Babylonia, and with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests, given willingly for the hou...

Within the life and times of God’s people, God calls us to be instruments in many different ways.  God places us in certain places to use our status, gifts and abilities to bring forth the Kingdom of God.  Today we gather and bear witness to the ways in which the life of a woman some 2500 years ago, still influences and affects our own society.  In fact, some things have not changed at all.  Yes, there is now technology.  Events do happen in a different part of the world, but in many regards things are not that much different.   When King Xerexes wants to get a wife, he holds a beauty contest.  Think how much our world, even with todays values and emphasizes on beauty and youth.  Just like the Miss America or any other fashion show, we reduce a wife, a woman, to her outward appearance.  We do this within our own society. We value how a woman holds herself, how others view her and that our outward appearance is what matters.  Our world an...

The words of Haggai and Zechariah are ones that could easily be shared with us even today.  Remember the people were taken captive from this land of Israel to the land of the Babylonians.  The Persians were the ones who not only told them to go home if they wanted, but also gave them the money, supplies and support to build their homes.   More importantly the Temple of the Lord was to be rebuilt once again. Haggai and Zechariah were sent to the people of Israel to show them what it is they have.  Who they should put their trust and focus in, but also to direct the people into what they should be doing. For the people were so glad to have their freedom and be within their homeland, that they were overjoyed.  In fact when the people began, one of the first things that they did was offer sacrifices and thanksgiving to God.  But then they met resistance from those around them.  They became discouraged and focused on what was more important for themsel...

When I was in high school, I was able to travel with a band and choir tour.  We got to travel through eleven countries within Europe in a month.  It was roughly two to three days within each city. Traveling from one place to the next, day after day, eating food that I had never tasted before, seeing historic buildings and the culture was incredible.  It was also the farthest away from home I had ever been within my life.  I had been in a different state but now, I was in another country, on another continent, where people spoke different languages, who did things that were not the way I had done things.  It was exciting, scary, incredible, and life changing.   Returning home, I was reminded of those words of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, “There is no place like home”.  As I was home, all the things were still there and others that I had often overlooked.  The first thing I wanted was a Burger King cheeseburger, my bed was so soft and comfortable,...

Daniel is one of those famous characters of the Old Testament because of his true faith.  Since these are rather popular stories, I want to dive in deeper into how they remind us of our own time and the world around us today.  Daniel was willing to stand up to the king who had enslaved his people, brought them out of their lands and made them destroy their past.  Taking away someone’s language, history, and their story was what the King of Babylon was trying to do.  Most of the people at that time had a language and story that defined them.  There was a reason for being Amalekite, an Ammonite, Philistine or Hebrew.  Your story, comprised of the past and the current events formed who you were.  By doing this, the king had hoped that you would abandon your story and pick up their story, the Babylonian story.   There was only one problem, the creator of all the world and author of all time is still with the Hebrew people.  However, they had forg...

Isaiah 62:1-12 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. 2 The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. 3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. 5 For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your builder marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. 6 Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted sentinels; all day and all night they shall never be silent. You who remind the Lord, take no rest, 7 and give him no rest unti...