The Luther Rose

In a world dominated by symbolism, I thought it would be appropriate to look more closely at the Luther Rose, the iconic symbol for Lutherans all across the world.  It is a symbol that unifies and solidifies Lutherans in their faith. 

Here in South Africa, many ELCSA members have a Luther Rose sticker on their car windows, proudly displaying their religion.  On my parish’s program for the Easter weekend, they included a letter written by Martin Luther which explained his reasoning behind his symbol.  Luther beautifully articulates his seal’s detailed meaning and provides the foundations for his theology in his response below:

Grace and peace in Christ, Honored dear Sir and Friend:

Since you wish to know whether my seal has come out correctly, I will tell you how I originally planned my coat-of-arms as a symbol of my theology.

There is first to be a cross, black and placed in a heart, which should be of its natural color [red], to remind me that it is faith in the Crucified that saves us.  A person can only become righteous when he believes with his whole heart.  Even though it is a black cross, which mortifies and which also should hurt us, it leaves the heart in its natural color and does not ruin nature; that is, the cross does not kill but keeps man alive. For the just man lives by faith, but by faith in the Crucified One.

This heart should be set in the midst of a white rose, to show that such faith yields joy, peace and comfort such as the world cannot give.  That is why the rose is white and not red, for white is the color of spirits and angels.

This rose is to be placed on a field of heavenly blue, because such spiritual joy and faith are a beginning of heavenly joys to come, which are even now possessed by faith and understood in hope, although they are not yet evident to the outward eye.

And, encircling this field is a ring of gold, to signify that this bliss of heaven endures forever, and is more precious than all earthly pleasures and possessions, even as gold is the most precious of metals.

May Christ, our dear Lord, be with your spirit until it attains to that life.

Amen. 

Now, who doesn’t want to be Lutheran after reading that!?  I continue to be proud of my church and its history, present workings, and vision for the future.  After reading Luther’s letter, I can only smile and embrace his theology once more.

A Southern (Hemisphere) Easter

It was a cold, windy, and misty Palm Sunday.  The other volunteers and I were not dressed for the weather, but at least we packed some hard boiled eggs to hold us over until the end of the service.  My start of Holy Week began in Soweto, South Africa’s most famous township and the epicenter of the Anti-Apartheid struggle.  As we processed through the streets of Soweto with our palms, I had one of those “awesome moments.”  Here I was, singing hymns in seTswana, processing with hundreds of South Africans in the place where the struggle for freedom hit a turning point in the 1970s.  After walking a few blocks, the cold weather didn’t faze me any longer as I was taking it all in.  We then had a Palm Sunday service to remember, including three confirmations, eight baptisms and Holy Communion.  Four and half hours later, the service was over.  It was such a blessing to worship alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ, and it was a great start to Holy Week.

My home parish, Bloemfontein South, held a church service every night of Holy Week.  I could really feel the energy and excitement building as we approached the weekend.  I had always been told that Holy Week and Easter was the biggest Christian holiday in South Africa, even bigger than Christmas.  And I became a witness to it. 

As there were a lot of similarities between the liturgies and scripture, there were also differences that I have never experienced before.  Our Good Friday service began at 10am on Friday.  This was the first time I have gone to a Good Friday service in the morning.  And as I went to the service, I was anticipating the usual somber, silent and grieving themes of a Good Friday service back home.  But I was astonished to see people sing hymns with energy and praise.  There were smiles and dancing in the pews and aisles.  I sat there dumbfounded, not sure what to make of it all.  I am used to a service in silence, with the lights dimmed and people grieving.  But instead I was faced with people who were in celebration. 

After a three hour service, we broke for lunch and returned for a ‘seven stages of the cross’ type service.  There were seven readings accompanied by two to three preachers for each passage.  The readers ranged from children in Sunday school to elders in the church.  There was so much passion in their preaching, and the resonating “amens” from the congregants was constant.  After another three hours or so, we finished our Good Friday service.  As I was trying to make sense of the service, I explained to some people how my usual Good Friday services are and asked them to explain theirs.  One person stated, “We understand that Christ died today, and it is sad and we do grieve.  However, we want to celebrate the gift of life, and for God sending his only Son to save us.  Because of Jesus’ death, we are able to be here and worship.  This is something to celebrate.”  Like many things I’ve experienced in the Southern Hemisphere, my thoughts were flipped upside down.  I had never thought about it that way, and have always carried the North American mentality of extreme grief and sadness during one’s death.  There is still an emphasis placed on reflection, but rather than on one day, the entire Lenten period is a time of extreme personal reflection.  The service played to the way funerals are in South Africa, in which there is more celebration of the person’s life than of the sadness of their passing.  Now seeing this side, I was extremely excited for Easter Sunday.

And I wasn’t disappointed.  Easter Sunday was a joyous celebration and our church was filled to capacity.  There were numerous hymns and choruses sang celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and our being saved.  Hands were flung into the air praising God, and everyone was smiling and happy.  For the first time in my life, I could truly sense the meaning of Easter and feel God’s presence and grace.  The strength of the Holy Spirit on Easter Sunday was powerful, and the service was a perfect culmination of a Lenten period that will always remain with me.

Do A Little With A Lot Of Love

“We can do no great things, just small things with great love.  It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into doing it.”  Mother Teresa

This quote might just be the best quote to sum up my experience in South Africa.  I came to South Africa as someone with the mindset of, “I am going to do so many great, big things.  I’m going to change the world!”  Well I quickly learned that I was not in South Africa to ‘change the world,’ but rather to be formed and informed in ways I never could have predicted.  I have realized that doing some little things with a bit of love have actually done more than any big things could.  I’ve learned that while walking, greeting someone in their native language with a smile on my face can make someone’s day.  I try to go out of my way to greet people as they pass, and although they are often surprised, I can see how happy it has made them.  And over the course of the last seven months, I have witnessed some amazing people do amazing things.  These amazing things often took the form of little gestures, which may even go unnoticed at some points.  But for me, as an active learner, I realized that no matter how small or insignificant something may seem it can be filled with so much love that it makes a large impact. 

The last several months have given me the opportunity to get to know Peter and Petro Howe, my supervisors at Tshepo.  They have quickly become like family to me, and I can now say I have two sets of adoptive parents in South Africa!  I will often get an SMS, (or text message,) just asking how I am doing.  They ask questions, and have given me medicine when I was sick and food when I was hungry.  And although these may seem trivial, they are so important to me as I continue to live in a country far from my own.  I also see their continual love in their work.  Petro is the manager of the Tshepo Day Care Center, which provides 154 children two meals a day, clean and fully stocked classrooms, and a safe environment to play in.  The amount of work piled on her plate could discourage her from her work, but each day she tirelessly works for the betterment of the care center.  She does all of the food shopping for the care center, conducts fundraising and makes sure all of the staff are taken care of.  I often see her love for the children of the care center when we first arrive each morning.  She gets out of her car and says, “Dumelang bana!”  or “Hello children!”  And all of the children respond with “Mama! Mama!”  The children clearly reciprocate the love she showers them with.  She takes a genuine interest in the staff and the lives of everyone she knows.  Her husband Pete is someone of great love as well.  You can get a sense of who Peter is when he answers his phone when a local moruti, (pastor) calls to discuss their ministry.  He shares a jovial dialogue and will always make that extra phone call to make it work.  During the last week or two, he has been contacting bus companies nonstop about Tshepo’s upcoming Sea Trip.  He is constantly on the move, and is constantly caring for others.

“We can do no great things, just small things with great love.  It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into doing it.” 

I am a lucky guy because the love is all around me, as I am living in a loving home with caring family members.  My host mother is one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met.  It’s not rare for her to get home after work, around 6pm, cook dinner, and then continue working on her laptop.  And there are often times that she is doing something for the prayer women’s league and church as well.  She spends hours after church in meetings and helping assist in ministries in the church.  And my host father is constantly doing things for his two congregations.  But it is the little things he does that many people won’t see on Sundays that go a long way.  He has picked me and fellow volunteers up late at night from the taxi rink down town.  He has driven people to the bus station who have needed rides.  He will always make a plan and go out of his way to accommodate people when they are in a tough spot.  He does all of this for nothing. 

“We can do no great things, just small things with great love.  It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into doing it.” 

Since last January I have had the opportunity to attend weekly prayer meetings with members from my parish.  Every Wednesday evening, we will gather at a member’s house and sing hymns and discuss scripture.  Most of the time these meetings are in Sesotho, however I tend to catch enough to understand here and there.  Each and every week I am amazed by the generosity of the host.  The hosts make room for ten or more people every week in their homes and always accommodate.  And after we close, we are always served cool drink and some kind of pastry, cake or sweet.  This may not seem like a big deal, but I think it takes a lot for someone to welcome a large group of people into their home, especially people they might not even know!  And each week, the hosts put a lot into the meetings.  It serves as a great way for people to gather and spend time together.  The fellowship is wonderful, and there are always smiles and laughter after the meetings.

“We can do no great things, just small things with great love.  It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into doing it.” 

We should not forget that without love, South Africa could be a very different country than it is today.  Madiba, (Nelson Mandela,) and the other leaders during the transition from Apartheid had love in their hearts.  There was love for their enemies, for the poor, for the marginalized, and for South Africans.  This is a country where little gestures with great love happen every day.  I don’t see little acts of kindness as being small insignificant acts.  I see them as small things with great love, and I think as Americans we can learn a lot from this. 

We should never forget the power of love.  We should never underestimate love.  We should never let love disappear from our daily acts.  Our current society of political polarization, economic injustice, and war suggests we have forgotten what love really means.  But I have seen that there is hope when I witness the daily acts I see each day by people who really know how to love. 

The Apostle Paul poetically describes love in his first letter to the Corinthians when he writes:

“Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.  It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice its wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”  1 Corinthians 13: 4-7.

Let us not stray far from Paul’s definition of love, and let us remember that it is not how much we do, but how much love we put into doing it. 

A Hero Lost

I am utterly and incredibly shocked.  I am deeply and greatly saddened.  I am devastated, and my soul feels an extreme feeling of loss. 

On April 4, 2011, one of my heroes, John Adler, passed away.  I continuously shake my head in disbelief whenever I think about it.  How could this happen? 

It has been difficult trying to come to grips with the reality of the situation.  And I have struggled during these few days.  I cannot be with family and friends who share the same tears of loss for John.  This has been difficult.

John Adler was a long time New Jersey Senator and the former U.S. Representative for New Jerseys third Congressional district.  I had the privilege to intern on his congressional campaign in 2008.  I became John’s driver, and accompanied him to any and every event he attended in the district during the summer.  We spent countless hours together, mostly on the road.  We rocked out to classic rock, playing the air guitar and air drums.  We listened to Howard Stern and laughed at the downright ridiculousness of the program.   We ate many meals on the road, and had lots of Wawa hoagies.  I learned more about politics, integrity, and life behind the wheel of my car that summer than I had during all my years at school.

I stayed in touch with John after his election, and despite his new position of power, John was still John.   I would occasionally send him an email saying hi, and I’d always get a response wishing all the best for me.  I’ll never forget the time I saw John on C-SPAN as the acting Speaker of the House during a session.  I sent him an email telling him I saw him on TV and, of course, John responded from his blackberry, (which I could see him doing on TV,) to tell me how much fun he was having.  That was John.  He loved life. 

I can say that I matured more during my time as John’s intern than I have in any other experience in my life.  I am who I am today because of John.  His wisdom and subtle genius helped guide me and I looked up to him as someone to emulate.  I enjoyed interning in his congressional office in 2009 and continued to learn so much about not only politics, but also myself.

Something that John did indirectly was create lifelong friendships amongst people who never knew each other before working for him.  Today, I have some incredible friendships with people I got to know while interning for John.  These are people I talk to on a regular basis, go out for a drink with, share experiences with and consider very close friends.  These are people I’d do anything for and I am so thankful for their friendship, and it wouldn’t be possible without John.  He will live on in the many friendships I’ve made with some of the most special people in my life. 

Through certain experiences in my life, I have come to the realization that everything does not happen for a reason.  There are some things in life that cannot be explained and where there are no good reasons for why they occurred.  I do not believe that God uses the pain, suffering and deaths of others to “teach us a lesson.”  I refuse to believe in a God that would do such a thing.  And that is what makes something like this so difficult.  There is no explanation for why such a great man was taken away so early in life.  The incredible loss is soul wrenching, and no matter what we do we will not be able to understand it.  This is part of life. 

I weep as I write these words, because John was simply a great man.  John was my hero.  He wasn’t just my hero for being such a hard working, self-made success.  He wasn’t just my hero for being a tremendous public servant and for taking a genuine interest in people’s issues.  He wasn’t just my hero for being an honest and fair politician.  He wasn’t just my hero because he had a deep love for his country, his constituents, and his staff.   He was my hero for being a wonderful father.  He was my hero for being a loving husband.  He was my hero because he had an unrivaled love of life.  He was my hero because he was hilarious and loved to make anyone laugh.  He was my hero because he gave me a chance.  He was my hero because he was my friend. 

The pain of losing John will never go away, but neither will the fond memories I have of his service to others.  My soul is filled with melancholy for his wife and their four boys, and I pray that the grace of God will bring them some kind of peace during this time.  I am especially upset that I cannot be home right now and am thousands of miles away from my family and friends who are mourning John’s passing.  But I am blessed with the peace of knowing that perhaps, now more than ever, I am closer to John than I’ve ever been before. 

I love you John, thank you.  

A Village On A Dump

Whenever trash accumulates at the care center where I work, we have to take it to the city dump.  I have accompanied Peter on a few of these trips, in which we load up the back of the bakkie (truck) and go to unload the rubbish.  Each time I visit the dump I am struck by the intensity and enormity of the place.  I am also struck by the people who are amongst the trash, living, and doing what is necessary to survive.

As you enter the gates of the dump and approach the dumping area, the sights and smells begin entering your sensory system.  The typical ‘trash’ smell fills the air, and bulldozers moving garbage can be seen all across the complex.  The birds fly around the compound searching for their next meal, and the plethora of hills of garbage fill the horizon.  But what was unexpected for me was the presence of people, many people. 

As we get closer to the dumping area, people swarm our vehicle trying to be the first at the newly arrived “goods.”  This can be a bit intimidating at first, but this is an environment of competition where the concept of ‘first come, first served’ really runs true.  After they see if there is anything worth grabbing right away or not, you continue until you are ready to dump your trash.  As soon as we are done emptying the bakkie of trash, people come and inspect what we have just disposed of. 

These are images I cannot get out of my mind.  Everywhere I looked there were people rummaging through the garbage, searching for things that will add to their daily fight for survival.  My mind wonders to the saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”  But I wouldn’t say that we are delivering ‘treasure’ to these people.  This is simply their last effort to survive, and they are willing to do what it takes to make it until the next day.  I’m sure if you asked them if they thought this stuff was treasure, they’d just laugh at you.

And as I gaze around the compound, I see little stands with small umbrellas providing shade to women sitting under them.  I realize that these women are selling cool drinks, snacks, sweets and whatever else they may have.  I couldn’t believe my eyes.  There are so many people living amongst the trash and spending their days searching for things that there are food stands for them.  The entrepreneurial motivation is both intriguing and upsetting.  It is great to see such innovation but also so incredibly sad that there is a market for this at the city dump.

Every time we drive away from the dump I cannot help but think about the lives of the people who live amongst the garbage.  How I can complain about not liking food when some have no choice?  How can I complain about there being ants in my house when some have no roof over their heads?  How can I complain about not having ‘enough’ when some people don’t have anything?  Seeing people jump for expired food and eat it as if it is their first meal in days is not an image I wish to see daily.  But it is one that continues to light my fire to fight for social justice.  If we are to believe the concept of Ubuntu, or the idea that ‘people are people through other people,’ than we cannot sit idly while our brothers and sisters are forced to live in such heinous conditions.  

The village of people living in the Mangaung dump are not people who will show up on a census.  They will occasionally be greeted with police raids to disperse them from the dump and may never experience the luxuries I’ve had my whole life.  And if nothing is ever done about it, the social and economic inequality will continue to get worse, and the village on the dump will continue to grow.  

Beyond The Prison Wall

Tshepo Foundation, my current placement site, has certain companies and people who donate goods, supplies, money, etc.  One of their largest partners is the G4S Mangaung Maximum Security Prison in Bloemfontein.  The prison donates surpluses of onions, pumpkins, spinach, among other food parcels.  But what is special about this partnership is that the prison is also based on a principle of hope.

Today I had the opportunity to tour the G4S prison with Peter, my supervisor, and another local pastor.  Our tour was led by the prison chaplain, Rev. Dawid Kuyler.

The G4S prison is a private prison which is owned and operated by a British company.  The prison is the second largest private prison in the world, housing close to 3,000 inmates.  As it is a maximum security prison, every inmate has been sentenced to at least 10 years of internment.    However, G4S is unlike any prison I have ever heard of before.  They take a very different approach to the justice system, one that could prove to be a pioneer in the criminal justice system.

At the G4S prison there are no armed guards.  The only thing guards have on them is their ID card and a walkie-talkie.  That’s it.  You might think that’s a crazy concept, and you wouldn’t be alone.  But at the G4S prison, the inmates are treated in a way that makes them not want to commit crimes.  They are treated like human beings.

The first thing that happens to an inmate when he arrives at G4S Mangaung is he gets a cup of coffee or tea while discussing the prison.  From the very onset the inmates are treated with dignity and not as a menace to society.  As is often the case in government run prisons, especially in the United States, is that prisoners actually become more dangerous, violent and aggressive while in prison.  They then are released into society as a more dangerous person than when they entered prison.   At G4S, this is avoided.

On all of the employee’s badges, the term “Care and Justice” is written.  This is the concept in which G4S operates.  They provide care for the inmates.  Here are some of the amenities of the G4S Managaung prison:

-Hospital

-Basketball courts

-Soccer fields

-School

-Pool tables

-Exercise equipment

-A religious and secular library

The largest and most fascinating and beneficial difference with the G4S prison is that they provide inmates with skills that will benefit them after their release.  For example, we toured the many workshops at G4S in which inmates were learning woodwork, candle making, arts and crafts, copy machine maintenance, leatherwork, tailoring, and computer literacy.  These are skills that will give the inmates a chance to make a personal income after being released.  It’s true rehabilitation.  For many of the inmates, they had no previous knowledge of their newly learned crafts.  But they now have a valuable skill.  And what is so great is that many of the goods they produce at the prison are either donated to local charities or sold to the community at a low cost.  It is true community involvement and empowerment. 

Not once while touring the prison did I feel uncomfortable or in danger.  I greeted many of the inmates who did the same with a smile on their faces.  In the 10 years of operation, there has only been 1 attempted escape.  It is very rare that inmates will perform dangerous activities, and there is a good rapport between the inmates and employees. 

This was an eye-opening experience for me.  Never before did I know such hope and potential survived behind prison walls.  As I was walking the grounds of the prison, there were inmates playing a game of softball, some cutting the grass, some working out.  I felt as if I was in a little village-a village of hope.  And as pastor Dawid said on our tour today, “The great thing is Tshepo provides hope to people on the ‘outside’ and we provide hope to people on the ‘inside.’”

My hope is that more correctional services emulate the G4S model, and people are given the chance at true rehabilitation which will only benefit our society as a whole.

For more information on the G4S prison system, visit: http://www.g4s.com/en/Media%20Centre/Case%20Studies/Government/Beyond%20the%20prison%20walls/

My South African Sermon

About a month ago, I was handed the preaching schedule for my church parish.  This is the schedule showing who will be giving sermons on what Sundays and what the theme of the services will be.  (In our one parish, we have two congregations, and Moruti Monama cannot give the sermon every Sunday.  Also, it is the custom in my parish that involvement from members is important, so allowing others to preach is considered normal.) 

Well, as I peered at the schedule closely, I discovered the name “Brother A. Steele” listed as the preacher for February 27, 2011.  At first I thought there was a mistake, because no one had told me (or asked) if I could or would preach.  But then I just smiled and shared laughter with my host Dad, Moruti Monama, since I had a feeling this was one of his plans all along.  As I felt the initial tensions of nervousness, I thought to myself, “At least I have a month to prepare!”

The first thing I did was look up the readings for that Sunday.  The gospel was from Matthew 6: 24-34, one of Jesus’ well-known sermons in which he tells his followers “Do not worry.”  And what did I start doing as soon as I started anticipating giving the sermon?  Worry.  But the more I got into the scripture, and really started thinking about the text, I was settling in with the fact that I’d be giving a sermon for the first time…in South Africa.

Finally the Sunday came when I was to preach.  Sunday was a beautiful sunny day, as most days have been here in Bloemfontein.  However, I knew in the back of my mind that the sunny day would mean a hot day, which is never fun when you are wearing a jacket to church.  Nevertheless, I was excited, and I could feel the adrenaline running through me as we arrived at church. 

Before the service I got to “prepare” for the service with the elders, which is something done every week with whoever is preaching.  We sang, prayed and discussed the service.  The service started, and I sat right in the front.  The nerves started to get stronger and stronger as we got closer to the sermon.  Finally it was time, and I headed to the pulpit.  In order to ensure that everyone in the congregation could understand what I was saying, we had an interpreter during the sermon.  At first I thought this might throw off the flow, but it actually acted as a good pause for me to prepare the next line.

There were some “Amens” and many interested eyes as I gazed out across the congregation.  The heat was causing some perspiration but perhaps it added to the ambiance of the experience.  I really was relishing in the moment and getting into it.  Maybe it’s all the sermons I’ve heard from my mom and dad, perhaps it was the Holy Spirit, but I supposedly sounded like I knew what I was doing. 

I really loved the experience.  What an “awesome” opportunity it was, and to be accepted with such love from my congregation was great.  I’ll always remember my South African sermon and Sunday February 27^th will be a service I will never forget.

Below is a transcript of my sermon:

Six months ago I had no idea what tomorrow would bring.  I was leaving everything I knew, and traveling across the world to spend a year of my life serving God.  As I was boarding my plane headed towards South Africa last August, I must admit I was worried.  I was worried about leaving home, meeting my new hosts and living in a foreign country.  But after much prayer and thought, I became accepting of my placement in God’s Kingdom.  And now, six months later, I have never been happier than I am today.  I put my full trust in the LORD’s hands, and he provided a welcoming church parish, a loving host family, and experiences that have changed my life for the better.  My faith in God has strengthened, and I have put my trust in him every step of the way while in South Africa. 

This experience has humbled me, and taught me that trust in GOD is the only way to achieve true strength and happiness.

In our Gospel this morning, Jesus tells us not to serve wealth and material goods, and he also tells us not to worry about the many things in life we tend to stress about. 

How often do we find ourselves obsessing over material goods?  We are all guilty of wanting wealth.  Whether it be new clothes, new CDs, a new computer, or just more money.  Our society has become one that serves wealth.  But Jesus tells us, “You cannot serve GOD and wealth.”  So when will we stop wanting more wealth, and stop spending more time thinking about wealth than about God?  It will only happen when we have totally committed ourselves to the Kingdom of God and put our full trust in him.  If our trust is in God, than we will not need fancy clothes or large houses, for we have the gift of God's love in Christ that is greater than anything we can do for ourselves.

And as we strive to serve God above all else, Jesus encourages us not to worry.  He tests to see where our faith is in regard to the every day cares of life.  If we cannot trust God in these every day moments, how can we expect to trust God's greater actions?

Jesus tells us we should not worry about what we eat, what we drink, or what clothes we will wear. 

When Jesus says not to worry about what you will eat, he does not mean that food is unimportant; for we have been taught to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.”  But what is important, is that we must TRUST in GOD to provide it!  Without that trust in God, why should we even pray for it?

Worrying about things is of human nature.  But we as humans also confuse our priorities.  Jesus asks, “Is life not more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”  If God provides for the animals and plants of the World, surely he will provide for us, for we are the children of God.  We were created in God’s image, we just need to trust in him.

It should not just be emotions we feel towards GOD, but rather part of our heart, soul, mind and strength.  God gave us all that we have, so we must give what we have back in return.  We have been blessed with this life by God’s Grace, and this is something always to be thankful for.  And to love God requires much service and sacrifice.  We shall not only serve our LORD, but also our neighbors.  The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has a motto that says, “God’s Work, Our Hands.”  We cannot worry about what we are to do, but instead stay true to our faith in God and perform his works. 

There will be times in our lives that we must sacrifice for others.  But instead of worrying about our sacrifices, we can express the love we have for God while performing our works.

Being here today is a testimony to the grace of God, and expresses how blessed we truly are.  We have the awesome gift of life and are here today to express our love for God.  But the essence of true life comes only when life is received as a gift.  God does not wish us to be anxious about everyday parts of life.  He wishes us to be joyful with his love upon us.  And the body and Life are not the only gifts given to us by God.  God gave us faith in him, and his presence comforts us with love and compassion. 

We must be thankful for what we have, be joyful in our lives, and serve God’s Kingdom in return. 

God is a gracious creator, faithful to his creation.  Trust GOD with a whole and undivided heart.  I know that putting your entire trust into something can be hard.  But God has given us his grace, and no matter what troubles we come across in life, we have his grace to save us.  So as we devote our lives to the kingdom of God, we cannot not be afraid to take a step when the 2^nd and 3^rd steps are not in view.

Leaving your comfort zone is not an easy thing to do.  It is easy to become worried about your future, especially when times are tough.  How can a student not worry about a test in the coming days?  How can someone not worry about their future when looking for a job?  How can a mother not worry about the well-being of her young child?  But if you remain faithful to God and put all of your trust into his love for you, you can leave your worries behind. 

There may be times when we go to bed hungry.  There may be times when the clothing on our body is not enough.  But if we truly take God seriously, we know God created both body AND Life and will provide for us.  The one who created body and life will surely take care of food and clothing!

As Lutherans, we have a comfort that should never let us get carried away with the stressful situations in life.  With baptism and by the Grace of God, we are not defined by what we eat, what we wear, what we look like.  We are defined by something much greater: the love and trust we have in our GOD, and we have a prosperous eternal life ahead of us.  That should be comforting and eliminate all worries.

This week a friend of mine shared the following with me:

If you live in the past, you'll be depressed.

If you live in the future, you'll be stressed.

If you live in the present, you'll be blessed.

God has not given us the strength today needed for tomorrow’s difficulties.   Today must be fulfilled before tomorrow arrives. 

Psalm 95:7 reads “O That TODAY you would listen to his voice.”

Lamentations 3:22-23 “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; They are new EVERY MORNING; great is your faithfulness.”

It is true that when tomorrow comes there will be new troubles,

but OH will there be renewed strength!

God will take care of you, so take care of God's justice in the world.  There is more to life than concern for daily needs, though this may be difficult to understand at times.  But Jesus expects his followers to do things that give more meaning to life.  We shall work to learn how God is working in the world and how to participate in acts of justice on God's behalf.  Beyond that, everything else will take care of itself.  Or, as Jesus said, God will deal with the rest.

AMEN.