Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States - Lutheran Seminary God Pause - Move by the Promise for Tuesday, 22 April 2014 - Psalm 16

Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States - Lutheran Seminary God Pause - Move by the Promise for Tuesday, 22 April 2014 - Psalm 16: A Poem by David.
1 Preserve me, God, for in you do I take refuge.
2 My soul, you have said to Yahweh, “You are my Lord.
    Apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 As for the saints who are in the earth,
    they are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight.
4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who give gifts to another god.
    Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
    nor take their names on my lips.
5 Yahweh assigned my portion and my cup.
    You made my lot secure.
6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places.
    Yes, I have a good inheritance.
7 I will bless Yahweh, who has given me counsel.
    Yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons.
8 I have set Yahweh always before me.
    Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices.
    My body shall also dwell in safety.
10 For you will not leave my soul in Sheol,[a]
    neither will you allow your holy one to see corruption.
11 You will show me the path of life.
    In your presence is fullness of joy.
In your right hand there are pleasures forever more.
Footnotes:
a. Psalm 16:10 Sheol is the place of the dead.
I have shared many great moments of beauty and joy with a good friend. In the midst of these moments he always says, "It doesn't get any better than this."--World English Bible
The writer of Psalm 16 shares his experience of God's gifts. A God who is "refuge," "a good heritage," "at my right hand," "always before me;" a God who "gives counsel." Every moment that we spend with a friend who shares their deep experience of God is precious. And when we then add our own stories and experiences, the moments only become that much richer. In those moments we can add our own benediction, "It doesn't get any better than this."
Thanks for the gift of every friend who shares their experience of the gifts of God. Amen.
Wayne Radke
Zumbrota, Minn. 
Master of Divinity , 1960
Psalm 16:1 Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you."
3 As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.
4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.
7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.
10 For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit.
11 You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.--New Revised Standard Version
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Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States - Lutheran Seminary God Pause - Moved by the Promise for Monday, 21 April 2014 - Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke out to them, “You men of Judea, and all you who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him among you, even as you yourselves know, 23 him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed;--World English Bible
Many of the issues of life are complex and we can spend a good amount of time discussing them. In these situations it is always good when someone puts the pressure on to get the important items sorted out. I recall a time when our family was in the midst of one these complex issues of life. In the midst of the discussion our youngest son said, "Tell me what you think Dad, tell me straight out."
The disciples of Jesus were surrounded by a lot of issues as they sought to proclaim the message of Jesus the Messiah. On the occasion pictured in the text Peter proclaims the message, "Straight Out."
"We are talking about Jesus—the one crucified."
"One who is radically different than David."
"Jesus was raised from the dead; Jesus is Alive."
The words of proclamation tell the central message—"straight out."
Gracious God, thanks for every preacher and teacher who boldly tells the story of the Risen Christ. Amen.
Wayne Radke
Zumbrota, Minn. 
Master of Divinity , 1960
Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them,
22 "You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know—23 this man, handed over to you according to the definit
e plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law.--New Revised Standard Version
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Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States - Lutheran Seminary God Pause - Moved by the Promise for Sunday, 20 April 2014 "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today" ELW 369
1. Christ the Lord is ris'n today; Alleluia!
Christians, hasten on your way; Alleluia!
offer praise with love replete, Alleluia!
at the paschal victim's feet. Alleluia!
2. For the sheep the Lamb has bled, Alleluia!
sinless in the sinner's stead. Alleluia!
Christ the Lord is ris'n on high; Alleluia!
now he lives, no more to die. Alleluia!
3. Christ, the victim undefiled, Alleluia!
God and sinners reconciled, Alleluia!
when contending death and life, Alleluia!
met in strange and awesome strife. Alleluia!
4. Christians, on this holy day, Alleluia!
all your grateful homage pay; Alleluia!
Christ the Lord is ris'n on high; Alleluia!
now he lives, no more to die. Alleluia!
I am not normally an early riser, but the Easter sunrise service is one of my favorites. In the church I served, we started when it was still dark, much earlier than most churches. In the darkness, a voice read the verses from Isaiah 53:3-6 about the suffering and dying servant of God. Then suddenly we turned all the lights on and the glorious strains of the full organ thundered out this great hymn of the Easter confession: "Christ the Lord is risen today. Alleluia!" We went from pitch darkness to blazing light and sound in a second.
On that first Easter morning, the disciples also went from darkness to light in a second—the moment they heard that unbelievable good news, "He has been raised!" Those four little words changed everything. Since Friday their lives had crumbled into depression, but now hope blazed more brightly than ever. We imitate that move when we sing, "God and sinners reconciled, when contending death and life."
Lord Jesus, we thank you that the same good news which gave new life to the disciples also enlightens our lives! Amen.
Michael Rogness
Professor Emeritus of Preaching
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Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States - Lutheran Seminary God Pause - Move by the Promise for Saturday, 19 April 2014 "Awake, My Heart, with Gladness" ELW 378
1. Awake, my heart, with gladness,
see what today is done;
now, after gloom and sadness,
comes forth the glorious sun.
My Savior there was laid
where our bed must be made
when, as on wings in flight,
we soar to realms of light.
2. Now hell, its prince, the devil,
of all their pow'r are shorn;
now I am safe from evil,
and sin I laugh to scorn.
For Christ again is free;
in glorious victory
he who is strong to save
has triumphed o'er the grave.
3. This is a sight that gladdens—
what peace it does impart!
Now nothing ever saddens
the joy within my heart.
No gloom shall ever shake,
no foe shall ever take,
the hope which God's own Son
in love for me has won.
4. Now I will cling forever,
to Christ, my Savior true;
my Lord will leave me never,
whate'er he passes through.
He rends death's iron chain;
he breaks through sin and pain;
he shatters hell's grim thrall;
I follow him through all.
5. Christ brings me to the portal
that leads to bliss untold,
whereon this rhyme immortal
is found in script of gold:
"Who there my cross has shared
finds here a crown prepared;
who there with me has died
shall here be glorified."
It was surely the bleakest day of the disciples' lives. They have finally concluded, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:15) and "You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God" (John 6:69). But now it has all come to nothing. Jesus is dead. They huddle together, not only in depression but in fear, but because the authorities might now come after them.
Some of us will attend a vigil service tonight. "Vigil" means "watching and waiting." On that first Saturday the disciples were despondent, because their hopes were dashed. We "wait" because we know that on that first Easter Sunday, Jesus lived again and the forces of death were defeated—also for us. 
We know we can say with the hymnist, "Awake, my heart, with gladness" because "after gloom and sadness comes forth the glorious sun."
Lord, help us realize that whatever gloom and sadness is in our lives, that Jesus brings us true and eternal life. Amen.
Michael Rogness
Professor Emeritus of Preaching
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Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States - Lutheran Seminary God Pause - Moved by the Promise for Friday, 18 April 2014 - Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed our message?
    To whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him as a tender plant,
    and as a root out of dry ground.
He has no good looks or majesty.
    When we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised,
    and rejected by men;
a man of suffering,
    and acquainted with disease.
He was despised as one from whom men hide their face;
    and we didn’t respect him.
4 Surely he has borne our sickness,
    and carried our suffering;
yet we considered him plagued,
    struck by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions.
    He was crushed for our iniquities.
The punishment that brought our peace was on him;
    and by his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray.
    Everyone has turned to his own way;
    and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed,
    yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open his mouth.
As a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
    and as a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
    so he didn’t open his mouth.
8 He was taken away by oppression and judgment;
    and as for his generation,
    who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living
    and stricken for the disobedience of my people?--World English Bible
The prophet, Isaiah, knew it all along, as he wrote in his servant songs: God's servant on earth would suffer death at the hands of those who will reject him. He knew that the servant "has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases ... he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities ... and by his bruises we are healed" (Isaiah 53:4-5). 
Jesus was killed by the religious authorities who rejected his claim of being the Messiah and by the political authorities who rejected his claim of being a king in place of Caesar. If he came to earth today, he would surely be rejected and killed by today's powers and authorities, because he would challenge them, too.
But for Jesus, death gave way to life. He did this all that your death and my death might also give way to life—eternal life!
Lord Jesus, thanks to you we live in not in God's anger but in God's mercy, not in death but in life, not in guilt, but in joy. Amen.
Michael Rogness
Professor Emeritus of Preaching 
Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account.
4 Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8 By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people.--New Revised Standard Version
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