The God Pause for Monday, 26 February 2018 - The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul Minnesota United States - Exodus 20: 1-17
Exodus 20:1 Then God said all these words:
א 2 “I am Adonai your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the abode of slavery.
ב 3 “You are to have no other gods before me. 4 You are not to make for yourselves a carved image or any kind of representation of anything in heaven above, on the earth beneath or in the water below the shoreline. 5 You are not to bow down to them or serve them; for I, Adonai your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sins of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but displaying grace to the thousandth generation of those who love me and obey my mitzvot.
ג 7 “You are not to use lightly the name of Adonai your God, because Adonai will not leave unpunished someone who uses his name lightly.
ד 8 “Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart for God. 9 You have six days to labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Shabbat for Adonai your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work — not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. 11 For in six days, Adonai made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. This is why Adonai blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for himself.
ה 12 “Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land which Adonai your God is giving you.
ו 13 “Do not murder.
ז (14) “Do not commit adultery.
ח (15) “Do not steal.
ט (16) “Do not give false evidence against your neighbor.
י 14 (17) “Do not covet your neighbor’s house; do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female slave, his ox, his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
(A: vii) 15 (18) All the people experienced the thunder, the lightning, the sound of the shofar, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled. Standing at a distance, 16 (19) they said to Moshe, “You, speak with us; and we will listen. But don’t let God speak with us, or we will die.” 17 (20) Moshe answered the people, “Don’t be afraid, because God has come only to test you and make you fear him, so that you won’t commit sins.” (Complete Jewish Bible)
***
On the journey of Lent, a season in the life of the
church when the focus is on reflection and sacrifice, we
visit a reading that occasions a pause for many--the
10 Commandments. The idea of being commanded
to do anything is not very attractive in an era of selfdetermination
and suspicion of authority. But what
if these were not heard first as commandments, but
descriptions of the relationship offered to us by God?
What if these "commands" were God's parameters for
our most meaningful engagement with the divine and
with one another? Just suppose we were to adjust our
view of God as being one who is pure love and goodness
with only the best intent for us. How might we then
approach these commandments? Could we possibly
make a conscious decision this Lent to embrace these
"commands" as a spiritual discipline to follow?
Lord, help me embrace your commandments as
invitations for my spiritual growth and maturity. Amen.
Algie Lewis, '18
M.A. in Leadership and Innovation for Ministry student, Luther Seminary
Exodus 20:1 Then God spoke all these words:
2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;
3 you shall have no other gods before me.
4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me,
6 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
8 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.
9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work.
10 But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work--you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns.
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.
12 Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
13 You shall not murder.
14 You shall not commit adultery.
15 You shall not steal.
16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. (New Revised Standard Version)
***
The God Pause for Sunday, 25 February 2018 - The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul Minnesota United States "Through the Night of Doubt and Sorrow," ELW 327, Verse 1
1. Through the night of doubt and sorrow,
onward goes the pilgrim band,
singing songs of expectation,
marching to the promised land.
Clear before us through the darkness
gleams and burns the guiding light;
pilgrim clasps the hand of pilgrim
stepping fearless through the night.
2. One the light of God's own presence
The God Pause for Sunday, 25 February 2018 - The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul Minnesota United States "Through the Night of Doubt and Sorrow," ELW 327, Verse 1
1. Through the night of doubt and sorrow,
onward goes the pilgrim band,
singing songs of expectation,
marching to the promised land.
Clear before us through the darkness
gleams and burns the guiding light;
pilgrim clasps the hand of pilgrim
stepping fearless through the night.
2. One the light of God's own presence
on the ransomed people shed,
chasing far the gloom and terror,
bright'ning all the path we tread.
One the object of our journey,
one the faith which never tires,
one the earnest looking forward,
one the hope our God inspires.
3. One the strain that lips of thousands
lift as from the heart of one;
one the conflict, one the peril,
one the march in God begun.
One the gladness of rejoicing
on the far eternal shore,
where the one almighty Father
reigns in love forevermore.
4. nward, therefore, sisters, brothers;
onward, with the cross our aid.
Bear its shame, and fight its battle
till we rest beneath its shade.
Soon shall come the great awak'ning;
soon the rending of the tomb!
Then the scatt'ring of all shadows,
and the end of toil and gloom.
***
My friends and I were only a mile or two from base
camp, but night had fallen. I proposed that we spend
the night in the meadow we had reached, rather than
try to negotiate a rocky, sloping trail in pitch darkness. I
was afraid--afraid of falling, of the unknown. My friends
said, "No, come on. We'll be all right." And one of my
friends, Soren, put his hand on my cheek in a gesture of
comfort and reassurance. And with that reassuring touch,
suddenly I knew that they were right. We would make it.
We should keep going.
"Pilgrim clasps the hand of pilgrim" says the hymn. Often,
that's what keeps us going--a hand holding ours, a
touch on the cheek, a comforting embrace, a tater-tot
casserole. God gives us fellow pilgrims--family, friends,
church members--companions for the journey to lift us
up when we fall, to encourage us when we doubt. And
we do the same for them. Through the night of doubt
and sorrow, surrounded by that communion of saints we
keep on keeping on.
Jesus, thank you for the companions you've given us
on our journeys. Make us, for each other, signs of your
gracious presence with us. Amen.
Kathryn Schifferdecker
Associate Professor of Old Testament; Bible Division Chair Luther Seminary
***
chasing far the gloom and terror,
bright'ning all the path we tread.
One the object of our journey,
one the faith which never tires,
one the earnest looking forward,
one the hope our God inspires.
3. One the strain that lips of thousands
lift as from the heart of one;
one the conflict, one the peril,
one the march in God begun.
One the gladness of rejoicing
on the far eternal shore,
where the one almighty Father
reigns in love forevermore.
4. nward, therefore, sisters, brothers;
onward, with the cross our aid.
Bear its shame, and fight its battle
till we rest beneath its shade.
Soon shall come the great awak'ning;
soon the rending of the tomb!
Then the scatt'ring of all shadows,
and the end of toil and gloom.
***
My friends and I were only a mile or two from base
camp, but night had fallen. I proposed that we spend
the night in the meadow we had reached, rather than
try to negotiate a rocky, sloping trail in pitch darkness. I
was afraid--afraid of falling, of the unknown. My friends
said, "No, come on. We'll be all right." And one of my
friends, Soren, put his hand on my cheek in a gesture of
comfort and reassurance. And with that reassuring touch,
suddenly I knew that they were right. We would make it.
We should keep going.
"Pilgrim clasps the hand of pilgrim" says the hymn. Often,
that's what keeps us going--a hand holding ours, a
touch on the cheek, a comforting embrace, a tater-tot
casserole. God gives us fellow pilgrims--family, friends,
church members--companions for the journey to lift us
up when we fall, to encourage us when we doubt. And
we do the same for them. Through the night of doubt
and sorrow, surrounded by that communion of saints we
keep on keeping on.
Jesus, thank you for the companions you've given us
on our journeys. Make us, for each other, signs of your
gracious presence with us. Amen.
Kathryn Schifferdecker
Associate Professor of Old Testament; Bible Division Chair Luther Seminary
***
The Luther Seminary
***
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