The God Pause Daily Devotion in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Saturday, 24 June 2017 - "Be Thou My Vision" (ELW 793)
"Be Thou My Vision" (ELW 793)-------
1. Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that thou art:
thou my best thought both by day and by night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
2. Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord.
Thou my soul's shelter, and thou my high tow'r,
raise thou me heav'nward, O Pow'r of my pow'r.
3. Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise,
thou mine inheritance, now and always:
thou and thou only, the first in my heart,
great God of heaven, my treasure thou art.
4. Light of my soul, after victory won,
may I reach heaven's joys, O heaven's Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
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naught be all else to me, save that thou art:
thou my best thought both by day and by night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
2. Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord.
Thou my soul's shelter, and thou my high tow'r,
raise thou me heav'nward, O Pow'r of my pow'r.
3. Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise,
thou mine inheritance, now and always:
thou and thou only, the first in my heart,
great God of heaven, my treasure thou art.
4. Light of my soul, after victory won,
may I reach heaven's joys, O heaven's Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
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Do you recall the start of a new relationship? Remember that phase of feeling giddy and twitter pated, when you can't help but smile when you think of that person--a thought that springs to mind frequently? You can't wait to spend time with them and talk with them about everything and nothing.
Has your relationship with God ever been like that? Imagine the joy of renewing your faith in God such that you are eager to spend time with God and tell God all about your day. The hymn Be Thou My Vision gives us some words to express this longing for God. "Thou and thou only, first in my heart." With these words the hymn helps us sing of our yearning to have God at the center of life. We can sing of our joy at this relationship with a loving God, singing about the joy of an exciting relationship with one who never leaves our side.
God, help me to make you the center of my life. Be my vision throughout my life. Amen.
Nissa Peterson, '16
Pastor, Chatfield Lutheran Church, Chatfield, Minn.
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God Pause Daily Devotion in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Friday, 23 June 2017 - Matthew 10:24-39Matthew 10:
Has your relationship with God ever been like that? Imagine the joy of renewing your faith in God such that you are eager to spend time with God and tell God all about your day. The hymn Be Thou My Vision gives us some words to express this longing for God. "Thou and thou only, first in my heart." With these words the hymn helps us sing of our yearning to have God at the center of life. We can sing of our joy at this relationship with a loving God, singing about the joy of an exciting relationship with one who never leaves our side.
God, help me to make you the center of my life. Be my vision throughout my life. Amen.
Nissa Peterson, '16
Pastor, Chatfield Lutheran Church, Chatfield, Minn.
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God Pause Daily Devotion in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Friday, 23 June 2017 - Matthew 10:24-39Matthew 10:
24 “A talmid is not greater than his rabbi, a slave is not greater than his master. 25 It is enough for a talmid that he become like his rabbi, and a slave like his master. Now if people have called the head of the house Ba‘al-Zibbul, how much more will they malign the members of his household! 26 So do not fear them; for there is nothing covered that will not be uncovered, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim on the housetops.
28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are powerless to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who can destroy both soul and body in Gei-Hinnom. 29 Aren’t sparrows sold for next to nothing, two for an assarion? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s consent. 30 As for you, every hair on your head has been counted. 31 So do not be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.
32 “Whoever acknowledges me in the presence of others I will also acknowledge in the presence of my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others I will disown before my Father in heaven.
34 “Don’t suppose that I have come to bring peace to the Land. It is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword! 35 For I have come to set
36 a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law,
so that a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.[Matthew 10:36 Micah 7:6]
37 Whoever loves his father or mother more than he loves me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than he loves me is not worthy of me. 38 And anyone who does not take up his execution-stake and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his own life will lose it, but the person who loses his life for my sake will find it. [Complete Jewish Bible]
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I worked in an office setting for many years. The way the building was set up, you could determine someone's importance in the company based on the size of their cubicle or office. It was safe to say that the larger your cube was, the more money you made; larger cubes meant more promotions. In that setting, your worth could be measured in the size of your cube.
Fortunately, God doesn't measure our worth based on desk space. God has never measured us by the world's standards. Matthew tells us that God watches over even the sparrows, whose worth might only be half a penny. So we, who are made in God's image, are invaluable to God. God loves you, just as you are. In a world that comes up with countless ways to tell us what we are worth, we can find our worth and our identity given to us in the sight of our loving God.
Loving God, thank you for your unending love. Help us to share that abundant love with everyone around us. Amen.
Nissa Peterson, '16
Pastor, Chatfield Lutheran Church, Chatfield, Minn.
Matthew 10:24 "A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master;
25 it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!
26 "So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.
27 What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.
28 Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
30 And even the hairs of your head are all counted.
31 So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
32 "Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven;
33 but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.
34 "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
36 and one's foes will be members of one's own household.
37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
38 and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39 Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. [New Revised Standard Version]
I worked in an office setting for many years. The way the building was set up, you could determine someone's importance in the company based on the size of their cubicle or office. It was safe to say that the larger your cube was, the more money you made; larger cubes meant more promotions. In that setting, your worth could be measured in the size of your cube.
Fortunately, God doesn't measure our worth based on desk space. God has never measured us by the world's standards. Matthew tells us that God watches over even the sparrows, whose worth might only be half a penny. So we, who are made in God's image, are invaluable to God. God loves you, just as you are. In a world that comes up with countless ways to tell us what we are worth, we can find our worth and our identity given to us in the sight of our loving God.
Loving God, thank you for your unending love. Help us to share that abundant love with everyone around us. Amen.
Nissa Peterson, '16
Pastor, Chatfield Lutheran Church, Chatfield, Minn.
Matthew 10:24 "A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master;
25 it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!
26 "So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.
27 What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.
28 Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
30 And even the hairs of your head are all counted.
31 So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
32 "Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven;
33 but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.
34 "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
36 and one's foes will be members of one's own household.
37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
38 and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39 Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. [New Revised Standard Version]
The Luther Seminary
2481 Como Avenue
2481 Como Avenue
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
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