Devotions

Every Friday Pastor Ron and fellow students from our leadership team send out weekly devotions over the LCM listserv. Below is one of our recent devotions.

Spring 2008

04/21/08

During Vespers this past Wednesday, I remember a couple of the students mention that some of the things that give them hope are the little things that people do to show they care. An extra snack here or a hug there could brighten anyone's day. I feel like these are a few things that any Christian would be more than willing to do in order to put a smile on someone's face.

What really amazed me though, were the over 900 people who participated in The University of Arizona's Relay for Life event on Friday to raise $56,000. The vast number of people that showed up to aid The American Cancer Society really helped solidify my faith in the kindness and support that people are willing to give one another.

I also paid special attention to one young man walking as a cancer survivor who never seemed to stop. Whether I was walking around the mall or taking a break, he was always steadily on the go. Even though he walked using forearm crutches and at a slightly slower pace than the majority of the participants, he showed a will to continue that truly inspired me. The strength that he had to complete the morning renewed my hope in all people.

Since hope in not something that comes readily to everyone, I encourage you to search for the little or bigger things that you are capable of doing to promote hope in all people. I also ask that you keep an eye out for the hope that others may instill in you, especially in this coming week as we all prepare for new chapters in our lives.

May your week be filled with a new faith in the hope that Christ's Resurrection brings us,

Lauren

04/10/08

Nashville, Tennessee.  The city evokes images of Country Music, doesn't it.  But I learned this past week while at the ELCA Campus Pastor's conference in Nashville that it means so much more.  

Our group of 80+ Lutheran campus pastors had a real treat on the Saturday eve.  The Peter Mayer Group blessed us with a private concert.  Peter is a studio musician, an A+ guitarist and singer.  He records and tours around the country with Jimmy Buffett (of "Margaritaville" fame).  Peter is part of Buffett's band, the Coral Reefers.

Also, Peter has strong Lutheran roots, and has written many Christian songs.  His band was featured at the 2006 ELCA National Youth Gathering (40,000 high schoolers) at the Alamo Dome in San Antonio, TX.  They play jazz, country rock, and classical.

I bought 3 of Peter's CDs.  One song in particular grabbed me.  It's called "Loose in the World."  I think it nails the Easter season so well.  Jesus' resurrection means "Jesus is loose in the World."  He can't be controlled or kept out, but is alive and stirring things up and wanting to make a difference. 

So I asked myself, how is Jesus loose in my life?  In my world?  Three thoughts come to mind:
1.      Jesus stirs me to be fascinated with him (now more than ever, it seems).
2.      Jesus stirs me to look more deeply into other people's lives (to see behind the façade).
3.      Right now, Jesus is stirring me to think about his message being for the wider family of Life (not only humans).

How is Jesus loose in your life?  Is he doing anything interesting?  Is he challenging you in a new direction, or trying to slow you down on a wayward path?  I pray that you and I both will be given the eyes of faith to see where he is "causing trouble" this week, and find the where-with-all to join him and see where it leads. 

One part of the song goes like this:  "The word went leaping off the pages, breaking in the windows and leaping over walls.  All you asked for was a cool glass of water, and you got a waterfall!"

Easter peace and joy,
Pastor Ron
Rhrude47@yahoo.com

04/06/08

In church this morning I realized how often we, as Christians, talk about peace. From the passing of the peace to liturgical responses to the songs we sing during communion, peace is our most common prayer. If it's so easily found in church services, why can't we find it in the world? Why can't we find it in our hearts? There are a lot of types of peace we could hope for: understanding between countries, a canceled class in a busy week, or the kind you find when alone in nature. Tonight, however, I'm aiming small (kind of) and shooting for just one: the peace we talk about in church, the peace that's so complete it's hard to define. Jesus said, "I am leaving you with a gift- peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid."  I hope, sometime soon, besides finding a moment to catch our breaths in this busy time, we all know this bigger, real peace.

-Erica


The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace.

03/27/08

I hope you're finding yourselves well as the end of the year is now at the horizon.  God knows, I am.  I'm starting to countdown the six weeks left of this year.  But really, who's counting?

Multiple reasons exist as to why, of course:  The excitement of finishing another degree.  The sadness of seeing many friends off for a few months.  The burnout that's slowly arising...

It was a sad realization the other day, when I found myself thinking that this will be my 18th year of schooling now done.  (Freshmen... shhh)  Many missed assignments and stressful nights later, I find myself thankful of having gone through it all.  It was a blessing, though not every day seemed like it. We've all been there, sitting in the midst of the storm, offering up the well-spoken supplication and prayer, "God, help me!" Stress, as I'm finding out, is not just confined to school.    Regardless, as I countdown to those last days and assignments, I'm finding myself slowly starting to show signs of fatigue.  I'm willing to say, I'm getting tired. (No, it's not 9:30 as I write this email)

I'll skip the science lesson and hope that you realize that fatigue and burnout are signs of stress. (Though for those of you who like that type of thing, please read the rest of this paragraph.  For all of you others, please follow along with the next paragraph Highlighted with an asterisk) Burnout starts with very physical alerts. Your body is designed to give warning signals of stress overload, which may include insomnia or disturbed sleep, digestive problems, headaches, low energy, chronic tiredness, psychosomatic illnesses, muscle tension, teeth grinding, high blood pressure, libido issues, etc.. Please do note that these are not just obstacles to getting your work done, they are signals by your body to take some time. A few sad facts of the day (and please do note that I work for a Health Center) 1. Stress accounts for 90% of most diseases.  2. Half of all Dr's visits are stress related. 3. Lawyers, doctors, and clergy are the most prone to alcoholism and drug abuse (Sorry PR), 4. Type A people are showing signs of a possible addiction to adrenaline, 5. It is expected that more of us will die from stress-induced illness than old age. 

* Ok, so stress is kicking out butt, so what?

Well, I guess I'm trying to say, relax.  That test grade matters, but it really doesn't matter all THAT much.  You think that my boss knows that I got a C+ on that accounting test my Sophomore year? (Though if anybody forwards this email to her,...) The answer to that is that she doesn't know, nor would she care if she did. 

Life will always be hurried and place deadlines and expectations on you. That's guaranteed. At least give yourself some time now to be healthy.  I'm not saying that I lead this department in example, nor did I follow this advice to a tee when I was in your position.  But perhaps I needed to hear it.  Take some time for yourself: eat a good meal; go out and exercise; call somebody you care for; Take a break; Sleep in; Play a video game; watch the Food Network; etc....  Even our Creator took a day.

Now I'm not saying quit what you're doing.  But it's ok to find a better balance that doesn't kill you.  It's okay to reset your perspective to what actually matters.  Now, I'm not going to be foolish enough to tell you what your priorities should be.  You can choose to answer that for yourself, you are an adult now.  But, keep your perspective grounded.

Finishing and Farewell - As this will most probably be my last Friday devotion, I sign off today in prayer: God, keep watch over us and give us the wisdom to know when you're there.  Even when we're too stressed out to notice.  Amen.

- Fernando Ascencio

03/20/08

The Cross
And taking down the body …(Mark 15:46)

How often do you look in the mirror? I do in the morning (ugh), and probably a few times during each day. What do I see? A guy who looks older than I feel, who probably sees himself differently than others see him, a flawed character with a few scars. On a few occasions in my life I've even spent a few minutes just staring. Hmm. Who really am I?

In the folklore of the Rude clan, I have a relative from a few generations back who never looked in a mirror. "Vanity," she said, and she probably was right. (I don't know if others wished she had looked in the mirror once in a while) But that was her stance, I'm told for religious reasons. I wonder sometimes how that decision affected her self-awareness as a baptized child of God, and sense of how God saw her.

This week is Holy Week in the Christian year. This whole Jesus thing comes to a head on the Cross (on Good Friday). Those two sticks of cut timber nailed in the shape of a T have been described as a mirror reflecting human sin. In other words, if I think my sins are not that big of deal (or the sins of my culture and nation and church), that the effects can be ignored, or that attention can be diverted by keeping ourselves entertained 24/7, well, the Cross shows a different reflection. What does my sin really look like? It looks like the son of God being crucified on a tree. It looks like the nails in Jesus' body, the thorns on his head, the spear stabbing his distended abdomen, and the sweet life draining away. It also looks like abandonment (all Jesus friends forsook him and fled).

Here's the thing: the Cross is a reality to spend time in. It should make us sick inside, and want to look away and get back to more positive things. But it is important to linger. Because if we do, we will also begin to see the Cross not only as a mirror reflecting the world's and my sin, but also a window. And through that window of those twisted outstretched arms we will see a Jesus who resisted the urge to hoard life at other's expense, resisted violence as a way to solve problems, resisted the impulse to dis-identify himself with all people who suffer injustice. We'll see a Jesus who loved even those who crucified him then, and today. I like to think of it as a peek into the heart of God.

I hope your Spring Break is going well, that you are getting some brain rest for yourself, and rejuvenation with your family and friends. Enjoy. Nancy and I are going to worship at Beautiful Savior LC on Good Friday, and Lord of Grace LC on Easter Sunday (then out to brunch with some friends, sometime a pastor usually doesn't get to do on Easter:) See you all next week.

Holy Week and Easter blessings!
Pastor Ron
Rhrude47@yahoo.com

03/01/08

"Jesus, for instance, had declared that it was harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven than for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle. Apparently in America, however, our camels were smaller and our needles larger." – Donald Worster in The Wealth of Nature

I have put off writing a devotion time and time again because, up until now, I have not felt inspired. It wasn't until a class assignment led me to Donald Worster's book entitled The Wealth of Nature: Environmental History and the Ecological Imagination that I knew that I had found something worthy of your time and careful consideration.

In Chapter 1 of his work, Worster discusses "The Nature We Have Lost" by contrasting the "sublime" and "enchanting" wilderness of the colonial United States with the slightly less appealing and bountiful U.S. of today. He not only attempts to address the questions: "how much has been lost in our short years as a nation, [and] how much have we to be nostalgic about," but also, what went wrong?

While Worster acknowledges that the classically cited material forces, "demography, techonology, and energy," have played significant roles in degrading our environment, he also challenges us to dig further for the causes of our environmental woes. Worster asserts that a certain American mindset was, and continues to be, at the root of the problem.

And the mindset? America is Eden, where natural resources are unlimited, and we, the American people, are the "mirror image of that perfect garden of nature and [are within ourselves] benevolent and good." Worster further argues that we have managed to turn greed into a virtue, idolizing the wealthy as the productive, successful, and most worthy members of society. 

I have attached the book clipping. I believe that it challenges us, as both Christians and Americans, to think critically about what we hold as "virtuous" and how that influences our interactions with the world around us.

If you have the time, please take the time to read it. I promise that it will be well worth the twenty minutes.

Peace,
Kendal

01/27/08

Hope you all had a great weekend. I was just thinking--we're about to start the third week of the semester, and only now is it starting to feel like I'm back in school. The last couple weeks have been an awkward "transition period" for me (seeing friends I hadn't seen all break, figuring out my class/work schedule, trying to remember to do HW, etc.) and now I'm finally ready to start with my "normal" life again. Which also means I'm about to get sucked into a schedule that revolves around classes, prioritizing and time management.

Before the week starts, I think it might be a good time to evaluate where we're going and what our priorities are going to be for the semester. School, work, social life, God, extracurricular activities....are these balanced for you? Just something to think about.

Peace to you,

Erin

Past Devotions

Fall 2007 (Coming Soon!)

Spring 2007

Fall 2006

Spring 2006

Fall 2005