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God and the Clouds

May 18
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Exodus 24:15–18

15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

Clouds figure prominently in the scriptures at times.  The readings for Jesus’ ascension talk about his being taken up in a cloud.  Today’s reading speaks of Moses being near to God, while up in the cloud on Mount Sinai.  The clouds were part of the heavenly realm, the place where God lived. (more…)

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Day of Ascension

May 17
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Acts 1:6–11

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

In the church calendar this is the day of the Ascension, and this is one of the texts assigned for the day.  We make a mistake if we think of Jesus’ ascension being like an ascension of our human body.  Jesus’ resurrected body was different from our physical, earthly bodies.  We have several examples in the appearance narratives where the disciples don’t recognize the resurrected Jesus or they doubted what they were seeing. (more…)

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On the Outside and on the Inside

May 16
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Deuteronomy 11:18–21

18 You shall put these words of mine in your heart and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and fix them as an emblem on your forehead. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 20 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the LORD swore to your ancestors to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.

When this reading came up three years ago, I included in this devotional a picture of “phylacteries,” which is the term for what the Hebrew people wore on their hands or on their foreheads.  It was a small leather container that could contain the Ten Commandments.  More important than what was on their hands or on their heads was the fact that the words of the LORD, the commandments which Moses passed on to them, were in their hearts and souls. (more…)

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WELCA

May 15
Posted by kim in Church News, WELCA

There is no Women of the ELCA meeting tonight.  Though we expect as women we will be doing God’s work in our gardens, at work and with our friends and family throughout this summer.  We look forward to gathering as a group in September!

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Rainfall is a Blessing

May 15
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Deuteronomy 11:13–17

13 If you will only heed his every commandment that I am commanding you today — loving the LORD your God, and serving him with all your heart and with all your soul — 14 then he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, and you will gather in your grain, your wine, and your oil; 15 and he will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you will eat your fill. 16 Take care, or you will be seduced into turning away, serving other gods and worshiping them, 17 for then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain and the land will yield no fruit; then you will perish quickly off the good land that the LORD is giving you.

The focus on rain in this passage intrigues me.  Earlier verses in this chapter describe how the Promised Land was different from Egypt.  In Egypt they could irrigate their land from the Nile River.  In the Promised Land there were hills and valleys, and irrigation was not possible.  The people would be dependent on the rains, and they understood that God was in control of the rainfall. (more…)

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Advice to Timothy

May 14
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

1 Timothy 6:11–12

11 But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

The letters to Timothy are letters to a younger colleague of St. Paul.  Theses verses are part of the last words of this letter.  I can imagine them being spoken at a commencement, “Fight the good fight of the faith.”  I can also imagine them being spoken to a child as he or she heads off to school for the day. (more…)

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Mother’s Day at Trondhjem

May 12
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Church News

What will you give your mother for Mother’s Day?  Jesus provides some advice to us all about our life as his disciples.  It can help to guide us to giving a very special gift to our mothers.  Worship is still at 8 am and 10 am.

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Heart of the Gospel

May 11
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Mark 10:42–45

42 So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 43 But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

This is one of the passages of scripture that I first learned about in seminary.  It was described as one of the key passages in Mark, a passage that can help a reader understand the whole gospel of Mark.  The meaning is completely contained in verse 45, and that one verse is loaded with many things.  As some professors used to say, “Let me ‘unpack’ that verse.” (more…)

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Foods to Enjoy

May 10
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Acts 10:9–16

9 About noon the next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat; and while it was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw the heaven opened and something like a large sheet coming down, being lowered to the ground by its four corners. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 Then he heard a voice saying, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.” 15 The voice said to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was suddenly taken up to heaven.

We usually think of Paul as the missionary to the Gentiles, the non-Jews.  In this passage from Acts we have described the revelation to Peter that there was no longer any need to distinguish in dietary habits between what was clean and unclean.  Among other things, Jews would not eat pork, and they would not mix dairy products with the meats they would eat.  This set the stage for Peter evangelizing the Gentiles, too. (more…)

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Living in God and God Living in Us

May 09
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

John 14:18–20

18 I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

The message and belief that is contained in this passage of scripture is very important to me.  I have incorporated it in my own personal confession of faith, which includes the statement, “God’s Spirit lives in me and I live in God.”  When I look at another person, I look for the presence of God in them, and I look for God in them.  You may consider me to be naïve, but I choose to look for the good and for God at work in each one of us. (more…)

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