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DAILY DEVOTION MAY 28

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Pastor Matthew Woods from Grace Lutheran Church in New Albany, Indiana

“The Blessings of What’s In Front of You”

As I write this SpaceX is getting reading to launch its first manned space launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida for the first time since the Shuttle program ended in 2011. I grew up seeing the Shuttles develop and fly. I even got to watch a launch years back. Dad pulled the car off the road during a visit to Florida. We were about 20 or 30 miles away but we could feel and hear the rumble of those rockets blasting off. It was a perfect blue-sky day so we got to watch that thing soar way up in the sky until all we could see were the smoke trails. It was very impressive. I loved it.

The first time the Shuttle flew in 1981 I remember how the news held live coverage all day like it was the Big Game at the end of the football season or something. I was fascinated by it. In time however, Shuttle flights became very routine. Eventually, it got to a point that launches were, at best, a brief segment on the news.

It makes me think of the Apollo 13 mission. The news didn’t run the show that the astronauts put on while in space because “NASA made going to the moon about as interesting as a trip to Pittsburgh.” Imagine, space flight becoming as routine as an airplane ride to Florida. That would be incredible but it also would be a shame. Flying is something that still fascinates me but if you have to do it all the time it’s about as interesting as taking a car ride to the supermarket. Human behavior gets bored easily. It’s like moving to a beautiful beach for the view but over time not paying that much attention to it because living there has become so common. That seems so crazy but that is how people generally roll.

There are many things we take for granted unless they blow up on us or are taken away. Consider the Parable of the Rich Fool from Luke 12:16-21. “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

How many things did this person take for granted? A good income? His current barns? Notice the plural—implying that he has many barns. A comfortable home? A soft bed? Maybe a nice shower before breakfast? Supper on the table? How about his life? His faith? Taking for granted God’s blessings of a good crop? This farmer stopped giving thanks for the things that were always there for him. Instead, he reasoned why not build bigger barns so that I can have more easy living. That’s how taking things for granted looks.

Taking things for granted means that one is distracted by something else. Could this be us? Could we be chasing an idea of bigger barns? Could we be taking something or someone for granted because that someone or something has become so common in our world? Could we be so invested in tomorrow that what’s happening today gets lost? Today has plenty of worries of its own but it also has blessings too. If our ambitions steal us from our families, from our church, from our Lord then what do they really profit us? What is the point of bigger barns if it costs you a relationship with Jesus, or your kids, or your spouse, or causes you to think too worldly? Jesus Himself calls such a person a fool.

If Covid has taught us anything of late it should be that we should not take anything or anyone for granted. Jesus designed our world with hugs in mind; a world where relationships are treasured, and being together shouldn’t need a permission slip. He designed us to give thanks to the Lord for what is good.

Thanks be to God that Jesus never gets tired of us. Even when we sin over, and over, and over again Jesus can’t help but love us. The Parables of Luke 15, the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost sons, all speak about heaven celebrating the return of a repentant sinner. Repentance is celebrated. We aren’t only forgiven seven times but seventy-seven times and more than that. The Lord is more eager to forgive you than you are probably ready to think of Him.

Jesus is always thinking about you. Psalm 139 talks of Jesus knowing our words, our thoughts, our behaviors, even when our DNA patterns were woven together in our mother’s womb. Jesus counts the hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30). And given that we are talking about rockets going into space, Psalm 8 is a particular favorite. “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” The Psalmist is saying, “Lord you’ve got the whole universe to think about and yet you can’t stop thinking about me.” And no where is this more true than in Jesus’ cross and resurrection. We are sometimes doing our worst towards Jesus, like we were the ones driving those nails, and still he thinks of us in His words; “Father forgive them.” Jesus does not take anyone for granted but eagerly and routinely seeks us, blesses us, and right up to our arrival prepares a place in the Father’s house for each us who believe. Everyone counts in Jesus’ eyes and everything we do in this life matters. There is much to give thanks for and the beauty of it that the grace of God is with us every day because Jesus is with us, (as He promised in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:20), for the rest of time.

So, give thanks and take advantage of the view in front of you; the people, the places, and the gifts that bless your life. Savor them as much as you can. And especially savor the fact that Jesus brings heaven to you in the resurrection. No one is getting there on a rocket. The resurrection is still good news and raising from the dead is certainly anything but common. It’s promised to you because Jesus is always thinking of you.

And now the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with His favor and give you His peace. Amen

Pastor Woods — John 3:30

PRINTABLE PDF: DailyMay28.PDF

Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/WjEO-WtdPVs

matt.woods@glcna.com — (502) 523-9327

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CONFIRMATION/PENTECOST SERVICE IN CHURCH
May 31

We ARE going to have services in-house at 8 and 10:30 on SUNDAY, MAY 31. It will be Confirmation Sunday for the Eighth Grade Confirmands in late service. So PENTECOST services, Communion in both, and every health precaution in place we can think of. We encourage folks to wear masks, no handshaking, hugging, no fist-bumping, or kissing. We’ll spread everyone out about the Sanctuary. Continuous line Communion, no common cup, lots of hand sanitizer. No Bible classes. We will be following safety measures that we are all familiar with by now. We will be sanitizing the sanctuary between services. If you are sick, sneezy, wheezy, or showing any signs of being sick we ask that you remain at home. If you are not comfortable with crowds yet do not worry. Our services will continue to be broadcast online permanently. Thank you for your patience, your prayers, your support, and for hanging in there with us. We are sure there will be more adapting to come as we learn more.
Saturday Services planned to continue June 6, 2020

PW announces No VBS for 2020

Sadly, we must also announce that there will NOT be a VBS this year. There are too many variables and not enough clarity to go forward with it. We believe it is more important this season to focus on the worship ministry via broadcasts and devotions, connecting with our members electronically, and trying to overcome current limitations.

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WHY 20 SECONDS?

Short video on why you need 20 seconds for handwashing viruses.

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A Word From Tom Perryman
President — Grace Lutheran Church

Great is Thy Faithfulness

When Job lost his health, his wife, children, and all his means, his response was simple: I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; (Job 19:25-26) This was evidence of an unshakable faith that the Lord was with him and no matter what happened, he knew that the promise of his salvation was intact. Since the resurrection of Jesus, we Christians are guaranteed salvation if only we trust in the Savior. This is because of the faithfulness of the Christ, who endured the suffering and death on a cross for you and me.

If we call ourselves Christian, we must reflect Christ’s faithfulness. We are now faced with an unprecedented series of events that are outside our control in the form of a virus that has made it impossible for us to function normally as a church. But the church’s work continues and we must be faithful to that mission.

As the president of the congregation, I am imploring our members to continue to give their offerings to the church just as they would if everything was normal. If we fail in this, the church falters and is unable to continue its work. Grace has seen hard times before and has persevered due to the faithfulness of its members. I am certain that this faith, by the Grace of Christ Jesus, is still alive.

Tom Perryman
President — Grace Lutheran Church, March 19, 2020

President.PDF

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For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast. — Ephesians 2:8-9

Welcome to the Grace Lutheran Church and School web site. There is a variety of information here regarding our congregation and our beliefs. Lutherans are Bible-believing, sacramental Christians who trace their roots back to Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. There have been Lutherans since 1517, particularly in Germany and Scandanavia. Lutherans in America followed large immigrations from Europe in the 1840’s and 1850’s.

The congregation at Grace was founded in 1927 in a small room over a pool hall on State Street in New Albany. The congregation moved to Tenth and Oak, then to Charlestown Road, before building its current facilities on Klerner Lane in 1974. The congregation now numbers just over 1100 souls. We worship at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Sundays and at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday evenings. The pastors are Rev. Bruce Kischnick and Rev. Matt Woods.