By Kimberly Knowle,
Pastor of Christ and Trinity Lutheran Church
kAmr@:?D] ~=5 4@:?D] }6H[ 7C6D9=J >:?E65 4@:?D] {2C86 2?5 D>2== 4@:?D] p== 5:776C6?E D:K6D @7 4:C4=6D] uC@> 5:776C6?E 4@F?EC:6D] ~FE\@7\4:C4F=2E:@? 4@:?D] r@:?D] r@:?D] r@:?D]k^Am
kAm x 92G6 2 D276 7:==65 E@ 42A24:EJ H:E9 4@:?D] %96J 2C6 ?62E=J @C82?:K65 2?5 DE:== :? E96:C @C:8:?2= HC2AA:?8D 2?5 3@I6D] %96J 2C6 D276] %96J H6C6 2== 8:G6? 2D AC6D6?ED — 6G6CJ D:?8=6 @?6 @7 E96>] x’G6 ?6G6C 3@F89E 2 4@:? E@ 255 E@ E96 4@==64E:@?] x ?6G6C 925 E96 56D:C6 E@ 3FJ 2 4@:?]k^Am
kAm |J 72E96C 2=H2JD 82G6 >6 4@:?D 7@C AC6D6?ED — :E 5:5?’E >2EE6C E96 9@=:52J @C 6G6?E[ 3:CE952J @C r9C:DE>2D] r@:?D] x 42>6 E@ 6IA64E E96>] x <?6H H96? x D2H E96 HC2AA:?8 2?5 D:K6 2?5 D92A6 2?5 76=E E96 H6:89E @7 E96 8:7E]k^Am
kAmx 4@F=5 D2J “%92?< J@F” 6G6? 367@C6 @A6?:?8 E96 4@:?D] uC@> 6G6? 367@C6 x 42? C6>6>36C[ 4@:?D H6C6 E96 72G@C:E6 8:7E @7 49@:46 7C@> >J 72E96C E@ 9:D 52F89E6C] pE E96 E:>6 x C646:G65 E96 4@:?D[ E96J 86?6C2==J H6C6?’E E96 36DE AC6D6?ED C646:G65[ 3FE E96J H6C6?’E E96 H@CDE[ 6:E96C] %96J H6C6 ;FDE 4@:?D]k^Am
kAm ~C D@ x E9@F89E]k^Am
kAm |J 72E96C 4@F=5 >2<6 7C:6?5D H96C6G6C 96 H6?E] w6 ?6G6C <?6H 2 DEC2?86C] !6C92AD :E H2D 3642FD6 96 244F>F=2E65 C2?5@> 724ED 23@FE 2== <:?5D @7 C2?5@> E9:?8D — 7C@> 42CD[ EC2:?D[ 2C49:E64EFC6 — E@ 4@:?D] ~C >2J36 :E H2D 9:D :??2E6 D6?D6 E92E v@5’D DA:C:E 5H6==65 :? 6G6CJ@?6] #682C5=6DD[ >J 72E96C H@F=5 E2=< 7@C 9@FCD 23@FE 9:D A2DD:@?D 2?5 ;@JD]k^Am
kAm u@C ah J62CD >J 72E96C EC:65 H:E9 2== 9:D >:89E E@ A2DD 2=@?8 9:D :?E6C6DE :? 4@:?D 2?5 42CD 2?5 EC2:?D E@ 9:D 52F89E6C] %CFE9 36 E@=5[ DE:== E@ E9:D 52J[ x’5 C2E96C 4@==64E q2C3:6D]k^Am
kAm x 92G6 2 EC2:? D6E 96 AFC492D65 7@C >6] (6 D6E :E FA E@86E96C @?46 2C@F?5 E96 r9C:DE>2D EC66]k^Am
kAmx C6>6>36C 2== @7 E96 E:>6D H6 G:D:E65 42C >FD6F>D 2?5 42C D9@HD — 2?5 2 J@F?8 8:C=’D :>A2E:6?E 2EE:EF56 E92E H2D >@C6 :?E6C6DE65 :? E96 7@@5 H6 H6C6 E@ 62E — <6AE 2D<:?8[ “w@H >F49 =@?86C H:== H6 36 96C6n”k^Am
kAm p?5 E96 4@:?D] ~9[ E96 4@:?D]k^Am
kAm x DE:== 92G6 2== @7 E96 4@:?D >J 72E96C 82G6 >6] %96J H6C6 2 AC6D6?E 7C@> 2 =@G:?8 72E96C E@ 9:D 36=@G65 52F89E6C] x ?6G6C C62==J D2H H92E H6?E :?E@ 8:G:?8 4@:?D J62C 27E6C J62C] x 5:5?’E F?56CDE2?5 E96 D24C:7:46 2?5 DFAA@CE 2?5 E:>6] x 5:5?’E F?56CDE2?5 E96 =@G6] u@C J62CD x ;FDE D2H E96> 2D 4@:?D] !=2:? 2?5 D:>A=6] p 8@@5 DE@CJ 7@C 7C:6?5D 23@FE >J 525’D 8:7E\8:G:?8 23:=:E:6D[ @C =24< E96C6@7]k^Am
kAm }@H[ E96C6 H:== 36 ?@ >@C6 4@:?D 8:G6? 2D 8:7ED] |J 4@==64E:@? :D 4@>A=6E6] x H@?’E 92G6 E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ =2F89 2E 9:D AC6D6?ED] x H@?’E 36 23=6 E@ D>:=6 2?5 D92<6 >J 9625] x H@?’E 36 255:?8 2?J 4@:?D E@ E96 D276]k^Am
kAm|J 72E96C 5:65 =2DE s646>36C[ 2 76H >@?E9D D9J @7 9:D f_E9 3:CE952J 2?5 2 76H >@?E9D D9J @7 >J H655:?8] k^Am
kAms62E9 :D ?6G6C 62DJ] x H@C< :? E96 49FC49 2?5 7246 562E9 :? >F49 @7 H92E x 5@] }@?6 @7 FD 42? 36 6I6>AE 7C@> E96 7@C46D 2?5 766=:?8D 2?5 C62=:EJ @7 562E9] x’G6 8:G6? FA D92C:?8 H@C5D E@ >2<6 562E9 2?J 62D:6C] xE’D ?@E] pD x C67=64E @? >J 72E96C’D 562E9[ x C67=64E @? 4@:?D]k^Am
kAm x C6>6>36C 2== @7 E96 4@:?D[ 2?5 x C6>6>36C >J 72E96C]k^Am
kAm %96 8:7E x C646:G65 @G6C 2?5 @G6C 282:? 7C@> >J 72E96C[ 4@:?D[ H2D?’E E96 C62= 8:7E] x C62=:K6 ?@H E92E E96 4@:?D E96>D6=G6D 2C6 ?@E H92E 492?865 >6 @G6C E:>6] %96 4@:?D 2C6 ?@E H92E >256 2 5:776C6?46 :? >J =:76] %96 4@:?D H6C6 ;FDE 2 8=:>AD6 :?E@ >J 72E96C’D 962CE]k^Am
kAm %96 4@:?D 92G6 C6>:?565 >6 @7 >J 72E96C[ 2?5 x 2> C6>:?565 E92E x DE:== 92G6 E96 =@G6 @7 2 72E96C 7@C 2 52F89E6C[ 2 =@G6 E92E ?6G6C H62C:6D 2?5 ?6G6C 7256D] p =@G6 DEC@?86C E92? 562E9]k^Am
kAm x E9:?< 7@C >J H655:?8 E9:D DF>>6C[ x’== 3FJ >JD6=7 D@>6 4@:?D]k^Am
