by Hans Jorgensen | Aug 19, 2022 | Devotions
In the Hebrew Bible, God gives the gift of the sabbath because people need rest and need to know their dignity as God’s liberated creatures. One reason for the commandment to keep the sabbath is to reflect how God rested on the 7th day of creation. Another reason is...
by Hans Jorgensen | Aug 14, 2022 | Devotions
Even when I am in a crowd of people, there are times when I can feel lonely. I can feel lonely with perspectives that aren’t shared by others, or experiences that don’t resonate with those around me. I can feel lonely when I wake in the middle of the night. There are...
by Hans Jorgensen | Aug 13, 2022 | Devotions
The writer of the book of Hebrews says that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). That always helps me to know that faith isn’t something I get to hold and possess, but it also challenges me because I don’t...
by Liesl Spitz | Jun 28, 2022 | Devotions, News
Preached at St. Timothy Lutheran on June 26, 2022. The Gospel reading was Luke 9:51-62. Good morning. Grace and peace to you from a God who created you wise and whole. Amen.In worship we reflect on the texts that God has given us. Those texts are scripture, and also—...
by Liesl Spitz | Jun 10, 2022 | Devotions, Prayer & Practice
For the month of June, on Wednesdays at noon (or as close to that time as you can manage), you’re invited to pause and pray, knowing that your St. Timothy community is praying with you. Here are some words to guide you today:A prayer for today, at the start of...
by Liesl Spitz | Jun 3, 2022 | Devotions
Summer is a time of scattering — for travel, outdoor hobbies, or new rhythms. For all the beauty this season has to offer, it can also mean we miss our regular connection to community. For that reason, and because there is so much that is very hard in our world right...
by Hans Jorgensen | May 26, 2022 | Devotions
On Sunday we will hear from Acts 16 about one of the times when the apostle Paul was imprisoned. Paul had interfered with the economy of certain people who profited from an enslaved girl. Paul healed her, and that changed the business. The owners claimed that Paul...
by Hans Jorgensen | May 20, 2022 | Devotions
In Acts 16, Paul had a vision of a man inviting him to come and share the gospel in Macedonia. So on the sabbath, Paul and his friends went to a place of prayer there and they promptly met…a group of women. In that male-dominated age, Paul met with these women and at...
by Hans Jorgensen | May 13, 2022 | Devotions
Disgust is one of the basic human emotions. We don’t always like to talk about it in polite company, but it doesn’t take long to think of something that we find revulsive. In some cases the feeling arises naturally, but in other cases we have been acculturated to feel...
by Hans Jorgensen | May 6, 2022 | Devotions
This Sunday is Shepherd Sunday when the scripture readings focus us on the Good Shepherd. Psalm 23 has the stunning line “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me.” Even when we are feeling “valleyish”...
