Holy Cross Lutheran Church

We live in a changing world and we are constantly changing. In order to not be overcome by the changes we need to be rooted in Christ. In Christ we cannot only survive the changes but grow in and through them.

In a few short days we, as a country, will celebrate our independence and our freedom. And it IS worth celebrating. However, as those who are orienting our lives around Jesus' words and ways, as we grow in Christ-likeness, our first thoughts of freedom ought not be our civil freedom, but our spiritual freedom. In fact, it's our spiritual freedom that informs how we, as those who are growing into Christ, are to think and behave as citizens of this free country.

The scriptures often depict the relationship between Jesus and the church as that of husband and wife. It is a relationship of love, care and intimacy. In fact, St. Paul, in his letter to the Christians in Ephesus, sees the two as intricately linked together - that the earthly picture of marriage - is the witness to the world of the relationship of Jesus and his bride, the church. The beloved church hymn, "The Church's One Foundation" is an anthem that has, through the centuries, continued to proclaim this intimate and intricate relationship. In fact, as we'll see, it's the work of the bridegroom on behalf of his bride, that makes the church not only happy but holy.

Today we sing and soak up the wisdom woven into the song "House of the Lord" and particularly the repeated phrase: "There's joy in the house of the Lord today...we won't keep quiet, we shout Your praise." Sing that and it's easy to think of a church full of people smiling and praising God with full voice. However, the song was written in 2020, during the pandemic, when worshipers were NOT gathering. Let this song help you embrace the reality that the Lord lives in you and so as you go, joy goes into our world.

Songs make ideas stick. Memorable melodies can help us carry marvelous truths. Some songs are engaging because they are new and novel. Others capture us because they have stood the test of time. In the month ahead, we'll look at a song or hymn of the church each week to more fully appreciate and meditate on the depth of their truths. Our prayer is that it will lead to worship that draws us even closer to God as we gather and increased capacity to carry God's truths at the front of our minds in all the everyday places we scatter as an everyday people everyday. The Memorable Melody for today is "Chief of Sinners Though I Be."

What is Pentecost? Pentecost is a long-standing Jewish harvest party, a Christian celebration as old as Jesus' Church, and a Greek word that means "fiftieth." And the Pentecost moment described in the New Testament is a 1st-century event in Jerusalem where people's heads caught fire (sort of). At this event, an indoor windstorm swirled through a packed house party, and everyone was baffled---some panicked. And then the guys with fiery heads became spontaneously multilingual.

By itself, the Pentecost story in Acts 2 looks kind of bizarre. But seeing what happened on the day of Pentecost within Scripture's larger narrative helps the story make sense.

Hospitality is a key mark of those who follow Jesus. In fact, several New Testament writers include 'hospitality' in the list of commands for those who want to live out the words and works of their Savior, Jesus. But, hospitality is not limited to the New Testament. In fact, Abraham shows us what genuine hospitality to strangers (yes, to strangers) looks like. Whether it's our summer travel plans or the fire pit out back, we have the opportunity to run into strangers and by extension - offer them a genuine and Christ-filled hospitality. Let's leverage summer for Christ's mission.

Summer vacations and trips take us all over the state, the country and even the world. Some will camp, some will cruise, some will hike national parks, while others taste wine in vineyards across Italy and France, a coney dog in Detroit or Baja fish tacos in San Diego. Yes, summer often takes us to places far and wide...we are scattered about. But, what if this scattering provided an opportunity for gathering with other believers? What if this organic way of meeting actually strengthened the church? 'Let us not neglect meeting together,' says the writer of the Hebrews. Let's leverage summer for gathering with other followers of Jesus.

Moses and the people of Israel are worn out...they're tired. And in the middle of this tiredness, Moses prays, 'teach me your ways so I may know you." God's response is a promise of rest through His presence. As followers of Jesus, we know and believe that true rest is found in HIM. But what if we could leverage the tempo, pace and rhythm of the summer in order to strengthen our relationship with Jesus? The truth of the matter is - we CAN leverage the summer to deepen our relationship with God.

There are lots of voices competing for our attention and a lot of messages coming at us. Some are from friends, others from foes. Some build us up, others tear us down. Some come in digitally, others in person. Some come from outside us, others come from our own minds. In the midst of all that, we have a shepherd that is also speaking...aiming to protect us and trying to lead us to "life to the fullest". Do you hear his voice? Do you know what it sounds like? Do you let him shepherd you?