Don’t forget our Lenten worship opportunities this Wednesday:

11:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall followed by soup and sandwich lunch

7:30 p.m. in Chapel – preceded by potluck at 6:00 p.m.

We focus this week on “Returning to God” and look together at the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness in Luke 4.

Devotions for families or small groups:

SHARE –  Introduce yourself, the share:  What’s been the best thing that’s happened?   What’s the worst thing or thing you’re most concerned about?

READ –  Tonight’s verses: Joel 2:13b Return to theLord, your God for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, andabounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.

Luke 4:3b-4  ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’ ⁴Jesus answered him, ‘It iswritten, “One does not live by bread alone.”’

TALK — Tell of a time you felt lost. How did it feel when you returned to where you should be?  What things might tempt you to walk away from God?  How might we find the strength to resist?
PRAY — Give thanks for the good things you shared, and pray for help with the things that trouble your group.  Close with the Lord’s Prayer.

BLESS — Before you go, turn to each other, make sign of the cross on the other person’s head or hand and say:  (Name), child of God, may you turn and return to the grace of God’s love.  Amen.

Like the rich man in Mark 10, we can be tempted to measure our worth by how good we are. Conversely, we measure the worth of others by how bad they are. Jesus saw right through that. He measured worth, not by people’s ability or inability to follow the laws or to give over-generously, but by our very existence. For humans, it is impossible to achieve goodness to the extent that it earns us a spot in heaven. We can never be good enough. But for God all things are possible. We are, in fact, good enough – not to earn heaven – but we are good enough for God’s love despite our limitations and failings.

Worship this week:

Saturday – 5:00 p.m. in the chapel

Sunday – 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship

9:30 a.m. Sunday School

10:30 a.m. Contemporary Worship

Devotions for this week:

First Last and Last First                                     February 13-14, 2016

SHARE: What was a high point of your day? What was a low point?

READ: Read the following daily readings to deepen your understanding

Sunday, Mark 10:17-31, First Last and Last First

Monday, Psalm 19:7-10

Tuesday, Exodus 20:1-21, The Ten Commandments

Wednesday, Deuteronomy 5:1-21, The Ten Commandments

Thursday, Psalm 52

Friday, Psalm 62

Saturday, Jeremiah 32:1-25, Jeremiah Buys a Field

TALK: Consider some of these ideas:

As his journey of teaching and healing continues into the region of Judea, Jesus continues to confuse and scandalize his listeners. Even his disciples are shocked by the difficult lessons he teaches. An apparently perfect life of following the law is not enough, he indicates. A deeper turning over of one’s life to God is required.

• What do these readings say about the relationship between God and God’s people? In what areas of your life do you rank first?
• Where do you rank last? What do your rankings say about you? What would God say about your rankings?
• What would you be willing to part with to inherit eternal life? What would be difficult to part with? Why?

PRAY: Good and holy teacher, what we understand of your ways is so tiny that it might fit through the eye of a needle. Keep teaching us, we pray, and give us time to catch up to you. Amen.

BLESS: May God invite you warmly into God’s kingdom. Amen.

Most of our days we may not stop to consider our own mortality, but on Ash Wednesday we hear it, feel it, and are marked by it.  As we gather we confess that we really aren’t okay, we need forgiveness and a new beginning.  We need Jesus, and we need each other,  and so we come together to share the Word, and the Lord’s Supper.

Join us for Ash Wednesday Worship – February 10th

11:00 a.m. in the fellowship hall

7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary

The transfiguration story is filled with mystery. We can only imagine what the sight might have been like. Those present (Peter, James, and John) were clearly
terrified by the event. Often transformational events in our lives are also mysterious and terrifying, like a new career move or a major illness. Yet we are encouraged, not to run from our fears, but to embrace them. “This is my Son… listen to him!” 
invites us to move toward Jesus, even when we are afraid.

Worship this week with Holy Communion:

Saturday at 5:00 p.m. in the chapel

Sunday — 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship

9:30 a.m.  — Sunday School and New Member Orientation

10:30 a.m. — Contemporary Worship

Devotions for this week: The Transfiguration                                                 February 6-7, 2016

SHARE: What was a high point of your day? What was a low point?

READ: Read the following daily readings to deepen your understanding

Sunday, Mark 8:27–9:8, Transfiguration

Monday, Psalm 27:1-4

Tuesday, Mark 9:38-41, Another Exorcist

Wednesday, Mark 9:30-37, Passion Prediction (Ash Wednesday)

Thursday, Mark 9:42-50, Temptations to Sin

Friday, Mark 10:1-12, Teaching about Divorce

Saturday, Mark 10:13-16, Jesus Blesses Little Children

TALK: Consider some of these ideas:

Who do you say that Jesus is? On this question hangs today’s scripture reading. Do we seek the way of glory, the way of the cross, or understand the journey with Christ as somehow at the intersection of the two? Given a glimpse of glory, Peter, James and John show an interest in staying at the top of the mountain.

• Why do you think that, immediately following Jesus’ transfiguration of blinding white, Jesus’ words become so relatively dark?
• Why do you think Jesus’ transfiguration was a turning point in his ministry? How did the revelation affect his disciples?
• What do you think Jesus meant when he rebuked Peter for speaking about his identity? Consider how the public glorification of Jesus’ mission might detract or distract from his journey toward the cross.

PRAY: Light of the world, transform our understanding. Show us the truth we grasp only dimly. Amen.

BLESS: May God reveal God’s self to you every day. Amen.

 

We welcome Pastor Emily Tveite of Lutheran Campus Ministries of Madison as our guest preacher this week for worship.  Pastor Emily Tveite began her work at Lutheran Campus Ministries of Madison in August 2015. She was born and raised in Austin, Texas and earned her undergraduate degree in Religion from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. She completed her seminary studies at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.  During that time, she served as Intern at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Vancouver, WA. The experience of working in the Pacific Northwest equipped her for working in a climate of declining religiosity and inspired her passion for journeying with those new to the Christian faith.

Worship this weekend:  5:00 p.m. Saturday in the Chapel

Sunday — 8:30 a.m. Traditional worship

9:30 a.m. –Sunday School

10:30 a.m. — Traditional Worship

We are delighted to be a supporting partner of Lutheran Campus ministry, and we invite you to meet Pastor Emily this weekend.

Lutheran Campus Ministry is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and our ministry is made possible by the South Central Synod of Wisconsin, Luther Memorial, Bethel Lutheran, and over 30 other partner congregations.

Lutheran Campus Ministry in Madison unites college and university students in God’s grace, engaging the world in Christ’s love.

Lutheran Campus Ministry is centered in Jesus Christ’s embodiment of the love and grace of God. In that spirit, we welcome all UW-Madison, MATC, and Edgewood students, faculty, and staff to be a part of this community of faith, worship, service, and fellowship.