Covenant to Care (www.covenanttocare.org)
Covenant to Care for Children is a nonprofit, private agency working with faith communities to meet the needs of abused, neglected, and impoverished children and teens. Through a network of volunteers, individual donors, and businesses, we work to foster caring and nurturing environments for children and youth. Our main initiative, Adopt A Social Worker, matches social workers with faith communities to assist in providing the basic goods to meet the material needs of children. Last year, an estimated 27,850 children in Connecticut received basic necessities through the Adopt A Social Worker program. With the help of more than 200 faith communities and over 1,000 volunteers and donors we have served more than 500,000 children since the agency was founded in 1987.
It’s Tuesday, December 7.The attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters, on the morning of December 7, 1941. Led to President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaiming December 7, 1941 “a date which will live in infamy“. Today is a good day to thank a World War II Veteran for their service and sacrifice. The attack by another country on our own soil, certainly causes us to pause and remember a more recent attack on 9/11/2001.
The Bible reminds us that we too are under attack, in our faith, each and everyday. In this season of Advent we are called to mindful of how we have failed to keep alert and resist evil in our lives. |
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James 4:7 (NRSV)
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
1 Peter 5:8 (NRSV)
Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour.
We talk that talk, but oh that walk is so much harder. It’s easy to resist the temptation of snack foods, and desserts when you are full. But when you are hungry, and your stomach aches for food. Well it’s easy to give in and eat whatever is before us.
The same is true for our temptation in faith. It’s easy to withstand, and join in the songs of the faithful when you are surrounded by many in worship. But then when we are faced with standing up in faith in our daily life, well that is much harder.
Take time to pray today….
Take a moment and let God’s word fill you….
Ponder where you have given into temptation…
Invite Jesus to overcome what overcomes us…..
Lord Jesus, come yourself, and dwell with in us, be human as we are, and overcome what overcomes us. Come into the midst of my evil, come close to my unfaithfulness. Share my sin, which I hate and which I cannot leave. Be my brother, Thou Holy God. Be my brother in the kingdom of evil and suffering and death.—Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Sermon for Advent Sunday, December 2, 1928 |
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| Dear Father, whose name is holy, help me this day to keep it holy through my words and deeds. Remind me that my life as a Christian give testimony to the name of Christ, first put on me in baptism. Forgive me this day when I fail to honor your name. Forgive me this day when I do not act as your beloved child. Forgive me this day when I act as though my name matters most. Teach me, guard me, guide me, help me and forgive me. Amen.
Power and Blessings,
Pastor Debner
Zion Lutheran Church |
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I cam across this today and thought it was worth sharing.
Who Jesus Really Is
I don’t know where life may be defeating you this Advent. I don’t know how Jesus may be disappointing you this Advent. But I would suggest to you this Advent that any disillusionment you feel may not necessarily be a bad thing. For what is disillusionment if not, literally, the loss of an illusion? And, in the long run, it is never a bad thing to lose the lies we have mistaken for the truth.
Did Jesus fail to come when you rubbed the lantern?
Then perhaps Jesus is not a genie.
Did Jesus fail to punish your enemies?
Then perhaps Jesus is not a cop.
Did Jesus fail to make everything run smoothly?
Then perhaps Jesus is not a mechanic.
Over and over again, our disappointments draw us deeper and deeper into
who Jesus really is … and what Jesus really does.
William A. Ritter, Collected Sermons
