Spring is a delightful season! The crocuses, daffodils and
forsythia heralded the arrival of this season. The tulips and
violets and lilies of the valley continue to remind us of new
life. Soon it will be time to plant our seeds and rejoice in the
warmth of the earth, the refreshing of the rain, and the
greening of new growth. Isaiah, writing about the new
growth of Israel in chapter 61, verse 11, puts it like this: “For
as the earth makes fresh things grow, as a garden makes seeds
spring up, so will the Lord Yahweh make both integrity and
praise spring up in the sight of the nations.”

Dear friend, rejoice in this season. Rejoice more in the
promise of your continued new life in Christ. Allow God to
work the soil of your soul in this season.

Let us pray: Gardener God, bring new life to the dead places
of our souls. Water us with your Holy Spirit and allow us to
bear beautiful, colorful, and differing flowers, all for your
glory and the glory of our Savior Jesus. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church
at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We
worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We
invite you to join us

**********************************************
May 2, 2012

I remember once seeing a very tall, very old man at church.
He was slightly hard of hearing. His grand niece, a member
of the congregation, was 3 years old, had a high-pitched little
voice and tended to talk very rapidly. It was hard for her
great uncle to catch what she was saying. So at the coffee
hour after worship, her uncle, standing with a cookie in his
hand, sat down, called his niece to him and bent way over so
that he could hear and attend to every word she was saying.
Oh what a picture of Psalm 31 where the Psalmist entreats
God: “Incline your ear to me.” And, dear friend, God does.
God sits down and leans way over and listens intently when
we call upon God.

When you are troubled, when life seems like too much to
bear, when it feels like no human being is listening–or any
time at all–call upon God. Know that God has been longing
for your desire to be in God’s presence. Know that God cares.
Know God.

Let us pray: You ask us to trust that you are always listening,
O God. Give us the good sense to call upon you. Give us an
image of your patient, loving attentiveness to us. Help us to
incline our ears to your children in need. We pray in the
name of Jesus. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church
at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We
worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We
invite you to join us.

**********************************************
May 3, 2012

Dear friend, do you trust God to do that which God says God
will do? God’s Word is full of promises: promises that we
need not be afraid, promises of loving and constant presence,
promises of forgiveness and growing union with God and
neighbor. Sometimes, we claim the promises of God for the
specific things we desire instead of claiming the particular
promises of presence, fearlessness and support. As Christians,
we can depend on the Word of God to be fulfilled according
to God’s gracious will. Isaiah puts it like this in chapter 55:
10 & 11: “Yes, as the rain and the snow come down from the
heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making
it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and
bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth
does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and
succeeding in what it was sent to do.”

God will fulfill God’s promises. It is as certain as the
springtime coming or the sun rising. God will fulfill God’s
promises. You can count on it.

Let us pray: Faithful God, help us to read your word, listen
for your voice and trust in your loving promises for Jesus’
sake. AMEN

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church
at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We
worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We
invite you to join us.

**********************************************
May 4, 2012

‘In your face.’ Part of urban culture is very much ‘in your face.’
For better or worse I have learned this quality very well since
I moved to Pittsburgh in 1969. Daily, now, I struggle to be
more gentle. The author of the first letter of Peter addresses
this issue in chapter 3. Always be ready to make your defense
to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope
that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence.” We
are asked to boldly proclaim our faith and hope–but gently,
not with an ‘in-your-face’ attitude.

And isn’t it true, dear friend, that when someone confronts us
loudly, we are all the more ready to yell back. (Look at road
rage as a ridiculous but potent example). But when treated
with kindness, when answered gently, we have a much greater
desire to listen. When asked why you so foolishly believe in
this Jesus who was raised from the dead and who acts in your
life–take a deep breath. And then, gently, respectfully, quietly
tell your own story of God’s love for you.

Let us pray: Transform us, O God, into your gentle and yet
firm image so that we may not be conformed to the growing
violence of this world. Allow us to stand solidly grounded in
you, for the sake of Jesus who acted in your merciful love even
in the midst of a violent death. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship
on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to
join us.

**********************************************
***********************************
May 5, 2012

Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? And why are
you so disquieted with me? Put your trust in God; for I will
yet give thanks to the One who is the help of my countenance
and my God.” Psalm 42: 6&7.

Some days are like that, dear friend. Some days, I am truly
upset by the negative influences in the world and in my life.
I know that, in many situations, I can do nothing but lift up to
God those who are involved. And yet I continue to assume
responsibility for that which is beyond my control. On those
days I ask God for guidance and then, if there is no specific
action I am invited to take, I ask for the grace to be at peace
and to trust God with the problem. Try it today. Name the
troublesome circumstance. Pray for direction. Ask why you
are so troubled. And then, put your trust in God who is in
charge and who is your help and your reason for thanksgiving.

Let us pray: God, grant us the grace and the time this day to
intentionally put our trust in you. Grant us the grace and the
time this day to offer you thanks for the way you continue to
act in this situation and in our lives; for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship
on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to
join us.

**********************************************
May 6, 2012

When Paul and his companions were preaching Jesus, some
believed and some did not. Those who were not converted
became jealous and, not being able to find Paul and Silas, took
Jason and some others before the officials and accused them
saying, ‘They are defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is
another king, one called Jesus.’ Jason and his friends were
arrested and had to post bond before they were released. Acts
17

Dear friend, sometimes in 21st century United States, we miss
the impact of the words–’Jesus is Lord.’ To say ‘Jesus is Lord’
is to say ‘Jesus is Caesar.’ The crowds were right! Paul, Silas
and Jason were proclaiming that there was another king with
a higher authority than Caesar’s. These, indeed, were fighting
words. When we proclaim ‘Jesus is Lord,’ we too are saying
that there is no authority in heaven or earth which is above that
of Jesus. Not state, not church, not family, not job. Jesus is
our only Caesar. Jesus is Lord.

Let us pray: Lord, Jesus, help us acknowledge you as Lord in
all that we say or do. May the world see us proclaim you as
Lord with our lives. We pray in your name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship
on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to
join us.

**********************************************
May 7, 2012

Jesus commands us to love one another. (John 15:12 for one
example). Oh, how easy that task sounds. Love one another.
But how difficult that loving is. We easily love those people
who are like us. And we easily love those people who like and
admire us. But how difficult to love those, even with the
Christian community, who are different. And how seemingly-
impossible to love our enemies. At dinner the other night, some
friends were telling me the story of a woman, Helen, whose
husband had left her ten years earlier to go and live with his
much-younger secretary. Helen’s life had been very difficult.
She had never worked outside of the home and had no
significant source of income. She had to sell her house and
many of her belongings. Vacations were a thing of the past.
And then, after ten years, a new job and a small apartment, late
one cold, rainy night her ex-husband showed up at the door.
He was sick. His lover had gotten tired of caring for him and
had thrown him out. He had returned to his ex-wife. Now
Helen did not take this man into her home and care for him.
(Perfect love might have done that). But she bundled him up,
took him to the VA hospital, and made certain that he got the
physical care that he needed. Helen is an example of love in
action.

Dear friend, let us pray: Purify us with your perfect love, O
God, so that we might share your love with those with whom
we come in contact. Give us your wisdom for the sake of
Jesus. AMEN.
This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship
on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to
join us.

**********************************************
May 8, 2012

As a child, when I was dressed particularly poorly, my mother
would say, “Jan, you look like an orphan.” I didn’t know a
whole lot about orphans at that age, but I knew I didn’t want to
be one! As I grew older, and was sometimes criticized, I felt
like an orphan. And I knew I didn’t want to be one. So when
Jesus says in John14:18, “I will not leave you orphaned; I am
coming to you” I am greatly relieved. I will not be alone. I
will not be made a fool of. I will be loved.

Now that I am a parent, I know what my mother meant. She
meant that I looked unloved, like I didn’t have a mother who
cared for me. (Now that I have been a parent, I know how
embarrassing that can be!) But Jesus, as he is preparing to
leave his disciples physically, is telling them they will never be
alone; they will never be unloved. And, dear friend, neither
will we. God loves us so much that God sent us the person of
Jesus to live, suffer, die and be raised again. God loves us so
much that God sent the person of the Holy Spirit to be with us
always. God loves us so much that we will never be orphaned,
not matter what happens in our earthly lives.

Let us pray: Father, mother God, you are with us always.
Thank you for your loving presence, we pray in the name of
our brother Jesus. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship
on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to
join us.

**********************************************
May 9, 2012

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless
God’s holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not
all God’s benefits. God forgives all your sins and heals all
your infirmities and redeems your life from the grave and
crowns you with mercy and loving kindness. God satisfies you
with good things and your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.”
Psalm 103

Dear friend, have you ever met an older person who, although
their bodies might be failing them, thought young? They are
open to new ideas and to making new friends. They are more
tolerant on many issues than I am. My mother is a person like
that. And, to a person, these people have certain qualities in
common. Their lives are filled with gratitude and praise and
they are firmly rooted in the love and forgiveness of God.
Some of these people are losing their hearing or sight; some
are nearing death; but their openness and love are fresh and
strong. I understand through them how God renews our youth
like an eagle’s.

Let us pray: Eternal God, give us lips to praise you and hearts
to trust you that our youth may be renewed like the eagle’s and
we might bear your love to the world for our whole lives. We
pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship
on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to
join us.

**********************************************
May 10, 2012

Gossip is a nasty thing, but I suspect most of us do it. Part of
the problem with talking about other people is that what we
say grows. I remember once when my bishop confronted me
about something I had been purported to have said about a
colleague. It was so inflated that I could have easily–and
honestly–denied having said anything like that. But the truth
is that, in what the bishop repeated to me, was the smallest
kernel of something that I had shared with a fellow pastor. I
admitted that to my bishop, and was deeply ashamed that I had
participated in that kind of unnecessary talk.

So I truly understand when, in the third chapter of the first
letter attributed to Peter, he writes, “Keep your conscience
clear so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for
your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame.” How I
wished that I had not passed along any small part of that story
so that I could have simply said, “I said nothing like that.”
Dear friend, keep your conscience scrupulously clear. When
confronted with difficult situations, we would want it always
to be for the sake of Christ alone.

Let us pray: Thank you, God, for the free gift of forgiveness.
Help us to be so aligned with your love, that any accusations
against us will be false. Help us to bravely stand up to your
truth, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship
on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to
join us.

**********************************************
May 11, 2012

“If only I knew!” How often I hear that statement. The
lamenter could be referring to what job he will have next year,
whether her son is still using drugs, or if their mother is with
Jesus. We want to know. It’s why faith is so often difficult.
“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of
things not seen.” Hebrew 1:11.

When St. Paul was in Athens, he addresses the people, (Acts
17:22ff), “I see how extremely religious you are in every way.
For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the
objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the
inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you
worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you….” And Paul goes
on to tell of the creation of the world, of our being God’s
children, of the person of Jesus, and of how the deity could
never be an image of gold or silver or stone formed by human
hands. Dear friend, we can know God; we cannot create God.
We can know God; we cannot be God. We can know God;
we cannot see God. But in knowing and being known by God
we are made the children of God. Have faith.

Let us pray: Come closer, known but unfathomable God, so
that we might believe in you and live our lives according to
your gracious will which we know best through Jesus.
AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship
on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to
join us.

************************************************

May 12, 2012

Psalm 66 begins with praise of God, inviting the hearers to be
joyful in God’s name. The psalm continues with an invitation:
“Come now and see the works of God, how wonderful God is
in God’s doing toward all people.” The psalm continues with
a recitation of God’s saving acts throughout the history of
God’s people.

Now this is the problem: I can be invited to look for God’s
works, but if my mindset does not allow for God’s saving
action in my life, I will never see them. I was asked recently
how I could know that God acted in my life. My only
response was–look and see. And I told stories of God’s grace
throughout my life, especially in difficult times. The speaker
asked again why I thought God was real and thought perhaps
I was simply putting God into the happenings of my life as a
comfort to me. I had difficulty responding. I praise God
because God acts in my life. I don’t believe I would have
survived some of the more painful experiences I have had,
were it not for God’s loving intervention. Can I prove it? No!
But I, like the psalmist, invite you to come and see the works
of God–in my life and in yours.

Let us pray: God, you are good. Open our eyes, and
especially the eyes of the skeptical, so that we all may see your
love. We pray in the name of love himself, Jesus the Christ.
AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship
on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to
join us.

**********************************************
May 13, 2012
“Touched by An Angel” was a popular television show. In it,
God sends angels ‘on assignment’ to bring people back to God
and to help them to turn their lives around. Usually, at some
point towards the end of the program, one of the ‘regular’
angels–Monica, Tess or Andrew–begins to shine with a holy
light and reveals that she or he has been sent from God. When
I was a child, I thought all pastors had to be balding men
because Pastor Sandt and Pastor Phillips had a holy glow
coming from their advancing foreheads. Light–like the light
that shone around Moses when he descended from the
mountain of God’s presence and the light that transfigured
Jesus on the mountaintop–has always been a sign of God’s
closeness.
The Psalmist in Psalm 104 writes: “Bless the Lord, O my
soul; O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness! You
are clothed with majesty and splendor. You wrap yourself
with light as with a cloak…” Throughout the generations,
throughout Scripture, and throughout Hollywood, light is a
sign of God being near. In our baptismal service we hand the
newly-baptized (or the sponsor) a candle and say, “Let your
light shine before others so that they may see your good works
and glorify your Father in heaven. We–not only angels and
particular saints–are given God’s light and presence to share
with the world.

Let us pray: God of light, shine through us for the sake of the
light of the world, Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship
on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to
join us.

***************************

May 14, 2012

“Look!” I stopped my son. “Look at all the violets!” “I don’t
see any,” he said, and began to hurry on to our destination.
“Stop. Look at all the violets.” “I don’t see them.” And I
think he might have added under his breath–or at least in his
mind–’I don’t want to see them. Let’s get going.’ Now it’s true
that the grass was long, but it was filled with vibrant purple
violets! And they were beautiful, all the more so because they were surrounded by the long green grass and those spiky weeds with minute white flowers poking up from them. But he didn’t want to see the violets. And he didn’t.

Dear friend, Jesus tells us to seek and we will find. (Matthew
6) Jesus tells us that we know how to see the signs of nature
and understand the coming weather. (Luke 12). Jesus tells us
“the kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be
observed, nor will they say, ‘Look here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’
For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.” (Luke 17)
Desire to look for the reign of God in your midst. You will
find it. And the beauty of the signs of the kingdom of God
puts a field of violets to shame.

Let us pray: Open our eyes, open our hearts, open our lives to
your loving presence in our midst. Give us courage to
continually proclaim your dominion to the worldly powers
which surround us. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship
on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to
join us.

**********************************************
May 15, 2012

“Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that God
may exalt you in due time. Cast all your worries upon God
because God cares for you.” I Peter 5:6&7

The Jerusalem Bible translates verse 7 as, “Unload all your
worries on God since God is looking after you.” The writer is
quoting Psalm 55–”Unload your burden on Yahweh and
Yahweh will support you.” Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 to not
worry but to take our example from the carefree birds of the air
or the beautiful lilies of the field. Dear friend, trusting in the
providence of God is difficult for us. It is only when we
surrender, bow down, humble ourselves in God’s sight that we
can trust in God. As long as we try to remain in charge, to
pretend we are boss, to refuse to acknowledge Jesus as the
higher power–we are condemned to the foolishness of our own
mismanagement. Humbling ourselves in God’s sight is a gift
of grace–and a great relief.

Let us pray: God of glory, you are in charge of life and death.
Grant us grace to humble ourselves before you–and to be
grateful. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship
on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to
join us.

***************************************

May 16, 2012

Water is used for washing. Baptismal water is used for
cleansing–not dirt from the body but from the soul. I Peter
3:19 and following says, “In the spirit, Jesus also went to
preach to the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient
while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the
building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were
saved through water. This prefigured baptism, which saves
you now. It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an
appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ who has gone into heaven and is at the right
hand of God with angels, authorities and powers subject to
him.” The church has always looked at the stories of Noah and
the ark and the Israelites and the Sea of Reeds as precursors of
the saving act of God in baptism. But the day of our baptism
is not the end. Dear friend, we can continue to look at any
water story–washing clothes, doing dishes, a drowning, a
flood, a bath or a shower–as a daily reminder of our own
baptism. Through this act of God in Jesus the Christ–through
water–we have been saved and are invited–daily–to live into
our baptism. Many years ago on this day at St. Andrew we baptized
two adults–Shirley and Becky. Pray that they, and we, will
live into our baptisms each day.

Let us pray: Loving God, bless your precious children Shirley
and Becky whom you made your own on this day. Help them,
and us, to use our daily contacts with water to remind us of
your love. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.
This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship
on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to
join us.

**********************************************
May 17, 2012

I Peter 1:17–”You call him Father, when you pray to God who
judges all people by the same standard, according to what each
one has done; so then, spend the rest of your lives here on
earth in reverence for God.”

Dear friend, dear sister, dear brother–it is true that Jesus taught
us to pray saying ‘Our Father.’ This prayer is our birthright
through our baptism, But belonging to the Christian family,
children of God, also has responsibilities. Peter suggests that
one of them is to spend the rest of our lives in reverence, fully
aware that we are in the presence of God. That is an awesome
thought–1)because God is the God who judges us all
impartially but 2) because God is the God who saves us by the
sacrifice of Jesus. Knowing that every minute of our lives is
lived in the sight and love of that God leads us to changed
behavior.

Let us pray: Father God, your presence is real to us in Word
and Sacrament and Christian community. Make us so aware
of your being in, with and under our lives that we live in total
reverence of you. We pray in Jesus name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship
on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to
join us.

*************************************

May 18, 2012

“Hallelujah! Give praise you servants of the Lord. Praise the
name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be blessed from
this time forth forevermore.” Psalm 113

Dear friend, one of our daily tasks is to praise God’s name. We
accomplish this task through prayer and song, through worship
and faith-filled lives. We also praise God by our acts of love
and mercy, by our work on behalf of the least of our brothers
and sisters, by our struggle for justice and freedom and an end
to oppression, by our respect for each human being as a sister
or brother in Christ. Today, consciously, live your life as an
act of praise.

Let us pray: Holy God, we praise your name. Use our lives
and our actions as well as our words and our songs as a
blessing. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship
on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to
join us.

**********************************************
May 19, 2012

Baptism is a naming celebration, the giving of a Christian
name. In the naming process, God–in, with and under the
water–claims the person as God’s own child (even if that
person is an adult). Through this sacrament, a person is given
a covenantal, guaranteed relationship with God. The one
baptized is cleansed from all sin and given freedom and power.
The claimed person is given protection from God. Protection? Then why do bad things still happen to those who are baptized and believe? Perhaps the protection is not from the bad things that happen to all of us in this world, but protection from the evil one. Jesus, in his high priestly prayer recorded in John 17, prays, “Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me…I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.” Dear friend, Jesus has saved us from sin, death and the devil and continues to guard us from all evil. Rely on the promises God made with you in your baptism.

Let us pray: God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we give
you thanks for freeing your sons and daughters from the power
of sin and for raising us up to a new life through the sacrament
of baptism. Pour your Holy Spirit upon us: the spirit of
wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the
spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in
your presence. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship
on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to
join us.

*********************************
May 20, 2012

“I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you
come to know God so that, with the eyes of your heart
enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which God has
called you, what are the riches of God’s glorious inheritance
among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of
God’s power for us who believe….” Ephesians 1:17-19 St.
Paul is praying for the believers in Ephesus. This prayer is
similar to Jesus’ prayer just before he ascends into heaven:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you…” Acts 1:8.
The point, dear friend, is that after Jesus’ resurrection
appearances, when he again left the disciples and ascended into
heaven–he did not leave them alone, he did not leave them
without power. Rather he gave them greater power. And
Jesus gives us power. In a day when we often feel weak,
defenseless, confused and hopeless, we need to remember that
Jesus gives us strength and power–the power to stay centered
in Christ and not the activities of the world around us, the
power to bring healing and comfort, the power of love, the
power of the Christian community, the power of the Holy
Spirit. Act in the loving power of God.
Let us pray: Almighty God, your only Son was taken up into
heaven and in power intercedes for us. May we also come into
your presence and live forever in your glory. We pray in his
powerful name. AMEN.
This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship
on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to
join us.

*****************************************

May 21, 2012

“God must have a good sense of humor.” I hear that remark
often when something in this world seems particularly
ludicrous. But I truly believe God has a delightful sense of
humor. Why else would God delight in us so? And why
would God have created the bumblebee which scientists say
shouldn’t be able to fly and the bullfrog with its impossibly-
low croak? Why create uncountable snowflakes, no two of
which are identical, if not for the sheer joy of it. Why is the
kitten so curious about its world and why does the puppy play
so joyfully? Why would the Psalmist have written in Psalm
104, “Yonder is the great and wide sea with its living things
too many to number, creatures both small and great. There
move the ships, and there is that Leviathan, which you have
made for the sport of it.”?

Now, dear friend, I have no idea what a Leviathan is–Webster
says it’s a snakelike sea monster or anything big and powerful-
-but I do know that God got a kick out of creating it–and
everything else. Now if the spirit of love which is God has
such a good sense of humor, and delights so in all of creation,
why don’t we?
Let us pray: Laugh with us, fun-filled God, as we take time
this day to delight in all you have created. Give us a spirit of
lightness so that we may rejoice in life and not take our work–
or ourselves–too seriously. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship
on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to
join us.

**************************************************

May 22, 2012

The Holy Spirit doesn’t obey human rules. This has always
been true, even in the day of Moses. In Numbers 11, Moses
was told to gather seventy elders together so that God might
give them the spirit so that Moses would not have to bear the
burden of the people alone. The rules were that the seventy
were to be taken to the tent of meeting and placed all around
the tent and there receive the spirit. Now, Eldad and Medad
stayed in the camp, and the spirit rested on them anyway and
they began to prophesy in the camp. A young man ran out to
the tent of meeting and told Moses the story of these two men
and Joshua, son of Nun, Moses’ assistant cried out, “‘My lord,
Moses, stop them!’ But Moses said to him, ‘Are you jealous
for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets,
and that the Lord would put God’s spirit on them!’ And Moses
and the elders of Israel returned to camp.”
Dear friend, we are given the ability to discern the spirits–
good from evil. But the Spirit of God doesn’t follow human
rules, only the rule of love. The Spirit of God works for the
good of all people. So when Medad and Eldad didn’t follow
human rules, they were given the spirit anyway and used their
gift to prophesy for God. Don’t try to trap the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray: God, you have granted us the gift of the Holy
Spirit. Allow us to listen and discern what is of your spirit,
and cause us to obey that spirit’s law and not be limited by the
rigidness of our own understanding. We pray in Jesus’ name.
AMEN.
This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church
at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We
worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We
invite you to join us.

**********************************************
May 23, 2012

“Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching
in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the
kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness. And
when he saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them because they
were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Good description of the world today, don’t you think?
Harassed and dejected. Lost. Looking for the way to go
home. Looking for happiness. Like sheep without a shepherd,
looking for a leader. These are dangerous times, dear friend.
Dangerous times because in our seeking for a shepherd, we
often look for one to fill our human need of having more, of
being better than the other, of being ‘one up.’ And we could
easily end up with a Hitler who fills our human needs and
destroys other humans, or with a Do of Heaven’s Gate who
leads us to our death. Instead, look to Jesus and his teachings
to be your leader. Realize that you are called to be a shepherd
for others, to call them to love and hope and God. Jesus ends
this section by saying, “‘The harvest is rich but the laborers are
few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers to the
harvest,’” You, too, sister and brother in Christ, are called to
be laborers in this harvest.

Let us pray: God, you call us your precious and chosen
children. Keep our eyes focused on your leadership and
guidance. When we are straying, find us; when we are wrong,
correct us; when we are leading, guide us, for Jesus’ sake.
AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church
at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We
worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We
invite you to join us.

**********************************************
May 24, 2012

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Think about it,
dear friend. “The Lord is my shepherd.” Good news! “I shall
not want.” What? Don’t I want the Lord to be my shepherd?
Of course I do. Instead, the psalmist means that I shall never
be in want. I shall have my needs filled. I will never be alone.
Guidance is always available. Companionship is always
available. God has written God’s law and God’s love in our
hearts and given us the gift of the Holy Spirit and the person
of the savior Jesus. And so, we get to choose. Do we want to
be in relationship with this shepherd? A relationship which is
a free gift to us through our baptism, through the Word, the
Sacraments, through the Christian community. Or do we
choose to be in want?

Being in relationship with Christ as shepherd does not mean
we will never get lost or be hurt or be hungry. Being in
relationship with Christ as shepherd means we are loved so
that Jesus will continue to seek us and we always will be
found.

Let us pray: Shepherd God, help us to want you and your
presence in our lives with all our heart and soul and mind and
strength. Help us to trust you as Presence and as Guide for
Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church
at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We
worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We
invite you to join us.

**********************************************

May 25, 2012

“The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures. God leads
me beside the still waters. God restores my soul.”

Dear friend, with God as our shepherd, resting places are
offered to us along life’s ways. We are invited to lie down in
the green pastures of personal prayer, invited to be refreshed
through the remembrance of our baptism, invited to be restored
through the sacrament of Holy Communion. With the Lord as
our shepherd, even frustrating times of illness or impatient
times of waiting can be invitations to quiet times in God’s
presence where we may listen to the comforting voice of the
shepherd assuring us of personal love and personal presence.
Listen today for the voice of God offering rest and restoration
to you. Have the courage to take the time in God’s presence in
spite of pressure from people to do other things. Know the
peace of quiet green pastures and sparkling still waters. Know
that God–daily–restores your soul.

Let us pray: Shepherd God, as you lead us along life’s way,
grant us the wisdom to respond to your invitations of rest and
restoration which you offer to us through Jesus the Christ.
AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church
at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We
worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We
invite you to join us

**********************************************

May 26, 2012

“God leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s
sake.”

In both the Hebrew and the Greek, righteousness carries the
connotation of straight–God will lead us on straight paths–for
the sake of the name of God. We who bear the name of Jesus
through our baptism also bear the promise of being led, as the
children of Israel were led through the Sea of Reeds, on a path
that is straight. When, however, only part of that path is
illumined, it is difficult to believe that, even beyond the small
puddle of light in which we can see, that God is still guiding
us. The words of the 23rd psalm become a statement of faith,
–”Because the Lord is my shepherd, I believe that the path on
which God is leading me will be straight, will lead me to
home, and on that path I will never be alone.” It very well may
be that the path will lead me through the wilderness for forty
years. Nevertheless, I believe that God is leading me in the
path of righteousness for the sake of Christ.

Dear friend, let us pray: Guiding, shepherd God, grant to us
who sometimes doubt the faith to know you are leading us
along a straight and righteous path. For Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church
at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We
worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We
invite you to join us.

***********************************************

May 27, 2012

“Yea, even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil, for you God are with me.”

This portion of the 23rd psalm is very familiar at the funeral or
the bedside of a loved one who is dying. These words of
comfort and strength, however, are a gift to us in the presence
of any evil–drugs, hatred, oppression, uncontrollable fear. I
remember standing at the side of an incubator of a 1 lb. 7 oz.
newborn. The mother had asked me to come and baptize the
baby. I was not afraid of the baby’s death; I even suspected it
might be a blessing. But next to me was this infant’s father
who, with cold, steel-blue eyes piercing the plastic incubator
top, was making the pentagram and other satanic signs on the
incubator lid, attempting to claim this precious infant for Satan.
Rarely has the presence of evil been so real to me. The death
I feared was not this baby’s physical death but the possibility
of separation from the love of God. Dear friend, I prayed that
even though the baby and I were walking through the valley of
the shadow of death, that I might fear no evil because I knew
that the God of love through Jesus was there.

Let us pray: Ever-present God, give us courage to love when
we are in the presence of evil. Help us to never be afraid, for
Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church
at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We
worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We
invite you to join us.

**********************************************

May 28, 2012

“You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.”
The Lutheran church has reclaimed the practice of anointing.
We anoint at baptism, making the sign of the cross on the
forehead with blessed oil–chrism–and saying–”You are
sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ
forever.” We anoint again at confirmation, that is, at the
affirmation of baptism. We anoint as we face death, to remind
us that we are Christ’s and nothing, not even death, can
separate us from the love of God which we know in Jesus.
“You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over” because
even in the face of death, tragedy, and despair, I know that I
am the Lord’s. “My cup runs over” because, with Jesus at my
side, enough has been given to me. “My cup runs over”
because with the Lord as my shepherd, I shall not want.

Dear friend, let us pray: Shepherd God, you are prodigal in
your love for us. Fill our cups and let them overflow with your
love for us and our love for you. Grant that we be grateful we
pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church
at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We
worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We
invite you to join us.

**********************************************

May 29, 2012

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my
life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Goodness and mercy are present with us daily–in Word and
Sacrament and Christian community. Do you see goodness
and mercy, dear friend? When we dwell in Word and
Sacrament and Christian community, we are in the house of
the Lord–do you take comfort in that dear friend? And our
life does not end here, but continues in the courts of heaven
where we will dwell forever, continuing to feast at the banquet
of the Lamb–do you believe this?

The 23rd psalm is guidance for life, encouraging us to
participate regularly in the sacraments, asking us to
acknowledge and obey the perfect shepherd who has been
given to us, Jesus the Christ, and reminding us to take comfort
and strength from the Christian community. “The Lord is my
shepherd, I shall not want.”

Let us pray: Shepherd God, thank you for the gift of the 23rd
psalm. Help us to pray this psalm regularly, and to know the
comfort of your presence. We pray in the name of our
shepherd, Jesus. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church
at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We
worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We
invite you to join us.

*********************************************

May 30, 2012

They were all talking at the same time. And they all spoke
different languages. How could they possibly comprehend
each other? How could they be one if they could not
understand each other? Acts 2, the story of Pentecost or God’s
giving the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church, tells us that
“suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a
violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were
sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and
a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with
the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the
Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from
every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this
sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each
one heard them speaking in the native language of each.” In
order to be made one, we must speak the same language. It is
a gift of the Holy Spirit, and the language is love. When I
visited Russia, the old grandmas begged for peace. I
understood although I did not speak Russian. When I visit a
very old person who has trouble hearing and speaking, I still
can understand their need for love. I once communed an
Italian woman in a nursing home who had no idea who I, a
woman wearing a collar, was but knew I was bringing her
Jesus. The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to understand one
another in love.

Let us pray: Pour your Holy Spirit upon us, O God, and give
us power to act boldly in your love, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.
This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship
on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to
join us.

**********************************************

May 31, 2012

May 31st is the feast of the visitation. On this day we
remember Mary’s visit to Elizabeth and the child in Elizabeth’s
womb leaping up to greet the Christ in Mary’s womb. In Luke
1 Elizabeth says, “Of all women you are the most blessed, and
blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honored
with a visit from the mother of my Lord? From the moment
your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for
joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made
her by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

Mary responds with the words of the Magnificat, proclaiming
God’s greatness and telling of the way that God is turning the
world upside down, casting down the princes from their
thrones and lifting up the lowly. Mary is for us both an
example of obedience and of one who understands that God is
an advocate for the radical change brought about by the radical
love of Jesus.

Dear friend, let us pray: Almighty God, in choosing the virgin
Mary to be the mother of your Son, you made known your
gracious regard for the poor and the lowly and the despised.
Grant us grace to receive your Word in humility and so to be
made one with your son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Give us the
courage to act for justice. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church
at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We
worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We
invite you to join us.

*****************************************************

Psalm 148 calls for all of the earth to praise God. “Hallelujah! Praise the Lord from the heavens! Praise God in the heights!” Angels and host, sun and moon, fire and hail, snow and fog, mountains and hills, fruit trees and cedars, kings and rulers, young men and maidens, “Praise the Lord!”

When our youngest son was about eight years old, we would play a game on long car trips. We would use this psalm, but add things which we saw. Cadillacs and VW’s, praise the Lord! Stop lights and street signs, praise God’s holy name together! Hotels and motels, praise the Lord! Swimming pools and video games, praise God’s name together! Dear friend, we, like the psalmist, call on all creation–even modern, twentieth-century, new- fangled contraptions, to praise God’s holy name. Today, call on all of the elements of your life to praise God’s name together.

Let us pray: Dear God, allow all of your creation to praise your name. Old and young, shut-in and active, hospitalized and working in offices—together allow us to praise the name of the Lord through Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

*******************

April 2, 2012

Psalm 46 begins, “God is our refuge and our strength; a very present help in time of trouble.” Psalm 93 verse 5 describes that strength, “Mightier than the sound of many waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea, mightier is the Lord who dwells on high.”

Dear friend, have you ever stood on the rocks next to the breakers during a storm? Bar Harbor Island in Maine is one of the few places on the East Coast where mountains of rock meet the water. During a storm, the noise is ferocious. It is so loud that it is hard to hear yourself think. The power of the wind and the waves is awesome. The Psalmist tells us that such is the power of God–awesome, creating order out of the roaring waters, creating order out of our roaring lives. When your life feels chaotic and out of control, sit quietly and remember that God is more powerful. God created order out of the chaos at the beginning of time. God tamed the waters of the Red Sea. God can tame the chaos of our lives.

Let us pray: O God, our mighty God, grant us the grace this day to open the disorder of our lives to your mighty power. Order us according to your gracious will through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

*******************

April 3, 2012

I think of Lent as a time of repentance. I think of Easter as a time of celebration. Of course, as a season, those emphases are correct. But listen to St. Paul in I Corinthians 5: “Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch, as you really are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Dear friend, Lent calls us to reflect on the suffering and death of Jesus and invites us to change our hearts so that we can both be drawn closer to Jesus and can participate in that suffering. Easter invites us to reflect on the celebration of the resurrection and to repent so that we can be drawn closer to Jesus and can participate in the feast of his having been raised. Perhaps all seasons of the church year have the same purpose: to invite us to a change in heart, to invite us closer to God, to invite us to participate in the coming kingdom. Change your hearts. Repent. Rejoice!

Let us pray: God of all seasons, you have created a time for everything and you use every time to ask us to change and be brought closer to you. Use this holy season when we celebrate the resurrection to change us so that we might be conformed to your desires for us, we pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

*******************

April 4, 2012

I was walking in the woods the other day. It was a cold, damp Spring day that seemed more like late Autumn. It was hard to believe it was Spring. But as I walked, I saw the new growth on the trees, teeny white flowers springing up in the grass; I heard the birds singing–and I knew it was Spring.

Dear friend, that’s how it was with the disciples, too. In John 20, Mary Magdala told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, but it was not until “the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, when the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, that Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you’ and showed them his hands and his side” that they could believe. Sometimes, the presence of the risen Christ in our midst seems to be hidden. It is hard to believe. Until we see Him in the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the waters of baptism, the hands of a Christian friend–it is hard to believe. Then, even though our lives may still feel the effects of the cold, our hearts are warmed by Christ’s real presence; then we believe.

Let us pray: Jesus Christ, you are present in our lives in many ways. Grant us eyes to see you, hearts to believe in you and hands to serve you. We pray in your name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

**********************

April 5, 2012

In John 13, Jesus does the unthinkable. While he and the disciples are at supper, he puts a towel around his waist and, taking the position of the lowliest servant, kneels on the floor and washes their feet. Significantly, this is done at the Last Supper. Jesus is trying to teach his disciples an important lesson, one they have been missing. “‘Do you understand what
I have done to you?’ he asks. ‘You call me Master and Lord, and rightly, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.’”

Dear friend, Jesus took the position of the lowliest servant to remind us that, no matter what our status in life, we too are called to humbly serve each dear neighbor. It is for this kind of absurd behavior that Jesus, our Lord and our Master, died.

Let us pray: Holy God, source of all love, on the night of his betrayal, Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment: to love one anther as he has loved them. By your Holy Spirit, write this commandment on our hearts, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. Good Friday service is April 6th at noon, prayer vigil until 3 PM and Tenebrae at 7 PM. Easter Vigil is at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Allentown at 7 PM on April 7th. We invite you to join us.

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April 6, 2012

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The words of the psalmist in Psalm 22. “Eli, eli, lama sabachtani.” The same words are the words of Jesus as he hangs on the cross, just before he dies. In Matthew, this piercing cry is recorded in the 27th chapter. “When some who stood there heard this, they said, ‘The man is calling on Elijah’ and one of them quickly ran to get a sponge which he dipped in vinegar, and putting it on a reed, gave it to him to drink. ‘Wait,’ said the rest of them, ‘and see if Elijah will come to save him.’ But Jesus, again crying out in a loud voice, yielded up his spirit.”

On this Good Friday, we think of Jesus experiencing the abandonment, the feelings of being forsaken, which made him truly human. We identify with those feelings.

Dear friend, let us pray: God, thank you for allowing Jesus to experience the suffering and abandonment which we know only too well. For, because he too has felt this way, we know we are never really alone. Forgive our sins that we might be more like Jesus. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. Good Friday service is April 6th at noon, prayer vigil until 3 PM and Tenebrae at 7 PM. Easter Vigil is at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Allentown at 7 PM on April 7th. We invite you to join us.

*******************

April 7, 2012

Holy Saturday is a quiet day. Good Jews, Jesus’ disciples, were observing the sabbath and doing no work. But I’m sure the minds of the women were active–’First thing in the morning, we must gather up the spices and hurry to the tomb to prepare our Jesus for a proper burial.’ We, too, spend the day in quiet (or frantic) preparations. ‘Are the lilies on the altar? Are the white paraments out? Is the Christ Candle ready to be lit and lead the way through the darkness with the light of Christ?’

On this quiet, holy day, dear friend, set aside some time to ponder the quiet of the tomb, the quiet of the disciples’ saddened hearts, the quiet of the Sabbath. In this quietness, remember that, although each year we reenact the suffering and death of Jesus, we never wonder or worry–we know that Jesus has been raised from the dead. Trust that God works this quiet
miracle for the deaths in your lives as well.

Let us pray: God, thank you for the sure knowledge of the resurrection which casts its ray of light into the dark and quiet of this holy day. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. . Easter Vigil is April 7th at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Allentown at 7 PM. Easter Dinner is Easter Day at 4 PM. We invite you to join us.

*******************

April 8, 2012

Christ the Lord is risen today! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Do you realize, dear friend, that today is a day of greatest joy? A day when we remember that God’s great love for us–for all of us–has saved us? A day when we remember that God loved us so much that Jesus suffered and died for us–and was raised again for us? A day to recall that no matter how gloomy or unhopeful our lives seem to be, God puts new life there–in our
lives–in the midst of death..

One of my favorite Easter carols is called “Now the Green Blade Rises.” The refrain is “Love is come again like wheat arising green.” My favorite verse goes like this:

When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
Your touch can call us back to life again.
Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been;
Love is come again like wheat arising green.

God loves you so much that God places newness in the dead places of our lives. Rejoice! Rejoice!

Let us pray: Almighty God, you who have raised your Son from death and promise to raise us as well: fill us with your hope; allow us to hold onto the new life you give; use us to bring this new life to others for the sake of the Risen One, Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

*******************

April 9, 2012
“Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ Peter then came out with the other disciple and they went toward the tomb.” John 20

STOP HERE. Just stop, while approaching the tomb, not knowing what happened and wondering where the body of Jesus had been taken. Stop here–aware of the concern, the confusion, the abandonment. Stop here– because only after we stop here at the entrance to the tomb can we have any idea of the surprise, the joy, with which the disciples discovered the resurrection of Jesus. Now, after you’ve stopped, lean over, look in to discover–the tomb is empty! The joy is ours. “Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!”

Dear friend, let us pray: Jesus, your resurrection took your disciples by surprise. Open our hearts to the surprising joy of your resurrected presence in our lives. Help us so that we do not stop with the reception of this gift but go on to share the gospel of your living presence with the world. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

***************************************

April 10, 2012

In John 6, the crowds are approaching Jesus and his disciples. Jesus asks Philip, “‘Where can we buy some bread for these people to eat?’ Andrew says, ‘There is a small boy here with five barley loaves and two fish; but what is that between so many?’” Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks, breaks it and gives it to over five thousand people. There are twelve baskets left over.
Andrew’s question is often our own. Dear friend, what can we do with so little? How can our meager resources feed the hungry or house the homeless or provide health insurance for those in need? How can we work for peace in the little time that we have? How can we act in love? Mother Theresa may have asked the same question when confronted with the dying throngs in Calcutta and yet she said, “I helped the one in front of me–everything else just followed.”
Let us pray: Faithful God, you multiplied the loaves and fishes so that all the hungry might be fed. So multiply our resources with acts of faith that we may serve the world in Jesus’ name. AMEN.
This is Pastor Janet Grill from St Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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April 11, 2012

The other day my husband brought me a bunch of green leaves and green stems with elongated round green blobs on the top. I recognized them as daffodils! Even though the blossoms were so tight that they were barely one third of an inch wide, I hoped they would open and become big, beautiful, yellow blooms. With that hope, I carefully cut off the ends of the stems so they could receive nourishment and placed them in a glass pitcher much too big for those slender stalks.

Hope did not disappoint me. Within hours the flowers began to open and within a day ten huge blooms greeted me from the corner of my bedroom windowsill. New life is like that, dear friend. Resurrection is like that. God plants in us the hope of new life and then asks us to trust until that new spirit becomes evident. In Romans 5, St. Paul puts it like this: “And not only that, but we boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us….” Rejoice in the hope of new life.

Let us pray: God of love and life, plant hope in us, carefully tend it, and give us trust in you so that we might remain faithful until the new life appears. We pray in the name of Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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April 12, 2012
Two of the disciples are walking on the road to Emmaus. A man joins them. They tell the news of Jesus and of his death and of the now-empty tomb. The man explains both the Scriptures and Jesus to them. In the breaking of the bread, their eyes are opened and they recognize that, indeed, the man to whom they are speaking is Jesus. The story is recorded in Luke 24.

There are many ways, dear friend, that we are given to see Jesus–in the eyes of all people, especially the least of our sisters and brothers, in the Holy Scriptures read and preached and lived, in the Body of Christ, that is, the Christian community. But we are given a special gift of the resurrection in the sacrament of Holy Communion, where we see the Christ, really present, in the bread and wine which is his body and blood. We know the Easter acclamation–”Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!” is true because we recognize Christ in the breaking of the bread.

Let us pray: Faithful God, you have given us the gift of the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Grant that we may faithfully receive your Body and Blood and recognize you in the Eucharist. We pray in the name of the Risen Christ. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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April 13, 2012

Christ is risen! Rejoice! Alleluia! April 15th. Tax day. Aaaaah! Jesus addressed the issue of paying taxes in Luke 20 when the scribes and chief priests, trying to trap Jesus, sent a spy to ask him, “Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to the emperor or not?” And Jesus answered by asking for a coin, pointing out that Caesar’s head was on the coin, and saying, “Then give the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Clearly Jesus is saying that when we live in a certain government, we need to support that government. Paying taxes is OK. (Perhaps not something we want to do, but necessary). Jesus does raise a much larger issue, however. When he suggests that we give to the government that which is due them, he also says that we need to give to God that which is God’s. So what is God’s? A tenth of our income? A small portion of our time? A little piece of our property? Consider today, dear friend, that everything you have and are–including life, breath, family, talents, love–all are God’s. Now, today, give to God that which is God’s.

Let us pray: Dear God, we give you but your own, whatever that gift may be, all that we have is yours alone, a trust, O Lord, from you. Make us faithful stewards of that which you give us, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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April 14, 2012

Amos was called by God to prophesy in the Northern Kingdom for a brief period of time. Peace and prosperity in Israel led to corruption and an increased gap between rich and poor. The prophet, in the eighth chapter, declares that God will not tolerate such a situation. “Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land, saying, ‘When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?’–skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat.”

Does this situation sound familiar, dear friend? A growing gap between rich and poor, the threat of continued tax breaks for the rich or a ‘level’ tax for all? Full time work at minimum wage keeping a person both without benefits and below the poverty level? And where do we, in our business and personal lives, fit into this picture? Hear how Amos finishes this section– “The Lord has sworn by the Pride of Jacob: ‘I will never forget anything they have done.’”

Let us pray: Compassionate God, as you look with mercy on the poor and oppressed, so look on us with mercy. Forgive our sins and give us the wisdom to change our ways. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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April 15, 2012

In the Lutheran tradition, we put away the Hallelujah’s from Ash
Wednesday until the first celebration of Easter. Why? Because we remember that Lent is a solemn season and we prepare for the suffering of Jesus. Some people don’t like that tradition. But what joy when the saying, singing, shouting of the Hallelujah’s return. So Psalm 150–a cacophony of instruments of praise–begins and ends with that praise word– Hallelujah! What a joy to celebrate the resurrection with the return of this word of praise.

“Hallelujah! Praise God in the holy temple;
praise God in the firmament of God’s power;
Praise God for God’s mighty acts;
praise God for God’s excellent greatness.
Praise God with the blast of the ram’s horn;
praise God with lyre and harp.
Praise God with timbrel and dance;
praise God with strings and pipe.
Praise God with resounding cymbals;
praise God with loud-clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord,
Hallelujah!”

Dear friend, let us pray: Jesus, we sound like children celebrating the joy of your return. Allow our whole lives to echo the joy of the Hallelujah’s with which we praise you this day. We pray in your name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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April 16, 2012

I remember the night we had the last meeting of the Graduate Student Support Group at St. Andrew. It was a sad and celebrative time. Four of our members were graduating and leaving Pittsburgh so we rejoiced—and grieved their going. It’s interesting how God provides the support of the body of Christ wherever we are. One of the members who was graduating was from the state of Washington, one from Maryland (but a native of Latin America), one from North Dakota, and one from central Pennsylvania. Those of us “left behind” were from Texas and Virginia and Tennessee. But that night we all celebrated. And that night we all grieved. Why? Because we are all part of the body of Christ and God has given us to each other to serve and love while we are in this place. Why? Because as St. Paul says in I Corinthians 12: “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” and again in that same chapter, “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.”

Dear friend, you, too, are part of Christ’s body. You, too, are invited to suffer with those who suffer and rejoice with those who rejoice. And when your times of suffering and rejoicing come, remember–you will never be alone.

Let us pray: All-wise God, you have created us as your one body. Give us the wisdom to seek out your body wherever we are in this world. Give us the grace to participate as a member of it. Allow us to share in the grieving and celebrating of your people, for the sake of Jesus who made us One. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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April 17, 2012

There is a part of the service of committal, which happens at the graveside or in the mausoleum, that send shivers up my spine every time I read it. Picture the scene: the family and friends have gathered with the body. The service of the resurrection has been completed and, essentially, we have gathered to say good-bye for the last time and to commend the body of our loved one to God. Inside the funeral chapel, my voice echoes unnaturally. Outside, perhaps the sun is shining or the wind is blowing, and we gather close for comfort. And then, in the midst of our tears, the words from

Psalm 118:
There is a sound of exultation and victory
in the tents of the righteous;
The right hand of the Lord has triumphed!
The right hand of the Lord is exalted!
The right hand of the Lord has triumphed!
I shall not die, but live
and declare the works of the Lord….
Open for me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter them….

Dear friend, in the midst of death, we–using the ancient words of the Psalmist–declare new life. In the midst of our tears, we proclaim the victory. This is the story of the resurrection.

Let us pray: God of new life, give us the faith to proclaim your new life in every dead place in our lives. Give us words to sing of your love and your faithfulness for the sake of the Risen One, Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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April 18, 2012
John 20:11-16: “But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb, and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned to him and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabboni.’

Dear friend, Jesus called Mary by name, and then she recognized him. Sometimes, over the years, people’s physical appearances can change drastically. And then, out of the mouth of what appears to be a stranger, comes your name–’Janet’– and you exclaim with surprise and delight– ’Bill!’ Someone knowing my name indicates intimacy. Jesus knowing my name, in a sense having given me my name in baptism, indicates his love for me. In response, we too say ‘Rabboni! Teacher! Christ!’

Let us pray: Jesus you call us by our names–and yours. Help us to be faithful to bearing your name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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April 19, 2012

Spring is a delightful season! The crocuses, daffodils and
forsythia heralded the arrival of this season. The tulips and
violets and lilies of the valley continue to remind us of new
life. Soon it will be time to plant our seeds and rejoice in the
warmth of the earth, the refreshing of the rain, and the
greening of new growth. Isaiah, writing about the new
growth of Israel in chapter 61, verse 11, puts it like this: “For
as the earth makes fresh things grow, as a garden makes seeds
spring up, so will the Lord Yahweh make both integrity and
praise spring up in the sight of the nations.”

Dear friend, rejoice in this season. Rejoice more in the
promise of your continued new life in Christ. Allow God to
work the soil of your soul in this season.

Let us pray: Gardener God, bring new life to the dead places
of our souls. Water us with your Holy Spirit and allow us to
bear beautiful, colorful, and differing flowers, all for your
glory and the glory of our Savior Jesus. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church
at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We
worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We
invite you to join us

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April 20, 2012

I remember once seeing a very tall, very old man at church.
He was slightly hard of hearing. His grand niece, a member
of the congregation, was 3 years old, had a high-pitched little
voice and tended to talk very rapidly. It was hard for her
great uncle to catch what she was saying. So at the coffee
hour after worship, her uncle, standing with a cookie in his
hand, sat down, called his niece to him and bent way over so
that he could hear and attend to every word she was saying.
Oh what a picture of Psalm 31 where the Psalmist entreats
God: “Incline your ear to me.” And, dear friend, God does.
God sits down and leans way over and listens intently when
we call upon God.

When you are troubled, when life seems like too much to
bear, when it feels like no human being is listening–or any
time at all–call upon God. Know that God has been longing
for your desire to be in God’s presence. Know that God cares.
Know God.

Let us pray: You ask us to trust that you are always listening,
O God. Give us the good sense to call upon you. Give us an
image of your patient, loving attentiveness to us. Help us to
incline our ears to your children in need. We pray in the
name of Jesus. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church
at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We
worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We
invite you to join us.

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April 21, 2012
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4
Dear friend, the word which we translate from the Greek as “if” carries the sense of “since.” Then the first sentence of today’s scripture reads, “Since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above.” There is no longer the implication of a question about our relationship. We have been resurrected with Jesus, therefore we seek the things that are of Christ, that are above. Our life is different; it is new; it is hidden. We who have been raised with Christ will appear with Christ in glory. “Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!” And Christ has included us! Hurrah!
Let us pray: Risen Christ, we who bear your name participate in your resurrection. Give us strength to live with minds set on you. We pray in your name. AMEN.
My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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April 22, 2012
When I was a young teenager, I used to go to Camp Mensch Mills each summer. It was our church camp. There was a stream below the dining room, and in the middle of that stream was a big, flat rock that I could reach by stepping on logs and little rocks and jumping over the flowing current. There, on that rock, surrounded by the rushing water, I felt safe. There, apart from the other campers and staff, apart from the noise of the activities, I could reflect on my life and on God and God’s love. So I understand the words of Psalm 62 which say, “For God alone my soul in silence waits; truly my hope is in God. God alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold so that I shall not be shaken.”
Dear friend, take time today to find that rock, God, and to sit in silence on that firm foundation of your being. Listen for God’s word for you. Wait for God in silence–and be refreshed.
Let us pray: God of silence, speak to us in the quiet moments of our lives. Open our hearts to your presence and your grace through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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April 23, 2012
“But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” II Cor. 4:7. It’s a pain in the neck, isn’t it, dear friend? We are such fragile vessels, such cracked pots! But within these frail containers, which are so easily destroyed, God has placed a wonderful gift–Jesus the Christ! So we may not take great pride in this relationship with God–for we continue to sin and we all will die. But we are asked to take great care of this treasure.
How? Care for your body–normal, everyday things like eating well and exercising. Care for your soul–normal, everyday things like prayer and mediation and holy reading. Care for your neighbor–normal, everyday things like going out of your way to say a kind word or do a sacrificial deed. When you understand that your body houses the Christ–and so does every other body around you–life takes on a different perspective. Loving your neighbor as yourself simply means caring for the Christ within your earthen vessel and in all the “cracked pots” around you. Treasure the treasure which God has placed in your frail frame.
Let us pray: On occasion, all-wise God, we question why you gave our frail selves the gift of Jesus. Help us to cherish this gift within us and each dear neighbor, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.
My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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April 24, 2012
Dear friend, do you trust God to do that which God says God
will do? God’s Word is full of promises: promises that we
need not be afraid, promises of loving and constant presence,
promises of forgiveness and growing union with God and
neighbor. Sometimes, we claim the promises of God for the
specific things we desire instead of claiming the particular
promises of presence, fearlessness and support. As Christians,
we can depend on the Word of God to be fulfilled according
to God’s gracious will. Isaiah puts it like this in chapter 55:
10 & 11: “Yes, as the rain and the snow come down from the
heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making
it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and
bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth
does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and
succeeding in what it was sent to do.”

God will fulfill God’s promises. It is as certain as the
springtime coming or the sun rising. God will fulfill God’s
promises. You can count on it.

Let us pray: Faithful God, help us to read your word, listen
for your voice and trust in your loving promises for Jesus’
sake. AMEN

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church
at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We
worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We
invite you to join us.
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April 25, 2012

St. Paul goes on to write in II Corinthians 4:8ff, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.”
I know a woman who is very fragile. She was born with cerebral palsy and confined to a wheelchair. She has no use of her legs and very little use of her arms and hands. But my friend is an artist! She puts a paintbrush or a magic marker taped to the end of a dowel rod in her mouth and she makes beautiful pictures. She teaches city kids crafts in an afterschool program. She teaches Sunday School. Others may do the same activities, but Tammy, because she is so afflicted, makes a much stronger witness to the love of God than I ever could. Why? Because she is afflicted, but not crushed….struck down but not destroyed. Take the time to look at the perplexities and persecutions in your life dear friend. Now look at them again, with a greater fondness. Can you see how God uses your very frailty to make the life of Jesus visible to the world?
Let us pray: God, we often bemoan our life situations. Give us the wisdom to trust that you will use our brokenness for your glory, and the glory of Jesus, in whose name we pray. AMEN.
My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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April 26, 2012

‘In your face.’ Part of urban culture is very much ‘in your face.’
For better or worse I have learned this quality very well since
I moved to Pittsburgh in 1969. Daily, now, I struggle to be
more gentle. The author of the first letter of Peter addresses
this issue in chapter 3. Always be ready to make your defense
to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope
that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence.” We
are asked to boldly proclaim our faith and hope–but gently,
not with an ‘in-your-face’ attitude.

And isn’t it true, dear friend, that when someone confronts us
loudly, we are all the more ready to yell back. (Look at road
rage as a ridiculous but potent example). But when treated
with kindness, when answered gently, we have a much greater
desire to listen. When asked why you so foolishly believe in
this Jesus who was raised from the dead and who acts in your
life–take a deep breath. And then, gently, respectfully, quietly
tell your own story of God’s love for you.

Let us pray: Transform us, O God, into your gentle and yet
firm image so that we may not be conformed to the growing
violence of this world. Allow us to stand solidly grounded in
you, for the sake of Jesus who acted in your merciful love even
in the midst of a violent death. AMEN.
This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship
on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to
join us.

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April 27, 2012

Are you afraid to die? Sometimes I am. And sometimes I’m not. I suspect I will never really know if I am afraid to die until I am physically on death’s doorstep. St. Paul writes in the fifteenth chapter of I Corinthians: “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all.” He goes on to proclaim the victory of the resurrection and the promise of eternal life.

St. Paul is right, of course. The victory of the resurrection is for this life and the next. But I think, dear friend, that we often think only of the resurrection in terms of life after physical death. I think that we twentieth-first century Christians sometimes miss the reality of the resurrection in our everyday lives here. It is true that the gift of the resurrection is life in the world to come. Don’t forget it! But it is also true that the gift of the resurrection is new life in the dead places of this world. We need never be afraid of the deaths in our lives.

Let us pray: Life-giving God, grant to us new life here and now and after our physical deaths. We pray in the name of the Risen Christ. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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April 28, 2012

Do you remember, dear friend, how Simon Peter denied that he had been a companion of Jesus three times? And then, do you remember how, in John 21, Jesus sought out Peter and, three times, asked if Peter loved him and told Peter to feed his sheep? The love of Jesus is so great that he seeks out each of us, in our own particular need, and ministers to us there. Forgiving and healing us, Jesus then sends us, as he sent Peter, to care for the flock, to minister to others.

Look in your own life for the broken places, the places of denial or abuse or hatred. Invite Jesus into those places and then–look for good to be worked out of them. Jesus is the resurrection–not only of our physical deaths but also of the dead places in our lives. This is the meaning of the Easter proclamation which we shared all through Easter week, and which we can rightly share throughout the seven weeks of Easter. “Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!”

Let us pray: Take our lives, gentle God, and mold them into good. Mend our broken places according to your gracious will. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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April 29, 2012

Dear friend, listen to the words of Jesus in John 12, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. The one who loves his life loses it and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, that one must follow me and where I am, there shall my servant be also. If anyone serves me, my father will honor that person.”

Archbishop Oscar Romero, martyr from El Salvador, wrote this
commentary: “Those who surrender to the service of people through the love of Christ will live like the grain of wheat that dies. It only apparently dies. If it were not to die, it would remain a solitary grain. The harvest comes because the grain of wheat dies….this body broken and blood shed for human beings encourage us to give our body and blood up to suffering
and pain, as Christ did–not for self, but to bring justice and peace to our people.” Shortly after Archbishop Romero spoke these words, he was gunned down while celebrating the Eucharist.

Let us pray: Jesus, you died for us. You sent martyrs to live and die for us. Grant us faith to follow these examples. We pray in your name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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April 30, 2012

Luke 24 beginning at the 36th verse. “The disciples were still talking about all this when Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you!’ In a state of alarm and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost. But Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; yes, it is I indeed.’”

Why is it, dear friend, that when we are given good news, we tend not to believe it? When the Publishers’ Clearing House Prize Patrol comes around, the winner’s first response is often “No!, No!” but then, of course, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” We are like that. Because of the negative experiences of our lives, we have difficulty believing the good news that God could love us so much to bless us in a certain way. It is difficult, in our humanity, to trust good news. But this good news is true. God loves us so
much that God sent the Son to suffer and die, and be raised again–for us. “Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!”

Let us pray: Faithful God, give us hearts to trust the good news of your love for us and to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. We pray in that Holy Name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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The temptation of Jesus is always read at the beginning of the Lenten season. Read it in the fourth chapter of Matthew. The story is familiar. The Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness where, after fasting for forty days and forty nights, he is tempted by the devil. Did you ever wonder why the Spirit would lead Jesus into such a place?

Consider this. Jesus is fasting, a traditional Lenten discipline for us, and fasting opens him more fully to the spiritual world–good and evil. So after forty days–a long, long time–of fasting, the devil comes and tempts him. The Spirit did not lead Jesus to be tempted by the devil; the Spirit led Jesus to be more open to God–and in that openness, he becomes more attractive to the evil one. Sirach, an apocraphal book, puts it like this in the second chapter: “My child, if you aspire to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for an ordeal.” Dear friend, as we desire to serve God, as we enter into the Lenten disciplines, we must also be prepared to be tempted by evil. Why would we be any different from Jesus?

Let us pray: Encourage us, O God, as we enter into this Lenten season, so that we might be more open to your loving presence in our lives. Support us so that when we are tempted, we might remain faithful to you, for the sake of Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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March 2, 2012

The first temptation of Jesus is recorded in Matthew like this: The tempter came and said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Jesus was hungry! He had fasted for forty days and forty nights! I’m sure a loaf of bread would have looked very good to him just then. Heavens, a stone might have looked pretty good! So the devil, knowing Jesus had the power, told him to command the stone to become bread. And Jesus, knowing that God’s power is given for love, said, “No.” Jesus said no because he knew that that which satisfies is not bread, but God. Jesus said no because his god was not his stomach, but the One True God. Jesus said no, not because God wouldn’t have wanted him to eat, but because he knew the motivation behind this miracle that the devil was suggesting. Jesus was allowing his power to be used at God’s motivation and not his own.

Let us pray: Encourage us, O God, as we enter into this Lenten season, so that we might be more open to your loving presence in our lives. Support us so that when we are tempted, we might remain faithful to you, for the sake of Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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March 3, 2012

Continuing with the second temptation of Jesus that is recorded in the fourth chapter of Matthew: “Then the devil took Jesus to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

The nerve of the devil! He not only is trying to trick Jesus into trying God, he is quoting Scripture in order to do it! Fortunately, Jesus does not fall for the trick and quotes the Bible back at him. How often people–people who are doing evil–quote Scripture in order to make others believe them. Oppressive groups quote texts about the authority of the leaders of the church to justify their abusive behavior. Civil war leaders quoted Scripture to justify slavery. People who are not kind and loving not only quote Scripture, but claim the name of Jesus, to try to prove the righteousness of their deeds to others. Beware, dear friend, of those who try to convince you that their way is the only way. Test the spirits so that you may not be tempted and led astray.

Let us pray: Encourage us, O God, as we enter into this Lenten season, so that we might be more open to your loving presence in our lives. Support us so that when we are tempted, we might remain faithful to you, for the sake of Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

March 4, 2012

Dear friend, how attached are you to the things of this world? By that I mean, are you able to trust God first, even with the good and wonderful gifts of life like family and friends and love and good food and a beautiful flower? Can you consider all of these things to be gifts to be enjoyed but not ‘owned’?

St. Paul writes in Philippians 3, verse 8, “More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ.” St. Paul has the gift of appreciating but not owning (or being owned by) the things of this world. That gift comes from the trust that God is in charge of all that happens in this world that God will provide for us according to our every need. That gift is called faith.

Let us pray: God, allow us to appreciate the joys of this world but to treasure only you and your love for Jesus sake. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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March 5, 2012

And finally, the third temptation recorded in Matthew: “Again, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to Jesus, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”

Jesus is God. And yet Jesus “did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death–even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:6-8. One of the temptations Jesus faced was to act like God and not be fully human as we are. When Peter confessed him as Messiah and then Jesus told Peter that he would suffer and die, Peter rebuked him–and Jesus called Peter Satan. Again it was the temptation to be God and not human. Dear friend, we too face the temptation to make believe we are God–and we aren’t! How gracious of our Lord to stay faithful even in the face of temptation–and acknowledge that only God is God.

Let us pray: Encourage us, O God, as we enter into this Lenten season, so that we might be more open to your loving presence in our lives. Support us so that when we are tempted, we might remain faithful to you, for the sake of Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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March 6, 2012

Job speaks words of faith when he says in the 19th chapter, “For I know that my redeemer lives, and at last he will stand upon the earth and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then from my flesh I shall see God.”

Sometimes, it is hard to hear these words without also hearing the majestic strains of Handel’s “Messiah.” Sometimes, it is hard to hear these words without also seeing the open grave, the casket of a loved one, and remembering those final minutes before the coffin is being lowered into the ground. Dear friend, the intersection of these two images is appropriate. In the midst of death, grief and sorrow come the words of life, hope and resurrection–”I know that my redeemer lives.”

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, by your death you took away the sting of death. Grant to us, your servants, so to follow in faith where you have led the way that we may at length fall asleep peacefully in you and wake in your likeness. We pray in your name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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March 7, 2012

In Luke 9, Jesus says, “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let that person renounce self and take up the cross and follow me.”

There are many crosses in our lives, dear friend. About some, we have no choice–life deals us a crippling disease, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job. About other crosses, we have a choice–do we want to participate in the homelessness of one who has no home, to mourn with the one who is grieving, to actively work for an end to poverty and war? These crosses often make us unpopular with family or friends or even with those within the Church. Yet Jesus clearly calls us to be with the poor, the oppressed, the imprisoned and the homeless. The example Jesus sets is to choose to take up the crosses of our lives–and others–and follow him.

Let us pray: Jesus, you chose to suffer and die for us. Allow us to see clearly the cross you have in mind for us. Give us freedom and courage to pick it up and follow you. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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March 8, 2012

Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land. They celebrated the Passover at Gilgal, ate the produce of the land, “unleavened cakes and parched grain. The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.” Joshua 5. The next story to be related is Joshua’s interaction with “a commander of the army of the Lord” who, first, orders Joshua to remove his sandals from his feet because he is standing on holy ground and then informs him of the unusual way in which he will take Jericho.

Now, why was Joshua asked to remove his sandals? Barefoot in the presence of the Lord? Receiving news that would confirm victory as God’s servants? Heralding the change from having been clearly dependent on God (manna and quail) to being more personally responsible (eating crops from the land)? Traditionally the answer is God’s presence, but consider today, dear friend, that God is present–and the ground on which you stand is holy–not only when we are in prayer, not only when we are listening to God’s will for us, but also when we are willing to take responsibility for our own lives and yet live as if we were totally dependent upon God. The Israelites continually failed that test and followed other gods. Take off your shoes, stand on holy ground, admit your dependence on the one who loves you.

Let us pray: Commanding God, allow us to be aware of your presence in our lives and to lean fully on you, for the sake of the One who trusted you completely, Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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March 9, 2012

Today I held my coffee mug under the faucet and watched the water fill it, and–bubbling brightly–overflow the sides and cascade down my hands and run into the sink. How cool and comforting the water felt, running down over my hands. How pleasant to experience the abundance of that river. How refreshing the drink, when I brought the cup to my lips and allowed the water to quench my parched mouth and soothe my dry throat. How profuse–how prodigal!–the amount of water that flowed from the faucet, through my cup–with just a little entering my mouth–and the rest flowing freely down the drain.

I thought about God’s love for me. It fills my life. It overflows. I open myself to receive–just a little. And I am renewed. Dear friend, the words of the Psalmist come to me: “My cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Rejoice, this day, in the profligate love of God for you.

Let us pray: God, you fill our cup and give us good measure, pressed down and overflowing. Open our lives to receive your love graciously. Open our hands to share it with others for the sake of Jesus the Christ. AMEN

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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March 10, 2012

In Deuteronomy 26 the Israelites are taught a statement of faith with which they are to present their offerings, “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toils and our oppression. The Lord brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders…” and so they present their offerings to God remembering all that God has done for them. Often throughout their history they are reminded to treat the stranger well for they too were once strangers in a foreign land.

Dear friend, our ancestors, too, were once strangers in a foreign land and depended upon the graciousness of God and the kindness of others for our survival. As we offer our gifts to God and for others, rehearse the saving acts of God in your own life–and give thanks.

Let us pray: Saving God, thank you for acting in our lives. Use us to act in the lives of those who feel like strangers, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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March 11, 2012

This is the story. It is recorded in the book of Genesis. Abram is very old and has no children, no heirs. God tells him that his reward will be great and he complains–because there is no one who will inherit it except a slave. And God tells Abram to go outside, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them. So shall your descendents be.”

Abram wanted to have one son, one heir, with his wife Sarai. God says, “No!” and then tells him his heirs will be countless. God also warns Abram that his offspring will live in exile for four hundred years but will return to their own land with great possessions. God also tells Abram he will live to a good, old age and will die in peace. Isn’t that just like God, dear friend. We want what we want when we want it and God says, “No!” and instead gives us so much more, in God’s good time. How long will it take us to trust God and God’s gracious will? How long will it take us to see the connectedness of life and see that God’s good is for the larger us, all the people of God, and not just for the individual? How long will it take us to trust that God also guides and blesses each precious individual person?

Let us pray: God, you asked Abram to believe you when you told him he would have many offspring. You credited his belief to him as righteousness. Help us to believe your gracious will for us and to act in righteous faith. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

March 12, 2012

In Romans 7, St. Paul makes it clear that the Christian is not bound by the law. The law is just and good and was given to us to show us our own sinfulness. But now we have a new spiritual life. St. Paul puts it like this, “But now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we are slaves not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit.” Romans 7:6.

What is new, dear friend, is our priorities. An example is when Jesus healed on the Sabbath because the well-being of a neighbor was more important than exact obedience to the commandment to remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. An example is when Jesus ate with tax collectors or sinners and made himself ‘unclean.’ An example is when Jesus healed the leper or the mentally ill and touched them!–disobeying rules of ritual cleanliness. Being Christian does not make us free from the law–it makes us slave to the new, spiritual law of love. The old rules still hold under general circumstances. The new law requires us to, sometimes, take some radical and even controversial action in the name of the love of God.

Let us pray: Keep us faithful, O God, to your commandments. Show us the places you invite us to act in new and unusual ways to obey your radical law of love. Give us sensitivity to listen and courage to act, for the sake of the One who suffered and died for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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March 13, 2012

“Alleluia! How good it is to sing praises to our God! Alleluia! Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise God in the heights! Alleluia! Sing to the Lord a new song! Alleluia! Praise God in God’s holy temple! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Alleluia!”

These excerpts from the last four Psalms emphasize praising God. Alleluia! And yet as we enter the somber season of Lent we put away the word ‘Alleluia’ and we focus instead on our own brokenness with God and with our dear neighbor. This day before Ash Wednesday is traditionally a day of feasting–and praising–for together we will begin a time of fasting and repenting. And for this coming sober time, we too say Alleluia! Praise God for constantly calling us home.

Let us pray: God, we praise your holy name, in good times and in bad. Focus our attention this coming season on ways we may be drawn closer to you. Allow us to die to our selves and be reborn to our true selves which are in complete union with you for Jesus’ sake. AMEN. Jesus says in John 12 verse 23, “Now the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you, most solemnly, unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest.”

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. Our Ash Wednesday service is February 25th at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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March 14, 2012

The parable of the dishonest steward which Jesus tells in Luke 16 is very difficult to understand–read it and struggle with it. But at the end, Jesus makes it clear. “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If, then, you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and wealth.”

Jesus is clear, dear friend, but not easy. True wealth comes from a loving relationship with God and each and every neighbor. We have to decide which kind of wealth is most important to us, which kind of wealth will set the standard for our decision making. The choice is clear; the decision is often painful.

Let us pray: O God, you have created and sustained us and all things. Grant us wisdom to act in your everlasting love for all. For Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us

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March 15, 2012

One summer, on a gray, drizzly day, I climbed a very tall mountain in North Carolina. First, we drove up long, winding roads until we reached the parking lots. Then we got out of the car, paid our admission, of course, and began climbing the trail. The paths were narrow and steep. The wooden railings of originally rough-hewn logs had been worn smooth and shiny by the passing of hundreds of thousands of hands which held on to assist in the climb. By the time we reached the top of the trail, we were standing on an outcropping of rock. It was like being in an airplane! We were so high above the clouds that, although it was stormy beneath us, the sun was shining on us!

That is the kind of experience which the Psalmist is describing in the 27th Psalm verses 7 and 8: “For in the day of trouble God shall keep me safe in God’s shelter and will hide me in the secrecy of God’s dwelling and set me high upon a rock.” Dear friend, the storms of life will not go away because we believe in God. However, God sets us high on a rock and gives us a very different perspective–safe in God’s loving arms.

Let us pray: Rock of Ages, let us hide in you and trust that you always keep us safe in every situation. We pray in the name of the One who suffered and died, and was raised again, Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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March 16, 2012

Tough and tender. That’s how Jesus responds in Luke 13 when he is told that Herod wants to kill him. Jesus says, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.” And then, so tenderly, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”

Jesus speaks the truth as he sees it, dear friend. And calling Herod an old fox is not exactly a gentle term of endearment. Jesus could certainly be tough. And yet he goes right on to long for his people and yearn for them as a lover, reminding them quietly how he loves them–and yet they would not respond to his love. Jesus longs for us too, and desires to gather us in his arms. He speaks the truth to us and still, tenderly, calls us to him Will we respond?

Let us pray: Jesus, you speak to us, gently telling us the truth of our lives and our own brokenness and calling us back to you. Allow us to respond to your faithful love. We pray in your Name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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March 17, 2012

Psalm 51 verse 6: “Since you love sincerity of heart, teach me the secrets of wisdom.” and then in verse 10: “God, create a clean heart in me, put into me a new and constant spirit.”

When I first had children, three of which I inherited when they were 12, 9, and 6, I thought that they would create messes I could never clean up. “Ma, look at what I’m baking!” The whole kitchen? “Ma, look at the mud facial I’m giving Allison” All over the bathroom floors and walls? “Ma, I’m dirty–help!” Always they would ask for help cleaning up the messes they made. And, even in my fear of never succeeding, I always worked with them to make their world (and mine) clean again.

God is like that, dear friend. God waits for us to ask for forgiveness, waits for our request to create clean hearts within us and then, dear friend, God makes our world (and God’s) clean once more.

Let us pray: Wash us from our sins, loving God, and make us pure and clean indeed for Jesus sake. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

March 18, 2012

‘Steady. Steady!’ I remember when I would ride horses as a young woman. JoJo (the horse I rode) and I would enter jumping competitions. JoJo had been trained in England as a steeplechaser and was always ready to run–fast–over every jump. I would remind him–’Steady. Steady!’ that form mattered in this contest, not speed.

Sometimes I too need to be reminded of the purpose of the race that we are running; the purpose is union with God and each dear neighbor. And as I am being reminded I need to hear the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 51, verse 12–”Be my savior again, renew my joy, keep my spirit steady and willing.” ‘Easy there, dear friend. Steady. Steady! We are not alone in this competition. We are accompanied by the God who loves us and speaks to us and who steadies us in the midst of the difficulties of everyday life.

Let us pray: Ride us gently, O God. Saddle us with your spirit, reign us in with your love and steady us with the gentle voice of your constant presence. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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March 19, 2012

Lent is a time when we often think of being tested or tempted. St. Joseph’s day, March 19th, usually falls within the Lenten season as it does this year. I suspect it is not a coincidence! Because Joseph was certainly tempted. Here he was, engaged to be married but never having slept with his betrothed, and he finds out she’s pregnant. In his day such behavior was responded to by stoning the woman to death! And yet he, being a kind man, resolved to divorce her quietly. The story is recorded in Matthew, chapter 1. But then the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, told him not to be afraid, told him the baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit–right!–and that they should name the baby Jesus because this child would save his people from their sins.

Now, dear friend, if you were in Joseph’s position, wouldn’t you be tempted not to believe that angel? Wouldn’t you be tempted to go on your way and do what you were going to do in the first place? Wouldn’t the thought occur to you that God doesn’t really do things like get virgins pregnant? And yet Joseph being a righteous man, took Mary as his wife, raised their child, and cared tenderly for his family.

Let us pray: Almighty God, you are the father of Jesus, and yet you asked Joseph to believe in you and to take Mary as his wife, Jesus as his son, and care and provide for them. Allow us to listen carefully to your Word to us, to resist the temptation of believing you couldn’t possibly act this way in our lives, and to faithfully obey you. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

March 20, 2012

How great is God’s love for us! We certainly know this love in the person of Jesus who suffered, died and was raised again for us. And we know this love from some of the Bible stories about people who reflect the magnitude of God’s love. One example is the story of David and his son Absalom which is recounted in II Samuel. Absalom is working for his father’s overthrow. He is riding into enemy territory and gets his head stuck in a tree. One of David’s men stabs him to death and sends word back to David that the leader of the insurrection is dead. He is sure this is news in which David will delight.

Instead, David weeps. “O my son, Absalom, my son, my son, Absalom. Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son.” God’s love for us is like that. dear friend. Even when we turn away from God, even when we are actively working against the kingdom, God longs for us and calls to us and weeps over our being lost. God loves you–and longs not for your death, but for your full life and your return to God. Lent is a season for listening carefully, repenting of our brokenness, and being called back to the God who loves us so much.

Let us pray: Father of mercies and God of all consolation, come to the aid of your people, turning us from our sin to live for you alone. Give us the power of your Holy Spirit that we may attend to your Word, confess our sins, receive your forgiveness and grow into the fullness of your love which we know best through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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March 21, 2012

An invitation. “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat!” That invitation at the beginning of the 55th chapter of Isaiah sounds silly. It’s a little like saying, “Hey, you who have no money, come to the fanciest restaurant and have a fine meal.” It sounds a little foolish–and absolutely delightful. It sounds a little like the words of Jesus in John 4:13 when he says to the woman at the well, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I give them will never be thirsty.”

Both Isaiah and Jesus are speaking in two dimensions. The first is our everyday life, an economy which is based on that which we do and that which we physically eat and drink. The second, more powerful, dimension is our spiritual life, an economy which affects our everyday life and yet is much more influential than what we eat or drink. Isaiah and Jesus speak to our longings–our hungering and thirsting–for love, for meaning and for satisfaction. They suggest that our desires can be filled, without using any coins of this realm, at the hand of God.

Dear friend, let us pray: Call us to your table, provident God, and fill us until our cup overflows, our needs are satisfied and we find our rest in you. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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March 22, 2012

I have a friend who works with people who are dying. She says that they often bring up questions about the meaning of life. Why was I born? What is the purpose of my life? Did I do what I was supposed to do while I was here?

The prophet Isaiah raises similar questions in the 55th chapter. “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good and delight yourself in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live.” The questions are valid for us, too, dear friend, even if we are not immediately approaching death. On what do we spend our time and money? What is our god? What have we been or done that makes us feel like our time on this earth has been worthwhile? Isaiah suggests that the answer to this question is found by listening to God, by trusting in the covenant of love that God is making with us, and by witnessing to that love in the world. Such behavior is possible whether we are rich or poor, young or old, in physical health or ill. I think Isaiah is right.

Let us pray: O God who gives purpose to our living, grant that we might listen carefully to you, trust in your love for us and share your saving love with all the world, for the sake of Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

March 23, 2012

Luke 15 begins with tax collectors and sinners coming near to Jesus to listen to him and the Pharisees and the scribes grumbling and complaining that “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” In response, Jesus tells three parables. The first is about a man who has one hundred sheep and loses one of them. The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to fend for themselves and goes out and finds the lost sheep and calls his friends and neighbors to come and rejoice over the finding of that lost one. Jesus concludes, “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

The second is about a woman who has ten silver coins, loses one of them, and lights the lamp and carefully sweeps the house until she finds that lost coin and then calls her neighbors to rejoice. Jesus concludes, “Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Jesus talks to, and eats with, tax collectors and sinners because he especially wants to tell them about the reign of God and to invite them to repent and to return to the God who loves them. Jesus talks to, and eats with, us, dear friend, because he especially wants to tell us about the reign of God and to invite us to repent and to return to the God who loves us.

Let us pray: Thank you, Jesus, because even in our brokenness and separateness from you, you continue to call us home. Let us rejoice with you as we return to your loving arms. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

March 24, 2012

The third parable in Luke 15, told in response to the Pharisees complaining that Jesus talks to tax collectors and sinners, is the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The story is familiar. A man has two sons; the younger asks for his inheritance and goes and squanders it, lives in poverty until he comes to his senses and realizes that he could return home and be his father’s servant. On his return, his father welcomes him back with a party and the elder son pouts.

“Prodigal” means lavish, or wasteful. This parable got its name because the younger son wastes all his money in loose living. Theologians have suggested, however, that the story be called the Parable of the Prodigal Father. Why? Because isn’t it terribly wasteful to have a party for the son who squandered his entire inheritance? Wasn’t the elder brother right to be upset that he had been faithful always, and didn’t get any special treatment? And yet the loving father “wasted” his money by giving the younger son a robe and a ring and sandals and killing the fatted calf which was being saved for a special occasion. Dear friend, God loves us prodigally, that is, God spends love on us in a manner that would certainly be considered wasteful in human economy. Let us have a party and rejoice!

Let us pray: Prodigal Father, you lavish your love and the gifts of your Spirit on us. You invite us closer and closer to you and to each dear neighbor and you celebrate our returning. Help us to welcome others into your community with the same extravagance that you have heaped upon us, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

March 25, 2012

Annunciation

Precisely nine months before the western church celebrates Christmas, we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation. It is the day when the angel Gabriel tells young Mary that 1) she should not be afraid, 2) she was pregnant with a boy whom she was to name Jesus, and 3) this child was going to be great, being called the Son of the Most High and reigning over the house of Jacob forever. Mary’s response: How can this be? She was, of course, a virgin. And the angel tells her the confirming sign of her old relative Elizabeth also being pregnant. The angel’s punch line is “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

The angel, of course, must have been right because Mary’s response is, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” The story is recorded in the first chapter of Luke. The angel must have been correct because who in her right mind would accept not only the frightening verdict that she was pregnant out of wedlock but that this baby was going to be a great religious leader? God does ask God’s people to do and accept and believe the strangest things. And God also asks us to trust that God is working good out of them. We need to believe that nothing is impossible for God, and then, of course, to accept the situation with a grace as beautiful as Mary’s.

Dear friend, let us pray: Let it be to me, dear God, according to your gracious will. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

March 26, 2012

Do you know what God wants, dear friend? He want us to be one with God and one with each dear neighbor. It’s so simple, although it is not easy at all. Perhaps it is not even possible this side of heaven. But the request, and our responding desire, is the same. Jesus put it like this, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your mind and all your soul and all your strength. Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Others, like St. Paul, put it in a more-complicated manner. In II Corinthians 5:18 he writes, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” We have a job to do. First, open ourselves to God’s magnificent love so that we might respond to God’s drawing us to God and second, bear that reconciling love to all the world.

Let us pray: Almighty God, draw our hearts to you, guide our minds, fill our imaginations, control our wills, so that we may be wholly yours. Use us as you will, always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

March 27, 2012

We are a funny people. We pray and pray and pray because we want something so badly and then, when we get it, we don’t believe it! I had a friend who needed a new car badly and entered a contest to win a Ford Mustang. When they called her name she said, “Pinch me to wake me up! I must be dreaming!” The people of Israel were like that too. The Psalmist writes in the beginning of the 126th Psalm, “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, then were we like those who dream.”

Dear friend, God acts in our lives in loving and saving ways. God continues to be with us through thick and thin. And God is working to restore us. So why do we think we are dreaming when we recognize God’s action in our lives? Because we believe that happiness only happens in a fantasy world? Perhaps. But another suggestion is that, in truth, we do not trust God enough to believe that God will always be present with us and will see us through every situation. Today, when something good happens, thank God and remember how God always acts in your life.

Let us pray: Wake us up, O God, to the reality of your saving presence in our lives which we know best through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

March 28, 2012

Psalm 126 ends like this: “Those who sowed with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, will come again with joy shouldering their sheaves.”

God’s Holy Word is full of great reversals. The barren old woman becomes pregnant. The sinners and outcasts are respected. The blind see. In Luke 6, Jesus not only tells the “Blesseds,” for example, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven.” He also goes on to the woes–”But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.”

Dear friend, Scripture is full of reversals–and so are our lives. Trust God–and not your wealth and satisfactions and laughter and reputation. Woe to us when we foolishly think that the ways of this world are the ways of God.

Let us pray: Forgive us, loving God, when we put our trust in things and not in you. Allow us to be blessed, happy, in this life by following you and loving others, for the sake of the One who died and rose again for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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Marrch 29, 2012

How easy it is to be critical of another. Oh how fat that one is! Oh how angry that one is! Oh how critical that one is! Isn’t it funny how, when we find fault with another, we so often are finding fault with ourselves. It’s just that, sometimes, we don’t know it!

My grandmother used to say, Every time you point a finger at someone, you are pointing three back at yourself. Jesus says, In Matthew 7, “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.” Dear friend, listen to yourself today. When you find yourself being critical of another, take a moment to look at yourself and find that place in yourself. Do you see an echo of that fault within you? Can you see your criticism of another as an invitation to change within yourself? Jesus starts this section of Matthew by saying, “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.” Today, look with kindness on your neighbor; look with kindness on your self.

Let us pray: Dear God, you look on us and draw out the goodness which you have placed within us. Allow us to see ourselves-and each dear neighbor–in the light of your love. Allow us to hear our discomfort with others, and find those places in ourselves. Grow us in your compassionate image, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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March 30, 2012

Readings from Psalm 16–”O Lord, you are my portion and my cup; it is you who uphold my lot. I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; my heart teaches me night after night. I have set the Lord always before me. Because God is at my right hand, I shall not fall. My heart therefore is glad and my spirit rejoices. You will show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy and in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Dear friend, sometimes we are lost in life, unable to see the path on which we are traveling. So we listen to the words of the psalmist and find our way. Since God is before us, we shall not fall. Part of the problem is our desire to see the whole path, the end of the journey and not just the place in front of us which we need to know to take the next step. The psalmist knows that God will show him the path of life. Trusting in that truth we, like the Psalmist, can know fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.

Let us pray: Guiding God, when we are lost you find us and show us the way. Give us patience with the limited distance of our human vision. Give us trust in you, for Jesus sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

March 31, 2012

In Jeremiah 29, the prophet writes to the elders who have been carried off into exile–”Yahweh, Sabaoth, the God of Israel says this to all the exiles deported from Jerusalem to Babylon, ‘Build houses, settle down, plant gardens and eat what they produce; take wives and have sons and daughters…work for the good of the country to which I have exiled you; pray to God on its behalf since on its welfare yours depends.”

In a sense, dear friend, we are exiles from the country where God’s love is perfectly known–exiles to this life, and only after this life will we know God’s love perfectly as we see Jesus face to face. In the meantime, we are asked to live our lives fully where we find ourselves and to take the time in our lives here to become familiar with the life to come where we will see God face to face and know God’s love fully. For us as Christians, that means Word and Sacrament, daily prayer and praise, living lives that show forth the love of God for all people. It means understanding that our daily jobs and tasks, however difficult, are opportunities to reveal our true homeland to another who may be lost. We may be exiles from our true homeland, but we have not been left without memories, reminders and commands from the One from whom we have come.

Let us pray: O God, you have created and sustain us from day to day in this place. Remind us of your love for us, give us space for rituals of our homeland and use us to share your love with this world, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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You know, dear friend, God’s Word teaches us how to act. Psalm 112 puts it like this. “Happy are they who fear the Lord and have great delight in God’s commandments!…It is good for them to be generous in lending and to manage their affairs with justice….They have given freely to the poor, and their righteousness stands fast forever; they will hold up their head with honor.”
In today’s world, it seems like those who live in awe of God and are generous and just are not necessarily happy–as a matter of fact, it seems like the world often dumps on them. But the Word of God is sure. When we have integrity and act consistently with the values of love for God and each neighbor, it doesn’t matter what the world thinks, for we are able to be detached and to hold up our heads with honor. The Psalmist sums it up in verse 4: “Light shines in the darkness for the upright.” Even in the darkest days, when we live consistently with God’s Word, we can live at peace with ourselves.

Let us pray: Almighty God, grant that we, who have been redeemed from the old life of sin by our baptism into the death and resurrection of Jesus, may be renewed in your Holy Spirit to live in righteousness and true holiness all of our days. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Feb 2, 2012

At the time of Jesus’ birth, Jewish law required several rituals. On the eighth day, the baby boy had to be circumcised. Thirty-three days after the circumcision, the mother is to be purified, pronounced ‘clean’ again, after offering a sacrifice of a lamb or pigeon or turtledove. Every first-born male, human or beast, is to be dedicated to God.

Joseph and Mary were obedient to all of these laws as is recorded in Luke 2:21-24. The Church used to call February 2nd the Feast of the Purification; we now call it the Feast of the Presentation when Jesus is presented as God’s own in a way that one might think only those with hindsight could see. But old man Simeon was in the temple and took the child in his arms proclaiming that now he, Simeon, could die in peace for the Word of God to provide a savior had been fulfilled. Simeon prophesied that this child would be a sign that would be rejected. When we are quiet and listen to God’s voice, dear friend, we too can hear and see the Word of God fulfilled in our midst.

Let us pray: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, for you have sent us your salvation. Inspire us by your Holy Spirit to see with our own eyes the One who is the glory of Israel and the light of all nations, Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Feb 3, 2012

In Luke 2, Jesus is presented in the temple and old Simeon, holding the infant in his arms, praises God for the birth of the Savior. An old prophetess, Anna, was also in the temple that day. She had been serving God with prayer and fasting day and night since she had become a widow many, many years before. She came by the place where Jesus was being presented “and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.” Luke 2:38.

Have you ever noticed, dear friend, that age doesn’t seem to matter to God? Young, poor, unwed Mary is chosen as the Mother of God. Old–very old–Simeon and Anna are chosen to proclaim the birth of the Savior in the temple. And to top that off, Anna is a widow! a position of no importance in that day. God uses all of us to identify God’s activity in the world–regardless of age, sex, race, education, sexual orientation or nationality. God asks you to see and proclaim God’s presence in the world. God asks you to be open to the variety of others who do the same.

Let us pray: All-including God, help us to perceive and proclaim your presence in our fallen world. Help us to acknowledge with great respect the great variety of other people whom you choose as your witnesses, for the sake of Jesus. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.
Feb 4, 2012

My husband, Keith, and I ‘talk’ about salt a lot. I frequently remind him not to use too much salt on his food; it’s bad for his heart. He, in his turn, reminds me not to throw salt on the icy sidewalks because it kills the grass and flowers. Jesus, too, talks about salt in Matthew 5:13. He is reminding his hearers: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled underfoot by others.”
Salt, dear friend, is one of those gifts which while being unique, are both precious and dangerous. We all have those gifts. An example might be enthusiasm which can enable lots of tasks to be started or drive everyone around you nuts. Abundant energy is another example which both accomplishes much but often deprives others of the opportunity of participating. Look at your life (not the life of your significant other but your own life!) Identify the unique gifts you have been given. Now offer them to God so that they may be used for God’s glory and not be damaging to others. Use your gifts wisely.

Let us pray: O God of all good, help our lives to be offered to you as a tasty sacrifice of love, for the sake of Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Feb 5, 2012

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lampstand where it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way, your light must shine in the sight of all, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16.
Have you ever noticed that all is given to us so that we might show forth God’s glory? And God’s glory is shown in concrete ways–the blind see, the lame walk, good news is preached to the poor, the hungry are fed, the thirsty are given a drink, all–including those who are most difficult to love–are being loved. The author of I John puts it like this. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother and sister is still in the dark.” I John 2:9 You and I, dear friend, are born to show forth the light, to be the love of God for all people, to witness to God’s glory in the light of God’s love. Let your light shine today.

Let us pray: Jesus, you are the light of the world. You have created us in the image of your light. Allow the light that you have placed within us to shine forth; allow our lives to reflect the light of your love. Thank you for this gift of light. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Feb 6, 2012

God is everywhere! Isaiah 66 says it like this: “Thus says the Lord: Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool.” Matthew 5:34 says: “Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is God’s footstool,…” All of the earth is God’s. And yet, in I Kings 8, where Solomon is dedicating the temple, he says, “But will God indeed dwell on earth?” or, translated differently, “Can it be that God dwells among people on earth?”
And the answer is–yes! God is present not only in the highest heavens, the furthermost stars and the steepest mountains. God has chosen to be present among human beings, among those whom God loves. Examples: the ark of the covenant, the temple of Solomon, the incarnation of Jesus, the Body and Blood of the sacrament, the temples of our bodies. God does love us so much, dear friend, that God, who is over and above everything, is also in and throughout everything. God is within each of us. Treat the temple of God which is you with great respect. Use the temple of God which is you to show forth God’s glory.

Let us pray: God, you have created us in your image and you live in each of us. Allow us to so honor the You in each of us and in each other, that your glory might be shown fully on earth. In Jesus’ name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Feb 7, 2012

In Mark 7:14, Jesus says–”There is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.” Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees’ slavish obedience to the letter of the traditions of their elders, but their disobedience to the spirit of those traditions. He is suggesting that what is deep inside each one of them–and us–is what commends or condemns.
Perhaps another way of saying it is this: the action itself is not as important as what leads a person to take that action. As a pastor, people sometimes ask me what they should do in a certain situation. I rarely give a direct answer. Rather I ask them why they are considering a particular action. Is it love or guilt that is motivating them? Are they acting or reacting to another? If they were to be having this conversation with the Jesus who loves them and the other so very much, what questions would Jesus ask? At the end of the conversation, people sometimes make decisions which would not be obedient to the ‘law’ or the elders’ traditions, but which are very much obedient to the love of God.

Dear friend, let us pray: Guiding God, we live in a world which is very confusing. Help us to make the decisions of our lives in your loving presence and to understand that you will see the motivation from within as well as the external action. Give us courage to be obedient to you. For Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Feb 8, 2012

I am very much affected by the weather. On gray, gloomy days I tend to be gray and gloomy too. So I vividly remember the days when the heaviness of the weather did not affect my spirits. For example, I remember one day at the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden (where I write these Dials) when I had been given a particularly vivid and comforting experience of God’s love and presence in my life. As I was pondering this experience, I went walking on the paths through the beautiful grounds and up to the cemetery. I marveled at the wonder of it all–the footprints of the rabbits in the snow, the glistening of the raindrops on the branches, the chatter of the birds. I felt like the first person to have ever experienced such wonder. The fact that it was 27 degrees, dripping a freezing rain, and the sun hadn’t shone for three days was completely irrelevant!
That’s what the Psalmist must mean in Psalm 84 when he writes: “Those who go through the desolate valley will find it a place of springs,…” God’s presence in our hearts, dear friend, transforms the dreariest and most troublesome times in our world. This transformation is a gift.

Let us pray: O God of love, help us not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by your love through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Feb 9, 2012

Is it possible that God’s love and God’s law have always been within us? That this is what it means to be created in the image of God but that we keep forgetting? In Jeremiah 31 God promises a new covenant with the house of Israel that all will be able to keep because it will be written on their hearts. In Deuteronomy 30, Moses is speaking to the people of Israel before his death and he exhorts them to choose life. He tells them this is not a difficult decision–”Surely this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.”

Dear friend, listen carefully. God’s love and God’s law have been written in your heart since the beginning of time. Do not be deceived by other voices or words or schemes. Listen for the commandment of God speaking quietly and gently to you. Listen–and obey.

Let us pray: God you have written your love and your law on our hearts. Open our souls so we may hear and obey for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Feb 10, 2012

You have to serve somebody! The trouble is that most of us are unaware enough most of the time that we are not aware of our priorities. The ‘gods’ that we serve are the ‘gods’ of culture–a nice house, a fine family, a secure job, world travel–the list can go on and on. In one sense, the people of Israel had it easy. It was clearer to whom they were making sacrifices. And yet, they still had to choose to serve the one, true God and not the ‘gods’ of culture. Joshua put it this way in Joshua 15, “Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Dear friend, choose today whom you will serve.

Let us pray: Almighty God, draw our hearts to you, guide our minds, fill our imaginations, control our wills, so that we may be wholly yours. Use us as you will, always to your glory and the welfare of your people, so that in our everyday choices we may be faithful to you. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Feb 11, 2012

In Matthew 13, Jesus says, “The reason I speak to them in parables is that ‘seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand’.” I’ve always had trouble with that saying. Doesn’t Jesus want us all to see and hear and understand? Paul explains it again in I Corinthians, “Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.”

The problem, dear friend, is not a secret body of knowledge which we must learn and master in order to be saved. (That theory was a heresy of the early centuries of the Church.) The problem is that we must be mature in the faith in order to grasp God’s wisdom. To the people of this world, God’s wisdom is foolishness; Jesus’ crucifixion a stumbling block; parables simply good–or confusing–stories. But to those who believe, because of an openness to God’s free gift of salvation through Jesus, the parables and the crucifixion and God’s wisdom reveal the hidden truths of righteousness and contentment even in the midst of suffering. Let us pray for an openness to God’s secret wisdom.

Revealing God, reveal to us the hidden truths of Scripture so that we might live lives of mature faith in you. Feed us daily with your living Word, we pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Feb 12, 2012

I nursed my son when he was a baby. I remember reading all the values of breast-feeding and decided it was really important. At six weeks the doctor wanted me to start him on rice cereal, but I resisted; I wanted him to have only mother’s milk for at least three months.
So I understand St. Paul when he writes in his first letter to the people of Corinth, chapter 3, “I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food.” Infants have trouble digesting solid food, even grains. Young Christians often have trouble digesting the more difficult teachings of Scripture. I think it often takes a very long time until we are ready for the solid food of the faith.
So God presents us with many layers of the same truth and as we grow in the faith we understand the same texts in a different and deeper manner. It is enough to trust that God will continue to lead us and guide us and provide wise companions for our journey.

Let us pray: God, let us be not deceived by the wisdom of this world. Rather gently feed us baby food until we are mature enough to digest the more difficult wisdom you give, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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February 13, 2012

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” St. Paul, in II Corinthians 5:17, is referring to the ministry of reconciliation. He urges us to look at one another and the world, not from a human viewpoint, but through the eyes of God. Through the eyes of God, dear friend, all the world looks new.

For example, God loved us so much that God sent Jesus that we might be reconciled to God. Now there are a number of atonement theories, but they all boil down to this statement–we are reconciled to God through Jesus the Christ. Having been thus reconciled to God, we are given the ministry of reconciliation with one another–with all one another’s. And to participate in this newness, we must look at each other with God’s eyes, longing for unity, longing for wholeness, longing for love and peace even with the recalcitrant, the addict, the one who appears to be evil.

Dear friend, look around you today and see the world through God’s eyes. Even if the day is dreary, even if our life is sad, our union with God makes all things new.

Let us pray: Dearest Jesus, thank you for your atoning life, death and resurrection. Help us trust in you for the life to come; help us trust in you to bring newness to the dead places in our lives right now!. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

February 14, 2012

In Psalm 27, the Psalmist is crying out to God, “Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I call; have mercy on me and answer me.” And goes on to describe God’s response, “You speak in my heart and say, ‘Seek my face. “‘ And the Psalmist says, “Your face, Lord, will I seek.”

One time we had a break-in at St. Andrew. The police came–and so did I. We all were walking around the building, looking for the intruders. St. Andrew is designed in circles–and all we ever found was each other! Finally the officers said, “Stand still, lady. The next time we find you, I’m afraid we’ll shoot you!” Seeking God is like that, dear friend. We think we are calling out and searching hard–longing to have God hear us. And God says, “Stop. I’m right behind you, right with you; simply look for me.” We need to simply stand still and say, like the Psalmist, “Your face. Lord, will I seek.”

Let us pray: You, O God, are constantly calling us, constantly seeking us. Help us to be set apart from the frantic busy-ness of our lives so that we might quietly seek your face–and find you looking for us. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

Feb 15, 2012

How do you assess people you meet for the first time? By their clothing? By their language? By their grooming? I confess that I use all of the above and often, unfortunately, treat them according to the value I give them. James speaks of this in chapter 2. “My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, ‘Have a seat here, please,’ while to the one who is poor you say, ‘Stand there,’ or ‘Sit at my feet,’ have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that God has promised to those who love God?”

Dear friend, James is clear. Jesus is clear. When you do honor to or serve the least of the sisters and brothers, you do honor to and serve God.

Let us pray: Allow us to see your face in each other God. Allow us to treat one another without partiality. We pray in the name of the One who loves us all, Jesus. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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February 16, 2012

Read Luke 20 verse 9-19. The parable is a familiar one of a man who leased his planted vineyard to tenants and left, sending a servant at harvest time. The tenants beat the first servant, and the second and third sending them all away with nothing. So the owner sent his son, assuming his son would be respected. The tenants killed the son. Jesus’ hearers were first horrified and then furious, for Jesus was claiming he was a prophet and that they were not receiving him as a messenger from God.

Dear friend, the message of Jesus is not popular today, either. When we are told to love all people (nice or not) for Jesus’ sake, we drag our feet. When we are told the hungry will be fed and the rich turned away empty, we, the relatively-rich, rebel. Would we, too, stone the prophets and isolate (or kill) those who come to tell us of the radical nature of God’s love? Do we?

Let us pray: Merciful God, have mercy on us. Change our lives and our hearts so that we may recognize and honor your prophetic presence in the world. Give us the courage to speak your loving and gentle truth for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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February 17, 2012

In Deuteronomy 26 the Israelites are taught a statement of faith with which they are to present their offerings, “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toils and our oppression. The Lord brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders…” and so they present their offerings to God remembering all that God has done for them. Often throughout their history they are reminded to treat the stranger well for they too were once strangers in a foreign land.

Dear friend, our ancestors, too, were once strangers in a foreign land and depended upon the graciousness of God and the kindness of others for our survival. As we offer our gifts to God and for others, rehearse the saving acts of God in your own life–and give thanks.

Let us pray: Saving God, thank you for acting in our lives. Use us to act in the lives of those who feel like strangers, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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February 18, 2012

‘Steady. Steady!’ I remember when I would ride horses as a young woman. JoJo (the horse I rode) and I would enter jumping competitions. JoJo had been trained in England as a steeplechaser and was always ready to run–fast–over every jump. I would remind him–’Steady. Steady!’ that form mattered in this contest, not speed.

Sometimes I too need to be reminded of the purpose of the race that we are running; the purpose is union with God and each dear neighbor. And as I am being reminded I need to hear the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 51, verse 12–”Be my savior again, renew my joy, keep my spirit steady and willing.” ‘Easy there, dear friend. Steady. Steady!’ We are not alone in this competition. We are accompanied by the God who loves us and speaks to us and who steadies us in the midst of the difficulties of everyday life.

Let us pray: Ride us gently, O God. Saddle us with your spirit, reign us in with your love and steady us with the gentle voice of your constant presence. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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February 19, 2012

Persistence! Continuing after the goal that has been set before us. Or sour grapes? Deciding the desired prize wasn’t worth the effort anyway. In this late twentieth century, we find persistence to be unusual. We hold up those who continue in spite of great odds and write articles about them for ‘good news’ magazines. But St. Paul, writing about his desire to be like Jesus in Philippians 3 writes, “Not that I have become perfect yet: I have not yet won, but I am still running, trying to capture the prize for which Christ Jesus captured me….All I can say is that I forget the past and strain ahead for what is still to come.”

Dear friend, the goal of becoming more and more like the perfect love of God for all people, the goal of being like Jesus, is a worthy goal. Do not give up! Press on! Persist! Begin fresh each day in allowing God to transform your life into love.

Let us pray: Persistent God, do not give up on us. Guide us and goad us and give us your love which we know best through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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February 20, 2012

Focus on your heart. Think about it. How does your heart feel? Heavy? Burdened? Light? Happy? This is what the Psalmist says in Psalm 28, verse 8 and 9: “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in God, and I have been helped; therefore my heart dances for joy, and in my song I will praise God.”

The Psalmist makes it sound so simple. Trust in God and have a light and happy heart. My life experience is different from that of the Psalmist. My heart is often heavy. I am depressed by the cruelty in the world and the lack of compassion in my own life. I forget to trust God. My heart–and my mind and my life–sometimes seem like burdens I cannot bear. Look again at your heart dear friend. Feel it. Now–offer it and all its heaviness to God.

Let us pray: Burden-bearing, load-lifting God, take the heaviness from our hearts and let us dance and sing in faith and praise for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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February 21, 2012

I used to go only to movies that were funny or happy. I had a philosophy that life was full of enough sadness and tragedy that I didn’t need to pay money to see more of it. That’s how I feel about Lent this year. Today is Ash Wednesday–and I am not ready to enter into Jesus’ preparation for suffering and death. If I want to hear about suffering and death I can turn on the 11 o’clock news or read the paper.

But our lives, like the church year, have regular rhythms of joy and sorrow, happiness and suffering. By liturgically participating in the suffering of Jesus, we prepare ourselves for the suffering of our own lives. By participating in the suffering of Jesus, we remember that Jesus is always with us in our own suffering. By participating in the suffering of Jesus, we also participate in his resurrection. “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me….Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23 Welcome, dear friend, to Lent.

Let us pray: God, you love us with an everlasting love, through good times and bad. Allow us the grace to participate in the suffering of Jesus that we might participate with him in the resurrection–in our lives now and the life to come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. Our Ash Wednesday service is at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

February 22, 2012

In Deuteronomy 26 the Israelites are taught a statement of faith with which they are to present their offerings, “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toils and our oppression. The Lord brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders…” and so they present their offerings to God remembering all that God has done for them. Often throughout their history they are reminded to treat the stranger well for they too were once strangers in a foreign land.

Dear friend, our ancestors, too, were once strangers in a foreign land and depended upon the graciousness of God and the kindness of others for our survival. As we offer our gifts to God and for others, rehearse the saving acts of God in your own life–and give thanks.

Let us pray: Saving God, thank you for acting in our lives. Use us to act in the lives of those who feel like strangers, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. Our Ash Wednesday service is at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

February 23, 2012

Read Luke 20 verse 9-19. The parable is a familiar one of a man who leased his planted vineyard to tenants and left, sending a servant at harvest time. The tenants beat the first servant, and the second and third sending them all away with nothing. So the owner sent his son, assuming his son would be respected; the tenants killed the son. Jesus’ hearers were first horrified and then furious, for Jesus was claiming he was a prophet and that they were not receiving him as a messenger from God.

Dear friend, the message of Jesus is not popular today, either. When we are told to love all people (nice or not) for Jesus’ sake, we drag our feet. When we are told the hungry will be fed and the rich turned away empty, we, the relatively-rich, rebel. Would we, too, stone the prophets and isolate (or kill) those who come to tell us of the radical nature of God’s love? Do we?

Let us pray: Merciful God, have mercy on us. Change our lives and our hearts so that we may recognize and honor your prophetic presence in the world. Give us the courage to speak your loving and gentle truth for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.
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February 24, 2012

We all struggle with the seeming-contradiction that there is so much bad in a world created and redeemed by a loving God. Everyone has a different explanation for pain and suffering, for sin and death. My explanation is that God allows evil but never initiates it. James 1:13 explains it like this, “No one, when tempted, should say, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil and God himself tempts no one. But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; then when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death.”
James’ point, and mine, are the same. God is good; evil, temptation, suffering, and death never come from the good God. However, God does allow the consequences of our actions–not only simple societal consequences like driving under the influence and losing our licenses but more subtle consequences, like habitually telling lies and learning not to trust anyone else either. Sometimes it is really difficult to trust in a loving God in this often-violent and hate-filled world. Understand that the root of evil is not God, and then, dear friend, try trust.

Let us pray: In the midst of a world which we can neither control nor understand, give us trust in you, O God of love. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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February 25, 2012

“You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” James 2:8

That’s how James concludes his section on showing no partiality among people. The part that was missing when I was growing up, however, was the part about loving yourself. Somehow, in the congregation in which I was raised, we were taught that to live in JOY was to love Jesus, Others, Yourself. We missed the reality that if I do not love myself, I am not really capable of loving others. Think about it. If you think Jesus is judging you harshly, is ashamed of you–don’t you project that onto others as well. If you believe that Jesus looks on you with kind and gentle eyes, knowing and loving and forgiving you endlessly–then in the wonder of that love, you too can love others. Dear friend, let’s get the order straight. When we understand how much God loves us, then we can love God in return and love our neighbor as we have been gifted to love ourselves.

Let us pray: Jesus, allow us to know the fullness of your love. Allow us to love ourselves as you love us. Allow us to love others as we love ourselves. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Feb 26, 2012

Martin Luther called the book of James an epistle of straw. I suspect that judgment was at least partially based on James struggle to balance faith with works. Luther lived in a time when works seemed to be the way of salvation and so he emphasized salvation by grace through faith alone. Of course, he was right. But so was James in chapter 3 when he writes, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,’ and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.”

Dear friend, so much of Christianity calls for holding two seemingly-disparate poles in tension. We are freed from sin but remain in bondage to sin. Jesus is fully God; Jesus is fully human. We are saved by faith alone; we are still called to do good works to show forth our faith.

Let us pray: God, give us wisdom to see the truth in your Word and to hold the poles of our being in balance, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Feb 27, 2012

Jeremiah 17 and Psalm 1 share an image. In the words of the Psalmist–’a tree planted by water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither. Everything they do shall prosper’ or in the words of Jeremiah–’a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.’

Dear friend, I long, for you and for me, to be such a tree. To be so nourished and refreshed by the waters of our baptism, to remain so in union with God, that we bear fruit in season and out, that difficult times do not frighten us, that our lives continually show forth the glory of God. God has planted us by the stream of living water which is the Body of Christ. By faithfully participating in Word and Sacrament and Christian community–we too can continuously bear fruit.

Let us pray: O God, the creator and sustainer of all life, firmly plant us this day in the waters of our baptism that we might never be separated from you, that our sins might be forgiven and that we might share the fruit of your love with the world for the sake of the Holy One, Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Feb 28, 2012

Jesus says in John 12 verse 23, “Now the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you, most solemnly, unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest.”

What? Glory in death? I know glory! Glory is pomp and circumstance, limousines and bodyguards. Glory is gold and silver and jewels and satin–and acclaim! Glory is not death–surely not a horrible, ignoble, criminal’s death on the cross–like an electric chair or lethal injection. But Jesus tells us, dear friend, that we are all seeds, cocoons, embryos–and that without a radical change in form, a radical transformation–we remain in the beginning stages. A willingness to die–to ourselves as well as to this life–is what enables us to grow and produce good. Jesus models fearless death for us.

Let us pray: Jesus, you understand the secret truths of God’s love and wisdom. Encourage us to act on your guidance even when we cannot fully understand. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Feb 29, 2012

Dear friend, how attached are you to the things of this world? By that I mean, are you able to trust God first, even with the good and wonderful gifts of life like family and friends and love and good food and a beautiful flower? Can you consider all of these things to be gifts to be enjoyed but not ‘owned’?

St. Paul writes in Philippians 3, verse 8, “More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ.” St. Paul has the gift of appreciating but not owning (or being owned by) the things of this world. That gift comes from the trust that God is in charge of all that happens in this world, that God will provide for us according to our every need. That gift is called faith.

Let us pray: God, allow us to appreciate the joys of this world but to treasure only you and your love for Jesus sake. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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“After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” Luke 2:21 How simple! How faithful! After eight days, on the day when all male Jews are circumcised–called a bris today–they had this boy child circumcised and named him. One sentence. Normal obedience. Do what you are told. Name the boy what the angel Gabriel told you to name him. Jesus. God has saved. This sentence is a microcosm of the life that Mary and Joseph lived and of the obedience they had to God. Of course, they would have had any male child circumcised. But normally he would have been named after someone in the family, often his father. Friends and neighbors might have wondered what was going on as they did when John the Baptizer was born and they questioned him, “Your wife is saying your son is to be named John. We think he should be named Zechariah after you.” And, because he was still mute, he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” Mary and Joseph named their first born son ‘Jesus,’ ‘God has saved,’ ‘Savior’ because they were told to name him that. Surely they pondered throughout his life, and during his death, why they had named their precious child ‘God has saved.’ And yet, in obedience, they did. We, dear friend, need to be obedient to the God who loves us and saves us through the name of Jesus.

Let us pray: Save us, God of love and promise. Keep us in your arms and heart that we might be obedient to your will, even when we cannot understand it . We pray in the mighty name of Jesus, our savior. AMEN

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 2, 2012

Psalm 98: “Sing to the Lord a new song, for God has done marvelous things.” As we begin this new year, we look at our lives and make new year’s resolutions. I will lose 20 pounds. I will be kinder to my inefficient coworker. I will speak gently to my family. We look at our lives and become very aware of the places we have failed and think about doing better.

Dear friend, the Psalmist suggests that we start in a different place–with a song of praise. The concept is good. Isn’t it true that the desire to amend our lives gets bogged down in guilt unless we start with a tremendous sense of God’s love for us. And when we take time each day to praise God–to remember God’s love for us and to be grateful for God’s presence in our lives–then we have a strong foundation for asking for the grace to change. Take time today to sit quietly in God’s arms, to know God’s love for you and God’s complete knowledge of you–thank God. Then, and only then, ask for the grace to see yourself and to have the strength to make whatever change God requests of you.

Let us pray: Hold us in your loving arms, mothering God, show us your love for us. Now, please, gently invite us to amend our lives that we may show forth your love to the world. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 3, 2012

A paraphrase of Psalm 8 goes like this: “Who are we O Lord, that you should care for us? Your heavens are high; our dwelling place is low.” And perhaps, dear friend, we ask the same question the Psalmist asks: “Why do you care about us, God?

The Psalmist does not answer the question of why in Psalm 8. Rather he goes on to remind God, or perhaps himself, that humans have been made a little lower than God and been given the stewardship of the earth. Dear friend, look around you. Look at all the gifts that God has given you. The gift of life and breath, of Word and Sacrament, of the beauty of the world and the seasons, the lights of the heavens, the waters of the earth, and the wonder of all of God’s living creatures. Now take the time to ask yourself, “If God has so blessed my life, since God has so blessed my life, maybe I do not need to know why. Maybe I simply need to be aware of God’s presence in my life and to offer thanks.

Let us pray: God of light and darkness, of fire and water, of the living and of the dead, give us faith to believe in you and to trust in your love for us. Help us, through the person of Jesus, to bear your presence to the world. Use as even when we do not understand. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 4, 2012

Psalm 46 begins, “God is our refuge and our strength; a very present help in time of trouble.” Psalm 93 verse 5 describes that strength, “Mightier than the sound of many waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea, mightier is the Lord who dwells on high.”

Dear friend, have you ever stood on the rocks next to the breakers during a storm? Bar Harbor Island in Maine is one of the few places on the East Coast where mountains of rock meet the water. During a storm, the noise is ferocious. It is so loud that it is hard to hear yourself think. The power of the wind and the waves is awesome. The Psalmist tells us that such is the power of God–awesome, creating order out of the roaring waters, creating order out of our roaring lives. When your life feels chaotic and out of control, sit quietly and remember that God is more powerful. God created order out of the chaos at the beginning of time. God tamed the waters of the Red Sea. God can tame the chaos of our lives.

Let us pray: O God, our mighty God, grant us the grace this day to open the disorder of our lives to your mighty power. Order us according to your gracious will through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 5, 2012

Dear friend, listen to the words of I Peter, the first chapter. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you…. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials….”

These are words of praise for a loving God who has blessed us with our Savior Jesus the Christ and with the gift of the resurrection. We have also been blessed with a living hope–a hope that is sustained even in times of suffering. It is true that there are days–in the face of the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, a serious illness, or a humiliating circumstance–that our hope seems to be threatened. January 5th was the birthday of our foster daughter, Alexis, who died in July 2000. In our grief, Peter reminds us that the power of the resurrection gives us a hope that will never be destroyed.

Let us pray: Almighty God, we celebrate with joy our Lord’s resurrection and the resurrection of those we love. Graciously help us to show the power of the resurrection in all that we say and do. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 6, 2012

I know the days are getting longer in the northern hemisphere. I know it because the weather forecaster tells me the time of the sunrise and the sunset each day. But the days still seem very, very short and the nights still seem very, very long. I think that’s why I love the feast of Epiphany. Even in the darkness, we remember that the love of Christ is made manifest to the whole world. The text for this day is Matthew 2 and the visit of the wise men (astrologers, really) to visit the young Jesus. They follow a star, visit King Herod who threatens the life of Jesus and later kills all male children younger than two, and finally find the holy family. Because they are wise men from the East–that is, literate, political officials from the courts of Parthia, Armenia or regions east of Judea, they represent the entire world coming to pay homage to the new king. Dear friend, the light of Jesus spreads through the whole world–to every race and nation, every country and city. Even when the world seems very, very dark, we are asked to follow the light of Jesus and to share that light with others. When the following becomes difficult, when we think we are going to stumble, keep focused on the light of Christ. The days are getting longer, our hope is growing, and we must keep sharing the light of Christ through our lives as well as our words.

Let us pray: Jesus, you are the light of the world. Shed light on our path through the darkness of our days that we may be faithful in following you and in sharing the light of your love with others. We pray in your name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 7, 2012

In John 6, the crowds are approaching Jesus and his disciples. Jesus asks Philip, “‘Where can we buy some bread for these people to eat?’ Andrew says, ‘There is a small boy here with five barley loaves and two fish; but what is that between so many?’” Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks, breaks it and gives it to over five thousand people. There are twelve baskets left over.

Andrew’s question is often our own. Dear friend, what can we do with so little? How can our meager resources feed the hungry or house the homeless or provide health insurance for those in need? How can we work for peace in the little time that we have? How can we act in love? Mother Theresa may have asked the same question when confronted with the dying throngs in Calcutta and yet she said, “I helped the one in front of me–everything else just followed.”

Let us pray: Faithful God, you multiplied the loaves and fishes so that all the hungry might be fed. So multiply our resources with acts of faith that we may serve the world in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 8, 2012

St. Peter writes in the first chapter of I Peter, “In (the living hope of the resurrection) we rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which, though perishable, is tested by fire, may rebound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Peter is giving an explanation for some of the suffering through which a Christian must go–in this case, the suffering of persecution. This kind of suffering is not well known among us Christians in the United States. The question is–why not? Why aren’t we under trial by fire for our faith? The answer could be frightening. It could be that we are not under trial because Christianity has been so domesticated by our culture that we are no different from it. Do we dare to speak up for the poor and the oppressed and the least of our brothers and sisters in our own society as well as in others? The indestructible hope of the resurrections says yes–and tells us that we will also survive the suffering and persecution which may follow.

Let us pray: Jesus, you dared to die for the truth of God’s love. Give us the same courage. We pray in your name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 9, 2012

Listen to the words of Ephesians 2:10 from the Jerusalem Bible: “We are God’s work of art, created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as from the beginning God has meant us to live it.”
Do you believe that you are God’s work of art? That you have been created as a beautiful masterpiece to show forth God’s love to the world? That you have been given unique gifts and talents and that no other part of creation can take your place? It is not that the work will not get done without you. It is that you have been given special charisma with which to do the ministry to which you have been called.

So many of us have inner critics who daily remind us that we are too fat, too thin, too angry, too busy, too apathetic, too enthusiastic. Sometimes those critics outshout the voice of God which tells you that you are God’s work of art. You are magnificent. And as you accept and rejoice in your self as God has made you, when you understand your unique role in the whole Body of Christ, then you begin to live the good life, i.e., live the life of union with God and each dear neighbor which brings contentment. Dear friend, you are a beautiful part of God’s art.

Let us pray: God, you love each of us so much that you have created us as beautiful. Help us to accept ourselves and each other as you have made us so we may show forth your glory. AMEN

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 10, 2012

In the fifth chapter of the book of Acts, the apostles are arrested for preaching and teaching and healing in Jesus’ name. They are thrown into jail. An angel releases them and instructs them to go to the temple and preach. At dawn, they are found there and are asked why they are disobeying the order of the Sanhedrin. Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God and not people.”

Sometimes, dear friend, it is hard for us to discern what is human will and what is God’s will. What about the war in Afghanistan? How do we continue to save all those suffering from natural disasters? Our way is not always crystal clear. Christians may disagree with one another. But we are united with Peter and the apostles when we are able to look clearly at a situation and speak the word of resurrection love to it–regardless of the political ramifications for ourselves or our church bodies. We must obey God rather than people.

Let us pray: All-wise God, grant us the wisdom to discern your will for us and to speak it in a clear and gentle manner to the world. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 11, 2012

As I sit writing this Dial, it is a beautiful day, the kind of day which dawns unexpectedly after many days of gray, chilly dampness, the kind of day that surprises us because the weather forecaster said, ‘more of the same dreariness.’ But I awakened to the sun streaming in my window and the birds singing a gentle reveille. On such a morning, prayers of thankfulness come easily. The words of Psalm 104 spring to mind.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul; O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness! You are clothed with majesty and splendor. You wrap yourself with light as with a cloak and spread out the heavens like a curtain. You lay the beams of your chambers in the waters above; you make the clouds your chariot; you ride on the wings of the wind. You make the winds your messengers and flames of fire your servants. You have set the earth upon its foundations so that it never shall move at any time…Bless the Lord O my soul.” How easy, dear friend, to praise God and acknowledge God’s dominion when the sun is shining in the windows of my life. Help me, O God, to praise you on rainy days as well.

Let us pray: God of light and of darkness, of the living and the dead, help us to praise your name and remember you in the blessings of this life. Help us to give you glory and to remember to praise you in the difficult times as well, for the sake of Jesus who trusted you even unto death, and resurrection. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 12, 2012

A prayer of St. Paul from I Thessalonians 3:12-13: “And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you, And may God so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.”

We have a simple job to do here on earth—simple but not easy. And that job is to abound in love, to be holy and in good relationship with God and with all others, all the while maintaining our integrity as children of God. Paul prayed for the people of Thessalonica—and Paul prays for us. Take time to know that you are being prayed for by the entire communion of saints who long for you to be loving and a good witness to the God who loves you so much.

Dear friend, let us pray: You, O God, give us meaning in our lives. Thank you. You, O God, give us jobs to do in spreading your love on earth. Thank you. Fill us with just enough fear of your coming again that we might be motivated to work well. So fill us with your love that we may confidently share your love with the world for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 13, 2012

Today we celebrate the baptism of Jesus and remember the dove descending on him and the voice from heaven saying, “This is my Son, the beloved, in whom I am well pleased.” And we think of what it means to be God and the Son of God. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection showed forth the kind of servant, the kind of son, God’s child is. So does the prophecy in Isaiah 42: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching.”

Dear friend, Jesus is the suffering servant of the prophet Isaiah–bruised and yet working for the blind to see and the prisoners to be brought out of the dungeons and justice to be restored on the earth. We, too, are children of God. Through our baptism into the suffering and death and resurrection of Jesus, we are given the mandate to bring about justice for the poor and oppressed. And, like Jesus, we are called children of God.

Let us pray: Jesus, you were baptized by John in the river Jordan and sent to bring justice to the world. Use us as your servants and give us the courage to suffer with you. We pray in your name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 14, 2012

The Psalmist begins Psalm 45 with a description of what is happening to him, “My heart is stirring with a noble song; let me recite what I have fashioned for the king; my tongue shall be the pen of a skilled writer.” He goes on to extol the virtues of a strong young warrior anointed by God and a beautiful princess who pleases the king. The images are old; we might even call them sexist. But the beauty of this Psalm is that the Psalmist is singing of how God’s love and righteousness will be maintained forever.

When your hear stirs with a noble song, dear friend, how do you describe the ways in which God is manifested in the world? Can you write a poem? Tell a story to a child? Sing a song of joy? Do an act of kindness for a stranger? Reach out in love to one in need? Our hearts, too, are stirred by the love of God. It is always the Holy Spirit that brings beauty and purpose to that which we do.

Let us pray: Awaken our weary hearts, O God, that we may employ our gifts to spread the joy of your presence to the world. Allow us the grace to rely on your Spirit to guide and direct and give purpose to us. Help us to trust only you. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 15, 2012

In Mark 1, Jesus is teaching in the synagogue, “and his teaching made a deep impression on his hearers because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority.” Jesus then casts out an unclean spirit and the people are astonished and say, “Here is a teaching that is new, and with authority behind it. He gives orders even to unclean spirits and they obey him.”

Dear friend, the rabbis of Jesus’ day taught that which they had been taught before; they passed on tradition. Jesus was different, different because he and the Father were one, different because he knew God! We, too, are invited to know God, to teach with authority. This is not an invitation to a “lone ranger” kind of being different; this is not an invitation to a “different” kind of faith. Rather it is an invitation to union with God through Word and Sacrament and Christian community. Through such union, we, too, know God and are given a humble authority–not our own, but God’s! Such authority empowers us for loving, sacrificial service.

Let us pray: O God, you know that we cannot withstand the dangers that surround us. Strengthen us in union with you so that we may serve you faithfully, filled with the power of the Spirit, as did our Lord Jesus Christ in whose name we pray. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 16, 2012

In the third chapter of II Corinthians, St. Paul writes that we have freedom and see the glory of the Lord, although reflected, with unveiled faces. “Therefore,” he says, “since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart.”

Dear friend, these are words of encouragement, words in which we can rest when we do begin to lose heart. We know that we are not alone; we know Jesus’ glory and presence through Word and Sacrament and Christian community; we know that the glory of Jesus was made fully known in his suffering and therefore, when we suffer, we do not lose heart because we know that our loving God transfigures the suffering of this world into beauty and love. We know that out of every evil situation, God can and does work good. Take heart this day, and trust in God.

Let us pray: Faithful God, bolster our courage and our faith that, as we walk through the trials and changes of this mortal life, we may keep heart because of your love for us through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 17, 2012

Christians believe that Isaiah 11 is a prophecy of Jesus’ coming. “A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse, a scion thrusts from his roots; in him the spirit of Yahweh resides, a spirit of wisdom and insight, a spirit of counsel and power, a spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.”

We believe that these qualities–wisdom and insight, counsel and power and knowledge and the fear of God–were perfectly manifested in Jesus. These are qualities for which we specifically pray at baptism, laying hands on the head of the newly-baptized and asking that, through the Holy Spirit, these qualities be poured into the new child of God. Dear friend, it is reasonable to ask that the qualities of Jesus be manifested in the lives of us who bear his name.

Let us pray: Giving God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, grant to us your servants the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 18, 2012

I Peter 1:17–”You call him Father, when you pray to God who judges all people by the same standard, according to what each one has done; so then, spend the rest of your lives here on earth in reverence for God.”

Dear friend, dear sister, dear brother–it is true that Jesus taught us to pray saying ‘Our Father.’ This prayer is our birthright through our baptism, But belonging to the Christian family, children of God, also has responsibilities. Peter suggests that one of them is to spend the rest of our lives in reverence, fully aware that we are in the presence of God. That is an awesome thought–1)because God is the God who judges us all impartially but 2) because God is the God who saves us by the sacrifice of Jesus. Knowing that every minute of your life is lived in the sight and love of that God leads us to changed behavior.

Let us pray: Father God, your presence is real to us in Word and Sacrament and Christian community. Make us so aware of your being in, with and under our lives that we live in total reverence of you. We pray in Jesus name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 19, 2012

Jerusalem is built as a city that is at unity with itself; to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, the assembly of Israel, to praise the name of the Lord.” Psalm 122:3-4. The Psalmist writes of Jerusalem as the city on the mountain to which Isaiah 2 refers–all nations will stream to it. So think of Jerusalem today, dear friend. In the midst of conflict and terrorism, Jerusalem stands not as a beacon of peace but often of terror. But the truth of the image holds.

God has created a mountain, a city, a dwelling where we all belong, where we will all be welcomed, where we will all praise God and be at peace. In history, it could be Jerusalem as we know it–or it could be the Sahara desert. The actual place doesn’t matter, and may be a metaphor anyway. What matters is that we understand that our job is to prepare the way to the place of God where true worshipers will worship God in spirit and in truth. This will be a place where all people are not only welcomed but accompanied and assisted on their way. “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord….Peace be within your walls and quietness within your towers.”

Let us pray: God, bring us peace in our time. Give us the sense to stop fighting over specifics and rejoice and worship you in Spirit and in truth, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 20, 2012

Family is a growing concept in the twenty-first-century United States. An ideal family used to be a mother and a father and a son and a daughter, living together in a red-brick house with a white picket fence and a floppy-eared dog. Today, family is any combination of people who live together and who are committed in love one to another.

Our culture teaches us that the first definition of family is “authentic,” even Biblical. But listen to Jesus’ definition of family. He is speaking to a crowd and the message comes to him that his mother and brothers are looking for him. Jesus asks, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” His answer is recorded in the third chapter of Mark…”Looking around at those sitting in a circle about him, Jesus said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers and my sisters. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.’” Those who do the loving will of God are family to Jesus.

Let us pray: Loving Jesus, through our baptism you are our brother. Make us faithful members of your family, ready to do the will of God. We pray in your name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 21, 2012

A prayer of St. Paul from I Thessalonians 3:12-13: “And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you, And may God so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.”

We have a simple job to do here on earth—simple but not easy. And that job is to abound in love, to be holy and in good relationship with God and with all others, all the while maintaining our integrity as children of God. Paul prayed for the people of Thessalonica—and Paul prays for us. Take time to remember that Jesus is coming again and expects us to be doing our job well. Take time as well to know that you are being prayed for by the entire communion of saints who long for you to be loving and a good witness to the God who loves you so much.

Dear friend, let us pray: You, O God, give us meaning in our lives. Thank you. You, O God, give us jobs to do in spreading your love on earth. Thank you. Fill us with just enough fear of your coming again that we might be motivated to work well. So fill us with your love that we may confidently share your love with the world for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 22, 2012

Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness. And when he saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.” Good description of the world today, don’t you think? Harassed and dejected. Lost. Looking for the way to go home. Looking for happiness. Like sheep without a shepherd, looking for a leader. These are dangerous times, dear friend. Dangerous times because in our seeking for a shepherd, we often look for one to fill our human need of having more, of being better than the other, of being ‘one up.’ And we could easily end up with a Hitler who fills our human needs and destroys other humans.

Instead, look to Jesus and his teachings to be your leader. Realize that you are called to be a shepherd for others, to call them to love and hope and God. Jesus ends this section by saying, “‘The harvest is rich but the laborers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers to the harvest,’” You, too, sister and brother in Christ, are called to be laborers in this harvest.

Let us pray: God, you call us your precious and chosen children. Keep our eyes focused on your leadership and guidance. When we are straying, find us; when we are wrong, correct us; when we are leading, guide us, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 23, 2012

The other night, I walked into a dark church. It was raining outside and no light came into the windows. The darkness was so oppressive that I sank immediately to my knees and could not walk forward. I could not see the altar or the pews–so I simply knelt there and prayed. After a while, it seemed a little lighter, so I carefully made my way to the front of the sanctuary. As I knelt there–for a fairly long time, my eyes became adjusted to the darkness. I could see a faint reflection from the edge of the cross. The sanctuary lamp dimly illuminated the altar. The light of Christ overcame the darkness.

As I knelt there, I remembered that one of the fruits of the Spirit is listed in Galatians 5 was patience. My life is a lot like that time in the chapel. I begin a new experience and I can’t see far enough in front of me to take the next step. I am tempted to flee, but if I wait and trust God, gradually my world is illumined. By the time I left the chapel last night, I could make my way just fine.

Dear friend, let us pray: Jesus, you are the light of the world. Grant us patience until that time when we may see our way in the light you provide. We pray in your name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 24, 2012

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless God’s holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all God’s benefits. God forgives all your sins and heals all your infirmities and redeems your life from the grave and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness. God satisfies you with good things and your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.” Psalm 103

Dear friend, have you ever met an older person who, although their bodies might be failing them, thought young? They are open to new ideas and to making new friends. They are more tolerant on many issues than I am. My mother is a person like that. And, to a person, these people have certain qualities in common. Their lives are filled with gratitude and praise and they are firmly rooted in the love and forgiveness of God. Some of these people are losing their hearing or sight; some are nearing death; but their openness and love are fresh and young. I understand through them how God renews our youth like an eagle’s.

Let us pray: Eternal God, give us lips to praise you and hearts to trust you that our youth may be renewed like the eagles and we might bear your love to the world for our whole lives. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 25, 2012

In the third chapter of II Corinthians, St. Paul writes that we have freedom and see the glory of the Lord, although reflected, with unveiled faces. “Therefore,” he says, “since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart.”

Dear friend, these are words of encouragement, words in which we can rest when we do begin to lose heart. We know that we are not alone; we know Jesus’ glory and presence through Word and Sacrament and Christian community; we know that the glory of Jesus was made fully known in his suffering and therefore, when we suffer, we do not lose heart because we know that our loving God transfigures the suffering of this world into beauty and love. We know that out of every evil situation, God can and does work good. Take heart this day, and trust in God.

Let us pray: Faithful God, bolster our courage and our faith that, as we walk through the trials and changes of this mortal life, we may keep heart because of your love for us through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 26, 2012

Do you believe the prophecies in Scripture? Do you believe they were true for the people of Israel? Do you believe that they are true, also, for you? Try Isaiah 30 on for size. “Yes, people of Zion, you will live in Jerusalem and weep no more. God will be gracious to you when God hears your cry; when God hears God will answer. When the Lord has given you the bread of suffering and the water of distress, the One who is your teacher will hide no longer, and you will see your teacher with your own eyes. Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear these words behind you, ‘This is the way, follow it.’”

The prophet acknowledges weeping and suffering and distress–realities in our lives. But the prophet also boldly proclaims that we are not alone, that God accompanies us. The promises of God, the prophecies of God, are always true. That does not mean that God likes us ‘just the way we are.’ But it does mean God loves us ‘just the way we are’ and further, invites us to come closer to God, to follow God, to be perfect in love like God. That seemingly-impossible task, dear friend, is made attemptable because God listens to us, teaches us, and shows us the path of life.

Let us pray: You, O God, promise to be with us always. Allow us to read your Holy Word and hear our names included. Allow us to follow your Way. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 27, 2012

You know the parable of the sower. A person sowed seed and some fell on the edge of the path where the birds ate it; some fell on rocky ground where it found little soil and grew up fast but withered because it had no roots; some fell into thorns which choked it; but some fell into rich soil and grew strong and tall and produced much fruit.

You are probably also familiar with the explanation of the parable recorded in Mark 4. The seed is the Word of God; the soil is our hearts. Jesus is inviting us, dear friend, to be good soil, to cultivate our lives so that we take the time to hear the Word, that we nurture it in our lives so that it might grow and so that we might bear the fruit of love and good works in our lives. Plow the field of your life today to make a furrow in the rich soil in which the Word of God can be planted. Fertilize and water that seed. Then trust God for the harvest.

Let us pray: Lord of the harvest, grant that our lives may be fertile soil for the seed of your Word and that we might bear the good fruit of your love through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 28, 2012

“As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him.’” Mark 1: 16-18

Change is never easy. People often complain to me about change–change in the worship life of the church, change in the family, change in the way we do things. So the story of Jesus calling the first disciples is always amazing to me. First is the simplicity of Jesus’ request–follow me, now you are catching fish but soon you will be catching people. Second is the response to the request for such a radical change. Immediately, they got up and followed Jesus. Jesus speaks to us in love every day, and often asks for change–to a more-loving lifestyle, to concern for all people, away from destructive habits, toward union with God and neighbor. Dear friend, listen for the voice of Jesus asking you to follow. Are you willing to leave your task and change? Immediately?

Let us pray: O God of love, you ask that we continually be changed into your likeness. Grant us the grace to follow–immediately–for the sake of the One who called others to follow, Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 29, 2012

Psalm 1 reads: “Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful. Their delight is in the law of the Lord, and they meditate on God’s law day and night.”

Dear friend, there are many ways to read Scripture. One way is to read it for its content. Thus Psalm 1 could be interpreted, ‘People who keep the law of God are happy.’ Another way is to enter into Scripture, to ponder it, to meditate on it. So a person might read, “Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked…” and ask, ‘Where do I see evil today? How can I avoid sinning? How might I delight in the law of God? Happy, happy am I when I live my life in the light of God’s law and love.’ This kind of contemplation of Scripture allows us to carry a passage through the day and the night with us. It opens us to hear God speaking through that text in every situation that happens during that day. “Happy are they who meditate on God’s law day and night.”

Let us pray: Holy God, you became incarnate to us through the person of Jesus. Become incarnate to us also through the words of Scripture. Etch them into our hearts where we may meditate on them day and night, for the sake of Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 30, 2012

Psalm 1 says that people who meditate on the law of God day and night are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; everything they do shall prosper.

When I was a child, I lived near Cedar Creek and often played along its banks. By the creek, strong willow trees grew, with sturdy branches that we could grab at a run and use to swing way out across the flowing water. There were weeping willows in other places in the park, but the strongest grew right on the banks of the creek where the roots could draw water from that plentiful source. Dear friend, we are invited by the psalmist to be strong also, to drink deeply from the plentiful Word of God, to plant ourselves by the living streams of God’s presence in our lives. Thus strengthened, we can carry others with strong arms. Meditate today on God’s Word, on God’s love for you.

Let us pray: Eternal God, your Word promises us strength and life. Give us grace to be planted by the streams of your love, that we might bear good fruit for you. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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January 31, 2012

In the first Psalm, the Psalmist contrasts the righteous with the wicked. He says that everything that those who delight in God do shall prosper, but it is not so with the wicked, they are like chaff which the wind blows away.

I’m a city person. I was well into adulthood before I saw endless fields of wheat in Nebraska. The farmer picked a few stalks for me, and then broke off the heads. He rolled them between his palms until he had what looked to me like a pile of straw. Gently, he held his palm up to his mouth, pursed his lips, and blew. The “straw,” the chaff, flew away at the puff of his breath. There remained in his hand the round, wholesome kernels of wheat. The Psalmist would divide the world into two kinds of people: the righteous and the wicked. Most of us are–at the same time–sinners, and yet justified. How fortunate our God gently takes us in hand and, with the Word of forgiveness, blows the chaff of our sin away.

Dear friend, let us pray: Forgiving God, allow us to trust you to take the whole of our lives into your hand, to shape us according to your will, and to gently blow away the chaff, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sunday morning at 11 and Tuesday evening at 7. We invite you to join us.

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Dear friend, do you know what a Jesse tree is? Essentially it is a great big dead branch. On the first Sunday of Advent (four Sundays before Christmas) we stand it up in the front of the sanctuary. We decorate it with blue ribbons (the color of hope), pictures that remind us of salvation history (the apple, the ark, the flood) and bring gifts for those in need or those in prison and place them under the tree. The biblical origin of this tree comes from Isaiah 11 where the prophet writes of the coming of the virtuous king and the coming of the Messiah: “A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse, a scion thrusts from his roots: on him the spirit of Yahweh rests, a spirit of wisdom and insight, a spirit of counsel and power, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of Yahweh.”

During Advent, we celebrate that this messiah-king has come in history, keeps coming in our hearts, and will come again. Take a look today at the dead branches in your life. Dress them in the color of hope, remind them of God’s saving presence in your life, and, under them, place gifts for those in need. The Jesse tree reminds us that Jesus is Savior, has come into our lives, and will bring new life to our dead places as Christ comes again.

Let us pray: Dress us in hope in our hopeless times O God. Use us for good in our despair. Remind us of your loving presence and bring us new life. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 2, 2011

Surprise! A party to celebrate a joyful occasion in your life! Surprise! Your mother is watching you steal the cookies from the top of the refrigerator!

Surprises take a number of forms in our lives, but they basically break down into two categories of memorable surprises–the delightful and the disastrous ones. Jesus is talking about surprises–both kinds–in Matthew 24:37-41. “As it was in Noah’s day, so will it be when the Son of Man comes. For in those days before the Flood people were eating, drinking, taking wives, taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and they suspected nothing till the Flood came and swept all away. It will be like this when the Son of Man comes. Then of two men in the fields one is taken, one left; of two women at the millstone grinding, one is taken, one left.” Now you might ask, dear friend, how the Flood could have been a complete surprise when Noah had been spending however much time it took to make an ark big enough to accommodate his entire household and every kind of animal. And yet his neighbors were totally surprised at the coming of the Flood! The signs of the coming were present, but most were not able to hear or see them. Will we see the signs of Jesus coming again?

Let us pray: Jesus, you speak throughout your Word of your presence and your coming again. Keep us alert always. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us

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Dec 3, 2011

In Romans 13:12, St Paul admonishes us: “The night is almost over, it will be daylight soon–let us give up all the things we prefer to do under the cover of the dark; let us arm ourselves and appear in the light.”

When I was younger and was having company over in the evening, I used to have a trick. I never had enough time to thoroughly clean so, in the bathroom, I would clean the toilet, wipe the sink, put an X of masking tape over the light switch and put candles on the sink, in front of the mirror, and on the radiator. The gentle glow, especially reflected in the mirror, made everything look lovely. And nobody could see the dirt!

It takes courage to appear in the light. All of our personal ‘dirt’ is exposed. But St. Paul encourages us to understand that soon, all of us will be in the light all of the time, the perfect light of Jesus. Therefore, he asks us to arm ourselves and get ready to appear in the light. Consider, dear friend, taking time this Advent season to sit quietly in the gentle, loving light of Jesus and sharing our regrets, our brokenness, asking for forgiveness, enjoying God’s presence and walking in the light.

Let us pray: Dear Jesus: We want to walk as children of light. We want to follow you. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 4 2011

“All these things which were written so long ago were written so that we, learning perseverance and the encouragement which the scriptures give, should have hope.” Romans 15 verse 4.

Hope is longing for something when there is some expectation of obtaining it. My daughter once hoped for a bicycle for Christmas–she had a good chance of getting it! My son hoped to be given a car–no such luck! We, as Christians, can learn that it makes sense to continue to hope–and work for–the coming of God’s kingdom because our expectations are experiential. We can learn this by reading the Bible and seeking God’s actions in our lives. St. Paul reminds us that, seeing how God has always acted faithfully in the lives of God’s people gives us hope and the realistic expectation that God will continue to work in our lives. Reading the Bible also teaches us that God’s time is not our time and that God works in ways which we do not expect. Advent is the season of hope. Advent is the season of waiting for God. Remember how God has acted and continue to hope for and trust in the coming of God’s kingdom.

Let us pray: God of hope, grace us with the time and the discipline to remain faithful to you and to read your Word so that our lives may be filled with hope. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 5, 2011

“Jerusalem is built as a city that is at unity with itself; to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, the assembly of Israel, to praise the name of the Lord.” Psalm 122:3-4. The Psalmist writes of Jerusalem as the city on the mountain to which Isaiah 2 refers–all nations will stream to it. So think of Jerusalem today, dear friend. In the midst of conflict and terrorism, Jerusalem stands not as a beacon of peace but often of terror. But the truth of the image holds.

God has created a mountain, a city, a dwelling where we all belong, where we will all be welcomed, where we will all praise God and be at peace. In history, it could be Jerusalem as we know it–or it could be the Sahara desert. The actual place doesn’t matter, and may be a metaphor anyway. What matters is that we understand our job is to prepare the way to the place of God where true worshippers will worship God in spirit and in truth. This will be a place where all people are not only welcomed but accompanied and assisted on their way. “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord….Peace be within your walls and quietness within your towers.”

Let us pray: God, bring us peace in our time. Give us the sense to stop fighting over specifics and rejoice and worship you in Spirit and in truth. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 6, 2011

Do you ever get tired of waiting patiently? No wonder the householder in Matthew 21:42-44 got tired and fell asleep. He didn’t know what time the burglar was coming, forgot the danger of living in a high-risk neighborhood, and went to bed without protecting the wall of his house. If he had known the time the burglar was coming, he would have stayed awake!

And so it is with us, dear friend. We know the kinds of faithful, compassionate lives we need to be living while we wait for the coming again of our savior. We know how to live in love these generations of waiting for the fulfillment of the kingdom. We just get tired, or a little bored, or distracted by the things of this life–and we are no longer attentive to the presence of Jesus in the least of our sisters and brothers and in each and every dear neighbor.

Would it be easier to stay alert if we realized that Jesus not only will come again in the end times, but is coming again and again and again to us each day? Let us pray for the eyes to see this Jesus in our midst.

Jesus, open our eyes to your Being in the poor, the orphaned, the widowed, the abandoned, the imprisoned, the forgotten and the abused. Let us never tire of recognizing your presence in our lives with joy. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 7, 2011

During Advent, we picture times of peace, times when all people will live together in love. Isaiah pictures the peace of all creating in Isaiah 11 where he writes, “The wolf lives with the lamb, the panther lies down with the kid, calf and lion cub feed together with a little boy to lead them. The cow and the bear make friends, their young lie down together. The lion eats straw like the ox. The infant plays over the cobra’s hole; into the viper’s lair the young child puts his hand. They do not hurt, do no harm, on all my holy mountain, for the country is filled with the knowledge of Yahweh as the waters swell the sea.”

Picture the time, dear friend, when all will live in peace. When the Jew will eat with the Arab, the black will live with the white, the gang member will rest with the suburbanite. The poor and the rich will be friends. The European will eat beans and rice with the Latin American. The baby will play with the A-bomb and the infant will be safe and cared for in Afghanistan. Picture that time. Now know, that with the birth of Jesus, that time has begun. We are the artists God has commissioned to bring this picture into being. What are you doing about that commission, my creative and loving friend?

Let us pray: Give us the tools we need, loving God, to make real the pictures of peace you give to us. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec. 8, 2011
“Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness. And when he saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Good description of the world today, don’t you think? Harassed and dejected. Lost. Looking for the way to go home. Looking for happiness. Like sheep without a shepherd, looking for a leader. These are dangerous times, dear friend. Dangerous times because in our seeking for a shepherd, we often look for one to fill our human need of having more, of being better than the other, of being ‘one up.’ And we could easily end up with a Hitler who fills our human needs and destroys other humans. Instead, look to Jesus and his teachings to be your leader. Realize that you are called to be a shepherd for others, to call them to love and hope and God. Jesus ends this section by saying, “‘The harvest is rich but the laborers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers to the harvest,’” You, too, sister and brother in Christ, are called to be laborers in this harvest.

Let us pray: God, you call us your precious and chosen children. Keep our eyes focused on your leadership and guidance. When we are straying, find us; when we are wrong, correct us; when we are leading, guide us. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 9, 2011

Do you believe the prophecies in Scripture? Do you believe they were true for the people of Israel? Do you believe that they are true, also, for you? Try Isaiah 30 on for size. “Yes, people of Zion, you will live in Jerusalem and weep no more. God will be gracious to you when God hears your cry; when God hears God will answer. When the Lord has given you the bread of suffering and the water of distress, the One who is your teacher will hide no longer, and you will see your teacher with your own eyes. Whether you turn to right or left, your ears will hear these words behind you, ‘This is the way, follow it.’”

The prophet acknowledges weeping and suffering and distress, realities in our lives. But the prophet also boldly proclaims that we are not alone, that God accompanies us. The promises of God, the prophecies of God, are always true. That does not mean that God likes us ‘just the way we are.’ But it does mean God loves us ‘just the way we are’ and further, invites us to come closer to God, to follow God, to be perfect in love like God. That seemingly-impossible task, dear friend, is made attemptable because God listens to us, teaches us, and shows us the path of life.

Let us pray: You, O God, promise to be with us always. Allow us to read your Holy Word and hear our names included. Allow us to follow your Way. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 10, 2011

Persistence! The Bible is full of stories of persistence. The persistence of Abraham and Sarah in believing the promises of God to give them children even though they were very old. The persistence of the people of Israel as they wandered through the wilderness for forty years before they reached the promised land. The persistence of the prophets in proclaiming the need to return to the one true God in the midst of the exile and the temptations of worshipping Baal. The persistence of the widow who kept pestering the judge for justice. The persistence of the man knocking until his neighbor got up out of bed and gave him what he needed. Notice, dear friend, that many of these stories of persistence are also riddled with the faithlessness of the people of God. But God continued to call to them. God’s persistence gave them the persistence to keep following and trusting, even in difficult and questionable times. St. Paul writes in Romans 15:4, “And indeed everything that was written long ago in the scriptures was meant to teach us something about hope from the examples scripture gives of how people who did not give up were helped by God. Remember these stories of persistence. Tell them to each other. Allow them to encourage you and give you hope.

Let us pray: Persistent God, grant us the grace that we may be persistent in placing our hope in you. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 11, 2011

I seem to have weak hands. E.g., I have a hard time opening jars. Weak hands are a particular problem when my husband and I used to go rock climbing. I would need to hold tight to the edge of the rock or I would fall. And when I fell I would have to hold tight to the rope or my face would get smashed against the rock face. All in all, rock climbing was, for me, a scary experience. So I hear the prophecy in Isaiah 35 with great joy, “Strengthen all weary hands, steady all trembling knees and say to all faint hearts, ‘Courage! Do not be afraid.’” Why did the prophet proclaim this? Because, “‘Look, your God is coming….God is coming to save you.’”

That’s how it was with rock climbing. Keith would be hanging over the top edge, encouraging me and promising to let me down gently. I never got seriously hurt–just weary and trembling. And so it is with us, dear friend. God is coming to save us. So strengthen your hands, steady your knees and be of good courage. Jesus is with us now and Jesus is coming again soon.

Let us pray: Isaiah speaks words of comfort and encouragement to us, O God. Thank you for experiences that remind us of your active and saving presence in our lives. Keep us always open to you. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 12, 2011

The Psalmist begins Psalm 45 with a description of what is happening to him, “My heart is stirring with a noble song; let me recite what I have fashioned for the king; my tongue shall be the pen of a skilled writer.” He goes on to extol the virtues of a strong young warrior anointed by God and a beautiful princess who pleases the king. The images are old; we might even call them sexist. But the beauty of this Psalm is that the Psalmist is singing of how God’s love and righteousness will be maintained forever.

When your heart stirs with a noble song, dear friend, how do you describe the ways in which God is manifested in the world? Can you write a poem? Tell a story to a child? Sing a song of joy? Do an act of kindness for a stranger? Reach out in love to one in need? Our hearts, too, are stirred by the love of God. It is always the Holy Spirit that brings beauty and purpose to that which we do.

Let us pray: Awaken our weary hearts, O God, that we may employ our gifts to spread the joy of your presence to the world. Allow us the grace to rely on your Spirit to guide and direct and give purpose to us. Help us to trust only you. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec. 13, 2011

December 13th is Santa Lucia Day. St. Lucy is an Italian saint whose name means light. The story goes that when she refused to marry a suitor, she was denounced as a Christian and sentenced to life in a brothel. Because the guards were unable to move her, she was burned at the spot. Since the flames didn’t touch her, she was stabbed through the throat. She is the patron saint of those with eye trouble probably because one of the legends have her eyes being ripped out and presented to the suitor who had admired them. In our family, we celebrate Santa Lucia Day in the Swedish way by having one of the daughters (or now me) bring hot coffee and cocoa and rolls to each of us while we are still in bed. The bearer of these gifts wears a wreath of candles on her head! The symbolism is beautiful–and true. In the midst of this dark and cold day in December, the bearer of these sustaining gifts is a sign of the light of Jesus Christ overcoming the darkness of the world. Isaiah 60 puts it like this, “Arise, shine out, for your light has come, the glory of the Lord is rising on you, though night still covers the earth and darkness the peoples.” Arise, shine, for your light has come.

Dear friend, let us pray: Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the way for your only Son. By his coming give us strength in our conflicts and shed light on our path through the darkness of this world. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 14, 2011

What do you do for extra energy, dear friend? Vitamins? Exercise? Sleep? Chocolate? Caffeine? Isaiah suggests in the 40th chapter that hoping in God renews our strength. He writes, “Young men may grow tired and weary, youths may stumble, but those who hope in Yahweh renew their strength, they put out wings like eagles. They run and do not grow weary, walk and never tire.”

Sounds almost too good to be true, doesn’t it? Sort of like a platitude. And yet modern physicians tell us that stress reduction, prayer and meditation are important ways not only to renew our strength but to strengthen our immune systems and be protected from disease. Isn’t it interesting how often seemingly-overly-simplified statements from Scripture end up bearing an everlasting truth to us. Hope in God; trust in God. Faith can put the rest of life in perspective; we understand that God is in charge and that we are not; we can have our strength restored.

Let us pray: Constant God, give us the courage to trust the difficult parts of our lives to you. Allow us to release them to your care and know that you are with us always. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 15, 2011

They say that as fetuses develop in our wombs, they are affected by what goes on outside of them. I once read about a study of newborns who quieted when the music from their mothers’ favorite soap operas came on–because their mothers had always sat down and relaxed to watch their soaps. The story of Jesus and John the Baptist greeting each other from their mothers’ wombs is similar. It is recorded in Luke 1. Elizabeth and Zechariah are very old and yet when Zechariah is serving in the temple, he is told that his wife would become pregnant with a child who, would essentially, be a prophet. The confirming sign is that Mary, the young virgin kinswoman of Elizabeth, would also become pregnant. When Mary is told of her pregnancy, and Elizabeth’s, she travels to see her kinswoman and is greeted by Elizabeth who says, “Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.” All of life, dear friend, is an expression of God’s wondrous love.

Let us pray: You, O God, are present with us even before conception and after death. Allow our earthly lives to be expressions of marvel and wonder at your love. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 16, 2011

John the Baptizer, born of old Zechariah and old Elizabeth, lived an austere life. He wandered the wilderness of Judea preaching a message of repentance for the Kingdom of God was near. He wore a garment made of camel-hair with a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Today, we would probably call him eccentric. But John had a very specific goal; his task was to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. His method was preaching followed by the baptism of repentance. His fiery preaching got him in trouble, however. He called the Pharisees and Sadducees a brood of vipers and told them that if they were repentant, they would produce the fruits of repentance. He predicted judgment on them and said, “I baptize you in water for repentance, but the one who follows me is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to carry his sandals; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Mt:3)

Dear friend, consider today how you are preparing the way for Jesus to come again. Are you bearing either the fruits of righteousness or the fruits of repentance? Are you willing to sacrifice some of your comfortable life style to proclaim the coming kingdom? Think about it!

Let us pray: God center us on you that we, like John the Baptizer, may boldly proclaim your coming. Even so Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 17, 2011

This is the story. Moses, born in Egypt and cared for by Pharaohs daughter, has not yet been called by God to be a leader of the Israelites. As a matter of fact, he has escaped to Midian because he a fellow-Hebrew who had seen him secretly kill an Egyptian threatened to report him. There he married Zipporah and tended his father-in-law’s flocks. One day at work, an angel of the Lord appeared to Moses as a fire in the middle of a bush which was not being consumed. As Moses approached, God spoke to him, told him to take off his shoes because this was holy ground, identified God’s self as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and commissioned him to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. Moses questions God, “Who, me?” And God reveals God’s name to Moses–”I AM who I Am.”

Dear friend, Moses was called to lead his people out of oppression. He protested. We, too, are called to work together, perhaps to lead, the people of God out of the oppression of this age. Do you hear that call? Will you protest? Will you answer yes anyway?

Let us pray: O Adonai and ruler of the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the burning bush and gave him the Law on Sinai: Come with an outstretched arm and redeem us. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. Our Christmas Eve service is at 8 PM. Our Christmas morning service is at 10 AM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec. 18, 2011

Have you ever been so afraid that your hands tremble and your knees turn to jelly? I remember the first time, many years ago, when I shared the leadership of Vacation Bible School with a friend. Barb was afraid to stand up in front of the whole congregation. She handed me the piece of paper we had to read and said, “You hold it.” I took it, we walked to the front of the church, and my knees were so wobbly and my hands trembled so much that we couldn’t read the words on the paper. It was shaking so badly Barb had to take it out of my hand. Prayer might have helped me.

So would the words of Isaiah 35:3 and 4: “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God.” Isn’t it true, dear friend, that when we remember that God is near, we shake a whole lot less. When we trust that God is in charge, no matter what is happening to us, we are less afraid. When the Body of Christ shows us God’s presence, we are strengthened even in the midst of trouble. If you are afraid today, pray–and remember the words of Isaiah.

Let us pray: Jesus, you loved us enough to become human and share our lives. Remind us of your presence and your love. Strengthen us when we are weak and make us stable when we are shaken so that we might be a faithful witness to your love. We pray in your name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. Our Christmas Eve service is at 8 PM. Our Christmas morning service is at 10 AM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 19, 2011

My husband has a book that traces his mother’s side of the family for generations back to Denmark, but I’m not particularly interested in my own genealogy. All those unknown names! I guess that’s why I tend to skip over the genealogies of Jesus listed in Matthew 1 (and differently in Luke 3). But when I take the time, there are certainly a few features worth noting, even for me! First, both gospels trace Jesus’ genealogy to Joseph (?!?); the goal is to establish legal descent and hereditary rights, in this case the rights of the Messiah. In Matthew, the list goes back to Abraham and to Jesse, the father of King David, the forebear of the righteous king who would rule forever. Three women are included: Tamar, Rahab and Ruth, all foreigners. Luke goes back to Adam, has only two similar names, and has no women! So what does all this matter to faith? What matters is that, according to the culture of that day, both Matthew and Luke are certifying that Jesus is the Son of David, Son of God. What matters is that Jesus was born to be the Messiah and is the fulfillment of the promises of centuries. What matters is that Jesus is our Messiah,

Let us pray: O Root of Jesse, standing as an ensign before the peoples, before whom all kings are mute, to whom the nations will do homage: Come quickly to deliver us. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. Our Christmas Eve service is at 8 PM. Our Christmas morning service is at 10 AM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 20, 2011

Every month, a group from St. Andrew leads worship at the Allegheny County Jail. At Christmas, we collect stamps for the inmates, buy them Bibles, and carol in one of the pods. We started on this ministry because all people need to hear the Word of God and to know of the salvation of Jesus. I don’t think it occurred to us that we were filling a very specific command of Jesus to visit those in prison. And yet, in Matthew 25, Jesus tells those who are listening that if they fed, gave a drink to, clothed, welcomed or visited in prison one of the least of our brothers and sisters, we did it to Jesus.

So this holiday season, will you visit, welcome, give food or drink or clothe one who has less than you? Do it, dear friend, for Jesus’ sake.

Let us pray: O Key of David and scepter of the house of Israel, you open and no one can close, you close and no one can open: Come and rescue the prisoners who are in darkness and the shadow of death. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. Our Christmas Eve service is at 8 PM. Our Christmas morning service is at 10 AM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 21, 2011

John 1: “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things came to be, not one thing had its being but through him. All that came to be had life in him and that life was the light of all, a light that shines in the dark, a light that the darkness could not overcome.”

Familiar and beautiful are these words from the Gospel of John. We who are Christians believe this Word and this light to be Jesus. As we approach the shortest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere, isn’t it comforting to know that God has given us a light which shines even in the darkness, a city where no lamp is needed for the light is Jesus, a life where, even in our darkest moments, we are illuminated by the presence of Jesus. As we prepare to celebrate the human birth of our Lord, think of the steady, comforting and challenging presence of the Everlasting Light.

Let us pray: O Dayspring, splendor of light everlasting: Come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. Even so Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. Our Christmas Eve service is at 8 PM. Our Christmas morning service is at 10 AM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 22, 2011

The people of Israel longed for a human king. (Before that, God was their king; such a government is called a theocracy.) God gave them Saul, then David, then a succession of kings. As the kings continued to depart from God, God promised them a Faithful King, an Everlasting Ruler, a Messiah. We have been given this King whom we call Jesus.

Sometimes, dear friend, it seems like we too are asking God for another ruler–one with skin on! We are dissatisfied with the Reign of God, the Kingdom of Heaven, which was ushered in with Jesus’ death and resurrection. Being invited to serve our neighbor and suffer on behalf of another, being invited to die, is not our idea of a noble realm. We, who are very willing to sing “Hark the herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the newborn king!’” are not always so willing to obey his leadership. This gentle, loving king models for us a life of poverty and service. Dear friend, our ancestors asked for this king–we get to choose if we want to obey his rule.

Let us pray: O King of the nations, the ruler they long for, the cornerstone uniting all people: Come and save us all, whom you have formed out of clay. Even so Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. Our Christmas Eve service is at 8 PM. Our Christmas morning service is at 10 AM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 23, 2011

In Isaiah 7, God is speaking to King Ahaz and tells him to ask for a sign. Ahaz refuses to put God to the test so God answers, “‘Listen now, House of David; are you not satisfied with trying the patience of men without trying the patience of my God, too? The Lord, therefore, will give you a sign. It is this: the maiden is with child and will soon give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel.’”

Don’t we, too, long for a sign dear friend? Any sign! A sign of the way in which we should go. A sign that God is still with us. A sign that we are loved. King Ahaz is given a sign, but a sign that will not be fulfilled for generations. And yet, he is asked to trust in that sign from God. We, too, are given a sign. The sign is Jesus the Christ who is coming again. The sign is Jesus the Christ who has saved us by his life death and resurrection. The sign is Jesus the Christ who is present in Word and Sacrament and Christian community. Believe in the sign, in the person, in the God, who is Jesus.

Let us pray: O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver, the anointed of the nations and their Savior: Come and save us, O Lord our God. Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. Our Christmas Eve service is at 8 PM. Our Christmas morning service is at 10 AM.We invite you to join us.

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Dec 24, 2011

A reading from Matthew, the first chapter: “This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a man of honor and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her quietly. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfill the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call his name Emmanuel,’ a name which means ‘God-with-us.’ When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home and, though he had not known her, she gave birth to a son; and he named the child Jesus.”

Dear friend, the details of the familiar stories vary from gospel to gospel, but the reason remains the same. Jesus was born to redeem us and to remind us that God is always with us.
Let us pray: Thank you God, for the birth of your Son. Thank you for your presence in our lives. Thank you that our Lord Jesus has come, is coming and will come again. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. Our Christmas Eve service is at 8 PM. Our Christmas morning service is at 10 AM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 25, 2011

Listen to the familiar story from Luke 2: “Now at this time Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census of the whole world to be taken. This census–the first–took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to his own town to be registered. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and traveled up to Judea, to the town of David called Bethlehem, since he was of David’s House and line, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn.”

At. St. Andrew a young child processes the baby Jesus–at the entrance and again at the gospel which is read from the manger. During this last line, the child lays the baby in the manger. I look out at the congregation whose faces are lit by candles and the wonder and the awe, the very amazement that God could love us so much, is once more reflected back to me. We pause for a moment of grateful silence and then continue–Now in the countryside, there were shepherds, watching their flocks by night….” Dear friend, take this moment to remember the wonder of God present with you.
Let us pray: Thank you, Father of Jesus, lover of us all, for the gift of this day. Thank you for the gift of Jesus. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. Our Christmas morning service is at 10 AM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 26, 2011

December 26th is St. Stephen’s Day. The work and life of Stephen are reported in Acts 6-8. There we first hear of this learned Greek-speaking Jew who had converted to Christianity. He was one of the Seven chosen as deacons by the Twelve to take care of the secular needs of the Hellenic Jewish Christian community in Jerusalem. Essentially, the Greek widows were being overlooked in the distribution of goods and Stephen was one who was chosen to rectify the situation. As often seems to happen when filled with the Spirit, he began to preach and perform miracles. He was such an eloquent speaker, that he topped the Jewish elders in debate. As he was condemning the Jews for killing the prophets, as had their forebears, he was dragged out of the city. By the end of chapter 8, he has been stoned to death.

However, dear friend, the manner in which Stephen died, seeing a vision of the Risen Christ and forgiving those who were killing him, is not a horrible death, but a beautiful one. We, who often get unreasonably depressed on the day after the Christmas celebration, might do well to ponder the faith of Stephen.

Let us pray: Grant us grace, O Lord, that like Stephen we may learn to love even our enemies and seek forgiveness for those who desire our hurt, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 27, 2011

John the Evangelist. John the Divine. John the Beloved Apostle. John, who with his brother James, were known as the Sons of Thunder. John the author of the fourth gospel (and traditionally of the letters of John and the book of Revelation). We celebrate him on this second day after Christmas–the third day of Christmas.

John is a model for us because he and his brother immediately left their boats and their father and followed Jesus. He was Jesus’ close companion, invited to be present at the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, the raising of Jairus’ daughter, the Transfiguration and the agony in the garden. So what did he do with all these privileged experiences? He used them to strengthen himself as a leader of the early church and he recorded them so that we might be strengthened by them as well.

What do you do, dear friend, with the privileged experiences that God has given you?

Let us pray: Merciful God, let the brightness of your light shine on your Church, so that all of us, instructed by the teachings of John, your apostle and evangelist, may walk in the light of your truth and attain eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 28, 2011

Life isn’t fair! I’m losing my job! I’m sick! My daughter uses drugs! My husband doesn’t listen to me!

Dear friend, who ever said life was supposed to be fair? From where did we get this myth? Life is difficult. The innocent are killed and their parents are weeping–for no good reason. It happens today in our city streets and in Latin America. It happened at the time of Jesus’ birth when Herod, furious that the wise men had not accurately reported to him where the child-who-was-to-be-king had been born, ordered all male children, two years old and younger, to be killed. The story is recorded in Matthew Chapter 2.

Somehow my problems start to look smaller when compared to the deaths of all the male infants in my neighborhood. In the midst of the unfairness of our own lives, we are called as children of God, to reach out and console those who are victims of injustice and to speak out and live out lives that will change the inequities in our systems.

Let us pray: We remember today, O God, the slaughter of the holy innocents of Bethlehem by order of King Herod. Receive, we pray, into the arms of your mercy all innocent victims, and by your great might, frustrate the designs of evil tyrants and establish your rule of justice, love and peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 29, 2011

Don’t you wish everybody had the week after Christmas Day off? Let’s declare a national holiday! After all, the Church celebrates Christmas from Christmas Eve until the coming of the Wise Men at Epiphany (January 6th). So if we have to work, how can we celebrate this time as Christmas?

Here are some ideas. The first comes from Psalm 96–”Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord all the whole earth.” We can place a song of thankfulness in our hearts–for having survived another holiday, for the gift of Jesus always present in our lives, for the good that happened with family and friends and visitors this holy season. Second, in that spirit of thankfulness, we can reach out to another who may be especially lonely today. Call a person who has difficulty getting out of their home; visit someone in the hospital; send a letter to someone in prison. If you don’t know anyone in these situations, call the church and we will pair you up with someone to love. One of the best ways to both sing a new song to God and to lift ourselves up out of the blues is to reach out to another person who needs us.

Dear friend, let us pray: God of Love, look down on us this day and fill our hearts with gratitude to you for our many blessings. Use our lips to sing songs of thankfulness and our hands to reach out to others in need. For Jesus sake, AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 30, 2011

Think about Jesus’ mother. Here she is, taking her son to the Temple to be circumcised, and she is greeted first by Simeon–”You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected–and a sword will pierce your own soul too—so that the secret thought of many may be laid bare.”–and then Anna who proclaimed Jesus to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem. (Luke 2) What must Mary have been thinking?

My son–the deliverer of Israel? My soul–pierced so that secrets might be revealed? What does this mean? And what does it mean that I have to be hurt too? My son is going to turn the world upside down? Think about if you were Mary, dear friend. Here she is, taking her infant son to participate in a seemingly-innocent act, a ritual, like baptism–and this is what she hears! In our own baptisms we, or our parents, heard that we were sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever. We were told to let our light shine before others so they may see our good works and glorify our father in heaven. But when we hit affirmation of baptism (confirmation), we pray for confirmation of faith, guidance in life, empowerment in serving and patience in suffering. What did Mary think? And what do we think?

Let us pray: Help us, O God, to participate in the life and death of Jesus. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Dec 31, 2011

New Year’s Eve is an odd time. It’s supposed to be great fun and partying. I wish it were a quiet evening at church or home where I could reflect on the blessings of this past year in the company of a few family and friends. The way we celebrate the end of a year is like shouting–”The King is dead! Long live the King!” The older I get, the more precious each year becomes–and the faster it goes!

For me, a favorite Scripture for this day is Jeremiah 31:3 where God, through the prophet, reminds us, “I have loved you with an everlasting love, so I am constant in my affection for you.” As I reflect on the many changes of 2011, and the anticipated (and sometimes feared) changes in 2012, I realize that I am not alone. God’s love for me–and for you and for all people–is constant and will accompany us through whatever happened last year and in whatever this new year will bring. Reflect, dear friend, for just a bit this day on the faithfulness of God to you.

Let us pray: Eternal God, you have placed us in a world of space and time, and through the events of our lives you bless us with your love. Grant that in this new year we may know your presence, see your love at work, and live in the light of the event which gives us joy forever–the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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The text for All Saints Day is the beatitudes from St. Matthew, the blesseds. Blessed are the poor in spirit, they who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure of heart, the peacemakers, those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.

The Beatitudes are an appropriate text for All Saints Day because they call to mind the virtues for living a godly life. When we read this list of characteristics, we sometimes get depressed. It is very difficult to be poor in spirit, to mourn, to be meek, to be peacemakers. Would we be content if we attempted to follow this prescription for leading a saintly life? Certainly. For a more accurate translation of the Greek word for blessed is happy. Happy are we who are merciful, pure of heart and persecuted for the sake of the kingdom. And, dear friend, when you look honestly at your own life you will admit that, even in the midst of suffering and pain, you are happiest when you are following God’s will for you most closely. You may not be comfortable; you may not be satisfied; but you will be happy knowing you are in close relationship with God. Blessed are you who seek to follow God as the saints have done.

Let us pray: Almighty God, grant us the grace to follow your blessed saints in lives of faith and commitment. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 2, 2011

A paraphrase of Psalm 8: I look up at your heavens, made by your fingers, at the moon and the stars you have set in place. Ah God, what are mere mortals that you should spare a thought for us, the children of human beings that you should care for us?

The psalmist is asking: Who am I, O Lord, that you should care for me? I look at the sky, at the vastness of the universe, and I feel lost. Even in this day of space exploration and missions to Mars, God’s role as creator is beyond our imaginations. Our knowledge is limited to what we can see and yet this God, who created the heavens, the galaxies and the entire universe, also created you and me. Dear friend, God knew you before you were knit in your mother’s womb and God knows you now, at this very moment. God knows your feelings and your heart. God knows you are reaching out to God. And God is loving you.

Let us pray: Creator God, it is impossible for us to understand the magnitude of your creation. It is beyond our comprehension to know the magnitude of your love for us. Help us to trust you, and to believe you are totally aware of our every thought and action–and that you guide us each moment with your gentle compassion. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 3, 2011

When I am at the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden, I love to watch the morning doves. They make their nests in some unusual places. One is in the V made by the open windows of the fourth floor. There I sit and watch the mother care for her children. I worry as the fledglings are battered by a thunder storm and when they almost fall out of the nest as they flap their wings in an effort to dry them. But the birds are safe; the mother is faithful; and the words of Psalm 84 echo in my heart. “The sparrow has found her a house and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young, by the side of your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.”

Dear friend, I have found such a home at many convents, where I am welcomed by Christian sisters, cared for and invited to know God. Our congregations are called to be such homes for all people. To come to the House of God–anywhere–is to come home.

Let us pray: Mother God, you care for us and call us home to you. Allow us to provide such a nurturing home in the Church of which Jesus is the head. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 4, 2011

“You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you.” Isaiah 26, verse 3.

Perfect peace. Being kept in perfect peace sounds like a foolish dream, and yet the prophet promises this peace to those who trust in God. The prophet goes on to say that God will bring low those who are high up and there, on the ground, the feet of the lowly will stamp on that which had been elevated. This peace, then, is not an absence of turmoil or change or even violence. This peace is the bringing about of the rightful, just order of God in the world. Perfect peace, dear friend, comes in the midst of conflict and change. Perfect peace is an oasis in turmoil. Perfect peace is the grace to trust in God–no matter what the circumstances.

Let us pray: O God of perfect peace, help us to understand that your peace is not an absence of conflict but an awareness of your healing, wholing presence in the midst of change. Give to us, your people, the perfect peace of trusting you through Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 5, 2011

Psalm 148 calls for all of the earth to praise God. “Hallelujah! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise God in the heights.” Angels and hosts, sun and moon, fire and hail, snow and fog, mountains and hills, fruit trees and cedars, kings and rulers, young men and maidens. “Praise the name of the Lord.”

When our youngest son was about eight years old, we would play a game on long car trips. We would use this psalm, but add things which we saw along the way. Cadillacs and Volkswagens, praise the Lord. Stop lights and street signs, praise God’s name together. Hotels and motels, praise the Lord. Swimming pools and video games, praise God’s name together. Dear friend, we, like the psalmist, call on all of creation–even modern, twenty-first century, new-fangled contraptions–to praise the Lord. Today, call on all of the elements of your life to praise God’s name together.

Let us pray: All of God’s creation, praise God’s name together. Old and young, home bound and active, hospitalized and working in offices–together we praise the name of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 6, 2011

“Blood is thicker than water.” I can still hear the voice of my friend’s mother saying that. She meant that friendship was fine but, when push came to shove, you counted on your blood relatives, not your friends.

1 John 5 verse 6 reads, “This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus the Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood.” You and I, dear friend, are family because we are made one in our baptism–by water. We are also family because we are made one by the blood of Christ–united in our family meal, the sacrament of Holy Communion. We are forgiven because Jesus died for us and we sacrificially serve one another because Jesus suffered, died and rose again for us. Blood may be thicker than water, but the Christian family is stronger than blood or water; we are made one by the water of our baptism and the blood of Jesus.

Let us pray: Loving God, you have bound us to you and to one another through the indissoluble bond of our baptism. You continue to strengthen us as your one family through the Body and Blood of Christ. Keep us one in Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 7, 2011

We used to have a dead peach tree in our front yard. I was glad all winter long when all the trees in our neighborhood were bare–they looked just like our peach tree! But when spring came and all the other trees were in leaf and flower, I was reminded that our tree was dead and needed to be cut down–soon! In John 15, Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my father is the vine grower who removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit, God prunes to make it bear more fruit.”

The question we need to ask ourselves today, dear friend, is, How are we doing in bearing fruit? Are we like the dead peach tree that dominated my front yard? Or like the faithful sage plant that comes back year after year after year and only needs to be pruned? Are there parts of our lives that need to be cut out or pruned back so that we might be more faithful and loving? Open yourself to God’s presence. Listen to God’s invitation. Do not be afraid of God’s pruning. God is gentle and loving.

Let us pray: Gardener God, let us trust you with the vines and branches of our lives. Nurture us, trim us, use us according to your gracious will through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 8, 2011

Dear friend, God’s consistent presence is a gift to us through Jesus the Christ. Nothing in all of creation can separate us from God’s love. And yet, we can choose to do things that open us to God’s presence. The writer of 1 John 3 says, “And this is God’s commandment, that we should believe in the name of God’s son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as Jesus commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him and he abides in them.”

The task which is given to us is fairly straightforward. Believe in Jesus; love one another. The message has been the same from the beginning of our record of God’s interaction with God’s people: “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.” God sent Jesus so that we might better understand not only this command of love, but that we might also understand that our loving is only a response to a magnificently-loving God. Today, allow these words to soak into your soul–and then act on them. Love God; love your neighbor. For God surely loves you.

Let us pray: Provident God, you loved us so much that you sent Jesus so that we might, in some small way, understand your love. Allow us this day to respond to your love for us with faithfulness to you and love for each dear neighbor, we pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 9, 2011

“Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” 1 John 3:18

Dear friend, have you ever known someone who says, “I love you” but never shows it? Have you ever known someone who talks a lot about peace and justice but shows precious little evidence of peace or justice in personal or corporate lifestyle? My grandmother would say that person is all words and no show. The author of 1 John is warning us against such behavior and is saying that the way we act proves the truth of the words we speak. We, who bear Christ’s name, are called to love others sacrificially. That means feeding the hungry, spending time with the lonely, working for peace. Let us take time today to look at our words and our actions and to ask ourselves: do the thoughts I speak match the things I do? Thank God the words of God’s love for us are consistently matched with God’s daily actions of love.

Let us pray: Faithful God, you sent Jesus so that we might see you act in love towards us. Help our words and actions to be consistent in your love today so that we might faithfully bear Christ’s name to the world. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 10, 2011

Power. Nuclear power. Water power. Solar power, The power of having money and status. The power of love. The power of treading down serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy. Jesus, in Luke 10, sends out the seventy-two as lambs among wolves to cure the sick and to declare the presence of the Kingdom of God. They come back rejoicing that they have experienced power–”even the devils,” they say, “submit to us when we use your name.” Jesus answers, “Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice instead that your names are written in heaven.”

Dear friend, we live in a world where we often feel we have no control and no power. There is no cure for AIDS nor for many kinds of cancer. Job loss cuts across every economic class. So does drug use and depression and death. We don’t have (or seem not to know that we have) the powers to have the spirits submit to us. And yet we do have the unquenchable power of love, of knowing that we are the children of God. Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

Let us pray: Loving God, you have shared with us the power of your love. Let us rejoice that we are yours through Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 11, 2011

Job benefits: vacation days, sick leave, health benefits, pension. Given our current economy, it feels like job benefits are decreasing each year. Faith benefits. Faith benefits? The Psalmist talks of them in Psalm 103. “God forgives you all your sins,…heals all your infirmities,…redeems your life from the grave,…crowns you with mercy and loving kindness,…satisfies you with good things,… renews your youth like an eagle’s.”

Faith’s benefits, dear friend, increase with time, with trust and with understanding. Invest your life in worship, prayer and service. Take devotional time each day at home and on the job. Then we can say with the Psalmist, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all God’s benefits.”

Let us pray: Beneficial God, you bless us with every good gift–food and clothing, life and love, Word and Sacrament and Christian community, a relationship with you. Grant us also the blessing of remembering your benefits each day through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 12, 2011

I have a bowlful of sand on the windowsill of my office. Every time we have a funeral, I take a capful of sand to the cemetery to make the sign of the cross on the casket–”earth to earth, ashes to ashes, and dust to dust.” Although I take hundreds of grains of sand each time, the bowl is barely diminished. I am reminded of God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 22, “I will shower blessings on you. I will make your descendants as many as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore.”

Dear friend, God’s blessings in our own lives are like the descendants of Abraham–as innumerable as the sands on the seashore or even in the bowl of sand on my windowsill. God acts in our lives every day, even in the midst of sickness and death, and God comforts us with real presence and loving people. Look today for God’s blessings. Share them with others. They will never be diminished.

Let us pray: God of many blessings, allow us the grace to receive your daily blessings with joy and to neither count nor hoard them but to share them through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 13, 2011

In the fiftieth chapter, the prophet Isaiah writes, “The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word.”

How true! God gave the writer of Isaiah a gift of sharing words of sustenance. Examples: “Comfort, comfort you my people.” “You, Israel, are my servant.” “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of one who brings good news.” “Do not be afraid, you will not be put to shame.” Ho, come to me all you who are thirsty though you have no money. Come and buy corn without money and eat, and at no cost, wine and milk.” “Yes and you will leave with joy and be led away in safety. Mountains and hills will break into joyful cries before you and all the trees of the countryside clap their hands. And this will make Yahweh famous, a sign forever, ineffaceable.” Dear friend, this prophet was given a gift. Scripture reminds us how faithfully he used that gift of the tongue of a teacher. How are you using the gifts you have been given?

Let us pray: Gift-giving God, grant us faithfulness in using the gifts you give us that we might bring the good news of Jesus Christ to others, we pray in his name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 14, 2011

In Luke 6, Jesus is scolded by the Pharisees for picking and eating corn on the Sabbath. Jesus tells the story of David and his followers who took the loaves that were offered to God and ate them–a forbidden act. Again he was presented with a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath–and he healed the man! The Pharisees were furious and began to plot against him.

To us, in 2008, it seems so obvious. The rules of the Sabbath are not more important than the rule of love. If someone has a need on the Sabbath, we fill it. And yet we, dear friend, like the Pharisees, tend to get caught in rules of our own making. Some of us might say–’That person has AIDS. He must have deserved it. I don’t need to help.’ Or, ‘They wouldn’t have lung cancer if they hadn’t smoked all of their lives. They don’t merit compassion.’ Or, ‘I can’t help with the bereavement dinner. I have a hair appointment. You know I go to the hairdresser’s every Friday.’ Look at your life. Find the rigid rules which guide your behavior. And remember, Jesus says the Son of Man is master of the Sabbath–and of every rule. Act according to the law of love.

Let us pray: Jesus you are Lord of our lives, Lord of the Sabbath, Lord of love. Help us to have the freedom to follow you in that love, we pray in your name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 15, 2011

Asked by the Pharisees when the dominion of God was to come, Jesus gave this answer: “The coming of the dominion of God does not admit to observation and there will be no one to say–Look here! Look there! For, you must know, the dominion of God is among you.” Luke 17:20-21.

Look here–the dominion of God is coming on January 13th when the world will end. Look there–the dominion of God will come in the third world when all become believers in Jesus. No, dear friend, look among yourselves. The dominion of God is breaking out even in the midst of us. See it in the compassion of feeding the hungry. Look for it when those who mourn are comforted. Find it when political systems are changed for justice and peace. The dominion of God is breaking into our world. Build on what you see; make strong the coming dominion of God.

Let us pray: Ruler God, we are so often blind to you in breaking presence in our lives. Grant us the grace to see your actions, to proclaim your presence, to build, with you, your dominion until the day you perfect your rule with your coming again. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 16, 2011

Luke 12 reminds us to trust the providence of God in all things, and tells us not to worry about our lives or what we eat or drink. It reminds us to look at the ravens and how they are fed and the lilies of the field and how they are clothed. It asks us, “If the smallest things are outside of your control, why worry about all the rest?”

I had a confirming experience today, dear friend. I was worshiping in another congregation. I picked up a bulletin and went to my pew to pray. Then I remembered a message I had forgotten to give to somebody. I left the bulletin in my pew to mark my space and left the sanctuary to relay the message. When I returned, someone else was in the pew and there were no more bulletins! I fretted. This was an unfamiliar service. How would I worship? How would I know what hymns to sing? Still upset, I found another seat. As I knelt there, I noticed a bulletin sticking up out of a hymnal, and another in the worship supplement, and another tucked into the hymn rack! Suddenly I had three bulletins and more information that I would ever need. Why worry about that which you cannot control?

Let us pray: Grant us the grace to trust in your providence. When events in our lives seem out of our control, remind us that they are always in your hand. We pray in the name of Jesus who trusted you to death, and new life. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 17, 2011

I know an awful lot of people who have trouble getting a good night’s sleep–often including me! We try everything from counting sheep to hot milk to no caffeine after noon to rigid sleep schedules. The Psalmist suggests another method in Psalm 16. “I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel. My heart teaches me night after night. I have set the Lord always before me. Because God is at my right hand, I shall not fall. My heart, therefore, is glad and my spirit rejoices. My body also shall rest in hope.”

Dear friend, when we see God’s presence in our lives and when we praise God for that love each evening, when we listen to our hearts and when we are honest with our feelings and our lives, when we trust that God is ever before us and that we will not fall even when we fail–then our spirits can rejoice and our bodies can rest.

Let us pray: Caring God, grant each of us a good night’s rest with hearts that take their comfort in you. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 18, 2011

Do you remember the time, recorded in the eighteenth chapter of Jeremiah, when the prophet was asked to go to the potter’s house? There, as he watched the potter at work, God asked Jeremiah to observe that, when the potter made a mistake, he remolded the pot; he started over again. Then God asked, “Can I not do what this potter does? Yes, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so you are in mine.”

Dear friend, are you uncomfortable with some of your behavior? Are you ashamed to be in God’s presence? Do you not like yourself very much? Open yourself to God’s presence; God will continue God’s work with you. God promises that you will remain as fresh clay, capable of being remodeled according to God’s loving purpose for you. Harden not your hearts so that you may be recreated and not shattered.

Let us pray: Potter God, let us not become hard baked by the difficulties of this life and by our own unbelief. Rather, remold us daily according to your will through Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 19, 2011

In the beginning of Luke 15, the Pharisees and the scribes are complaining that Jesus welcomes sinners and eats with them. So Jesus tells them the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, emphasizing the joy in heaven when that which had been lost is found.

Dear friend, we are sometimes lost—each of us–or feel lost in some way. It is so easy to complain that Jesus has a preference for the lost, the least, the lonely, and the poor. It is much harder to acknowledge that we too are, at times, in those categories. Today, when you feel abandoned, trapped in an addictive behavior, or confronted with a seemingly-impossible task, remember that Jesus is seeking you to come to your aid–concretely in Word and Sacrament and Christian community–and will rejoice when you allow yourself to be found and comforted. Jesus came to save the lost. It is presumptuous to assume that Jesus came for someone other than us.

Let us pray: God of life, you allow us a variety of experiences each day. Allow us the grace to acknowledge our own lostness; allow us the grace to allow you to find us and to rejoice over all the lost with Jesus. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 20, 2011

Listen, dear friend, you are no longer aliens or foreign visitors. You are citizens like all the saints. You belong to God’s household. You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundation and Christ Jesus himself is the main cornerstone. As every structure is aligned on him, all grow into one holy temple in the Lord and you, too, in him, are being built into a house where God lives in the spirit. St. Paul is writing to the people of Ephesus, but he easily could be speaking to us. We have a country; we have a home. We are citizens, even children, in this Christian family and we are being invited daily to be knit into this temple this house where God lives. For God lives among us, beyond us and within us. We are built on the sure foundation of Jesus. This is good news!

Let us pray: Builder God, construct our lives on the foundation of the prophets and apostles. Center us on Christ the cornerstone. Give us the peace of knowing our commonwealth is with Jesus. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 21, 2011

In I Chronicles 29, David is asking for voluntary offerings so his son Solomon might build a temple for God. The people respond generously. David praises God’s glory and power. Then David says, “For who am I, and what is my people, to have the means to give so generously? All comes from you; from your own hand we have given them to you.”

I’m not sure that, today, we always give so generously. Stewardship campaigns are about as much fun as getting a tooth pulled. But David got it right. And we echo his words in the familiar hymn, “We give thee but thine own, what e’er the gift may be. All that we have is thine alone, a trust, O Lord, from thee.”

Dear friend, we continue to build a house for God in the world today, not just in our church buildings but in houses where the hungry might be fed, the homeless might live, the unemployed might learn new job skills, and health care might be available to all. Do we give with the generosity and the joy of King David’s people?

Let us pray: God, you give us all that we have. Give us hearts and hands and wallets that are open for you. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM.

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Nov 22, 2011

Psalm 145–”The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord, and you give them their food in due season.” A number of years ago, I participated in a choral reading at Heinz Chapel. There were only two readers, but there were times when we needed to read with one voice, times when we needed to read alone, and times when we needed to keep silence. We stood at microphones at opposite sides of the altar area. The only way to make the reading work–or even to get up and down from the altar gracefully–was to keep my eyes on my partner. I could tell by looking when he was going to speak or when I needed to continue a silence before my part. God asks, dear friend, that we keep our eyes on God–just like that. The only way we can be tuned to God’s loving presence is to keep our eyes on the cross, to keep the eyes of our hearts open to God’s voice. Our food, both physical and spiritual, comes to us in due season. Sometimes, it is a time to wait like young birds with open mouths and eyes on God. We function best when we wait on God, keeping our eyes focused on the ways of the Lord.

Let us pray: Lord God, make us to watch for your presence in our lives that we may receive the consummation of our hope in the marriage feast of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 23, 2011

Did you know that the compassionate love of Jesus can transform every situation? It does. An example is in Luke 19 where Jesus, entering Jericho, looks up in a sycamore tree and sees Zacchaeus, the tax collector, sitting in it! He tells Zacchaeus to come down quickly because he is going to his house for dinner. That statement starts quite a grumbling in the crowd who complains that Jesus eats with sinners. ‘What kind of man is he, anyway? Why would he eat with a sinful man like that tax collector?’

But Zacchaeus, thrilled at having Jesus come to his home, is transformed by Jesus’ loving presence. He promises to give half of his possessions to the poor and to repay anyone from whom he has extorted money four times what he took. Jesus’ response? ‘Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendent of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.” Dear friend, the compassionate love of Jesus can transform every situation. Try it today.

Let us pray: Fill us with your compassionate love and then encourage us to be with outcasts and sinners in your simple and powerful way. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 24, 2011

Psalm 65 is appointed for Thanksgiving Day. It speaks of God’s power and abundance, and prays for plenty of flocks and grain. But all these gifts are put into perspective by verse 4, “Happy are they whom you choose and draw to your courts to dwell there! They will be satisfied by the beauty of your house, by the holiness of your temple.”

Dear friend, Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday when we in the United States gather together to thank God for an abundance of things. But, ultimately, you must admit, things fail us. We get hungry again; our cars get old; people die. That which satisfies is our relationship with God. Happy are we who have been chosen to be God’s children, to know and to love God, to live in God’s house. What are you thanking God for today? Will it last?

Let us pray: Almighty God, your generous goodness comes to us new every day. By the work of your Spirit, lead us to acknowledge your goodness, give thanks for your benefits and serve you in willing obedience through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. Our Thanksgiving Day service is at 10 AM and Thanksgiving Dinner is at 2 PM at the church. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 25, 2011

Psalm 145–”The Lord is loving to everyone and God’s compassion is over all of God’s works. All your works praise you, O Lord, and your faithful servants bless you.” Open your eyes. Look around you. Now consider this–everything you see is praising God. The telephone! an instrument of God’s praise. The computer! used to give glory to God. The lamp! shedding light to praise God. The trees! raising empty arms to God in prayer. The birds! singing songs of joy in God’s presence. Can you look at the world and everything in it as God’s precious creation? Can you see the world and everything in it offering praise to God right now?

Dear friend, the Psalmist suggests that all God’s works are praising God and all of God’s people are praising God. So try it! Thank you God for this bowl of cereal. Now , bowl of cereal, praise God! Thank you God for this banana. Now banana, praise God! There is something beautiful and comforting, unifying and fun about seeing everything in all of creation joining to praise and bless our loving Lord. Check out Daniel 3 for a biblical example.

Let us pray: All of creation, join together with us in praising God. Allow the name of God to be praised in all that we say and do and think this day. God’s glorious name be praised. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM.. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 26, 2011

Psalm 145-”One generation shall praise your works to another and shall declare your power. I will ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty and all your marvelous works. They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts and I will tell of your greatness.”

When I was little and my parents were out on a Saturday night, my Granny used to put us to bed. My brothers and I would snuggle up under the covers of my double bed, and Granny would tell us stories of the plush coat and the lost penny. Some of them were family stories that her family had told her. Some few of them I have passed on to my own children. One generation shall tell the glory of God to the next generation. Are we as good at sharing the story of God’s love for us as we are at sharing childhood memories and traditions. Think about it, dear friend. Consider telling someone how God has acted in your life today.

Let us pray: God, you constantly act in the lives of your people. You love us daily. Allow us, humbly, to share the stories of your presence and your faithfulness so all may know the glory of your love; for the sake of the One who became love incarnate, Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 27, 2011

Psalm 106 speaks of God’s love for us: changing deserts into pools of water and granting us a fruitful harvest. It also speaks of the reality of evil in the world. The Psalm says that when God’s people are diminished and brought low, God pours contempt on princes and lifts the poor out of their misery. Verse 43 reads, “Whoever is wise will ponder these things and consider well the mercies of the Lord.”

Pondering God’s actions in our lives is something worth doing daily. Thinking on God’s active mercy allows us to appreciate the reality of God’s loving. What good has happened to you today, dear friend? Name it out loud. Thank God for it. What odd occurrence has been life-giving for you? What beauty have you seen? What new insight have you been granted? What friend have you greeted or hugged? Name the ways in which God acts in your life and remember to give thanks.

Let us pray: O God who made the blind to see, open our eyes so that we might be aware of your acting in our lives this day, so that we might see and give you thanks through Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 28, 2011

Isaiah 60 speaks of the restoration of Jerusalem and the bringing of gifts from all over the world to that place. Verses 5 and 6 read, “Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth of the seas will be brought to you. To you the riches of the nations will come. Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.”

Think of all that wealth! Think of all those camels! Think of all those camel droppings! Dear friend, I can hardly hear the words of this passage without also hearing the voice of a colleague, “So often, when God gives us the gift of many camels, all we can see are the droppings.” God has richly blessed us with the gift of salvation through Jesus the Christ. God has blessed us with Word and Sacrament and Christian Community and the Church. Look today for the gifts of God. Thank God for the gifts. Forget about complaining about the droppings.

Let us pray: Giving God, grant us eyes to see your presence, hearts to see your love, minds to see the gifts of life–and grant us gratitude, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 29, 2011

Daniel 6 records the story of Daniel’s persistence in praying to God in the face of the edict forbidding prayer to anyone but the king, Darius. As punishment, Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den where he continued to pray. An angel sealed the lions’ jaws and Daniel was unharmed. When the king, who was very fond of Daniel, approached the pit and found Daniel well, he was relieved and delighted. Daniel then witnessed God’s love and faithfulness. The king had Daniel’s accusers thrown into the lions’ den where they were promptly eaten. Then Darius proclaimed that he and his entire empire would worship Daniel’s God.

Dear friend, God is faithful to us every day and acts in our lives–although usually in ways less dramatic than in the story of Daniel. However, we are asked, like Daniel, to speak of God’s faithfulness, to proclaim how God continues to act in love–even in times of suffering and danger. Then others might believe.

Let us pray: God of Daniel, faithful God, make us faithful in seeing you in our own lives and in sharing your love with others for the sake of the One who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Nov 30, 2011

God is everywhere! Isaiah 66 says it like this: “Thus says the Lord: Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool.” Matthew 5:34 says: “Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is God’s footstool,” All of the earth is God’s. And yet, in I Kings 8, where Solomon is dedicating the temple, he says, “But will God indeed dwell on earth?” or, translated differently, “Can it be that God dwells among people on earth?”

And the answer is–yes! God is present not only in the highest heavens, the furthermost stars and the steepest mountains. God has chosen to be present among human beings, among those whom God loves. Examples: the ark of the covenant, the temple of Solomon, the incarnation of Jesus, the Body and Blood of the sacrament, the temples of our bodies. God does love us so much, dear friend, that God, who is over and above everything, is also in and throughout everything. God is within each of us. Treat the temple of God which is you with great respect. Use the temple of God which is you to show forth God’s glory.

Let us pray: God, you have created us in your image and you live in each of us. Allow us to so honor the You in each of us and in each other, that your glory might be shown fully on earth. In Jesus’ name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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“I have decided to follow Jesus” is a popular camp song. That line is repeated three times and then we sing the words, “No turning back, no turning back.” The story is told in Luke 9:57-62, when Jesus tells some who would follow him that the Son of Man will have no place to lay his head and another that he may not first go to his father’s funeral and a third that he may not return home to say farewell to those he loves. The words of Jesus seem harsh to us. Jesus goes on to say that the mission on which he is sending his disciples is dangerous and they must be ready.

Dear friend, Jesus calls us to be his followers as well. We, too–being human–want to make sure our needs are filled before we say we will go. We want to make sure we are ready–physically, emotionally and spiritually. Jesus tells us, as he told those who would follow him on the way to Jerusalem, that we must be willing to make sacrifices. We cannot make such a decision on our own. It is only by relying on God’s grace that we can follow Jesus. Perhaps, for us, the song should be–”By God’s grace I will follow Jesus.” The last line, of course, is the same–”No turning back, no turning back.”

Let us pray: Jesus, give us the grace to follow you; give us the trust to know you will always provide for us; give us the persistence to never turn back. We pray in your name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 2, 2011

I have always clung to a belief in guardian angels. Guardian angels fit my limited human understanding of the way God is with us and within us, guarding and guiding and protecting and suffering with us. But I wasn’t ever certain of the Biblical basis for this belief.

The text for Guardian Angel’s day, October 2nd, is from Matthew 18. Jesus tells his disciples that they must become like little children and that judgment will be harsh for those who make life difficult for God’s little children and then, in verse 10, “Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven.”

Dear friend, God does send messengers–angels–who see God face to face and who speak to us of God’s love and desire for us. Take comfort this day in knowing that your angel is watching and caring for you. The God who sent Jesus to suffer, die and be raised again, who sent the Holy Spirit to fill us, also appoints angels to watch over us.

Let us pray: O God who has created and maintained cherubim and seraphim, dominions and choirs, thank you for thinking of us and appointing angels to watch over us. We pray in Jesus’ holy name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 3, 2011

When I sat in the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph to write this Dial, it was a very foggy Tuesday morning. I could see the tree directly outside of my window–period. But I remember that beyond that tree was the asphalt path to the cemetery. I remember the outbuilding that had a lush green vine overflowing with small white flowers where a myriad of bees were working. I remember the deep deer tracks I spied in the mud up by the grotto. And yet– all I could see was fog.

Perhaps the people of Jesus’ day were living in a kind of fog; perhaps they were forgetful. In Luke 10, Jesus says to the residents of Chorazin and Bethsaida, “If the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago…” Dear friend, God has done and is doing mighty deeds in our lives. God sent the person of Jesus; God gifts us with Word and Sacrament and Christian community; God acts in our lives–daily–through the person of the Holy Spirit; God continues to send us messengers. Do we, too, live in a fog?

Let us pray: God of mighty deeds and wondrous acts, clear our minds and souls that we might be aware of your powerful presence in our lives. Grant us the wisdom to repent of our desire to be God, and allow us to be obedient to you, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 4, 2011

The beginning of the twenty-first century is a time when we are rediscovering the truth that the world has been created as one world. Not only do events in the Middle East affect our own country, but the existence of small plankton off of the coast of Alaska affects the entire food chain. Our environmental carelessness is threatening the world.

October 4th is St. Francis Day. Eight hundred years ago, this famous saint, who lived such a simple life in service of the Christ, understood the connectedness of all things. In his famous “Canticle of the Sun,” he wrote of Brother Sun and Sister Moon, Brother Wind and Sister Earth, Brother Fire and Sister Death. All of creation was to be embraced as one. Stories abound of his relationships with the wolves and the birds.

Dear friend, we who sing a paraphrase of this famous canticle every time we use the hymn “All Creatures of Our God and King” might also take time this day not only to thank God for the unity of all creation and for Brother Francis who showed us this truth, but also to imitate Francis in his life of faithfulness.

Let us pray: Creator of all things, create in us the heart of St. Francis that we might live a simple life in praise of you. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 5, 2011

In Mark 10, the Pharisees ask Jesus about the lawfulness of divorce. Jesus asks them what Moses taught and they tell him Moses permitted the husband to write a bill of divorce and dismiss the wife. Jesus answered, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation ‘God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Moses’ day was awful. In that day, a man could dismiss his wife for burning the dinner! She couldn’t dismiss him for anything! Today is different; either party may divorce the other for any variety of–or no–reason. But Jesus is clear. The promise of committed love to one another in front of God is to be respected. Nineteen ago today my daughter Elizabeth married her fiancé Ron. May the promises they made that day, and any promises we have made to another, be kept.

Dear friend, let us pray: Loving God, bless Ron and Elizabeth and all who have promised in front of you to be faithful to one another. Allow us to respect the gift of covenant love that you have made with us through Jesus the Christ. Amen.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 6, 2011

Consider reading the book of Jonah. It is an easy read–4 chapters, about 2 pages. It is the familiar story of the prophet who was swallowed by a whale for three days. The story goes like this: when God asked Jonah to go to Ninevah to tell them to repent, Jonah “set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.” Jonah immediately ran in the opposite direction!

I’ve always been fond of this line. God says sit; I stand. God says pray; I run. God says speak; I keep silent. How comforting it is to know that my stubborn human reaction is familiar to God. But, dear friend, as you well know, the story does not end with Jonah’s disobedience. Rather, a storm comes up and threatens to capsize the ship on which he is fleeing; Jonah convinces the sailors to throw him overboard; a big fish swallows him for three days; he is spit out whole and well and goes and asks the Ninevites to repent. Much to his dismay, they do.

Dear friend, God calls us to be God’s servants and, in God’s time, God’s will is accomplished.

Let us pray: God of earth and sky, wind and water, help us your often-unwilling servants to listen to and to obey your voice. Guide us that we might be instruments of accomplishing your loving desires for us and all people. We pray in the name of your servant who was obedient unto death, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 7, 2011

Jonah was disobeying God and fleeing towards Tarshish in a big ship when a huge storm threatened to engulf the vessel. The sailors prayed to their gods and threw the cargo into the sea, but nothing helped. The captain awakened Jonah who, by the casting of lots, was found to be responsible for the storm. Jonah told the sailors that he was a Hebrew who worshiped the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land. After he told his story of attempting to flee from God, he told them to throw him into the sea. They refused and rowed all the harder to bring the boat back to land. When all else had failed, they prayed to the Lord, “Please, O Lord, we pray, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life….” They picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea. The waters became calm. “The men feared the Lord even more, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.”

Isn’t it interesting, dear friend, that God used Jonah’s disobedience to bring about faith. God does have a way of using all of our lives, even the darkest and the most difficult and the disobedient parts, to bring about God’s good.

Let us pray: To You who have created the land and the sea, to You who have the powers of the universe, to You who can work good out of the evils in our lives, to You we offer our praise and ask for faith, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 8, 2011

Nineveh was a big city, three days walk across. Jonah was one day into the city when he cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh repented and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth. Even the king donned sackcloth and sat in ashes. He declared that all should fast and be covered with sackcloth and turn from their evil ways and from violence and cry out to God for salvation. For, he said, “Who knows? God may relent and have a change of mind; God may turn from this fierce anger so that we do not perish.” And God did.

I am not sure, dear friend, if God changes God’s mind–or if God is simply delighted to be able to continue on God’s original course of loving us and having us be loving and obedient followers. The difference doesn’t matter much. Either way, God invites us to repent of the evil, the loveless, the bitter, the turning away from God and live once more according to God’s loving grace.

Let us pray: Almighty God, grant that we, who have been redeemed from the old life of sin by our baptism into the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ, may be renewed in your Holy Spirit to live in righteousness and true holiness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 9, 2011

At the end of the story of Jonah, the people of Nineveh have repented and Jonah is sulking– sitting outside of the city, waiting to see what would happen. God causes a bush to grow up and give Jonah shade, and then a worm to kill the bush. Jonah gets so upset he wishes he could die. But God says to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?…You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should I not be concerned about Nineveh…?”

God has made you and all people, dear friend. God labors over us and cares for us. God is concerned about us. And God suffers with us. God loves us so much as to send Jesus who suffered and died and was raised again. God was concerned about the people and even the animals of Nineveh. God is concerned about you.

Let us pray: Creating and Redeeming God, you are concerned about all that you have made. Open our often-hard hearts to see you working in our lives to save and redeem us. Open our often-deaf ears to hear your desire for our repentance. Open our often-dead souls to respond to your love for us and for all people. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 10, 2011
In the story of Jonah, God speaks to Jonah as the word of the Lord. God speaks to the sailors through the casting of lots. God provides a fish to swallow Jonah and speaks to the fish to spew Jonah up on dry land. God appoints a bush to grow up over the disgruntled Jonah and then appoints a worm to attack the bush and prepares a sultry east wind so that the sun beats down on Jonah and makes him very uncomfortable.

God used all of creation to speak to Jonah–and to us; and we dare not forget it. However you look at the very personal hand of God in your life, please remember that God can do whatever God pleases. I used to have a soup can covered with a brightly-covered label that said in bold calligraphy, “God Can.” The can had a slit in the lid and the idea was to put money into the container and give it to those in need–so that God could.

Dear friend, God does use all of creation for God’s purposes, and God also would like to use you as God’s servant. God can do what God pleases. Will you be listening for and obeying God’s call?

Let us pray: Almighty God, draw our hearts to you, guide our minds, fill our imaginations, control our wills, so that we may be wholly yours. Use us as you will, always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 11, 2011

St. Andrew is committed to working with people who are HIV+ and with people who have AIDS. This ministry is a blessing to our congregation and has taught us many things. One is this: a person who believes his or her days on earth are limited often lives life with an intentionality that the rest of us miss. For the person who believes this may be their last day of life, there is no time to allow a cross word to remain between friends; there is no sense to accumulate money or possessions which will soon be stripped away; there is no purpose to achieving hollow honors. We are being taught the lesson that the Psalmist teaches in Psalm 90: “So teach us to number our days, O God, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.”

Dear friend, one of the good things that God works out of the evil of disease is the wisdom of knowing a different set of priorities in life. How would you behave today if you believed your days on earth were numbered?

Let us pray: God of the living and of the dead, so teach us to live each day that we might value that which is important and bear your creative and redeeming love to all the world through Jesus the Christ. Amen.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 12, 2011

The writer of Hebrews asserts that Jesus is more worthy of glory than Moses. For a person of that day, this is a HUGE compliment. Moses was a faithful servant in God’s house. But Jesus is greater, is God, and serves over the house as the son of the builder. The author of Hebrews writes in Chapter 3 verse 6, “Christ, however, was faithful over God’s house as a son, and we are his house if we hold firm the confidence and the pride that belong to hope.”

Nikolai Grundvig writes in the hymn “Built On a Rock.” “We are God’s house of living stones built for his own habitation. God fills our hearts, his humble thrones, granting us life and salvation. Were two or three to seek his face, he in their midst would show his grace, blessings upon them bestowing.

Dear friend. it is this Jesus who watches over the church today. It is we who are called to be living stones. As St. Andrew celebrates its 119th anniversary, pray with me that we might be faithful to the One who deserves glory, Jesus the Christ.

Let us pray: Builder God, Watchful Son, Tending Spirit, you have graced us with the gift of being your dwelling place. Continue to bless the congregation of St. Andrew and all who have contact with us that we might bear your Word to the world with hope and confidence. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 13, 2011

The story of the rich man who asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life is recorded in Mark 10. Jesus tells him to keep the commandments and the rich man replies that he has done that all of his life. Jesus tells him to go and sell what he owns and give it to the poor and the rich man goes away sad. Jesus goes on to say, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God” and then again, “How hard it is to enter the kingdom of God.”

This particular story is told immediately following Jesus’ telling the disciples to allow the children to come to him, “for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.”

Dear friend, how hard it is for us to trust in God as a child, who is still helpless for survival in this world, trusts a loving parent. How hard it is for us to lean on God’s grace and not to rely on our own works and faith and merit. How hard, in fact how probably impossible, it is for us to understand that it is by grace through faith that we are saved. But, as Jesus concludes, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

Let us pray: Dearest, loving God: grant us the grace to rely solely on you. Forgive us when we are so attached to the possessions and relationships of this world that we are unwilling to risk them for your name. Amen.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at
October 14, 2011

God loves us. That statement is a given. We are saved by grace through faith and not by our works. That statement is a given. Lutherans say it like this: because God loves us, therefore we serve God. (The other option is: if we serve God, then God will love us.) Amos is surely grounded in God’s pre-eminent love for us, but he says it like this, “Seek good and not evil that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of Moses, will be with you, just as you have said. Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Israel.” Amos 5:13-15.

Dear friend, Amos reminds us that we, as God’s beloved children, do have a responsibility for good and justice. God’s love for us is first. We respond to that love. But we must respond in order to know the love of God fully.

Let us pray: Loving and beloved God, you love us unconditionally. Allow us to respond to your love fully–we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 15, 2011

John 2: “When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!”

People needed to change money and to buy animals for sacrifice. The problem was not in the action itself as much as in the potential for abuse. Those who sold in the temple were much like the company store in a coal town; they had a corner on the market and they used (or more accurately abused) it. And at such abuse, Jesus was angry. The church has long claimed the “corner on the market” of Word and Sacraments. The potential for abuse–and the reality of abuse–is as real as it was for the moneychangers and the animal sellers. The church, as well as individuals, must ask the question, “Are we being faithful to the love of God which we know in Christ Jesus?”

Dear friend, let us pray: Gracious Father, we pray for your church. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where it is divided, reunite it for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

October 16, 2011

The Corinthians thought that St. Paul should offer miracles or wisdom about the universe to “prove” his ministry. Paul responds in the first chapter of First Corinthians by saying, “For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles but to those who are called, Jews and Gentiles alike, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”

Much of the gospel seems foolish. “You must lose your life to save it.” “You must die to live.” “You must love your enemies.” It is clear that the wisdom of God passes human understanding. And yet, when we live by the wisdom of God, even though we may not understand it, we know it.

Dear friend, we who not only bear the sign of Christ on our foreheads but also in our lives know the power and the wisdom of God.

Let us pray: God, you alone are power and wisdom. Allow us to share in your strength through Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 17, 2011

The day will come, dear friend, when we will be held accountable for our actions. I am often uncomfortable with the concept of judgment. I want to act in response to God’s love–not out of fear of God’s wrath. Scripture makes it clear, however, that God will judge us. Even St. Paul, famous for proclaiming salvation by faith and not by works alone, writes in Romans 2, “We know that God condemns that sort of behavior impartially and when you judge those who behave like this while you are doing exactly the same, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or are you abusing God’s abundant goodness, patience, and toleration not realizing that this goodness of God is meant to lead you to repentance? Your stubborn refusal to repent is only adding to the anger God will have towards you on that day of anger when his just judgments will be made known.”

Gospel love is freely given. The law (and perhaps the judgment) are guides to help us when we don’t feel like acting in love. Look at your actions today. Then present them to your loving God.

Let us pray: Faithful God, keep us faithful to you in all of our words and actions; we pray in the name of the faithful one, Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 18, 2011

October 18th is St. Luke’s Day, a day when we often have services of healing. Luke was known as the great physician, is the author of the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, and was Timothy’s traveling companion. His Gospel is marked by his faithful recording of Jesus’ loving-kindness–his love of sinners, his acts of forgiveness, his tenderness towards the lowly and the poor and his severity towards the proud and those who are wealthy. Luke has an emphasis on the necessity of prayer and the prominent role of the Holy Spirit.

Dear friend, today is a good day to look at our own lives, to ask for the healing we need, and to ask for the grace to mirror the love of Jesus which we see so warmly reflected in the writings of St. Luke.

Let us pray: Almighty God, you inspired your servant Luke the physician to reveal in his gospel the love and healing power of your Son. Give your Church the same love and power to heal to the glory of your name and the name of Jesus. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 19, 2011

Jesus says to his disciples in Matthew 10, “Remember, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves so be as cunning as serpents and yet as harmless as doves.”

There are times, dear friend, even in the life of a loving congregation, when people ask us a question and try to trap us. Jesus tells us to be aware of the trap but to answer in love. There are certainly times in the life of the Christian in the world where our compassion is tested, where it is difficult to choose the loving act, where we feel trapped between two not-very-good choices. Again, Jesus is reminding us–look and see what is really happening, suspect the danger, look for the snare but continue to respond in the innocence of the love of Christ.

Let us pray: Jesus, you came as an innocent child, a loving man. You saw the traps the Pharisees set for you in their questions, and yet you continued to respond in love. Grant us, like you, the wisdom of serpents and the harmlessness of doves, we pray in your name, AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 20, 2011

St. Paul reports in II Corinthians 12 that he has been given a thorn in the flesh. We have no idea what it is, but three times he pleaded with God that he be relieved of it–and he is not. So he declares that he believes that God’s grace is sufficient for his needs and that when he is weak, he is strong in God.

Sometimes, dear friend, such an attitude seems like Pollyanna–especially when I am pleading with God to extract the thorns in my life. But when I finally–honestly–say “your will and not mine, O God,” I learn the wisdom of St. Paul’s words for I see how God uses my weakness for strength. One small example. A number of years ago, I became quite ill and was impossibly fatigued for over a year. I begged for my strength to return to its full vitality. It never did. But God uses my weakness to teach me to rely on others and their strength. God sent members and students to St. Andrew who have richly blessed us and our ministry. God did not make me sick. God does use my illness for strength.

Let us pray: God you turn our understanding of the world and of our lives upside down. Give us faith to believe in your wisdom, we pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 21, 2011

Family life in the twentieth century is a different thing. Women don’t have to get married to be considered fulfilled. Couples may choose not to have children but to share their love with the world in different ways. The ideal family is no longer considered to be a “Leave It to Beaver” group of a husband a wife and two children. So sometimes, dear friend, we miss the blessing of Psalm 128.

“Happy are they all who fear the Lord and who follow in God’s ways. You shall eat the fruit of your labor; happiness and prosperity shall be yours. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house, your children like olive shoots round about your table. The one who fears the Lord shall thus indeed be blessed.”

God blesses us with family life and with love. The participants change according to the century, the culture, and our needs, but the promise remains the same. Blessed is the one who fears God and follows in God’s ways.

Let us pray: Loving God, keep us faithful and in awe of you for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 22, 2011

Lutherans believe in salvation by grace through faith and not by works alone. That confession is the cornerstone of what it is to be a Lutheran. And it is true. God’s free gift of love and salvation through Jesus the Christ is so wonderful that there is nothing that we can do to earn it. We are humbled by God’s magnanimity. But James speaks to us clearly that faith without works is dead. In Chapter 1, verse 22, he writes, “But be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.”

Dear friend, if we say “I love you” to our children but are too busy to spend time with them, they will not believe us. If we say “I love you” to a hungry person but do not help them to obtain food, they will not believe us. If we say “I love you” to a world longing for meaning and peace and do not tell people about God’s love for them and work for justice and an end to oppression, the world will not believe us. The fruit of faith is the work of love.

Let us pray: In response to your generous love, O God, allow us to act in love to the world. We pray in the name of the perfect love, Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 23, 2011

Listen to Psalm 131 from the Jerusalem Bible: “Yahweh, my heart has no lofty ambitions, my eyes do not look too high; I am not concerned with great affairs or marvels beyond my scope. Enough for me to keep my soul tranquil and quiet like a child in its mother’s arms.”

Dear friend, in a world where we are worried about drug busts and drop-outs, warring countries and revolutionary coups, global warming and terrifying weather, in a time when earning a living wage sometimes obsesses us and paying for hospitalization seems like an impossible task–in such times it is a comfort to keep our soul tranquil and quiet in God’s loving arms. Instead of focusing on things that are too high for us, look closely into the loving eyes of the God who shelters you in loving arms and cares for you as a loving mother. When we seek God first, our soul can be at peace.

Let us pray: Loving God, you shelter us throughout our lives. Help us to find rest in you. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 24, 2011

In Matthew 9, Jesus calls Matthew, a despised tax collector, to follow him and be a disciple. Then he eats with other tax collectors and sinners. Jesus’ disciples are asked why their master would do such a thing. Jesus, overhearing the question, replies, “It is not the healthy who need the doctor but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘What I want is mercy and not sacrifice.’ And, indeed, I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.”

Look at your congregation, dear friend. Look closely at your own life. Who is there? Be grateful that God has called each of us in our brokenness and sinfulness. On that model, Jesus invites us as the people of God to understand that God prefers the inward quality of genuine compassion for all people to any outward observance of the rules or the Law. Each week, in the sacrament of Holy Communion, Jesus sits at table with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus sits at table with us! Thank God.

Let us pray: Compassionate God, may we be so strengthened by your feeding us that we may see and love you in all others. Give us compassionate hearts through Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 25, 2011

These questions are often asked. Can this political system be saved? Is it time for reformation or revolution? What form can best contain these particular ideals? Jesus answers those questions, for his particular and unique time and place in Matthew 9. He is answering the question, “Why did John’s disciples fast and yours do not?” Jesus responds, “People do not put new wine into old wineskins; if they do, the skins burst, the wine runs out and the wine and the skins are lost. No, they put new wine into fresh skins and both are preserved.”

Jesus brings a new spirit to the dominion of God. The old forms in exact observance cannot contain this new spirit. If they are forced to attempt to contain it, both will be lost. Rather, new forms are required. This need for new forms has not stopped, for the work of the Holy Spirit has not stopped. And so, we continue to change. We worship in English, not German or Latin. We minister to people with AIDS, not lepers. We include the poor and the different, not Gentiles. We are still being gifted with newly-effervescent wine. God will provide the new wineskins.

Dear friend, let us pray: Creative God, give us hearts and lives to keep up with the surprising forms of your compassion. Give us strength in your unchanging love which we know best through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 26, 2011

“God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea….The nations make much ado, and the kingdoms are shaken. God has spoken and the earth shall melt away….Come now and look upon the works of the Lord. What awesome things God has done on earth.” Psalm 46

The kingdoms of the earth are shaken. Look, dear friend, at the events of the past few decades. Two Germanys have become one. The USSR has been dismantled. In South Africa, apartheid, as a political system has been dismantled. Hong Kong is Chinese. Weather patterns are frightening. What is it then, that can give us and all the peoples of the world, comfort in the middle of these radical changes? The knowledge that God is in charge, that the Lord of hosts is with us, that the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

Let us pray: God you are a mighty fortress and a safe haven for us. Let us trust you through Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 27, 2011

I was talking to my husband, Keith, the other day and he showed me a song that he would like to have sung at his funeral. The words are a reflection of the 91st Psalm. “For God shall give the angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways. They shall bear you in their hands lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the adder; you shall trample the young lion and the serpent under your feet. Because you are bound to me in love, therefore will I deliver you. I will protect you because you know my name.”

Although I was fairly uncomfortable and unhappy hypothesizing about Keith’s death, I was comforted by the knowledge that he knows God’s angels will accompany him to God and will accompany me on my continued journey on earth. Dear friend, we are not alone in life–or in death.

Let us pray: God of power and might, you send your angels to watch over us. Guide us along life’s way until we see you face-to-face in the company of Jesus. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 28, 2011

October would have been my brother Bill’s birthday. Had he lived, he would be 69 years old. My brother died of AIDS 22 years ago. I miss my brother, and I continue to be troubled by the disease that killed him, the dishonesty that he felt must surround his illness and death, and the separation from the church that marked his last years of life on earth. And so it is with great comfort that I recall the words of St. Paul in the 8th chapter of Romans. “For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power nor height nor depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Dear friend, let us pray: God of all grace, you sent your Son, our savior Jesus Christ, to bring life and immortality to light. We give you thanks because by his death, Jesus destroyed the power of death and by his resurrection has opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Make us certain that because he lives, we shall live also and that neither death nor life, nor things present nor things to come shall be able to separate us from your love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 29, 2011

Jeremiah writes in the 31st chapter, “The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah…, I will put my law within them and I will write it on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people.”

Dear friend, we are the blessed recipients of this new covenant, written on our hearts. Jesus the Christ lives within us through the gift of baptism. We are called to listen quietly to that spirit of God which is given to us as a gift. We are called to trust that spirit. Then we test what we hear in the presence of the Word, the Sacraments, and the Christian community. You have been given a new heart. Listen to it, remembering always God’s great love for you.

Let us pray: God of faithful promises, you have planted in each of us a new heart. Give us the grace to trust you for growth in faith for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 30, 2011

In John 8, Jesus is telling the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.”

I remember when our former organist quoted this scripture at his good-bye party–and then told us that he was a gay man! Jesus is talking about the truth. The truth about which Jesus is talking was that Jesus was God and that only Jesus could set us free from sin. But that truth also requires that we acknowledge our own humanity, our own finitude, our own incarnation and our own limits. Our former organist was telling us that day–this is who I am, this is the truth. Essentially he was asking us, “Can you love me in the name of Christ knowing who I really am?” The answer, dear friend, is yes.

Let us pray: God of all love, you love us in our human condition and ask that we accept you–and you only–as God. Grant that we may be comfortable knowing your perfect love for us imperfect beings. Grant us the willingness to share that love with all others for the sake of Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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October 31, 2011

To the world October 31st is Halloween–a day filled with ghosts and goblins. To the Christian, October 31st is All Hallow’s Eve, the day before All Saints’ Day, the day we remember the faithful departed. To the Lutheran, October 31st is Reformation Day, the day when Martin Luther tacked 95 theses protesting the abuse of indulgences on the church door in Wittenburg.

Dear friend, there is a common theme that runs through all of these celebrations: God is present in our lives in every circumstance. We do not need to fear ghosts or goblins or the tangible evils of this world–because we know that God is present in our lives. We do not need to fear death, because we know that God gives us the gift of the resurrection and we will celebrate the gift of eternal life with all the saints. We do not need to fear change in the church, because God is in charge. In Romans 8, St. Paul puts it like this: “For I am certain that neither death, nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers nor height nor depth nor anything else in all of creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which we know best through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Let us pray: Thank you faithful God, that you are so constant in your love for us through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

My name is Pastor Janet Grill of St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 304 Morewood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We worship on Sundays at 11 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM. We invite you to join us.

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Fret. A good word. It sounds the way it means. To be bothered or annoyed and to continue worrying about something–like being unable to leave a loose tooth alone. The Psalmist in Psalm 37 (New Revised Standard translation) uses the word fret three times in eight verses. “Do not fret because of the wicked;…do not fret over those who prosper in their way,…Do not fret–it only leads to evil.” In between these admonitions not to fret, the Psalmist tells us why we do not need to be concerned. “Trust in the Lord, and do good;…Commit your way to the Lord;…Be still before the Lord,…wait patiently for God.”

Dear friend, often in life, we fret. Some awful thing that has happened to us or a loved one, or some irritating situation or person continues to pop up in our minds. We stop at a stop light and find ourselves on ‘that subject’ again. We are peeling carrots and ‘that subject’ pops up. We are trying to pray and find ‘that subject’ is dominating our thoughts. STOP. Is there something about which you are fretting today? Trust God. Now, offer it to God in prayer.

Let us pray: God of love, you ask us to have faith in you. Receive the difficulties of our lives and the difficult people in our lives. Allow us to sit still and know that you are God. Allow us to surrender our lives to you. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 2, 2011

Habakkuk, a prophet perhaps from the same time as Jeremiah, teaches us how to complain to God. The short book opens with his words, “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you ‘Violence!’ and you will not save? Why do you make me see wrongdoing and look at trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law becomes slack and justice never prevails. The wicked surround the righteous–therefore judgment comes from the perverted.”

Although the language might change a little, the complaints could be ours today. We find unimaginable violence, destruction and brokenness every night on the news. We wonder why injustice prevails. Often we complain to God and end our prayer with our complaining. But Habukkuk goes on. Chapter 2 opens like this, “I will stand at my watch post, and station myself on the rampart; I will keep watch to see what God will say to me and what the Lord will answer concerning my complaint.” And God does answer and promise justice. Habukkuk’s conclusion is that he must trust and rejoice in God even before he is able to see the promises of God.

Dear friend, let us pray: God, we bring the complaints of our lives and of the world before you. We see injustice, violence, and natural disasters all around. We wonder how you are acting in our lives. Grant us the grace, as you did to Habukkuk, to praise you even in the midst of our troubles and to believe that you are with us and in charge of our lives. Help us to know we are always safe in you. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 3, 2011

The last chapter of the prophet Habukkuk (it only has 3 chapters!) is a beautiful psalm of faith. “Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; through the produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will exult in the God of my salvation; God, the Lord, is my strength;…”

Habukkuk has been moaning about the problems of the world–for two chapters! And now he is exalting God and believing that God will act–even before God has acted. He is following the definition of faith that is used in the 11th chapter of Hebrews: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Dear friend, believe that God is acting in this world and in your life, even when you do not yet see the evidence of that action. Then, believing that God will act, you act on that faith–praising God for many blessings and resting in the strength of God.

Let us pray: Only you, O God, only you have created and redeemed us. Only you, O God, only you know what is best for us in our lives. In times of trial, give us faith in you and allow us to praise you, even before we see you acting. Keep us safe in your arms. We pray in the name of the One who trusted you unto death, and resurrection, Jesus Christ the Lord. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 4, 2011

Think of Matthew 17:24-27. Peter is asked if Jesus paid the temple tax and answered yes. When he returned to Jesus, Jesus asked Peter from whom the kings of the earth take toll or tribute? Their own children or others? And Peter answered that taxes were taken from others. Jesus responded that therefore they were free of the temple tax but since they did not want to give offense, they should pay it. “Go to the sea and cast a hook; take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a coin; take that and give it to them for you and me.”

Yes, dear friend, it is a fantastic sort of story. But it certainly reminds us that God uses all of creation for God’s good and God’s glory. Remember how all of creation conspires together to do the will of our God.

Let us pray: Remind us always, God of all creation, that you use all that you have made to praise you and do your will. Please include us in that mighty number for the sake of Jesus. AMEN

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 5, 2011

Dear friend, have you ever taken the time to become aware of the stream of thoughts that runs through your head just a little below your consciousness? One time on retreat, I was graced with becoming aware of these thoughts–and the grace has continued. For example, I can be walking down the street thinking about where I am going when I become aware of comments I am making about the people I see. ‘What a pretty blouse!’ ‘Those pants should never be worn with a figure like that!’ I am fairly convinced that these almost-subconscious thoughts determine a lot about who I am. And as I become aware of these thoughts, I am invited to change them to thoughts of love.

It is these unconscious, not always kind, thoughts that make me so impressed with the author of II Timothy as he writes in the first chapter, “I am grateful to God–whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did–when I remember you constantly in my prayers day and night.” That is my goal: to remember people with gratitude and love, to eavesdrop on my inner mind and find prayers of thanksgiving and longing and joy. Listen today to your own self. Listen with thanksgiving, and, where necessary, ask for the grace to change.

Let us pray: Day and night, O giving God, we praise your name. We remember before you, with thanksgiving, our family of faith. We pray for those whose needs you know. Keep us always close to you, for the sake of Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 6, 2011

Lois and Eunice and Timothy. Grandmother and mother and son. St. Paul writes in II Timothy that he “is reminded of (Timothy’s) sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.” In Paul’s day, faith was passed through the generations. Today faith is passed through the generations as well. When I went to the USSR in the mid-80′s, I visited many Russian Orthodox churches. It was Holy Week. Old grandmothers–babas–were preparing the buildings for the celebration of Easter. They brought their grandchildren along. I couldn’t understand much of what they were saying, but I recognized that they were telling their families about Jesus. They were passing the faith from generation to generation in a time when it was not only politically incorrect but even dangerous to be talking about faith in anything but the government.

Dear friend, that is how faith survives. It is passed down from age to age, not only in words but in a life lived congruently with those words. Your life and your words convey a message of faith to those around you–those in your biological family and those in your human family. What message are you passing on?

Let us pray: Almighty God, you have placed us in human families. Bless us in all of our relationships. Fill our lives with faith, gentleness, patience and wisdom. Allow us to share these gifts with others for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 7, 2011

I have a friend whose brother is in prison. My friend is embarrassed and has told her children, who are 6 and 7, that her brother is in the hospital. George gets upset every time he receives a get-well card from his niece and nephew. He is ashamed of what he did, believes he will be different, and certainly needs the love and support of his family if he is to stay clean on the outside.

St Paul is in prison–for the sake of the gospel–but knows that some might be embarrassed by his situation. Therefore he writes to Timothy in his second letter, the first chapter: “Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to God’s own purpose and grace.” Our friends and families are sometimes embarrassed by what we do–living a simple lifestyle so others may have more, serving meals in a soup kitchen, being active so all workers might earn a living wage. And yet we are called–as prisoners for God–to do things that are contrary to popular culture and, often, the desires of our families. Dear friend, do not be ashamed of the acts of love you are called to do. Boldly speak the love of God for all people. Follow the example of Paul.

Let us pray: Make us bold, O God of all creation, to live your gospel in the world. Give us friends and family who support us in doing your work of love. Keep us proud of those who speak and act as Jesus, for his sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 8, 2011

Sometimes we are tempted to believe in our own doings. ‘If I am good enough, bad things won’t happen to me.’ Apparently, the Galatians were prone to the same problem. (The heresy of believing in salvation by works is called Pelagianism.) Paul writes in the beginning of chapter 3, “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified! The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you have heard? Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Did you experience so much for nothing?”

Talk about getting chewed out! But perhaps we need to listen carefully, as if Paul were addressing us. For don’t we, who were baptized with water and the spirit, also sometimes fall back into the heresy of believing our own being good will save us. Somewhere don’t we say that if we say enough prayers or attend church faithfully or tithe our income we will be spared from the turmoil of life or be made right in the eyes of God? Dear friend, look at the motivation for the good that you do. And remember, you are saved by grace through faith and not by works.

Let us pray: Purify us, forgiving God, that we might love you with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and love our neighbor as ourselves, not so that we might win the salvation you have freely granted us but so that we might serve you with joyful lives and face with faith the difficulties which life presents to us. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 9, 2011

I would bet that we have all been richly blessed. I also would bet that all of us could identify a time in our lives when an unwanted spirit has been banished from us. It could be a spirit of depression or compulsiveness or fury. The thing that I’m not sure I could bet on is what we did after that spirit left us. Often, instead of thanking God and filling the newly-emptied spot in our lives with faith, we simply pick up a new and often-more-difficult spirit. Jesus tells the story in Luke 11:24ff: “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

Dear friend, consider what it is that fills your life. Consider how you respond to God’s blessings. Make sure, as you are being made whole, that you do not allow an inviting void in your life.

Let us pray: Thank you, giving God, for your many blessings. Thank you for creating us clean each day. Thank you for the gift of forgiveness. Fill the empty spots in our lives with gratitude and love, for the sake of Jesus. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 10, 2011

The story of the ten lepers in Luke 17 is familiar to us. On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus is approached by ten lepers who, while keeping their distance, cry out for mercy. Jesus tells them to go and show themselves to the priests which was the necessary proof that they had been made clean. On the way, they were healed. One of them turned back to thank Jesus who asked where the other nine were and then told the man, “Get up and go on you way; your faith has made you well.”

Dear friend, there are two kinds of being made well. The first is a physical healing. All ten lepers were made clean. The second is an emotional healing, a wholeness. Only the one leper who recognized the healing as from God and returned to give thanks was made whole. We, as the Christian family, frequently pray for physical healing for ourselves and those we love. Although we want both kinds of healing, if I had to choose it would be for wholeness, the kind of wholeness that reminds me that God is in charge, that I can trust God, and that I can face both suffering and death knowing I am not alone.

Let us pray: Fill us, healing God, with your Holy Spirit so that we may be made one with you. Make us whole and complete so that, leaning on you, we know that you are God and that you are always caring for us. We pray in the name of Jesus whom you sent to us. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 11, 2011

Pride sometimes gets in our way. Healing is offered to us and we think that the method is so common that we refuse. Those around us beg us–’Please, take time off.’ or ‘Try this herbal remedy.’ or ‘Pray.’ And we say something like, ‘I don’t need you to tell us how to live! Don’t you think I can take care of myself?’

Such is the story of Naaman, a commander of the army of the king of Aram who was a leper. It is recorded in II Kings 5. Hearing that there was a prophet in Samaria who could heal him, he obtained a letter from the king of Aram to send to the king of Israel along with many gifts. After the commander’s long journey, Elisha the prophet sent a messenger to tell Naaman to wash in the Jordan seven times and he would be made clean. So what does Naaman do? He becomes angry and says, ‘Elisha is not doing it right. He should come out and wave his hand over me. We have better rivers at home.’ And he left in a rage. The outcome of the story is that his servants begged him to do what he was told; he did and was made whole. Dear friend, don’t be too proud to listen to the simple ways in which God may be speaking to you.

Let us pray: Speak to us, healing God, in words and through people. Open us to hear you. Banish our pride and keep us attentive to your presence in our lives, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 12, 2011

II Timothy 2:8ff: “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David–that is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.” I like that line. No matter what happens to me, or to the church, or to the world, the word of God is not chained. I used to have a colleague who would say, “You cannot keep God in a box.” And, dear friend, it is true. The God who sent a prophet who married a whore (Hosea) or lay on his side for 390 days (Ezekiel), the God who sent men who were angels and the beloved Son who died, the God who could raise children of Abraham from stones–this God continues to come to us in ways that we cannot and will not ever completely understand.

God comes to us in word and people and events and nature, even when the church goes astray and we ourselves are unable to speak or move. It is a great comfort to realize that the word continues in every situation. So look for God–not only where you expect to find your Lord, but also in every unlikely situation and person.

Let us pray: Surprising and uncontainable God, forgive us for trying to limit you to our own small understanding. Comfort us with the knowledge that the gospel will never be confined and you work by means that we do not control. Open us to be aware of your wonderful ways, for the sake of Jesus. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 13, 2011

Dear friend, have you ever been in a situation where you needed to respond to someone, and you were afraid you would be inappropriate? People don’t taunt me (I don’t think!) but they often confront or irritate me and I am afraid I will snap back or say things that I don’t really mean and certainly don’t want to say. I suspect the Psalmist in Psalm 145:41 was in a similar situation. He writes, “Let your loving kindness come to me, O Lord, and your salvation, according to your promise. Then I shall have a word for those who taunt me, because I trust in your words.”

David Kundtz in Stopping suggests that in such a situation we stop, and take a deep breath, breathe in the kind and loving things we want to share with the person to whom we are speaking, and then breathe out that love. I would add a prayer to God on the intake breath, a prayer for the loving kindness of God, and then trust that the word I need to share will be there on the breath out. Try it today. If you find yourself in a difficult conversation–stop, breathe in, pray for God’s love–and then respond.

Let us pray: God of all, you promise us the right words when we need them. Grant to us the wisdom to stop, ask for your wisdom, and then, in your love, respond. Grant us the grace to always turn to you, as Jesus did. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 14, 2011

The dictionary defines freedom as “not under the control of any other person or arbitrary power.” That is an accurate definition of a Christian because, no matter what government we live under, we are obligated only to the rule of God who loves all people and commands us to do the same. St Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, chapter 5, describes it like this: “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

It’s a bit ironic, isn’t it? That we who are slave to no earthly system or person are called, very simply, to be servants of all. When I was in high school, a group called “Up With People” sang a song that went like this: “Freedom isn’t free. Freedom isn’t free. You have to pay the price, you have to sacrifice for your liberty.” I suspect the song was a national song, but today I hear those phrases as a holy song. We are free, dear friend. We have been set free spiritually. But the sign of our freedom is our willingness to be loving slaves sacrificing to serve one another.

Let us pray: God of freedom, you sent your son Jesus to set us free. Help us to be a slave to all for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 15, 2011

Our world is full of laws. Speed limits. No Parking. Don’t walk on the grass. No pets. No children. No smoking. Sometimes our mind boggles at the intricacies of the rules we must follow and all we are not allowed to do. St. Paul puts a different spin on it, however. At the end of Galatians 5, he lists the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Then he writes, “There is no law against such things.”

And of course, he’s right! These gifts of love are welcome in all of our personal relationships. On occasion, generosity might be against a law–e.g., no trade with Cuba or Iran, even medical supplies. There are times when peace defined as an absence of war is against the law. But St. Paul is right in the eyes of the law of God, the only law to which we as Christians are bound. The fruits of the spirit are always welcomed in the life and the community of the Christian.

Dear friend, let us pray: God, help us to discern your will for us. Nurture in us the fruits of the spirit and allow them to be sweet in your sight, for the sake of the One who died for us, Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 16, 2011

For teenagers these days, there is much to fear–the annihilation of the world, drive-by-shootings, drugs and alcohol which are so tempting to use to escape the fear. And yet they display the graphic “No Fear!” on T-shirts and cars. I suspect that they emblazon that slogan on their bodies and vehicles because they are afraid, and are trying to convey the opposite. Jesus says to us, again and again, do not be afraid. For example in Luke 12, after warning against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, he speaks to his disciples and says, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”

Dear friend, we who are loved and known by a God who is aware of every sparrow that falls to the ground and counts every hair on our heads. We need fear only that God. When we find ourselves, as our teenagers, afraid of earthly things, we are invited to take those worries to God in prayer and to the Body of Christ for support. Perhaps, in our humanity, our fears will not go away, but we will certainly remember that we are not alone with them and that God will support us through them and bring good from them.

Let us pray: Faithful God, help us to be honest in our own fear and bring it to you. Allow us to be fearless in sharing your love with the world, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 17, 2011

The other day I was walking through a building that housed a small after school program. I was using the locker room next door. When I returned from the gym, I couldn’t find my shoes on the floor of the changing room. A little girl came in and asked, “Are these yours?” and brought my shoes back from another room. As I was changing, a small boy entered. He said he was looking for his yellow ball with a smiley face. By his manner, and his peering into every stall that had clothing in it, I got the idea he was looking for naked women. He was about that age. As I left, I passed the day care room and saw the teacher stretched out on the sofa, her hand thrown over her head, sound asleep.

I sometimes am like that little boy, seeking something that is lost or looking for trouble under the same pretense. I was comforted to remember Psalm 121: “My help is from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. God will not let your foot be moved and the one who watches over you will not fall asleep. Behold, the one who keeps watch over Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep; the Lord himself watches over you.” Dear friend, God is watching over us. God does not wander away or fall asleep. God is with us.

Let us pray: Guide us waking O God, and guard us sleeping that awake we may watch with Christ and asleep we may rest in peace. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 18, 2011

In Isaiah 35, the prophet is telling of the coming time when all will be restored. He writes, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.” The messianic age, the coming kingdom will be a time of healing and wholeness.

St. Luke was known as a physician and his gospel tells many stories of being made well. Sometimes our churches have services of healing. Dear friend, Jesus came to us to proclaim the in breaking of the reign of God. When asked by the messengers of John the Baptist if he was the one to come, he responded by saying, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them.” (Luke 7, of course.) We celebrate with the knowledge that God wants healing for us and are bold to proclaim the restoration of all things in Jesus’ name.

Let us pray: Almighty God, you inspired your servant Luke the physician to reveal in his Gospel the love and healing power of your Son. Give your Church the same love and power to heal, to the glory of your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 19, 2011

“If the Lord had not been on our side, let Israel now say; if the Lord had not been on our side when enemies rose up against us, then would they have swallowed us up alive…” Psalm 124. I have always been fond of that Psalm for two reasons. One is the comfort of understanding that God is with me. The other is the repetition at the beginning which underscores the meaning. However, I am also troubled. I was a young adult in the late 60′s and early 70′s. I remember the sarcastic ant-war songs that proclaimed we would always win with “God on our side.” I never understood–and still don’t–how God wouldn’t be with God’s people (all people) on both sides of most conflicts. Although I reluctantly can imagine that it may sometimes, perhaps, be necessary to kill I cannot even remotely fathom a God who would be on “our” side if that meant being against another.

Perhaps the answer is simpler. Perhaps “with God on our side” simply means that, whenever we are given a gift, a victory, a salvation, we give the glory to God. “If God had not been on our side” this job loss would have made me feel totally inadequate. “If God had not been on our side” I may never have found another job. Just beware that you do not use the phrase “if God had not been on our side” to justify human actions that are less than actions of God.

Let us pray, dear friend: God, we would always like to claim you as being on our side. Instead, stop us before we act so that we may always be on your side, acting in your love, for the sake of the One who became love incarnate, Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 20, 2011

Our neighbor built a fence. I couldn’t decide if I was offended, or relieved, our back yard tends to get overgrown. My gut reaction to fences, even though I know they often make good neighbors, is that they divide. So I decided to put the best construction on this fence and assume it was for good. After all, St Paul writes in Ephesians 2:14ff, “For Christ is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups (Jews and Gentiles) into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.” Now St. Paul is talking about some pretty serious divisions–like understanding that all males must be circumcised, like the belief that all must follow the many rules and regulations of the Jews, like the knowledge that Gentiles were lower than, not as good as, not made of the same stuff, as the Jews. And Jesus said, “No!” We are one in the love of God.

Dear friend, if Jesus could make such very different cultures one, I am certain that it is his will that my neighbor and I, with our differing understandings of how backyards should be groomed, should be one in him.

Let us pray: O God, our creator, we commend our homes and neighborhoods to your care, that they may be kept free from social strife and decay. Give us strength of purpose and loving care for others, that we may create a community of justice and peace where your will for unity may be done. We pray in the name of the One who took down the walls that divide us, Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 21, 2011

Isaiah 12–the whole thing! “You will say in that day: I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, and you comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might; God has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the Lord, call on God’s name; make known God’s deed among the nations; proclaim, ‘God’s name is exalted!’ Sing praises to the Lord who has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth. Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”

Rejoice, dear friend, this day and every day. Sing this precious song of Isaiah. Give thanks to God and list the many ways in which God speaks to you and is present with you and loves you. Give thanks to the Lord.

Let us pray: We give you thanks, God of all, that you have created us and sustain us from day to day. We thank you for the gift of the Church, for Word and Sacrament, for Christian community and for our friends and families. We thank you for this opportunity to pray together. Give us time this day to stop and praise you. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 22, 2011

“The only thing certain in life is change.” I believe that saying and find that the rate of change in our lives is accelerating. Survival in the job market is positively correlated with a person’s ability to learn new skills. The Church’s ability to survive depends on her ability to change so she can continue to relate to a different world. And yet, in Psalm 33, the Psalmist writes, “The Lord brings the will of the nations to naught; and thwarts the designs of the peoples. But the Lord’s will stands fast forever, and the designs of God’s heart from age to age.”

It is true. We, and the Church, must constantly learn new skills and new technologies. We must keep changing and reforming so that we stay faithful to the will of God and don’t get led to create false goals and values. But the will of God–that we would love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and love our neighbor as ourselves–that will never change. What a comfort to trust in the God who is always with us, always inviting us to change so that we might live consistently with God’s gracious and unchanging will.

Dear friend, let us pray: O God, it is your will to hold the world in a single peace. Use us as instruments of your will. Keep us close to you that we might be willing to move always towards you, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 23, 2011

St Paul writes in Ephesians 4: “I, therefore, a prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” That is an interesting job description and difficult to measure objectively. My job as pastor is measured by sermons preached, sick people visited, dials written, meetings attended, prayers prayed. St. Paul suggests that my call, as yours, is to a lifestyle not a program. That doesn’t get me out of preaching, visiting, writing, meeting and praying. It simply means that all of the above need to be done with humility and gentleness, patience and love, maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Although I’m not sure I can accurately measure my success or yours in the above-listed lifestyle, I do know, dear friend, that that is the life to which we all are called. Your job is not simply cooking or booking, learning or discerning, sewing or bowing, playing or praying. Your call as a Christian is to do your job gently, with love.

Let us pray: You call us as your children, God, and ask us to live a life that reflects the image in which we have been created. Grant to us the time to remember you each day. Call our behavior to our attention that we may be faithful to you. We pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 24, 2011

When I was a child I always thought a pilgrim was a Puritan, you know, like the people who came over on the Mayflower. More commonly, pilgrims are people on a journey, wanderers. And there could be distinct advantages to being a wanderer. Pilgrims don’t get tricked into believing that they, themselves, are responsible for their own fortunes. They understand that their stability comes not from a permanent home nor a stable food supply. The disadvantages would be that they might become totally engrossed in finding the next day’s food or the next night’s lodging. The Psalmist in Psalm 84 heralds this lifestyle. “Happy are the people whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on the pilgrim’s way.”

Dear friend, we are not physical pilgrims but we are invited to be spiritual pilgrims, always seeking the God who is constantly seeking us. Do not rely on the physical attributes of your life–your house or family or profession. Do not rely on the physical attributes of your faith–your church building or congregation or specific mission. All of the above are good. But when we trust in them, we are tempted to close out the God who works in strange and wonderful ways. God calls us to be pilgrims.

Let us pray: Lord God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 25, 2011

Ruth was a Moabite, not a Jew. She married a Jew in the country of Moab. First her father-in-law died. Then her husband and brother-in-law died too. Her mother-in-law heard that there was food in her home country and set out, telling her daughters-in-law to stay behind. Oprah finally did, but Ruth proclaimed, “Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die–there will I be buried. May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!”

Ruth is an example, dear friend, of faithfulness and service. Ruth’s mother-in-law had no man in her life–the only means of support in those days. Her father, husband and sons were all dead. And she was old. Ruth could have abandoned her mother-in-law but chose, instead, to serve her. The end of the story tells of her marriage to Boaz and her place in the lineage of David. Ruth, the foreigner, was used by God to teach us all about sacrificial service to another. Ruth, the foreigner, was a foremother of Jesus.

Let us pray: God of love, you call us to be servants of all. Allow us to follow the example of your servant Ruth and be willing to give our lives for others. Grant us the grace to see the way you use many–even the outsider–to model the love which we know best through Jesus, in whose name we pray. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 26, 2011

A family with seven children used to go to St. John’s Lutheran Church. They didn’t own a van, so the nine of them always came to church in two cars. One day they forgot the youngest, Gabriel, who was four years old. Gabriel had a deep voice, like a frog. I was sure he would be upset at being left behind so I asked him if his feelings were hurt. “No,” he croaked, “They love me and as soon as they get home and count, and find out I’m missing, they’ll come back to get me.”

Gabriel’s faith in his family reminded me of the parable of the lost sheep in Matthew 18. Jesus asked, “What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?” On occasion, dear friend, we are each the straying sheep. What comfort to know, as Gabriel did, that when we are lost the One who loves us will continue to seek us out and bring us home.

Let us pray: Shepherd God, give us the humility to acknowledge the times that we have strayed from you. Give us the wisdom to listen to your voice calling us home. We pray in the name of the great shepherd of your sheep, Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 27, 2011

Have you ever baked bread? Not quick bread, but real bread? From scratch? I’m always impressed when I take one teaspoon of yeast, dissolve it in warm water with a little bit of sugar, and mix it with other fat and liquid and six cups of flour–that’s 144 teaspoons of flour! And that little bit of yeast makes the whole dough rise. And if I forget it, the dough keeps rising right out of the bowl! In Luke 13, Jesus tells the parable of the yeast, “To what should I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

Dear friend, we are invited to add our little bit to the mix of the coming kingdom. St. Paul talks of the yeast of malice and evil. Jesus is talking about the yeast of love and good. Our lives will add a rising agent to the dough of the world. Each action, each thought, each prayer is significant. What kind of action, what kind of prayer, what kind of kingdom are you raising today?

Let us pray: All-powerful God, you have created us in your image. On occasion we feel insignificant. Allow us to be aware of the power of our actions and to model them on the love of Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 28, 2011

“The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows God’s handiwork. One day tells its tale to another, and one night imparts knowledge to another. Although they have no words or language, and their voices are not heard, their sound has gone out into all lands, and their message to the ends of the world.” Psalm 19:1-4. It sounds like a relay race. The sun rises in the morning and passes through the sky all day, telling us of God’s love. It passes the light on to the moon and rejoices with the stars who tell of God’s glory in the night. Their light is again given to the day which, voicelessly, proclaims God’s might.

Scientific understanding of the world might dispute the way light is moved from day to night and whether it is the sun that is moving or we on earth who are moving. But the image is beautiful–and true. God, who created the sun and the moon and the stars and all that is, is being praised by the consistency and beauty of the ever-changing gift of light. We are invited, dear friend, to be a part of the light, and a part of the praise.

Let us pray: God, you have created light so that we might see. You have given us the light of the world so that we might see your love for us and all people. Use us, like the moon, to reflect your light faithfully to the world, we pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 29, 2011

Psalm 19, verse 5ff: “In the deep has God set a pavilion for the sun; it comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber; it rejoices like a champion to run its course. It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens and runs about to the end of it again; nothing is hidden from its burning heat.” The Psalmist goes on to talk about the law and commandments and statutes of God as giving light to the eyes and then writes in verse 11, “By them also is your servant enlightened, and in keeping them there is great reward.”

God’s word is everywhere. It pervades our lives like the light of the sun. It is enthusiastic like a bridegroom on his wedding night. It is, as Jeremiah says, written on our hearts. Dear friend, it seems that the law of God is very simple. ‘Love God and each dear neighbor.’ The living out of that law is more complex. It has been codified in the ten commandments, the book of Leviticus, the letters of Paul and the rules of the church. Each age must listen to the simplicity of the will of God and then work to live that love according to the culture in which we find ourselves. But that law, that love, that word, will find us and guide us wherever we are.

Let us pray: Your Word, O God, is a wondrous star that supplies true guidance when we need it. It points to Christ and makes wise all simple hearts that heed it. Keep it brightly burning and so fill our deepest yearning, for the sake of Jesus, the light of the world. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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September 30, 2011

One summer, I took my grandchildren to the Children’s Zoo where we had the opportunity to feed some baby chickens. They were constantly in motion, scrambling all over the box, crawling on top of one another in order to get to a human hand that held some chicken feed. I smiled remembering a time we had taken a group of children from church to the zoo and, because of their excitement, we had difficulty even keeping track of all of them.

In Luke 13, Jesus is told that Herod wants to kill him. He responds, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing.” We, dear friend, are like the chickens in the box and the children at the zoo and the people of Jerusalem. Jesus is constantly calling us to himself so that he might protect us. Will you go?

Let us pray: Gather us in, guardian God. Keep us safe in the shelter of your wing. Lead us home to Jesus. AMEN.

This is Pastor Janet Grill from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at the corner of Centre and Morewood in Shadyside. We worship on Sundays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm. We invite you to join us.

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