Daily Devotions | Love Everyone; Exclude No One | St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Pittsburgh, PA

Jill Kimelman

Posted on May 21, 2013 by admin

Join Hearts & Hands on Saturday, June 1st from 10 am-2 pm for the Jill Kimelman Memorial Blanket Tie Event to benefit Hello Bully, Western PA Humane Society and the Animal Rescue League.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Posted on May 2, 2013 by admin

May 1, 2013

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, 2013

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, 2013

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, 2013

‘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, 2013

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, 2013

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, 2013

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, 2013

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, 2013

“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, 2013

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, 2013

“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, 2013

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, 2013
“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, 2013

“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, 2013

“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, 2013

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, 2013

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, 2013

“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, 2013

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, 2013

“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, 2013

“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, 2013

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, 2013

“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, 2013

“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, 2013

“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, 2013

“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, 2013

“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, 2013

“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, 2013

“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, 2013

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, 2013

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.

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

July daily devotion

Posted on July 5, 2011 by admin

Psalm 3, verse 5–”I can lie down to sleep and then awake for Yahweh God has hold of me.” Comforting words, dear friend. Do you remember when you were little being afraid to go to sleep because–just because! Probably you were afraid because you were losing control, but we were too little to know that then. Sometimes, still, as an adult I am a little bit afraid to go to sleep–when I am sick or have a very sore throat or my nose and chest are all stuffed up; deep inside myself I think that if I sleep I will stop breathing.

But the Psalmist says that even in life’s situations where we have the least control–like when we are asleep, or in the hospital or simply helpless–even then, especially then, God has a hold of us like a good friend who has placed warm hands on our shoulders and guides and comforts and protects us. Even in the most uncontrollable situations we may sleep and then awake–fearlessly–because Yahweh God sustains us.

Let us pray: God of the light and of the darkness, of waking and of sleeping, guard and guide us through this day and night and give us perfect faith 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.

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

July 2, 2011

Amaziah is a priest of Bethel who tells King Jeroboam that Amos is plotting against him. Amaziah then tells Amos (Ch. 7)–”Go away seer, get back to the land of Judah; earn your bread there, do your prophesying there. We want no more of your prophesying in Bethel; this is the royal sanctuary, the national temple.” And Amos answers, “I was no prophet, neither did I belong to any of the brotherhoods of prophets. I was a shepherd and looked after sycamores but it was God who took me from herding the flock and God who said, ‘Go prophecy to my people Israel. So listen to the word of the Lord.”

It is common for people to call the messenger names when the messenger tells them things they do not want to hear. Amos told Israel they would be sent into exile and the priest told Amos he was a professional, i.e. a false prophet. Amos paid no attention and continued to entreat them to listen to the Word of the Lord which he had been given. We, too, are given a word of God to share with the people of God. Gently, we are asked to share that word even if our hearers do not want to listen. Keep true to the telling of the word you have been given.

Dear friend, let us pray: God, you give us your word of truth. Allow us to hear it in our own lives and gently and faithfully bear it to others for 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.

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

July 3, 2011

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, as we are sometimes lost in life, unable to see the path on which we are traveling, 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 often 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 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.

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.

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

July 4, 2011

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 pray for the country in which we are living and on which our welfare depends. This Independence Day, we pray prayers of thanksgiving for the freedoms and bounties we share in this country. We pray for others who have less than we do and for the grace to use the gift of this land as a blessing for others.

Let us pray: Lord of the nations, guide our people by your spirit to go forward in justice and freedom. Give us what outward prosperity may be your will but give us faith in you that our nation may bring glory to your name and blessings to all peoples for 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.

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

July 5, 2011

As I sit here writing these meditations and praying, I take the time to walk on the beautiful parks, to revel in the magnificent flowers, to delight in the animals and their young. The Psalmist writes in Psalm 145, “I will ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty and all of your marvelous works.”

Dear friend, I never want to make the mistake of substituting the wonders of nature for God–God is much, much more than that. But, take time to observe the glory of a bed of marigolds shining in the sun; delight in a squirrel going about her busy task of burying food and uncovering nuts, seeking and storing food for the winter. Take that time–and then remember what God, who is beyond as well as within creation, continues to reveal God’s self in the beauty of creation. Ponder the glorious majesty of God.

Let us pray: God, you have created a magnificent world. Give us eyes to see you in all of the nature which you have created. Give us the eyes to see you in one another, the fruit of your creation. 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.

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

July 6, 2011

Dear friend, in Deuteronomy 32, Moses speaks to Israel and tells them that the Lord will vindicate them and have compassion on them. He asks, “Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink-offering? Let them rise up and help you ; let them be your protection,” and then, speaking for God, Moses said, “See now that I, even I, am God, and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.”

Who are our gods? To whom do we offer sacrifices of money or time or drink-offerings of alcohol or caffeine? To whom are we in debt? In whom do we trust? In time of trouble, Moses makes it clear; there is only one on whom we can count–God, God’s own self, whom we know in Jesus the Christ. Look at your lives, see where your heart and offerings are, and move so that you trust in the one true God.

Let us pray: O God, you alone are God, grant that our hearts and lives, our offerings and sacrifices are given only to you. 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.

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

July 7, 2011

I love the Lord, because God has heard the voice of my supplication, because God has inclined God’s ear to me whenever I called upon the Lord.” Psalm 116 verse 1.

“Nobody ever listens to me!” How often have I heard, or made, that complaint! People say–”I told her and she didn’t do it; she just doesn’t pay any attention.” or “Doesn’t anybody know or care how sad I am?” Dear friend, it is true that we need to know that people care, listen to us, know us. But too often we forget the truth the psalmist is teaching us. God always hears the voice of our sadness; God is available to us whenever we call on God’s name. When in doubt or sorrow or trouble, when jubilant or content or vibrant, turn to God in prayer. Yahweh, our God, is listening and blesses us with presence. Yahweh, our God, cares.

Let us pray: Caring God, give us the good sense to know you are always with us, always listening to us, and standing ready to respond. Help us to turn our lives over 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.

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

July 8, 2011

There are many things in life over which we have no control, no choice–sickness or loss of job or death, for examples. But I am continually reminded that there are many things in life over which we have a lot of control, a lot of choice–and those choices will determine how we handle and live with those circumstances we did not choose. As we live our live, we may choose to focus on God’s presence with us, on the good things that God continues to give us, on the blessings of life–or we can focus on God’s seeming absence, on the negative aspects of our lives, on what feel like curses. Dear friend, you choose.

The Psalmist reminds us in Psalm 105 to “remember the marvels God has done, the wonders and judgments of God’s mouth.” Take time, this and every day, to remember the way God has always acted faithfully for the people of God–the Exodus from Egypt, the sending of Jesus–remember also how God has acted faithfully in your life–your baptism, your participation in the Body of Christ, your very life and breath and food and clothing and shelter. Remember how God is acting in your life. Choose to remember and choose to give thanks.

Let us pray: Giving God, give us also minds to remember your unfailing love for us. Give us lives of thankfulness 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.

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

July 9, 2011

Have you ever noticed the power of a secret deed or shame, which can hold sway over our lives? Just speaking the words to another in confession can free us from the power of that secret sin and shame. Dear friend, listen to the words of Ephesians 5, verse 13–”The things which are done in secret are things that people are ashamed even to speak of, but anything exposed by the light will be illuminated and anything illuminated turns into light.”

St. Paul knows that of which he speaks. When we break the power of a secret by telling another person who loves us unconditionally in the name of Jesus the Christ, our secret is no longer in the darkness, but in the light of Christ. Although we may still be embarrassed by our secret, we are no longer shamed by it; our ‘secret’ has been shared. It no longer has power over us, for that power has been broken by the light-giving,- life-giving love of Jesus Christ for us. No wonder Martin Luther considered individual confession and absolution to be one of the gifts of the church to us.

Let us pray: All-knowing God, help us to be aware that you already know all the secrets of our lives and stand ready to break the power they hold over us by your forgiving word. Give us courage to speak our secrets in the lights of your 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.

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

July 10, 2011

The prophet Hosea calls a straying Israel, a whoring bride, to come back to the God who has such love for her. Hosea prophecies doom and punishment. But in Chapter 14, Hosea speaks of the joy of Israel’s return to the Lord. When Israel once again acknowledges God only as God, then the Lord will say, “I will heal their disloyalty; I will love them with all my heart….I will fall like dew on Israel who will bloom like the lily and thrust out roots like the poplar, the shoots will spread far and have the beauty of the olive and the fragrance of Lebanon.
They will come back to live in my shade”…and after prophesying the beauty of this return Hosea writes, “Let the wise person understand these words. Let the intelligent person grasp their meaning for the ways of God are straight and the virtuous walk in them but sinners stumble.”

Dear friend, let the one who has ears, hear!

Let us pray: God, you unfailingly call us back to faithfulness to you. Give us eyes to see the false gods in our own lives and courage to turn away from them to you alone, 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.

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

July 11, 2011

“Listen you deaf! Look and see you blind! Who so blind as my servant, so deaf as the messenger I send?…You have seen many things but not observed them; your ears are open but you do not hear.” Isaiah 42:18-20

About whom is the prophet speaking? Probably, according to scholars, the prophet is speaking about Yahweh’s servant Israel. But he could easily be speaking about you and about me. We have seen the envoy of God–Jesus the Christ–in Word and Sacraments. We have heard the voice of the Messiah in Scripture and in prayer. We have seen the hand of God acting in our lives–but we are so often deaf and blind, unaware of God’s presence. Dear friend, today open your eyes and see how God is acting in your life and the life of the Church. Open your ears and hear God’s voice calling to you to bring freedom and justice and an end to oppression. God is alive and well, present in our lives and guiding us. Sometimes, we are unaware.

Let us pray: Active God, open our eyes and ears that we may see and hear your presence and proclaim the coming of your dominion. 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.

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

July 12, 2011

The motto of St. Andrew is “Love everyone, exclude no one.” Implicit in this statement is the understanding that God calls all manner and condition of people, every race and clan and tribe, to be part of the Body of Christ. All are made one in Christ. Surely this is what St. Paul meant when he wrote in Galatians 3–”As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”

St Paul is not implying, dear friend, that we are all androgynous nor that there are no longer different conditions of people in this world. Rather, St Paul claims that all are made equal in the waters of baptism. This is an equality that asks that everyone–Jesus specifically included the prostitute and the leper as examples–that everyone who has been created is to be regarded as one in Christ’s body.

Let us pray for such unity in the diverse persons in our lives: God, we are one in Jesus. Give us the grace not only to see our own equality but also the precious equality you give to each of the least of our sisters and brothers in 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.

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

July 13, 2011

When we are happy, we sing. When the Psalmist is happy, he cries out with songs of joy praising the name of God. Listen to the words of Psalm 28, verses 7 to 11–Blessed is the Lord! For God has heard the voice of my prayer. 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 Lord is the strength of God’s people, a safe refuge for God’s anointed. Save your people and bless your inheritance; shepherd them and carry them forever.”

We, too, respond to God’s gracious love with songs of praise. Today, as you become aware of the generous love of God for you, open your mouth and your heart in hymns of praise.

Let us pray: O Wonderful God, you have blessed us with life and love, shelter and food and especially you have blessed us with the gift of your Son. Grant that we may respond to your prodigal love with hearts and songs of praise. 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.

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

July 14, 2011

Psalm 48 sings God’s praises for God’s faithfulness to Israel. The Psalmist proclaims that God’s praise, like God’s name, reaches to the world’s end. The Psalmist ends by singing–”This God is our God forever and ever and shall be our guide forevermore.”

What a comfort, dear friend, to know that God is our guide, that we are not left without a companion, that we are never alone. God comes to us in many forms–Word and Sacrament and Christian community and Holy Spirit. God comes to us in the personage of Wisdom, the guidance of Sophia, the direction of the Christ within. Listen quietly, this day, to hear God speaking to you. Test this voice to insure it is of God. Then sing the praise of the God who accompanies you forever and ever–the God who guides you forevermore.

Let us pray: Guiding God, open our ears to your voice that we might hear you calling and giving direction to our lives. Give to us still and quiet times that we might discern you clearly, 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.

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

July 15, 2011

St. Paul writes in II Corinthians 5, verse 20–”Be reconciled to God. For our sake God made the sinless one into sin so that in Him we might become the goodness of God.”

Becoming the goodness of God! Dear St Paul, is that a prayer or a precocious presumption? Or is it simply the truth? Dear friend, as impossible as it may seem, we are called to continuous change, to growth in the Spirit, to become the goodness of God. Such change begins with the wonderful understanding that we have been forgiven, that Christ has freed us from the chains of sin, of hatefulness, of petty rivalries–and then change continues with growth in goodness. Growth in goodness takes prayer, but it also takes practice. Each day, intentionally do a loving, good deed for another. It may seem like a sacrifice–in fact, perhaps it should–but nothing like the sacrifice that God made for us in sending the Son.

Let us pray: Understanding God, give us strength and wisdom to grow according to your will that we may also grow in your goodness. We pray in the name of the perfect God, 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.

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

July 16, 2011

Listen to the gentle invitation of Jesus in Matthew 11 verse 28–”Come to me, all you who labor and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your soul. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Dear friend, what an invitation! Come and I will care for you; come and I will share or take your burden; come and I will give you rest. I’m not always exactly sure what this coming looks like–but I know that when I take daily time for prayer and reflection and listening to Jesus, then I am coming to God. I know that when I worship and participate in the sacraments, then I am coming to God. I know that when I risk to serve the dear neighbor, then I am coming to God. And then, in those times, I know something of the rest which Jesus is offering. Listen to this invitation–”Come to me”–and rejoice in this time of rest.

Let us pray: God, let us never become so busy doing your work that we ignore your gentle invitation to come to you and know your rest. Give us the humility this day to come 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.

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

July 17, 2011

Ephesians 5 verse 8 reads, “You were darkness once, but now you are light in the Lord; be like children of light, for the effects of the light are seen in complete goodness and right living and truth. Try to discover what the Lord wants of you that has nothing to do with the futile works of darkness but exposing those by contrast.”

Dear friend, apparently the effects of the light are complete goodness, right living and truth. It is clear to me, by the evidence of my life, that part of me is still living in the darkness. It is St Paul’s lists like these that remind me that I am in bondage to sin and cannot free myself. It is St. Paul’s lists like these that convict me of my sinfulness and dishonesty. It is St. Paul’s lists like these that make me acutely grateful that Jesus Christ suffered and died and rose again that I might receive forgiveness for my sins and begin fresh each day as a child of the light.

Let us pray: Loving, forgiving God, make us aware of the darkness in our lives and forgive us our sins 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.

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

July 18, 2011

Rules, rules, rules. We so like to codify the love of God for us into rules; we work very hard to keep them and then judge those who do not keep them as well as we do. So it was in Matthew 12 when the Pharisees noticed that Jesus’ disciples were hungry and picking corn and eating it on the sabbath. Jesus reminded them that David and his followers ate the loaves of offering when they were hungry. Then Jesus said, “Now here I tell you is something greater than the Temple. And if you had understood the meaning of the words–what I want is mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the blameless.”

Dear friend, mercy requires not a rigid following of the rules or the law; mercy requires a sweet justice that allows love and human need to reign over our rules. The law is given to us for a guide; mercy and love are the higher law. It is such a higher law that allows Jesus to say, “The son of man is master of the sabbath.” Jesus is master of our rules.

Let us pray: Gracious God, you gave us commandments for guidance, rules for direction. Give us wisdom to discern when to act in love is to follow the rules and when, to act in love, is to break them, for the sake of the One who broke many rules in the name of your love, 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.

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

July 19, 2011

In John 10, Jesus tells his disciples a parable, “The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in. The sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger, but run away from him; they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”

Jesus is the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. He died for us who bear his name. When we respond to that love by opening our hearts and lives to him, we recognize his voice. Through prayer and Scripture and Sacraments and Christian community, we discern the voice of strangers, false christs, and we do not follow. Having heard the voice of our shepherd, still listening for his voice, we will not be led astray.

Dear friend, let us pray: Jesus, let all that is you flow into me. Let me not flee from the love that you offer but hold me safe from the forces of evil. Let me always hear your voice and follow. 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.

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

July 20, 2011

Dear friend, do you remember Deuteronomy 26, verse 5-7 where Moses tells Israel to say, “A wandering Aramaen was my father; and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there became a nation….And the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us and laid upon us hard bondage. Then we cried to the Lord the God of our fathers and the Lord heard our voice.” The story goes on to tell of the Exodus from Egypt and God’s saving acts.

When we are hard pressed, when we are afflicted and treated harshly, we need to remember Moses’ word to the people of God and to us–’and the Lord heard our voice….’ God sent Jesus whom we know through Word and Sacrament so that we are reminded on a regular basis that God hears our voice and comes to save us.

Let us pray: Gracious, saving God, as you led your people Israel from slavery to the Egyptians, so you lead us, your people, from slavery to sin and death. Grant us courage to believe in you and call on your name in our affliction, and grant us the faith to know that you hear our voice–and will deliver 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.

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

July 21, 2011

Psalm 84:6-8–”Happy are the people whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on the pilgrims’ way. Those who go through the desolate valley will find it a place of springs for the early rains have covered it with pools of water. They will climb from height to height, and the God of gods will be revealed in Zion.”

Dear friend, the Psalmist calls us a happy people. Why! Because we are a people who know that our strength is in God. We are a people who know that life is not an end in itself, but a journey, a pilgrimage, which will continue as long as we live. But for us who know the Lord, who expect not to arrive but to be faithfully accompanied by God on the journey, it is a pleasant trip filled with springs in the desert and revelations of God’s presence. To know that we are never alone, to see God in Word and Sacrament and Christian community–it is that understanding of God’s presence in our lives that makes us happy.

Let us pray: Everpresent God, we thank you for your presence in our midst in the journey of this life. Grant that we may not grumble, but be happy in your midst for we pray it 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.

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

July 22, 2011

Dear friend, listen to the words of II Corinthians 4:4-6–”In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the likeness of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

We are called to see not in our own dim light, but in the light of Christ’s presence. And we are called to preach not ourselves, but Jesus. Sometimes, in this world, we get led astray and blinded by ideas that are close to the truth–may contain a kernel of truth–but are not the truth. It is through Word and Sacrament and Christian community gathered together–and communicating!–that we continue to test the understanding we have of the gospel and that we are able to see in Christ’s light. God has not placed us alone to wonder if we are correct; God has placed us in the midst of the Body of Christ so that we may see in the true light.

Let us pray: O holy God, you have given us the gift of the Church to be our light in a dark world. Grant that through the light of Christ we may see and speak your truth. 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.

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

July 23, 2011

Excuses! Sometimes we make the most incredible excuses before God. Listen to the words of Jeremiah chapter 1, 4-6–”Now the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.’” Jeremiah then said, “Ah, Lord God. Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.”

God had come to Jeremiah and said the purpose of his being born, determined by God in the beginning of time, was to be a prophet. And wise Jeremiah says, ‘O God, I’m too young!’ Why did Jeremiah think he knew better than God? and why did he make such feeble excuses?–I’m too young! But ,then, why do we make such feeble excuses–I’m too old! I’ve done my share! I don’t have the time; I’m too busy! Surely God, the creator of time and money and our very beings created us for the purpose of loving, serving and praising and gives us the time, money and life to do just that.

Dear friend, let us pray: Creator God, forgive our foolishness and our feeble excuses. Use us as your willing servants to do as you command and give us sense to 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.

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

July 24, 2011

Matthew 26 reads, that, as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take and eat, this is my body.”

Dear friend, Jesus is in our midst–in the bread and wine of communion, in the waters of baptism, in the words of forgiveness, in the Holy Scripture, in the faces of all people and especially in the Body of Christ, the Christian community. When we open our eyes, we so clearly see that we are not alone, but surrounded by God’s love. I once knew a man who did not know how much he was loved until he entered the hospital. I, myself, forget how much God provides people to love me until I am stricken in one way or another and find myself surrounded by God’s love in the faces of my sisters and brothers in Christ and in the body and blood of the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus is in our midst. Let us celebrate Christ’s living presence.

Let us pray: Gracious God, you sent your only Son to be our savior and to live with us in Word and Sacrament, in Holy Spirit and in Christian Community. Give us eyes to see his presence and hearts ready to rejoice. 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.

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

July 25, 2011

Dear friend, do you remember the difficult section of Luke 13 where Jesus says, “There will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets safe in the kingdom of God and you yourselves rejected. People will come from the east and the west and the north and the south and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Some who are last will be first and some who are first will be last.”?

I don’t think Jesus is telling us that we are never certain of salvation–salvation comes as a free gift through our baptism–a gift of faith. But I do think that Jesus is warning us that we who are baptized have the obligation to respond to God’s love. And, Jesus tells us, that if we think that any one nation or race or tribe is ‘the chosen people’ to the exclusion of all others, we are mistaken and will be surprised. God calls from all the world–and God chooses by God’s own standards of love and not worldly standards. Although the door to the kingdom is narrow, God invites all kinds of people to enter through it.

Let us pray: God of all creation, you reach out to call people of all nations to your kingdom. As you gather disciples from near and far, count us also among those who boldly confess your Son Jesus Christ as 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.

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

July 26, 2011

Do you remember the story in Luke 5 when Jesus sets out with some fishermen in boats and tells them to cast out their nets? They say they have been working all night and have caught nothing but they obey anyway and fill both boats with fish–so full they almost sink! Simon Peter responds by saying in verse 8–”Depart from me for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” But Jesus tells them not to be afraid for in the future they will be catching people–and they leave and follow Jesus.

Sometimes in our lives, dear friend, we need a dramatic experience to reinforce the call to follow Jesus. Sometimes that experience comes in the middle of our everyday life and work. Sometimes, we do not see or hear or respond. Jesus calls to each of us and speaks to us saying, ‘Follow me.’ The drama is often unnoticed or called coincidence–a former friend appearing just when we needed her, a distant relative calling at just the right moment with an important bit of information, our being at just the right place at just the right time–all nets full of fish after a night of fruitless fishing. Peter had the sense to fall on his knees and worship. Do we?

Let us pray: Giving God, you act in our lives daily. Grant us eyes, to see, ears to hear and hearts to 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.

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

July 27, 2011

Think about the story of Ezekiel in the valley of the dry bone recorded in Ezekiel the 37th chapter. The people of God appear to Ezekiel like a mass of scattered skeletons in a large valley. God’s word in the mouth of the prophet puts the bones together, and, at his command, the winds breathe the breath of life into the bodies. God’s word puts together not only single bodies, but a nation as large as an army.

This story was prophesied to the people of Israel in exile. It is a foretaste of the resurrection. It is told to the community and to individuals. It is a story that is told to us, also, in the barren, dry, dead days of our lives. We are not capable of putting life into the dead places, but the Spirit of God, the wind of the Spirit, is. Trust that through God’s love and Spirit, ‘dem bones’, in your life and mine, in the life of the church and of our communities–’dem bones gonna rise again.’

Dear friend, let us pray: Give us faith to trust in your life-giving power. Help us to believe in you for new life. We pray in the name of the resurrected 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.

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

July 28, 2011

In Matthew 13, Jesus tells the parable of the wheat and the weeds. A farmer sows wheat in the field. At night, an enemy comes along and sows weeds in the same field. The servants ask if they are to pull out the weeds but are told, –”no, you might pull up the wheat also. Let them both grow until the harvest and at harvest time, the farmer will say to the workers, ‘First collect the weeds and burn them, then gather the wheat into my barn,’”

Dear friend, Jesus explains this parable later in Matthew 13–it is a parable of judgment. It also reminds us that our job is not to judge, not to forcibly weed out all evil in our lives, or worse, in the lives of our neighbors. We might, in our enthusiasm, ruin some wheat as well. Rather our task as God’s servants is to trust God, the cultivator of our lives, to make sure we are sowing and harvesting good fruit in our own lives, and to allow the power of judgment to resting the hands of the God who loves and forgives us.

Let us pray: God you ask us to bear good fruit in your name. Allow us to be busy with the task of our own lives and not to judge others 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.

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

July 29, 2011

Why do we love people? Because of our experience of them, because of the intimate way they know us and love us, because of the way they have been with us and the things that they have done for us. For example, I love my spiritual director because she has so faithfully led me closer to Jesus.

So we understand when the Psalmist writes in Psalm 116–”I love the Lord, because God has heard the voice of my supplication; because God has inclined God’s ear to me whenever I called upon the Lord.” We love God because God first loved us and continues to love us, acting in our lives every single day–listening to us, forgiving us and rescuing us. We love the Lord, because God knows us more intimately than any human being ever could.

Dear friend, let us pray: Loving God, thank you for your love and faithfulness to us. Help our love for you to be pure and true and enduring. We pray in the name of Love incarnate, 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.

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

July 30, 2011

I love the story of the potter which Jeremiah tells in the 18th chapter. Jeremiah was asked to go to the potter’s house and saw the potter working at the wheel. Whenever the vessel came out wrong, as happens with the clay handled by potters, he would start fresh and work it into another vessel, as potters do. Then the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah–”House of Israel, can not I, the Lord, do to you what this potter does? Yes, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so you are in mine.” The prophecy goes on to tell of disaster and of Israel’s refusal to listen to the word of the Lord. But, dear friend, I hear this story as one of great comfort, for even when we go astray, God will remake us and form us according to the image God chooses. We can choose to be hard and dried up and resist this action of the Creator God in our lives, or we can pray for the grace to remain pliable and open to the action of God’s gentle hands.

Let us pray for that grace: Potter God, form us according to your good pleasure. When we go astray, reform us according to your will, for the sake of the perfect 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.

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

July 31, 2011

“How can you say, Jacob? How can you insist, Israel? ‘My destiny is hidden from Yahweh? My rights are ignored by my God?’ Did you not know? Have you not heard? Yahweh is an everlasting God who created the boundaries of the earth, who does not grow tired or weary, whose understanding is beyond fathoming. Yahweh God gives strength to the wearied and strengthens the powerless. Young men may grow tired and weary, youths may stumble, but those who hope in Yahweh renew their strength, they mount up with wings like eagles. They run and do not grow weary, walk and never tire.” Isaiah, Chapter 40.

Dear friend, on days when we are exhausted, when we are overwhelmed by our burdens, our life situations, our emotions, when we, too, ask–’where now is our God? On those days we are comforted by the words of the prophet. Yahweh God is above all and before all and through all and in all. God will not tire but will renew your strength–and mine! Thank God.

Let us pray: Powerful God, grant that we might not question your ways, but faithfully act according to your will, trusting you for strength. 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.

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

June 4, 2011

Posted on June 4, 2011 by admin

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.

Posted in daily devotion | Leave a comment

June 2, 2011

Posted on June 2, 2011 by admin

Ascension “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.

Posted in daily devotion | Leave a comment

June 1, 2011

Posted on June 1, 2011 by admin

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 you 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.

Posted in daily devotion | Leave a comment

May 31, 2011

Posted on May 31, 2011 by admin

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.

Posted in daily devotion | Leave a comment

May 30, 2011

Posted on May 30, 2011 by admin

“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.

Posted in daily devotion | Leave a comment

May 29, 2011

Posted on May 29, 2011 by admin

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.

Posted in daily devotion | Leave a comment

May 6, 2011

Posted on May 6, 2011 by admin

“Blood is thicker than water.” I can still hear my friend’s mother’s voice saying that. She meant that friendship was fine but, when push came to shove, you counted on your blood relatives, not your friends. I 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- -unified in our family meal of the sacrament of Holy Communion. We are together forgiven because Jesus died for us. We sacrificially serve one another because Jesus suffered, died and rose again for us. Blood may be thicker than water, but the Christian community is stronger than blood or water. We are made one by the waters of our baptism and in the blood of Jesus the Christ. 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 unified 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.

Posted in daily devotion | Leave a comment

Recent Posts