justice Archives - Treasure Valley Prays

Anguish for Justice

Post author:Keith Hammer
Post published:September 15, 2022
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“You shall not follow a majority in wrongdoing; when you bear witness in a lawsuit, you shall not side with the majority so as to pervert justice; nor shall you be partial to the poor in a lawsuit.” (Exodus 23:2-3)The verses above come from today’s reading from the Daily Lectionary (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, page 1149). Over time these daily readings allow us to revisit the depth and breadth of what is at the core of our Christian faith.The reading—Exodus 23:1-9—is part of a…

Prayer and Justice

Post author:Meggan Manlove
Post published:April 16, 2021
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On April 9 the church and world remembered German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer who died in the Flossenbürg concentration camp on that day in 1945. I shared this Bonhoeffer quote, posted by the Lutheran World Federation, on my Facebook Page ,“Our being Christian today will consist in only two things: in praying and in doing justice among people.”I have been reflecting on the relationship between prayer and doing justice regularly since last February. I attended a training in California with Mark Yaconelli,…

man embracing joy in the morning

Joy Comes with the Morning!

Post author:Keith Hammer
Post published:April 3, 2021
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Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.Psalm 30:5bToday we are in the midst of the Easter Three Days, the high point of the liturgical year beginning the evening of Maundy Thursday and continuing until the evening of Easter Sunday. These three days are a single celebration that mark the end of the season of Lent to the celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection at the Easter Vigil and the later Easter Day worship celebrations. (Go here for a slightly longer…

Proximity with the Marginalized

Post author:Meggan Manlove
Post published:March 17, 2021
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A Rewriting of Psalm 113:Praise the Lord!You who try to faithfully serve the Lord; praise the name of the Lord. Praise Immanuel, Prince of Peace, Holy Spirit, Redeemer, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Savior, Healer, Giver of Life.Blessed be the name of the Lord from this pandemic time when we have kernels of hope, from this time when some of us are still so busy and the pace of life has slowed for others, when we feel isolated but see the path towards ending…

Faith Without Works Is…

Post author:Penelope Smith
Post published:January 7, 2021
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I’m a “cradle Lutheran”. During the 1950s-60s, I attended Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and (by my calculations) about 200 hours of Confirmation Class (two hours each Saturday morning for the three years of Junior High). We memorized many Bible verses, the Ten Commandments, The Apostles’ Creed, The Lord’s Prayer and Martin Luther’s explanations – all very important. We did a LOT of memorization – this is most certainly true! By the time I was confirmed, I felt I had been exposed to…

Simply 2021…

Post author:Keith Hammer
Post published:January 2, 2021
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These are the wise sayings of Solomon,David's son, Israel's king—Written down so we'll know how to live well and right,to understand what life means and where it's going;A manual for living,for learning what's right and just and fair;To teach the inexperienced the ropesand give our young people a grasp on reality.There's something here also for seasoned men and women,still a thing or two for the experienced to learn—Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate,the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.Proverbs 1:1-6 The…

The Day After

Post author:Diane McGeoch
Post published:December 26, 2020
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"When the carols have been stilled, When the star topped tree is taken down, When family and friends have gone home, When we are back to our schedules, The work of Christmas begins: To welcome the refugee, To heal a broken planet, To feed the hungry, To build bridges of trust, not walls of fear, To share our gifts, To seek justice and peace for all people, To bring Christ's light into the world." Michael Dougherty From Arise Shine, For Our Christmas Work…

God’s glory revealed……is Love shared

Post author:Heidi Gainan
Post published:December 13, 2020
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“Then, the glory of the Lord will be revealedand all flesh shall see it together.”Isaiah 40:5The other day as I listened to my favorite devotion app (Pray-As-You-Go) this was part of the reading of the day. I love these Advent readings from Isaiah and PAYG always has some lovely, ponderous questions to chew on. The question they asked this day was, “What will the glory of the Lord revealed mean in your life?” Good, huh? I thought about it for quite a while…

Love Your Neighbors

Post author:Keith Hammer
Post published:November 2, 2020
Post category:Keith Hammer
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Jesus said, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31 “…the justice/righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ for all who believe. Romans 3:22 This devotion is being written ten days before the US election and is intended to be posted the day before the election, November 2. However, because it will serve as a backup, it is possible that it could be…

God Bless You With Foolishness

Post author:Susan Bruns Rowe
Post published:October 25, 2020
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Last weekend I attended (virtually) the consecration of Deaconess Sara Manning, youth director and member of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church. It has been a privilege to get to know and serve with Sara on the board of Luther Heights Bible Camp for several years. As I listened to Sara take her deaconess vows and sang along to hymns with more than 70 people watching the service on Zoom from around the world, I felt uplifted by the ceremony and renewed. Watching…

Choose Something Like a Star

Post author:Kathryn Baerwald
Post published:August 10, 2020
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When I was in high school, I was a member of the Wauwatosa (Wisconsin) East High School Concert Choir. Every weekday at 11:05, we took our music, got into our assigned seats, and readied ourselves to practice for the next hour. Mr. Bilderback, the director, was a task master but he took great pride in the choir. As a second alto, I rarely got to sing any exciting parts.Sometimes we competed in the Wisconsin high school choir competition, but that depended on whether…

We Can Be Heroes Just For One Day

Post author:Heidi Gainan
Post published:July 1, 2020
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Hero: (noun) A person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character A person who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal The principal male character in a story, play or film (Heroine, for female) See: submarine sandwich I thought, given today’s proximity to our celebration of Independence Day, it would be nice to reflect on heroes and heroines. The people in our lives who have special achievements, abilities…

Faces

Post author:Keith Hammer
Post published:June 6, 2020
Post category:Keith Hammer
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What I have noticed most are the faces in the crowds. Faces of every race and many nationalities. Angry faces. Tearful faces. Masked faces. Somber faces. Loving faces. Staring faces. Pained faces. Children’s faces. Aged faces. Determined faces. Sad faces. Smiling faces. Gentle faces. Scarred faces. Anguished faces. Hopeful faces. Faces, faces, faces…so many faces.