Lutheran World Relief - A light in the darkness

To play the audio, just click the play button above at left.  To download, click the "Light in the Darkness" title in yellow in the box above, which will take you to a site where you can down load it as an mp3 file.  If you see no image above or the audio will not play, click here for audio.
When disaster strikes our brothers and sisters across the world, how can we respond?
When we seek to create sustainable development and relief from hunger and cycles of poverty, how can we unite to do this?


The answer is Lutheran World Relief.  LWR is the way we at Muhlenberg are connected with other Lutherans around the world in making God's promises of abundant life real.  This happens in tangible ways - in responding to disaster, in sustainable development, education, quilts, health kits, and other tangible support. 


Listen in to this week's podcast, featuring a very special guest, Kristin Vought, program associate for external relations at LWR.  She shares an overview of the ways LWR shines light and good news all over the world, and also a couple powerful personal stories of people's lives transformed!  We were so glad to have Kristin join us - she was glad to bring her greetings to Muhlenberg, and remembers you all fondly as home!


Thank you for the ways you, as Muhlenberg, joining with so many others, have responded in love.  An example is the recent response of Muhlenberg through LWR to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. 



Our local emphasis this week is a little-known way we are able to provide critical relief for members of our congregation - the pastors' discretionary fund.  Check out this week's Chimes newsletter for more!

People Helping People & the Malaria Project - A Light in the Darkness

To play the audio, just click the play button above at left.  To download, click the "Light in the Darkness" title in yellow in the box above, which will take you to a site where you can down load it as an mp3 file.  If you see no image above or the audio will not play, click here for audio.


Give a listen to this week's inspiring conversation, in which Jackie Wells, director of People Helping People, tells us about their ministry.  She introduces us to some of our neighbors, not by name but by their situations - folks who we may not think of - but are in need right in our community.


Did you know that People Helping People helps with everything from water bills to referrals for other types of support to little but such important things as IDs and eyeglasses?  Did you know that People Helping People has received about 200 people per month on average who are seeking help and listened to each one's story with care and compassion?  Did you know that PHP is entirely volunteer?  People Helping People does all this from a small office space right here at Muhlenberg's MAC, every Monday through Thursday, 9-11:30.  Click here to check out their website and learn more - including how to help!


The other ministry we're lifting up this week is the ELCA Malaria Project.  While it may seem at first that these have little in common, as the Malaria Project is working to eradicate malaria in Africa through education, community resourcing, and direct support through medicine, mosquito nets, and medical support.  But these two have something in common - a ministry that seeks to provide basic health needs - People Helping People provides help with prescriptions, clinic memberships, and transportation to doctors' visits.


Here at Muhlenberg, we've supported the Malaria Campaign through the work of the social ministry team - you remember campaigns and meals to raise money for mosquito nets!  Check out this brief video below, "60 Seconds" - Malaria is completely preventable and treatable - we can make a difference here!  See this amazing short video below about the difference ELCA Malaria Campaign is making on the ground.

Wellspring of Grace - Our vision for ministry at Muhlenberg!

To play the audio, just click the play button above at left.  To download, click the "Wellspring of Grace" title in yellow in the box above, which will take you to a site where you can down load it as an mp3 file.  If you see no image above or the audio will not play, click here for audio.

Today's podcast is live from the 2014 Council Retreat!  
Pastors Bob and Brett describe the vision - Muhlenberg as a Wellspring of God's Grace - how it came to be, where God is leading us as a congregation, and how this vision will shape ministry. 

We explain the four "marks" of that wellspring vision - Open, Authentic, Relational, and Serving. 
How is God calling you and us to live out our baptism by being open, authentic, relational, and serving?
Listen in, give us your feedback, and join us in mission in ministry in making this truly a wellspring of God's grace.

Light In the Darkness - Second Home

To play the audio, just click the play button above at left.  To download, click the "Light in the Darkness" title in yellow in the box above, which will take you to a site where you can down load it as an mp3 file.  If you see no image above or the audio will not play, click here for audio.

In this new podcast series for the season after Epiphany before Lent begins in early March, we're exploring the theme of Christ who is and reveals the light in the darkness.  Each week in worship at Muhlenberg we'll be lifting up one local and one global way we're as the body of Christ shining light in the darkness of the many challenges we face in our world - poverty, inequality, hunger, strife, illness, et cetera.  
Each week's podcast will feature a discussion with someone from or related to one of these organizations, and together we'll be honest about the darkness - the challenges we face - and proclaim the light - the ways in which through love and serving our neighbors, this darkness is overcome.

This week, we're lifting up Second Home, an outreach ministry of Muhlenberg, and talking to Second Home director, Patty Sensabaugh.  Push play above to listen!

Many families in our community struggle to make ends meet, working long shift hours that literally involve the darkness - leaving before the sun is up in the morning, and returning after dark in the evening. Second Home was formed in 2007 as an outreach ministry of Muhlenberg in response to the need for quality care that families could truly afford.  

Second Home is based in our own MAC building each morning and afternoon during the week! Since Second Home's beginning, families have seen improvement in grades and attendance, decreased truancy rates and enthusiasm is high! What a light for families in our community!  You can click here for the website, or here for their Facebook page for more information!


This week in worship, we'll also be lifting up a global way we're connected and serve, the Rwamagana Lutheran School.  The Rwanda School Project is a light in the darkness, a part of a future of hope being built in a country torn by so much disaster. 

In agreement with the Lutheran Church of Rwanda, the Rwanda School Project started a Junior-Senior High School in eastern Rwanda in 2010 with a curriculum that focuses on sustainability. 

Muhlenberg's own Robin Strickler, an ELCA missionary, is the founder of the school and currently serves there as head of staff.  If you explore their Facebook page, you might even see some other familiar faces of Muhlenbergers, like Jean!  
Read more about the school on their website or Facebook page and see and read the story of one of the students we support in the Gathering Area this Sunday!

Next week we'll be back to explore other ways we're shining light.  Where are you seeing light in the darkness of the challenges of life this week?

Advent 4 - Love All

To play the audio, just click the play button above at left.  To download, click the "Advent 4" title in yellow in the box above, which will take you to a site where you can down load it as an mp3 file.  If you see no image above or the audio will not play, click here for audio.

So - love all.  This last theme of the Advent conspiracy seems pretty simple on the surface, doesn't it?  But let's be honest.  It's probably the hardest to really live out.  Love itself is a big enough topic - but then when the invitation and challenge is to love all - we've got a tall order on our hands.

Who is the hardest person for you to love today?  Is it someone you know or not?

Is it harder for you to love when you don't feel loved?

The radical, groundbreaking nature of Christ is that in his ministry, teachings, and life, we know that all is truly the intent.  Jesus sought to love and reach out to those at the margins.  The coming of God in Jesus means John 3:16 but also John 3:17 - "for Christ did not come to condemn the world, but that the whole world (kosmos) might have eternal life."  As Christians, reflecting Christ's love, then, the invitation is not to let any barrier stop us - of social status, race, age, class, gender, conflict, disagreement, politics, past, but simply to love ALL.  The challenge is to live it out.
In Galatians 5 we read about the hope and waiting we live out in Advent, and the fact that in Christ no label or division can keep us, but only love:

⁵ For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.  ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love.

At the end of today's podcast, we're giving you a brief preview of where we're headed.  This podcast/blog will go on hiatus for a couple weeks and pick up mid-January, for the Epiphany season.  Listen to today's podcast and stay tuned for what's ahead!

Advent 3 - Give More

To play the audio, just click the play button above at left.  To download, click the "Advent 2" title in yellow in the box above, which will take you to a site where you can download it as an mp3 file.  If you see no image above or the audio will not play, click here for audio.

Last week was "Spend Less" - now you want me to "Give More?"  How does that make sense? 
We are talking about giving this week - about the best gifts we've ever given and been given.  And usually it isn't the most exciting or highest price items.
Sometimes giving is really appealing, exciting, glamorous even . . . we like to give to need, to meaningful causes . . .  But what about giving that is pretty ordinary? 
Giving as in. . .  
. . . giving your attention to your child's question;
. . . giving your time to doing your work well;
. . . giving to your church each week;
. . . giving your taxes;
. . . sometime these are pretty ordinary - but they are still giving that can free us - and create positive change for those around us. 
Giving More isn't about guilt.  It's about giving relationally, and it may not even cost a penny.  Maybe it's giving some quality time with your family.  Maybe it's giving forgiveness to someone who needs it in your life. 
In reclaiming Advent as a time of peace and preparation, it will mean giving more - to things that really matter - even the ordinary, beautiful, important stuff of life.
Giving and receiving is not about obligation and expectation, but about freedom and relationship, about joy that's given and shared. 
Think about the best gift you've received.  Think about how powerful that gift is in your life.   Join us for worship this Sunday (8, 9:30, and 11) or Wednesday at 6:45pm and we'll be given great gifts - of forgiveness, peace, nourishment... and because we are freed in Christ, challenged to give more. 

Advent 2 - Spend Less

To play the audio, just click the play button above at left.  To download, click the "Advent 2" title in yellow in the box above, which will take you to a site where you can download it as an mp3 file.  If you see no image above or the audio will not play, click here for audio.

With this second week's theme, we reflect on God freeing us and inviting us to SPEND LESS!  It's not about guilt, but it's about of freeing ourselves from stressing about the things that don't matter and spending less of our money, time, and energy on them.  Click above to listen to our discussion on this, using the scripture for this Sunday, and reflect -

What does it spark in you?   

What could you spend less on?   

How are you feeling "spent?"  Hear that you are freed - and use this week as a time to reflect on how you could spend less...

From adventconspiracy.org:
Quick question for you: What was the one gift you remember getting for Christmas last year? Next question: What about the fourth gift? Do you remember that one? Truth is many of us don't because it wasn't something we necessarily wanted or needed. Spending Less isn't a call to stop giving gifts; it's a call to stop spending money on gifts we won't remember in less than a year. America spends around $450 billion dollars during the Christmas season, and much of that goes right onto a credit card. By spending wisely on gifts we free ourselves from the anxiety associated with debt so we can take in the season with a full heart.

Here's another video to inspire this week's reflection . . .