A Message from Pastor Rick

Joy, hope, and new life to you in the name of the risen Christ!

As we will hear this coming Sunday, Jesus gave a very short seminar on prayer.  When asked by his disciples on how to pray, he said, "Pray this way."  What follows is Luke's version of the Lord's Prayer.  This translation of what Jesus actually said comes from Eugene Peterson's The Message. 

"Father,
 Reveal who you are.
 Set the world right.
 Keep us alive with three square meals.
 Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
 Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil."

It is a real simple prayer.  It reminds us that God is not an "idea."  God is "our daddy;" thus we pray that God not be hidden.  It is not an individual prayer but a prayer of a community in Christ.  There is an amazing economy of words. 

I am particularly struck at how Eugene Peterson captured what it means for us to pray, "And lead us not to the time of trial."  He boils it down to saving us from ourselves and the Devil.  The Devil wants us to not take God seriously.  Because the Devil is always trying to get us to not fully trust God or even believe in the goodness of God, we describe people who challenge some hopeful or positive position we hold as "The Devil's Advocate."  The role of the church is to be God's Advocate.  The calling of our lives is to be God's Advocate.

To be God's Advocate, we need to be saved from ourselves.  We look for God in all the wrong places.  To be a human being means that we are created in the image of God.  We are not like all the other creatures.  We have the capacity to dream, think, imagine, and evaluate.  We think we know what we want, and most of the time what we want is not what we need. 

To be created in the image of God means that each one of us has a hole inside that we always try to fill.   We are never satisfied unless that hole is filled up with the things of God.  The Lord's Prayer is a prayer that seeks the things of God:  making the world right, ensuring that no one goes hungry, being forgiven and forgiving, and being safe from ourselves.  When we are filled up with these things, something happens.  We begin to live eternally.

I'll see you in worship on Sunday.  Please come ready to be emptied of self and filled up with God.

Pastor Rick

pastorrick@epiphanysuwanee.org

 Epiphany Lutheran Church

1350 Peachtree Industrial Blvd

Suwanee, GA 30024

Phone - 770-831-1966

www.epiphanysuwanee.org
info@epiphanysuwanee.org

This Sunday's Sermon

The title of my sermon is

"Staying Prayer
Conditioned." Living a focused life is a life that prays the right prayers. For those who really want to live eternally, Jesus gives us a brief seminar on how to pray and what to expect. If we actually pay attention and pray the way he teaches, we can expect amazing results!

This Week at Epiphany 

Bring School Supplies, Bookbags on Sunday

If you didn't get a chance to pick up a list of supplies needed for children served by North Gwinnett Co-op, visit Epiphany's website for a complete list. Remember to shop for the Co-op at the grocery store this week too; food is needed for the pantry.

 Clothes, Shoes, More Needed for Ministry in Liberia

Epiphany is reaching out to a Lutheran ministry in Liberia. The pastor, father of Epiphany member Ike Byepu, has served in Liberia for nearly 50 years. We are collecting clothes and shoes for all ages, school and office supplies, and more. Our donations will be included in a shipping container that will be sent in September. Please be generous and bring your items to Epiphany.

Serving with the compassion of Christ that knows no limits or boundaries.

Quick Links

This Week at Epiphany

Haitian Timoun Foundation 

North Gwinnett Co-op 

Epiphany Home Page