Southwood Lutheran Church

What I Learned On Grey's Anatomy - A Change is Gonna Come

Change is inevitable. Duh, right? The hardest part is recognizing it and figuring out how to deal with it. My first thought after watching this episode was that nothing had changed. There are still the strange strange medical cases - internally decapitated and a guy who eats random objects. There are still the down right absurd story lines - giving an IV to a deer in the back of the pick up. I'm not sure I heard it in the episode, but I'm willing to say "Seriously?"  You're really going to revive a deer in the back of a pick-up?  Some things never change. 

But here's the thing - the change is so obvious I almost missed it. The change was just like that severed arm. As last season ended I was imagining what it would be like to lose my eyebrows - and here I am beginning this season thinking about how life would change if my right arm were severed.  That's what change can feel like right - like we've literally lost a limb.

CrossWalk Devotion ~ Worship ~ Friday

I used to watch Survivor. I can't tell you which one it was - one of the first few in the series, I believe. Might have been in the Amazon. Anyway - there was a lady in the group who I remember so vividly. Everything that happened to her - she would shout or sing praises to God. I'm not talking a little here & there. I'm talking BIG, LOUD SHOUTS for nearly EVERYTHING! I admired her for being a Christian example in the group, not to mention for millions of TV viewers at home. I have never forgotten her. I often think to myself, "I wonder how many seeds she planted by worshiping God on TV?"

We all have the opportunity to worship God openly every day. We could thank God for rain or sunshine as we visit with our neighbors on the sidewalk. We could praise Him in the presence of co-workers as we tell of a near miss on the way to work. We could sing 'Jesus Loves Me' with our children in the car - or simply hum it quietly on the bus.

I wonder how many seeds we could plant on behalf of Jesus - if each one of us would worship God openly once a day (or if regularly doing so, maybe once MORE each day)? I wonder how many of those seeds could turn people into 'survivors' who are saved by Christ?

Prayer: Almighty God, help me to enter into each and every day with a focus on worshiping you. Cultivate in me a spirit of gratitude, praise, and service. Amen.

~by Colbi Schuster~

CrossWalk Devotion ~ Worship ~ Thursday

Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. (Psalm 100:2)

There are many ways to Worship our heavenly father but for me singing is the most natural way to worship Him. Granted we do this during Sunday morning services, but our worship shouldn't end on our way out the door. In fact this is the point it should begin. When there is an inspiring song that sticks in my head from worship or choir rehearsal I will often catch myself humming or singing that tune throughout the week. Even though I'm not in the sanctuary when I hum or sing these songs I am making a joyful noise to the Lord and thus am Worshiping God in my own time and place.

When Worshiping through song, while in service or on your own, be mindful of the words not just the tune. Too often I find myself caught up in the tune and lose sight of the message within the song. Just like bible verses I believe the Holy Spirit brings to mind songs and ultimately the words to comfort us in times of hardship or joy. It is during these times that I am reminded how powerful our Lord and Savior is that He knows our every need, especially when we take the time to talk with him through Prayer and Worship.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help to keep me mindful of the message you have to share while worshiping you through song. Open my ears and heart to be receptive of the lesson you want me to hear.

~by Dan Noennig

CrossWalk Devotion ~ Worship ~ Wednesday

Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing praises in the assembly of the faithful. Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp. Let the faithful rejoice in his honor. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds. (Psalm 149: 1,3,5)

I grew up in a home that was "religious" about weekend worship. If it was Sunday, we went to worship. It was part of who we were. In my high school years my parents would say, "If you are old enough to
stay out late on Saturday night then you're old enough to get up for church as well!" We not only showed up to worship but we were involved in worship including the choir, being an usher, or helping
set-up in some way. I am thankful that my parents taught me the value of giving God those two hours (Worship & Sunday School) every weekend.

I was taught to worship God regularly with others on the weekend, but my family did not embody worship of God in their daily lives. It was not that the weekend worship did not form and shape us, but we simply did not continue to intentionally and creatively give praise and honor and glory to God each day. Since I was not taught to do this, I had to learn it. To learn to embody daily worship I did the following:

1. I made an intentional choice to change and to worship God daily.
2. I asked God to fill me to overflowing with the Holy Spirit.
3. I started and ended each day with a prayer of thanks and praise.
4. I thanked God and praised God at every meal.
5. I included praise in every prayer.

Soon, I was worshipping God when I cooked, cleaned, played, gardened, etc. . . It has become more natural to praise God both publicly and privately each day of the week. And God deserves my praise daily - and even more than I can give.

Bringing It Home:
1. Grow in your daily worship of God by making a decision to do so. Submit that decision to God in prayer, seeking the support and guidance of the Holy Spirit in your life.
2. Try to always include thanks to God in every prayer. It can be difficult when you are suffering, but God is good all the time and deserves our thanks and praise.
3. Don't neglect to praise God with regular worship with other believers each weekend.

Prayer: Dear Lord, you are worthy of praise and honor and glory day and night. You have created everything that exists. You have not given me everything I wanted, but you have generously provided for my every need, including my need to be in relationship with you. My heart overflows with praise and thanksgiving. I so desire that my daily life can honor you and praise you. Each day fill me with your Spirit to overflowing, so that my life will be a thank offering to you. Amen.

John A. Holm
Shepherd of the Lakes Church, Grayslake, IL
www.shepherdofthelakes.org

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Hallelujah!

“After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, ‘Hallelujah!’” (Rev. 19:1 NRSV)

“Hallelujah” means “Praise the Lord!” People all over the world “praise the Lord” through music. The Senior Choir will sing a song this Sunday called “Halle, Halle, Halle.” It is a Caribbean folk song. The Caribbean area is made up of many islands where the Gulf of Mexico link North and South America. Among the many cultural influences for these islands is that of Africa via the slave trade. In places such as Cuba, Jamaica, and Haiti, the African culture mixes in various ways with the indigenous cultures of these regions to produce a vibrant music. You will hear a combination of African and Caribbean rhythms in the song. Through this song, we join in “praising God” with our brothers and sisters around the world.

Halle, Halle, Halle!

Halle, Halle, Hallelujah!
Oh God to whom shall we go?
You alone have the words of life.
Let your words be our prayer
and the song we sing: Hallelujah!
I am the light of the world says the Lord.
Walk in the light of life.
All who follow my words
Shall have life indeed: Hallelujah!

Are you Worshipping today?

This past Sunday I talked about worship.  I talked about our corporate worship---our gathering together on the Sabbath to bring praise and thanks to God. I also talked about our personal worship...our day to day worship of God.  And so I thought it would be good to have a check in...are you worshiping today?

Worship is giving pleasure to God.  So, anything we do or say that gives pleasure and glory to God is an act of worship.  It may mean just sharing a kind word with someone.  It may mean listening to someone who needs to be listened to.  It may mean serving your spouse or child in a certain way that will help them in their own faith and life journey.  It may mean pitching in and doing some work that isn't necessarily in your job description, but you do it because someone needs help. So, how are you doing so far?

If you are like me, it doesn't come naturally.  I need to make a daily (if not moment by moment) recalibration of my heart.  My general tendency is to turn in on myself and serve my own needs and desires.  It takes a reorientation of sorts to get my mind and heart aimed toward bringing pleasure to God.  I am working on it, and getting better. But as I said on Sunday, it does take work.

So, back to my original question...are you worshiping today?  If you are thinking, feeling, and acting in ways that bring pleasure to God, you are worshiping!  And I'm convinced if we worship together on Sundays, and individually during the week, we are going to grow in our love for God and for others.  And when a whole lot of us do that, the world starts to change, and lives are touched, and God's grace is shared with people who are really in need of it. Glory be to God!

Worship the Lord with gladness!

Pastor Greg

CrossWalk Devotions ~ Worship ~ Tuesday

O Lord how long will you look on? Rescue my life from their ravages, my precious life from these lions. I will give you thanks in the great assembly among throngs of people I will praise you. (Psalm 35: 17-18)

Does the work week leave you with an empty tank? This verse speaks exactly to the point of why I worship. It is easy to forget throughout the week - as we are challenged with work, racing to take care of the kids, and keeping the chaos managed - that Jesus is constantly watching over our lives. By Friday, he is probably looking over my shoulder shaking his head in disbelief at the transformation since last Sunday. Sunday morning worship serves to “recharge” my faith and bring me back to what is most important: faith in our daily lives and praise to God.

I certainly feel the ravages and “lions” throughout the week. Despite a few quick prayers, graces before meals, and night-night prayers with the kids, it is easy to succumb to the business of life and simply go through the motions, not really making the connection with Jesus and inviting him to walk with me every step of the way. Often it is not until tragedy strikes that we are truly moved to seek the power of Jesus. This is why I worship on Sundays. It is my weekly reality check. In worship, I am reminded that there is so much beyond the trifles I feel are earth-shattering. After coming to this recollection on Sunday morning, I am immediately overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude for all the blessings in my life. I thank God that I am not dealing with any big tragedies at the moment, and pray that when it is my time for tragedy, I will have the strength to get through it. God has blessed me in so many ways: to be born a woman in the United States, to have children, a home that is safe, peaceful sleep, and a kind husband to share in it all. These are gifts to but a few people in this world, yet so often taken for granted.

I consider myself at the beginning of my faith journey through this life. I pray that eventually I will reach a point where I will not take a single moment for granted knowing that Jesus’ presence is there. I hope to reach a point when the Holy Spirit will radiate out of me so that everyone who sees me will see the glory of God. But for now, Sunday morning is the lifeblood of my faith. I am thankful for Southwood and all the people who worship there. They are unknowingly a part of my faith walk.

Prayer: Dear God, fill me with your Holy Spirit this week and help me keep you in the forefront of my mind in all my decisions and interactions. Amen.

~by Janel Holsten~

CrossWalk Devotions ~ Worship ~ Monday

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

The hymn Now Thank We All Our God is one of only a few focused singly on thanking God. Bible references list 138 passages of Scripture on the subject of thanksgiving, among them Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Sunday morning services at Southwood provide many things – food for the mind and soul, rejuvenation, inspiration, fellowship. But one of the most powerful aspects of worship for me is that sense of collective thanksgiving. When I am one of the chorus of voices raised in song, when I am one of many who hears a message seemingly written just for me, when my voice joins all the rest in The Lord’s Prayer – I feel God’s Presence. And I am thankful. I am one of many who feel thankful.

In Matthew 18:20 Jesus says “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” God’s Presence is powerful during Sunday morning worship. I know I am only one of hundreds who feel it. When we raise our collective voices in thanks, I think it’s our earthly equivalent of the heavenly hosts singing “Glory to God in the Highest.”

Prayer: Dear Lord, we thank you for the opportunity to come together on Sunday mornings and lift our voices in praise. We give thanks for the gifts you have provided our worship leaders, that when we are gathered in Your Name, we are blessed, fed and renewed. We ask that you prepare our hearts each week for our worship together, that we may leave refreshed for the week ahead. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

~by Kim Collier~

Holy, Holy, Holy

“And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing, ‘Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.’” (Rev. 4:8 NRSV)

The scene depicted in Revelation 4: 8-11 captures my imagination--what a glorious sight it would be to see all the saints and angels singing before the throne of God and casting their crowns (vs. 10) before Him. “Casting” calls up images of throwing their crowns before the throne—thousands of them! It creates an amazing picture in my head. It must be one big celebration!

Sometimes we think of our worship as practice for worshipping in heaven. But that is not the case! Every time we worship, we enter into God’s presence, the Holy of Holies. We also believe that we are surrounded by all the saints. This Sunday in worship we will sing “Holy, Holy, Holy.” Bring this mental picture with you that Revelation creates. Know that you are singing “Holy, Holy, Holy” with all the saints and all of heaven. Know that God is present with us. Join the heavenly choir in singing. It is one big celebration!

Holy, Holy, Holy!

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.
Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

(Words by Reginald Heber)

Welcome Our Newest Partners in Ministry!

If you walked past the Fellowship Hall on Sunday morning, you may have noticed it was pretty full. Our Discover Southwood class included 49 adults. With all the children and youth included in those with families, we will welcome more than 75 people as new partners in ministry at Southwood on Sunday, September 23rd! These folks will be introduced in the service they regularly attend on Sunday. Be sure to watch where they're sitting and take a few moments to greet them after the service.  Check out our photos from Discover Southwood to start connecting new names with new faces (just click on an individual photo to see names of those pictured).