Odessa Christ Lutheran Church
Michael Birnbaum
Christ Lutheran Church
602 East Amende Drive
PO Box 400
Odessa, WA 99159
(509) 982-2411
Pre-K thru Adult
Education
Sunday Service 10:30
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Jul
19
Ministering Together In Christ
Pastor's Page
Greetings Dear Brothers and Sisters,I know these are busy days for the Odessa community with so much to do as harvest begins. Hopefully these few words will be an encouragement to you in the week to come. Please:1. Reread Luke 10: 25-37. For "extra credit" read 2 Chronicles 28: 5-15, the story of the original Good Samaritan when the Samaritan priest Oded interceded on behalf of the defeated Judean's to insure they received clothing, shoes, food, drink, anointing, and transport as they were "tottering on the brink of exhaustion" (vs 15). Surely this ironic bit of history was not lost on those first hearing the parable in today's Gospel! A lesson for us: who's to say the one you help today may not be the one to rescue you tomorrow (or some one you love)2. Yes we all have to make decisions about when we should render aid -- its often a very tough decision, isn't it? Be guided by the Holy Spirit! Don't let this become a guilt trip but an occasion to minister to others because it comes from your heart (or as the Greek puts it in today's Gospel "from the gut")3. As an assignment for the week, why not ask God to give you an opportunity to "have compassion" on someone , in some way, that nobody knows about? That can actually be a great faith exercises in testing our motives and learning how to be truly merciful as a life style, not because we "should".4. Most of all, though, today's Gospel is yet another one of the many , many ways Jesus shows us who HE is -- graceful and merciful to us when WE are "down and out". This is not only a story about The Good Samaritan", its a comforting story about The Good Savior". He risked it all--gave it all--to save us! Go and do likewise!May the Lord bless and keep each and every one of you in His grace, mercy and care, this week to come.Pastor
Rev. Michael W. Birnbaum509-710-3283