From the Pulpit

Excerpts from messages being presented at area places of worship this weekend.

Rev. Matt Nieman, First Presbyterian Church, Bellevue

Based on Deuteronomy 8:7-18

Last week, country music had its big awards night. And many a country star couldn’t leave the stage — trophy in tow — without thanking God for their success.

We can debate the merits and the authenticity of celebrities calling out God in this very public way. Whether we find them truly inspiring or utterly self-serving, we must acknowledge that these gestures are reminders of the importance of relying on God in both good times and bad.

Moses stressed this to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 8. The testing that the Israelites had experienced during their wandering through the desert and their subsequent good fortune were the products not solely of their own action or inaction but were largely due to God’s provision.

Just when you think you did it all by yourselves, Moses said, don’t forget the Lord your God who made it all happen.

In our own journeys, perhaps we are quick to dismiss God when good things happen to us. In a country that values self-reliance, we treasure individual accomplishment and hold it up as that which we should admire. But even in our good work and achievement, we should not forget God’s presence as we meet our goals or realize the fruits of our labor.

During this season of thanksgiving, let us not forget the Lord.

Nonin Chowaney, Nebraska Zen Center — Heartland Temple

Each day during morning service at our temple, we take refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha by chanting the Three Refuge Verse. When taking refuge in Buddha, we say:

I take refuge in Buddha.

May all beings

embody the great way,

resolving to awaken.

The key phrase here is, “embody the great way.” What does it mean?

One of my teachers, Ikko Narasaki (late abbot of Zuioji Monastery in Japan), said that “the world of practice is to embody — take in deep with the body — what is written in the scriptures.” Another way of putting it is that through practice, we manifest, or realize (make real), the Buddha Way. Since this is done through the body, we vow to “embody the way” when we take refuge in Buddha; we vow to become Buddha through what we do and how we act moment by moment in our lives.

Monasteries, temples and practice centers are artificial environments set up for training. When we visit or live in them, we are training ourselves to live the Buddha Way by embodying it through the forms we practice. When we leave the training place, we aspire to live the Buddha Way throughout our daily lives.

Rev Ronald E Holling, St Paul Lutheran Church, Bethany Lutheran Church, Omaha

Today is “Christ the King Sunday.”

We celebrate that the king will return and receive all the glory and honor, power and praise that He deserves at a day and time when no one knows.

With the movie “2012” coming out last week, there is renewed interest in the end time.

But Jesus said “no one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the son, but only the father.”

Jesus, the God-Man, did not know. He was speaking in his earthly state when he did not always and fully use his divine nature. While Jesus was here on Earth he was fully God and man. But he chose not always to use his divine nature.

And while he was here, while he was totally human and totally divine, he lived a perfect life for us. He did everything the Father demanded.

And then he took our sins, our failures, our evil thoughts, words and deeds, to a cross to suffer the punishment we deserved for them. Jesus sacrificed his life for ours. He died but then rose again guaranteeing that there is forgiveness and eternal salvation for us. All of that means is that we have nothing to fear. The king is coming back soon. And we need to be watching for him.

« Living

Share