Sunday, August 30, 2020

Patterns

Every morning as the alarm rings, the children ask, “Dad! What’s for breakfast?”. And every morning I go to the kitchen, and prepare their food. From setting the toaster oven to the exact same time and temperature, to setting out three plates on the counter, placing vitamins on each plate, and placing three cups on the counter and filling them with milk. The timer goes off and I set their hot food on the plate saying, “breakfast is ready!”. As they slowly make their way to the table, they say, “Dad can you pray?”. And at the end of day, we pray, read the catechism and in one voice confess the Apostles Creed and pray the Lord’s Prayer. It is interesting because as parents we never taught memorization per-se. Rather, through patterns and repetition, night after night, the children simply remember the Word they confess.

Patterns. Yes, they seem mundane. They seem too normal. They seem boring but as we go through these times, ironically, we covet the patterns. For we live in a time of great disruption, where patterns have been capsized due to the pandemic. For our teachers and students, the school year has started and of course, the pattern/structure has vastly changed which has caused great stress all around. For parents, the usual goodbye has become an at home, all-day, is the wi-fi working?, 24-7 adventure. Even for FLC, the patterns of church been quite fluid through these ever-changing times.

How must we proceed?

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” Romans 5:1-5.

Through the pattern of God’s word, we are prepared to not only face our sufferings, but to rejoice and endure in the hope of Christ. Yes, it’s quite easy for the pattern to be disrupted by the world, the flesh, and the devil. The evil foe targets the pattern of God’s Word so that we may flutter and fade to hopelessness. And therefore, I pray that the Word of God may dwell in you. I pray that the Lord may [3rd commandment] lead you “so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it”.

Our sinful nature has many excuses to evade this faithful pattern, yet I pray that [through the pandemic], the Word of God is your top priority. Nothing is more important. God’s Word is essential above all things. If you are having trouble staying in the pattern of God’s Word at home, I encourage you to come to church as we gather together as a family for outdoor service.

So whether it be your morning routine, or your daily patterns, remember the most essential pattern is God’s Word in your life.

You: “How do I engage in this pattern?” 

Me: “I’m glad you asked!”

Join us for the Word!
  • Facebook live @ 9am [Tues, Weds, Fri]
  • Wednesday Bible study on Galatians 10am & 7:45 pm
  • Wednesday Vespers service 7pm
  • Thursday Facebook live @ 10am [beginning 9/10] “What does this mean?”
  • Sunday Divine Service @ 9am w/ Holy Communion, also 11:00-1:00pm communion available
You: “Why do we offer so many different opportunities to hear God’s Word?”

Me: “I’m glad you asked! Because the pattern of God’s Word is the most essential gift in your life! For The Living Word points you to Christ!”

God’s blessings 

 ✝️ Pastor Jeong 

Faith Lutheran Church • 123 Park Lane • Moorpark, CA 93021 • (805) 532 1049 • Send Email