Christ the King Lutheran Church - Gladwin, Mi.
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  • Home
    • Pictorial Directory
    • Contact Us
    • Links
  • Who are We
    • Mission and Vision
    • Staff and Office Hours
    • Church Council
    • History
    • Newsletter
    • Calendar
  • COVID 19 WORSHIP VIDEOS
    • Lenten Madness Monologues
    • Matins with Noodle
    • For the Kids
    • Bulletins
    • Sermon 9-16-19 The Sheep
    • Maria Skobtsova
    • Isidor
    • Elisha
  • Faith Formation
    • Sunday School
    • Christ the King Youth
    • Camping Ministry
    • Kids Club
    • Confirmation
    • Thursday Adult Bible Study
    • Vacation Bible School
  • Ministries
    • Stephen Ministry
    • God's Work Our Hands
    • Quilting
    • Food Distribution
    • Backpacks for kids
    • Prayer Shawl Ministry
    • Parish Nurse
    • Columbarium
  • Worship
    • Schedule of Worship
    • How we worship
    • Children
    • Choir
  • Special Events
    • Pumpkin Farm
    • Christmas Tea
  • Budget
  • Blog
  • Letter from Pastor
  • Masks
  • sermon
  • Audry
  • Rick McCoy
  • Ballot for Church council
  • Holden Prayer 12-23
  • Dec 20 Children's Program
  • Christmas Eve
  • Lenten Service
  • Ash Wednesday
  • Week One February 25, 2021

Clever Words for the Apocalypse

Clever Words: A Lenten Devotional

3/12/2019

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A Clever Word for the Season of Lent
καταφυγή (kataphuge)
A place of refuge

A Clever Verse for Context
“You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge (kataphuge) and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.’” (Psalm 91:1-2, Greek as in the Septuagint)

Clever Reflections
Spiritual
When it comes to false gods, aka idols, we humans have a tendency to worship safety.  We want to be secure: physically and financially, and we want the same thing for our families.  For the sake of safety we isolate ourselves as individuals and communities, distancing ourselves from our neighbors and our God.  Jesus, on the other hand, lives a life fraught with danger: sailing through storms, touching humans known to have contagious diseases, and walking into a city where he knows many want to kill him.  Being a disciple, a follower of Jesus, is pretty much the opposite of being safe.  There is a reason we confess “God is our refuge (kataphuge)." It is not in strength, might, solid walls, or locked doors that we find safety, but in God’s faithfulness. Whatever me may face as disciples, God is faithful and will not abandon us, no matter what dangers overwhelm us.         

Literary
The Greek historian Herodotus (5th cent. BCE) recounts a conversation between the Persian king Xerxes and his relative Artabanus, in which the latter declares that “death is the most welcome refuge (kataphuge) for humans, since life is so wretched” (see Herodotus’ Histories, 7.46).

Clever Questions for Further Reflection
What makes you feel safe or where do you feel safe?

How do you carry that sense of safety with you into the world?

When have you benefited from facing danger?

A Clever Prayer to Close
​

God is our refuge and strength,
   a very present[a] help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
   though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3 though its waters roar and foam,
   though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

Psalm 46:1-3



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    About the Blog

    In this season of plague, flood, fire, hungry cats, and Advent, we invite you to reflect on the words (such clever words!) of the Prophet John in the book of Revelation.
    Join the Liturgisaur on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Advent for devotions based on the first three chapters of Revelation
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      Perhaps you have encountered the #Liturgisaur on Instagram or Facebook.  He is a small, green, pants wearing, one armed dinosaur who makes the rounds in Gladwin County and beyond, highlighting the various ministries of Christ the King Lutheran Church.   
         The word dinosaur is Greek in origin, a combination of the words  δεινός (terrible or clever) and σαύρα (lizard).  You may have heard about how dinosaur means "terrible lizard," but you probably didn't realize that it can also mean "terribly clever lizard."   And the Litrugisaur is quite clever.  
         This Advent you invited to check into this blog for theological reflections (some clever) and insights from the Liturgisaur and his minder, Pastor Emily Olsen.  We will be focusing on the first few chapters of Revelation, or as they call it in Greek, The Apocalypse. 

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Christ the King Lutheran Church
600 S. M 18 
Gladwin, Mi. 48624
989-426-1659
Pastor Emily Olsen
pastor.ctkinggladwin@gmail.com


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