‘Cuz if it’s sacred, it’s not “luck”!

PEACE Lutheran Church's Pastor Eileen Smith Le Van

PEACE Lutheran Church’s Pastor Eileen Smith Le Van

Sometimes what I think is an inconvenient interruption in my day is actually sacred serendipity. “Sacred” because the dictionary defines serendipity as “luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for.” Often, I am certain that what has happened is not “luck.”

Monday was one of those days. So many things happened unexpectedly that I didn’t have time to compose my weekly “Musings” column to meet the deadline for our congregation’s e-newsletter.

And the serendipity? The text for Monday in our book of daily devotions is from Esther, a book we rarely study in our usual programmed readings. It’s a fascinating story of a courageous Jewish woman whose bold actions prevented the mass murder of her people during a time of captivity.

While Esther’s faith certainly grounds her, the writer mentions God not even once in the story! However, the early Hebrew readers (or, more often, hearers) of this story would automatically assume God’s presence, active among his people.

And so a question for today: How might we live our lives differently by placing God deeply into the fabric of our being? What if we grounded everything we did in our identity as God’s people?

If you’d like to learn about the book of Esther (or any book of the Bible), check out Luther Seminary’s website. You will find a wealth of information. You can create your own free account to keep track of what you learn and make personal notes.

Have a blessed week!
Shalom,

Pr. Eileen

Sermon Topics Coming Up

Coming Aug. 7 through Sept. 4 – Sermon series on the Lord’s Prayer:

  • Aug. 7: “Our Father in heaven”
  • Aug. 14: “Hallowed be your name”
  • Aug. 21: “Your kingdom come”
  • Aug. 28: “Give us this day our daily bread”
  • Sept. 4: “ Save us from the time of trial”

Contact Pastor Eileen

If you need to speak to a pastor, call PEACE Lutheran Church at (530) 273-9631 or click here.

Learn more about Pastor Eileen Smith Le Van here.