“Our possessions won't save us. But the really, really good and challenging news is that following in the way of Jesus leads to a life of redemption, joy, courage, valor, justice, pride, belonging, trust, worth, and liberation for all. Thanks be to God!”

Scripture & Sermon at Messiah Lutheran Church
November 8, 2026

FIRST READING - Deuteronomy 15:1-11 (NRSVUE)
“Every seventh year you shall grant a remission of debts. And this is the manner of the remission: every creditor shall remit the claim that is held against a neighbor, not exacting it, because the Lord’s remission has been proclaimed. Of a foreigner you may exact it, but you must remit your claim on whatever any member of your community owes you. There will, however, be no one in need among you, because the Lord is sure to bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you as a possession to occupy, if only you will obey the Lord your God by diligently observing this entire commandment that I command you today. When the Lord your God has blessed you, as he promised you, you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.

“If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor. You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be. Be careful that you do not entertain a mean thought, thinking, ‘The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,’ and therefore view your needy neighbor with hostility and give nothing; your neighbor might cry to the Lord against you, and you would incur guilt. Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.’

GOSPEL - Matthew 19:16-22 (The Message)
Another day, a man stopped Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

Jesus said, “Why do you question me about what’s good? God is the One who is good. If you want to enter the life of God, just do what he tells you.”

The man asked, “What in particular?”

Jesus said, “Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as you do yourself.”

The young man said, “I’ve done all that. What’s left?”

“If you want to give it all you’ve got,” Jesus replied, “go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me.”

That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crestfallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn’t bear to let go.

Sunday, November 8, 2026 Service Bulletin

Sermon - Rev. Dr. Mandy Todd

Imagine for a moment your most prized possession. Something that holds deep significance in your life. Your grandmother's necklace. Your father's Purple Heart. The Christmas ornament your kiddo made in kindergarten. The pie plate you use every time you make your famous apple pie. Your wedding ring. 

Hold that item in your mind's eye. Consider all it represents. The memories. Pride. Love. Joy. Gathering around the table, or at the altar. Family and friends, many who may be long gone. Thanksgivings and Christmases and birthdays past. A sense of belonging, trust and worth. 

As US Americans living in the 21st century, we own a lot of stuff. My family moved to Lindsborg just over 4 years ago, and when we moved, we purged a lot. Countless trips to the thrift store and a couple of dumpsters later, we still needed the largest U-Haul you can rent. I promised myself we'd be more careful about what we collected in this house. Four years later, the basement is crammed with various pieces of furniture, boxes and boxes of books, dishes, clothes, and other things we don't use, and please never ever go into either of my children's rooms. 

Professional organizer and consultant Marie Kondo became famous several years ago when she encouraged people to go through all of their possessions and ask whether or not that thing brought joy into your life. No joy? Get rid of it. I think a lot of us would be cleaning out our basements and garages, our closets and our lives if we followed her advice. 

We've reached a particular height of consumerism in today's world, but the hoarding of possessions is not just a modern issue. In first century Palestine, Jesus was dealing with the same kinds of issues. 

This man comes to him asking how he can achieve eternal life. And when it comes down to it, he's told to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor and then follow Jesus. But he had a lot of things, and it doesn't appear he could give those things up. 

Why is it so hard to let go of what we have? 

This Tuesday, November 10, is the 2nd anniversary of our decision as a church to become a Reconciling in Christ congregation. An RIC community is one that makes a commitment to welcoming and embracing all people, including those who have historically been marginalized and harmed by the church–namely LGBTQIA folks and people of color. On November 10, 2024, we adopted the welcome statement that is read at the beginning of church each Sunday, and we committed to doing the ongoing work of being a church where God's love is visible to all of creation. For the last several years, we've had a Progress flag hanging in the hallway going into the Fellowship Hall. The Progress Pride flag is a variant of the LGBTQ rainbow flag that includes additional colored stripes representing transgender people and people of color, and I've told the story of how one day when we were hosting a high school choir event, kids came into our building, saw that flag, and were excited to know that there was a church here in Lindsborg that welcomed queer folks. 

Sometimes, it's hard to let go because our stuff has really significant meaning. 

On Wednesday, November 11, our nation will celebrate Veteran's Day. Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the Armistice with Germany went into effect, and since then, we have remembered the sacrifice of US veterans and soldiers all over the world on that day. On Veteran's Day, as well as many other national holidays, people fly the American flag which also carries significant meaning. The color red represents valor and courage. White symbolizes purity and innocence.The color blue represents justice. The five-pointed star represents the four cardinal directions along with a single point pointing upward, signifying guidance and progress.

Over the last several months, your Church Council has been considering a request from some members of our congregation to place an American flag somewhere in our church. For those who've made the request, the flag means just what I've described: valor, courage, purity, innocence, justice, guidance and progress. It honors those who gave their lives to protect those values. 

And, the American flag is, for some, a challenging image in these days when Christian Nationalism and American exceptionalism has taken root in our communities and within our local, state, and federal government. 

I want you all to know that your Church Council had some incredibly thoughtful, respectful, honest and complex discussions about this request. For some, the American flag is an image that we who love this country must fly proudly and demonstrate to the world what courage and justice truly mean. Others might prefer to put the flag away until the country genuinely reflects those values in practice. 

After several months of discussion, we were ready to make a decision. If you went to the Fellowship Hall before worship this morning, you probably noticed that above the kitchen window, there now hang three flags. The American flag, the Progress Pride Flag, and the Kansas Flag. Three flags that contain multitudes. Symbols of who we want to be in the world. A community that welcomes all, and especially those who have been forgotten and harmed. A courageous community that is willing to stand up for what we believe in. A community that commits to our free-state history that values liberation for all of God's children. 

We know that these symbols won't mean exactly the same thing for each of us. We all might have to struggle a little bit with these symbols in our space. We all might have to question what we are holding onto and what we are letting go of. 

But here is the Good News, People of God: while these flags, these possessions, have deep and important meaning, those aren't the things that will save us. 

At the beginning of this sermon, I asked you to think about your most prized possession. For a moment, just a moment, imagine that you lost it. Imagine that it no longer existed. 

You could lose your grandmother's necklace, but you can never lose the feeling of her arms hugging you tightly. You could lose your father's Purple Heart, but you would never forget how brave and courageous he was. You could misplace that ornament your child made, but you will always remember their dogged determination to make it just right. The pie plate could break, and you'd still remember your pie recipe. Your wedding ring may no longer fit, but the love that it represents lives inside of you forever. 

Our possessions won't save us. But the really, really good and challenging news is that following in the way of Jesus leads to a life of redemption, joy, courage, valor, justice, pride, belonging, trust, worth, and liberation for all. Thanks be to God. Amen. 

After worship this morning, we will gather in the Fellowship Hall immediately following the service, to bless and dedicate our new flags. Please join us and then stay for fellowship time. 

Flag Dedication

Our next song is Faith Begins By Letting Go, printed in your bulletin. Let's stand together and sing…