Terry Scheuffele

The Broken Hallelujah

Sunday, I will be starting a brief sermon series entitled, The Broken Hallelujah. The phrase originates with the Leonard Cohen song Hallelujah. In the third verse of the original 1984 release, Cohen sings,

There’s a blaze of light in every word

It doesn’t matter which you heard

The holy or the broken Hallelujah

In the midst of the brokenness of life sometimes all we can offer God is the broken hallelujah, but it is every bit as valid as the triumphal hallelujah. Below is an article written by Fred Smith I ran across years ago; it introduced me to this line of thinking. Fred gave me permission to re-use it. My source is https://thesmithslant.com/cold-brokenhallelujah/. I share his thoughts verbatim.

I think we all like backstories. I especially like the stories behind songs. Did you know Paul McCartney’s original working title for “Yesterday” was “Scrambled Eggs”? Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” was originally titled “In The Garden of Eden,” but the lead singer was so inebriated he could not pronounce the words – so they left the title the only way he could say it.

Recently, I read the backstory of Leonard Cohen’s song, “Hallelujah,” written and recorded in 1984. Not known as a devout person, it came as a surprise to everyone that Cohen showed up in the studio having written a lyric normally reserved for religious artists. Years later, he said that he had “wanted to push the Hallelujah deep into the secular world, into the ordinary world…”

Cohen went on to say, “The world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled but there are moments when we can transcend…and reconcile and embrace the whole…mess, and that’s what I mean by ‘Hallelujah.’ That regardless of what the impossibility of the situation is, there is a moment when you open your mouth and throw open your arms and you embrace the thing and you just say, ‘Hallelujah! Blessed is the name.’ The only moment that you can live here comfortably in these absolutely irreconcilable conflicts is in this moment when you embrace it all and you say, ‘Look, I don’t understand …. at all – Hallelujah!’ That’s the only moment that we live here fully as human beings.”

His insight completely took me aback. We have all heard sacred words taken in vain or misrepresented but never had I heard a secular artist express such a complete understanding of what I think Scripture means to say Hallelujah.

I was raised in a world where Hallelujah was reserved for those moments at church when emotions were running high and, typically, the music was loud. There were isolated interjections when the pastor hit his stride or the offering had been especially good. A few in the congregation always wanted to say something other than “Amen” so they would throw in a “Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!” now and then.

But on the whole, Hallelujah was not something we said outside of church. It was saved for Sunday and spring revivals – and certainly not used in the way as Cohen said: “It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah.”

So how do we as Christians push Hallelujah deep into what Cohen called “the ordinary world”? How can we embrace it all, even when we don’t understand?

Frederick Buechner would say that praise is not offering God compliments but that “we learn to praise by paying attention.” Nothing special. Nothing highly emotional or even calculated. Not waiting for a right moment or place. Hallelujah comes in the most ordinary ways. We say it when we see beauty in the most ordinary things.

Marilynne Robinson would say, “Wherever you turn your eyes the world can shine like transfiguration. You don’t have to bring a thing to it except a little willingness to see.”

Paul would say this is what he meant when he said to give thanks in all things. Life is joyful and people are kind. So we break bread and give thanks. We say Hallelujah. Life is difficult, irreconcilable, messy and painful, but we still break bread and give thanks. We still say Hallelujah.

At times, it may be a cold and broken Hallelujah. It may not be a shout, but we find a way to murmur God is faithful and we can trust him because we are His.

In the Psalms, Hallelujah is often used both to introduce and to conclude a poem. Everything is contained within them. All the glory and the loss. The exultations and the laments. Sorrow and success. The temporal and eternal. Life and death.

Everything is held between two Hallelujahs. I think it’s true of our lives as well and, in the end, I believe we will all sing Cohen’s words:

“I’ll stand before the Lord of Song

With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah.”

* * * * * * *

Join us as we learn to praise God in our brokenness…………… Joey

The Power of Small Groups:

A Biblical Call to House-to-House Faith

In the contemporary world of grand church buildings and large gatherings, it’s easy to overlook the intimate roots of Christianity. Yet the New Testament calls us back to something profound: small groups meeting house to house. As we prepare for this Sunday’s message on The Power of Small Groups, let’s explore Scripture’s blueprint for these gatherings—not as optional add-ons, but as vital for evangelism, growth, and community.

Consider the early church in Acts 2:46-47 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Here, large assembly temple worship complemented home-based fellowship. These house meetings weren’t mere social gatherings; they fueled daily conversions. In homes, barriers dissolve—conversations flow naturally, questions arise authentically, and the Gospel takes root in everyday life.

This pattern persists throughout Acts. Amid persecution, apostles taught “in the temple and from house to house” (Acts 5:42), refusing to cease preaching Christ. Paul echoed this in Acts 20:20, declaring helpful truths publicly and house to house in Ephesus.

Why the emphasis on homes? They foster depth. Romans 16:5 greets “the church in [Priscilla and Aquila’s] house,” while 1 Corinthians 16:19, Colossians 4:15, and Philemon 1:2 highlight similar house churches. These weren’t makeshift; they embodied Jesus’ relational vision, where everyone engages, not just observes.

The benefits are timeless. Small groups build fellowship, as Hebrews 10:24-25 urges: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.”

In intimate settings, we confess sins and pray for healing (James 5:16), sharpening one another (echoing Proverbs 27:17 in NT community). Evangelism thrives organically—inviting a neighbor for coffee can spark faith, mirroring Acts’ daily growth. Discipleship deepens too: Acts 2:42 shows devotion to teaching and prayer in homes, building the body “in love” (Ephesians 4:16).

Today, amid isolation fueled by screens, small groups combat loneliness with real connection. Stories like Cornelius in Acts 10—gathering kin in his home—or Lydia in Acts 16, whose house became Philippi’s church hub, prove: open doors invite divine movement.

Join us Sunday to dive deeper. Whether you’re in a group or not, Scripture beckons—let’s embrace house-to-house faith for transformation. Making disciples (Matthew 28:19-20) starts small, but its impact echoes eternally.

I’ll say more in my lesson, Joey

Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation:

The Source of Our Joy

We all have experienced the waning, if not an occasional loss, of our Christian joy. What can we do when we can no longer find peace or celebrate what once was the greatest joy of our lives?

In Psalm 51, David lost his joy due to un-repented sin (Well, There’s Your Problem); the solution was repentance, ministry, and worship.

Elijah’s Mount Carmel Blues revealed three principles that can help us when we hit lows following spiritual highs: 1) Self care; 2) Spiritual grounding in the character and work of God; and 3) A refocused vision of the future.

Paul warned the Galatians not to Return to Slavery — religious legalism, perfectionism, or traditionalism. His remedy? 1) Stand firm in your freedom; 2) Trust Jesus alone for your righteousness, and 3) Keep in step with the Holy Spirit to avoid the sinful nature.

The church at Ephesus had Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’. Known for their good works, they had lost the one thing that really mattered, love. Jesus explains what they had to do: 1) Remember what it was like when their love was new; 2) Change the dynamics of their behavior; and 3) Do the things they did at first.

The church at Laodicea suffered from ignorance and apathy (I Don’t Know and I Don’t Care). Jesus commanded them to 1) Seek true spiritual wealth; 2) Repent, and accept his chastisement; and 3) Open the door to Jesus and a renewed relationship with him.

The natural reaction to receiving the word of God is joy and fruit bearing. In Matthew 13 (Hearing vs. Fruit Bearing), Jesus said the reception of the word will always be varied because of peoples hearts; callous, shallow, and crowded. Christian joy will always be found in 1) an open heart that is 2) bearing fruit for the master.

The Athenians were preoccupied with anything new (Acts17; Same O’ Same O’). Like them, perhaps the loss of our joy is the result of boredom with the familiar and preoccupation with all things new. Rediscovering the Old, Old Story of Paul’s preaching will help us reclaim our joy!

Sunday, I will conclude this series as we discuss The Source of Our Joy. We began with David in Psalm 51 and we will conclude with Psalm 16.

I’ll say more in my lesson, Joey

Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation:

Same O’ Same O’

We all have experienced the waning, if not an occasional loss, of our Christian joy. What can we do when we can no longer find peace or celebrate what once was the greatest joy of our lives?

In Psalm 51, David lost his joy due to un-repented sin (Well, There’s Your Problem); the solution was repentance, ministry, and worship.

Elijah’s Mount Carmel Blues revealed three principles that can help us when we hit lows following spiritual highs: 1) Self care; 2) Spiritual grounding in the character and work of God; and 3) A refocused vision of the future.

Paul warned the Galatians not to Return to Slavery — religious legalism, perfectionism, or traditionalism. His remedy? 1) Stand firm in your freedom; 2) Trust Jesus alone for your righteousness, and 3) Keep in step with the Holy Spirit to avoid the sinful nature.

The church at Ephesus had Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’. Known for their good works, they had lost the one thing that really mattered, love. Jesus explains what they had to do: 1) Remember what it was like when their love was new; 2) Change the dynamics of their behavior; and 3) Do the things they did at first.

The church at Laodicea suffered from ignorance and apathy (I Don’t Know and I Don’t Care). Jesus commanded them to 1) Seek true spiritual wealth; 2) Repent, and accept his chastisement; and 3) Open the door to Jesus and a renewed relationship with him.

The natural reaction to receiving the word of God is joy and fruit bearing. In Matthew 13 (Hearing vs. Fruit Bearing), Jesus said the reception of the word will always be varied because of peoples hearts; callous, shallow, and crowded. . Christian joy will always be found in 1) an open heart that is 2) bearing fruit for the master.

Sunday, my lesson is entitled, Same O’ Same O’. It refers to boredom with the familiar and preoccupation with all things new. My text is Acts 17:16-34 where it is said of the Athenians, “All the  Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas” Acts 17:21.

I’ll say more in my lesson, Joey 

Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation:

Hearing Vs. Fruit Bearing

We all have experienced the waning, if not an occasional loss, of our Christian joy. What can we do when we can no longer find peace or celebrate what once was the greatest joy of our lives?

In Psalm 51, David lost his joy due to un-repented sin (Well, There’s Your Problem); the solution was repentance, ministry, and worship.

Elijah’s Mount Carmel Blues revealed three principles that can help us when we hit lows following spiritual highs: (1) Self care; (2) Spiritual grounding in the character and work of God; and (3) A refocused vision of the future.

Paul warned the Galatians not to Return to Slavery — religious legalism, perfectionism, or traditionalism. His remedy? 1) Stand firm in your freedom; 2) Trust Jesus alone for your righteousness, and 3) Keep in step with the Holy Spirit to avoid the sinful nature.

The church at Ephesus had Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’. Known for their good works, they had lost the one thing that really mattered, love. Jesus explains what they had to do: 1) Remember what it was like when their love was new; 2) Change the dynamics of their behavior; and 3) Do the things they did at first.

The church at Laodicea suffered from ignorance and apathy. They were self deluded in their retched state and were lukewarm in their relationship with God (I Don’t Know and I Don’t Care). Jesus commanded them to 1) Seek true spiritual wealth; 2) Repent, and accept his chastisement; and 3) Open the door to Jesus and a renewed relationship with him.

Sunday, my lesson will be taken from Matthew 13. What we have called “The Parable of the Sower” gives us tremendous insight in how hearing the word of God relates to fruit bearing and how fruit bearing relates to our Christian joy.

I’ll say more in my lesson, Joey

Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation:

I Don’t Know and I Don’t Care

How can we deal with the waning, if not an occasional loss, of our Christian joy? It is devastating when we can no longer find peace or celebrate what once was the greatest joy of our lives!

In Psalm 51, David lost his joy due to un-repented sin (Well, There’s Your Problem); the solution was repentance, ministry, and worship.

Elijah’s Mount Carmel Blues revealed three principles that can help us when we hit lows following spiritual highs: (1) self care; (2) spiritual grounding in the character and work of God; and (3) a refocused vision of the future.

Paul’s warning in Galatians of a Return to Slavery has a modern analog, i.e., Christian freedom vs. religious legalism, perfectionism, and traditionalism. These three threaten our joy. Paul encourages us to 1) stand firm in our freedom; 2) trust Jesus alone for our righteousness, and 3) keep in step with the Holy Spirit to avoid the sinful nature.

In Revelation 2, Jesus tells the church in Ephesus they had “forsaken your first love” (You Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’). This describes a church that was known for their good works and perseverance. In all their hard work, religious polemic, and righteous endurance, they had lost the one thing that really mattered, love. Jesus explains what they had to do: 1) Remember what it was like when their love was new; 2) Change the dynamics of their behavior; and 3) Do the things they did at first.

Sunday, we will look at another church Jesus addressed in Revelation.

The church at Laodicea was described as “lukewarm– neither hot nor cold.” Their first problem was apathy. On a love/hate continuum of their relationship with God, their response was “meh.” Again, using the analogy of marriage, this is the death-knell—you just don’t care anymore. It’s easy to see how this would lead to a joyless faith.

Their second problem was ignorance. Or perhaps, more accurately expressed, self-delusion. In their material prosperity, they believed they were in need of nothing or no one. Perhaps, this is the root cause of their apathy toward God.

Jesus has some very harsh things to say to them about their condition.

You might legitimately ask why those who were so apathetic would care about having no Christian joy. Maybe the issue was that, in their ignorance, they thought their wealth brought them joy. Unfortunately, such dependence upon circumstances will eventually lead to the wretchedness Jesus described.

I’ll say more in my lesson, Joey

Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation:

You Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’

In Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation we are discussing the waning, if not an occasional loss, of our Christian joy. How tragic it is when we can no longer find peace or celebrate what once was the greatest joy of our lives!

We’ve discussed Psalm 51 and David’s loss of joy due to unrepented sin (Well, There’s Your Problem) and the solution: repentance, ministry, and worship.

We’ve examined Elijah’s Mount Carmel Blues and distilled three principles from his story that can help us when we hit lows following spiritual highs: (1) self care; (2) spiritual grounding in the character and work of God; and (3) a refocused vision of the future.

Galatians 5:1-6 gave us insight into an ancient problem that has a modern analog, i.e., Christian freedom vs. religious legalism, perfectionism, and traditionalism. These three form a deadly trifecta that threaten a Return to Slavery of law (the Torah and Stoichea) and thus threaten our joy. Galatians encourages us to 1) stand firm in our freedom; 2) trust Jesus alone for our righteousness, and 3) keep in step with the Holy Spirit to avoid the sinful nature.

Sunday, we will be studying the letter to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7,

Immediately, in the text we are confronted with Jesus’ knowledge of his church and followers, “I know your deeds, hard work and perseverance.” It is both scary and comforting to know that Jesus is intimately aware of the details of our life and ministry. Ephesus is a working church; he knows their hard work and sacrifice.

Jesus knows their intolerance for wicked, false teachers and prophets and that they have tested them. They have been faithful to contend earnestly for the true faith.

Jesus knows how they suffered and endured hardships for his name and not grown weary.

With all of those praises, you would think the report would be all positive, but it is not. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. In all their hard work, religious polemic, and righteous endurance, they had lost the one thing that really mattered, love.

At the beginning of our faith we possessed an incredible joy tied to our wholehearted love for God, but like Israel something happened. Our joy waned and our love began to grow cold.

Jeremiah 2:2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: “‘I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown. “

How can we bring back that lovin’ feelin’?

I’ll say more in my lesson, Joey

Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation:

A Return to Slavery

In our new lesson series Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation we are discussing the waning, if not an occasional loss, of our Christian joy. How difficult it is when we can no longer find peace or celebrate what once was the greatest joy of our lives!

We’ve discussed Psalm 51 and David’s loss of joy due to unrepented sin (Well, There’s Your Problem) and the solution: repentance, ministry, and worship.

We’ve examined Elijah’s Mount Carmel Blues due to his disillusionment after the great victory for Yahweh at Mt. Carmel. Elijah saw the culmination of his life’s work as Yahweh proved definitively to Israel that he was God and not Baal. What a spiritual high! It is no surprise that this was followed by a spiritual low when he learned that those in power were not persuaded — Jezebel sought his life. We distilled three principles from his story that can help us when we hit lows following spiritual highs: (1) self care; (2) spiritual grounding in the character and work of God; and (3) a refocused vision of the future.

Sunday’s lesson is not narratively based. It originates in Galatians—a wordy, deep, argument against embracing again the slavery of the Torah. Paul’s audience was struggling with those who would impose the burden of circumcision upon gentile Christians.

For the sake of clarity, let’s overlay another narrative (a true story) that might help us understand what Paul is saying in this text.

There once was a woman married to a very harsh, hyper-critical man. Nothing she did would please him. Every day, when he left for work, he would give her a list of things she must do that day, exactly as he specified. She felt like a slave. Her life was miserable. She had no joy. What love she had for the man was slowly being destroyed by the way he treated her.

In the course of time, her hyper-critical, demanding husband died and she eventually remarried. Her new husband was the polar opposite of the first. He treated her with grace. He was active and expressive with his love. When she failed, as all humans do, he was forgiving and supportive. Her life was so different now with joy, fulfillment, acceptance, and love.

One day she ran across one of her first husband’s lists. She felt an immediate reminder of the pain he had caused and her previous feelings of not measuring up. However, as she read over the list, she was startled; she was still doing everything on the list, only with joy. Everything that had made her feel like an unappreciated slave, she  was now doing out of love and appreciation for her new, loving husband.

Well, if you can forgive a slightly sexist (but true) illustration, you can understand Paul’s argument to the Galatians and the point I’m making about losing our joy due to religious legalism, perfectionism, and traditionalism.

Galatians 5:1-6 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

We lose our joy when we allow others to enslave us again to legalism, perfectionism, and traditionalism.

I’ll say more in my lesson, Joey 

Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation:

The Mount Carmel Blues

This week we continue my new lesson series entitled, Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation. Most all of us have experienced a waning, if not an occasional loss, of our Christian joy. It is a miserable feeling when we can no longer find peace or celebrate what once was the greatest joy of our lives.

The phrase, Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation, comes from Psalm 51. This is David’s lament after Nathan had convicted him of the sins of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah he Hittite. David’s problem was unrepented sin. There is no wonder he had lost his joy. We discussed the solution taken from the Psalm itself: repentance, ministry, and worship.

This week we turn to another servant of God who was struggling with a loss of joy. Elijah, the prophet, ministered in the early part of the 9th century BC. He prophesied to/(against) Ahab and Ahaziah (Ahab’s son), both kings of Israel. Ahab and Jezebel had led Israel astray through worshipping the local Canaanite storm God, Baal, and the fertility goddess, Asherah. Most of Elijah’s ministry was championing Yahweh as the one true God over Baal. In fact, that is even expressed in his name itself, Eli (God), Jah (Yahweh) which literally means Yahweh is God.

In 1 Kings 17, he challenged the power of the storm/rain god, Baa by declaring Yahweh would would not send rain or dew for years (3.5 according to James (James 5:17-18). This directly challenged Baal’s presumed power over the weather. 1 Kings 17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” Rain did not fall again until Elijah prayed at God’s command. 1 Kings 18:41 Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”

During that time, God miraculously took care of him. 1 Kings 17:4 You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.”

When the brook dried up, God took care of him through a widow’s generosity. 1 Kings 17:9 “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.” Her staples were miraculously replenished. 1 Kings 17:14 ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.'”

When the widow’s son died, Elijah raised him by God’s power. 1 Kings 17:21-22 “LORD, “O LORD my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” 22 The LORD heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived.

Perhaps Elijah’s greatest victory was the challenge to Baal and his prophets to send down fire to consume a sacrifice. They failed where Yahweh demonstrated his power. 1 Kings 18:38-39 Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. 39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The LORD– he is God! The LORD– he is God!”

Elijah experienced win after win from the hand of God. Yet when threatened by Jezebel, he folded like a house of cards. 1 Kings 19:3-4 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life… He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

What happened? Where is his faith? Where is his joy in the Lord?

I’ll say more in my lesson, Joey

Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation:

Well, There’s Your Problem!

Sunday, I’m beginning a new series entitled, Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation. Most all of us have experienced a waning, if not an occasional loss, of our Christian joy. It is a miserable feeling when we can no longer find peace or celebrate what once was the greatest joy of our lives. I know I’ve been there!

There are many reasons we may feel this way. Life has a way of beating us down and in our pain, we grow frustrated with God and our expectations of what life was supposed to be. Sometimes, our brothers and sisters in Christ disappoint us by their behavior or hurt us by their actions. Other times our Christian enthusiasm is dampened by the distractions of man-made religion—legalism, traditionalism, perfectionism, criticism, and the like.

It is my prayer that these messages will help you recognize the reasons behind your waning joy and equip you to partner with the Holy Spirit to restore it.

The phrase, Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation, comes from Psalm 51. This is David’s lament after Nathan had convicted him of the sins of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah he Hittite. Psalm 51 is David’s public prayer of repentance.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in

your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak

and justified when you judge.

5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time

my mother conceived me.

6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;

you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and

renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence or

take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me

a willing spirit, to sustain me.

….

In David’s case, his loss of joy was obvious; it was the result of un-repented sin —Well, There’s Your Problem!

I’ll say more in my lesson, Joey