Everyday Lutherans

When I was growing up, I had posters of baseball players because for years, I wanted to play baseball for the rest of my life.  I mean think about it. You get to hang out with your friends, play baseball and just have fun. That sounded like a great life to live.  Now I loved the Chicago Cubs, I know remember I was young. So when I determined that I wanted to be a baseball player, I would imitate what they did.  If they chewed Bubble gum, I wanted to chew bubblegum. They had a cool glove, I needed a cool glove. They wore high socks, I wore high socks. They ran drills, I wasn’t there yet.   Now looking back on it now as an adult, I realize how foolish it is.  But at the same time, I believed that I could do it. If I imitated that life style, I could be that.  For many of us, as we grow up, our dreams and lifestyle are challenged. We realize we will not be able to play for the major league baseball league,  we realize we will not play in the NBA, ...

Prayer - This is a basic one but also is one of the hardest things for us to do.  Whether it is personal prayer or praying with others. We often do not do this, but it is the connection that we have with God.  The way in which we share with God what is on our hearts and minds, but also to take the time to listen to what God is sharing with us.   Worship - This is similar to prayer, is so basic but often times we determine; what am I getting out of it.  However, it is not about YOU. Worship is a means of being with others. It is to be in the presence of God, but also being with others to know that we are not alone.  We are in a community. Tonight, we begin a series of conversations and reflections based on key aspects that a disciple does in order continue to strive on this journey of faith.  For many of us, we go through the motions of our faith but we need sometimes to come back to the root of meaning so that we can be encouraged, correct ourselves, and even support one another ...

Today, we hear of the rather familiar parable known as the Prodigal Son.  Now just because it is a familiar parable does not mean that we fully understand it, or that we have taken that meaning and are living out that meaning.  So today, we look at this parable once again. Within the parable, it is important to note that when the son comes and asks for his half of the inheritance, the son is truly desiring the death of his father and that his father would have no influence upon his life anymore.  The son, wanting all the wealth that would be given to him at a future date at the death of his father, is informing his dad I don’t want you in my life anymore. My life would be better without you in it. However, in a heartbreaking act, the father does give the inheritance to the son. Gathering money and wealth all so that this son could go off and live his life the way that he would want and with complete disregard for what the father had learned within his own life. Now I want yo...

Tonight as we continue our journey of Marks of Discipleship, our focus is on serving.  This is where our faith moves us to action. Words on a page and a calling by God need to also have a physical side that reinforces the messages and allows us to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.  This is one of those areas though too where you can do the work but without the head and heart involved, it is something that can be exhausting will feel more like a job rather than something that enriches your life by living out one's faith.   Now at this church, we do a lot of this and it is one of our favorite times to do be united together and help those who are in need.  Through God’s Work, Our Hands Sunday, we have been able to mobilize the whole congregation. We have realized the importance and love that day that we are able to be united, feel productive and like we made a difference in the lives of others.   When serving others, we feel better about yourself.  When se...

What do you think is the worst sin? How do you think sins are measured? For many of us, we put a value upon the sins of others. We value and place sins into a list or hierarchy in which one is worse than another.  However, when God looks upon our sins, he does not see them that way. What God sees is that we are not producing the goodness and love for which we are intended. Let’s look at the parable that Jesus shares in the scripture for today to understand this more fully.  In the parable, there are two main characters, the Master and the Gardner. The Master is God the Father and the Gardener is Jesus Christ.  Now there is one other character that we should make note of, YOU. You are the tree. We need to truly identify everyone in the parable to fully understand it.  As we look at this parable, we hear that God saw that we (the tree) were not bearing any fruit. We were not producing the love and goodness that we had been created to do.  So the Master, God the Father, tell Jesu...

This Lenten season, we are entering into a series that reminds us of the marks of Discipleship.  Now, these are outward signs and many of us know that we should be doing these things but it is my hope that we are able to go much deeper.  That we may be reminded of why they are so important. To invite and encourage you that if you have not done these things on a regular basis, please join us.  If you are doing these things, please invite others. For these foundational pieces of faith can strengthen your relationship with God and enrich the lives of others too. Tonight, our focus is on learning or study.  Now many of us when we think of that, we may think of a research paper or book report or something else that we have done in school. Before you start tuning me out and rolling your eyes.  Before you go back to the days of Mrs. Johnson standing over you looking at you with disappointment. I want you to know this: that is not the only way that we can learn. Th...

Today within the gospel, we hear of the temptation that Jesus faced right after his baptism.  Now each of the temptations is significant because they are representing the same temptations and distractions that we have in our life every single day.  They are things or ideas that can distract and actually take us away from God. However, today I want you to take note, not of the temptations themselves but the work and relationship that Jesus had before facing these temptations. Sitting down with each one of you, I could help you discover what it is that your temptation is within your own life, perhaps without you even realizing.  Yet realizing the temptation and realizing what is greater than that, is something that would change our motivation and thus keep our focus on something that is far more important.  Today, I want you to become aware of what is even greater than that temptation so that as you are facing it, you may have the tools and knowledge to overcome and even more ...

Ash Wednesday comes in the midst of our busy lives.  It causes us to slow down and stop to reflect. On Ash Wednesday, we gather together as millions of Christians to be reminded that we have been called claimed and are loved by God’s own Son, Jesus Christ.  Being marked by ashes in the sign of the cross, we are reminded of who we belong to. We are reminded that we are mortal, that one day, we will no longer walk this earth. However, we put our faith and trust in God who claims and promises that we will allow being in His loving arms. To put ashes upon oneself, is an ancient tradition.  People would often do this as a sign of mourning with great grief.  It is also echoes within our hearts and minds those who have gone before you, who strived to give you what it is that was passed down to you.  Today, we remember what Jesus Christ has done for us. That we have been brought into Baptism, cleansed of all our sins, and forgiven so that we are in the family of God.  So ...

I want to start today by looking at the very first line of the Gospel lesson.  How many of you, when you heard this line of “after eight days of saying these things Jesus took just a few of the disciples to pray…”, now how many of you are wondering, “What did Jesus talk about?  What did I miss last week? Was that the lesson that I have been waiting my whole life to hear and I missed?” Or how many of you just sat back and are waiting for me or someone else to give you the answer?  But then you are waiting for the answer that you want to hear and not the answer that God gives to us. Scripture is something that will often surprise us by speaking directly to us everyday of our life and it is a source that can help us on the journey of life and faith by learning what others have done and even more, we can learn from their mistakes so that they do not happen in our own life.  Now if you were wondering what did we talk about last week, well you are out of luck, I am not ...

Today’s gospel is one that is sometimes known as the building blocks of our faith.  It is something that we want our children to know but that as we grow older, we do not regard these words of Jesus as speaking to us to follow.  They are meant for children but when you get older, you will learn the way of the world. Sadly, it is the way of the world that Jesus was actually striving against.  It is the way of the world that Jesus saw people following and not the way that God had called them to live. So we enter into the struggle between the first Adam and the last Adam.  The first Adam is the Adam that is found in the Genesis creation story. The last Adam is not named Adam at all but has the name of Jesus.  One of the man of dust, the other is a man of heaven. Now the Adam of the dust, is one that we often experience and through experience, we are often taught and fall back into the worldly ways.  When Jesus comes, he comes to raise us out of the filth t...

Scripture is one of those things that has been written several thousands of years ago, and yet contained within it are messages that can span the ages.  Part of the challenge we have as a follower of Christ is to actually read the Scriptures so that we know it well enough to be able to see and understand how God HAS moved, so that we can see God moving around us.  We are the disciples who become the hands and feet of God in this world, and become an active agent to work on God’s behalf. That means first knowing who and how God is in the world. The feedback, that has been received, is a request that our sermons be more focused on modern day living. Today’s Gospel is perhaps one that we need to hear now more than ever.  For we are the United States of America, as a nation we are currently the greatest and most powerful nation in the world.  And in the great state of Texas, we find ourselves at the very center of the conversation. That conversation includes how it is t...

Today our gospel is what every pastor would love to have as their problem.  So many people coming and wanting to hear them speak. That their message and work would move people to the point where they would take time from their day to go and listen to this message.  Now keep in mind too that they were not simply coming to a luxurious place to sit and be entertained, no they were coming out to the lakeshore. It was probably a sunny day and there was not a lot of place for shade.  Not only that but that they would invite friends, family and anyone else to come and see who or what this is all about. Now please note in the gospel, what did Jesus teach to the crowds of so many people?  We have no idea! Luke does not write down what the sermon or message was all about. However, what Luke does want us to realize is perhaps even more profound.  The way in which Jesus calls the disciples. While Jesus is doing his work, he encounters these men doing their jobs.  ...

I want you to stop and consider for a moment, when was the last time you were angry?  Oh wait, y’all are Christians, you don’t get angry do you? Sadly even in the church, we will have arguments and debates of how and what we should focus on.  We will question people’s motives, their words, and their actions. Yes even within the walls of the church, we are not completely restored to the calling and the holiness that is only found in God.  Yet if we ever wonder if God understands what it is like to be singled out, ridiculed by people whom he has known from the time he was growing up, or stand up for what is right. We can return to this passage here today.   Today we hear of Jesus going to his own hometown church.  Reading the Scripture but going one step further and declaring that Jesus is fulfilling the ancient text that the people gathered there have just heard.  After hearing that though, the people spoke kindly of Jesus. They were amazed at his eloque...

Our sense of touch, feel, hearing, seeing, and smell.  Are so very important to us. They are how we understand the world around us.  They are how we begin to understand what is good, what will harm us and what will be within our life.  Now it is through these five senses that we also will use different parts of our own body. Take for example the sense of touch.  For many of us, when we want to touch something, we will use our hands and particularly our figures in order or get a sense. However, when we want to feel something soft and more delicate, we will actually use our cheek.  Does anyone know why that is? Our different parts of our bodies are designed to do different things and in different ways. Could I walk on my hands? Sure but then my head would not be at a height to see. Today, Paul reminds the people that we should not discredit something just because it is different.  We should celebrate in our diversity. For it is through the whole colle...

Within the Lutheran tradition and the Christian faith, we talk a lot about Baptism.  It is such an important event and moment that we recognize as the beginning of our faith journey and relationship with God.  Today as we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord. I am reminded of what this day means for us. Yet, i first want to remind you, just a few weeks ago, we celebrated the birth of Jesus at Christmas.  Last week, we celebrated the beginning of Epiphany with the bestowal of the gifts from the Magi of the East. These are important events in the life of Jesus and also marked who he was in the world.  However, these events were not done on a grand scale or for the whole world to bear witness to. For much of the world, they did not realize who Jesus was and perhaps many of us are still wrestling with how Jesus is at work in our own life.  However, today, I was struck by the question that many people raise: “Is John the Messiah?” Many of the people were longing f...

Today is Epiphany Sunday.  The day in which we as a church recognize that there were three magi from the East who came and paid homage to Jesus as a child.  These three brought the gift of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Now these three gifts speak to the kind of Messiah, the Chosen One of God, that people were expecting to find come to them.  The gold was the kingly nature. That God would send a king to rule and hold power over all so that God could truly be present in all of their lives. Frankincense is a perfume that is often used in the time of prayer and meant that he would be connected to God.  The Myrrh was for embalming. This would be used as a priest and preparing the people to be with God. All of these gifts could be used by one person or several people and represent the way the Messiah would bring people back to God. For many, our focus is on what kind of Messiah that God is sending for us.  However, as believers and followers of the Messiah in Je...

How many of us have heard those famous words spoken from parents to children?  “Where have you been? Your father and I have been worried sick!” At one point or another, I am sure we have done something that caused our parents to worry for our own safety and the parents felt powerless.  However, what if I told you God had that experience for us? God looking down and wondering why the people do not listen to him. He had sent prophet, after prophet. People knew that God had been speaking to them but still the people would wander and do what they wanted to do.  God had encountered and observed the people being hurt over and over again. Not only that but the people had hurt God by turning their back on God. This is a familiar story and one that many us feel that we are still living even today.  God speaks but either we do not listen or we do not even realize God is speaking. Yet the story does not end there.  For just last week, we celebrated an event that cha...

Today, as we continue on our journey of Advent.  We have a new word that gives us focus on our journey, Joy.  Now this is a word that we feel like we know but it is hardly a word that we experience.  More often than not, we focus on a different word in this world, Happy. Well how are Joy and Happy different?  Joy last so much longer. So a question may be what truly brings you joy?? Maybe we should start with the outward appearance of these two.  For happiness, we may smile, we may sing or dance, it is something that is short lived.  Joy goes so much more beyond that, not only do we smile, but we are overwhelmed with an excitement and we can not stop talking about how amazing things are because all we want to do is share that joy and wonderful as the true blessing that it is.  And that is what Joy is, a blessing, a gift of God. A gift that God gives to us because we deserve it and to let us know that God is indeed with us in this world. However, thi...

Today I am struck by the way that we are talking about Peace and yet the world that we strive for does not really seem to have it.  For the most part, we can even go back through human history and one of the great milestones that people remember are the wars. Now granted the United States has not seen war in our lands for about 75 years.  We do not know from first hand experience what chaotic unrest is like. Even when war has been on our land, a majority of our populace did not have to worry about bullets flying by their head, where their next meal would come, or where they would sleep tonight.   For many of us, we can say that we know peace.  We live it however, we do not always realize it.  On December 7, our nation was attacked and officially entered us into the Second World War.  As we as a nation, united for the cause of defending our way of life. Many were willing to sacrifice whatever they could to support one another and some gave their whole lif...

“Look at the large stones and what large buildings.”  This may seem like a statement that came from a not so intelligent person.  However, how many of us have spoken similar words? Going into a major city and seeing the large towering buildings that human hands have created.  Someone just like you or me. This can be an inspiring moment for us to bear witness to. This is the same idea behind the large cathedrals that are scattered throughout Europe.  So I thought about asking the council for funds for all of us to travel to Europe but didn’t think it would get approved so here is the next best thing.  They were constructed out of stone to represent the permanence of God’s Word and God’s House among the people. The building was large and towered above other buildings so that when people would look upon them, they would be able see them for miles. Not only that, but in the construction of the building other messages were conveyed about the people and their relat...

Today we hear a perhaps familiar story of the Widow giving her two copper coins to the offering of the church.  This is often hailed as the ideal that we should all strive for. We are encouraged to enter into the parable of where we are.  Yet, we know that we don’t want to be the wealthy person because that is what Jesus says is the bad example. However that is what the world says we SHOULD be.  Rather the example that we should strive is the poor widow who gives out of her faith. So this begs the question of where are you in this parable? Within the parable, we have two extremes.  We have the wealthy man who goes and announces that they have great wealth and that they are giving to the church.  The other is a poor widow who gives all that she has. Why couldn’t Jesus work in another character, like: “couldn’t I be a wealthy person but just give silently?”  However in this parable, Jesus confronts us with what we are called to do. The reality is we kno...

This announcement inspires hope.  Look at the power that will be displayed.  All will be brought into the celebration feast.  All the fears, hard times, and even death will be destroyed.  What a day that will be. This is the hope that the Jewish people longed for.  God would save them and deliver them from these difficult times. We still face these difficult times.  These words are still giving us hope. We still have people trembling in fear, crying and people dying. We long for this prophecy to come true.   It is in this hope that we gather to remember all the saints that have gone before us.  For within the Gospel text, we have Jesus, Mary and many others gathered to grieve the loss of one of their loved ones, Lazarus.  Jesus crying, mourning the loss of his friend. For any of you know who have lost a loved one, it is a sad day. A day of celebrating the life that has been shared with you but also a realization that the person will not ...

Here we are again, celebrating the Reformation.  Now last year was a great year, we took time to transform our church.  We shared the story of the Reformation, who the people were and what each contributed.  We celebrated who we were and what we have come from. It was so much fun and so much energy was shared in the making of it all happen.   However, like a birthday celebration or the celebration of a new year.  I began to reflect on who we are, but perhaps more importantly “What’s different here?” How have we changed?  How have we grown? How have we improved ourselves? Thinking about all of this though, I reminded myself of what Luther was trying to do in the Reformation.  I was reminded that Luther did not want to make a new denomination but rather reform the current church. The focus of the church had been on making money.  They were more interested in the almighty dollar (ok, really gold coin) However, the church should not worry about r...

Today is Consecration Sunday, a day we have set aside to raise the question among us as a congregation and as Christians talk about what is God calling us to give?  Now finances are one of the most talked about topics in Scripture because far too often money is the false god that we create within our lives. It takes time, energy, and focus away when we should be giving credit to God and what God has done for us.   As we have heard from others about their Stewardship journey, many of these are inspiring and eye opening and they actually help us realize more about the person and the life of those with whom we worship.  So today, I want to share with you my own stewardship because I want you to know where it is I am coming from. Being a young man, I would get some money and immediately put it in to a piggy bank.  Yes it was literally a piggy bank. Yet I would add that new money into the piggy bank, I would want to dump out all of my money so that I could count every ...