Everyday Lutherans

What is the most valuable, precious aspect of your life?  What is it? Is it a person? An object? Have you had that in your life for a long time so you treasure it because of the message and people it connects you to?  Whatever you have in high regard in this world, can be taken away from you. The only thing that is certain is the Word of God. Today within our Scriptures, we are pointed to this understanding not just in one moment but over and over again.  Within the Old Testament reading, Amos is speaking with God. God declares to go and prophesy to the people in Israel.  At this time, Judah in the south and Israel in the north are two separate kingdoms. Amos leaves his home in Judah and travels to let the people know, that God is not pleased with what they are doing.  The wealthy have been not caring for the poor, the people are using sacrifices but not changing their behavior, they are taking the gift that God gave them of being His People for granted. They are expecting God’s blessi...

Relationship Sunday Looking at today’s Scripture readings, one thing stood out to me as the focus of all of them.  Relationships. However, in these Scriptures, we get the truth. We do not get an idealized relationship, something that we can dream about but never achieve.  Yet, we also realize the history of how relationships are hard, but partly because we make them hard. It is partly because we are now in a broken world, and there are factors that are outside of our control that we need to be aware of.   Let’s start with the Genesis account.  Adam and Eve have both eaten from one of the trees from which they should not have eaten.  They knew the rules. What they should not do and yet, what did they do? They went ahead and did it.  Not only that, but they ran away from God and the situation in fear. When they are confronted with their wrongdoing; they attempt to pass the buck, or explain how someone else is really to blame.  Even blaming God. They didn’t think they should be punished. ...

Today is the church’s celebration of the Day of Pentecost.  A day in which we recognize that God has blessed us with a Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us through our lives of faith and within this world. A day in which we are reminded that God is still at work and moving within this world. However, with the past week’s events, becoming aware of where God is at work in the world and in our lives can seem like a task of searching for a needle in a haystack.  Watching the evening news, we hear of more school shootings, we hear of war, or even the very Earth itself tearing apart, and we hear of people arguing about what should be done instead of actually making a difference for a solution. Yet even in these dark moments, God’s hope and love shine all the brighter.  For when a tragedy does strike a community. We bear witness to the outpour of love for the people.  And that love is the foundation of God’s Work in the world. For it is this love that moves within our own hearts.  It is this s...

Sermon - 2018 - 02 - 21 - Wednesday Lent On Sunday’s sermon, I ended with the question, “What are we as a church here for?”  It is a question that truly no one person can answer. However, throughout the ages, the church has been known as a safe place to be in, a welcoming place, and a  place to experience God. It is something for many of us, we perhaps do not even realize unless you are drawn to it, someone points it out or it is something that we think about but then get focused on other things in our lives. Now the way a church is designed and laid out, says a lot without even a single word being mentioned.  When we think of a church, many of us may think of an old European church. The old Gothic style that was made of stone.  These buildings were huge in their construction and design so that as a person entered into the building. They would be able to feel the vastness of God and be reminded that they are entering the presence of something so much bigger than themselves.  The front ...

Today is a very special day in the Lutheran church.  Today, we are commemorating 500 years since the time that Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses.  This was a monumental occasion that even still influences us today. From worshiping in our own language, going to school, and even some would argue, the way that we live as a society.  As we are here today, we also look back. We have been learning about the historical events of the Reformation. However, Luther was not the last of the Reformers. Truly any Christian denomination that is not Catholic has formed because of the work that Martin Luther did.  He laid the groundwork that is still the Re-formation of the church and society today. Yet the reason that Luther wanted to have these changes or their rippled effects was because he felt that the people in the pew were not actually understanding the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  They did not understand what does it mean to be a Christian. Which makes me wonder today, do you as people in the pew u...

Today, we hear a rather familiar story that Jesus uses to make a point.  It is typically known as the Good Samaritan. With each of the characters, we learn a lot of what it is we should not and should do.  For the priest, passes by on the other side, now so we understand, if the priest would have stopped and helped man, the Jewish laws would have stated that the priest would be unclean to enter the temple and thus not help or care for the hundreds or thousands of people that would come to the Temple that day.  So for the priest, he would be thinking of the majority and not the indiviudal. The Levite, would be passing by but what reason would he not stop and help the man. Would it be because he was robbed and thus have no wealth and would be of no benefit to the rich man. Would he think of the wealth that he would lose by helping this man and what others in the town would think of him for helping this man.  Now it is the third man, the Samaritan that Jesus lifts up to the People of God ...

Today, we are confronted with two texts of Scripture that bring us an understanding of our faith and perhaps even the world around us.  In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, we hear of Paul declaring that the Law is a disciplinarian. One that we have turned to over and over again BUT now that Christ has come.  We are no longer in need of the LAW. The Law guided us and bound us to what it was we were suppose to do through “Thou shalt…” It was the means by which we were called to show others that we were disciplined in doing what God calls us to do.  However, now that Christ, the Son of God, has now come before us. The law is no longer what we are striving for but it is faith in Jesus Christ. The law was the prison that kept us disciplined but Christ set us free. Yet there is another aspect that we must look at.  The Law, also kept us safe. It drew a line in the sand and we could easily see by the actions of people if they were following the Law. We could see if a person was saved or not sa...

A recent article really got me thinking. ( NPR - Boot Camp for Mormon Missionaries )  How is the Lutheran church sharing their faith with others? I began to think about what would the classes that we could teach our missionaries before they went out. Law & Gospel Grace Scripture Baptism & Communion Care for our Neighbor Culture of the nation you are going to.... Language Classes How will this experience impact your faith? And Resources to help you during this time. What else would be important for a missionary to know? Just think of the experiences that our youth could be a part of.  How they could be shaped and even shape the future of the church.  We do some of this work with Young Adults in Global Missions.  Yet what if we were able to expand that and help all our members become disciples and missionaries within their own homes.  (Please understand, I am not advocating we also dress in white shirts, black pants with a black tie or other modest dress t...

Walking in to a coffee shop, you know that you will go in there to pay for a service.  The person behind the counter will make a coffee beverage of your choice with a variety of flavors, sugar, or milk to go with it.  There is a menu placed on the board that clearly notes the cost of that beverage that you choose.  From the cost of that beverage, you know that you are paying the farmer for the coffee beans, the farmer for the sugar and even the farmer who gathered the milk.  You are also paying the wage of the person who served you along with anyone who is part of the path that brought all of these things together.   When you go into a bookstore, it is much of the same thing.  You know that you shall purchase a book.  The cost of the book will cover not only the paper and printing cost, but also part of the of money will go to the author, the person who works at the bookstore, and even some to the company. Along with anyone else who may have been a par...

The results of the Ballots are in.   In the category of:   the top preachers of 2013 is  William Willimon In the category of:   t he top Christian book of 2013 is  Pastrix by Nadia Bolz-Weber In the category of:    the top Christian teacher of 2013 is  David Lose In the category of:    names that we should be looking to in the new year?  Elizabeth Eaton. Thank you so much for all who contributed in sharing your insights and opinions with their ballots. 

In watching the Grammys, the Oscars, the Tonys, and other award shows got me thinking.  What if the church had something like this? What if we got together and celebrated some of our news worthy preachers, writers, teachers, disciples and found ways of encouraging others in their ministries? Loading... As names are added in the "Other" section, I will try and add them to the list.  Please know that you can edit your submissions.

Romans 2 "when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things." (Romans 2:1) When a Christian is on their journey of faith, there are many questions that they may encounter but also many people with different voices.  Part of being a Christian is, as you are going through this life, you are able to walk with your Creator, Sustainer, and also your Redeemer.  Yet it is this continued relationship and journey that we must and need to be reminded of it's importance.  So often I have heard people who call themselves Christians, but they fall into this same pitfall.  They want to be right, they want to help those around them, and they want others to know and experience God the way they do.  But the way that they go about sharing that is in direct opposition to the way in which God has approached them. These same people will often point out in others the way in which the other person is ...

The Apostle's Creed is one of those creeds that we continue to recite within many congregations.  Yet it is filled with old language and ideas that we do not typically think of anymore.  The early church developed this creed as a statement in which each person wanting to be Baptize would agree with before their Baptism.  This was a creed that would unite all the Christians with all the same understanding of what the three parts of the Trinity related to humanity. The first part helped people understand God as Creator.   I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.  Why is this important? That God created all things within the world, things that are seen and unseen.  Things that we encounter and things that we hope for.  God is the creator and sustainer of all things. _____________________________________________ The second part helped people understand what Jesus has done and the important aspects of his life. I believe in Jesus ...

  This is a great activity for confirmation and others to think of what church is like and how it relates to so many other things within a person's life. It helps you understand some of the traditions that have taken place within the church, and then becomes part of other aspects in your life. Church is like Football. Football has a variety of positions within the team. When each of the players is playing their best to work as a team with their duties being fulfilled, the team can succeed and play a good game. Whether each person is on the defensive line or offensive line, all must work together. It is the same within the church, when all the members, committees and leaders are working together as a team; then they can care for the community and work towards helping God's people learn, grow and work together even better. Just as there are different teams within the team; offense, defense, and special teams, there are also different teams or committees within the church. Eac...

In recent years, I have noticed a growing number of larger congregations. Congregations where there are more programs, more people and more focus on keeping more people caring for the institution that is the building and not really the Gospel.  (Please note, I am not saying that all large congregations fit this but there seems to be a growing trend.)  You may notice the features: Young pastor - cause young pastors can relate to the youth and our church does not have any. Band - cause the old songs do not speak to the people that you are trying to get into your building. Focus on Life - most of the messages, classes and general direction of the congregation is helping people in their physical journey.  Right living and morals are the dominate messages being given.  Less emphasis on Jesus and more emphasis on 'What Scripture teaches us' becomes the language in which we hear more and more with the messages. Now you may be saying but our congregation has some of these th...

When you think of church, what do you think of? Honestly, write it down.  It all down.  Maybe even draw a picture, to help you capture all that you are thinking of. Now think of the church that you attend.  How are the same? How are they different? Now for the truth:  That ideal church that you first wrote about, can not happen.  For one thing, it is in your mind.  It would only happen if everyone did what you did.  You would be the god of that church. The church that you attend is not perfect.  Why?  The people who attend there are sinners and saints.  Yes even you.  Don't get me wrong you are not a bad person but within our lives, things happen, we make choices that we find out later, hurt someone else or even ourselves.  That's ok, you are human.  Along with that, when you get more than one person in a room, there are different ideas, concepts, and thoughts of what this church should be.  When that happens, there a...

I had a conversation with someone the other day and something really stuck out. "People just need to commit to the church and choose to follow Jesus."  The conversation continued and the person was longing for a church that was only within their mind.  Longing for more people to follow the message of Jesus Christ and the life that he has given to them.  This person hoped and longed for more to gather with them. The person had watched movies about what the church should be, important practices, along with studies that were published online by Biblical teachers that had their own TV show.  These teachings, movies and voices, are loud within the society, the people who cling to it are willing to put money, energy and passion behind it.   As a church leader, I have heard a lot of this, it seems that this understanding of God and the church resonates well with the people.  It makes sense, it is clear, and it explains a lot about this world.  Yet I wonder, j...

When I was a kid, I grew up thinking that God was this old man with a long white beard.  He sat on a big throne and had a lot of people who were singing around him.  But I was always afraid, I thought that God was one who looking out for the things that I was doing wrong.  Yet then Jesus would come and tell me things were going to be ok.  That God had been sitting on the throne for a long time but really he meant well and loved me.  As time went on my understanding of God grew, as it should because my relationship with God grew as well. I began to realize how that understanding of God was so true.  God wanted what was best for me and wanted me to realize the LOVE that He truly shared for me. Yet in my teen years, while your whole body and world seem to be put into this blender of reality and nothing seems to work out right.  You can also begin to wonder, doubt, and be down right frustrated with God.  For these two voices of God looking out for wha...

I have talked to a lot of people who attend church every so often to not really a whole lot. In one of my most recent conversations, a person asked me, "So, what does a pastor do?" I started thinking of all the daily, weekly, monthly and yearly things that I do and I could have listed them all off , but that would take a very long time. Then there are the things that no one can plan for. How do you tell someone that you live a life of chaos and unknown, and help someone make sense of it??? Here is my attempt. A pastor does many, many things; largely depending on the congregation's size and whether or not there is more than one pastor. If the church is large and there are multiple pastors, then they are specialized into separate fields.  In a one pastor congregation, then he/she does most (if not all) of the following. Depending on where the congregation is located will also determine the work that the pastor will have as a focus or time for travel between p...