St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church

Our annual congregational meeting will take place on Sunday, January 22nd, following worship.  Members are encouraged to attend.  Anyone interested in serving on council this year is asked to submit a brief biography.

 “When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who know but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this.”                        Esther 4:12-14

I’m sitting here with a full belly, utterly savoring the last morsel of melt-in-my-mouth holiday delicacies. Ah, the joys of this holy season.  Presents, long unwrapped, lay strewn on the floor—signs of the prosperity we’ve enjoyed this year.

Children’s giggles echo throughout our home, indicators of contentment.  My feet propped up, “vegging out” in front of the TV, we’ve managed to make another year of happy, hopefully holy, memories.  All is right with the world.

Or is it?  Oh man, why did I turn to CNN?  News of this tragedy. Reports of violence and unrest, poverty and political shenanigans, riots and rebellion echo now throughout my home.  Those pictures literally turn my stomach.  The horror humans inflict upon one another confuses and appalls me. I have to run and get an antacid.

How is this fair? How is this just? How can God stand by and let this happen? And in my righteous indignation echo two words.  “God doesn’t.”

God doesn’t.  God doesn’t just sit there, eyes glued upon the atrocities, doing nothing, as I seem to be doing.  God acts.  God intervenes.  God rescues. God provides. God revives.  God saves—both by miraculous means, but most often…by using their fellow neighbors on this planet…US.

How often have we heard the call to act, but not heeded it. Simply changed the channel or got up and done something else—little knowing, little caring about the effect our intentional apathy and inaction will have.

Yes, there is so much suffering out there…we are but a few.  But that is, if we’re honest, a lame excuse. God never calls us to respond to every need of every person. God lays on our hearts a specific cause, or a specific area.  Sometimes it’s because it’s something we ourselves have lived through, or a people or place familiar to us.  Sometimes it just strikes a chord for no particular reason.  However it comes, it’s a call.

Haman was King Xerxes’ #1 man.  And Haman had it in for the Jews. So much so that he wanted them dead, every single one of them.  Now Esther, the King’s most recent, and very beautiful wife, just happened to be a Jewess—it was the best kept secret in the entire palace.

When her Uncle Mordecai hears of Haman’s plot, he naturally appeals to Esther for help. “You have the king’s ear.”  But what new wife wants to ruffle her husband’s feathers? What person wants to intentionally put herself in a life and death situation?  Could she not just ignore it? No one would ever know.

“Really?”

Martin Niemoeller served his country during WW1.  After the war, he studied theology. In the early 1930’s he pastored a wealthy congregation in Berlin.  An avowed anti-Semite, he grew to dislike the governmental involvement in the Church, and spoke out against it—which landed him in prison. He spent almost four years in Dachau.  After the war, he continued to preach and speak about his experiences.  His most famous quote, the context of which is somewhat disputed, goes something like this:

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out–because I was not a communist;

Then they came for the socialists, and I did not  speak out–because I was not a socialist;

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out–because I was not a trade unionist;

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out–because I was not a Jew;

Then they came for me–and there was no one left to speak out for me.

It’s Mordecai all over again, isn’t it?  If we don’t heed God’s call…who will?  Who will suffer longer, or needlessly?

It’s a new year now. 2012. Twelve years have passed since the last great scare of the end times possibly coming (remember Y2K?)   But that doesn’t mean anything has changed.  There are still voices crying out in the wilderness to repent and get ready. There are still voices crying out for justice and armistice.  There are still voices crying out in fear and famine.

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name? Will you go where you don’t know? Will you risk the hostile stare? Will you leave yourself behind? Will you use the faith you’ve found to re-shape the world around?  (The Summons, John Bell)

Listen, God is calling…

Am I putting Him on hold?

Let it go to voicemail?

Or have I hung up?

As we’ve done unto the least of these…

I’ve chewed enough on food for my belly; it’s time to chew on these words for my mind, heart, and spirit.  Thank you, Jesus, that you are patient with us.  Give us the strength and courage to listen and obey, as Esther did.  Glorify your name in us, and come to the aid of your people.

Blessings, Pastor Chris

The Word of God demonstrates that, sometimes, the Lord will have to protect what He has placed within us. Like a pregnant woman, when we are preparing to give birth to a God-given vision, we will be instructed to limit — or even eliminate — certain interactions, activities, and habits.

Has the Lord placed something within you that needs to be protected?  Are your relationships, habits, and activities nurturing or destroying the things that God has placed inside of you?

In Luke chapter 1, we are told of Zechariah and Elizabeth’s supernatural conception. Verses 8-20 read, “When Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God…an angel of the Lord appeared to him… When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son [...] Zechariah asked the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.’ The angel answered, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time“ (NIV).

Zechariah’s account reveals that sometimes God will have to silent us – and other doubters in our lives — until we give birth to the vision that He has placed within us. It is interesting to notice that the angel, Gabriel, did not redirect Zechariah’s “lack of faith”; rather, he muted Zechariah’s words. Proverbs 18:21 informs us that “death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Therefore, Zechariah’s words could have nurtured or killed the unborn child that was entrusted to him and his wife. His greatest obstacle, however, was not embedded in what he “thought” about the miracle that was about to take place. Instead, Zechariah’s greatest challenge was how his thoughts — or lack of faith — directed his words. Matthew 12:34 teaches that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” And the Message Bible (Proverbs 18:21) makes the consequences of our mouths very clear: words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit — you choose.

Depending on what God is doing in us, and through us, He might ask us to shut our mouths and be isolated from the “Zechariahs” in our lives. The Bible states in Luke 1:24 that “Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.” Therefore, God may also lead us to be secluded for a period of time until we give birth to the vision He has placed within us. Although other people do not have the power to destroy what God has given us, their words – if not shielded — can affect the way we think. Like Zechariah, when our thoughts are tainted — and our faith is weak — our words can destroy what God has placed within us. So let’s not hesitate to protect what God has given us — even if it means shutting our mouths, limiting certain interactions, and eliminating habits for a period of time.

We thank you, Lord, that Your Word is a lamp unto our feet. It provides direction in every area of our life. Please reveal to us what words we should speak over the vision that You have placed within us. Show us what people we should limit interactions with during this phase of our ministry and life. Like Elizabeth, we will be secluded (if needed) for a period of time; we will protect the baby that you have placed inside of us.

Wishing you a blessed

Holy Day season,

Pastor Chris

As I sit down to pen this article, I am aware that there are “only 75 days left until Christmas” (even less by the time you read this). In some stores, school supply displays were being taken down and replaced by Halloween items the week before school actually began.  Halloween isn’t even here yet and stores are already preparing for Christmas.  Thanksgiving, it seems, is scrunched in between candy shopping and Santa Claus.

Too bad. Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite times of the year. The cool breezes, nature displaying her brilliant palette of colors, the first frost, the smell of falling leaves, not to mention the smells of Thanksgiving day—the aroma of oven-roasted turkey, dressing, homemade pies.

Thanksgiving is that one time of year when we intentionally count our blessings.  Unlike New Year’s, when we review the year, count up the good and the bad, and hope for something better in the year to come, Thanksgiving focuses solely upon blessings. Thankfulness is not an innate ability. Our children are not born saying “please” and “thank you.”  It is a learned pattern of behavior, something that must be taught, exemplified, and practiced.

So, too, is being thankful to God.  We can even be thankful during the most difficult of circumstances in life. We see an especially inspiring example of a brave and thankful heart in the story behind one of the church’s most popular hymns, “Now Thank We All Our God.” This particular hymn was written during the Thirty Years War in Germany, in the early 1600s. Its author was Martin Rinkart, a Lutheran pastor in the town of Eilenburg in Saxony.

Now, Eilenburg was a walled city, so it became a haven for refugees seeking safety from the fighting. But soon, the city became too crowded and food was in short supply. Then, a famine hit and a terrible plague and Eilenburg became a giant morgue. In one year alone, Pastor Rinkart conducted funerals for 4,500 people, including his own wife. The war dragged on; the suffering continued. Yet through it all, he never lost courage or faith and even during the darkest days of Eilenburg’s agony, he was able to write this hymn:

Now thank we all our God,
With hearts and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done,
In whom His world rejoices;

Who, from our mothers’ arms,

Has blest us on our way

With countless gifts of love,

And still is ours today.

Oh, may this bounteous God

Through all our life be near us,

With ever joyful hearts

And blessed peace to cheer us,

And keep us in His grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all harm
In this world and the next.

Even when he was waist deep in destruction, Pastor Rinkart was able to lift his sights to a higher plane. He kept his mind on God’s love when the world was filled with hate. He kept his mind on God’s promises of heaven when the earth was a living hell.

We – whose lives are almost trouble-free, compared with the man who wrote that hymn, can surely learn to do the same.
               

All praise and thanks to God

The Father now be given,

The Son, and him who reigns

With them in highest heaven,

The one eternal God,

Whom earth and heaven adore;

For thus it was, is now,

And shall be evermore.

                I wish you a happy Thanksgiving Day and a blessed season of thanks-giving.

Blessings, Pastor Chris

“After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied.”    Isaiah 53:11

             I spent my Continuing Education studying various preachers.  Popular contemporary televangelists and preachers, Lutherans and other denominations alike.  Both the written and spoken form.  Now, my last selection may surprise you.  I re-read “The Hiding Place” by Corrie ten Boom about her work providing for and hiding Jews during WW2.  I’m finishing up “Life Lessons from Corrie ten Boom.” 

            Why consider her a preacher?  Let me show you why…

  “Corrie often described the early days and months after her release as she began to tell others about her experiences.  Remembering (her sister) Betsie’s words, “We must tell them, Corrie, what we have learned in this terrible place,” she invited all her neighbors to come to the Beje (their home).  They all had been very sorry when the Ten Booms were arrested and wanted to know what had happened to Father and Betsie.

                As Corrie recounted their experiences, one of the neighbors said, “I am sure it was your faith that carried you through.”    “My faith? I don’t know about that,” Corrie replied.  “My faith was so weak, so unstable. It was hard to have faith. When a person is in a safe environment, having faith is easier. But in that camp when I saw my own sister and thousands of others starve to death, where I was surrounded by men and women who had trained in cruelty, then I do not think it was my faith that helped me through. No, it was Jesus! He who said, “I am with you until the end of the world.” It was His eternal arms that carried me through. He was my certainty.”

 “If I tell you that it was my faith, you might say if you have to go through suffering, “I don’t have Corrie ten Boom’s faith. But if I will tell you it was Jesus, then you can trust that He who helped me through will do the same for you.  I have always believed it, but now I know from my own experience that His light is stronger than the deepest darkness.”   (Life Lessons from the Hiding Place, p. 114)

                Every speech she gave, Corrie spoke about Jesus.  Every one of her experiences was so enmeshed with Him that there was absolutely no parting them.  Which got me thinking…

            We hear folks say that they can behold God’s wonder of creation hiking or sitting on the beach.  Yes, Elohim, is the creator of the universe.  And they say they can experience Yahweh, the Covenant God, as they rest on the golf course or on the couch.  For God did give us a day of rest, to be sure.

            And we hear them say that church has no meaning; it (or its members) has hurt, mistreated, disrespected, abandoned or neglected them. And that Adonnai, their Lord and Master, is with them wherever they go. For God is also El Roi, the God who sees…everything.

            To be sure, God is all these things, and God is intimately enmeshed with everything we do.  But here is my question: Where do we encounter Ga’al, the Redeeming God?  Where do we encounter Yahweh Tsebaoth, the Lord of Hosts? Or Qedosh Yisrael, the Holy one of Israel?

            The names of God are manifold. Each one revealing part of God’s nature.  Each one intimately involved in our lives.

Each one loving us completely.

Each one claiming us as His own.

Each one begging us to get to know Him better, to bow down and worship Him.

            Oh, ya, that one.  Folks who say they can experience God in the great outdoors or on tv or from their own personal study miss that part.  And when they do, they miss the fullness of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

            There are some things, well, many things that can only be experienced, and received, I might add in worship.  You know where I’m going here, right?

            Less than 1/3 of our current membership worships here on any given Sunday.  Roughly 30%.  That saddens me. Oh, there are plenty of reasons, plenty of excuses.  Trust me, I’ve heard them all.

            We need to be in church.  We need to worship the God who created us, calls us, heals us, forgives us, blesses us, protects us, feeds us, grows us, strengthens us, calms us, saves us, redeems us, dwells with us. And we need to do that among God’s people.  There is, frankly, no other experience like it.

            I don’t know about you, but my life is such that I can’t make it through a week without needing to hear and receive some grace.  I need strength for my Mondays.  I need peace for my Tuesdays.  I need wisdom for my Wednesdays.  I need patience for my Thursdays. I need restraint for my Fridays. And I need a whole bunch more for my Saturdays.  And on Sundays, I need that and a whole bunch more.

            And frankly, so do you. You need to be in worship.  If you don’t like it here, then please find somewhere you feel comfortable.  It really is that important.  You can spare a couple hours once a week. Really, you can.  But this begs the question…how much do you really want God in your life?  I mean He’s there all the time, but how much do you want to partner with Him?  How much do you want to get to know Him?  Grow to love Him more? Surrender more of your life to Him?  That’s the real question, whether you’re in worship or not, isn’t it?

            I’d read The Hiding Place before. But I remember none of it. Not one word. I can’t say I even remember her face. And I had been to Dachau, and the sites of other concentration camps. I had heard stories from both sides of the war.  But her witness evidently meant little to nothing to me.  I did not take ahold of the light of Christ she was offering me.  Now as I read her words, she long dead over two decades, she offers them to me once again. And this time, I’m praying that they will not be spoken in vain. 

Blessings, Pastor Chris

Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” John 19:16-22

When all is said and done, there is only one important mountain. It isn’t Mount Vesuvius, home of the gods. It isn’t Mount Everest, the natural world’s tower of Babel. It isn’t a place of glory and honor but a misshapen hill in the center of a town’s garbage dump.  Golgotha.  The Place of the Skull. Mount Calvary.

Moses left the mountain to travel back to the Egypt from which he had fled. He later came down another mountain to bring order into the lives of his followers, order which they rejected.

Elijah came down from Mount Carmel to the desert into which he retreated in fear for his life. Jesus came down from the mountain of his transfiguration to the crowds who waited down below – the hungry crowds who didn’t realize what they were hungry for.  No one stays on the mountain.

Jesus spent a horrific day on that final mountain. But he didn’t stay there. From his mountain to his tomb. But he didn’t stay there either.  And where did he direct his disciples to meet him after his resurrection? To another mountain top in Galilee. Yet even then, Jesus met them only to send them. To send them back to the plains with a story to tell and a mission to accomplish.

If you are a person of faith, baptized into the kingdom, and you are willing to carry that story to another person, then you are evidence of the faithfulness of those first disciples.

There was a disagreement on Mount Calvary. Some argued that the sign should read, “This man said…” But Pilate wouldn’t give. He left the sign up that declared the bloodied Jesus to be King of the Jews. Was this Pilate’s way of sticking it to those who made his life complicated? Was this God’s ringing endorsement of the suffering, redemptive love of Jesus? Can’t it be both?

Few of us live on mountain tops. Most of us think they are nice to visit. They put our lives into perspective. They teach us about God’s vastness even as they encourage humility in us. But ours is not a mountain top faith. Ours is a faith that lives in the valleys, the highways and byways of the lives of real life people. The mountain tops of our faith – especially that misshapen hill outside of Jerusalem – bring purpose and meaning to our lives.

            Summer draws to a close. We move back to the “drudgery” of everyday routine and cooler and drearier weather. And as we move down the mountain, Golgotha looms over our shoulder. But guess what, so does Easter morn.  Welcome back to where the rubber hits the road.  See you in worship and Sunday School.                                                                                               

Blessings,

Pastor Chris

Administrator’s note:  Please accept our apologies for the late posting.  Due to technical difficulties, it was not possible to post this in August.  Enjoy!

“Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing.”

Philippians 1:27-28

Why are we afraid to tell the story?  There was certainly a time when it was dangerous to be a Christian. Perhaps immediately after the crucifixion there were good reasons for the disciples to hide behind locked doors. They could very well have been next.

And there would come a day, after the destruction of Jerusalem in 67-70 AD, when the Christians bore the brunt of the blame. Ousted from synagogues and families, the scapegoats of the calamities wrought by Rome…there were good reasons to be afraid.

Throughout history there have been times of discrimination and hardship for those who bear the name of Christ in the world. Those days haven’t gone away. There are places in the world today, particularly places in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East where full-scale slaughter of Christians because they are Christians has been the order of the day. The odd thing is…even in such places Christians tend to stand forth with boldness rather than cowering with fear, hiding behind locked lips.  We face no such threat. So why are we afraid to tell the story?

Paul encourages the Philippians to “live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” That’s nothing new. But it could very well be what brings us fear. Deep down inside we know that if we’re going to talk the talk we had better also walk the walk. Maybe the walk is as scary as the talk.

Christianity today is largely a voluntary affair. We don’t get many points out there in the land of malls and skyscrapers because we believe that Jesus has risen from the dead. There are times in fact when it is downright humiliating to be pegged as a Christian – especially one who is vocal about their faith!

It’s far easier to be quiet. To not rock the boat. To stand quietly, idly by…fearful that we might be confronted by a slave girl or two who might recognize us as followers of Christ. So we compromise…ourselves…our faith…our Lord. And then we wonder why something feels like it’s missing. Or why we’re so dry. Or where the fire of the Spirit is in our lives!

I read about someone who had come to a place in his life where he decided that “he wasn’t going to be intimidated by anyone who wasn’t holding a knife or a gun.” I found that image tremendously encouraging – as far as it went.

For me, it is far easier to not be intimidated if I am not alone. Paul speaks to the Philippians as a community – not merely as individuals. Living their life by the Gospel is a community affair. It’s about people living their life together, encouraging and standing with one another. Christianity is a team sport.

That is just what we need to hear on this side of the cross. We, who hug the trunk in terror, fearful of venturing out on the limb where the fruit of our faith is to be found. The time has come to come together in renouncing the fears which keep us quiet!  Our boldness is evidence of God working the gifts of salvation within us. And when we finally open our mouths, we could very well discover that such boldness has the power to open people’s hearts.

I pray that God open our lips, that we might proclaim God’s mercy and love in the simple stories of our lives. That we may talk the talk and be encouraged as we strive to walk the walk. That we remain faithful in the Galilee’s where we live. Rally Day is just around the corner…tell the story. Invite someone, some folks, lots of folks, to join our family of faith.

Blessings,

Pastor Chris

Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come closer to me”; and all the people came closer to him. First he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been thrown down; Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying, “Israel shall be your name”; with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD. Then he made a trench around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed. Next he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” Then he said, “Do it a second time”; and they did it a second time. Again he said, “Do it a third time”; and they did it a third time, so that the water ran all around the altar, and filled the trench also with water. At the time of the offering of the oblation, the prophet Elijah came near and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your bidding. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and even licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The LORD indeed is God; the LORD indeed is God.” 1 Kings 18:30-39

At first it seems that the story is about Elijah doing battle with the false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Elijah, alone and unarmed, against 450 of the best and brightest prophets of the false god in which the people’s hopes had come to rest. As if that weren’t enough, Elijah did the equivalent of tying his arms behind his back, standing on one foot and hiding his eyes. He covered the bull on his altar with water and joined the false prophets in the “Battle of the Burning Bulls.”

The false prophets prayed, pranced and prattled all day long but couldn’t produce a spark, let alone kindle a flame. Even in the face of Elijah’s prophetic trash talking, Baal didn’t answer.

Then, with a single prayer, a solitary plea to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, Elijah’s sacrifice burned like a $20 bill in a teenager’s pocket. Gone in a flash. Winner: Elijah and the one true God.

At first it seems that the story is about Elijah doing battle with the false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel…until we see the response of the people in the 39^th verse. Then we see the battle for what it truly was.  It was a battle for the hearts and minds of people who ought to have known better in the first place. It was about God graciously accommodating the needs of his fickle-faithed children.

The mountains of our lives are tests. Tests of loyalty and tests of power.  Tests, not in the sense of passing and failing, but tests in the sense of burning away the impurities of our doubts, despairs and defects. Those mountains never go away, they just keep coming and coming. Elijah tasted God’s power that day on Mount Carmel; it wouldn’t be long before Elijah would taste again a sense of God’s absence. Then too, it would be faith that would make Elijah well.

We often long for the kind of cosmic display of your power seen on Mount Carmel. Yet even in that story, we see that such longings display a lack of faith on our part. And then we realize that it isn’t the majesty of a fire but the still small voice that reassures us of your presence that is what really strengthens our faith.  Lord, we ask that you speak that word to us today.  We’re listening. Help us to hear.

Blessings,

Pastor Chris

No one is an island; no one stands alone. I think Henry David Thoreau wrote that.  (It was John Donne. ~Sue)  We are all pieces in a puzzle.  A puzzle needs all its pieces.  Now, my son Brian has the amazing gift of being able to put a puzzle together without ever seeing what the puzzle actually is supposed to be. He goes row by row, from top to botton, left to right.  Even if pieces are missing, he still completes the puzzle.  It’s a wonder to watch.

This is how the church is.  Each member, a piece of God’s handy work, has its place.  The pieces hold each other together, supporting each other, creating the beautiful mosaic we call St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.  But a puzzle is static. The pieces cannot change either their form or function.  We children of God, however, can.  So I’m inviting you to take a fresh look, to consider something new and different. To widen your horizons.

If it is one thing that can be said of us, it’s that we like to have fun.  Above are just a few SP’s happenings.  Caring Cooks provides meals and snacks to those who could use a little TLC. Knocking them down for Jesus is the Thursday Night Bowling league. Folks think they have to be “good” bowlers…not the case at all.  The system is set up with a handicap which is based on your average.  It’s a team sport which allows all levels to participate equally.  I think you’d be surprised how much fun is had. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it, but by golly, it is really a fun night. 

Sunday Morning Cuppa Joe and Catechism is just that.  We’ll be combining adult class, Sunday School and Confirmation as we review the Bible.  I’ve found what I think is a rather unique new curriculum…think a Lutheran interpretation of Scriptures with cartoons and a smidgeon of humor.  You’ll be hooked after the first class.  Singers and Ringers is just that…working with Mark and Dale truly is more fun than a barrel of monkeys.  You don’t have to read music, just count to 8 (well, sometimes 16, but they’ll help you with that)

Hosts and Hostesses with the Mostest are crucial to Sunday Morning worship.  We need altar guild, worship assistants, children’s sermon volunteers, the whole kit and caboodle.  It shouldn’t take a lost wager to get you to try something new.  Honest. It’s easier than it looks and learning the ropes takes little time.

On our knees, time well spent is prayer ministry.  I’ve gotten a nudge to pray more specifically for the good sheep of SPs. I’m still working out just how this will happen.  But for now, if you have something specific you’d like me to pray for, write it on a piece of paper and stuff it in my box.  No name necessary. The Good Lord knows.  Again, try something new. You’ll be glad you did.  Pastor Chris

 “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matthew 6:7-8

Just the other day, someone asked me how to pray. “What do people say when they pray?” It’s a pretty straight-forward question, really, one we ought to be able to answer. If spending time in prayer each day is an important discipleship skill, we ought to have some sense of what to say. 

And we also have to learn to listen.

Listening prayer is simply listening. It is spending time, consciously aware of God’s presence, wondering about life, trusting God to come to me in my internal reflections.

How do we make sure we aren’t just filling the air with meaningless prattle and empty syllables? Here’s one idea:  The following ten step prayer form comes from Herb Miller’s book, “Connecting with God,” (Abington Press, Nashville, 1994. Pp.66-67.) I’ve put it in a format you can conveniently put it in your Bible. Try it and tell me how it works for you.

1. In preparation, set aside fifteen minutes in a location where you can be physically relaxed and there is little likelihood of interruption. Read one or two chapters from the Bible, listening for what God says to you. This helps erase distracting thoughts from the blackboard of your mind…

2. Close your eyes and give thanks for three personal blessings of which you are especially conscious today. This helps you move toward God by moving away from a sense of your own self-sufficiency.

3. Ask God to help three other persons whom you feel need God’s help today. Ask God to help your pastor(s). This helps you move toward God by moving away from a sense of your own self-sufficiency.

4. Ask God to forgive your mistakes and sins, and give you the strength to forgive others.

5. Ask God to help one person you find it hard to like. Ask God to give that person insights into his/her personal problems, and ask for the power to let God’s love flow through you to him/her.

6. Ask that you be sensitive today to the needs of one person with whom you can share God’s love in word or deed.

7. Ask for insight into your personal problems.

8. Ask for help in achieving your personal goals.

9. Ask that God tell you the most important thing you need to do today in order to “seek first His kingdom.”

10. Conclude by listening intently (for the remaining time) to what God might say to you.

Give it a try – all you have to lose is your fear that you don’t know what to say when you pray!  Watch and see. God will speak His Word through our sighs as we struggle through our first baby steps into developing a prayer life.

Blessings,

Pastor Chris

Sue’s desire to have the monthly newsletter published on time has led me to write this month’s article on my birthday.  Yesterday when asked my age, I actually thought I was one year older than I really am.  Ah, what’s another year, I thought, no big deal.  But then it hit me.  Well, 49 is actually much closer to 50 than I’d prefer to be.

Age milestones never hit me. I took them all in stride.  But 50?  I must admit, 50 is setting me back a bit.  Why?  As I think about it, I realize it’s because I’m feeling very vulnerable.  Vulnerable to the reality of approaching senior citizen discounts, health impairments and gravity.  I’m not liking this vulnerability I’m feeling at all.

But our vulnerability can be the very thing God uses. Character is the Lord’s platform. He marks vulnerability uniquely in the presence of enemies—out in the open, on display. When Satan seems to have an upper hand, the threat is met by the Lord’s strong hand extended to guide us out of the confined area to reassure and strengthen precisely as He said.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” Psalm 23:5 

It was said the disciples were uneducated men yet “turned the world upside down.” Today, too, God-given authority is revealed in men and women who might otherwise be overlooked.

“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong, He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. …Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Cor. 1:27-29, 31

God calls for us to stand for justice, gives us greatness in the presence of an enemy, and forces us to be vulnerable so that we may be the Lord’s platform and showcase His glory. Through this, we, His disciples will learn to lean into the Lord’s strength, exchanging our weakness for His strength. Disciples are the seed He sows, vulnerable in places where He has called for a harvest! 

Seed, scattered and sown, disappears in the ground and is swallowed-up by circumstances the Lord determines. Enemies of the seed assume victory but ultimately are shown to be fools as the vulnerability of the seed becomes the hiding place of power—power leading to LIFE! Our Lord sows as He decides; He calls for the harvest where He wills. And the seed—the seed—WILL bring forth new life, one way or the other. 

Seed, scattered and sown, that is what we are.  My colleague, Pastor Rick Gates, has a fast-spreading, malignant brain tumor. And yet in his “vulnerability” in the presence of our greatest enemy, death, he is preaching and proclaiming Jesus all over the place.  It is a powerful testimony to those who are desperate for a Word of Hope. 

God is using him in mighty ways.  God is doing mighty things in us, in you too—even if it doesn’t feel like it.  Vulnerability, I’m afraid, is here to stay.  No, I’m not afraid, not so much anymore…because I know what happens when that ole feeling comes around. It means God is up to something great.  It is, after all, the season of Easter. New life is being proclaimed all over the place—even in us.

                    Blesssings, Pastor Chris