Sunday, April 30, 2023

4-30-2023

Good Morning All,

     Luke 22:42 “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 

     During this past Lenten season, we focused on the passion or the suffering of Christ.  While we do that, it is important to look not just at the suffering and spending a lot of time discussing the efficiency of Roman torture; we really should focus on the humanity of Jesus.

     Jesus was tempted by the devil in many ways, some so subtle that we miss them.  Jesus is greatly tempted during the final hours of his earthly life.  One of those temptations is to come off the cross as a sign of his power overall.  Another temptation is in this prayer which Luke records as part of the Gethsemane prayer.  Jesus asks the Father to “remove this cup” as in don’t make me suffer like this.  (The cup here refers to God’s Cup of wrath from the OT.) It is a completely human reaction.  No sane person desires to be tortured and killed.

    Yet it is that last part which causes us to stumble the most, “not my will, but yours, be done.”  Jesus prayed it and meant it.  He knew the Father’s will, intimately.  He knew the plan was to show God’s love by dying for the creature to buy it back and not from a display of power or force.  We even say this in one form or another in our prayers.  The Lord’s Prayer has “Thy will be done” and most preachers teach that we should always add this in some form to our prayer.  I often think we do it to entice God to think that our will is His kind of like when someone says “it’s common knowledge or common sense to take this course of action” when it really isn’t that common.

    How often do we experience God’s will and we not only ask that the cup be taken away, but we take it and throw it away?  We may not face death and torture but what about ridicule and shame?  Are we silent when we should speak up?  Do we turn and look the other way?  Jesus warned us that it wouldn’t be a piece of cake to be a Christian.  Sometimes it will be tough.  Yet we cling ever so tightly to the promise of salvation which He gives to us.  It is only by his strength that we can ever say this prayer.

     God’s mercy for us provides us a way to survive.  He gives us the comfort of his Spirit and the hope of his grace.  He keeps us in his loving arms and carries us on our way.  We may taste the bitter cup of man’s wrath, the discomfort, the rejection, the contempt.  But we will never taste the cup of wrath from God.  Jesus did that for us.  Many in this world can’t or won’t say this.  They reject God’s grace and will face his wrath.  We won’t have to.  So, as we pray, “Thy will be done” we can do it confidently knowing that God’s will for our salvation is complete and that his will for us is our salvation.  So, when you are given those times which seem to weigh mightily on us, we can take heart that God’s will for us is eternal life with him.  For this we can give thanks.

Gracious Lord, we often look at your will and question it and think that ours is better.  Forgive our arrogance and foolishness.  Keep us in your tender care and give us courage when our “cup” comes around.  Give us the strength to endure in Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

Saturday, April 29, 2023

4-29-2023

Good Morning All,

     Philippians 4:13; “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

    Many years ago, when I was still in high school, we had a youth gathering in Minneapolis.  One of the outings was to go to the IDS Tower.  It was very tall, and you could ride an elevator up to an observation deck and look out over the city and a good chunk of Minnesota and probably Wisconsin if you knew what you were looking for.

    Most of us who went up more than one, really just liked to ride the elevator.  On the observation deck, we would lean against the glass and try to see down.  As we were standing there looking out, we noticed one of our group standing in the middle of the deck.  He was somewhat pale and was sweating up a storm.  We got in the elevator, and he stood as far back as he could up against the wall.  When we got to ground level, we went to a restaurant to eat.  As we sat there, we asked him if he was feeling alright.  He told us this story.

    When he was 8 or 9 years old, he fell off of a grain bin.  It was only about 10 feet, but he landed with a thud.  His parents had told him not to play on the bin, but you know how boys can be.  He said he was hurt really bad but was afraid to tell his parents.  It took about a week before he felt better.  Ever since that event, he was terrified of heights.  He didn’t even like the top row of bleachers at a ballgame.  But when he saw that going up the IDS Tower was on the schedule, he decided he was going to go.

    We wondered aloud what he would have done if he had gotten halfway up and panicked.  The elevator was an express one, from the ground floor to the deck with no stops along the way.  He kind of laughed and said he never thought about that.  Maybe if he had, he wouldn’t have gone.  But he did go, and we all congratulated him.  For the rest of us, it was a chance to go high and look around; for him it was to stare at a personal demon and defeat it.

    We all have those personal demons in our life.  There are those thoughts or events which just send us into fear and uncontrolled panic.  For many it is the fear of death, especially a loved one.  For others it is being alone.  For some it is having no control in their life.  For some it is watching loved ones struggle with bad decisions.   We struggle with those demons.  At times we may even think that the demons might win.

    When you feel that way, remember what Paul tells us here.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.  The key is to remember who has the strength; it is Jesus who has all the power.  It is Jesus who handles our fear.  We need to see that our personal strength gets us nowhere; we only have strength through Jesus.  We can’t beat the demons, but Jesus already has; we only need to receive this blessing on faith.  The fears that we have are all already conquered.  God’s mercy has dealt with them and now comforts us and shields us.  The devil can no longer use these to attack us.  We need to cling to God who will see us through the storms of life.

Dear Father, our own strength is nothing compared to yours.  We cannot stand up to the devil and his ways, we need someone to rescue us.  We thank you for sending Jesus to fight our battles and to win our wars. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.        

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Friday, April 28, 2023

4-28-2023

Good Morning All,

     John 15:5; “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

    What do you call a branch that is not hooked to a tree?  It is called a stick.  What are branches good for?  They produce flowers, fruit; provide shade and a place for birds and squirrels to live.  What is a stick good for?  Kindling. 

    Ok, so I am not really good at writing riddles, but I think you get the point.  Even the largest branch, once it is no longer connected to the tree, is dead.  A branch that is connected to a tree, even a tiny branch, produces more fruit than any branch that has broken off.  All of this seems quite logical so why do we have trouble seeing that this applies to our lives?

    Jesus is telling us that He is the vine.  The vine is the source of all nourishment and strength.  Even if the branch cracks, as long as it is connected to the vine it will survive, even flourish as it continues to be fed by vine.  The vine also serves as protection for the branch.  It remains anchored safely as the wind buffets the branch.  It is through the nourishment of vine that the branch is able to produce flowers and fruit.  We are the same.

     Yet we often head off in our own direction thinking we can produce better fruit without any nourishment.  We see ourselves as really quite capable of going our own way and making our own choices; all the while we are drying up and shriveling to nothing.  As soon as the next hot, dry spell occurs, we will really be a goner!!  Soon we will be picked up and disposed of burned in a fire somewhere.  We will not survive by ourselves.

    Think of the times in your life when you have been buffeted by the winds of trial and trouble.  We have illnesses or relationship strains, financial woes, job woes; we have enough woes to float a ship.  That is the nature of mankind living in a sinful condition.  If we are not attached to the true Vine (Jesus), we will soon be used as kindling in the fire of the power of the devil.  He will cause you to live as if there is no hope.  The devil will toy with you and harm you.  The devil will make your life miserable.  We need to stay attached to the true vine.

     God gives us all we need to stay attached.  He gives his Word for us to hear what he has to say.  He gives us prayer so we can speak to him.  He gives us the body and blood so we may be fed the spirit-lifting, soul-refreshing meal which we need.  God does all to keep us attached we need only to not let go.  We need to trust in him as the true vine to rescue us and to keep us safe and strong, to keep us nourished and fed.  It is only through him that we can survive the onslaught of this world’s perils.  We can never win the battle alone we can only win through God’s grace.

Father of all mercy, without you we are completely lost.  Hold us close, keep us connected to you.  Feed us, nourish us, and protect us from the attacks of the evil foe.  Give comfort to those who need it most, in Jesus precious name we pray, amen!

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret           

Thursday, April 27, 2023

4-27-2023

Good Morning All,

     Matthew 24:42; “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” 

    Many years ago, there was a movie titled “Dead Poets Society.”  It starred Robin Williams as an unorthodox English teacher in a staid private school.  He teaches poetry and he teaches it is about feelings.  It is about passion.  He teaches that all the great poetry is dripping with raw emotion.  In one of the more riveting scenes, he takes his class to look at pictures of previous graduating classes from long ago, long enough that all those in the pictures are dead.

    He tells them the legacy of these men to them is the message, “Carpe Diem!”  “Seize the day, lads!”  He tells the students that we are all one day closer to death and to think that we will live forever is folly.  We need to grab life today or else we may miss it.

    This is the same message to us as Christians except we have a “double angle.” We see our eventual death and we also see the return of our Lord which may precede our earthly death.  This may sound somewhat fearful, maybe even macabre, but in truth it should be liberating to us.

    We know that we have God’s promise of salvation.  We know if we cling to this promise we are truly saved.  So, we should live the lives that God gives to us with all the joy that we can.  Rather than sitting idly by God wants us to live this life that he gives to us with all the excitement that we can.

    God gives us the freedom to live!  We are not tied down by the devil or the trials of this world; they are only temporary.  It is only our sinful nature that makes these molehills into mountains.  God calls to us with his love and part of that message is to take hold of life.  Tell those in your life that you love them.  Visit old friends; make new ones.  God gives us the opportunity to do it today; we need to do it.  God gives us the freedom to go on with our life.

    Yet God gives to us another reason for our desire to seize the day; as the day of the Lord approaches; there are many souls to be witnessed to.  We see this in the early disciples.  They go and preach with great fervor because they are convinced that Jesus’ return is only a few days, weeks at most a few months away.  They preached with a fervor and an intensity in order to get the message preached as far as possible trying to complete the mission of “in Jerusalem, Judea and all the world.”

    God gives us the day to seize with all the energy that we have.  We are to live, love, and witness with zeal and desire.  God tells to never delay; we are to never avoid or miss the opportunity to witness Jesus’ Gospel in whatever way we can.  Whether it is through showing our love to our family and friends or sharing God’s love to total strangers, seize the day you do not know when the day of the Lord will come.

Gracious Father, you give us each day to live.  Give us the desire to live each day with the desire and zeal to serve you.  Give us the zeal and desire to love those around us and to bring to them your love and hope.  Move your Church to be your fire.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

4-26-2023

Good Morning All,

     Matthew 8:25; “And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 

    In 2000 there was a movie that starred George Clooney called “The Perfect Storm”.  It was based on a true story about a sword fishing captain named Billy Tyne who convinces his crew to go out one last time to catch fish.  They go out farther than usual and end up being caught in a storm that was the confluence of two weather patterns and a hurricane; thus, it was the perfect storm.  All the crew was lost at sea.

    We here in South Dakota know storms.  We get 12+ inches of snow plus the wind to boot.  It is just a Dakota blizzard, some inconvenience, travel issues, but not much else.  Now if a really big storm did hit; that might be different.  What would it take for a Dakota blizzard to be a perfect storm?  Do we need more snow or more wind?  Does it have to last longer than a couple of days?  It would take a lot for us to see a blizzard as a perfect storm; one of tremendous power and very destructive.

    The disciples were to the Sea of Galilee what we are to the Dakota plains.  It took a lot to shake them.  They were experienced fishermen who had fished the Sea of Galilee their whole life.  They were aware of its penchant to be unpredictable.  The winds can shift, and a storm is upon you immediately.  So how great was this storm which hit their boat while they were crossing the Sea of Galilee?  These experienced fishermen woke Jesus because they were in sheer terror.  They thought they were going to die, and they were terrified.

    One can wonder why the disciples woke Jesus.  They may have thought he should have been awake when the boat sank.  Perhaps they had seen enough miracles and hoped that he had another one.  Jesus had shown his power and they wanted to tap into it.  This is the most likely answer.  There is a very small chance that they knew Jesus to be God but that is kind of unlikely here.  As far as they were concerned, Jesus was the “Get out of Jail Free Card” in the storm of Galilee.  He could save them.  But he had to be awake.  So, they woke him saying “Save us Lord; we are perishing.”

    When we feel those times when it feels like our boat is about to sink, we too need to call upon Jesus, “Lord save us; we are perishing!”  For we are.  Every turn for us is a cause for us to perish.  We too, should call upon Jesus not because of the powerful deeds but because of the love which he has for us.  It is his love which moves him to save us.  It is his grace which saves not his power.  It is by his grace that we are invited into the lap of the loving Father.  We too, should call out “Lord save us” because he has promised to continue to do just that; save us.

Dear Father, we are lost without you.  We cry out “Lord save us” and you do.  Give us courage to face our storms knowing that you are always there to protect us.  Give your courage to those who are facing storms right now.  Guard them from the evil foe.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen. 

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret       

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

4-25-2023

Good Morning All,

          Isaiah 49:16; “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.”

     When a group of rowdy boys get together, they often will start to compare scars that they have.  It might start with a small one on an elbow then a little bigger one on the knee; then a bigger one on the leg then pretty soon all are giggling and laughing, and the stories get bigger and bigger.  Men rarely grow out of this.  During the movie “Jaws” there is a scene where Brody, Hooper and Quint are sitting around comparing scars.  At one point Hooper points to his chest and says he has the scar from when a little girl in junior high broke his heart.

     Scars can tell you a lot about a person’s life.  A person who works with glass or wire will show the marks of hard work.  A person who works around hot metal will do the same.   At the time of our verse, it was common for a slave owner to carve his name into the hands of a slave so the slave’s ownership would never be in doubt. It was a permanent marking that would never go away or be missed.

    This is, essentially, what God is telling us he is doing.  God has engraved your name on the palm of his hand.  It is as if He is giving you ownership of his love. It represents a love which will never end. He has vowed to never leave you or forsake you just like that slave can never deny who owns him; God has promised to never forget you.  He has promised to never forget or abandon you, and God never will.

    We can find great comfort in this.  God will always be there to sustain through all the battles of this life.  God doesn’t tell us that we won’t have any battles only that we do not have to face them alone.  God is always there to comfort us, console us and to bear our burdens.  We can take comfort in that we are never truly alone.  At the times of our deepest pains of our greatest despair God is there to hear our cries and to keep us within his loving arms.  His loving eye is always upon us to uplift us and to give us hope even in the depths of greatest woes, fears, and sorrows.

     In this we can find our hope, the hope of eternal life.  In this we see God’s true promise made to us and sealed on Calvary.  God has carved your name on his hands.  He will not forget or forsake you.  We are forever in his gracious hands of love. No matter what the challenges we face or the trials we endure, we can do so knowing that our eternal future is in God’s loving arms. He protects us, defends us, sustains us, and keeps us in his loving arms.  

Dear Lord, you have carved our names into your hands.  You keep us safe within those same loving hands.  With those same hands you allowed yourself to be nailed to the cross for my sins.  We give you thanks and praise for your great gifts of love.  In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Monday, April 24, 2023

4-24-2023

Good Morning All,

       Jeremiah 29:11; “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”    

    When my oldest son was about 4 or 5, he got a chance to fly in an airplane.  It was a small two-seater that was flown by my mother’s cousin.  We took off from runway number one of Northville International Airport and we flew for a few minutes.  He liked it but wasn’t overly sold on the whole deal.  As we came around for the landing approach, the pilot slowed the engine way down and the plane began to descend.  My son’s eyes got wide, and a tiny look of terror was on his face.  He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to.  After we landed, he was quieter than normal.

    By the time we got back to our farm he was talking a mile a minute again.  He liked how the plane did this and he liked looking out the window and seeing everyone’s house and the roads and so on.  Being the usual 4- or 5-year-old he looked up and finished with the standard, “That was fun dad, do you know what I want to be when I grow?”  Expecting the obvious, I answered, “No son, what do you want to be?”  He replied, “I want to be a fireman!”

    He had his plans.  I don’t know if the airplane ride didn’t sway those plans or just cemented them in place.  We all have plans.  It is amazing the percentage of students who change their major in the first year of college.  It is something like 80% change at least once.  We all have plans, and they can change. 

    I remember a girl we went to college with.  She grew up on a small dairy farm and swore up and down when she graduated, she would be as far away from a farm as possible.  That was until she married a west river rancher.  Plans can and do change.  Some like these are kind of humorous; unfortunately, some are not.  Many servicemen and women return home from active duty and are wounded and maimed.  Their plans with their families change.  Couples who plan on growing old together and then suddenly one dies and the other has a change of plans.

    We all make plans, and we should, but we should always make them with the understanding of “Deo Volente,” God willing.  All are plans are dependent on God’s will because God has plans for us.  These plans are to give us a future and to give us hope.  We don’t always see these plans and sometimes we don’t even like these plans, but God’s plans are always to mold and to shape us into the disciples that he calls us to be, and his plans are to draw us closer to him and to give us eternal salvation.  We can fight God’s plans, but this only adds to the stress of our life and while we do not always see the plans as clearly as we like; we trust in God’s grace and mercy to carry us through.

Dear Father, too often we think our plans are the best when it is your plans which are in our best interest and for our future.  Strengthen our faith that we may have full confidence in our future and that we place our entire trust in you for you are our hope.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret           

Sunday, April 23, 2023

4-23-2023

Good Morning All,

       Song of Solomon 8:6; “Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. It flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord.”

    Everyone loves a love story.  Even if we say we don’t; we really do.  We like to see or read where the two leads finally get together and true love prevails.  Most of the greatest stories told are love stories.  Think of Romeo and Juliet or Anna Karenina or any one of the newer stories.   The love of the man for the woman which compels and drives them to be together no matter what the odds or cost unites them as one. 

    This union is a true mystery; how do two become one?  We may not fully understand God’s ways or gifts, but we receive them anyway.  Part of that gift is the incredible love which God has for us as his Church.  He expresses his love for us through the sacrifice of Jesus and then unites us with him in an eternal loving relationship.  The Scriptures often describes this as a marriage.      

    This is a portion of the great love ballad in the Bible.  It is the conversation between Solomon and his bride.  It serves as an allegory of Christ and the Church.  Christ is the bridegroom, and the Church is the bride.  As we read this Book, we read about the incredible love of Christ for His Church.

    God expresses his love for us in many ways.  Yet in this passage, we read where God will defend us and that relationship.  God is a jealous God who will defend from all unwanted suitors, like the devil.  He defends us with his mighty arm and protects us with his gracious love.

    The love that God has for us is stronger than we can ever imagine.  He is there for us as the battles and turmoil of this life surround us.  He is there to comfort us, heal our sorrow and to provide us with hope.  He is there to protect us from the devil with a jealous rage that flashes fire.  The passion of God’s love is deep for us.  It consumes him with the desire to save us from our sins and not to destroy us as we deserve.  It is this love that causes Him to see us as someone worth redeeming; someone who he chooses to love.

    He marks us with a seal, the seal of Baptism.  It is the sign which He marks us with to claim us as his own beloved ones.  Through Baptism we are marked and sealed with an everlasting love which will bring us to eternal life.

Gracious Father, you love us with a passion which is greater than anything that we can fathom.  Keep us close to you and deepen our love for you so that we may be made worthy of you.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret        

 

Saturday, April 22, 2023

4-22-2023

Good Morning All,

Jude 24; “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy.”     

    Do you ever watch “Funniest Home Videos” or on the internet when they show high fashion models, and they slip and fall down?  Boy, sometimes they really wipe out completely.  You can watch them go headfirst into the orchestra pit or photographer’s pit and it is just boom.  I watched one where these girls were modeling swimsuits.  The promoter had them walk out of the shallow end of the pool and on this reviewing stand.  By the time the fifth or sixth one was on the stand, it was so wet no one could walk. So, the next ten or twelve were slipping and sliding and falling all over the place.  Some of them looked painful.

    Think of the times when we are walking along, and we stumble.  Sometimes we catch ourselves and sometimes we don’t.  Sometimes when we catch our balance; it hurts worse than if we had simply fallen.

    In the Bible, we read where our life is compared to a journey or a race.  If you are in a race, just about the worst thing you can do is stumble.  Not only do you fall down but you usually wipe out a couple of other runners, get stepped on and then blamed for everything.  Or think in terms of someone who is trying to get into a building and the wind, and the weather is such that it is almost impossible; sometimes we need someone who will help keep us up and not falling down.  Sometimes we need someone to pick us up when we fall.

    Our verse speaks of Jesus as the one who is able to keep us from stumbling.  This, of course, is the kind of language where we are struggling with temptation and sin, and we try and deal with it on our own.  When we do, we always fail; we always stumble.  No matter how many times we try, no matter how many times we fight; we will always stumble and fall.  It is like the models trying to walk on the wet walkway; it is just not going to work.

    The truth is that when the devil sets out to trip us up, to make us stumble; we can never catch ourselves.  The devil has such sly and hidden methods that we are quickly falling before we even know what hit us.  Usually when we stumble and fall, we tear our clothes, scrape our elbow, or knee and generally end up a little worse for the wear.  After stumbling a number of times, we really are a mess.

    Yet Jesus picks us up and brushes us off when we do rely on our own abilities.  Yet if we keep our faith in him, he will keep us from stumbling so that we are presented blameless before him. 

Dear Lord Jesus, you keep us from stumbling into the devil’s traps and we give you thanks.  Keep us mindful that we cannot stand on our own but that we wholly lean on you in your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret   

Friday, April 21, 2023

4-21-2023

Good Morning All,

    John8:32; “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 

    I used to follow politics a whole lot closer than I do now.  Back then, the players were colorful, interesting and, at least in public, civil towards each other.  They showed respect for the institutions in which they served.  One of my favorite characters was a senator from New York named Daniel Patrick Moynihan.  He was a great mind who always had a way with his words.

    One of his quotes that has been coming back to me these past few months is this one, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.”  Every time I watch the news, this phrase comes back almost as a haunt.  As I watch the news, everyone has his own truth.  We used to say, “if you don’t like the weather on this station; change the channel and get a different forecast.”  Now we say that about the “facts” of the news.

    This is a problem in our world and our nation.  We have a world in which everyone feels that they are entitled to their own “truth.”  We hold to the “you believe what you want, and I’ll believe what I want.”  We no longer acknowledge that there is a truth.  We are becoming a nation where everyone has his or her own truth.  This may sound good but in reality; it represents possibly the greatest threat to us yet.

    Jesus was talking to some of his believers when he told them that if they continued in his word, they would know the truth and the truth would set them free.  Later on, Jesus tells his disciples that he is the way, the TRUTH, and the life.  Jesus is the truth, the only truth that exists in our world.  He is the only truth that ever has existed or ever will.  To view the world as a place that allows many truths is the same as having many gods.

    The truth for all to know is that Jesus is the flesh and blood truth that God truly loves us and desires that we are reconciled to him.  Jesus is living proof that God wants to restore us to the perfect existence that was in Eden.  The truth is that only Jesus is the source of salvation for man.  From that truth, we build our society.  God wants us to live reconciled lives together.  We are to live in harmony with God and each other.  Yet we hold to this truth that Jesus is our salvation.  This is the only truth that there is. 

     So, as we listen to the rabble that is on the news today remember; God calls us, as his children, to be the light of the world to the truth.  God’s grace shows through us.  He uses his church to show the truth, His truth, to the world.  He uses his church to tell the world that God wants to reconcile the world back to him.  Know there is only one truth and be ready to speak that truth.  “Let your light so shine before men that they may see the glory of the Father.” The truth will set you free.

Gracious Father in heaven, you have blessed us with your holy truth.  Give us your strength to guide us so that we may see the truth, that we may live the truth and that we may proclaim the truth.  Guard your people and give courage to your Church.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret            

Thursday, April 20, 2023

4-20-2023

 Good Morning All,

1 Corinthians 2:9; “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Here is a story I found the other day:

It happened in 1948, just a few days before Christmas. A flash flood ravaged a small town, leaving a gaping hole in the wall of an old church building—right behind the pulpit. The young pastor knew there was no time to fix the damage and decided to make the best of it. But providence was in his favor. The next day he stumbled upon an old lace tablecloth at an auction and bought it for $6.50. His intent was to hang it on the wall to cover the hole—not perfect, but adequate for the occasion. The next day, while unlocking the building, he noticed an elderly woman on the curb and invited her to come inside for warmth. She nestled into a comfortable pew while he set to work covering the hole. She gasped as he unfolded the worn tablecloth. “That’s mine,” she exclaimed. “It’s my banquet cloth!” And she rushed to the front to show him her initials engraved in one corner. The minister listened as she retold the story of her days in Vienna, Austria, before the war. She fled from the Nazis, but her husband was captured for crimes of treason. She hadn’t seen him since. Although the minister offered her the cloth, she refused. It looked pretty hanging behind the altar, the woman insisted.  After the Christmas service the following Sunday morning, an aging gentleman lingered behind to talk with the young pastor. The cloth behind the pulpit brought back painful memories for him. “Many years ago, my wife and I owned such a tablecloth,” he told the pastor. “We lived in Vienna then.” Something told the pastor that this was more than coincidence, so he took the man with him to seek out the woman. Calls were made, and before long the two men were standing on the front steps of her apartment. As the woman opened the door, the young pastor witnessed a reunion more touching than he ever imagined possible—a husband and wife, together again after years of separation. Some stories are harder to believe than others, and this one ranks at the top of that list.

    Imagine the look on their faces; the joy that they felt when they saw each other again.  The joy these two felt is only a fraction of the joy which we will experience when we enter into heaven.  We will celebrate with all the saints.  The joy and the excitement of seeing loved ones from years gone by; the wondrous amazement of living with Jesus is far beyond anything we can ever dream of.  This is what awaits us as long as we cling to God’s promise of forgiveness of sins, and we trust in the hope of our salvation.

Gracious Father, we look forward to the joy that awaits us.  Keep us safe until that day.  Lead us in your ways in peace and harmony.  Be with those who do not know your love.  Use us to bring the message of your mercy to them.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen,

God’s Peace, 

Pastor Bret

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

4-19-2023

Good Morning All,

        Ephesians 6:23; “Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 

    Peace, the ever-elusive dream.  Take a second and think of all the songs, poems, novels, etc. that have been written about peace and the desire for peace.  If you were to ask most adults; peace would be one of the top five wishes or dreams that they have.  Yet as we speak of our hope for peace, what is it that we really want?  What is peace and how do we get it?

    Too often, we look for peace in the world or in our nation or community.  As we look for this, we look outward to other people or other situations in order to find peace.  The truth is that we have to find peace in ourselves first.  Unless we have inner peace, we’ll never have external peace.

     For most of us, inner peace is hard to find because of stress.  The stress we find in our lives can make peace seem like a distant, foggy dream.  We stress about our jobs, our children and grandchildren, our health, our loved ones’ health, we stress about the weather, the price of crops, the cost of health care, how things are going in the community or church and the list just keeps growing.  Sometimes we look at it and think that all this must be some sort of sign of the times.

    We often look at the events of the world and see it as a sign of the times, a sign of the coming of the end times.  We look at the Bible and Jesus never spoke of stress so now that we experience stress that must be proof, right?  Jesus may not have spoken of stress, but he did speak of trials and tribulation, burdens, pains.  What we call stress, Jesus referred to in other ways.  In other words, stress isn’t a sign of the times; stress is a sign of life. 

    Stress exists because sin exists.  Sin causes the stress and the worry we experience.  Sin causes us to fail to trust in God’s promises of comfort, of sustaining us, of maintaining us, of giving us peace.  Peace will never come from the outside.  Peace will only come when we trust God and have faith in his promise.  True peace comes to us from God, and we have it because of faith that God will take care of us.  We will still face the stresses of this world; that is just life.  Yet we can live in peace with God because of Jesus.  Because of the peace with God, we know the stresses of this world will not prevail.  We will still experience them, but we can have inner peace from God.  Even as the world seems to spin out of control, we can have peace as a blessing from God.

Gracious Lord, we long for peace but rarely find it.  We often look in the wrong places.  Forgive us when we fail.  Bring us into your wondrous light and peace.  Guard us and protect us from the devil’s aim to disrupt our peace.  All this we ask in Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret                   

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

4-18-2023

Good Morning All,

        Proverbs 27:23; “Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds.”

    For many years, I coached baseball.  From little T-ballers through teeners, I coached them.  There are many things which go into coaching kids, patience helps, and a sense of humor helps but probably one of the most important is being able to count.  If you take a team of 12 to a game, you want to bring 12 home with you.  You might snicker at that, but I’ve seen it happen.  We were at a midget tournament.  It was for ages 12 and under.  There was a team from about 75 miles away and about an hour after the rest of the team left, we saw this youngster in that team uniform.  This was before cell phones.  I am not sure how it turned out, but the hosts of the tournament were scurrying around trying to figure it out.

     Sometimes, the most important thing a coach can do is make sure everyone is on the bus on the ride home.  Sometimes, you have to bandage up a scraped-up knee.  Sometimes, you have to be sure no one is getting too hot.  Sometimes, you have to buy supper for someone who forgot their money.  Sometimes, you just have to have a pair of ears.  The most important quality a coach can ever have is not how many games he wins; it is to know the condition of his flock.

     The same can be said of the Church.  Many people think that the church is worried about buildings.  Many think the church worries about how much money comes in or about how many people are in the church at any given service.  Many think that the church is more concerned with exercising power and influence or how it looks and ranks in the community.  It may be true that some churches are worried about the image it projects, how many games it wins.  Yet the true Church truly pays attention to the condition of the flock.

     This is because this is what Jesus did; he worried about his flock.  He is the Good Shepherd looking after you.  He is the Shepherd who left the 99 to look for the 1 lost sheep.  He is the Shepherd who gave up his life for the sheep.  He is the Shepherd who knows his sheep and his sheep know him and they know him by his voice.  Isn’t that a wonderful image, knowing someone by their voice!  We know our Savior as we hear him speak to us.  We hear his voice whenever we hear the Gospel expressed when we hear the good news of the forgiveness of our sins.  We hear his voice when we share in Holy Communion with our fellow believers.  This care, this concern, this knowledge of the condition of the flock; Jesus has given to the Church to attend to while we wait for Christ to return.

     So, if you are a member of Christ’s Church, a true believer, God calls on you to know the condition of the flock.  Know how your fellow believers are feeling and what they are experiencing.  Love your fellow believer as Christ loves you.  This is how we help each other to survive and to thrive in God’s loving grace.

Dearest Lord Jesus, you love your flock and call them your own.  Give us the ability to love as you love and move us to care for your flock.  Guard us from all harm and bring your hope to those who do not know it.  In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret