Thursday, August 31, 2023

8-31-2023

Good Morning All,

         Ruth 1:20; “She answered them, “Don’t call me Naomi [Sweet]. Call me Mara [Bitter] because the Almighty has made my life very bitter”! 

    Naomi lived a hard life.  She had a husband, two sons, a home, a life that many would call comfortable.  But then a drought forced her and her family to leave Bethlehem and go to the land of Moab.  While there, her sons married two Moabite women; not exactly what a Jewish mother wanted but they were happy.  But then, another turn against her.  Her husband died.  Then both of her sons died.  So now Naomi was left in a foreign land with no husband and no sons.  This meant that she had no means of support.  She was penniless, probably homeless in a foreign land.

    She had had enough.  She was heading home.  She told her two daughters-in-law to go to their homes and start over.  One did but one didn’t.  She headed back home a defeated, sad woman.  She was not only sad; she was bitter.  She even changed her name.  She used to go by Naomi which meant “sweet.”  Yet her life, so far as she saw, was far from sweet.  When she came back to Bethlehem and her friends excitedly called out to her, she bitterly said, “My name is Mara,” which means “bitter.”

    Many of us have felt that journey.  Maybe a job change has forced you to move from where you grew up, where your family and friends live, and you were forced to move far away to where you don’t know anyone.  Maybe some significant relationships in your life are gone now.  Death, divorce, separation, health changes are just a few of the changes that can occur to make our life seem bitter.

     We need to remember that through it all God looks out for us and provide for us.  Even in all of Naomi’s “bitterness” Ruth was with her.  As she returned home, she found someone to redeem her (Get her out of debt and get the land back) and to marry her.  She saw her life as bitter, but God was with her all the way.  He never abandoned her.  He never abandons you.

    There are a lot of times when we may feel bitter about the circumstances of our life, we may even be bitter toward God.  How could God allow this pain to me?  We may never know the answer to that.  We know that in this broken sinful world; pain, sadness, bitterness will occur.  But God promises to stand up for us.  He gives us hope.  We have the hope of the rainbow (Resurrection) after the storm.  We have the certainty of God’s comfort in the many forms it takes.  We have the comfort of his Word, the comfort of His Spirit, the comfort of his holy supper and, sometimes, that comfort comes from unexpected places.  It might be a friend or a colleague, or someone you do not know; God can use anything or anyone to bring you comfort.  It might be created things, created things connected to his Word, and His Spirit preserves us always.

Dearest Father, this sinful world leaves us bitter, but your grace makes us sweet again.  Keep us certain of your love and mercy.  Be with those who are in need of your grace the most.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,           

Pastor Bret

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

8-30-2023

Good Morning All,

         1 Kings 19: 13b-14; “Then the voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”   He answered, “Lord God of Armies, I have eagerly served you. The Israelites have abandoned your promises, torn down your altars, and executed your prophets. I’m the only one left, and they’re trying to take my life.”

    Have you ever heard Hank Williams Sr. sing?  He had a very distinctive country sound.  Yet it was actually a precursor to rock and roll.  I like his song “I’m so Lonesome I could Cry.” “Did you ever see a robin weep when leaves begin to die?  Like me, he's lost the will to live I'm so lonesome I could cry.” He sang of pain, being all alone, of being completely isolated.

    Our text speaks to this very experience.  This text is part of the great manic-depressive life of the Old Testament prophet Elijah.  Immediately before this text, Elijah performs a miracle with God’s grace.  He defeats the false prophets, and the people rise up and kill them and begin to return to God.  But the evil queen threatens Elijah, and he runs, runs fast and far.  He hides in a cave on a mountain and feared being the only believer left anywhere in the world and they are trying to kill him.  God speaks to him in a still, quiet voice and asks him, “What are you doing here?”  Elijah responds with his complaint to God essentially answering, “This is why I am here!”

    There are many ways to read this section of Scriptures.  Here we see God prodding or maybe even chiding Elijah a little.  Why are you here, Elijah?  Elijah, after running non-stop for three days, finally answered.  I am all alone and they want to kill me as well.

    Have you ever felt that?  All alone with nowhere to turn.  Perhaps God has even asked you that question, “why are you here?”  I think it is essential that we answer that question, why are you here?  Why are you experiencing what you are experiencing?  What is going on?  This helps us identify what is wrong.  What is it that makes you feel like you are all alone?  Is it fear of death, fear of abandonment, anxiety of events, pain from health issues; why are you here?  God helps us by naming or identifying the problem we face.  When we do this, we make it smaller, and God helps us see that it is manageable.  Because God offers hope.  Immediately after this text, God tells Elijah that there are 7,000 who are still believers.  In other words, “Elijah, you are not alone.”

    When we struggle with fear, pain, anxiety, or any other struggle, we are not alone.  God is with you and there are many brothers and sisters who are there to offer help and comfort; use them and trust God to bring you through by his grace.

    Dearest Father, there are many times I feel all alone and without hope.  Yet you come to me with your words of grace, your words of comfort.  I am never alone.  I am always your redeemed child.  With this truth give me the Spirit to face the struggles of today.  Be with those who are battling loneliness and pain today.  All this we ask in Jesus’ precious name, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret              

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

8-29-2023

Good Morning All,

    John 1: 40-41; “One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah.”

    Are you ever fascinated by some of the great preachers of the ages?  I remember as a kid watching the Billy Graham crusades and listening to him as he held the audience in the palm of his hand as he spoke to them.  I never heard Martin Luther King Jr. preach a sermon but some of his speeches, especially the “I have a dream” speech, are some of the classics when it comes to speaking.  Dr. Oswald Hoffman was a preacher who had very few equals.  Of course, the person deemed by almost all of Christendom as the greatest preacher ever was a man by the name of John of Antioch who was born in 349 AD.  His oratory skills were so renowned that he became known as John Chrysostom with his new surname being of the Greek word “Chrysostomos” which means “golden mouth.”

    It is something to watch people who can stand in front of hundreds or even thousands of people and preach with such intensity and with such passion.  The whole audience is spellbound by their mastery of a phrase or a thought and how they can turn your thoughts and move the audience to action by their words.  It really leaves us in awe, and this can leave us frightened.  We look at our faith and look at these monumental acts and think that there is no way that we can ever do this and maybe we can’t but deep down, we really don’t have to.

    Most of us will never have the opportunity to preach like that; most of us are glad for that fact but remember one very key thought, true witnessing comes one at a time and that one time can make all the difference in the world.  Peter preached his great sermon on Pentecost.  After his sermon over three thousand came to faith, how many others were there we don’t know but that was quite a sermon.  Yet we often overlook that, at the start, Peter was brought to Jesus by his brother Andrew.

    Andrew was the first to go tell his brother Peter about Jesus; just think if that hadn’t happened?  Andrew never gets a lot of credit from many in the Church but look at what he contributed; he went and told Peter, one other person.  That is all we have to do; tell one other person.  Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbor, your workmates, whomever, just tell one person.  That is how the church really grows.  Preaching is necessary but often overrated.  Usually, another person comes to faith because someONE told them about Jesus and then actively brought them to church and then to faith.  One person speaking to one person is how faith really grows.  So, if you aren’t a Peter or a John Chrysostom you can always be an Andrew and speak one on one.

Father, give us the courage like Andrew and tell one person of your love.  Give us the strength to tell one person of the forgiveness that you give.  Give us the faith to trust in you to give us the words and the actions to speak to just one person.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Monday, August 28, 2023

8-28-2023

Good Morning All,

               Psalm 10: 17-18a; “You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed.”

    When our oldest son was about 14 months old, he got into a routine of waking up at about 4:30 in the morning.  We would sit down in the chair in the living room and the turn on the TV while he had his bottle.  There wasn’t much on, we didn’t have the 200 channels of satellite TV yet.  So, at that hour of the morning, we watched cartoons, specifically we watched “Underdog.”  Speed of lightning, roar of thunder, fighting all who rob or plunder!  Underdog. Underdog!”  I think it was more for me than for my son, but I loved it.

    Most people at one time or another watch movies or TV shows about heroes.  We like it when the hero, usually against all odds, fights for the oppressed people against the big bad villain.  Sometimes the hero is misunderstood or has been wrongly accused and while seeking out the truth, stops in different towns and solves the troubles of the local folk.  We all have our heroes; they make watching shows better.  It makes the “make believe” world that much better.

    The problem is that we live in the real world.  Dogs in capes don’t fly in and rescue us.  We struggle and do battle with all sorts of battles in our life.  Pain can be everywhere.  Parents or spouses who slowly lose touch with reality and us.  Loved ones who seem to lose the will or desire to live.  Strained love with spouses, when did that all change?  Try talking to your child; they roll their eyes, and you just get angry.  Children with only one parent can be more the norm than the exception.  We work harder and harder and seem to have less to show for it.  So, what do we do?

    We can only look to God for our help.  He is our only chance or choice.  The thing we need to remember is that God fixes our lives, but He fixes them from the inside out.  He fixes our soul, and he fixes our hearts first.  This gives us the strength to trust in his promises.  The thing is that as our inside, our soul, is being fixed; the outside, our bodies, may take a while to fix.  So, we may have to wait while God continues to fix our inside because our inside, our soul, is what is important. 

    But we aren’t left alone to do battle with the troubles of this life.  God sends his Spirit to comfort us, and he sends us his “masks,” the family and friends who sit with us and counsel us and basically are just there.  This is how God chooses to comfort us.  He helps us to remember those gentle words he speaks, and he uses those around us to be our “hands on” comfort.  God defends and protects us; we need to trust in his love to accomplish this.

Dear Father, you are our source of hope and comfort.  You search us out and give us the hope that we need.  Comfort us with your Spirit and move us to be the comfort to those who are most in need of your grace.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace

Pastor Bret 

Sunday, August 27, 2023

8-27-2023

Good Morning All,

          Luke 15:4; “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?”

    Have you ever been in a store or in a park and have your child disappear?  You know, just wander off or not keep up.  It can be very frightening to lose track of a small child.  Even if just for a few minutes, it can seem like hours.  The frantic looks, the calling of a name, asking strangers if they saw anything, the search and then the eventual finding.  For those few minutes, all sorts of things go through your mind.  Where did he go?  Did someone take him?  He was right there two seconds ago; how could he get so far away? 

   The sheer panic can be amazing.  Fear like you have never felt pours over you.  You do things, in a moment, that may seem wrong later.  Do you leave the other two kids with the cart and go looking for him?  Do you try to find a store clerk?  Where do you turn first?  You know if you go left, he probably went right.  Each second means he is a few feet farther away and he could turn down a different aisle.  He gets farther and farther away.  You are losing control because you can’t see him.  What exactly was he wearing?  Did he have a cap on?  Complete fear can set in very quickly. 

    But then, you see him.  He is looking at the candy in the checkout aisle two down from you.  You run to him, pick him up and hug him tight.  You want to punish him but the joy of finding him and getting him back unharmed means so much more.  You close your eyes and say a prayer of thanks. 

     This is what the verse is about, finding the lost.  Seeking the lost one before he is so far gone that we can never get him back.  Finding him is so joyful; there is singing throughout the land.  God seeks the lost.  When he finds them, there is celebration in heaven.  The angels rejoice when just one is found; think about the joyful noise when it is five or six.  Just as you can envision the parent’s joy when they find their child, God’s joy is even greater!  God, who created you, has now found you and redeemed you back into his family; you are his. 

     No matter what has/is/will happen in your life; God always seeks you out.  We deserve to be punished but God comes to us with love and grace.  Nothing we do will ever drive God away from us; he will seek you out and there will be joy in heaven when you are found.  The God of mercy will never stop looking for you.  He will never abandon you.  He will never tire of looking for you and he will never stop calling your name, calling you to come home.  He will search for you your entire life.  His mercy never ends.

Gracious Father, you have searched for me many times.  Many times, I have wandered off; many times, I have been enticed and tempted to leave your side.  Forgive me when I stray.  Keep me close to you.  Give peace to those who are straying now and are lost from your grace.  Bring them home with all the joy of heaven.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

Saturday, August 26, 2023

8-26-2023

Good Morning All,

       Luke 6:37; “Stop judging, and you will never be judged. Stop condemning, and you will never be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

   I was fortunate to coach baseball for a number of years.  I loved it because it kept me young.  I spent time playing a game: baseball.  I got to meet a whole host of people; many of whom I would have never met otherwise.  It was simply an enjoyable time.

    I got a chance to visit with a young man who was coaching a different team.  He was a good-hearted kid but wasn’t having a lot of success.  So, we sat down, and we talked baseball and coaching.  He asked me how I handled “suspensions.”  I looked at him somewhat confused.  He told me that if his players didn’t hustle enough or get to practice or the game on time or showed disrespect; he would suspend them for two games.  He only had 11 players, so he had to keep track of the suspensions in a small notebook.  So, before each game he had to decide who would play and who would serve their suspension.  It got really complicated when some of his players were getting up to 6 to 8 games of suspensions. When you have a season of less than 20 games, this becomes problematic.

    He asked me, “How do you handle this?”  I told him, “I don’t”; I don’t keep track of suspensions.  It sounded like a lot of work, no fun at all, and it sounded like the players really bristled under this plan.  It sounded like baseball there was a pain and not worth doing.  I told him to toss the notebook and play his best players and reward kids who worked hard then forget the rest and enjoy the game; it is supposed to be fun for everyone, coaches included.

    In a lot of ways this is how we should view sin.  Think of others who sin against you as those players who were getting suspensions.  Now you have to keep track of all those sins.  You get to keep them in your heart and then look at them as they remind you of the pain you felt.  You keep them nice and categorized, deciding which ones are to be punished at this time and which ones will be punished later.  You keep the pain, and you keep the guilt of trying to keep some form of balance.  Sounds like a great life doesn’t it.

    We need to remember that forgiveness is something that God gives to us.  He not only forgives our sins, but he gives us the ability to forgive others.  We can throw that notebook away and have some fun.  We can try and enjoy the life that God gives us.  We can love the people that God puts into our lives.  Forgiveness of others is just as much a beneficial gift for you as it is those who you forgive.  You don’t have to keep the pain and the guilt; all that does is give the devil something to play with and this will make you miserable. 

    Forgive others, forgive yourself; these two actions will give you some peace and contentment.  Receive God’s forgiveness of your sins and you will receive salvation.

Dearest Father, lead us to forgive others as you forgive us so that the whole body may be healed.  Give us the power to let go.  Give us the courage to let go of our neighbor’s sin.  Give us the peace that we need to live content in your grace.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

Friday, August 25, 2023

8-25-2023

Good Morning All,

            1 John 5:14; “We are confident that God listens to us if we ask for anything that has his approval.”

    One of my all-time favorite TV shows has to be “Columbo.”  I loved his car, his dog, the way his clothes always looked, like he slept in them.  Yet the best thing was the question; he always would ask the suspect a series of innocuous questions and then share his doubts with him.  Just as Columbo was about to leave, he would turn around and say, “Excuse me, I hate to bother you, but I have one more question.”  He always was asking questions.  He might be running down the road or climbing stairs or hanging out of a window, but he always asked questions.

  I think one of the reasons I like it is because I am not much of a question asker.  I am one of the silent ones.  I let others ask, I leave the questions unasked; I am one of those guys.  I am one of those guys who are afraid that the question is dumb or will make me look dumb.  The question will be irrelevant or inappropriate.  Something along that line.  I think many of us are this way.  We are unsure of asking questions, we are unsure of exposing ourselves to others scrutiny.

    For many of us, this is true of our prayer life as well.  We often look at prayer as asking for permission or asking “the stupid question in class;” it makes us somewhat uncomfortable, so we don’t ask, we don’t pray.  So, we go through life missing out on one of God’s great gifts: the gift of prayer.  The thing we need to remember is that prayer is not as much about the “what,” that is what we are praying/asking for; rather it is more about our relationship with God.

    If you are a parent or grandparent, you probably understand this.  When you talk with your children or grandchildren, it is not the “what” that matters; it is the connecting, the sharing, the interaction of your life in theirs.  You want to be a part of their life; you want them to love you and to trust you enough to share with you.  In many ways this is how God wants his relationship to be with you.  God speaks to us through his Word and then listens to us through our prayers.

    God invites us to speak to him, not for the “what” but for the forming, building, strengthening of our relationship with him.  A stronger relationship with God our Father leads us to have a stronger faith which gives us the ability to endure the trials of this life.  So, God invites us to ask, to pray to him with the proper mindset.  We pray according to his will; we pray according to his will when we seek to build our relationship with God and not with the “what” of this world.  Pray to God, often.  It is not about the “what” rather it is about building your relationship with God the Father.

Father, we cry Abba to you.  Hear us as we cry to you.  Build up our desire and love for you.  Build our desire to speak to you.  Build our desire to listen to you.  Guide us as we engage in the holy conversation with you.  Strengthen our faith and give us the certain hope.  Be with those most in need of your mercy.  Move them to call upon you.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

Thursday, August 24, 2023

8-24-2023

Good Morning All,

        Zechariah 10:8; “I will whistle for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall be as many as they were before.”

    I have always been fascinated by very well-trained dogs.  I have watched shows on well-trained hunting dogs and well-trained sheep dogs and well-trained cow dogs.  I had a neighbor that had a border collie that used to “watch” the gate as he drove in and out to feed his cattle.  None of the cows ever got out.  He used a series of whistles and commands to get the dog to do what he wanted the dog to do.  The dog heard the whistle and understood what it meant.  Anybody else whistling and the dog just sat there, but as soon as the owner whistled, the dog’s ears stood up and it became attentive and alert.

    The dog hears the whistle of the master and responds.  This whistle may mean a meal or a task to accomplish.  It is a response to the call of the master.  It means that there is a great connection between the master and the dog.  The dog relies on the master for everything.  The master feeds the dog, gives it a shelter, protects it from enemies and guards it from all harm.

    In many ways we are like this dog.  We are protected by God from our enemies.  Even if we are scattered throughout the entire world, we hear God’s call, we hear his whistle and know that it is him.  Through the Spirit, he gathers us together into the safety of his body, the Church.  Through his Son, he has redeemed us and bought us back from the sinful, selfish desires that used to control our lives to be his dear children.

    So as a good Lutheran we ask, what does this mean?  No matter what we do or where we are, God knows, and he doesn’t let us out of his sight.  His grace is always there for us; to comfort us, to guard us, to defend us.  When the challenges of life come at us and we fear them, we are scared of what they mean, God whistles for us and gathers us in, like a mother hen gathers her chicks.  He does this because he loves us.  We are his children, and he protects us from all that the devil throws at us.  All of our fears, all of our worries, all of our desperate cries and laments of despair are heard by God, and he calls us to his home to his place of safety.  God whistles and we know it is his call and this call, the promise of forgiveness and the certainty of our salvation, gives us hope.  

    We need to hear his words of hope and trust his promises. “Cast all your anxieties on him” “Let not your hearts be troubled” “Come unto me all you who labor and are of heavy laden and I will give you rest.”  Hear God’s words for you, listen to the whistle.

Gracious Father, you call us every moment.  Let us hear your call that we may be secure in your arms and guarded by your love.  Be with those who are especially in need of your grace.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret         

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

8-23-2023

Good Morning All,

         Luke 22: 31-32a; “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.”

    “Sift you like wheat.”  This is a reference to how farmers at the time of Jesus would finish the harvest of wheat.  First the farmer would go out into the fields and with a scythe cut down the wheat and stack it into bundles which were then carried up to the thrashing floor.  Here the farmer would take the bundles and then beat them against the floor in order to loosen the kernels of wheat.  After they did this, they would then take a winnowing fork and throw the wheat, chaff, broken straw mixture into the air.  The wheat would fall to the floor as the chaff would blow away in the wind. 

    This was a rigorous process.  Yet, in the end, all you have is kernels of wheat, but it can be a very, very stressful event especially on the wheat.  It gets thrown up into the air and then crashes to the floor only to be tossed up into the air again.  It is a trying and tumultuous event for the wheat, but it is necessary to separate the wheat (the necessary part) from the chaff (the waste).  This also happens in our life, sometimes very painfully.

    Many of you have experienced being sifted.  There are times in our lives when our faith is shaken to the very core.  The death of a child will rock you like an earthquake.  Sometimes, the stress from our everyday life shakes us.  Health issues in our family, especially big ones, can really shake you.  Placing a parent or a spouse in a nursing home can make you shudder.  Having your job disappear can be devastating.  Having the company that you worked for all your life suddenly go bankrupt and take your retirement with them can really hurt.  Put two or three of these together and you are sifted.

    When being sifted our confidence can be shaken.  One thing that it does is that it can cause us to seek our god.  Luther defines a god as “That from which we seek our ultimate source of security, that which we cling to with all our heart.”  So, what is your god?  Is it your money, your intellect, your spouse, your parents, your government, just plain you?  What is your god?  Because when we get sifted, the chaff all the false gods, blow away in the wind.  Finally, we are left with only the kernels.  Only the true God, Yahweh the triune God, is left and that is all we can cling to.

    So, we cling to the God who died for us, we cling to the God that redeemed us, and we cling to the God that loves us and promises to never forget us.  So, if you are being sifted, pray for God’s grace, talk to your brothers and sisters in Christ and remember who your only source of hope and security is and that is Christ.  You will be sifted, maybe many times, but through them all God holds you close and protects you from the devil and his attacks.

Father, we often feel sifted.  Protect us from all that the devil throws at us and keep us safe.  Give us the certainty of your hope, the certainty of your grace and the wonder of your comforting Spirit.  Be with those who are currently being sifted.  Give them the consolation they need and the comfort of your saving grace.  In Jesus precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

8-22-2023

Good Morning All,

           Ephesians 2:8; “God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God.”

    Everyone loves to receive gifts.  We look forward to receiving items from our loved ones.  It can be things as simple as a card or a flower.  When our sons were little, we used to wrap up socks and t-shirts at Christmas time so they would have a few more presents under the tree.  They were excited about them.  We all love to receive presents and some are especially meaningful.

     Many years ago, my in-laws gave me a hand-crafted chess board.  It was made by an older member of our church out of the wood from the trees that grew around his farm.  This older member died a couple of years later.  This gift is special because of who gave it and who made it.  Another special gift I have received is from my father.  He gave me the pocket watch my grandfather received when he was confirmed.  I keep this in a special place and hope to give it to my grandson when he is confirmed.  Yet the most precious gift that I have ever received is the love and companionship of my wife of over 30 years.  It is the best gift I have.  I need it and rely on it each day.  Even at those times when I don’t treasure it as I should, it is irreplaceable.  

    Some gifts we receive, and we treasure them.  Some we toss away and some we hide in the closet.  So how do you view your salvation?  Being saved is a gift from God but do you truly appreciate it?

    Do you take that gift and use it every day, relish it, cherish it, and rely on it all the time?  Do you take it and place it on the shelf of your closet, out of sight and out of mind?  This is a choice we have.  God’s salvation is a tremendous gift; it gives to us each day.  God’s salvation brings us into God’s family, reconciling us back to him.  We receive his love, his comfort; he listens to us and gives us hope even at those times when we don’t treasure it as we should.  God gives us this faith to trust his salvation to allow us to cope with each day. 

    The devil and our own sinful nature love to drag us down and to see our life as empty and without meaning or hope but God uses our faith to encourage us, to help us see and understand that we are his children, loved by a gracious God.  This is a gift that keeps giving but only helps us today if we use it today.  Too often we think of God’s grace and salvation as being good when we die; the truth is God’s grace is there for you right now; there is no need to wait.  It provides for us this very minute.

    It is also a gift which, when you possess it, you should share it with those whom you love.  Share with them the certainty of salvation, the comfort for today and the promise of tomorrow.

Gracious Father, you give to us the greatest gift through your Son Jesus.  You give us life and hope.  Give us the wisdom to use this gift every day.  Give us the presence to trust this wonderful gift and to keep it precious in our life.  Lead us to share this gift with those around us, especially those most in need of your care.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

Monday, August 21, 2023

8-21-2023

Good Morning All,

       Exodus 20:12; “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”

    A student is listening to his history teacher and thinks to himself “What an idiot!”  An employee looks at his boss and thinks to himself “What an arrogant jerk!”  A woman finishes talking to her mother and thinks “Another crazy old lady!”  We do it all the time.  Sometimes we don’t even think about it.  We curse under our breath as someone blocks the bread aisle in the grocery store.  We roll our eyes and quietly mutter when the person ahead of us in the checkout line gives the checker girl a wad of coupons.  You can almost hear Aretha Franklin in the background “R..E..S..P..E..C.. T, find out what it means to me.”

    As we look at our verse, and really the whole of the Commandments, they all involve one basic element: respect.  The Commandments show us how to live with respect for each other.  Far too often we look at the 10 Commandments as “Law” what we have to do to please God.  Yet this is only partially how we should look at them.  It might do us better if we look at them as what they do to live in harmony with each other.

     After sin entered the world, man soon turned against man.  The story of Cain and Abel is the first story after Adam and Eve’s fall, it is not a coincidence.  Immediately, man went from seeking companionship and a healthy relationship to a creature that sought to control, manipulate, and seek only self-serving pleasure.  So, when God brought Israel to Mount Sinai, he had to re-teach them how to behave as loving, children of God should act.  He had to teach them how to live a life that would be fulfilling, one of contentment, one of peace and promise.  So, he gave them, and us, the 10 Commandments as guidelines or rules for a good life, one filled with the contentment and joy that God has designed for us.

     What would be nice for the world, actually best for the world, is to see that our relationship with others should be built on respect.  Before we can love, like, or even tolerate another person, we need to respect each other.  Basic respect is the very building block of all our relationships; without that we have nothing.  God, through the 10 Commandments, shows us that.  It is his truth, and we need to accept this for what it is, the beginning of living in his kingdom.  Without respect, we have nothing but pain and sadness.  The devil sees to this.  God calls upon you and me to treat each other with respect as the basic block to build our relationships on.  Through God’s grace, we can become the people that God designed us to be.  We can live together in peace and contentment.

Dear Father, your will for us is that we may live a healthy life content and meaningful.  Give us the wisdom to follow your commands.  Teach us to love, teach us to respect each other as you love and respect us.  Guard us with your grace.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret