Tuesday, October 31, 2023

10-31-2023

Good Morning All,

       2 Corinthians 1: 3-4; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

    When I was a youngster, we used to trade baseball cards.  We would trade for our favorite team or our favorite player.  A Mickey Mantle card could get you two or three other cards.  A Harmon Killebrew could get you four or five cards.  I liked Tony Oliva and Jim Grant.  We would trade at what we thought were “equal” values.  There was nothing in writing or long studied manuals, just kids trading dreams.  That is really what it was; we would trade for the player we wanted to be like.  We were all friends, so we helped each other out.  If I had someone else’s favorite player, I would trade him for mine or else a group of cards, so I had something to trade later.

     Maybe you have this type of relationship with your friends and neighbors now.  We do with some of our garden produce.  We might trade some dill for some pickles later.  We usually trade pretty freely with our vegetables and tomatoes.  We are pretty willing to let them go.  Some of our neighbors are pretty quick to share asparagus so it works out.  We give and take; it is on the ebb and flow.  Sometimes we have lots to give and sometimes we get a lot.  It is neat because we all win.  We get the stuff we want and don’t have to throw away our “extra” stuff.

     We do the same with our faith life.  God comforts us so we can comfort others.  The amount of grace that God pours out upon us is beyond our measure but sometimes, our heart misses some.  Sometimes our pain and sorrow are so great that we lose our trust, and we fail to see God’s love around us.  Sometimes we need a little boost.  Sometimes, things are going pretty well, and we meet someone who needs a little boost.  I like to think of this as the “grace exchange” program.

     I experience it often.  Sometimes when life feels a little rough and I need a boost; someone will come along and offer God’s grace.  They will tell me that they are praying for me or that they really appreciated the visit or whatever.  I can’t begin to count how many times I have come away from a shut-in visit where I felt uplifted from my visit.  I often feel I get more out of these than those I visit. 

    So, as you go about today, try to give a little grace to those who need a boost.  Share God’s love by listening to them or by offering a comforting hand or just stop and pray with them.   Someday you will need the boost.  If today is your day to need, ask for it someone will offer it.  God’s grace is sufficient; his delivery is through our brothers and sisters in Christ who God places in our life to be a comfort and a help.  So be one and use one.

Father, your grace is poured out upon us with tremendous love.  Often, we miss it, but you continue to send it our way.  Be with us when we need it and help us to find those who are struggling at this time and in need of your mercy.  Guide us to them and help us to pour out your grace to all.  In Jesus name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

Monday, October 30, 2023

10-30-2023

Good Morning All,

          Micah 6:8; “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”   

      We have all heard the old saying “give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.”  It is a way to view life and a way to live out a Christian, faithful lifestyle.  Yet it sort of misses the point.  It sounds good but it assumes that you can actually fix the problem by yourself.

    There is a difference between mercy and justice.  Mercy is what you and I do to relieve pain and suffering.  Mercy is giving the man a fish because he is hungry and needs to eat today.  Mercy is meeting the needs of now, right now.  It is one of the most important things that we, as Christians, show one another.  It should be an automatic response from each of us.  The desire to come to the aid of someone in need should be in every Christian’s heart.

    Justice is a little different thing.  Justice is teaching the man to fish.  Justice is about fixing some problem that exists.  Mercy is giving someone the food they need to eat for today.  Justice is getting them better jobs or better pay so that they can afford to buy their own food.  There is a difference in that justice usually takes a large effort by a lot of people for a long time.  It can be daunting.  Yet we seek justice because God tells us to.  We are to do justice.  We should not take advantage of anyone.  We should not stand by as someone else takes advantage either.  God calls upon us to seek and to do justice.

    Yet it is a sinful world and justice can take years to accomplish.  Years to right the wrongs of cruelty and exploitation.  It can take years to get people to recognize the problem.  Yet the person needs to eat today.  He needs shelter and protection now.  So, he needs our mercy right now.  He needs justice, which is for sure, but he needs mercy now.

    This is where we as Christians need to respond.  Sometimes, we look at a situation and see that justice is a long way off and we are almost paralyzed by inaction.  There is no way we can aid everyone.  There is no way to continually try and use only mercy; we need to accomplish justice.  Yet for today, have mercy; have mercy for one person.  Feed one man, one fish for today.  Sometimes that is all we can do.  If that is all we can do, then we do all we can; just that one fish to that one man.

    So, calls upon us to do justice; yet mercy must flow like a river because I can be merciful and you can be merciful; one person aiding one person, as best as we can.  We can work toward justice; we can strive for justice, but we must live in mercy.  Every day we need to show mercy to our fellow man because every day God shows you mercy.

Father of all mercy, lead us to be merciful and to seek justice in this world.  Break our hearts as we see pain and suffering.  Move us to action for those who are in need of your holy compassion.  Use us as your instruments to bring healing to the world.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret      

Sunday, October 29, 2023

10-29-2023

Good Morning All,

    Mark 4:2; “He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them:”

     Everybody loves a story.  Telling stories is one of the easiest and one of the most reliable ways to convey a message or a teaching.  Jesus loved to tell stories.  We call them parables, but they are common everyday events with meaning.  The story of the sower, or the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son and all the others were gleaned from everyday life events of the people who were listening to Jesus speak.

    One of the reasons we like stories is because we all have stories.  Stories put together the individual events of our life and bring them to life in a kaleidoscope.  We all have a story about us; the events that shape and mold us into who we are.  It might have been a childhood illness, or the death of our parents when we were young, it might have been military service or any of a number of events that make up your story.  The really amazing thing is that all of our stories are connected together with the stories of people who lived before us combine to make up human history.

   That history was very bleak.  It is filled with corruption, with pain and brokenness, with loneliness and sorrow.  That was the human story, so bleak that its gloom and pall are incredible.  So, God stepped in and completely altered the story of mankind.  With Jesus, the kingdom of God changed the course of our lives.  As the redeemed children of God, our stories changed, and we are now part of God’s story.  Instead of traveling down the road of despair and destruction, God has placed us into his story of redemption and salvation.  God has taken us from the emptiness and the hollowness that was our sinful existence and made us redeemed children, loved by the Father, and kept by the Holy Spirit.

    Our old story is one we should leave.  We should not see it as a chance to bring God into our story but rather that we are moved into his story.  We can leave our story behind.  The failures and the pains of the past are just that, the past.  Our present is in God’s story and our future is in God’s story; so why go back?  God’s story is one of hope and eternal life in the restored creation.  God’s story is one of peace.  God’s story is the complete opposite of the story we were in.  So, grab onto God’s story, one of hope and salvation, make it your story by his grace.  Live with joy in the kingdom of God as it moves forward to the day of the Lord when all is perfected and restored.

Gracious Father, you gather us up and bring us into your marvelous kingdom of grace and mercy.  Keep us in your precious arms.  Guide us and guard us as we continue on the journey which you have laid out for us.  Be with those who are struggling and in pain and seem to have lost their way.  Send them your Spirit of healing to each.  Guard and protect our families.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

Saturday, October 28, 2023

10-28-2023

Good Morning All,

                Song of Solomon 2:15; “Catch us the foxes, the little foxes; that ruin the vineyards— for our vineyards are in blossom.”

     If any of you have ever dealt with any kind of equipment that has moving parts, you know what a bearing is.  A bearing holds a shaft in place while it turns.  There are bearings in everything.  There are wheel bearings in your car, there are tiny bearings in electric motors, there are big bearings in tractors and planters and combines.  Bearings truly hold the world together in many aspects.

    The amazing thing about bearings is that it takes so little to wreck them.  It only takes a few grains of sand that gets in the bearing; that can cause the bearing to literally explode.  When this happens, the wheel can fall off of your car or the electric motor will just stop, or the tractor or combine or planter will stop.  There may even end up being more damage to the car or the motor or the tractor as it suddenly and often times violently stops.  Huge and expensive equipment can be reduced to not much more than scrap metal by a few grains of sand.  Cars can be involved in accidents that take lives because of a few grains of sand.

    In many ways, our relationships can be like those bearing.  It only takes a little bit of trouble to escalate into calamity.  How many times have siblings refused to speak to each other for years but not really remember why?  How many times have friendships been broken over minor misunderstandings that were not healed before they became a malignant growth on the friendship? 

    God gives us the pleasure of friendship, of loving families, of marriage but it takes work from us as well.  There is always something trying to destroy those relationships.  It is sin and the devil trying to be the “sand in the bearing” in your life.  It can take the form of jealousy, or greed or envy.  It can show itself as hurt feelings and pride that refuses to let go or to reach out to heal.  It can start with something as simple as a forgotten date and mushroom into a broken relationship.

    So, we have to keep the sand out or catch the little foxes like our verse tells us.  We have to pay attention to the relationships in our lives in order to keep them healthy.  We need to communicate with each other; clearly speaking but more importantly, listening to what is said and meant.  We need to value and respect these relationships so that they can strengthen and grow.  If we ignore them or take them for granted, little foxes can dig them up and ruin them.  Little grains of sand can destroy the bearing and leave us with nothing of value and difficult to restore.  So, take care of your friendships and your other relationships, they are a gift from God to be cared for.

Gracious Father, help me to value the many relationships that you have given to me.  Guide me to see the blessings that they are.  Help me to make them stronger.  Be with those who are suffering from broken and wounded relationships.  Help them to heal; help them to reconcile.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior, Amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

Friday, October 27, 2023

10-27-2023

Good Morning All,

        Philippians 3:13; “Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.”

     It is hard to drive forward if you are always looking backwards.”  I have heard that said once in a while.  I tend to look in the rearview mirrors quite frequently.  I am not sure why; I look for things coming up behind, I look at what I just went past.  The only thing I know for sure is that if I look in the rearview mirror too much, I tend to be veering all over and I miss what there is to see that is ahead of me.

    This is what Paul is telling us in our verse; to look ahead and not behind.  This is a very common theme for Paul.  Paul continually tells his readers, and us, “You are better than that because you are different.”  “Stop going back to the old sinful ways that Christ has taken you away from.”  Essentially, Paul is saying don’t look back.  Stop looking back at what you were.  Stop letting what you were hold you down.  Focus on who you are, a redeemed child of God.  Focus on who you will be; part of the perfected creation celebrating with Christ when he returns to conquer the final enemy which is death.

    Stop looking back at what you were.  Stop looking back on the sins that were there.  Repent and receive God’s mercy to go forward; to strain forward to the restored creation.  If you know of someone who you hurt through your sin, repent, apologize, rectify, if possible, but then move forward.  Strain forward to be the redeemed child that God wants you to be.  Stop looking and going back.  Stop longing for the “old days;” they were only filled with pain and self-destruction. 

    The devil really wants you to focus on the past, to focus on what is in the rearview mirror.  He wants you to see your failures and he wants you to think that is where you belong.  Yet God, through Jesus, released us from the past and he gives us something to focus on and that is the perfect eternal life which we are now a part of.  Because of Jesus’ resurrection, death has been defeated, it does not own us anymore.  Because of Christ, we only have to look forward to the final redemption when all will bow down before Jesus, and we will live in eternity with him. 

    So, as you go on your journey of life, don’t look back.  Keep focused on what is ahead.  For ahead of us is more and more of God’s blessings.  What is ahead are the plans that God has to prosper us.  What lies ahead is God’s loving arms.  We sure don’t want to miss this, and we don’t want to look away from this.  Our future, our hope is secured.  Keep straining ahead for the wonderful prize, eternal life.  Don’t look back, there is nothing to see there.

Gracious Lord, in you we find our destiny.  In you we find our hope for all the blessings which you bestow upon us.  Guide us with your mighty hand.  Keep us secure in the knowledge of your saving mercy.  Be with those who seem lost in the past.  Send your Spirit to bring them safely home, in the precious name of Jesus our risen Savior, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

Thursday, October 26, 2023

10-26-2023

Good Morning All,

                 2 Corinthians 5:21; “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

       I remember reading a story in the news a few years ago about some fishermen who had an interesting disagreement with their local game warden.  It seems that the various lakes that they were fishing in had size limits.  That is that the fish had to be a certain length or else they were to release the fish.  The fishermen had caught their fish and measured them with a ruler supplied to them by the state wildlife service in order that they could properly measure the length of the fish.  When they got to shore, the game warden looked at the fish and then measured them and all the fish were too short.  They should have been let go.  He issued a fine and the fishermen received an automatic 2-year revocation of their fishing permit.

    The fishermen were stunned.  They all declared that something was wrong.  Yet when they looked at the fish next to the game warden’s ruler; the fish were all an inch too short.  Everyone was perplexed.  The game warden was somewhat unaffected by their pleas of innocence.  The fish were all too short.  Then one of the fishermen took out the ruler that they had used, and the fish were legal length.  After some wrangling and arguing, it became apparent that the ruler they used was shorter than the ruler the game warden used.  The ruler they used was a couple of years old and apparently had shrunk while being exposed to the weather and elements.

    Often times in life, we too have to “measure up” and come up short.  The world and the devil try their best to make sure that we come up short.  The world piles onto our feelings of inadequacies and our doubts of self-worth.  The world screams at us that we don’t measure up.  The world tells us that we will always come up short.

    Yet Jesus came into this world and threw away the measuring stick.  There is no ruler for God’s love.  Because of Jesus, we are the righteousness of God.  We are the righteousness of God because Jesus is the one who measured up.  He then gave that to us.  He gave us the righteousness and then broke the ruler and threw it away.  The world can no longer show you that you do not measure up because you do.  God has saved you and given you, his righteousness.  The world and the devil can hollow all they want but the ruler is gone.  It is replaced by God’s love and grace.

    So, stop thinking you have to measure up to some standard; you don’t.  God’s mercy is our only standard, our only ruler.  He measures us and sees us with love, love of the Father who has forgiven your sins.    

Gracious and loving God, in you we find love that has no measure.  In you, we are not measured but we receive mercy.  Be with those who still feel they need to measure up.  Give them the certainty of your grace.  Free them from their pain and fear.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

10-25-2023

Good Morning All,

         John 8:12; “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

    For a short time in my life, I thought everything was perfect; you see I owned a bus.  We painted it green, took out half of the seats and my youngest son and two of his friends put a couch in the back.  They needed a couple of hammers and a saw, but they got it in.  There wasn’t much in life better than driving that bus.  I would take the baseball team on the bus.  One night we had to turn around in someone’s soybean field because of a shortcut that didn’t pan out, but we had fun.  In the fall of the year, I would haul some of the parents to the football games.  It was on one of those trips that life got interesting.

    Hardly anybody believed in my bus.  It was old but it was reliable, mostly.  We went to the most far away game and we were returning home.  As we were about thirty miles from home, the exhaust cracked, and it made a loud noise at midnight.  Then as we were about twenty miles from home, the headlights stopped working.  It was really dark.  For a little while, I kept up with a pickup that was driving ahead and “sharing” his headlights, but he drove faster than I did and soon we were trying to drive in the dark.  We made it to one of our destinations, tried a quick fix (didn’t work) and then pondered life.  It was finally agreed that the person who we let off would drive to the next stop and be our lights.  Then at the next stop we would trade again.  We made it home, safely, and we all have a story to tell.

   Attempting to do things in the dark rarely works.  There are probably very few parents alive who have not stepped on at least one Lego block in the middle of the night.  You just can’t see.  Even if you “know” where everything is supposed to be, it rarely is.  That doesn’t even factor in the left-out toys or the shoes or boots that are left out.  The door that is supposed to be open is closed, a Chair moved; it doesn’t matter, if you try to walk in the dark; you will get hurt.

   This is why Scriptures uses the metaphor about Jesus being the light.  He is the light of the world.  He shows us the way and, just as important, he gives light to the dangers and pitfalls of the world.  We know this because God has shown us that in order to live in complete contentment we must live according to his will.  When we don’t, we are walking in the dark and we will get hurt.  In our life what gets hurt is our relationship with God.  When we walk in the dark, we do not see so we are easily misled and misguided.  We can end up where we don’t want to be.

    Jesus is the light.  Life comes from him and through him.  This life gives us the light to see him clearly as our Lord and Savior.  His light shows us what true peace is.  His light shows us how a true relationship works.  His light guides us down our path of life into his marvelous eternity of joy.  Follow the light.

Father of light, you sent Jesus to be the light of the world.  Protect us from the dark and give to us the knowledge of our salvation.  Be with those who are struggling in the dark and bring them into your light.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret   

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

10-24-2023

Good Morning All,

         Psalm 138:8; “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever — do not abandon the works of your hands.”

    So, what do you want to be when you grow up?  That always seemed like a loaded question for an eight-year-old, but we ask it anyway.  Then a little while later, we ask a high school graduate the same question.  Now there is even more pressure.  Then we ask it of the college grad that may have thousands of dollars in student loans facing him; now there is real pressure and anxiety.  What do you want to be when you grow up?  For many this is more of a question of “what is God’s will for my life?”

    Every so often, this discussion really preys upon the hearts of people.  They get so wrapped up in what God wants them to do that they miss the really important answer.  God wants them to do whatever they want to do.  When I tell them this, they seem confused, but it is really simple.  God doesn’t necessarily want you to do one specific task or job; that is why he gives us different gifts or talents.  Sometimes, those gifts overlap.  A person who is compassionate could be a good nurse or a good teacher or a good daycare provider.  A person who is analytical may be a good accountant or a good engineer.  So how do we know what God wants us to be when we grow up?

    What God wants for us is that we love and praise him and then to love one another.  That is what God wants.  He blesses us with different talents and desires that allow us to serve him in different ways.  He wants us to serve him in every capacity that we can.  If you are the parent that volunteers to coach the young sports team, teach them to respect each other and pay extra attention to the children who need it.  If your job is dealing with people, be kind and courteous.  In all you do be honest and fair.  This is what God wants from you.  He probably doesn’t have a specific job lined up for you but rather gives you the gifts and the freedom to serve him in whatever way you choose.

    This is true even if you change your career or when you retire; all this gives us is new opportunities.  The real focus in the life of a Christian is not so much how we serve God but that we serve God, in all that we do.  God’s plan for us is to live in his kingdom and serve him in love.  His plan is not that you are a teacher or a farmer or an electrician; rather his plan is that you are a beloved, redeemed child of God.  His plan is to prosper you with eternal life. 

    So, the question about what to do is simple; whatever we do, we do it to glorify God and to share his grace with those around us.  This is true whether we are 8 or 88.  The call for us is to love one another and to trust in God’s grace for our eternal salvation.  The rest is pretty much up to us; we have God’s blessings now and for eternity.

Father of all grace, your blessings flow over us like a river.  Your generosity overwhelms us.  Help us to see that through all your grace you only desire is that we live in your love and to love one another.  Help us to see your wonderful mercy throughout our life.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

Monday, October 23, 2023

10-23-2023

Good Morning All,

                 Psalm 98:1; “Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.”

    I find that I go through life with some tune or another playing in my head.  It varies from day to day and according to the situation.  Sometimes I hear hymns, sometimes classical, sometimes country and western and sometimes it is old rock and roll.  It varies a lot.

     Most of us are in contact with music of some sort throughout the day.  It might be in the car or in the store or at work.  Music tends to influence how you react, behave and shop.  If the music is harsh and loud, your reactions tend to be.  Some stores have pre-programmed music that is designed to make you feel upbeat and more prone to purchasing items.  Music has an impact.  It can alter your mood in a hurry.

    This is why music, hymnody, and the Psalms, are so important in the worship service.  It sets the tone for God speaking to us and for our speaking to God.  Yet this type of music lasts about an hour or so a week.  What about the other 167 hours?  If hymnody is part of the proclamation of faith to the world, what does your hymn say? 

    Your life, your actions, your way of living is your hymn to the world.  Your way of treating people is your song to God.  When we think back to the way we were before we were saved, when we were selfish and self-centered; when our sinful desire was all, we knew.  But now, because of Christ, we sing a new song!  We sing a song of God’s love; we sing a song of hope!  God gives us the words for this new song.  He gives us the words by giving us faith, faith to trust in the promises of his mercy.  He gives us new life, a whole new way to view the world; he gives us a new song to sing.

     So, as we go out and about today and every day; remember to sing the new song of God’s love.  Sing the new song of God’s grace.  You never know when your simple words of kindness can be a major change in a person’s life.  You never know when you are the one sent by God to give that person the words of hope.  Always sing your new song.  Always sing your song of praise to God. 

   Use your life, in all times and manners, to show love to those around you.  This is part of God bringing you into his kingdom, giving you the voice to sing his new song in this broken and hurt world.  This is God giving you a voice in his kingdom; sing loud and long!  Sing to the Lord a new song; proclaim his love to the world!

Father of all joy; lead us in your song!  Lead us to proclaim your victory over death!  Lead us to sing of your great love to the entire world!  By your Spirit use us to be the voice of hope in this pain-filled world.  Use us to sing the new song of salvation.  Guide us to those who especially need to hear your songs of grace and forgiveness.  Use our voice to be your voice in proclaiming the wonderful gift of forgiveness.  In the name of Jesus we sing, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret       

Sunday, October 22, 2023

10-22-2023

Good Morning All,

      Romans 10:17; “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

     We all want to have faith.  Faith is the critical element in our religion.  “You gotta have faith;” “Faith can move mountains”; “All it takes is a little faith”.  Yet have you ever sat down and really defined faith?  Or do you use the Potter Stewart theory of “I know it when I see it”?  Sometimes that is our approach.  It is there, it is something that I want, it is something that I need, it is something that God gives me through the Spirit and through the Word, but these are more of a description than a definition.  So, what is faith?

     One good way to define faith is as follows.  “Faith is the desire to trust God’s promise of salvation.”  Faith is the exact opposite of our sinful nature; that desire to defy God, to not trust in his promise but to rather trust in our own selfishness.  This selfish desire is what leads to our destruction.  It is what leads to our despair and our hopelessness.

    This where God stepped in and changed our lives.  Through the active, redemptive power of his Word, incarnate in Jesus, God made faith the tool of our salvation.  God made faith the vehicle through which we would have hope in our eternal salvation.  By giving us faith, he made it, so we no longer have to be controlled by our sinful desire but rather by our faith desire.  He empowers us by his grace to desire those things which are God pleasing and to cling to his promise of salvation.

   You know that feeling that you get when you see someone in need and you think, “I should help!”  That is faith.  Sometimes fear and our sinful nature slows us down, but we desire to do what God desires.  When struggles appear we think, “Help me, Lord!”  That is faith at work.  It is that desire to trust God at his word, to trust God’s Word to be true.

   Sometimes, we falter; sometimes we let our old nature return and sometimes we just don’t fully trust in God’s promise to protect and provide for us.  We look for other helps or other ways to be secure and they always let us down.  Yet God continually holds out his hand, calls to us and says, “That’s ok; trust me.”  Isn’t that the most incredible thing; God just keeps coming back and saying, “Trust me.”  That is what faith is; trusting God to do what he says he will do.  “I will protect you; I will guard you; I will never leave you” God’s promises to you and to me.  What a wonderful commitment he makes to us; all out of love for you and for me.  God gives to us faith.  He gives us the desire to trust in his promise.  All we have to do is cling to it.  All we have to do is grab on and hold on.  If God is for us, who can be against us?

Father of tender mercy, you bless us with faith.  You instill in us the desire to trust in your holy promises.  You instill in us your Holy Spirit to guide us as we journey on the path that you have laid out for us.  Be especially with those who struggle trusting in your wonderful mercy.  Be with those who do not trust you.  Lift them up and protect them in your loving arms.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Saturday, October 21, 2023

10-21-2023

Good Morning All,

Matthew 5: 16; “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

       We attended a wedding a few years ago.  The bride was lovely, and the groom was dashing.  After the ceremony, we went to the reception center to wait.  We milled around a little and then we told to take our seats the bridal party was to arrive shortly.  As we waited, the lights went out and a klaxon sounding thing went off.  We thought it was a signal that the party had arrived.  Actually, it signaled that the electricity had failed and not just the center but a large area of the block.  So, we sat in the dark except that each table had four small votive candles on them. 

    It was funny how when we first sat down the votive candles were not that noticeable but when the power went out and it got dark; they suddenly appeared a whole lot brighter.  Any light in the darkness matters.  We couldn’t see across the room, but we could see across the table. 

    In many ways, this is how our faith works.  Our showing our faith, showing God’s love to those around us matters most when it seems the darkest.  When we look out at the world and wonder how we can ever make a difference in that pitch black hole, we can by being one small votive candle.  We might not change the world, but we can help one person, one time with God’s love.

   It might be that single parents a few houses down or it might be the elderly person across the street.  It might be your neighbor who lost his job or the high schooler whose parents are getting a divorce.  It might be anyone of a dozen people around you that God wants you to be a small light to.  We may not be able stop the pain, but we can alleviate it a little.  We may not be able to correct the wrong, but we can comfort the pain.  We may not be able to remove the pain completely, but we can offer soothing ointment for a little while.  When the world is at its darkest, even the smallest candle gives light.  Even the smallest act offers comfort and hope.

    The interesting thing is that as our light seems small, we tend to focus close by on what we can see close up.  Those neighbors who would have gone overlooked and now clearly seen.  Our expectations for something grand become real to us and matter to us deep in our heart.  So, when you see the darkness and the pain of the world all around; let your light shine no matter how small.  Start by praying for them and then praying with them and then whatever you can do.  Invite them to supper one day.  Be an ear that listens, a heart that is open and a spirit that is willing.  Be a light, even if it is a votive candle type of light but be a light in the dark world of pain.

Precious Jesus, you are the light of the world, and you shine through us.  Give us the courage to be lights in the darkness, to bring comfort to those in pain, a voice to the oppressed, and ear to the crying, an ointment to the bruised.  Guide us by your Spirit to make a difference in someone’s life today.  Use us to be your masks.  In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

Friday, October 20, 2023

10-20-2023

Good Morning All,

       Genesis 4:7; “If you do well, will you not be accepted?  And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

     This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible.  “Sin is crouching at your door;” it sounds so ominous; it sounds so threatening and yet it is so true, and we miss it often.  This verse is part of God’s warning to Cain before Cain killed Abel.  As we look at the story of Cain and Abel this verse is kind of haunting in the background.

    Many of us have a vague view of Cain and Abel.  We have all seen the artwork that shows an angry, violent Cain attacking Abel.  Abel is often portrayed as smaller, weaker and, in some drawings, all most effeminate.  Yet this is probably a very incorrect view of these two.

   Abel was the nomad.  He wandered and cared for his sheep; moving them from pasture to pasture, looking for water and new grass.  He would have walked and had to carry some of the sheep at different times.  He was the one wandering from place to place moving with the seasons and the rains.

    Cain was the farmer; he was the one who was settled and “civilized.”  He went on to build the first city.  This is an existence which requires a steady and reliable food and water supply.  It would lead to government and the arts.  Not exactly the image that we tend to place on Cain, the violent and crazed murderer.  Yet this is probably a point of this verse that we need to understand.  Sin, especially our sin, tends to come from unique or hidden places; from places we do not expect.  It can creep into our relationships as we begin to see ourselves as the important one in the relationship and soon we have sin crouching at our door.  We are jealous of our neighbor; we feel we are “owed” something (money, power, respect); sin is crouching at the door.

    What God is telling Cain, and us, is that it is easy for our sinful nature to take over and cause us to sin.  It is always crouching at our door just waiting for the opportunity to strike.  If we are not diligent, if we do not pay attention sin will strike.  Even when we know what is right, we sometimes do what is wrong because sin crouches at our door.  Our only hope is to trust in God’s Word and to focus on his grace as the method to fight temptation, to avoid the sin that is crouching at your door. 

    We will face trials every day, yet God provides for us an escape from our temptation.  God promises to be with us and to protect us from the assaults of the devil, who is always crouching at your door seeking to cause you to trip and fall.  Yet God will forgive us and draw us back as we repent and turn from the sin that is crouching at our door.

Father, we have sin crouching at our door often.  Guide us by your Spirit to defend against it.  Help us to see it and to avoid it.  Be with those who are especially being tempted by sin.  Help us to aid them in their struggles.  Use us to bring them back into your heavenly family.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior, we pray amen.

God’s Peace,                                                                                                        

Pastor Bret

Thursday, October 19, 2023

10-19-2023

Good Morning All,

             Matthew 5:6; “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

     One of the interesting things about watching our grandchildren grow is that they question everything.  “What’s that?”  Then you get an “oh!” Then you start all over.  They hunger for what the world around them has to offer, how it works, and what it can do.  They are entering the phase of new experiences and opportunities, and they are experimenting with their world; that will keep mom and dad on their toes.

    It is interesting that many of us continue to hunger and thirst in our adult life.  Some of us hunger and thirst for money or power; some hunger and thirst for companionship so they won’t be alone.  Some hunger and thirst for knowledge.  One thing that many people hunger and thirst for is purpose.  Many wonder why they exist; is this existence all there is?  Most humans truly hunger and thirst for God; they seek God as a means to explain life.  They seek God to give them an assurance that life has meaning and even that life is more than just here and now.

    Part of the difficulty is that many are hungering and thirsting in the wrong direction.  Somewhere along the way, the world has convinced us that there is no one God but that there are many gods and many ways to find truth.  Even truth does not really exist, everything depends on what you feel, want or experience.  This kind of thought makes it impossible to recognize God, for God is truth, singular and absolute.  God’s way is far above our way but so is his love and mercy.  That is part of the reason why those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, but think they find it somewhere other than God, are always hungry and thirsty; they never have the real stuff.

    So, if you are hungering and thirsting for righteousness, keep on hungering and thirsting.  God is trying to feed you.  He is trying to feed you by his Word and by his sacrament.  He is trying to feed you with his undeserved love.  He is trying to restore you to the purpose that you were created.  He has forgiven you and promised you eternal salvation.  Cling to that promise and you will never hunger or thirst for righteousness again.  You will be satisfied by his grace.  His Spirit will make you whole.  So, if you are still hungry and thirsty from the falseness of the world, seek after God’s righteousness and his grace.  In his mercy, you will be satisfied.

Father of all goodness, you pour your Spirit out upon us.  In you we have fullness; in you we are complete.  Guide us to see that our journey in this life is but the start of eternity with you.  Lead us to see that our hope lies in you alone.  Lead us to seek and to live your truth.  Be with those who are hungering and thirsting but still do not know you.  Lead them by your precious Word to hear your saving truth.  Bring them safely into your kingdom.  All this we boldly ask in the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

10-18-2023

Good Morning All,

           John 10: 28; “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

         It seems like every action movie has that one scene in it.  The scene where the hero is either on a mountain or high up in a building and he has to grab hold of someone, usually the girl he ends up with, to keep them from falling.  He holds on with a tenuous grip until he can either pull or swing her to safety.  They are usually getting shot at or in an earthquake or something happening to make it more exciting.  Yet we know if it is a good guy he is holding; he won’t let go.  If it is a bad guy, there is a pretty good chance the bad guy will slip away.

    Maybe there has been a time or two when you have felt like you were slipping away; I know I have.  Events going on around us can really make things seem completely crazy.  Pressure from the job, your marriage, your children, your parents, the doctors and any one of a number of other places can build up and squeeze you like a pimple.  All that pressure can cause you to lose your grip.  You may even feel like it is easier just to let go.  It is easy to feel exhausted from all the pressure, especially if you think no one understands what you are feeling right now.  There are times when you feel like letting go; I know I have as well.

    It is at times like this that we see our comfort and our hope is entirely dependent on God.  No matter how squeezed you feel; God does not let go.  Even if you are absolutely positive that the best thing to do is to let go; God doesn’t let go.  So, when we feel like we are tumbling and spinning out of control, and everything is flying apart; what we are really doing is thrashing around in the palm of God’s hand; God doesn’t let go.  It is times like this that we recognize that all those external pressures are exactly that, external.  The pressure comes from the outside, but our peace comes from the inside; our peace comes from God.  Our peace comes from knowing that God holds us and not the other way around.  God holds on and doesn’t let go.

    No matter what you think you have done or are doing, God does not let go.  His love for you is overwhelming and he provides for us each day.  The most important things he gives us are hope, comfort, and peace.  We live knowing that God has something great in store for us- eternal life with him.  He gives us comfort- knowing that what hurts today is only temporary, what we fear right now will fade away, but God’s love never will.  He gives us peace- the certainty that no matter how often I feel like letting go- God doesn’t let go.  He is our rock and our shield; he is always there for us, and he will never let go.

   God never let’s go; trust in his promise and when you feel like you can’t hold on; trust that God will, and you are always safe in his arms.

Father, you protect me by your mighty arm because of your wonderful love.  Guard me by your mercy and keep me secure in my salvation and in the protection of your loving arms.  Be with those who feel as if they are slipping out of your hands.  Give them the knowledge and the certainty of your grace.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret