9-4-2015

        Good Morning All!!                 

John 10:14, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,”

   Jesus as the shepherd and we are the flock; this image has been used so often that it is almost quaint.  Maybe you remember the song “I just want to be a sheep baa baa” or maybe the hymn “I am Jesus’ little Lamb”.  This happens when we lose touch with the basic story or theme.  Most of us have very little, if any, contact with sheep anymore.  We don’t understand the dynamics or the truths of a flock of sheep.  Mostly, all we have is vague memories at best but what we usually rely on is what a book or a movie told us. 

     The beauty of using the flock for us as the church is that it addresses our most basic needs and wants.  When the flock is gathered together and the shepherd is intently watching over it; there is safety and serenity.  The flock is calm; quietly eating the grass, drinking the still water, lying down in the green pastures content and resting in the bounty that the shepherd provides.   

    The holy Church is the same way.  We, as believers, live within this community.  It is in this community that we are safe; we are nourished by the sacraments and we hear the soothing and calming voice of the Savior speaking his words of forgiveness and reconciliation.  All this provides us with the comforting Gospel which allows us to rest in the bounty of God’s abundant grace.  This encompasses all our needs; everything we need is found in the flock.

     The wonderful thing is that the Holy Spirit continues the unceasing work of calling, guarding, protecting and feeding the sheep of the flock until Jesus returns.  We are the unique community which is in the world but not of the world.  Our focus is always on the return of Christ; we look forward to it we long for it as in “thy kingdom come.”  While the world worries about today and fears tomorrow, we look with eager anticipation to the promised return of Jesus in triumph when the final enemy, death, is totally consumed.

     We hold onto this promise by faith, a faith that desires the forgiveness; that craves the words of hope which our Savior speaks to us.  We long to trust in the promise of salvation and eternal life.  With that faith we can boldly go out and preach this gospel to everyone we meet.  We can bring consolation to the dying, comfort to the hurting, hope to those who have none.  God is our refuge; he is our hope; he is our shepherd protecting us and calling us by name, by our individual name, to hear the good news of our salvation.  In him do we hope, in him to we trust.

     This is why we encourage everyone to join together with their local congregation and worship together.  It is in the church that we hear God’s message of forgiveness and we receive the nourishment of his body and blood.  We don’t gather because we are trying to impress God; we gather for the renewing and rejuvenating of our soul.  Join the flock and celebrate the Lord’s gift to you.

Gracious Lord, you call us by name and gather your children into your protective flock.  Guard us from all harm and lead us down the path of salvation which you have prepared for us.  In your holy precious name we pray, amen.     

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

9-3-2015

Good Morning All!!                       

          Psalm 42:1; “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.”

    We know that feeling.  It seems these last two summers have been really hot.  Even if you work inside, in air conditioning, you still know that it is hot out.  If you spend anytime outside, you can feel yourself wilt and struggle to go on.

    We can find our self like this even on more temperate days.  If we have days when we exert a lot of energy, we can feel exhausted and panting for water.  It doesn’t even have to be physical labor; it can be from a very emotional experience or a very stress

ful experience.  We can be exhausted and just like the deer; we pant for flowing streams.

    This Psalm actually has an even darker meaning.  Not only is the deer panting and looking for water, it is being hunted.  It is being chased and it runs and runs.  It seeks safety along with a cool drink of water to help it rejuvenate itself.  But like any animal that has been hunted, it never really rests.  It keeps its eyes and ears open and listening; wary of any sound or movement.

    We, too, are like this deer.  We are hunted and chased everyday.  The devil uses all of his tricks to hound us, to set snares for us, to hunt us down.  We need to be wary like this deer.  As we struggle with this battle, we weary and tire because we cannot fight this battle and win.  The hunter is too cagey and skilled.  He will win if we fight this battle….alone.

     But we do not fight this battle alone.  God has shown us his great love for us by sending Jesus to redeem us and to buy us back from the bondage of sin.  God is our refuge and salvation.  We can see this image of being hunted or in danger throughout the Psalms, especially.  Take the image of the hunted deer and read Psalm 23.  We have still waters, green pastures to lie down in; when can a hunted deer lie down?  But because of the safety of Christ we can lie down, we can rest.  We can rest the true rest which gives us peace.

     We, as Christians, are in the devil’s sights all day and all night.  The devil seeks whom he may devour.  He looks for those who have left the safety of the herd and wandered off.  The devil then lures us into one of his traps in order to separate us from God.  So all day long we are chased by the pain of broken and hurting relationships, broken and hurting health, broken and hurting dreams and loves, broken and hurting because the rain just seems to keep missing us when everyone else gets plenty.  Some days it seems like we are assaulted from all sides and we are exhausted and panting like a hunted deer.  To all of this Jesus says to us, “come, come all of you who are weary and I will give you rest.” (Mt. 11:28).  When we hear God’s Word speak to us with its message of redemption and with the message of hope, we can trust that the devil will never touch us.  We can have that rest and we can rest with the assurance that we have peace with and peace from God.  We have a loving God who has walked down the paths we have walked and gives us comfort and hope, secure in His loving arms.       

Gracious Lord, we pant for your goodness and righteousness.  We can never attain it on our own but rely solely on You to give us the streams of water and the pastures of green to rest and renew in.  Keep us throughout this day; hold us gently in your loving arms.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray.  Amen    

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

9-2-2015

        Good Morning All!!                 

        Exodus 1:15; “Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah,”

     It is one of those things that drive me crazy.  It is when I see someone I know but cannot remember their name.  If I get time, I will try to remember how I know them.  Are they from church or from baseball?  Sometimes it helps but sometimes it doesn’t.  Sometimes I just have to admit it and ask them what their name is.  It is a little embarrassing but life goes on.  

    He was the most powerful man in the most powerful nation world at the time.  Egypt was the major power and the Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, goes unnamed in our verse and throughout the whole Exodus story.  Yet we know the name of the two midwives.  They may have been the overseers of the midwives or they may have been the most popular midwives; we don’t know much about them except their names.  Ironic, we know everything about Pharaoh except his name and we know nothing of the midwives except for their names.  This occurs for a reason.  The midwives were faithful to God and his commands while the Pharaoh was not.  The midwives were remembered while the Pharaoh was not.

     God remembers those who are faithful to him.  He blesses them and gives them life.  We are told in a couple of verses that the midwives were given their own families by God.  He rewarded their faithfulness with the gift that they desired.  Go remembers those who are faithful.  He remembers them and gives them comfort and hope.  He rewards them with life, because of his wonderful love; he pours his grace upon them.  He showers them with his blessings forever.

     God is always faithful to his promises.  God took an oath and swore upon himself to always be faithful and we receive the benefit of that promise.   For God promised to always bless, preserve, and to enrich the lives of those who are faithful to him.  “Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life.” This promise rings loud and true for us.  “Whoever confesses my name before men, his name I will confess before my Father;” a promise of blessing to those who are faithful to God and his Word.

    So we trust God.  The promises that he makes to us give us the hope we need to face each day.  His faithfulness never ends.  It will sustain us through all the trials we face.  As we hold onto God’s great promise of eternal life; God will remember our name, write it in the Book of Life and bring us into his eternal glory.

Father, you call those whom you love by name and bless them with your grace and mercy.  Protect us this day from all that the devil throws at us.  Keep us safe and guide us to be faithful both in word and in action that our life may be pleasing to you.  Guard those who are suffering because of your name and defend them from all evil.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

9-1-2015

        Good Morning All!!                 

          Matthew 6:10; “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  

    I remember having a discussion one night many, many years ago with a few friends at college.  Of course, as college age men, the discussion quickly turned to college age women.  One of the guys was relating a story that did not bode well for the future of the relationship with the young lady he was dating.  He said the last three times that they went out on a date were very confusing.  The first time, he picked her up went and ate pizza then went to a movie.  When they got back, he asked her if she had fun and she told him that she really wanted chicken and then go to one of the clubs and go dancing.  The next time, he asked her what she wanted to do.  She said she didn’t care so he suggested getting some chicken and going to the park.  She didn’t feel like that.  He tried going to nice supper; she really wasn’t dressed for that.  How about just staying in and watching TV?  She had hoped to go to a play but watching TV was good enough.  The third time she told him she wanted to do what he wanted to do; they went to a football game and she complained the whole time.

    We commiserated but after he left, we agreed their time together was coming to an end.  They couldn’t agree on what to do together.  He couldn’t figure out what she wanted and she would not meet him to figure it out.  In many ways, this was a battle of wills and neither could or would meet the other.  In this case, it was a question of two equal wills seeking balance.  Yet in our faith walk, we confess that God’s will is perfect while ours is not.  This is what we confess but is it what we live.

    It is the greatest challenge we face, to submit our will to God’s will.  We know God’s will is to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy but does our will suggest, “I need to do something else to ‘rest.’”  We know God’s will is to love our neighbor but do I have to really give something up to make sure his needs are met?  Our will struggles against God’s will on a regular basis with the devil telling you that your will is best for your life not God’s will.  It was this thought process that led Adam and Eve to disobey God and eat the fruit.  It is this thought process that leads to our destruction and sorrow.  Our way is almost always trouble.

    This is why Jesus instructs us to pray “Your will be done.”  We pray for God’s will to be done and we pray that God’s will is the one we choose.  We pray that we will come to see that God’s will is the best for us, even when we are convinced otherwise.  God calls us to follow his will.  We know the destruction that occurs when we follow our own will.  We know the pain.  Our hope for comfort comes from following, seeking and trusting God’s will and that it is done.

Father of all mercy; lead us to seek your will and to love only you.  Send your Spirit that I might know you better.  Guide me to walk in your path alone.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret