5-21-2019

 Good Morning All,

         Psalm 119:50; “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life."

    I was watching on one of the food shows about “comfort foods”.  It was interesting, at least to me, what different people and the different regions consider “comfort food.”  Some in the south consider collard greens as comfort food.  I don’t know too much about that but it isn’t my definition of comfort food.  Some consider ice cream (I can live with that) and some consider chocolate (ditto) to be comfort foods.  I admit that I am more of a midwestern traditionalist.  I consider mac and cheese to be of comfort but my favorite has become a grilled cheese sandwich with sliced green olives on it and home grown, homemade tomato soup.  That will provide a wonderful dose of comfort.

    It is true we can find comfort in food, sometimes too much comfort.  Some find comfort in books, some, in blankets, some in gardening, some in music or painting, some in fishing or any one of a number of things.  While we can find some comfort in these things or activities, we need to be sure that we seek our true comfort from our true source.  Our true comfort comes from God.

    Unfortunately, many will try to find comfort in all the wrong places.  They may turn to drugs or alcohol; they may overdo comfort foods.  They may try to find it in meaningless relationships.  The world will encourage you to always look in the wrong places but Scriptures invites you into a whole new realm.  The Bible invites you to see that our comfort is found in the truth that God, who created everything, is very active in our creation and in our lives.  God is not standing around watching as a spectator.  He is not so far removed as to not care; God is a god who gets his hands dirty in our lives.  He is involved and desires to being us comfort and hope.  He offers it to us in the knowledge of Jesus and the redemption he offers us.  It is revealed to us in God’s Word and a foretaste is offered in the form of holy communion.  God is very present in our world and especially in the lives of those who believe and trust in his promises.  Our true comfort comes in the form of a loving God who has given to us eternal life.

    God shows us that his promise of life far exceeds any fear of this world.   This world can only do that; it can only cause us to fear.  God offers us hope; he tells us we have nothing to fear he has already defeated the world and its lies.  So, we have a choice; trust God and his promises or believe the world and the lies it tells us.  Some choice!  Trust God; find comfort in his Word and sacrament.  Trust God to offer you the peace that only He can, to offer you the hope that only He can and to give you the true life that only He can.

Father, too often I listen to the lies of this world and look for my comfort in the wrong places.  Forgive me when I fail and return me to the certainty of your grace.  Comfort with the assurance of your mercy and the hope of life everlasting.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

5-20-2019

Good Morning All,

Psalm 34:18; “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

    Many older houses have some cracks in them.  They can show up because the house settles and the foundation shifts a little.  Sometimes they can occur because of the temperature differences between inside and out.  The difference causes stress on the wall which can then cause the wall to crack.  These stresses can cause the wall to crack.  The crack is not the intent rather it is the result.  Some would call this collateral damage.

    Collateral damage occurs in our life as well.  Stress and strain which occurs elsewhere can show up in other places.  Many have experienced it.  Many have experienced from both sides.  Perhaps the stress of work can cause the problem.  Maybe it is the stress of fighting the weather both physically and emotionally.  This stress can cause us to lash out and hurt others for the stress we feel.  We lash out at our spouses, children, friends and we cause cracks in our relationships.

    Perhaps you experience the collateral damage, those cracks.  Maybe you feel the pain of an unloving spouse, a rebellious child or a boss that makes your job painful.  These cracks hurt.  They can cause us all sorts of problems to us.  If we experience one crack in our life; we may fear a new one.  An experience as a child may continue to hurt as an adult.  If you were hurt by a parent; you may struggle with being a parent.  The cracks can affect us for a long time.  Some may try to fix the cracks; we cover them up but they will often re-appear when those stresses to the foundation occur again.  Ultimately, the only way to fix the crack is to fix the foundation.

    We need to see what our foundation is set upon.  Jesus tells us that a house built upon the sand will not stand up in a storm.  We need to be built upon the rock which is faith in Jesus.  Yet perhaps the greatest gift we have is that even though we sin and sometimes our foundation is not that solid; God forgives us.  He heals our broken heart and binds up our wounds.  He restores our soul; he fixes our foundation.  He also fixes those cracks in our walls; those blemishes which can show in our lives. 

     We need to trust in God’s promise so that we see past the stresses.  We need to keep our hope in his unending grace.  We need to remember and focus on the truth that our true joy is found not here in this world but is found in Jesus and in life everlasting.  This is our only hope.  Only by trusting in God and his mercy can we stand up to the stresses of life.  Only faith in him can heal the cracks in our lives.

Dear Father, we face the challenges of life and when we face them on our own strength we crumble and crack.  Give us the strength to stand tall by your grace and power.  Keep us held in your arms.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

5-19-2019

  Good Morning All,

    Psalm 31:24; “Be strong, all who wait with hope for the Lord, and let your heart be courageous."

    Think of some of the phrases that we hear that drive us crazy.  Some of mine are “I’ll get right on it.” Or “I’ll do it when I get time.”  Or “We’ll be with you with the next available operator.”  Or “You’re next on the list!”  Or “We’ll be back in 15 minutes!”  All these phrases can test on patience; they test our ability to wait.      

    We don’t wait very well.  Your computer downloads are too slow, the microwave is too slow.  The big box store needs more express checkout lines.  Everything we deal with needs to get done quicker and quicker.  Waiting is not something we do very well.  If it isn’t a fast food restaurant it has to be fast dining; whatever that is? 

    We thrive on instant access to everything.  Do you want to know the temperature in a dozen different cities around the world? You can find out in an instance.  Do you want to find out about a favorite star or athlete?  You can do it in an instance.  You can order clothes to be delivered in a couple of days.  We desire speed; we want it NOW! 

    That part of our nature, the part that doesn’t like to wait, is one part that causes us to struggle in our faith life.  God’s time is not always our time.  God’s ways are not the same as our ways.  So, when we see or experience an event; we want an answer and we want it now.  Our prayer is often “Lord, give me patience and give it to me now!”  So, when I want an answer; I expect God to deliver.

     This is part of why God tells us to wait for the Lord.  To “wait” means to trust that God will deliver on his promises.  We are expectant of something wonderful happening.  Just like the expectant mother wants joyful for the birth of her child, so we wait for the Lord.  We need to trust in God’s grace and mercy for we can take heart, we can find our confidence in that God will keep his promises.  God has kept all his promises so far and is faithful to keep them all tomorrow and forever.

    So, you and I need to learn about being patient and about waiting for God.  If we look at Scriptures, we see a lot of waiting.  Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born.  Jacob and Rebekah waited 40 years after they were married for their sons to be born.  Moses waited 40 years for the Lord to call him back.  David waited 15 years after being anointed as the next king to be the next king.  How long will you wait?  How long will you and I wait for God to answer our prayers?  It is a hard question to answer but one which we need to strive for; one we need to ask God to lead us and guide us as we go forward.  Patience results in humbly trusting God.  It is as Paul wrote endurance (patience) produces character and character produces hope and hope never fails.

Dear Father, our patience is weak and we do not like to wait.  Mold us into the disciple who waits, who is patient and trusting.  Mold us into the disciple who knows only faith in you.  Give strength and courage to your people.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

5-18-2019

      Good Morning All,

    Psalm 57:1; “Have pity on me, O God. Have pity on me, because my soul takes refuge in you.  I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until destructive storms pass by."

    There is an old saying among sailors about any port in a storm.  There was even a time when the great shipping nations would grant enemy ships the right to make harbor in case of a storm.  After the storm, the ship had a few hours to sail and then they were fair game.  It was often the suddenness of the storm that would cause the sailors to fear.

    A calm day could turn into a nightmare.  The seafarer soon became skilled at reading the signs of the weather.  Red sky at morning sailor take warning; red sky at night sailor delight.  This saying is very old and believed by many sailors, even today.  It didn’t take long for sailors to begin to read all the signs that would give clues to the coming weather.  They would watch the animals, the birds, and the fish all provided behavioral patterns to which the sailors could try and determine problems ahead.

     Yet many a sailor would go out and many a sailor would find themselves in trouble.  They would seek any port in a storm to keep them safe.  Many people today have that same attitude.  They seek any and all ports of safety in a storm.

     We see this when a person faces a health scare.  As they wait for the results from the tests; they pray and then check their horoscope and then do some form of luck enhancement.  When the test come back negative, they thank their lucky stars, dodged the bullet and may even say a quick prayer of thanks.  Yet if the results are not negative; what comfort do your “lucky stars” give you?  We need to know where our stronghold truly is.

    David wrote that God is my refuge and strength.  He was a guy who knew about trouble.  Even though he was the greatest king that Israel had ever known; he spent a lot of time running and hiding from people trying to kill him.  Even when he was all alone and the enemy surrounded him, he found refuge in God.  We can as well.  God offers us the assurance of our salvation and the certain promise of our salvation.  Even when all the earthly pretenders fail; God provides.

    While many think that it is acceptable to “cover all the bases” and look for comfort from any who claim to offer it; our only true source of comfort and happiness is in God.  Our salvation is guaranteed because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.  This is our port, our only port, in any storm, in any trial or tribulation; God protects us and guards us from all danger.  We will face many trials; this is part of sinful man but God promises to guard us and protect us from all harm and evil.  We don’t even have to read the signs; simply trust our port, our stronghold for our salvation; Jesus our risen Lord.      

Dear Father, you keep us safe from all that the devil and this sinful world throw at us.  We give you thanks for your comforting spirit and your safe and loving arms.  Be with those who are in need of your comfort and give us the wisdom to reach out to those who need it most.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

5-17-2019

 Good Morning All,

                Luke 19:5; “When Jesus came to the tree, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down! I must stay at your house today.”

    Meal time can be one of the most important times in our day.  Some meals can be some of the most important times of your lives.  Think of the first meal you ate you’re your future spouse.  Think of the first meal you ate with your future in-laws.  Think of the meals that you have spent with your family or friends.  When you are with those whom you love, the food seems to taste better.  It seems to be made with love.

    I remember as a child we would have many meals with uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents, great aunts and uncles.  We would sit around the table, enjoy the meal and then enjoy the time of talking and listening.  The younger ones would sit and listen to their past being told to them in very carefully crafted and honed stories.  The older members would listen to their future as the dreams of tomorrow were expressed.

    Sometimes, the best times are spent with friends around the meal table.  You share stories of children as they grow and before too long; you are sharing stories of grandchildren.  Time spent with family and friends around the meal table makes even unbearable events tolerable.  It is often around a table with food on it that friends cry together over the death of a parent or spouse.  We use the meal table for some of our most important life events.

    Jesus spends a lot of time around the meal table with people.  Some, like our verse, were among the outcasts of Jewish society.  Other times, Jesus is eating with the Pharisees and debating the meaning of the Law.  Jesus spends much of his time eating meals with the people that he interacts with.  It appears that the common event was to have him over for a meal after the Sabbath was done.  The only question was whether it was with the Jewish leaders or with the Jewish outcasts.

    Jesus spends this time in much the same way that we do.  He used this time to listen to the people but mostly to try and to teach them with a more in depth understanding of what the kingdom of heaven meant and how God was a God who loved them as dear children.  Jesus used the meal time table to deliver his message of salvation.  This gave him a personal, intimate time with those to whom he came.  He shared with them the meal as he told them his salvation.

    Jesus comes to us in the form of a meal today.  He comes to us in his body and blood with all of its spirit refreshing and soul reviving benefits.  Jesus comes to you with his personal and intimate message of salvation.  He comes to you and he comes to me with the message of the forgiveness of sins and the hope of life eternal.

Dear Father, Come to us we pray.  Come to share with us to comfort us to give us the hope of life eternal.  Guard us with your tender hand and keep us safe in you.  Be with those who are in need of your grace the most.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret            

5-16-2019

Good Morning All,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

5-15-2019

Good Morning All,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret