4-22-2021

 Good Morning All!

           Mark 1:1; “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

      It is always interesting how different writers start out their books.  The first sentence usually gives you a good idea about whether you want to keep reading or not.  How a book starts has even led to a contest.  It is called the Bulwer-Lytton fiction contest.  It is designed to have the worst introducing sentence possible.  It is named after Edward Bulwer-Lytton who wrote the infamous beginning,” It was a dark and stormy night-except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by violent gusts…”  You get the picture.  This first sentence went down in history as one of, if not the, worst opening lines in all of literature.  Yet most of us can recite the opening lines to many famous poems and stories because of the impact of these lines.  “Listen my children and you shall hear…” or “Call me Ishmael.”  Or “It was the best of times it was the worst of times…”

     The Books of the Bible have interesting opening lines as well.  Unfortunately, we do not always read them, but some are quite fascinating.  Our verse for today is one of those verses.  “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God”.  Short, concise and to the point, this is about as plain as it gets.  There is a certain amount of irony in that beginning.  Even though it calls Jesus the “Son of God”, that rarely happens in the Book of Mark.  Peter calls him that, the centurion at the crucifixion does, the demons do but most people are left asking the question,” Who is this man?”  He is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  Every time the question is asked, it has already been answered.

     The other thing to notice is that it is the beginning of the gospel.  The Gospel of Jesus is not over in any way or anyhow.  So, if the Gospel of Mark is only the beginning; then that means that the story continues, and it does.  Mark weaves the story of Jesus through the use of miracles and the people ask,” Who is this man?”  It occurs so often; you almost want to scream at the Bible “IT IS JESUS” get a clue.  Yet Mark answered the question before it was even asked.

      So as this Gospel is just the beginning, it continues today through us.  We know the answer to the question; it is Jesus.  We can have confidence in God’s amazing love because that love is revealed in the Scriptures, especially here in Mark.  Jesus shows his power over the weather, the demons, sickness, and then his power over death itself.  The Book of Mark reveals Jesus as the powerful God who loved his creation so much that He took on the form of man.  Jesus enters our dirty, infested lives because He loves us, and this is only the beginning. 

         We are only beginning to experience God’s love.  We get just a little taste of that great banquet when we join in the Lord’s Supper.  We get just a little taste of it through God’s grace.  We live within the Church, which is grace, as God molds us into His disciples until we are given the gift of heaven; when grace is completed, and glory is ours.          

Father of grace, your mercies are new to us each day.  We give you thanks that this is only the beginning of the love that you have for us.  The peace which you give keeps us safe within your arms.  You guard and protect us from all the devil’s ways.  Keep us safe this day and use us as your hands to carry your grace throughout the world.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

4-21-2021

 Good Morning All!

               Romans 5:2; “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God”.

    Many years ago, we were at a gathering that was occurring in the local hall.  It was a centennial meal and there were long tables, and the food was being served in a buffet style and a generally buoyant, joyful fellowship was being shared by all.  One the ladies helping serve had a very young daughter with her.  At about 3 years-old, she was quietly playing by the back door.  She was a little shy and nervous around all those people, but mom was always in sight.  What the little girl did not know was that people were going to use that back door to bring in food and drink to replenish the buffet.  She did not hear the door open but suddenly, a very tall, large man with a beard towered over her.  Now, the man was one of the kindest men in the community, but the little girl did not know this and as she looked way up to him, she screamed in terror and turned to find her mom and she did not see mom!

    She panicked and turned again, wide eye in fear, but then, she saw her grandfather and he saw her.  She ran as fast as she could to him.  He kneeled down on one knee so he could catch her and calm her down.  Slowly, grandpa stood, held her tight and comforted her sobs.  She was safe, safe in grandpa’s arms.

    Often over the past twenty years or so, our verse has been explained using passwords on computers or websites or emails or whatever to talk about gaining access.  While those may be of some value, we do not want to lose sight of the spiritual and emotional value that we have.  We have complete access to God.  We can now freely run to him, in our greatest terror or worry or fear and take comfort in his eternal love.  God is knelling right now waiting, wanting you to leap into his arms for safety and comfort.  He wants you to cling to Him as a loving parent or grandparent longs to comfort and love that child that is hurting.

    God gives you total access because of the atoning work of Jesus.  Jesus’ death and resurrection and ascension draws us into the holy family of God because we are made holy by Jesus’ death, we are shown the truth of the gift by the open tomb and receive the assurance of Christ’s reign by his ascension and the certain hope of his return.  All authority belongs to Jesus and by that authority, we are given access to the heavenly Father and in that access, we have nothing to fear, for we are always safe in his arms.  We do not even have to run to him; he is already holding us, keeping us safe from all the evil the devil can throw at us.

Father of all access, we cling to you by faith in the wonderful, good news of Jesus.  By his death and resurrection, we are empowered to be your children and given free and total access to your saving grace.  Draw us ever unto you that we may keep our eyes ever on you.  Be with those who are terrified right now.  Bring them to know your peace, your hope, and your tender calming love.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

4-20-2021

          Good Morning All!

       Psalm 145: 18-19: “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in    truth.  He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.”

    Sometimes life goes relatively smoothly.  We coast through the days, happy as most things go according either to our plans or our desires.  We often do not think too much when things go well.  But when we face trouble, we often see things differently.  We usually start to wonder what we did wrong to deserve this trouble.  We sometimes wonder if we are the only ones who are being afflicted.  All the time we struggle with why.  Why is this happening and why God is not fixing it?

    BUT God, in his mercy, has chosen to save us.  He has redeemed us from the devil and the power of sin and called us to be his children.  He has given us salvation and He has given us the tools to survive under him in his kingdom.  He gives us his Word through which He speaks His Words of love and forgiveness.  He gives us His holy sacraments; the water connected to the Word to cleanse us and His precious body and blood to refresh us and renew us.  He also gives us the power and gift of prayer.

    Notice our verse “The Lord is near all who call on Him.” We never walk alone; we never face the trials and struggles of this life alone.  God is always with us.  Jesus experienced everything which we have or will and he conquered it for us.  We can confidently and boldly go to Him in prayer, and He will hear our cry and He will save us.  How God chooses to do this is a mystery to us.  Yet we can have confidence in a God that saved us from the devil with the incredible price of His Son dying on a cross to protect and defend us.

    We may face health issues that are life altering or require surgery.  We may see our job teetering on the brink of disappearing.  We may watch our land dry up and blow away.  We may see our whole country collapse under the weight of too many problems and too few answers.  We may see it all, but we know that as God’s people He will rescue us from eternal damnation and give us hope and comfort when all other supports fail around us.  Go to God in prayer.  Go to him in earnest, sincere prayer and He will answer you.  In the Book of James, we read that “we do not have, because we do not ask.”  Make daily prayer part of your life not as a superstition or the last act of a desperate man.  Go to Him in faith, confessing our sins, thanksgiving for the gifts we have and for the needs which we have.  He has promised to answer; He has promised to be near and to incline his ear to you and to listen to you and to give you his comfort and peace.  Speak to the Lord for He is listening.

 Dear gracious Lord, your holy will be truly accomplished without us, but you have called upon your people to pray to you and to ask for your blessings.  Father we pray for all those who are hurting and lost.  We ask that you comfort them and sustain them.  We look around and see all the blessing that we have, and we give you thanks for them especially for the grace which we receive from you through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus in whose name we pray.  Amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret      

4-19-2021

 Good Morning All!

       1 Timothy 1:15; “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (KJV)

    Have you ever engaged with someone else a debate about who is the best or who is the worst?  For example, which was the best baseball team, the 1927 Yankees, the 1955 Dodgers, the 1975 Reds or the 1998 Yankees?  If you get some real baseball guys together; that question is never answered; you can make the case for all of them by taking different parts of the game and different parts of society into factoring your decision.  You can have an opinion and as long as you have some facts; you can hold your own.

    In our verse, Paul tells his young pupil Timothy that he is number #1!!  Paul tells him that he is the best, the top dog, the king of the hill, numero uno, the chief sinner.  Usually, we want to be the chief, but do we want to be the chief sinner?  We may not want to be the chief sinner but we often times are.  We may not feel like it and in the eyes of the world we may not be.  I have never murdered anyone.  I have never given false testimony in a court of law.  But I have been angry at another person and not for good reasons.  I have never given false testimony, but I have listened to and shared in some good, juicy gossip at the local coffee klatch.  I have wished that someone else would fall so I could get ahead.  All of these are sins and Scriptures says that all sins rise as a stench to God.  All sins are like the carcass of a dead animal on a July day.    We are all chief of sinners just like Paul.

      But God in his grace solved that.  Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, even the worst ones like me and like you.  God sends his Spirit to bring this point home.  When we receive this by faith, we have all the joy that we can have.  We are on the journey with the Spirit toward our heavenly home which Christ has gained for us.

      This is how the Large Catechism says it when it is talking regarding the petition for forgiveness in the Lord’s Prayer: “For this is the essence of a genuinely Christian life, to acknowledge that we are sinners and to pray for grace.  It depends not on the purity of the confession but on hearing and believing what God wishes to say, namely, that your sins are forgiven.  The disciple concentrates on that and cherishes it, giving praise and gratitude to God.”

      When we acknowledge that we are the chief of sinners and need God’s forgiveness; that is the essence of Christian life.  We need God’s grace; God gave us that grace even before we knew it.  He continues to give it and will always give it.  We only need to trust in his Word, and we receive the blessing of life starting with the washing of the stench in the waters of Baptism and nourished by the Word and Holy Communion.  This trust leads us in confidence and boldness to pray to God asking for and believing in his promises.  God promises to hear all who call on him in faith, trusting in his mercy for Christ’s sake.  So maybe being chief of sinners isn’t that bad; especially when we are cleansed by the blood of the Lamb and declared holy for his sake.

Dear Father in heaven, by nature I am chief of sinners.  Yet in your love you redeemed me and made me your own.  For this and all other gifts I give you thanks and praise.  Continue to cleanse me, to wash me and make me into the disciple that you want me to be, in Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

4-18-2021

 Good Morning All!

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

    When the weather is hot and the sun is beating down upon us, it can be miserable.  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 does not even have to be physical labor; it can be from a very emotional experience or a very stressful 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, but it is also 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.

    We, too, are like this deer.  We are hunted and chased every day.  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 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 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 speaking 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.

    The devil will still scowl and try to attack but we can rest comfortably in the arms of the risen Savior.  God is our protection and shield that will never fail.

 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

4-17-2021

 Good Morning All!

       Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

     I am always fascinated by talented people.  I have gone to “Arts in the Park” or saw some things on Facebook where people display their talents.  There were woodworkers and free hand sketch artists; there were leather workers and photo artists; just a whole host of people who made intricate and beautiful items.  The workmanship was flawless and the talent very apparent.  Some talent must be seen to really be appreciated.  A cowboy at a rodeo who ropes and ties a calf is a fine workmanship.  Some talent is best tasted; a master chef whose delicacies seem to melt in your mouth.  Some are heard; a musician who makes an instrument sing in either a joyful tone or a sorrowful lament can make one shudder.

    There is an old story about a violin that is being auctioned off at a farm sale.  The auctioneer holds it up and tries to get a bid of $2.  There are no offers.  He lowers it to $1 then he offers to give someone a dollar if they will bid a dollar.  Then a quiet man comes to auctioneer and asks to see the violin.  He strums it and he turns the pegs a little.  He then takes the bow and plays the sweetest sounds that anyone there had ever heard.  He gave the auctioneer back the violin and the bidding began.  First it was $50 then $250 then $500 then $1000 then it sold for $2500.  When the auctioneer was asked why the sudden change in its value; the auctioneer replied,” it was all in the touch of the master’s hand.”

    You and I are the same way.  We have no value.  But God, who is the master craftsman of the universe, takes us in his hands and makes us his workmanship.  God is continually shaping and molding us into his craftsmanship into his disciples.  Just like that violin, we need to be tuned and brought back into key with the right tone and the right sound.  Then we need to be played with the talent of the master violinist.  In Isaiah we are compared to clay and God is the potter.  No matter what imagine you use, God is, in a very hands-on way, shaping you to do the works which He has laid out for us to do.  God prepares you for the opportunities to witness which come to you.  God prepares you for the opportunities to bring glory to His name when they come to you.  We may fail at these; we may not see God’s hand in our preparation, but it is there, and we need to trust in Him to give us the tools to do His work.

Dear Father, we often fail as your instruments and tools; for we fear when we should be strong, we hesitate when we should go forth.  Forgive us our sins.  Give us the courage to be your people to be your hands and to be your light in this dark and wounded world.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret     

4-16-2021

 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 mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”

     I am only human!!  How many times have we heard or said that?  Maybe you found yourself trying to be in two places at the same time or trying to get two things done at once.  Maybe you have been put in a situation which it is almost impossible for one person to achieve and we say,” I am only human.

    Usually, we say this when we are caught in a moment of impropriety; a spouse who looked at an attractive member of the opposite sex a little too long.  Maybe someone dropped a bagful of change and we picked some up and kept it; after all I’m only human.  Maybe the teacher left the test answers open on her desk while she talked to someone outside the classroom; I’m only human.  Maybe we are in the boss’s office and he has the employee evaluations sitting there; one little peak I’m only human.

    We love that excuse because we think it gives us a pass on any failure or sin after all “I’m only human”.  The problem with that is that this statement isn’t quite truth.  When God created man, man was perfect and without sin.  Man was made in the image of God and was thus the image-bearer of God in creation.  To be human was to have the image of God.  After sin entered the world, the image of God was lost.  Sinners have stopped being human.  God defines what it means to be human.  We are to do justice.  That means we are to do everything in our power to see to it that justice is done.  If we know we are undercharged for an item, we should say so.  If we know that we have an extra calf in the pasture, we should say so.  If we see someone who is being oppressed or taken advantage of, we should say so.  We are to do justice.

    We are to love mercy.  We are to seek out every opportunity to show love to our fellow man.  We are not to avoid it; we don’t look the other way and then claim, “I didn’t see it after all I’m only human.” When we hear the cry of pain or the lament of sorrow, we are to love mercy and show it to our fellow man.

    We are to walk humbly before God.  We are to remember that God is God, and we are not.  We may not always understand why God does what he does but we are to trust in God’s mercy and look to what He has shown us.  God has shown us His love by the sending of Jesus to pay for our sins and to redeem us back from sin.  The love God shows us is so much more than we deserve that our response should be humble adoration and thanksgiving for what God has done.

     That is what it means to be only human.  If we really want to use that saying properly; next time we should say, “I’m only a sinner”; not as funny but more accurate.  We pray to be more human as God shapes us to be his disciples.

Gracious Lord, our lives are always empty as we fail to live up to your standards.  We are incapable of it, yet you love us anyway.  We thank you for your grace and tender mercies which are showered upon every day.  Make us to be human as You created us to be.  Call us as your people and keep us safe in your loving arms.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret