5-19-2022

 Good Morning!

         Isaiah 66:13; “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.”

    We have either seen it or been part of it many times over. Even now, I remember some of the times when my mother comforted me. I vividly remember one winter day when we were going home from a relative’s house. The sidewalk was icy, so I took off running and slid down the sidewalk. I found that I had no way to stop but I thought a soft landing in a snowbank at the end of the walk would be alright.  The problem was that the snowbank had been put there by the city plow and it was as hard as a rock. I hit it and all the wind was knocked out of me. I couldn’t even cry until we were already out of town. I rode home on her lap the whole way.

    I can remember times when either my wife or I would have to comfort our sons after a fun play session ended with someone crashing and then crying. A few times we comforted them on the way to the emergency room for stitches. When they were very young, we would hold them, rock a little, usually stroke their head and quietly talk to them trying to calm the down. The first few sniffles and cries were usually pretty loud and intense but eventually they would at least only whimper and then usually go to sleep.

     I have found that my role as pastor has led me to be a “comforter.”  There are probably those who will tell you that there is a proper way to do this, but I tend to hold and to hug those who are hurting and crying. It is a lot like when my children would need to be comforted. It seems that people don’t need to hear a lot; they just want to be held and to be reassured that the world isn’t completely crashing down on them- even as it seems so.

    That is one of the truly great gifts that God gives us with our faith. We still feel the pain of events, dying loved ones, health issues, breaking relationships, failures in life. They are still there and very, very real. Yet we have God’s comfort. We have his presence through the Spirit in our lives to comfort us. One of the great benefits of being comforted is that you feel some peace and you can rest. We get that time when we rest, even if we were exhausted before, we get to rest.

    That is part of God’s great mercy for us- rest. Too often, we are tormented by the devil and his lies; God destroys those lies and in doing so we have comfort, and we have rest. God comforts us just as a mother comforts her child. He holds us close and whispers quietly in our ear. We hear his words of forgiveness and of hope and we can rest assured of his presence, of his peace. The world will try to destroy it, but God’s promise is sure; we have comfort, we have peaceful rest. So as life throws pain and sadness at you, remember; God gives you comfort, and he gives you peace to rest.

Dearest Father, there are many times when we cry to you over the pain we experience and you comfort us, you give us hope. We come to you in pain, and you give us rest. We give you thanks for this gift and we ask you Father to use us to be those to whom others may find comfort and rest. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

5-18-2022

 Good Morning!

     Hebrews 13:5; “Be happy with what you have because God has said, “I will never abandon you or leave you.”

    I know I show my age with this, but the TV show “MASH” is one of my favorite shows. It offers some good bits of wisdom every so often. I was always fascinated by how the main characters evolved through the years. Major Houlihan went from a ditzy bimbo to a highly skilled and compassionate nurse. Hawkeye went from a gold-plated womanizer to an early version of the “equal rights” man. I found the change in Father Mulcahy to be the most interesting. He went from being a bumbling incompetent person to being a highly compassionate and very wise. His observations were always timely and worth hearing. Radar seemed to grow up and went from a goofy kid to a major component of the operation of the unit.

    One of the segments that I remember best is the one where Radar’s widowed mother started dating again. He was nervous and asked Hawkeye for his advice. Hawkeye told him how when his widower father started to see a woman, Hawkeye made them miserable, and the woman left and now his father was still all alone. Hawkeye offered this observation, “Loneliness is everything it is cracked up to be.”

    I don’t know why that line stays with me. I think it has to do with the fact that man was created to be a creature of relationships.  We were created to have a very close relationship with God. Adam and God used to walk in the garden in the cool of the morning; now that would be an experience. Man was also created to have a loving and caring relationship with each other as well. Sadly, sin ruined all this.

    We desire to be in a relationship, but sin warps our view of this relationship. How many times do we hear someone say something and then misread the message? How often do we perceive something completely wrong? We really do this when we look at our relationship with God. The devil and our sinful self tell us that God is a “no fun” guy who only makes rules that we can’t keep in order to punish us. The truth is that God’s will is what is best for us and will restore us to the type of life that will truly make us content.

    God is always with us even when we don’t feel it. It is our own selfishness that causes our loneliness from God. We turn from God not the other way around. God continually seeks us out trying to bring us back into his flock. We are hounded by his goodness and mercy constantly driving us back to his grace. We only need to surrender and trust in his love for us. When we stop fighting, we will stop being lonely.

Gracious Lord, I often feel all alone. Yet I know that you are with me; you bring me comfort and hope. Strengthen me with your grace that I may live in your family and in harmony with my fellow brothers and sisters. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

5-17-2022

 Good Morning!

John 8:11; “And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

    This is the ending of one of those stories that many people know. This is part of the woman who is “caught” in adultery and the Scribes, and the Pharisees want to stone her. Jesus comments let him who has no sin throw the first stone and eventually they all walk away. There is one part of this story that Scriptures tells us but doesn’t explain. Two times we are told that Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground, but we aren’t told what he wrote!

    Just think of the scene that is described. If the woman was truly “caught” in adultery; she was probably naked. She was dragged through the streets to the temple naked. You can imagine her fear, her shock, her shame. She was probably cowering up against the wall, trying to cover herself and fearing for her life. She was surrounded by a bunch of angry, judging men!

    As Jesus came to the scene, the Scribes saw a chance to embarrass Jesus so they asked him what they should do. He didn’t answer; he wrote on the ground. What did he write? We don’t know but I have always wondered if Jesus, who is God, looked into each man’s heart and began to write the sins which they were guilty of. Did he look into their hearts and see greed, envy, jealousy, anger, hatred, lust, or any one of a dozen other sins? I have found the sequence interesting; he wrote, he told those without sin to cast the first stone, then he wrote some more. What did he write? What did the woman think about this as the men dropped the stones and slowly and quietly slipped away?

   Jesus looked at her and told her, “I don’t condemn you, go and sin no more.”  We place a lot of emphasis on the first part but very little on the second part. We like the first part because it is a feel-good statement but the second makes us uncomfortable. But look at it, why was the woman in the street naked? She was engaged in a sinful act; if she hadn’t been doing that, she would have never been naked in the street! When you engage in sinful activities, there are negative effects on your life. If you hate or lust or envy; you will experience sadness, anger, anxiety, and discontentment.

    Jesus forgives your sins but if we keep going back to them; we will never live the life which God wants you to enjoy! Sin continually rips us from God’s love by causing us to turn from his grace and looking at our own selfish desire. God is there with us always, offering us the forgiveness that we so desperately need but he also begs us to turn from sin, turn from the actions, thoughts and desires that cause our pain and problems to start with. Jesus forgives our sins and offers us hope, hope for our salvation but also a hope for a better tomorrow. He offers us a hope to live our life in accordance with his perfect will. This is why his directive, “go and sin no more” means hope for us.

Dearest Father, through your mercy you do not condemn us. Lead us to see that living according to your will leads us to live the life which you have designed for us. In Jesus’ precious name we pray. Amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

5-16-2022

 Good Morning!

        Psalm 52:8; “But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.”

    Flourishing- to grow luxuriantly or be fresh and green. What a difference a year makes! Last year we were already hot and dry but right now, we are flourishing. The apple trees could not have more buds. It is easier digging in moist soil than in the dry soil of last year. Right now, we are flourishing and luxuriant. The summer is to come, and we will see.

    Scripture often compares us to trees or other plants. There is always a very star comparison as well. The plants that live in God’s Word and trust in him are green, luxuriant plants. These plants produce abundant fruit. The plants that do not live in God’s Word are dead, cut off and burned. This is a very clear description; you only have to look at a dead plant and compare it to a healthy plant to see this. So we are a plant and we have a choice.

     We can live our life on our own battling the elements that seek to hurt us and cause us pain. The devil sends all sorts of struggles our way. We can battle the sadness that we face. We can defiantly claim that we will pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps and accomplish everything by our own might. However, we will only end up as a dried-up wilted plant. The heat and the scorching wind that the devil sends are punishing to us. Self-doubt, self-pity, self-loathing is all part of his arsenal designed to dry us up. It works and when true trouble comes to us; we will blow away in the wind.

     We can live in God’s grace; it is freely given to us. We only have to trust in his mercy. The devil will blow his scorching blasts, but God’s free gift of love can sustain us and keep us flourishing even in the fieriest of cataclysms. God nourishes us with his Word and his Sacraments, and he comforts and consoles us with his loving arms. He uses everyday people to bring this hope into our life. He uses our spouse or children, parents, friends, ministers, or other believers to comfort and console us.

     When we trust in His wonderful grace and mercy, we live luxuriantly in his house, in his loving kingdom. He gives us the hope that tomorrow will be better and if not this tomorrow then the next one. He gives us the hope to survive. He gives us the certainty of his love that enables us to withstand the scorching heat and the intense drought. God’s grace provides the necessary nourishment to stand tall and produce the abundant fruit of his Spirit.

Dear Father, the heat and the winds of life cause us to wither but your grace sustains us. In your love you carry us through the hard and difficult moments of our life. Continue to feed us and to nourish us with your tremendous mercy. By your grace we flourish. Be with those who find life extremely difficult and whose struggles are great. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

5-15-2022

 Good Morning!

    Hebrews 13:12; “So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.” 

  Have you ever felt like you were on the outside looking in? You know, when there is a group, or a crowd and you don’t fit in. It might be unintentional, like when a group of golfers begin to talk about golf, and you don’t golf or when a group of farmers talk “farming,” and you don’t farm. You stand there and listen but if they talk “birdie, eagle and handicap,” what do you say?                                                                                   

Maybe you think it is just about the alphabet when it is “FSA, CSP, CRP, PP,” do you just say “XYZ”?

    Sometimes the exclusion is intentional; there is a “members only” effect. If you don’t have a membership, you just can’t be part. This can be a country club or a dance club or any other form of club. The thing about these clubs is that you can usually join if you pay the dues to belong. You aren’t really excluded; you just choose not to be part of it. Some groups are exclusive because they don’t want you to be a member. They have something that you don’t, and they don’t want you to have it. It used to take the form of slavery or voting rights. In many ways it still does.

    We are often on the outside looking in. Sin puts us there. Our verse refers to the fact that criminals were executed outside of the city walls. This was to be a statement to those who were enemies and to keep the city clean and to move the criminals away, sort of “out of sight out of mind” idea. Those that the city deemed “unworthy” were kept outside the gate. People with contagious diseases, or mental illness, or who were guilty of other crimes were often left outside the gate. Because of our sin, that is where we were.

    Yet Jesus came to us. He came to us when we were outside the gate, when we were steeped in sin and unworthy of entering into the city. By coming outside the gate and taking our punishment, we can now go into the city and enjoy all the benefits of living inside. We have the safety of the walls, the companionship of the neighbors and the fresh water to drink and food to eat. It is where we are safe. This city is God’s kingdom. We can live here forever. The devil will try to draw you outside and convince you that you do not deserve the city, but you should stay outside.

    Yet Jesus keeps coming back to us, even when we are outside the gates to retrieve us and bring us back inside of the gate where we are safe. We can live in peace inside the gate; we have rest inside the gate; we have love inside the gate. Trust in Jesus, no matter if you feel like you are outside the gate; he will bring you back- trust in Him.

Dearest Father, you sent Jesus to bring us inside your holy house, into your family. Give us the strength to trust in you and to keep our faith alive knowing that all things work to the good for those whom you love. Give those who feel outside the gate the comfort of knowing that you draw them in. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret     

 

5-14-2022

 Good Morning!

Luke 10:34; “(He) went to him, and cleaned and bandaged his wounds. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.”

    This verse comes from the parable of the “Good Samaritan.”  This is one of the better-known parables in the Bible. Most know the story, a man is robbed, a priest and a Levite pass by him, but a Samaritan stopped and helped the beaten man. That is when our verse shows up.

     We spend a lot of time hashing over this and other parables. That is the interesting thing about parables, as you read them, they tell you different things. You must be careful not to over read them but there is much to be seen. It is always important to keep the context of the story in mind. Who is the story told to and what is it about the listener that needs attention?

    The story is told to a lawyer, (you know that will make it interesting). The lawyer is trying to justify himself for his own salvation. So, Jesus tells him this story.  Most of the time we read this as a moral story of how we should act; we should be the “Good Samaritan.”  But there is a different way to read this.  Remember the lawyer is trying to justify his actions. He wants to think that there is something he can do to save himself but there isn’t.

    The lawyer, and you and me, are really the man who is beaten up. Helpless and hopeless in our life. We are left along the side of the road to die. False teachings of this world, self-induced lies, the devil’s deceptions, all pass us by when we are beaten down and hurt. There is no hope; we cannot really help our self. We are lost and beaten. We are beaten by the disappointments in our life, by the frustration of relationship struggles, by the overwhelming of one failure after another. We often times don’t even see the attackers and then they launch on us with a fury that we cannot withstand. We are left beaten and robbed, robbed of hope.

    Yet Jesus comes along, and he cleans us up (Baptismal language) He carries us to a place of safety (the Church), and he feeds us (Communion) and he tells the innkeeper that he will return (Second Coming).  Jesus is the one who saves us. He is the one to pick us up and to fix us. All the phony thoughts all the half-baked promises that the world makes always pass by on the other side of the road. This includes any delusion that you and I have that we can save our self or even justify our actions.

     Much of the time, we may feel beaten and destroyed. Yet Jesus comes to us with his healing comfort and picks us up and binds our wounds. He makes us whole again. He gives us a place of safety to rest. Isn’t that what we really need, is rest? God protects us from all the devil’s lies and his arrows of pain. He carries us to the inn where we are safe. It is by his grace that we are made whole.

Dearest Jesus, many times do we feel beaten and robbed in this world. Yet you pick us up and clean and bind our wounds. Give us the certainty of hope that we will always be safe with you resting in your loving arms. In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret     

5-13-2022

 Good Morning!

        2 Samuel 4:9; “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity”

    “I am just not ______ enough!”  I hear that a lot especially from teenagers but not just them, from others as well. All you have to do is fill in the blank. I’m not pretty, smart, tall, thin, popular, young, spiritual or any of a hundred other words but all of them say the same thing; I am just not good enough. I have little, if any, value at all. Deep down, nobody really likes me; if all the truth was told nobody would miss me if I was gone.

    Have you ever felt like that? I think most people have at one time or another.  It is most common after some disappointment. The date with the pretty girl that you hoped for that didn’t happen, the boy from your math class that never called, the job you didn’t get, the group of friends that have fun when you aren’t there, the time someone forgot about you; all work up to feeling not _______ enough.  It is those setbacks that the devil loves to see. He is there before we can even react and he whispers in our ear, “you really aren’t _____ enough.”

     This is one of the most painful things the devil does to us. His best tool is always “doubt” and when we doubt it gives him a slight crack in the door to walk in. If you have ever had the “not ______ enough” run through your mind you know it will quickly run through your mind, then your heart and then your spirit. It can literally kill you with the pain and separation that it can cause.

     This is why it is so important to always remember who you are. Remember “who you are” and not “what you are.”  You are a redeemed child of God. That is who you are and there is nothing above that. “What you are” is the situation that you are in and that will change frequently throughout our lives. You might be not old enough now, you will be.  You might be out of a job now, but you won’t be forever. It might be too wet now or too dry now, but it won’t be forever. Our life changes, sometimes it is not as pleasant as other times, but it changes; what doesn’t change is God’s love for you.

    We often don’t think of it but God truly “double” loves you. First, we are loved because he created us.  When we were created God declares us as “very good.”  Then after we sinned, God bought us back again. There is no doubt of God’s love for us, we are enough for him to love because he loves us entirely. No matter “what you are” the important thing is “who you are” you are a loved, redeemed child of God and that will never change!

Dearest Father, many times I feel that I am not enough and not worthy of love.  Yet through this all you continually to love and sustain me. Give the faith to always trust in the certainty of your love. Your grace and mercy give me the hope for tomorrow. Reach out to those who particularly feel that they are not enough. Use me to comfort and console them. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret