Author: The Pastor

Happy Birthday, Martin Luther!

/ The Pastor / 1 Comment

To anyone who cares or even knows who Luther is or has the slightest interest — today is Martin Luther’s 524th birthday.  Actually, maybe it is more appropriate to say that Luther was born 524 years ago, in 1483, since Luther is obviously not alive today to celebrate another year.  In any case…there you have it.  You can almost hear the chorus of singers singing "Happy Birthday!"

I am not sure why, but my wife has rolled her eyes at me a number of times upon hearing that I have Luther’s birthday recorded in my Palm Pilot so I won’t forget.  And who knows…maybe you are rolling your eyes at me as well or smiling because you, too, have Luther’s birthday written down or you may be still wondering "What is the big deal…the guy’s been dead for nearly 5 centuries." 

I could go on and on talking about who Luther is and what he did for the church, but I am far from a Luther scholar.  What I can say is that Luther started a series of events that forever changed the church and how we relate to God.  Luther preached freedom through Christ. Luther, through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, set people free (much to the chagrin of the Catholic Church of the day).  And there is more.  Just Google "Martin Luther" and you will find a plethora of information or you could visit blogs such as Christ in my Life for postings on Martin Luther.  I personally would find some blogs because they are a lot more personal than your run of the mill web site.

So join, if you will, in raising a glass, singing "Happy Birthday", or whatever else trips your trigger and wish good ole Marty a Happy 524th birthday.

-edh-

10 random things about me

/ The Pastor / 9 Comments

I have been tagged by Diane at faith in community to share 10 random things about myself.  This could either scary or fun.  I will let you decide.  Anyway…here it goes (in no particular order):

(1) I played violin from 4th grade through high school.  I was definitely not God’s gift to the earth when it came to the violin.  By my senior year I moved all the way back to 2nd violin, second to last stand (at least I was better than three other people).

(2) My BIGGEST pet peeve is listening to people clip their finger/toe nails, but clipping mine does not bother me.

(3) I was a spoiled kid in high school.  From when I got my drivers license through graduation I drove 30 different cars (my dad is a car dealer) – and I never owned any of them.  Spoiled!

(4) I love drinking V8.  It is the only thing that endears me to my mother-in-law.

(5) I have never been overseas.  I came close when Connie and I were scheduled to go to the Holy Lands but then 9/11 happened and scraped those plans.

(6) I have never broken a bone in my body (knock on wood) and I still have my appendix and tonsils.

(7) My 32oz. nalgene water bottle rarely leaves my side (and going to bed without it means a night with no sleep).

(8) I am allergic to air.  O.K., maybe not air specifically, but I am allergic to almost anything that floats around in the air except for the Chinese fig tree (don’t ask me why they tested me for that).

(9) I love winter and cold weather — the more snow the better and the colder the better.  But…I do not like hockey, ice fishing or snowmobiling.  Actually I think hockey is pointless (no offense anyone), I am deathly afraid of walking on frozen bodies of water and even more afraid of riding on snowmobiles.

(10) I was baptized Catholic.  When told that I was going to be ordained, my grandmother (a Catholic) responded by saying, "Oh…that’s too bad" 🙂

Wow…I am one strange cookie.  Anyway, let’s see some randomness from the following (who I now tag): David at HERE I STAND, Pastor David at Postings from Prairie Hill, Joe at Freedom, and Chris at The Lutheran Zephyr

Have fun!

-edh-

The Banquet

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

Here I am again.  Yesterday I told you was slowing down a little bit to take a break but I am back again.  Tomorrow or so I will have another post.  I was recently tagged to share 10 random things about myself.  Check back to see that one (I am one strange cookie).

Anyway…there is a good reason way I am back again today.  In December of 2006 I wrote a post titled, Feelings I won’t describe.  It was about our trip to a place in Sioux Falls, SD called The Banquet.  The Banquet is a feeding ministry in Sioux Falls that has been operating and serving the less fortunate for over 20 years.  Groups sign up to come and help serve meals for the people (or "guests" as The Banquet calls them).  Yesterday (Nov. 7) was Salem’s turn (along with Belmont and Bethany Lutheran Churches).  Between the 3 churches we had 32 people serving.  What an incredible experience.  It was the fourth year for us doing this and it never gets old.  Last night we served 421 people, which is pretty average.  They have served nearly 500 people in an evening in the past.  I could go on and on about this place, but check out the above links to learn more about this amazing ministry.

What kind of serving opportunities, like this, do you have in your area?  My confirmation kids are required to serve at The Banquet, do your confirmands have a similar requirement?

"Treat everyone (who walks through those doors) as though they were Jesus" -my dad-

-edh-

Topic study — Stewardship

/ The Pastor / 3 Comments

You may have noticed a couple things here: (1) I haven’t written much recently and (2) The title of this post is "topic" study instead of "text" study.

First — I have been taking some time recently to slow down in my writing.  I am not tired of this blog or tired of writing, but I just felt I needed to take a "break" for a little while.  I am still reading blogs and I have commented a few times.  I just don’t want people to think that I have forgotten about the great blogs out there that I have been reading.  Those of you that stop by on a regular basis and those of you that I visit often have become a valuable community in my life — something I do not want to lose.  I just ask for your patience.  I will be posting thoughts and observations here, but probably not as often for a little while.  But I am still here.

Second — Coming up this Sunday is "Stewardship Sunday" here at Salem.  Following the the worship service the congregation council is serving and hosting the annual stewardship/turkey dinner with all the fixings.  At the dinner we ask for an "extra effort offering".  In the past this has been very successful, but I have a few thoughts about this:

(1)  I still find it odd that as a church (here at Salem) and in others churches out there, we feel the need to designate one Sunday a year as "Stewardship Sunday".  As Christians we are stewards by definition.  And therefore, as pastors and church leaders, we need to talk about stewardship year round not just one Sunday a year.  I do try to mention and allude to stewardship throughout the year, but the 2nd Sunday of November has a stronger emphasis to it.

(2) Stewardship is more than money.  A definition of a steward is a "caretaker" of something we do not own.  All that is "out there" belongs to God.  Nothing belongs to us.  EVERYTHING was and is created by God and we are here to care for what God has created.  This includes (but not limited to):  our financial resources, our property, our gifts and talents, our bodies, and our time.  And because we are caretakers, God will give us everything we need.

(3) "Stewardship is not about the church’s need to receive but rather about your need to give."  That is a quote I heard at a stewardship seminar I attended (I believe I shared this quote with you a while back).  I think people get tired of church leaders and pastors talk about budget woes and how they need to "tighten their belts".  People cringe at money talk.  What we need to do is talk about ministry and not budgets.  We need to talk about opportunities not deficits.  We need to focus on the world "out there" not the world "inside".  People need to hear about being part of something really big.

What are your congregation’s stewardship traditions?  Do you have a "Stewardship Sunday"?  If so, what do you do?  What little nuggets of stewardship advice have you heard?

Take care and God bless!  Enjoy the gits that God has given you.

-edh-

Monday morning check in

/ The Pastor / 3 Comments

Greetings on this lovely Monday morning!

Finally…
After long last I finally got my yard done.  I have been staring at my long grass and abundant leaves for a couple weeks now wondering when I was going to get some nice weather and time to clean up my yard.  I never seemed to get those two parts of the equation at the same time.  Well…Sunday was a beautiful day and I barely had enough time.  I borrowed a riding lawn mower with a bagger and finished the yard.  I looks great and I feel much better.  The problem is I think I cut my grass way too short.  That could be a problem later.  Oh well…my yard looks nice so I am going to enjoy it for the time being.

A visit
I had one of those nice visits yesterday.  While I was on the lawn mower I saw someone pulling into the church parking lot…obviously looking for me.  I stopped to chat.  It turned out that he just wanted to explain to me why he hasn’t been in church the last few weeks.  It turned out to be medical reasons.  He is doing fine but it got me thinking:  I wish more people felt this sense of duty to be in worship; not because they HAD to be there, but because they wanted to be there to praise God.  Also:  I wish more people felt this calling to talk to people who have been absent and check in with them, "We’ve missed you in worship recently".  Wouldn’t that be nice?

Disturbing movie
I am usually not one to pass on email forwards or pay much attention to them, but I thought this was worthy to pass on to you.  There is a movie coming out that everyone needs to be aware of, especially if you work with children or care about children at all.  The movie is called The Golden Compass.  This movie is based on a series of children’s books with anti-religious themes.  Actually, the author talks about killing God.  The worry is that children will enjoy the movie so much that they will want to read the book series.  Please follow the above link to learn more so we can collectively protect our children.  This is indeed very disturbing.

Web site
Thank you for the comments I received for the new web site we are working on for Salem (www.salemjackson.org).  The site is still a work in progress but it is coming along quite nicely.  If you think of any other suggestions please let me know.  As a visitor what information would you like to see.  What needs to be improved or communicated more effectively?

Personal stewardship update
I finally reached the 20 pound mark in my weight loss.  I had been stuck at 17 to 18 pounds for a while.  I still have another 10 pounds to go to reach my first goal.  I hope to reach that by the end of the year, but with Thanksgiving and Christmas approaching, that might be difficult.

Thank you (as always) for stopping by.  God bless you today and everyday as you live out the promises given to you in baptism.

-edh-

"…weeping may last for the night, but joy comes with the morning…" (Psalm 30)

Sunday morning prayer – 11/04/07

/ The Pastor

Today is All Saints Sunday.  Today we remember those who have gone before.  Those who have set an example for us to follow.  Those who have taught us life lessons, taught us the faith; and showed God’s love through their actions, words and deeds.  But most importantly, we celebrate, worship and praise the one who made us saints, Jesus Christ – without whom we would have no hope.  Remember, celebrate and laugh, for this life is just the beginning.

Let us pray…
Tender and merciful God, we have mourned the death of many loved ones; ones who have gone prematurely and those who have passed after great suffering and/or struggling.  And in a lot of cases we still mourn and shed tears over their absence in our lives.  These saints have taught us many lessons about life and about faith.  They showed your love through their words and deeds.  They set an example for us to follow.  But in the midst of this mourning there is joy.  In the midst of the tears there is laughter.  In the midst of the pain there is hope.  Through Jesus Christ we have been given the promise of New Life through the forgiveness of our sins.  And because of this…this life is just the beginning.  Thank, O God, that because of Jesus, weeping only lasts the night, but joy comes in the morning (reference to Psalm 30).  Through Christ’s name we pray…Amen.

God bless you this day and always.

-edh-

Church web site up and running

/ The Pastor / 5 Comments

The web site I am working on for Salem Lutheran Church is up and running.  There is still more work to do on it but it is there.  The NEW address is:  www.salemjackson.org  This name rolls off the tongue much better than the one we were assigned.  Right now I am in the process of getting feedback from people and checking out other church web sites for ideas.  If you have a great idea let me know.  I need all the help I can get.

-edh-

Monday morning check in

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

Happy Monday morning(if there IS such a thing)!

Slowing down
It feels like so long since I wrote a "personal" post I felt I should do something a little different today.  It also has been a while since I have commented on the blogs I read regularly.  It’s not that I have stopped reading blogs, but that I have been either out of my office for continuing education or playing catch up.  Now that Reformation/Confirmation Sunday is past I feel that my plate is a little clearer…which is a good feeling.  Now I need to get together with the Methodist and Presbyterian pastors to plan the Thanksgiving eve worship service.  Each year we rotate between the three churches.  This year its the Methodists turn to host with me preaching.

Halloween
Wednesday is Halloween or as I like to call Oct. 31…Reformation Day.  But for some reason that hasn’t caught on too well.  We celebrate Reformation SUNDAY and often forget the actual day of Reformation is on the 31st.  I thought about that recently and decided that next year for Halloween(Reformation Day) my wife and I are dressing up as Martin and Katie Luther (we would do that this year, but my wife has already purchased our costumes).  This year I am dressing up as a Roman Gladiator and my wife is going to be a Roman goddess.  I haven’t decided if I will wear my costume all day or not.  What are other people doing this year for Reformation Day?  Are you wearing a costume? If so, are you wearing it all day?

Confirmation Sunday
Along with Reformation Sunday we also celebrated Confirmation Sunday.  I had only one confirmand this year.  I told him on Saturday that he needed to make sure he remembered the Apostles’ Creed.  I said, "When we get to the part where you confess your faith, you are not going to have a LBW up there with you.  Being the only one, if you mess up, everyone will know."  I felt that was a reasonable thing to expect.  After all, the Apostles’ Creed was a piece of memory work AND it is something we confess every week (except Communion Sundays where we use the Nicene Creed).  This Confirmand apparently was scared silly on Sunday morning, but he made it through just fine.  Only one little slip up at the end (something his younger sister made sure he knew about when he sat down – She will get her turn in two years).  Was this a reasonable expectation?  Should I have let him bring a LBW up with him?

Personal stewardship update
As of this morning I have lost 18 pounds since mid-August.  I have been stuck at this point for a couple weeks.  I guess my body is adjusting to my new life style.  Hopefully I will start the slide downwards again pretty soon.  It is fun to wear clothes I haven’t worn for a few years.  The only problem is that I am running out of clothes that fit me; some of my favorites feel and look too baggy.  I guess that is not a bad problem to have.

Anyway…that is my life now.  I look forward to getting caught up on some blogs here this week.  So take care and may God’s blessing fill you to overflowing – so much so that people can’t help but stare at you and say, "I want some of that".

-edh-

Sunday morning prayer – 10/28/07

/ The Pastor

HAPPY REFORMATION SUNDAY!!!  Unfortunately, my Reformation Sunday started a little latter than planned.  Back in April I wrote a post titled April Fools Joke.  It was about my "smart" clock that set itself for day light savings time a couple weeks early because the government changed the date of day light savings time without sending my "smart" clock a memo.  Well…it happened again today.  This time I got an extra hour of sleep.  But luckily for me I am an early riser so I had some time to spare this morning but I was still rushed.  It is nice to know I can get up, shower, get dressed, eat and get to my office in 15 minutes.  Not too bad.  Now I will have to pay attention when the "real" day light savings time does come.  So once again…kudos to the federal government on a good "Reformation Sunday Joke".

Anyway, let’s begin this day on a good note and pray together.

Loving and merciful God, you sent your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord to set us free, but this is freedom we often take for granted.  Even though many faithful saints, that have come before us, have proclaimed this freedom, we still cling to the bondage we have been freed from.  We still listen to the lies Satan tell us.  We still think we need to "do something" in order to earn your love.  But it is by grace that you have set us free.  Thank you God for this freedom.  Continue to proclaim this freedom to us through the faithful saints in our lives today.  Remind us of this awesome love so we can be witnesses to the world around us.  Through your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray…AMEN!

God bless your day!

-edh-

Text study – John 8:31-36

/ The Pastor / 5 Comments

Greetings one and all.  I know I am a little late this week, but I guess better late than never.  Being gone most of the week really threw things off for me.  Posting text study posts really help me to get focused in writing the sermon God wants me to preach.  This week I had to make some adjustments.  So instead on pondering on what I might preach, today I will be pondering on what I am 99% sure I will preach on (you just never know what God will do between now and Sunday.  See Monday randomness for more on that).  So anyway…barring a "1% incident" here is what I am pondering…

The Gospel text for this Sunday (Reformation Sunday) comes from John 8:31-36.  Allow me to include that text for you:

"To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." They answered him, "We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"  Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

The word "free" really stands out for me.  Last year I talked about truth, but this year the word "freedom" stands out.  Questions that come to mind are: (1) What is freedom? and (2) What does freedom mean for you?  I think freedom means different things for different people.  It all depends on who you are, when you lived, where you live and the circumstances surrounding your life.  I think freedom sounds different with a 19th century slave as opposed to a 21st century middle aged parent.  Freedom for a low income family living in the Phillips Neighborhood of Minneapolis looks different than for a high school senior.  Freedom carries with it a variety of definitions.

For people living in the early 16th century, freedom was something far different than we can imagine today.  When Martin Luther came along, people were in bondage to human traditions made by a Church that ruled with an iron fist.  No grace, no mercy…unless of course you were of the upper class, royalty or clergy.  The common man knew nothing of THE Truth…until Luther came along.

Now for the first time people were hearing a Truth that simply blew them away:  Put your trust in God’s love; we are made righteous through Christ; you are saved by grace through faith; Forgiveness is yours, no matter who you are or what you have done, when you confess.  The grace of God through Jesus Christ is all encompassing and all accepting.  Wow!  That is indeed Good News.  The Truth…it set people free, much to the chagrin of the Church at the time.

What does this mean today?  I think there are a number of things to think about: (1) As Christians today we too often take freedom for granted.  We don’t really ponder WHAT Jesus did and therefor we don’t praise and thank God as we should. (2) Too many people don’t know about this freedom.  The greatest gift of all time, a Truth like no other.  If we know this Truth, how can we keep it to ourselves. (3) As Christians we often take freedom too far.  "I don’t have to go to church.  God will forgive me".  We live by the mantra of "Cheap grace" not realizing how costly this grace really was – the very life of Jesus Christ. (4) Or…we know about this freedom, but choose to embrace bondage.  After the Civil War the slaves were set free, but many of them choose to stay put.  They would rather stay "slaves" than to embrace the freedom they were given.  They didn’t know what to do with that freedom.  I wonder if, as Christians, we like our bondage to sin because sin is more fun and freedom is "scary".

There is a lot to think about when it comes to freedom.  But one thing we need to do as Christians is to keep proclaiming this freedom AND keep listening and learning about this freedom.  We may have good memories, but they are often very, very short.  Through Jesus Christ we have been given the greatest gift of all.  Embrace your freedom and praise God always and forever.  Amen!

-edh-