Author: The Pastor

Believing in God vs. Believing God

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

A parishioner of mine stopped by my office on Saturday morning.  He said he had heard something on the radio and wanted to share it with me — to give me something to think about.  So I offer this comment to you as something to think and/or talk about. 

The comment was heard on a secular radio station and he did not remember the exact context but a guy called in and said, "I don’t believe in God — I believe God."  I was intrigued when I heard that.  I am not sure if I have ever heard a comment like that before, but later I thought what a confession of faith.

My initial thoughts are these:

(1) Believing in God — This seems to mean that one basically believes in the concept of God at the very least.  You can say "I believe in God" but do you really follow God?  You can believe God exists but not follow him.  With a statement like this a person can give the impression they follow God without actually saying it.

(2) Believing God — This seems to mean that you not only believe in God but that you believe what God has to say.  You believe the Word that Jesus Christ has died for you and for me and has broken the bonds of death.  Believing God means action, because if you believe God has saved you through Jesus Christ, then why wouldn’t you want to tell others?

(3) Maybe I am reading to much into these two phrases —  Now that is a distinct possibility.  When people say "I believe in God" are they also saying that they believe God?  For some I believe this to be true, but not for all. 

(4) John 3:16 — "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that all who believe in Him may not perish but have everlasting life."  Now I am running into a contradiction.  Maybe saying "I believe IN God" is good enough.  Now I don’t know.  Maybe if your belief is IN God then that automatically means that you believe God.  But then again, sometimes I have a hard time believing that God forgives ALL my sins.  So maybe there is something more to this.

What are your thoughts?  Do you believe in God or do you believe God?  Is there a difference for you?  Am I reading too much into this?  What else would you add? 

This is just something to think about so I offer this to you.  God bless you and take care.  -edh-

Out of prison

/ The Pastor / 3 Comments

Yup…they actually let me out of prison yesterday 🙂

You might be wondering, though, why I went to prison in the first place.  I didn’t get in trouble, but rather I went to prison to worship.  Last night I took six people to Prisoners of Hope Lutheran Church at the Prairie Correctional Facility — a privately owned prison outside of Appleton, MN (near my hometown of Dawson).  Prisoners of Hope is an ELCA congregation within the walls of the prison with a full time pastor.  During their first year of existence they received 100% funding from the ELCA.  Year two the funding went down to 75% and so forth.  Next year they will receive nothing from the ELCA.  The idea is to have congregations in SW MN support the mission of the congregation.  The congregations I serve are going to help sponsor Prisoners of Hope.

That’s a little background for you, now to the worship last night.  After we checked in at 6:30pm we were escorted into the visiting room that was set up for worship.  We were immediately greeted by some prisoners who were the greeters for the evening.  They were extremely friendly and appreciative of our visit.  As we worked our way in, more and more of the inmates came to shake our hands and greet us.  As this was happening I felt more and more convicted myself.  I had a picture in my head of these guys being rough and tough and maybe not as approachable as you and I — I was wrong.  These guys were kind and welcoming and full of love for our Lord Jesus Christ.  If it wasn’t for the fact that they were all wearing the same outfit, it almost would have felt like any other congregation (except not all congregations are as friendly and welcoming as Prisoners of Hope).

Worship began around 7pm and the room was full.  There must have been 80+ inmates there in addition to the other visitors that were in attendance.  During the announcements Pastor Roger mentioned that we were a group from Jackson, MN and that we traveled nearly 3 hours to be there.  The inmates turned toward us and gave us a huge applause and thank you — I felt very humbled.

Later we got to the part where we "shared the peace" with one another.  In a lot of congregations that I have been in, this lasts maybe 4 to 5 people.  After that many handshakes people are ready to sit down and get on with the worship service — not these guys.  The "sharing of the peace" went on and on and on.  I must have shaken a few dozen hands.  People did not want to quit — and you know something, it was kind of refreshing.

After worship, we had some more fellowship time.  I spoke with a number of the inmates (once again, very kind and friendly).  We were thanked again and then our evening of worship and fellowship was over.  All seven of us had a great time and want to return again to visit and worship.  Unfortunately prison rules limits our visits to Prisoners of Hope to once a year.  But next year we will be there.  If you want some more information follow this link:  Prisoners of Hope

A couple thoughts that are running around in my head from last night:

(1) Don’t judge people.  Preconceived notions of others keep people from having community.

(2) Prisoners of Hope may not have a "traditional" worship building and space, but that does not matter.  The church is the people.

(3) We all make mistakes in our lives — we are all sinners — but God loves each and everyone of us the same.

Last night will not be a night I will soon forget.  If you have a prison ministry close to where you are I encourage you to visit them and offer your support.  We are all children of God and we all deserve to hear the Good News.  Thanks be to God.  -edh-

Going to prison

/ The Pastor

That’s right — I am going to prison today.  But I won’t be kicking and screaming as I get closer.  I won’t be filing any appeals.  I am going to prison today and I am looking forward to it.

Check back tomorrow for the complete story…

-edh-

Dumber than sheep???

/ The Pastor

This coming Sunday is known in many churches as "Good Shepherd Sunday.  The 23rd Psalm is read along with John chapter 10 where Jesus talks about sheep and shepherds.  The second lesson is Revelation 7:9-17 which is about John seeing the great multitude robed in white – robes made white in the blood of the Lamb.  And verse 17 of Revelation 7 says, "for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd and will guide them to springs of water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

So those were the texts we talked about at text study today along with Acts 9:36-43 — the first lesson where Peter raises Dorcas from the dead.  After we read the texts one of my colleagues talked about his ponderings of this whole sheep/shepherd imagery early in his ministry.  He said at first he did not like being called a sheep since they are some of the dumbest animals on earth.  Then someone told him that it is not about us being dumb, but rather the importance of us needing a leader (someone to guide us).  He said that made a lot of sense to him.  Then I chimed in and said, "So if sheep are some of the dumbest animals on the planet and they follow their shepherd’s voice everyday, then what does that say about us who do not always follow our Shepherd — Jesus Christ?  We have a lot to learn from sheep."

I mean think about it — sheep do not wake up some mornings and make a conscience decision to not follow their shepherd.  They know that their shepherd cares for them, protects them and feeds them.  They trust their shepherd and follow their voice.  But then here WE are — the smartest mammals on the planet and we can’t even manage to follow and obey.  Many people know that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and yet we often do not trust or listen to Him.  We have our moments when Jesus is the best thing since sliced bread and then moments when we try to create our own destiny — and of course that never works.  So maybe sheep are NOT the dumbest animals on the planet.

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want…"  The Psalmist in Psalm 23 knows who to follow.  With Jesus Christ as our Shepherd, we shall never be in "want" – for Jesus provides for our souls.  So let’s take a page out of the How to be a sheep manual and follow our shepherd’s voice where ever He may lead.  We may not always understand why God does what God does, but God’s ways and wisdom are far above our own. 

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want…"  Thank you Lord Jesus for leading, guiding, caring for us and giving us life.  But most importantly, thank you for coming after us when we stray.  Thank you for forgiveness and thank you for your love.  Praise be to God our Father and our Shepherd Jesus Christ — Amen! -edh-

I have decided…I am not arrogant

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

I have decided that I am NOT arrogant. 

Last week a read a quote in a Christian Century article that said it was prideful for pastor to feel the need to write a new sermon every week.  That quote has been ringing in my ears, mind and heart ever since I read it (See "Sermon Stealing" below).  Writing new sermons each and every week is not about being prideful, but about being faithful.  A pastor is called to a particular congregation.  The pastor reads and lives the scripture text.  The pastor then comes FROM the congregation to preach a word to the people. This is not arrogance — it is being faithful to the Word of God spoken to each of us where we are at in a particular time and place.  To take a sermon preached previously and preach it now is to cheat people.  Joy left a very good comment about sermon stealing in my previous post when she said: "I think that’s terribly misleading (when pastors steal sermons), and could really damage the pastor/congregation relationship if discovered. If sermons are gifts from God, why would you even want to "steal" them from others? God will give pastors the right words for the right time."  Amen Joy, thank you for that comment.

But think of it this way as well:  What if your pastor were to ask you to share your faith story in worship some Sunday – would you go and find a "really good one" some place; someone who has a "better" faith story than you and use that?  Of course not.  You would share your story; the story God has written for you through Jesus Christ.  If I wanted to hear someone else’s story I would have asked them.  I understand that the sermon is not necessarily the pastor’s faith story, but in a way it is.  The sermon deals with the pastor’s/preacher’s encounter with the Word.  As Joy said the sermon/Word is a gift from God.  The message is different for everyone.  You are not going to preach the same sermon preached in Virginia in the aftermath of the shootings as you would in Minnesota.  You might have similar themes, but the Word is different.  God comes to each person in different ways and gives each us the words we need to say and hear.

And this is a lesson for all people.  When you are asked to share your faith story, don’t try to embellish it to make it more entertaining, but share your story.  We all have a story.  Be faithful and honest with people.  Take the time to listen to God and trust that when the time is right, the Holy Spirit will inspire you to share a Word with people.  Whether you are on the street or at work or in the pulpit.  When a Word needs to be shared with people, God will provide those words.  So be faith and honest and trusting.  Sermons and faith stories are not about us but rather about God.

I am NOT arrogant.  I am just a person trying to listen to God in order to share the Good News with people HERE and NOW.  What’s YOUR story? -edh-

Sermon stealing

/ The Pastor / 4 Comments

In the April 17, 2007 issue of The Christian Century there is an interesting article by Thomas Long called "Stolen Goods".  The article talks about the growing practice of pastors "stealing" sermons off the Internet and preaching them as their own.  Long shares some stories of disappointed people when they found out that a sermon their pastor preached was not their own.  I personally write all my own sermons but there are some that would call that arrogant.  Steven Sjogren from Cincinnati Vineyard Community Church is quoted as saying, "Don’t be original — be effective!  In my mind there is a tremendous amount of pride (let’s call it what it is) when we insist on being completely original as communicators…The guys I draw encouragement from — the best communicators in the United States…get 70 percent of their material from someone else.  Remember, Solomon wrote that ‘there is nothing new under the sun.’"

What do you think of that?  Are preachers that insist on writing a new sermon each week arrogant?  Should I be using sermons from pastors who are considered "the best"?  What are your thoughts on this?  Consider this quote, as well, from the article, "Some pastors have picked up a theological version of this open source argument.  Sermon words are gifts from God, they say, and thus fair game for any and all who wish to appropriate them.  How dare preachers do anything but sing the doxology, they ask, when their sermons show up in the mounths of other pastors?"

I wish I could show you the whole article, so I encourage you to get a copy of this issue of The Christian Century and check it out.  Let me know what you think.  I would love to have a discussion about this.

A gloomy Tuesday morning

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

It is a gloomy Tuesday morning.  The sky is over cast and there is a light, cool breeze.  Looking out my window you can definitely see the gloom in the air.  But there is something else that is causing people to feel a little solemn this morning.  As I sat in my living room watching the Today Show cover the horrific events from yesterday at Virginia Tech, I found myself fighting back tears.  I fought — but I lost as some stray tears managed to roll down my face.  My heart felt heavy accompanied with a lump in my throat.  As I did yesterday, I am still struggling to put everything in perspective.  I am still trying to come to grips that someone could actually cold heartily kill 32 people before killing himself.  As I hear more and more details I become more and more sad and shocked.  My heart goes out to the Virginia Tech community and my prayers are with them as well.  It is indeed a gloomy Tuesday morning.

But in the midst of the tragic events of yesterday life does go on.  It might take me a little longer to get going today, but life will go on all the same.  God — grant me the strength I need to follow where ever you may lead.  Feed and care for my soul.  Strengthen my faith to see that you are with us through thick and thin.  It is a gloomy day, Lord.  Comfort all those who are grieving and give hope to those who have lost loved ones.  Thank you for listening to me.  Amen.

Text study

The Gospel text for Sunday is John 21:1-19.  This is a post-resurrection, fish and bread BBQ account between Jesus and His disciples.  As they are dining on some fish Jesus asks Peter a series of questions – three questions that are the same – "Do you love me?"  As Jesus asks these questions Peter becomes more and more hurt and confused.  He says he loves Jesus but Jesus keeps asking.  But it is the response of Jesus after each question that catches my attention.  Jesus first tells Peter to "Feed my lambs" then he says, "Tend my sheep" and then "Feed my sheep".  All of these commands are ones to care for those who need guidance.  Sheep are very vulnerable and need a shepherd.  Jesus had been "tending His sheep" for nearly three years and now they are ready to "move up".  The sheep are now the shepherds, ready to care for one another.

Today I feel like a little lost sheep in need of guidance.  And I know that Jesus will not abandon the Virginia Tech community or anyone searching for answers. 

"Feed me" Lord Jesus with your love; "tend me" as I search, and "Feed me" once again with understanding. 

What do you hear in this text?  How do you need to be fed?

God bless you this today and everyday and as we mourn know we have a loving God that feeds and tends to our every need.  We are never alone.  Praise to our loving God always and forever — Amen!

Virginia Tech shooting

/ The Pastor

By now many of you have already heard about the deadly shooting at Virginia Tech.  If you have not, I break this news to you with a heavy heart.  Follow this link for more information.

First and foremost our prayers are needed for the family and friends of the victims and the students at Virginia Tech.  I can not even begin to fathom what they are feeling and going through.  I can only imagine there is fear and uncertainty, pain and sorrow, anger and confusion; among a list of many other emotions.  And even though you may not have been on campus today at Virginia Tech, you still may feel for those students.  My heart is racing right now trying to figure out "WHY?"  What possesses a person to do something like this?  What are they trying to communicate? 

I have so many questions but I can’t help but to also feel for the person who pulled the trigger.  They must have been in so much pain to do something like this.  It makes me wonder if they knew the love of God through Jesus Christ.  I can’t speak to what was in this person’s heart but if Christ was there I find it hard to believe they would have even pulled the trigger.  Maybe Christ was there, but nobody told them about Jesus.  If that is the case it saddens me and make me wonder.  Have I done enough to share the Gospel with the people around me.  Could I be doing more?

Please take a few moments right now to pray for the students at Virginia Tech.  Remember their friends and family and all those affected by this tragedy.  Also remember the shooter and all those who are hurting; those who do not know Jesus Christ.  How can we afford to remain silent with the Good News of life eternal?

In the midst of this tragedy I find comfort in knowing that Jesus is right there on campus at Virginia Tech.  Jesus was in that dorm room and classroom.  Jesus is with those grieving families and friends.  But more importantly, Jesus was with those who died.  We are never alone.  Share this Good News and never stop praying for the Kingdom.

Virginia Tech…you are in our prayers. -edh-

Post vacation reality

/ The Pastor

I am back!  I have been on vacation these past few days — hence the low activity on my blog.  Thursday and Friday were lazy days for me.  The weather is finally becoming bearable for shorts so my wife and I went for our first bike ride of the year.  It was nice when we left, but half way through our ride the sun went behind the clouds and it turned cold in a hurry (I guess we jumped the gun a little bit).  It still was nice to get out for some exercise, though.  Today I am looking forward to running during my noon hour.  It is suppose to hit 70 degrees today and you just have to take advantage of that when you can.

I am also hoping with spring finally here I will get more motivated to do some more running and exercise.  I still want to lose about 20 more pounds.  So far I am doing O.K.  Pants that were once too tight for me to wear are comfortable for me now.  That is indeed a good sign, but with diabetes in my family I want to make sure I keep my weight down and maintain a healthy lifestyle.  So far everything is fine, but we are still keeping an eye on things.

Text study

Last week I did not post any thoughts on the up coming texts like I have been lately.  Since I was not preaching I did not go through my normal sermon prep routine — I missed that.  This weekend I am off to synod assembly and therefore not preaching again, but I am still going to study the texts for Sunday.  Whether I am preaching or not, I need to continue my routine of text study — we all need to do that.  So later today or tomorrow I will post some text study thoughts on the scripture for Sunday.

Post vacation (Easter) reality

I was cleaning out my landscaping around my house yesterday.  As I was raking out the leaves I saw tiny, green shoots coming out of the ground.  My plants are rising from the depths of the dark cold ground.  And it was not a far stretch for me to immediately go back a week and think about our Easter celebration.  I was instantly reminded that the reality of the resurrection is always with me.  God’s love for us through Jesus Christ is always present with us.  The reality of the resurrection is not just a once a year thing.  It is a daily promise we have through our baptism.  So take joy in the fact that you are a beloved child of God. 

So rejoice and be glad:  Christ has risen!  He has risen indeed! Alleluia and Amen! -edh-

P.S. Now it’s time for some coffee.

A Masters faith statement

/ The Pastor

I am a huge golf fan, but I don’t sit and watch too many golf tournaments, except for the Masters.  This year the Masters happen to fall on Easter weekend.  Saturday afternoon consisted of me watching about 3 1/2 hours of golf.  And Sunday afternoon (after our dinner guests left) consisted of me watching another couple hours of golf.  Both days had exciting action (as exciting as golf can get).  On the final day (Sunday) Tiger Woods was in the final group so you had to give him the edge.  But it was a no name guy from Iowa, Zach Johnson, that held off Tiger to win his first Masters.  It was only his 2nd PGA Tour win…an amazing story.  But here is the part that made me proud — as they were talking to Zach afterward he starting thanking various people.  Zach thanked his coaches and trainers and his wife and family.  Then Zach said, "But most importantly I have to give all the credit to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Jesus was with me the whole time out there." He said this with tears in his eyes.  You could just feel his faith radiating through the T.V. screen and into your heart.  What an incredible witness. 

I have heard other people say similar things after receiving an award or some other accomplishment, but with Zach, I truly believed him.  His statement of faith came directly from his heart and was not said in passing as a nice thing to say.  I wish more people were that authentic with their faith.

What made me sad was when T.V. stations were replaying Zach’s interviews from that day, nobody replayed Zach’s faith statement (at least not that I saw or heard of).  Why were they so afraid to do that?  That interview was the best one he gave because he did not think about it.  It was a natural response to something that he achieved with God’s help (not that his other interviews were artificial).  Zach spoke from his heart (and faith) in that first interview.

Thank you, Zach, for sharing your faith like that.  It meant a lot to me and I know to many others.

My prayer for all of us is to remember God in not only the bad times but in the good times as well.  Don’t just cry out to God for help, but give God credit in your victories.  Jesus is the reason we can even begin to celebrate in the first place; for Jesus gave us the ultimate victory through the empty tomb.  Praise God ALWAYS and Amen! -edh-