Jesus

I Love to Tell the Story

/ The Pastor / 1 Comment

I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story, because I know it’s true;
it satisfies my longings as nothing else would do.
I love to tell the story; ’twill be my theme in glory
to tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.
(ELW #661)

…that is Lyle’s song…and it speaks of his life.

I wrote about Lyle last week.  At that time he was living his last days.  On Thursday, Dec. 11, at 7:30pm, Lyle took his last breath and I had the honor of being there with various members of his family.  I have been at the bedside of other people as they died but this one was different.  As I said last week, Lyle was like a grandpa to Connie and I so to watch him die was not easy.  Lyle was also a great proclaimer of the faith.  He did this through his words but probably more loudly through how he lived.  The quote from St. Francis of Assisi was indeed true for Lyle:  “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary use words.“

But I want to share one thing that happened that night; something I will never forget.  At around 7:3opm we knew that the time was close.  One of the kids turned off the light above Lyle’s bed and for the first time in a couple days, Lyle opened his eyes.  That was a powerful moment.  It was like he was taking one more look at us before he went to see Jesus and Gladys (his wife who died in Feb.) again.  A couple minutes later he breathed his last.  Of course their were tears, but it was different.  They were tears who came from people who had hope.  Then one of his daughters summed up what we were feeling…she said, “I feel so at peace.“

WHAM!

That was exactly it.  That is the peace that Jesus came to bring; a peace that surpasses all understanding.  It is a peace that we feel when a loved one dies (at least for those whose faith is in Jesus).  It is a peace that tells us not to be afraid.  It is a peace that allows us to say, “See you later.”  The peace that came with the Christ child at Christmas is the very same peace that filled Lyle’s hospital room on Dec. 11.

I am sad that Lyle is gone and I will miss him greatly, but I feel at peace.  Lyle is no longer suffering and Lyle is not gone forever.  He’s gone (physically) from this life, but not from our hearts and minds.  Lyle is not gone forever, but through Christ we will all be reunited again.

May the peace of God that surpasses all understand guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.  And was we live in this peace, let’s join together in praising God always and forever.

“See you later, Lyle.“

-edh-

Tribute to Lyle

/ The Pastor / 4 Comments

I have a parishioner who is dying…

…that’s news that is nothing new to me.  I have had a number of parishioners die in the 4 1/2 years I have been here.  All of them are hard; being with families as they mourn…you can almost feel their pain and loss.  But this week I am being quickly reminded that the longer I am here the more difficult these times become.  And I think it is especially hard this time since my wife and I have become so close to Lyle.  I try not to play favorites but one can not help but develop closer relationships with certain people.  And with Lyle, he has become something of a grandpa to Connie and I.

Lyle is nearing the end with a long bought with cancer.  Last year his wife died and I know that has been extremely hard for him (and all of us).  These past few days I have spent a lot of time at the hospital with the family and with Lyle.  Yesterday we thought he was going to go home.  He was saying “Good bye everyone“.  The family huddle around him to say good bye then he said, “Pastor, pastor”  I said said, “I am right here Lyle“.  “Please tell Connie for me“.  Tears started streaming down my face.  That was Monday…

…today is Tuesday and Lyle is still with us.  Part of me is glad (the selfish side) because I get more time with him.  But another part of me is wishing he could/would go home, because he is dealing with some pain.  I am torn.  But what is getting me and the whole family through is that Lyle is so ready to go home.  His faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior is stronger than I have seen in anyone.  And knowing (and seeing that) it is easier for us to say “see you later“.

I can’t begin to name all the things Lyle has done for the church and others, but there is one thing I want to share; something I have and will continue to miss.  In most churches acolytes take care of lighting the candles up front…if not the kids then the ushers.  Here at Salem we don’t have many kids but I never had to think about the candles, because Lyle took it upon himself to see they were lit.  If my acolytes didn’t show up and another student walked in, Lyle would see to it they lit the candles.  But who every lit them you had better light them in the right order (yes…there is a correct order to light and extinguish the candles).  Lyle was never mean about it, but he would educate on the correct way.  These past couple months Lyle hasn’t been able to be at worship and I  haven’t gotten used to checking on the candles.  I am not sure if I ever will.

Lyle will be missed by many.  And I will be forever grateful for how he took Connie and me under his wing.  Lyle became a grandpa to us and just like any grandpa I wish I had more time with him.  But more than anything, I am eternally grateful to God who send his son to die for us that we may live.  And because of that I will see Lyle again and I look forward to introducing him to you someday.

Praise be to God!

-edh-

Christmas list

/ The Pastor / 1 Comment

Once again I am late in getting my Christmas lists off to the various members of my family.  For the most part Connie has it almost done on the computer but we just haven’t finished looking it over one last time.  As is the case every year, I feel little guilty sending it off.  And now with our economy officially in a recession I feel even more guilty.  Maybe people should just save their money or put it to more worthy causes.  Frankly…I would be happy if people bought a flock of chickens through Heifer International in my name.  At least that way someone else would benefit as I continue to be blessed here.  And I am indeed blessed…what more could I possibly want.  I have a loving wife…a great family…awesome friends…I live in a wonderful community serving a caring congregation…and I could go on.  God has blessed Connie and me and for that I am thankful.

But there is still that side of me that wants a couple DVD movies and some more music CDs. I would like some new shirts/sweaters and other things that only my wife and mom seem to now that I need (I don’t know how they do it every year…I guess they pay attention).

So Connie and I will email our list off to our family tonight (did you catch that mom…it’s coming tonight).  We will make suggestions on what we would like, but in the end Christmas is about spending time with family and friends; counting the blessings that we have already received and continue to receive from God through Jesus Christ. We will continue to buy presents for our family and friends and look forward to their expressions as they open their gifts.  But one thing I do ask and pray…and that is that we do not lose focus.  Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and thanking God for the life that came with him.

May God continue to richly bless you in every way as you live in the love of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

-edh-

Jesus knows

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

That is my latest little nugget I came across through my Bible reading today.

Jesus has been there and done that.  Jesus knows what I am going through.  Jesus feels my pain and understands my struggles.  Jesus knows the fire I walk through and the raging flood waters that surround me.  Jesus knows the temptations I experience and hardships I face.  Jesus knows me AND you inside and out.  And with all this knowing and understanding, Jesus goes to the cross FOR YOU and FOR ME.  So therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Wow…do I ever need that.

Praise be to God!!!

-edh-

The downward spiral of communication

/ The Pastor / 4 Comments

I am becoming more and more convinced that, as a society, we are in a downward spiral when it comes to communication.  Don’t get me wrong…we have more ways to communicate with one another than we did 5, 10, 15 years ago.  Communication has sped up and has allowed us to get more immediate feedback.  And communication has become more efficient.  But I believe one-on-one; interpersonal communication is changing rapidly…and in a lot of cases for the worse.  Allow me to give you a couple examples from my own life:
(1) I was checking my Facebook account one day when I received a message from a parishioner here in town.  She had a question for me.  So naturally I wrote back, answering her question.  A minute or so later she responded to my response and then I did so likewise.  This went on for a couple messages before I realized something.  This person was just across town…either go over there or call her, I thought…so I called her.  And you know something, we were able to take care of what we needed much faster and more efficiently than writing impersonal messages back and forth.

(2) Two weeks ago I was getting ready to head back to Sioux Falls to attend the LifeLight Music Festival.  Connie was already over there.  As I pulled out of my driveway, Connie sent me a text message asking me a question.  I stopped the car and replied to her.  She sent me another one and I replied again.  After my second message I realized (once again) “why don’t I just call her?”…so I did.  We were able to take care of what we needed much faster and more efficiently than writing impersonal text messages back and forth.

(3) I recently heard a news report on TV that said that more and more teachers are discovering the negative impact that text messaging is having on written communication in class.  They are seeing papers using text message shorthand…because that’s how more and more teenagers are communicating…and it’s carrying over into the real world.  Are we in a catch-22 situation?  Do we need teach young people text message shorthand (like we actually need to teach this) so they can get by in the world?  Do we allow them to use this shorthand in class?  Does stopping this put teens at a disadvantage out in the world?  These seem like strange questions to ask, but I can’t help but to wonder.  What does this say about our future?

Now…I do believe that Facebook and text messaging and email and the like do serve a good purpose.  If I am in a class or a meeting, sending a quick text message to my wife is an easier way to communicate without disrupting anything.  But if all possible…I want to make the phone call.

What would Jesus do today?  Would he have a Blackberry or some kind of smartphone so he could communicate with teens today?  Would Jesus have an email account?  It seems to me that Jesus would value face-to-face; voice-to-voice communication.  There is just something more personal about it.

With all the advances in technology, relationship building through communication is taking a huge hit and spiraling downward.  But who am I to talk…I am sitting behind a computer writing this.  I just returned a Facebook message from a friend 4 blocks away and my smartphone is lying 6 inches from me just waiting to be used.  I guess I, too, have a long ways to go.

-edh-

Text study – Matthew 3:13-17 (The baptism of Jesus)

/ The Pastor

"the one thing that encourages me in this whole thing is seeing how deeply vested we all are in the church and her practices. Everybody contributing to this discussion here and on other blogs are doing so because we care so deeply. That is a very good thing!" (Luther Punk)

Well said…and yes…thank you for all the energy and wonderful dialog around the issue of lay presidency.  I am by no means cutting off or finished with this lively and healthy dialog.  There is definitely some deep seeded beliefs about lay presidency.  I do see what Luther Punk is saying about calling and gifts and I will be exploring that some more, but right now it doesn’t change my belief about lay presidency.  The openness that has been shown is quite amazing and and for that I am thankful.

But now I would like to move to the Gospel text for Sunday from Matthew 3:13-17 and maybe get into a discussion about the other sacrament — baptism.  According the the lectionary, this Sunday (January 13) is called "The Baptism of our Lord".  Since Epiphany is about revealing who Jesus is the text seems very appropriate as God announces from heaven after Jesus is baptized, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17)

But the questions I want to ponder are ones that always seem to come up when we deal with the text about Jesus being baptized.  The questions are this:  Why did Jesus have to be baptized? and When Jesus says that this must be done to fulfill all righteousness…what does he mean by "all righteousness?  Both are very good questions and of course I have my own thoughts about what is going on.  And…has always…feel free to "correct" me if you feel I am "wrong" 🙂

When I think about baptism I go back to Romans 6 where Paul says that "if we have been united with him in a death like his we will certainly be untied with him in a resurrection like his."  Baptism here then is about being identified with Jesus or joined to Jesus.  Therefore, since we are identified with Jesus; what is his is now ours…not because of anything we have done but because Jesus first identified with us.

Now to Jesus’ baptism…

…if John’s baptism was for repentance for the forgiveness of sins, then why did Jesus need to be baptized?  Jesus was sinless and had no need to repent.  The way I see it is that by being baptized Jesus identified himself with sinners.  If Jesus was going to bring us to righteousness, he needed to identify with sinners…he needed to identify with us.  And because Jesus identifies with sinners Jesus understands very intimately what we need.  Jesus understands what must be done.  Jesus understands that he must die and rise so we can live.  So therefore it all comes down to identification.

What do you think of that?  What are your thoughts?  (Of course I still invite you thoughts on the issue of lay presidency which is posted below.)

Thank you again for you contributions and I look forward to many more lively conversations.  Take care and God bless!

-edh-

Never walking alone

/ The Pastor / 6 Comments

Two weeks ago my wife, Connie (who also serves as Salem’s parish nurse) began a program called "Walking and the Word".  At 6:30am on Wednesday mornings you meet at the church (with Connie) and go for a 1/2 hour walk.  Upon your return you head to the church fellowship hall for b-fast (coffee, juice and something healthy to eat) and devotions with me — hence "Walking and the Word".  After three weeks we have 3 faithful walkers.  But whether anyone shows up or not, Connie and I will be there — exercising, enjoying breakfast and devotions.

Today, Connie was out of town for a meeting so that meant I was in charge of everything — including the walking — which was (and is) fine.  I got up at 5:30am and got b-fast ready and the coffee maker set.  At 6am I went outside to prepare for a short run before the walkers arrived.  As I was stretching out a Suburban pulled into the parking lot.  It was W.  W is a sweet man.  He always spoils Connie and I at Christmas with a gift certificate to a fancy restaurant.  This morning W got out of his vehicle and said, "No one should walk alone or walk alone in life.  So I will walk with you."  I couldn’t help but smile.  I explained to him the walkers arrive in a 1/2 hour and that I was going for a run before we walk.  I invited him to come back at 6:30 but he said he is not much of a walker…he just didn’t want me to walk alone.  We chatted for a while and then he left to have coffee with the guys.

What a great thing to say, "No one should ever walk alone".  How true…how true.  No one should EVER walk alone and no one does when it come to Christ.  But here on this earth many people still "walk alone".  They grieve alone, deal with problems alone, celebrate alone, cry alone. 

"No one should ever walk alone"

Most if not all of us know people who "walk alone".  We know people who feel isolated because of choice or because of life circumstances.  They may feel lost and don’t know what to do.  But whether it is a choice or life circumstance…

…"No one should ever walk alone"…

…so go and "walk" with them.  Remind them that with Christ they never truly walk alone.  They never truly grieve alone or deal with problems alone or…you get the picture. 

"No one should ever walk alone" is a nice thing to say but an even better thing to put into practice. W does it literally and figuratively.  So pull a W…pull off the "road"…step outside your comfort zone…and "walk" or walk with someone.  Because…"No one should ever walk alone".  Thanks W…and…happy "walking" to all.

-edh-

Five Things I Dig about Jesus

/ The Pastor / 7 Comments

I have been tagged by a fellow blogger and have been asked to share five things I dig about Jesus. Afterward I am to tag five other people and leave a link in their comment section so we can keep track of what is shared.  The origin of this meme can be found at John Smulo’s blog.  So…he it goes:

(1) Jesus was not (and is not) repulsed by "sinners" (like the wild naked man running through the tombs and me).

(2) When pushed by the "powers that be" (and even by His very own disciples) Jesus stood His ground.  He knew His mission and kept His face set toward the cross.

(3) Jesus was the first youth director:  "Let the little children come to me and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs". (Mt. 19:14)

(4) Jesus is always ready to leave the 99 in order to search for the one (me) who has strayed.

(5) Jesus loves me so much that He was willing to endure such torture and pain and die on a cross that I may live forever with Him.

There is more I could add to this list, but five is all that was asked for.  Now…the five people that have been tagged are as follows:

David
P.S.
Kevin
Chris
Rick

I hope you five are O.K. with me tagging you but I would love to read your lists.

-edh-