Lent

Defeated

/ The Pastor

It never fails.

Every year at this time in Lent I hit “the wall”.
Every year I begin Lent thinking I am going to be fine…I have this under control.
And every year God humbles me.

On Monday I hit the proverbial wall.  I maybe got an hour of sleep that night as my brain was running wild. I had very little energy on Tuesday that no amount of coffee could fix.  I was experiencing stress related aches and pains.  And I had a hard time concentrating.

It was not a good day 😦

Mid-afternoon on Tuesday I made the difficult decision to cancel my Tuesday night small group at Belmont and cancel confirmation on Wednesday.  I was ready for my Wednesday small group and almost ready for Wednesday night worship.  So I after I got the word out about the schedule changes I went home to lie down.

Defeated.

God help me.

I prayed and prayed.  I confessed my sin of self-confidence in my ability to go through Lent on my strength.  Not that I totally ignored God, but I was happy with MY plan to get everything done.  I scheduled everything out.  I felt I could just plow headlong through Lent and then rest for 2 weeks after Easter.  But I ran out of MY energy.

God defeated me…and I thank God for that 🙂

I got a solid 8 hours of sleep on Tuesday night and felt better on Wednesday.  It felt good to sit and relax…and reflect…and pray.  It felt good to take my time to prepare for release time and then small group and then worship.  It felt good to have fellowship with God and rely on God’s strength through the Holy Spirit.

It felt good to be defeated.

One of these years I am going to figure this Lent thing out.
One of these years I am going to remember who is truly in charge.
But in the mean time I am going to cherish this feeling of being defeated and enjoy the power of the Holy Spirit working through me.

God help me 🙂

edh -|—

Lenten discipline – Prayer journal

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

It has been placed on my heart recently to do some reflecting on various spiritual disciplines throughout Lent.  One of the reasons is my recent rebelliousness of not giving something up for Lent.  I have found that when I give something up for Lent that it doesn’t help me focus on God more but rather it distracts me.  Instead of focusing on God I find myself focusing on how much I miss the thing I have given up.

So I am changing the rules.  Instead of giving something up for Lent I am taking something on.

And when I say that I mean taking on a spiritual discipline such as:
Bible reading
Prayer
Journaling
Mediation
Worship
Fasting
Study
Serving
Etc…

Something I have started doing recently is keeping a prayer/study journal.
On the left is my Bible.  The book on right is a leather bound journal for taking notes during scripture reading and meditation.  The white paper in the middle is my prayer list that I update often.  All of this is contained in a canvas Bible cover with storage compartments for writing utensils and other items.  This is super easy to carry around with me and use as needed.  If a prayer request comes my way I make sure I immediately write down the name, date and circumstances…and also make sure I follow up.  I do this through personal visits, Facebook messages, email or phone calls.

I have found that this discipline has drawn me closer to God and closer to others as I work through this prayer list.  Something else I am starting is praying through the church membership list; a couple names/families at a time.

But this is not just a Lenten discipline…this is something I plan to maintain after Lent is done.   You see…the old Lenten rules said that when Easter arrived you could STOP giving up what you gave up and begin indulging in what you had deprived yourself of for 40 days (not counting Sundays).  The NEW rules encourage you to continue what you began.

Don’t give it up after Lent…keep it up.  Let it become a daily ritual for fostering and nurturing your relationship with God.

So there you go…the NEW rules:
Don’t give up but take on and continue.  Pretty straight forward.

So…who’s in?

And…

What are you going to take on?

edh -|—

Ready…set…go…

/ The Pastor

It’s Ash Wednesday!

Lent is here!

Bring on the craziness 🙂

Today I kicked off Lent by enjoying the Holy Spirit work through me to finish off the sermon for tonight.  I went to bed last night with writers block.  Woke up this morning hoping and praying that the sermon would finish itself.  Went to my office and BEHOLD…

…enter the Holy Spirit.

Now the sermon is done.  Praise be to God.  I can hardly wait to preach it tonight.

For my next Lenten activity…
I made some ashes for tonight.  I always look forward to doing this.  I just wish I hadn’t inhaled so much ash smoke.  I am still coughing it up. [Mental note ~ wear a mask next year]

Anyway…I am one of those purists who take the Palm branches from Palm Sunday the previous year, burn them to ash and then mix in some olive oil.

Presto!

Ashes for worship tonight 🙂

Now it is off to release time…then confirmation…then Lenten small group…then Lenten supper…then Ash Wednesday worship…then…at some point…bed.

Lent is here!

Ready…set…go!

edh -|—

Where’s the cross?

/ The Pastor

A few weeks ago my wife and I were chatting with some friends about Holy Week.  We were sharing what our respective congregations were planning.  Here…we share Maundy Thursday and Good Friday worships with Belmont Lutheran Church (the small county congregation I serve).  We each take one of those services and then flip the following year.  This year we worship at Belmont on Maundy Thursday and at Salem for Good Friday.

As I was sharing this I was talking about this old rugged cross that a couple Salem guys made a few years back.  It stands about 6 feet tall and made from two nice-sized tree branches.  They did a very nice job and it’s perfect for Good Friday worship.  As soon as I mentioned this I froze.  You see…on Ash Wednesday we put a larger cross in Salem’s narthex (we decorate this cross with palm branches and lilies for Easter Sunday).  There is a crown of thorns on top and it is draped with a purple cloth.  It greets people as they enter the narthex to remind then of Lent and of Jesus’ suffering and death.

Well…the cross was not there in the narthex.  I forgot to put it out 😦

How could I possibly forget the cross?  My wife was quick to remind me that our custodian always put it out…but here’s the thing…that person is no longer our custodian due to a stroke he suffered last June.  I always took for granted that Dave would have the cross out and ready to go for Ash Wednesday and Lent.  But that doesn’t absolve me for forgetting that cross.

I mean…think about it.  Lent is a time for us to remember why Jesus suffered and died on the cross.  We are to remember our mortality and sin.  We are to remember that from dust we came and to dust we shall return.  We are to remember that without the cross we are condemned to hell.  The cross is the focus…and I forgot that narthex cross.  But here’s another thing…no one else noticed either (or at least they didn’t say anything to me).  I am not sure what bothers me more:  Me forgetting or no one saying anything about it.

So the solution was  to put it up for Palm Sunday (which we did); marking the beginning of Holy Week.  The purple cloth on that cross will be replaced on Maundy Thursday with a black one.  The cross will then be put outside for Good Friday to REMIND people of what Jesus did for us.  And…the cross will be “decorated” with palm branches and lilies to remind us of the joy that comes through the cross.

Now…when I walk through the narthex I feel a little more complete…with the reality of the cross staring at me.  I hope that when Easter is done that I won’t need a large cross in the narthex to remind me of what Jesus did FOR YOU and FOR ME.

May you have a blessed Holy Week and a very happy Easter!

Praise be to God!

-edh-

Book reports

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

Ever since I bought myself a Kindle this past November I have been reading more than ever before.  And from what I have heard from others I am not the only one experiencing this “phenomenon”.  The ease of searching and downloading books has contributed to my increase in reading.  Being able to take my library with me to the coffee shop or while traveling is very appealing.  I was hoping that this Kindle would not be just a passing phase that I would get tired of.  So far I have a hard time putting it down.

So with that introduction (Amazon did not pay me to write this) I want to share with you a couple books.  One I have just finished and one I have just begun.  First…the one I just finished.  It is called 24 Hours That Changed the World by Adam Hamilton.  I would recommend this book right now to help you prepare for Holy Week.  This book takes a look at the last 24 hours of Jesus life.  Through reading this book I saw these hours in a fresh and new way.  One of the most powerful things I experienced in reading this is seeing myself in the various characters in the story.  It is easy for us to say that “I wouldn’t have crucified Jesus“, “I wouldn’t have mocked him“, “I wouldn’t have denied or deserted Jesus“…but not so fast.  It is amazing what we are capable of…and it is even more amazing that despite this God has shown us forgiveness through Jesus Christ.  I encourage you to check this book out.  I started using this book as a morning devotion but I later found that I had a hard time putting it down.

Second.

The book I am currently reading is called The Pastor: A Memoir by Eugene H. Peterson.  Many of you know Eugene Peterson as the author of The Message.  I have always found Peterson to be a very thoughtful author and pastor.  I have looked up to him for a long time.  I am only a couple chapters in but so far he is taking us through his initial journey to the vocation of pastor.  Whether you are a pastor or not I think you will enjoy this book.  His use of words and imagery is amazing and it keeps me turning those electronic pages.

Oh wait…one more book.  The Bible.  I have subscribed to a couple reading plans through my DroidX smartphone Bible app (now I can say that I never leave home without my cell phone or my Bible).  Every morning I log in and read what’s waiting for me.  It is always a joy to spend time in scripture.  Something I am doing different, though, is that each morning I am posting a Bible text from my phone straight to my Facebook wall.  I have been amazed at how many people comment or simply hit “like” on those posts.  Just another little way I can share the love of Jesus with people.

There…a couple book reports for you.  I normally don’t do this but this is what has been on my heart recently.  Are there any other books that you are reading this Lenten season that you would care to give me a report on?

O.K…I guess that is it for now.  I am off to read what else Eugene Peterson has to say.  May God bless your day 🙂

-edh-

Lent re-thought

/ The Pastor / 3 Comments

I am excited about Lent this year…not to say that I haven’t been any other year, but this year is going to be different.

At the Belmont Lutheran Church (the small county congregation I also serve) annual meeting on Sunday we decided to try something new for Lent.  For our Wednesday Lenten services we have been averaging around 10 per week.  So for a while now I have been pondering the future of these services.
–Do I need to re-think what we do on Wednesdays?
–Do we need to change the time of the worship?
–Do we need to change the location (share a service with Salem in town)?
–Or what?

Well…on Sunday I offered an idea that I heard from our Methodist friends down the street.  Instead of Wednesday evening Lenten services what about having home cottage meetings on Tuesday nights?

Are you intrigued…then allow me to elaborate…

What Belmont decided to do is meet in someone’s home on Tuesdays during Lent at 6:30pm.  We will gather together in a circle and have a time of worship/devotions (I am not sure how this will look yet).  The bulk of the time will be devoted to some teaching.  I envision this to be a cross between a sermon and a Bible study.  I will do the majority of the teaching but allow for questions, feedback or discussion.  People can come and just sit and listen or get involved…it’s up to them.  After we are done there will be some refreshments and fellowship time.  The thinking is that this will be a more intimate setting and thus more attractive to people.

I am not sure what the topic will be; whether I will do a series in a particular book of the Bible, some aspect of Jesus life or whatever.  The idea was suggested that I use the topic from the Lenten small group that I will be leading called “The Seven Wonders of God’s Word” from Augsburg Fortress.  That idea intrigues me so I am going to explore that as well.

So I am excited about this new thing we are about to do (I will post updates here during Lent).  I am not sure how it will be received.  My hope is that the home we meet in won’t be big enough, but we’ll see what happens.  But in the end we need to remember that where 2 or 3 are gathered there is Jesus right there in the midst of them.  So either way we will praise God.

-edh-

Many But One: The Final Countdown

/ The Pastor

If you haven’t had a chance to stop by Many But One I encourage you to do so soon.  Many But One is a Lenten devotional blog being written by seven pastors (6 from the east coast area and me in the Midwest) and is scheduled to end by Easter (at least that is when we will stop posting devotions).  We have been using texts from the daily lectionary, commenting on the chosen text and then finishing with a prayer.  It has been a joy to be part of this blogging team.

To those who have stopped by…I hope Many But One has been a blessing to you.

Praise be to God!

-edh-

Periscope up

/ The Pastor

I know I said earlier that I would be keeping a low profile for a while…at least until after Easter, but I feel the need to raise the periscope a bit and see what is going on.

For a month or so I have been submerged in life as Lent hit me like a ton of bricks…but in a good way.  I know a lot of pastors sometimes lament how busy Lent is; saying it is their busiest time of the year, but I think most would say that Lent is a very energizing time of the year (in a weird sort of way).   Even though I have felt drained from time to time I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.  I think part of that thinking is realizing that it is not my energy that sustains me but God’s.  As Luther says in his sacristy prayer, “…if this were left up to me I would certainly bring it all to ruin.”  And I have felt that way many times.  And…at times…I have even tried to do it myself almost bringing myself to ruin.  But fortunately I have faithful friends, family and parishioners that have reminded me of who is truly in charge.

Part of this “ton of bricks” has been leading a small group based on the Book of Faith book “40 Days with the Lord’s Prayer” (I say this simply because I have never lead a small group study during Lent before.  Sounds strange, I know, but we are in the process of revamping our education here at Salem).  Seventeen people signed up to take this journey together.  We work through the daily devotions each week, focusing on a petition of the Lord’s Prayer, then meet on Wednesday to review our week.  So far it has been an enjoyable experience to hear people share their faith.  Everyone has contributed to the discussion and we have learned a lot.  I look forward to leading more small group studies.

There have been other things that have been parts of this “ton of bricks” but I won’t go into all those details.  I think the main point for me is that these bricks haven’t crushed me because God is in control.  God has been faithful.  God has given me strength.  All of that is encouraging as I face a week of preparation before Holy Week hits.  Over all, Lent has been a blessed one for me…and I hope for others as well.  God has been faithful.

So with that I lower the blogging periscope and return to the busy world of Lent.  I thank those who have offered encouragement to me.  I thank those who have been understanding.  And I am grateful I have an outlet like this to share my thoughts and open my heart up to anyone who would want to take a peek.  God bless you this Lenten season and as you prepare to recognize and celebrated the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Praise be to God, always and forever!

-edh-

The Heart of a Pastor update and pondering

/ The Pastor / 7 Comments

No doubt you have noticed my absence from blogging.  It seems that has been happening more often recently.  I go through “sabbatical” times where I am discerning whether or not to continue and then I come back strong…blogging a few times a week.  Now I have been gone for a while and I am still trying to figure out if this blog has run its course or not.  Maybe Lent has gotten the best of me (it has been strangely busy this year).  The last two weeks have been extremely overwhelming for me (and Holy Week isn’t even here yet).

So where does that leave us?

I do not know.

I have been spending a lot of time doing ministry via Facebook and Twitter.  And I have been putting a renewed focus on education here at Salem (things are really taking off there).  Part of me is thinking I need to put more focus on writing lesson plans for here and shift some focus away from blogging for a while.  Part of me is reluctant to pull the trigger on this blog.  So I am still left wondering what to do.  I know some people have gotten sick and tired of waiting for me and I understand that.  I just don’t know what is next.

This blog has been up and running for nearly 4 years now and that fact completely blows me away.  How have I had that much to write about?  In any case…I am still around.  I am doing well.  And I still don’t know where this blogging is going next.  Maybe the time down after Easter will give me some clarity on the direction of this blog…who knows (God knows).

I thank you for your understanding.

So in the mean time I hope and pray you have a blessed Lenten and Easter season…celebrating the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Praising God…always and forever!

-edh-

A Lenten blog – Many But One

/ The Pastor / 4 Comments

Happy Monday!!!

Today is February 8 and in 9 short days Lent will begin with Ash Wednesday.  So much happens during this time of the year (especially for pastors) that sometimes we don’t have time or don’t take the time to really take in all that Lent has to offer.  For us here in the Jackson, MN many churches will be participating in a Lenten round robin preaching rotation where us pastors “take our show on the road”.  It’s a time I really enjoy for I get to share Lent with 5 other congregations.  What a blessing.

Now a number of us want to share Lent with you in another way.  Starting this week there is a Lenten blog that is up and running called Many But One.  Seven pastors from various points in this country will be taking a particular day of the week to share some Lenten thoughts with you from the daily lectionary.  This week we are each submitting a post on our assigned day (mine day is Tuesday) that will introduce us.  Then, starting on Sunday, February 14, the Lenten devotionals will begin (I know, Lent doesn’t start until the 17th, but work with me here).  Each morning we will each submit our post that focuses on a text assigned for the day and follow that up with a prayer.  Feel free to leave comments and/or questions.

For me…I am looking forward to sharing Lent with 6 other people from around the country.  I hope you will join us on this Lenten journey as we walk together to the cross and celebrate at the empty tomb.

The blog is up and running so go and check out…and…happy Lent everyone.

Praise be to God!

-edh-