Ministry

Authority of Jesus

/ The Pastor

Do you want to know what never, ever gets old with me?

What never gets old with me is the fact that when Jesus says something…IT HAPPENS.  No if, and or buts about it.  When Jesus speaks, people (and demons) listen.  I guess that is also why I enjoy preaching on texts, like what we have for Sunday ~ Mark 1:21-28 ~ the authority of Jesus/casting out evil spirits.

Jesus teaches with authority (not like that of the scribes).  The scribes, when they taught, would rely on the authority of the great teachers that came before them.  Their teaching would be full of phrases such as:

[So and so] said [this] about [this] Commandment and therefore according to [so and so] you should live in [this way].

This got old for the people.  The scribes never taught with their own authority.  They didn’t make their own judgments.

But Jesus did…and the people loved it.

You see…Jesus’ authority wasn’t just in the manner he spoke.  It wasn’t just in his voice inflection. It wasn’t just in his facial expressions and body language.  Jesus’ authority was much different…and powerful.  Jesus’ authority was his own’s and he didn’t need teachers who came before him.  Actually…no one came before him because he was God for crying out loud.  You don’t get any more authoritative than that.

And Jesus displayed that authority through his powerful words when he commanded those evil spirits to leave that man…and the evil spirits listened (kicking and screaming on the way out).  But that shouldn’t surprise you because…
…when Jesus speaks people listen.

…when Jesus speaks his words do something
[“Lazarus, come out”, “Take your mat and walk”]

…when Jesus speaks he means exactly what he says.
[“Your sins are forgiven”]

Wow…that is authority.  That is awesome.  That is powerful.

We are God’s children because He says so.
We are forgiven because God says so.
We are saved through faith in Jesus Christ because God says so.

Next time you are in worship and hear the pastor announce forgiveness, know that the pastor does that with the authority of God and therefore the words being spoken are from God himself…AND therefore…you can trust that the words will do what they actually mean:  YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN.

Thank you, God, for calling me your child, forgiving me when I stray and embracing me when I return.  May you be praised always and forever. Amen!

edh -|—

Feed your sheep (a follow up)

/ The Pastor

Smack!  Right between the eyes…I think.

God was good today.

Following the service, a daughter of the deceased told me she appreciated the fact that I preached the Gospel and did not focus my attention on her mother.  Wow…it’s not every day I hear something like that.

Praise be to God!

It is always nice to hear comments from family like that, but I am mostly glad that they found comfort in the words that God placed on my heart.

Dear God…thank you for feeding your sheep today.  Amen.

edh -|—

Feed your sheep

/ The Pastor

Loving God – because your sheep NEED to be fed, grant me strength.

Grant me the words to say this morning as we mourn the death of Gene.

Open the hearts of those who have not heard of you that they may hear the Good News.

Comfort the hearts of those who have heard with the hope of the resurrection.

Strengthen us as we go through these days, weeks and months that lay ahead with the promise that in Christ there are no “good byes”.

May our time together this morning bring you praise, honor and glory as we are FED with the awesome story of Jesus Christ crucified and risen FOR US.

Thank you, God, for your faithfulness.

Come, Holy Spirit.

Amen.

edh -|—

Right between the eyes

/ The Pastor / 6 Comments

I was talking with a person a while back about a funeral they attended…and I was saddened by what I heard.  I was saddened because  it didn’t sound like the Gospel was preached.  When I asked how the funeral went they said things like:

“It was a great celebration of their life.”
“It was very upbeat.”
“Fun stories were shared about him.”
“He lived a very good life.”

There was nothing about the Gospel.  Maybe it was preached but those comments sure don’t sound like that is what they heard.  What this person remembers are stories and remembrances of the past.  I wish I would have challenged them more but being in a public place I shied away from confronting them…but maybe I should have.

[A missed opportunity]

I also remember another conversation (by the way…I am preparing for a funeral this week, that is why these memories are bubbling up).  This conversation was with a family.  I was meeting with them but was unable to do the funeral because of a prior commitment.  Luckily they had a family member who was a pastor so they were going to lead worship.  Through the course of the meeting the daughter was talking about the service and wanted lots of stories about her mother.  I chimed in and said a funeral has nothing to do with the deceased but everything to do with Jesus and what he has done for you and for me.  This was the response I got:

“Well…at my funeral you are going to talk about me!”

I really wanted to argue but I decided that wasn’t the place.  Besides…at her funeral she won’t have any say what I talk about 🙂

Why am I bring this up?

As I prepare for a funeral one of the things I am keenly aware of is that there could very easily be people there who normally do not attend worship.  These people only enter a worship space on Easter, Christmas, funerals and weddings.  They go through life without hearing the Good News.  So when they do finally show up in a worship space you just can not miss that opportunity.  You have to smack them right between the eyes with the Gospel, not fun stories about the deceased.  The dead person’s past life is not going to help them.  The only thing that will help is Jesus’ death and subsequent resurrection; the victory he won FOR YOU and FOR ME.

Too many people in the world today water down the Gospel with the prosperity gospel (which is NO gospel at all; not good news).  The prosperity gospel says that if you believe hard enough, are a good person and keep your nose to the grindstone, you can be successful (to have your best life now).  If bad things happen then you somehow fell short. Please do not buy into this false gospel.

Once again…that is NOT good news.

And it bugs me to no end that this message is being preached by many so called ministers out there; leading people astray.  What they are doing is simply preaching a message that people WANT to hear, not what they NEED to hear.

What people need to hear is:
–We are sinners and can not survive this life on our own.
–There is hope.
–We have a savior in Jesus.
–That through faith in Christ there is forgiveness of our sins.
–That there is NOTHING we can do to earn, merit or deserve this grace.
–God loves you!

So when I prepare a funeral sermon (or any sermon for that matter) I try to keep in mind what people need to hear…and let them have it.

So as I prepare for this funeral on Thursday I am winding up and preparing myself to smack people right between the eyes with the TRUE Gospel.  And I pray that God will use the words I say to change someone’s life.  All to God’s glory.

So if you are reading this and coming on Thursday, get ready because I will be bringing it 🙂

Praise be to God!

edh -|—

My “gift”

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

Something weird happened to me when I was at my synod council meeting this past Saturday.

One of the synod ministers was talking about networking; trying to connect people’s gifts and talents with others.  It is a very good idea and am glad we have someone on the synod staff whose job is to do that.

But that’s not the weird thing.

As she was showing us the list of people she has in the data base I was scanning for people I knew and what was listed as their “talent”. For the most part I was not surprised with what I saw.

Then my name came up. (by the way…this is where the “weird thing” begins)

After my name I saw “writing”.  I have never considering “writing” a talent or gift.  Sure…I have been blogging for 5 1/2 years or so but that doesn’t mean I am a gifted writer.  But don’t get me wrong…I wasn’t upset with what I saw, I was just surprised. (This is not the “weird thing” yet…that was just the beginning of the “weird thing” story)

The weird thing that happened was that after I saw “writing”by my name I got inspired.  You see…I hadn’t written a blog post since Dec. 12.  With the Christmas season and an increased emphasis in communicating through Facebook and Twitter, I just kind of drifted away from blogging, but on Sunday I wrote.

And today I wrote…

…and now I feel inspired to write some more. (But don’t worry ramble on and on here)

It is funny/weird how the Holy Spirit works.  And it WAS the Holy Spirit at work that day; kicking me in the butt.  I guess there is more ministry to do done through my so-called “gift” of writing.  Weird…huh?

Praise be to God!

edh -|—

Fill ‘er up

/ The Pastor

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)

Today the Gospel text inspired me to think about “the crowds” that followed Jesus.  In Matthew 4:23-25, the crowd was described as people who had been healed of many things ~ or as I saw them ~ invisible people.  They were people who society had cast aside and looked past them.  And this is not unlike what we do today.  There are many people among us who are invisible.  Sure…we see their bodies, but we really don’t see them because we are so focused on filling OUR lives with meaning through worldly pursuits.

But as I was reading more in the Gospel text I saw something else.  All the invisible people, after they were healed (essentially, made visible by the love of Jesus) continued to follow Jesus.  And this lead me to Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Isn’t that what we are all looking for ~ to be “filled” in someway?  We try to fill ourselves with stuff, time, busyness, etc when all we need is Jesus.  The people healed in the Gospel text could have returned to their communities, families, synagogues ~ restored ~ but they followed Jesus.  They followed Jesus in order to be filled more with his teaching ~ and love.  If only we would do the same.

Let’s pray…

Loving God, lover of our souls, you and you alone truly fill us.  You and you alone truly give us meaning.  You and you alone truly give us purpose.

Yet

We strive to fill ourselves.
We strive to fill our calendars with busyness.
We strive to fill our checkbooks.
We strive to fill our Facebook accounts with friends.
We strive to fill our homes and driveways.
We strive to fill our careers.
We strive for that which will not bring us life.

Humble our hearts, so much so, that we can see the only one who can truly fill us ~ Jesus Christ.  Heal our “eye sight”, so much so, that we can see the invisible people in our lives ~ so as Christ fills us with his love we can in turn fill others with that same love.  Help us to understand that all our striving to “fill ‘er up” is nothing more than a chasing after the wind.

Thank you, God, that through faith Jesus Christ, we are filled ~ with righteousness ~ that which we TRULY need.

Amen!

edh -|—

Doughnut holes

/ The Pastor / 10 Comments

Today I helped serve doughnut holes.  It was nothing fancy just some regular, sugar and powered sugar doughnut holes.

There was also juice and coffee…and a Kleenex or two (which came in handy).

So what was the occasion?

Today was the first day of school for the Jackson County Central school district.  And we served doughnut holes.

Why?

You see…Riverside Elementary School is right next door to Salem Lutheran Church and the most convenient way that parents can drop off/pick up their kids is via the church parking lot.  Late August through mid-May; five days a week; and twice a day; dozens of cars (lots and lots of people) are coming to our property.  So I challenged the church council last week.

And they stepped forward.

We (Salem members) set up camp in the church parking lot by the sidewalk that leads to the school.  And there were the doughnut holes (and the juice and the coffee).  And…a box of Kleenex (parents…you can probably figure out why).

We welcomed kids and parents with a cheerful smile and a invitation to enjoy a doughnut hole and a beverage before school.
Some happily accepted.
Some didn’t know what to think of us.
Some declined and wished they hadn’t just eaten.
Some wished they hadn’t just stopped for coffee.

And…many smiles were seen.

All in all it was a good morning.  But none of this had anything to do with us.  It was all for the glory of God; to share the love of Christ with people in a practical way.  I know it may sound like I am tooting our own horn here but that’s not what I am doing.  I want to encourage others out there to find creative ways (as this church council did) in sharing the love of Christ with their communities.  After all…being the Church is about going out into the world and telling people about God’s love through Jesus Christ.

We didn’t preach sermons this morning, we just served doughnut holes….with a smile.  Most people can do that without getting too nervous.

How is God calling you to serve in your community?
How is God calling you to share the love of Christ in a practical way?

-edh-

Jesus was homeless

/ The Pastor

I am still in Branson, MO on family vacation getting some much needed rest.  It has been great to slow down these past couple weeks to recharge the ole battery. But the reason I am writing today is to reflect on something my wife shared with me last night.  She was searching the Internet for various ministries in the Branson area and came across a ministry called “Jesus was homeless” (see http://www.jesuswashomeless.org).

Why do I bring this up?

Well…I am sitting here on the patio at this really nice resort, sipping my diet dew all the while there are homeless people nearby trying to find shelter from the rain that is falling.  We are enjoying time resting, reading, swimming, playing volleyball and eating too much while others struggle to find something to curb their hunger.  Then I saw a quote on the Jesus was Homeless website that read “We worship a homeless man on Sunday but avoid the homeless on Monday”. 

Interesting and true.  It makes me wonder if we should add another “activity” to family vacation. 

What would it look like if when we planned a vacation we checked out local ministries first and arranged to volunteer there at least one day?  How would that change our outlook of vacation and change it’s purpose?  But more importantly…how would it change your outlook on God’s children who can’t enjoy vacations like you and me?

I have never considered that before.  Rest and renewal is important but this life is only temporary. 

Amazing what one thinks about when life slows down.  Maybe I need to find more moments like this to listen to God.

-edh-

A poor sinner

/ The Pastor / 4 Comments

I had issues this morning.

I have been a pastor now for just over 7 years.  I have presided over communion for just over 7 years.  I have known the Words of Institution for just over 7 years (even longer than that because I knew well before seminary).  But today it was like I have never said those words before.

I was standing up front at Belmont this morning leading worship.  I had just received the offering and the congregation was standing.  I turned around holding the chalice and began the Words of Institution.  The problem is that we start with the bread and then go to the wine (at least that is what I normally do).  I found myself lost as I realized that I had the wrong element…so I had to wing it…trying to make it look as if I meant to start with the wine.

I failed.

I stuttered and stumbled through the Words of Institution like I didn’t know what I was doing.  I was totally frazzled and my rhythm was totally gone.  I even saw someone out there smile at his wife as he knew I was struggling.  I think part of the problem was that I have become so accustomed to the Words of Institution that I found myself relying of the words themselves and not on the proclamation.

That is going to have to change.

My hope and prayer is that people still heard words of promise regardless of my failure.  My guess is that they did hear words of promise ~ thanks to the Holy Spirit.  I trust that God still used me in some way ~ for you see ~ when I preach and lead worship it is not about what I do but it is about the Holy Spirit working through me.  One reason why I am certain of this is because if it were about me; if it were about my speaking ability; if it were about my so-call talents;  I would have been fired long ago.  But as it is God can use a poor sinner like me to proclaim the Good News.

Praise be to God!

The other explanation of what happened this morning could be that I need a vacation ~ something that will be happening very soon 🙂

-edh-

Creature of habit and the god of routine

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

I am a creature of habit (as I expect a lot of you are).  I have certain routines that I depend on.  Some I can live without if need be but some, if disrupted, can throw me for a loop…if I am not careful.  Case in point ~ Thursdays.

Thursday is a day I look forward to because it is the day I head down to my favorite coffee shop to write the sermon for Sunday.  I arrive downtown at around 10:25am and set up my lap top and work space.  I order my pre-lunch snack ~ a scotcheroo.  I also order my lunch to be prepared at 11am and, of course, I order my coffee.  Each Thursday…that is what I do ~ so much so that my coffee shop has a scotcheroo set aside for me each week unless I let them know ahead of time that I am going to be gone.  I am a creature of habit.

Thursday is not only scotcheroo day but more importantly it is worship and sermon prep day; a day that Monday through Wednesday builds up to.  Thursday begins the three day process of preparing for Sunday.  Sunday of course is the Sabbath and then the process starts all over again on Monday.  Week in and week out that is the “normal” routine.  Variables, of course, are funerals, pastoral care emergencies, holidays appearing during the week, etc.  Those times call for a little extra energy (a.k.a. coffee) and concentration…and a lot of prayer.  I don’t mind those “variables” because they are part of being a pastor.  I say “I don’t mind” meaning they don’t annoy me for throwing off the routine because it is also those times that I am called to minister.  I hope and pray everyday that I never approach the idol of “routine” that would steer me away from those holy moments I am called to.  I hope and pray that these “variables” don’t become an annoyance…for it is in that moment where I would be failing to trust in God’s faithfulness.

Routines can be a safe haven but they are a false “safe haven”.  Routines may provide order in chaos.  Routines may give you a sense of security.  Routines may provide something to look forward to.  But routines can never provide that which God provides.  Routines will be disrupted from time to time but God’s love and faithfulness will never be disrupted.  Routines will lead people into ruts, but God’s love is always exciting.  Routines can become idols; false gods, leading to destruction.

I cherish the routine of Thursday but not more than I cherish the God who loves me ~ so much so that Jesus died and rose that I may know forgiveness and everlasting life.  Thursday scotcheroos, coffees and lunch are great but God’s promises are better.

God…I pray that I may not be drawn into the idol worship of routine.  You have proved your faithfulness through Jesus Christ and for that I worship and praise you.  May your name be praised!  Amen!

–edh-