It must be getting close to Holy Week. Actually…this doesn’t look too bad. Just wait until next week 🙂
The Pastor -|—
Photos
The lighter side of Christmas
There are really no words to explain this picture. Sometimes you just have to lighten up and have some fun. But replacing Joseph and Mary with Martin and Katie Luther bobble head dolls might be going a little too far though 🙂
Have a very fun and merry Christmas!
The pastor -|—
Giving
Today I am preaching on Mark 12:41-44 ~ “The Widow’s Offering”.
It is a story that always hits close to home as it challenges me how I give back to God. It is so easy to focus on budgets and worry about income and bills; so much so, that we often times cut back on our giving in order to get by. But what if we actually believed that everything we have belongs to God (which it does). How would that direct our giving?
Hmmm…
You see…giving is a matter of faith. Do you actually believe that God will provide for you? If you don’t then you don’t have much motivation to give. If you DO believe God provides for your needs then faith tells us that in order for God to provide for others God needs us to provide for them. God blesses us so we may bless others.
What a novel idea 🙂
When you place your gift in the offering plate you are:
~ Praising God for is abundance
~ Thanking God for His blessings in your life
~ Blessing others
~ Showing trust
~ Worshiping God
The offering is not just part of the worship service, it IS an act of worship. May you know God’s blessings so you may bless others with the love of God.
We give thee but thine own, whatever the gift may be;
all that we have is thine alone, a trust, O Lord, from thee.
May we thy bounties thus as stewards true receive,
and gladly, as thou blessest us, to thee our first-fruits give.
The captive to release, to God the lost to bring,
to teach the way of life and peace — it is a Christ-like thing.
And we believe thy word, though dim our faith may be:
whatever we do for thine, O Lord, we do it unto thee.
[Evangelical Lutheran Worship book #686]
Praise be to God!
edh -|—
Reading material
Every bathroom needs reading material but you got to love it when a business puts a Bible in their’s. You also should have seen the expression on my wife’s face when I walked out. “Did you just take a picture in there?!?” I can about imagine what was running through her head 🙂
In any case…this picture is screaming for a caption. What do you suggest?
edh -|—
God is Good
God is Good!
This was my supper at Wednesday Night Live (Sunday school on Wednesday) a couple weeks. I am willing to bet you can guess what was on the menu 🙂
After I took this picture I showed it to a parent/church council member and she laughed (she is the one who came up with the caption for the picture). She then said that she was in charge of devotions at the council meeting (which was slated to begin soon) and she didn’t have anything. Now she did and shared this as part of her devotions (with her talking and me passing my phone around the table).
God IS good for countless reasons but if God were pancakes I imagine God would be the best pancakes ever. Sweet enough that you wouldn’t need syrup (which I did use on the above mentioned pancakes).
God is good…all the time!
All the time…God is good!
Amen to that 🙂
edh -|—
Creative cross
This is too cool not to share.
My release time kids were using crayons to write prayers to God and then seal them in an envelope to read later. After we were done I asked a couple of the kids to round up the crayons and put them away.
This is what I found 🙂
I love it that these kids thought to do this.
But enough said…praise be to God!
edh -|—
“Working”
This picture was taken while I was “working” 🙂
I went to visit a parishioner living in one of our local nursing homes the other day. Directly outside his window was this scene.
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When I arrived in his room we greeted one another and he said to me that he was watching “God’s little creatures“. I sat down and started watching as well. We spent time watching these little birds dance around the feeders. Red finches showed up, a couple sparrows and some other birds that I couldn’t identify. They seemed to be playing and fighting for room. It was quite a scene. Birds would get chased away but would quickly return to “play”.
Between bird feeder observations, Dave and I chatted about the “important” things of life. But really…it was hard to focus on those “important” things while watching the play unfold outside the window. At that moment “God’s little creatures” were the “important” things.
And that was fine with Dave and me 🙂
At first these little creatures were shy when I tried to snap their picture. As soon as I would move the little theater outside the window would clear out, but eventually they warmed up to me…hence the picture. Maybe they perceived me as a fellow creature of God (at least that is what I am going to go with). Whatever the case…more and more birds showed up…all feeling comfortable being on stage.
Eventually it was time to leave. Dave and I shook hands, I took one more glance at the scene outside the window and I said good bye; thanking them for their performance.
And this, my friends, is what I call “work”…enjoying God’s creatures big and small 🙂
Praise be to God!
edh-|—
Scotcheroos, coffee and sermon prep
Ah…sermon prep time at my favorite location in Jackson ~ Coffee Choices.
Each day at 10:20am I pack up my laptop and sermon prep materials and head downtown. I walk into Coffee Choices and I feel like Norm walking into Cheers.
O the joy of small town life.
I setup camp and greet my scotcheroo that is waiting for me (See lower left part of photo. I have a standing order every Thursday). I also order a cup of coffee (of course) and then place my lunch order to be ready at 11am.
Each Thursday ~ the same routine (unless I let Coffee Choices know ahead of time).
Some days it is busy and noisy.
Some days it is quite peaceful (like today).
Whatever the case I don’t care. The Holy Spirit can work in any condition.
If this routine is disrupted, though, I almost panic ~ thrown for a loop. But the sermon still gets written. I don’t know how.
(actually I do…refer to my previous Holy Spirit comment).
But what makes Thursday sermon prep so special (outside the Holy Spirit working through me to prepare a message from God to preach to God’s people) is…well…
…the scotcheroo, the coffee and the Cheers like feeling.
O the joy of small town life.
And now…lunch time 🙂
-edh-
Doughnut holes
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-
Life through the cross
Life through the cross
This is the wind break wall on the ramp leading to the sanctuary at Salem Lutheran Church. You will notice that a robin has built a nest on right cross arm. When my wife noticed this she said to me, “There’s got to be a sermon illustration in there somewhere.” I think she may be right. My first thought was “Life through the cross“. Corny…maybe…but leave it to a pastor to do theology with a picture like this. I guess one could say that I am a theologian of the cross 🙂
So…
What would you call this picture?
What scripture comes to mind when you see this?
-edh-
The Heart of a Pastor 