Scripture

Sunday morning prayer — Thank God for for being chosen

/ The Pastor / 3 Comments

Once again I have had a busy September week but my upcoming schedule is starting to look a little better as it usually does towards the end of the month.  I have much to share with you (in addition to my scripture reading highlights).

I do have one little piece of personal news to share with you now, though (actually this is more of an update).  The Twin Cities marathon is 2 weeks from today.  Please remember me in your prayers.  I am growing more and more excited and more and more nervous.  I wonder sometimes if I am ready for this; if there is more I could’ve done or more that I can still do.  I know I can’t back out now after 13+ months of training (even though my mom and my wife wouldn’t mind if I backed out now).  I need to keep chugging along…I know I can do this and I am excited to be able to call myself a marathon runner.

With that…let’s prepare ourselves for worship today by remembering the Gospel text of the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard.  My preaching focus today is about the fact that before we do any work in the vineyard we are chosen.  And the problem I see in the Church today is that too many people get caught up with the economics of this world and try to apply them to the Kingdom.  A sense of entitlement creeps into many people’s theology.  But what we need to recapture is our sense of excitement of being chosen in the first place.  It’s like recapturing the new car smell again.  Jesus says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16).  Let’s rejoice over being chosen!  Let us pray…

Almighty, loving and gracious God, we desire to be with you but we fall short of your glory through sin. Our feeble efforts do not merit us salvation. It is only through your son that we find life everlasting. Thank you, God, for choosing us. Thank you God for sending us into your vineyard. Thank you God for not treating us as we deserve to be treated. Through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord we pray, Amen.

Take care and have a very blessed day!

-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-

No tomorrow?

/ The Pastor / 3 Comments

The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the foremost. But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:15-17)

I read this passage this morning and it really caught my attention.  Therefore it got highlighted in my Bible.  Paul wrote this passage for Timothy as he was encouraging Timothy in his ministry.  And through that encouragement I also find encouragement.  Paul was the chief persecutor of the church; killing those that professed to believe and follow Jesus.  But God had other plans and called Paul to be a promoter and preacher of Christ.  Since then, Paul became the greatest missionary this Church has ever seen.

God, though Jesus Christ, came to save sinners which, in the words of Paul, he was the foremost.  God, through Jesus Christ, came to save sinners which I feel I am the foremost.  God, through Jesus Christ, came to save sinners which YOU are the foremost.  But for that very reason I/we received mercy, so that in me/us, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me/us an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life.

We are all the worst of sinners…but God’s mercy and forgiveness and love is so much greater.  This is our urgent message.  We can’t take this for granted.  Who, in your little world, needs to hear a message of hope?  Let our ministry be one that assumes no tomorrow.  If that is indeed the case…what are we waiting for?

-edh-

Sunday morning prayer

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

Hey there…long time no see.  No…it’s not that you haven’t been here for a while it’s that I haven’t stopped by my own blog for a couple days.  So please allow me to make excuses here:
(1) The busyness of September seemed to sneak up on me.
(2) The busyness of September seemed to sneak up on me.
…and (3) The busyness of September seemed to sneak up on me.

That is enough said on that.  I think I am beginning to get a hold of things now so you will see me a little more in the coming weeks.

Anyway…the Gospel text I am preaching on today comes from Matthew 18:21-35.  This is the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant.  Peter asks Jesus the question, “How many times should I forgive my brother when he sins against me?  Seven times?“.  Jesus goes on to basically say, “You forgive continuously.   There is no number.”  Then we get this parable.  What hits me square in the face is the contrast in debts.  The debt God forgave me and the debt I often refuse to forgive others.  This is indeed a convicting parable.  The debt we owed God was a debt we could not hope to repay but yet God says, “I love you so much and I want so much to be in a relationship with you that I am going to forgive this debt of yours.”  Wow…that is an amazing God.  Let’s go and do likewise…forgiving others the sins they have committed against us; showing them Christ’s love.

Let’s pray…
Gracious and forgiving God, we can’t even begin to express how thankful we are for the forgiveness you show us in Jesus Christ.  We are so unworthy.  But yet you love us anyway.  Grant us strength to forgive others as you have forgiven us. So we may mend and nurture relationships with them as you do with us.  In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

-edh-

Ministry model vs Business model — Part 3

/ The Pastor

Ministry model vs Business model — Part 1

Ministry model vs Business model — Part 2 

I have appreciated the discussion that has taken place around this “new” model for my church council and I want to highlight comments/suggestions that were submitted.  If you have any thoughts about encouraging a church council to be more mission minded please submit them.

Scripture
One thing that I suggested is that after the assigned council person for the month lead devotions, that I would lead the council in reading scripture; maybe the texts assigned for the upcoming Sunday.  Then Carolyn stopped by and suggested that after the first month of doing this I should encourage a pair of council people to lead the reading of scripture instead of the pastor doing it every month.  Scripture is something that all people are encouraged to engage and is something that anyone can read.  Carolyn is right.  Even though I did not intend to communicate that the pastor has be the one to read scripture the unwritten message was just that.  We are indeed the “priesthood of ALL believers”.

Prayer
Unlikely left a comment where he suggested starting the council meeting asking people what they are praying for.  At first people were a little hesitant, but after a few years Unlikely is filling up an 8 1/2 X 11 sheet of paper.  I believe this is also a great way to connect people with one another.  When you know what/who someone else is praying for, you get a glimpse of that person’s heart.  It also makes the assumption that everyone is praying (and as Christians we should be).
 
Then Eric left a comment just recently about prayer and scripture.  He said, “Can you imagine the apostles of the early church getting together to make decisions without prayer and Scripture?”  That seems unheard of, yet we need to make an effort to include prayer and scripture more when we meet as a church council.  I have found that many people are just not comfortable praying in front of others, yet they are comfortable talking to their best friend.  I/We need to help people understand that prayer is not something that has to be done a certain way but rather it’s simply talking to your best friend.  Maybe this could be a devotional topic/discussion for an upcoming council meeting.  Maybe Unlikely’s suggestion about prayer will help here.

Thank you for the comments that have come thus far.  They have definitely given me (and hopefully you) something to think about.  If you have anything else you would like to contribute to this discussion please leave a comment.  This series will be continued…

God bless!

-edh-

Wretchedness

/ The Pastor

Well…I have been relatively absent from the blogosphere these past couple days…and my “absence” will continue for one more day (I will be back tomorrow with my “Monday morning check in”).  I hope and pray you are having a fun and safe weekend.  So far mine was gone well…no real complaints here.

This morning I am preparing for worship (duh…I do that every Sunday morning, anyway…) and thinking a lot about Paul’s letter to the Romans (I am preaching in Romans through August).  In today’s text Paul is lamenting about his (and our) wretchedness (is “wretchedness” even a word…oh well…).  Paul says, “I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate to do…What a wretched person I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:15 and 24-25).  For me, verses 24 through 25 says it all.  “THANKS BE TO GOD”!

Have a great day and I’ll “see” you tomorrow.  Take care.

-edh-