I have heard so many good grow-your-faith stories in the last month or so, my brain is on over-load. A lot of it came at the Northeastern Minnesota Synod Assembly and Learning and Sharing Day this past April. Some I have heard from my family, most recently my daughter Hannah who has let me comment on her work for a college class that has her dealing with faith and worldview issues. I have gotten feedback from dear readers such as you. Some growth ideas have come from visitors to our ministry, some from those whom we serve through our extended ministry in the community, the food shelf and emergency help.
My brain is on overload, and my cup (heart) “runneth over.” There are just so many great responses to God’s love and grace at work in our lives. I am encouraged by the growth cycles I see; deeply, richly encouraged. What I see at work in you, the growth in your service and love, is helping me to grow. So I thank God and you.
Now if only there were better ways to share those stories of faith and joy with more people. MY brain is on overload and that makes it more challenging for ME (alone) to share YOUR good stories with “others,” who then can “experience God’s love and forgiveness” (from our Church Mission Statement) more fully too.
I use this blog. I Facebook. I write an article for the church monthly newsletter.
I record little messages for our radio spot (an new series is in the works for KLKS, soon to be broadcast). I deliver weekly (or more sometimes) Sunday messages.
But that is not nearly enough given the richness of God’s supply!
Maybe… what if… how about… if you were to grow in how and when you share? Could God’s Spirit lead you to expand your avenues of sharing, telling, showing how God is helping you grow and live and love in faith? I bet it could happen. Then light for each other’s journey would grow. And more people would grow in their faith. And more wounded souls would find solace and healing. And more amazing stories of God’s love and forgiveness could be told and more growth in Christ would happen and the cycle is perpetuated!
In God’s strength we can feed that growth cycle!
On the journey with you,
Pastor Chris
Monday, May 11, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Waterlife Baptism Testimony
I have baptized quite a few folks; lots of babies, several youth, a few adults, and my own kids. As I thought about sharing what Baptism means to me I seriously thought about sharing the stories of their baptisms. You know how you feel about your own kids, you know the emotion you brought when it was your kid at the font. I had that too, plus I was the one actually pouring the water. There was just too much indescribable emotional content in those events for me to try to share it here.
So here is another Baptismal moment that has stuck with me ever since I was a part of it.
We were in Hilton Head, SC, on a youth trip, on our way to a National Lutheran Youth Gathering, and our Synod was have a pre-gathering; a time to prime our pumps and do a service project. Our last night there we were having a Baptismal Remembrance event at the ocean shore.
I have shared in other times and other places how I find the ocean to be such an amazing entity; all the raw power, so much water, what the ebb and flow can do, it is all just astounding! It is part of how I understand the awesomeness of God. It is even more astounding to realize that all the tides and waves of all the oceans since the beginning of earthly time combined are not even an involuntary hair twitch on the little finger of God.
So there we were on the edge of all that and the tide was coming in.
There were rows of adults in the water at the water’s edge, columns of people streaming to the ocean.
From below them on the beach we can see little of the resort, mostly just faces and legs and hands, trying to steady themselves in the moving surf.
We were to reach into the waters of the ocean and mark the foreheads of the people coming forward.
The movement, the ceremony was like Ash Wednesday, but the words are more fully baptismal: “Remember you are child of God, sealed by the holy Spirit and marked with the Cross of Christ, forever.”
There were often grains of sand mixed with the salt water, leaving more that just a wet mark on their heads, a sharper reminder that “…you are child of God, sealed by the holy Spirit and marked with the Cross of Christ, forever.” In front of me wave after wave of youth and adults, all children of God, some I knew and some I did not, each seeking to be reminded, eager to be touched by God’s love, by God’s sign.
Behind me in the cadence of creation, the tide, the power, surges around our feet, not without some danger of overwhelming us, of pulling us to where we may not have been prepared to go.
-- Earlier that day we had worked that beach to clean it of humanity’s trash; in the sand were other reminders of the power of the ocean; the minor hurricane earlier that year had re-arranged the beach, sometimes whimsically, burying man’s concoctions and constructions --
But in the ceremony on the shore there was another power on display. Baptism. We were all washed. Graced. Reminded of God’s overwhelming love. Every wave, from shore to sea, every wave, a celebration of Grace. “Remember you are child of God, sealed by the holy Spirit and marked with the Cross of Christ, forever.”
So here is another Baptismal moment that has stuck with me ever since I was a part of it.
We were in Hilton Head, SC, on a youth trip, on our way to a National Lutheran Youth Gathering, and our Synod was have a pre-gathering; a time to prime our pumps and do a service project. Our last night there we were having a Baptismal Remembrance event at the ocean shore.
I have shared in other times and other places how I find the ocean to be such an amazing entity; all the raw power, so much water, what the ebb and flow can do, it is all just astounding! It is part of how I understand the awesomeness of God. It is even more astounding to realize that all the tides and waves of all the oceans since the beginning of earthly time combined are not even an involuntary hair twitch on the little finger of God.
So there we were on the edge of all that and the tide was coming in.
There were rows of adults in the water at the water’s edge, columns of people streaming to the ocean.
From below them on the beach we can see little of the resort, mostly just faces and legs and hands, trying to steady themselves in the moving surf.
We were to reach into the waters of the ocean and mark the foreheads of the people coming forward.
The movement, the ceremony was like Ash Wednesday, but the words are more fully baptismal: “Remember you are child of God, sealed by the holy Spirit and marked with the Cross of Christ, forever.”
There were often grains of sand mixed with the salt water, leaving more that just a wet mark on their heads, a sharper reminder that “…you are child of God, sealed by the holy Spirit and marked with the Cross of Christ, forever.” In front of me wave after wave of youth and adults, all children of God, some I knew and some I did not, each seeking to be reminded, eager to be touched by God’s love, by God’s sign.
Behind me in the cadence of creation, the tide, the power, surges around our feet, not without some danger of overwhelming us, of pulling us to where we may not have been prepared to go.
-- Earlier that day we had worked that beach to clean it of humanity’s trash; in the sand were other reminders of the power of the ocean; the minor hurricane earlier that year had re-arranged the beach, sometimes whimsically, burying man’s concoctions and constructions --
But in the ceremony on the shore there was another power on display. Baptism. We were all washed. Graced. Reminded of God’s overwhelming love. Every wave, from shore to sea, every wave, a celebration of Grace. “Remember you are child of God, sealed by the holy Spirit and marked with the Cross of Christ, forever.”
Friday, November 7, 2008
THE WAY IS NOT DARK
One of the really good things about this first week in November is that the elections are over. We know who won (except for a couple senators). All the dire predictions about darkness and doom if the “other” one won have been cast in a whole different (and realistic) light. The world is a brighter place, if for no other reason than the ads are gone. Add to that about half the population will be happy because their candidate triumphed, so that half of the world is a little brighter too.
On the other hand there is a dim view of all this. The election results have yet to brighten the economic outlook or repair the dark future of my retirement account totals. The darkness of war still looms and in even more places than the day before the election, with the Russian President’s missile announcement. The gloominess of hunger and poverty and community tension and all the rest of the depressing news did not magically vanish in a flash of post-election light.
There is a more certain reality for seeing true light in our journey, a reality that comes from the depth of truth.
Part of that reality is that the world it is not as dark as the news makes it seem. It never is. That understanding is based on a truth that Christians claim shapes their lives: None of those elected, nor their financial contributors, is really in control. Christians confess, believe, and trust that GOD is in control. Jewish people and Muslims and a bunch of other faithful folk believe the same thing. Another part of that “more certain reality" is that GOD is a GOD of Light and Truth and Hope and Love and Joy, shinning with a brightness that no darkness can overcome.
As the globe tilts away from the sun with the shift of the seasons, and our sunlight dwindles, the True Light that has come for all people never diminishes. It’s not dark. It never has been. It never will be. The light we can live in is eternal, and no earthly circumstance nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from it; the true light of GOD’s love.
One of the really good things about this first week in November is that the elections are over. We know who won (except for a couple senators). All the dire predictions about darkness and doom if the “other” one won have been cast in a whole different (and realistic) light. The world is a brighter place, if for no other reason than the ads are gone. Add to that about half the population will be happy because their candidate triumphed, so that half of the world is a little brighter too.
On the other hand there is a dim view of all this. The election results have yet to brighten the economic outlook or repair the dark future of my retirement account totals. The darkness of war still looms and in even more places than the day before the election, with the Russian President’s missile announcement. The gloominess of hunger and poverty and community tension and all the rest of the depressing news did not magically vanish in a flash of post-election light.
There is a more certain reality for seeing true light in our journey, a reality that comes from the depth of truth.
Part of that reality is that the world it is not as dark as the news makes it seem. It never is. That understanding is based on a truth that Christians claim shapes their lives: None of those elected, nor their financial contributors, is really in control. Christians confess, believe, and trust that GOD is in control. Jewish people and Muslims and a bunch of other faithful folk believe the same thing. Another part of that “more certain reality" is that GOD is a GOD of Light and Truth and Hope and Love and Joy, shinning with a brightness that no darkness can overcome.
As the globe tilts away from the sun with the shift of the seasons, and our sunlight dwindles, the True Light that has come for all people never diminishes. It’s not dark. It never has been. It never will be. The light we can live in is eternal, and no earthly circumstance nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from it; the true light of GOD’s love.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Changes in the Weather
According to the calendar summer is almost over. Some days the weather seems to agree with the calendar. Some days, well, it is hard to tell. But that is summer in Minnesota; heck, that’s the weather in Minnesota; always changing.
A lot of times it seems that is the way the whole world works, from the weather to politics, from finance to family, changing all the time, nothing to hold on to, nothing to rely on.
At Light of the Cross Church, we share one thing we know we can rely on: God’s love and forgiveness. That is what our mission statement declares and that is the basis for our core values. We do our best to live in that love and share that forgiveness with everyone we can. There are times in my personal journey that this is a difficult challenge. There are times in my personal life that I don’t want to be consistently loving and forgiving. But then here comes eternally consistent Jesus, pumping in a constant supply of love to share, reminding me repeatedly that I am forgiven. And if I am, well, I have no right not to be forgiving. As a congregation we produce the same kind of inconsistent behavior. But we try our best, and the Spirit shakes us up and reminds us again and we try again.
That’s what makes it a journey.
And that’s why I’m on it with you.
A lot of times it seems that is the way the whole world works, from the weather to politics, from finance to family, changing all the time, nothing to hold on to, nothing to rely on.
At Light of the Cross Church, we share one thing we know we can rely on: God’s love and forgiveness. That is what our mission statement declares and that is the basis for our core values. We do our best to live in that love and share that forgiveness with everyone we can. There are times in my personal journey that this is a difficult challenge. There are times in my personal life that I don’t want to be consistently loving and forgiving. But then here comes eternally consistent Jesus, pumping in a constant supply of love to share, reminding me repeatedly that I am forgiven. And if I am, well, I have no right not to be forgiving. As a congregation we produce the same kind of inconsistent behavior. But we try our best, and the Spirit shakes us up and reminds us again and we try again.
That’s what makes it a journey.
And that’s why I’m on it with you.
Wave Journeys
One of the joys of living up in vacationland is the chance to see family and friends as they enjoy the area. We get to see family, especially from the Twin Cities a lot more in the summer. Our nephews came up to visit for a few days earlier this summer, and they brought their parent’s boat. Which is cool, because our boat is vintage and not working very well and needing another coat of paint (but that’s another blog). So we used it, several times. One day when we hit the lake the day that turned stormy. The 16 year old nephew was driving—fast—right into the storm and the 5-year old was getting scared. When the rain started falling so did his tears.
The only comfort he got from his tough-guy uncle (me) was “You’ll be fine” as the rain stung our faces in the front of the boat. This was so comforting to him that he cried harder.
Finally my wife called him to the safety of her arms in the back of the boat and to the comfort of a soothing lullaby. He stopped crying, and the sun came back out and all was right with the world again.
The journey we are on as people of God sometimes looks like that little episode. At church we learn about Jesus sharing that same kind of comfort with his followers. We know --and we try to share-- that the loving power is offered to all of us, even if we head too fast into the storms of our lives.
Why do we head right for the storm, even when we know better? The 16 year-old boat pilot did not have the benefit of experience and wisdom, so he can be excused (except for his tendency to want to torture the 5 year-old a little). But even old guys like me can be found squinting our eyes in the face of the blowing rain, thinking we need to be brave or just because we are stubborn. Jesus calms the storms, even calls us to walk out into the midst of the crashing waves. But not alone. And not as an exercise in bravado. He calls us to His side in the midst of the storm.
That’s a journey we can handle.
I’m on the journey with you.
The only comfort he got from his tough-guy uncle (me) was “You’ll be fine” as the rain stung our faces in the front of the boat. This was so comforting to him that he cried harder.
Finally my wife called him to the safety of her arms in the back of the boat and to the comfort of a soothing lullaby. He stopped crying, and the sun came back out and all was right with the world again.
The journey we are on as people of God sometimes looks like that little episode. At church we learn about Jesus sharing that same kind of comfort with his followers. We know --and we try to share-- that the loving power is offered to all of us, even if we head too fast into the storms of our lives.
Why do we head right for the storm, even when we know better? The 16 year-old boat pilot did not have the benefit of experience and wisdom, so he can be excused (except for his tendency to want to torture the 5 year-old a little). But even old guys like me can be found squinting our eyes in the face of the blowing rain, thinking we need to be brave or just because we are stubborn. Jesus calms the storms, even calls us to walk out into the midst of the crashing waves. But not alone. And not as an exercise in bravado. He calls us to His side in the midst of the storm.
That’s a journey we can handle.
I’m on the journey with you.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Real Fireworks
The light from fireworks is a real delight for me. I like to watch them and I like to light them off (not that I would ever light the illegal ones, except in highly controlled settings). It really is a good thing for me that people up here in vacationland keep celebrating Independence Day till the end of August.
When I was I kid, it started with simple "sparklers." I then made my own, using the stuff from sparklers, packed into an old bb tube. We were economically challenged, and did a lot of "do it your self" things. My older brother was a joy to watch, because his chemistry set could be made to produce truely dangerous explosives.
The trouble with fireworks is that the light they give off is so fleeting, so temporary. It won’t really light your way. It is gorgeous, it is wonderful, it is pretty, it is awesome. But it is short.
The light of God’s fireworks, God’s word and God’s Spirit, the fire of God's love, is consistent and constant and trustworthy and true. That’s the eternal glow of God’s promise.
At Light of the Cross Church and probably at a church near you too, we try to shine the light of God’s fireworks on your path so that you can find hope and abundant life. We do sometimes "hide it under a bushel" in the words of the old kids song, and the light we show can be so "little." But under that bushel and behind that "little" is God's abundant fire. I wanna get better at letting that "fire."
I'm on the journey with you.
When I was I kid, it started with simple "sparklers." I then made my own, using the stuff from sparklers, packed into an old bb tube. We were economically challenged, and did a lot of "do it your self" things. My older brother was a joy to watch, because his chemistry set could be made to produce truely dangerous explosives.
The trouble with fireworks is that the light they give off is so fleeting, so temporary. It won’t really light your way. It is gorgeous, it is wonderful, it is pretty, it is awesome. But it is short.
The light of God’s fireworks, God’s word and God’s Spirit, the fire of God's love, is consistent and constant and trustworthy and true. That’s the eternal glow of God’s promise.
At Light of the Cross Church and probably at a church near you too, we try to shine the light of God’s fireworks on your path so that you can find hope and abundant life. We do sometimes "hide it under a bushel" in the words of the old kids song, and the light we show can be so "little." But under that bushel and behind that "little" is God's abundant fire. I wanna get better at letting that "fire."
I'm on the journey with you.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Worry About Faith
The title is meant to be an oxymoron, mutually exclusive, non-sense, contradictory.
Faith and worry do not work with each other.
One conquers the other.
Either you worry, and worry wins; or there is faith and faith wins.
Faith is a gift from God, a gift of the Holy Spirit; it is yours. But you can choose worry, and faith is blocked.
Now I hear your brain alarms going off… “ya but…”
Believe me, mine are ringing too; this message is as much for me as for anyone else.
Aren’t there things as parents, or grandparents, or patriots, or environmentally concerned citizens, or the financially savvy retirement bound, or pharmaceutically informed consumers, or even spiritually-attuned-to-the-end-of-the-world believers, that we ought to be worried about?
Is there a place for healthy concern? Fill in the blanks with your own examples:
Parents _____________________
Grandparents ___________________
Patriots _______________________
Environmentally concerned citizens _________________________
Pharmaceutically informed consumers __________________________
Spiritually-attuned-to-the-end-of-the-world believers _________________
But where is the line between worry and healthy concern?
Last Sunday in church we heard Jesus’ own words on the matter: (Matt 634 ) So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today.
The psalmist's chant from Psalm 131 are shaped to calm the anxious soul: “Like a child upon its mother’s breast, my soul is quieted within me.”
And Isaiah’s ancient prophesy in chapter 49 are his timeless description of the care God gives, even in the face of severe worry and doubt: “The Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me!”
God answers any worry, any doubt, any fear from any source: “See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands!”
That is enough to quiet my “ya but”!
Faith and worry do not work with each other.
One conquers the other.
Either you worry, and worry wins; or there is faith and faith wins.
Faith is a gift from God, a gift of the Holy Spirit; it is yours. But you can choose worry, and faith is blocked.
Now I hear your brain alarms going off… “ya but…”
Believe me, mine are ringing too; this message is as much for me as for anyone else.
Aren’t there things as parents, or grandparents, or patriots, or environmentally concerned citizens, or the financially savvy retirement bound, or pharmaceutically informed consumers, or even spiritually-attuned-to-the-end-of-the-world believers, that we ought to be worried about?
Is there a place for healthy concern? Fill in the blanks with your own examples:
Parents _____________________
Grandparents ___________________
Patriots _______________________
Environmentally concerned citizens _________________________
Pharmaceutically informed consumers __________________________
Spiritually-attuned-to-the-end-of-the-world believers _________________
But where is the line between worry and healthy concern?
Last Sunday in church we heard Jesus’ own words on the matter: (Matt 634 ) So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today.
The psalmist's chant from Psalm 131 are shaped to calm the anxious soul: “Like a child upon its mother’s breast, my soul is quieted within me.”
And Isaiah’s ancient prophesy in chapter 49 are his timeless description of the care God gives, even in the face of severe worry and doubt: “The Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me!”
God answers any worry, any doubt, any fear from any source: “See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands!”
That is enough to quiet my “ya but”!
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