Mary and Joseph part 2

 Mary and Joseph, part 2

 The night passed quietly. The animals made soft noises from time to time. Zechariah snored loudly from time to time. When Joseph mentioned it to Mary the next morning, she just smiled. She did not say anything about it. Joseph wondered what that meant. After a meager breakfast, as their provisions were starting to run slim, Joseph packed up their blankets and helped Mary onto the donkey. Soon they were on the move again.

 “It won’t be long till we see Jerusalem,” Joseph told Mary. “And then we will be only a short distance from Bethlehem. We will be there by nightfall.” He smiled at his betrothed, hoping she would be all right for this one more day of travel. The excitement of reaching Jerusalem seemed to perk Mary up. She smiled at him, but he felt like she was not telling him something, though what it might be, he did not know.

As they topped one hill, Mary asked, “Joseph, where are we going to stay in Bethlehem?” Joseph had been thinking about that very question. He wondered that himself. But he had an answer ready for Mary, “We will try to stay with Malachi bar Isaiah. He is a cousin of my family and should have plenty of room. If that doesn’t work, then we will stay with Joshua bar Micah. He always said that if I was to come down to Bethlehem to see him, he would have room. If he didn’t, his father Micah would make room for us. One of them will help us out.” Joseph tried to sound confident as he talked to Mary about the family in Bethlehem. He had not seen then for a few years, but he was sure they would have room. This Monday seemed to be the perfect time for them to arrive in Bethlehem. They could find housing, and Mary could be comfortable. She looked like she was in pain.

 They came up to the top of the next hill, and there it was! Jerusalem, the holy city! And there, at the highest point of the city was the temple, gleaming in the sunshine. Joseph turned to Mary with a huge grin on his face. “There is it!” he said, his voice filled with awe. What a magnificent sight the city itself was for them to behold. Every year that Joseph would come to Passover or to Feast of the First fruits, he would be in awe of the city. What a special city. This was where King David had lived, where King Solomon had built the first Temple. True, it has all been rebuilt since the time of the Babylonians, but it was still magnificent. Joseph’s heart swelled with pride as he looked at the Temple. Oh, to be able to go to the Temple to offer a sacrifice. Joseph would do that after his child was born. Mary would have to go through the rite of purification. So, they would be able to go to the Temple then.

As they joined the people on the road leading down into the valley outside of Jerusalem, Joseph brought up something that had been on his mind for a while. “When are we going to head back to Nazareth?” he asked Mary. She had been looking at the people around them as they moved along the road. She turned to him with a questioning look, “I am not sure. Why do you ask?” “Well, if we wait until your purification, we will need somewhere a little more permanent to stay. I will need to let whoever we are staying with know that it will be more than a few nights. We do not even know when the child will be coming,” Joseph said. Mary smiled weakly at him, “I do not think it will be long,” she said. It took Joseph a moment to realize what she meant. “Do you think our child might come soon?”

What could she say? “I do not know. But I feel the pressure that Elizabeth spoke of when I was  staying with her as she delivered John. Perhaps that is what she meant. If so, then we will be parents sooner than we think. I am unsure of all this, having never gone through it before.”  Joseph seemed to increase his pace with those words. Soon they were starting up to Jerusalem. The city rose before them. The mighty walls protecting those inside. Traveling up the hill to the city, one realized how mighty the city truly was. Those walls rose to great heights above the pilgrims as they approached the city gates. Someone began to sing one of the Psalms of Ascent. Joseph lifted his voice and joined with them. Every time he approached the city, he felt like singing. This was King David’s city. This was the place of YHWH’s house. It was a special place.

 Mary and Joseph entered through the Sheep Gate. Joseph was like an excited child as he saw the Temple, the crowds, the markets, the city. He would have gone right to the Temple, but he could not. He would have to purify himself to go to the Temple. And he had Mary who was wearing out from the journey. So, he kept moving, slowing down the streets of the city, winding their way towards the south side of the city, for there they would exit and head to Bethlehem. They stopped long enough to purchase something for lunch. It was a good meal. Better than they had on the journey here. But it cost them much more than they would have paid in Nazareth. Even here in this holy city, people took advantage of others. It should be so. But it was true.

Soon they passed through the Essene Gate on the southwest corner of the city and began to make their way towards Bethlehem. The sun was starting to grow low on the horizon as the evening was coming. Joseph had the hopes that they would make it to Bethlehem before dark. For that to happen, they would need to keep moving. It took longer than he expected getting through Jerusalem. Maybe it was the crowds or maybe it was because Joseph wanting to drink in as much of the city as he could. Whatever the reason, they were moving again.

 As they plodded along, Joseph looked out on the fields and could see the tufts of white on the hills. He could hear the song of the shepherds as they sang to their flocks. Joseph spoke quietly to Mary, not wanting to destroy the moment, “Shepherds, keeping watch over their flocks. Listen to their lovely songs.” It was beautiful to listen to the shepherds singing. They had some amazing voices, Unfortunately, very few people were privileged to hear their songs. Too many people felt that the shepherds were beneath them. They lived out in the fields for weeks at a time. So, they were forgotten by many. Yet, when it came time to for the Passover, the sheep that were raised by these lowly shepherds were desired by all. Joseph thought about that while listening to their song. It made the trip from Jerusalem to Bethlehem much easier. Joseph quietly thanked the Lord for the moments that they were having that day. The trip through Jerusalem, the view of the Temple, the sights and sounds of the city and the song of the shepherds.

 The sun was beginning to sink on the horizon. The lights of Bethlehem were starting to show before them. The quiet winking of the lamps filled with oil. Families would light a lamp and set it on a table in the middle of the house so it would give light to all around. Yes, it was comforting to see. Soon they would be in one of those houses. The air was cooling quickly.

 Mary moaned as they plodded along. “Are you all right, Mary?” Joseph asked. “It will only be a short time and we will be at Malachi’s house.” “The time is close, Joseph,” Mary said, a pained look on her face. “Very close.” Joseph suddenly felt worried. Would they make it to Malachi’s house? He breathed a sigh of relief as they entered the village. There, on the left, was where Malachi lived. He walked up to the door and knocked. He knocked again. The door swung open and there stood Malachi. A smile broke out on both men’s faces. They embraced. “Shalom,” they greeted each other. Joseph asked if they might stay with Malachi that night. Unfortunately, Malachi told him, the house was already filled with guests. They had been arriving over the past couple days and there was no more room. Perhaps the inn would have room. What about Joshua bar Micah? Would he have room for them? Malachi did not think so, but Joseph could try. “Shalom,” they shared as Joseph walked away and the door closed. Joseph has not counted on so many other people making the journey. He had not thought about that.

 They received the same reception at Joshua’s house. “Shalom,” but the house was full. Family had been arriving and they were already filled to overflowing. Perhaps the inn would have something. It was worth the try. Joseph looked at Mary and smiled weakly. “They will have room at the inn,” he told her. There is always room. As he knocked on the door, his heart was heavy. He could hear the loud voices from inside, meaning that there were many there already. The innkeeper’s wife would be busy feeding all the guests. The door opened, and the innkeeper looked at Joseph and said, “Shalom, my friend, I hope you are not looking for a room. I have none. I have turned away several already tonight.”

 Joseph looked at him with sadness in his eyes. “Please sir, my wife is near time for the child to come, and we need somewhere to stay tonight. Do you have anyplace where we might stay if only for one night.” The innkeeper picked up his lamp and walked out to see Mary. “You are right, she does need somewhere to rest. But I have no place. The inn is overflowing. Martha told me not another person could come in. She would have my hide if I brought you in. Yet, she would also be upset with me if I turned away a woman great with child. I tell you what I can give you, I have my stable out back. It is nothing much more than a small cave, but it will keep you warm and out of the weather. There are a few animals there, but that might help with warmth. You can stay there if you wish. I will let you stay for no charge. Tomorrow morning, come inside and we will feed you.” The innkeeper led the couple to the stable, and left his lamp with them, “for light, should you need it,” he said.

 Mary thanked him. Joseph helped her down off the donkey. He made a bed for her in the straw, pushing the animals out of the way. Their donkey seemed pleased to have a place with straw, and a trough with water.

 Mary lay down on the straw, looked at Joseph and asked, “How you ever delivered a child?” He looked at her, his eyes big as saucers. “No,” he said, “but I have helped Enoch the shepherd in Bethlehem deliver his lambs. It might not be that different.” He smiled, hoping that his answer would suffice.

 “It is enough,” Mary said. With a loud groan, she said, “It is time!”

 

 

Mary and Joseph, part 1

This morning, the eve of Christmas Eve, I was thinking about Mary and Joseph and what might have been going on in their lives. As I thought about it, I felt called to write the following. It is not historically correct. If you enjoy it, let me know. If you do not like it, move on to something else. Yes, I will be using modern days and dates, with Jesus being born in 4 B.C on December 25th. 

They had been traveling for a several days. It was now the Sabbath. They were unable to travel on this day because it was the day of rest for the Lord. They were gathered with other families as they were traveling to their hometowns. Caesar Augustus had issued a decree that everyone was to go to their hometown to be counted, which meant that they were going to have to pay more taxes. Joseph thought to himself, "There is always more taxes. We can barely afford the taxes as it is." But he knew that he had to head to Bethlehem with his betrothed. He was from the City of David. 

Sitting with others who were heading south, they shared their food with one another. It was nice to have others with whom to travel. It would have been a long, lonely trip if he had to make the trip by himself. Yet, if he was by himself, he might have been much closer to Bethlehem, but Mary, his betrothed was great with child. So, they had to move slowly and carefully. She was such a good woman. There were sometimes when she grumbled about the roughness of the ride on the donkey. Mary's father has given them the donkey for the trip. He wanted his daughter and future grandchild to be as comfortable as possible. It was tough for her to be comfortable. It would soon be time for the baby to born. Joseph was praying that they would make it to Bethlehem. He did not want his baby to born somewhere along the trip. That would not be pleasant, though it did happen to others throughout the years.

He looked over at Mary and smiled. He loved her greatly. They had a difficult time about 8 months ago. Yes, they were betrothed. But they were faithful to the Law. They did not engage in those actions that would lead to the way of family. They knew this was according to the Law of YHWH. It had been difficult for Mary was a pretty woman. But he knew that he wanted to follow the will of God. He was doing all he could to be a God–fearing husband. He would never give in to the sinful actions. He was looking forward to the time when the betrothal would be over. 

And then, it happened. Mary came to him with news that shook his world. "Joseph, I am with child," she had said to him. He stared at her. His mind was a jumble. "What? How? When? Who?" The questions tumbled from his lips. He could not believe she would do this awful thing. Did she not care about what YHWH said? Did she not care for him as much as he cared for her? Why would she do such a thing?

She reached out and took his hands. He shook them free. He could not believe it. "Joseph, please listen. I have not been unfaithful..." "Of course, you have," Joseph shouted. "You had to be. There is no other way for you to be with child." He began to shake. He could not believe what he was hearing. "I must think," he said. Turning from her. She grabbed his arm, “Wait,” she pleaded. “Please, let me tell you what happened.”  Joseph stopped, turned towards Mary. He was sure that the look on his face was not pleasant. She as taken aback by the way he looked at her. But then she continued to explain to him. It was an incredible story. It was beyond belief. He listened but at the same time he shook his head in disbelief.

An angel had appeared to her, she explained. The angel even had a name, “Gabriel.” Really? The angel told her that she was blessed by YHWH. He had chosen her to carry His Son, the Son of David. “What?” Joseph said, perhaps too harshly for the situation but he was upset and could not believe she would invoke the name of YHWH or David. She did not stop. She was looking at him steadily, eyes open, with no sign of deception on her face. He had come to know her expressions. He knew them so well. He had memorized every part of her face and all her expressions. He could tell when she was hiding something, but that did not seem possible now. Yet…

She continued. She was told that she would become with child. The child would be the Son of David, the promised one. Just hearing that made Joseph’s heart leap, but he pushed those feelings away as it was impossible. She had even asked Gabriel how it was possible since she had never been with a man. She was pure and was going to remain that way until the time of the betrothal was over. Gabriel told her that she would still be pure for Joseph. This would be a great act of the Spirit of YHWH. She would be with child without ever having been with a man, for this child would not be born of human will or a man’s desire but would be the Son of God. The Son of God! At that, Joseph said, “I must think,” and he walked out the door, leaving Mary standing there, with that look of pleading.

Joseph loved Mary with his whole heart. She was a dear woman, a precious jewel among women. But how could this be? He walked around the village of Nazareth, trying to figure out what to do, what to say. He did not return to Mary that day. In fact, he came to a decision, one he did not want to make but it was the only one he could make. He would divorce her. It broke his heart to do so. He so loved her. But how could he accept that she was unfaithful? How could he accept another man’s child? That is the only answer there could be, it was another man’s child. So, he would divorce her. Yes, that is it. But he could not do it openly. He would do it quietly, only her family and the priest would know the reason. He did not want her stoned for adultery. As much as it hurt him, he could not do that to Mary. She was a part of his life and heart. Yes, he would divorce her quietly. He would tell her tomorrow. He would sleep on it tonight and tell her the next day what he had decided. He knew it was the right thing to do.

That night, he slept. It was not a good sleep, but he slept. Fitfully. He loved Mary. But he could not live that way. He could not accept her explanation. It was just too incredible, too impossible. Then, in the middle of the night, something amazing happened. An angel appeared to him. It was Gabriel. But that is not possible, yet here he was, in his dreams. Was it a dream? And he was told to take Mary as his wife for she had not been adulterous. She was still pure, a virgin. The angel reminded him of that which Isaiah had written so many years before – the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and he shall be called Immanuel. Yes, he will be “God with us.”

Joseph sat up straight on his bed. He knew what he needed to do. He would take Mary as his wife. He would declare the child his own so that there would be no questions, no adulterous talk. He would bear the burden of the shame of her being with child while they were betrothed. He would accept that people will think that he could not control his passion for his wife. It would be tricky, but he would accept it.

He quickly dressed, though it was early morning, and rushed to the place where Mary was staying. He knocked loudly till her father came to the door. He explained he needed to talk with Mary. No, it could not wait. He needed to talk to her now. They met in the main room of the house. Taking her hands in his, he looked into her eyes and said, “I believe you.” Then he told her that Gabriel had come to him. He shared all that was said. Mary had tears of joy in her eyes as they embraced. Yes, it would be all right. They trusted that what they were facing was from the LORD. As such, they were sure they could face it together.

Mary had left to go see her cousin Elizabeth. Joseph accepted it. He was aware that she was going to see if what the angel has said to her was true. For if Elizabeth was with child, after all the years of barrenness, then anything is possible for YHWH to accomplish. He would take that time and prepare the house for her return.

After 3 months, she returned, she was beginning to show that she was in the way of motherhood. Joseph accepted the looks of others. He accepted that they thought he was not faithful to the ways of the Law. That was all right. He knew the truth. This too would pass, as do all scandals. Something else would come along and they would focus on that. Until then, Joseph would shoulder the burden of guilt that others placed upon them, even though they had no guilt for they had done nothing wrong.

Looking over at Mary, as she sat upon the ground, next to their donkey, Joseph’s heart was full of love. He loved her greatly. She was even more beautiful as she was expecting the child. But she looked uncomfortable. “Are you all, Mary?” he asked her. “Yes, it is just getting close to the time,” she replied. “We will be in Bethlehem in two days,” he said. “Then you will be more comfortable.” She smiled at him, weary from travel and from carrying the baby. “We should rest now, for tomorrow we will cross the Jordan River.” They were not traveling through the land of the Samaritans. No self–respecting Child of Abraham would travel through that land.

They rose with the others the next day. It was Sunday, the first day of the week. Perhaps they would make it to Bethlehem by that evening. Joseph had said so, looking at Mary. But the look in her eyes told him that they would not make it that night. She was getting more and more uncomfortable. The time was close. Hopefully they would make to Bethlehem before the child arrived.

Joseph led the donkey while Mary sat upon it. They slowly plodded along. Those with whom they had spent the night had begun to pull away from them. They could travel faster. They did not have a woman who was great with child. Joseph thought of Elizabeth, wondering how she could handle childbirth at her age. “How did she do it?” Joseph asked Mary suddenly as they walked along. “Who?” Mary responded. Joseph laughed. “I was just thinking about Elizabeth and her child. How did she handle the childbirth in her old age? That must have been difficult.” Mary agreed, “Yet Elizabeth was so happy to have a child that she laughed in joy, even after all the pain. It gave me hope this child’s birth won’t be too difficult.” Mary said. “Elizabeth looked so happy when they gave her the child. They all wanted to name the child after this person or that person, but Zechariah would have none of it. When they brought him to be circumcised, he said, ‘His name will be John,’ That surprised us all. Why John? Then Zechariah told us that the angel Gabriel had told him to name the child John. So that is what he did. John.”

“Have you thought anymore about our child’s name?” Joseph asked. “He will be called Jesus,” Mary said firmly. “Yes, Jesus, the name the angel gave to us,” Joseph said. “The family will not be happy about that. They were wanting him to name for your father or for the High Priest. They will not understand why he should be called Jesus.” “That’s all right,” she said. “They have had a hard time understanding all that has gone on in our lives. They did not like the fact that I am with child before the betrothal was concluded. They could not accept our explanation.” “Can you blame them?” he responded. “It is unbelievable. An angel, a virgin birth, God’s Son. All of that is so beyond what might be expected. It would have been easier to accept that we had committed the sin that led to this child’s conception.” They smiled at each other. They had had this conversation many times. “Yes, he shall be named Jesus,” Joseph said.

Time passed. They stopped for lunch. The river crossing would take place after lunch. It was not a pleasant thing to do, but it was the only way. They could not travel through the land of those Samaritans. Soon, they were on the eastern bank of the river. They watched as other crossed. They could see where they must go travel avoid the deep water. Mary would remain on the donkey as they crossed the river. They stood in line as people ahead of them moved forward. Soon, they stepped into the river. It was cold, but that was expected at this time of the year. Why could Caesar not have given this order in the summer, when it would have been so much easier to cross the river. But here they were. As Joseph led the donkey into the Jordan River, he wished that a miracle would happen, like it did when the children of Israel entered the Promised Land. Why could not the LORD stop the river from flowing when I am taking the mother of His Son across the river? They I would not be wet and cold. Nor would the donkey or Mary. With every step, he thought about how miraculous that was they the people crossed the river on dry ground instead of plodding through the water and mud. Mary held tight to the donkey, confident that Joseph would lead the across the river. Soon, they were going up the far bank of the Jordan River, walking on dry ground once again.

Like the other travelers, they stopped to wring the water out of their robes. Perhaps they could put another mile or so behind them before they stopped for the night. Joseph helped Mary back on the donkey and they started west. It would not be long before they would begin to see signs of the Holy City. It was exciting to go to Jerusalem. This trip had been unexpected. It gave them another chance to see this special city. It was so much more than Nazareth. They came from a tiny village of no importance. No one famous ever came from Nazareth. There was not much to it. But Jerusalem! The Temple! The sights, sounds and smells of the city would be amazing. The excitement was building.

Tomorrow would be the day they passed through the city on the way to Bethlehem. They should be David’s City by Monday evening if everything goes well.

The other travelers were starting to make camp there ahead of them. “Joseph!” called Zechariah, “Come share our fire.” Looking at Mary, she smiled her agreement. It would be a pleasant to share Zechariah’s fire and company. He, too, was going to Bethlehem. He was traveling from Capernaum, they had met two days ago on the road. Yes, one last night on the cold, hard ground and then they would be able to sleep in a bed.

To be continued.

 

9/11, 21 years later.

 Shock. I watched in horror as there was a terrible crash. How was this possible? It couldn't be. Smoke. Thick smoke rolling from both buildings. I had just watched as a passenger jet liner had crashed into a building. One could be an accident. Two? It had to be on purpose. There must be something going on.

Unreal. The sky was blue, the beautiful blue of a September sky. The smell of wood smoke filled the air. Chatter taking place. Apple butter kettles were starting to cook. Smiles. Friendly talk. The day began so peacefully. Laughter. Kids watching, talking with the folks that were cooking. It was time for school. Loading the kids up. Car heading out. Smiles all around. 

Arrival at school. Told of a plane hitting one of the twin towers in New York City. Must be an accident. And what is the twin towers? I really did not pay attention to what was in the Big Apple. Until that day. Lots of talk. Discussion. What happened? Keeping folks calm. Getting school ready. Confirmation class at Hoffman, IL was going to begin. 

Then it happened again. Another plane. Another tower. More smoke. More fire. Watching on a TV. No internet like 2022. It was overwhelming. To see the tower smoking. To see the fire. What was happening?

Class is over. During class another plane strikes the Pentegon. Now what? Is it war? Is it going to continue? Could it get any worse?

Then the collapse. Smoke. Fear. Watching people run. Over and over again. Seeing it on the news. Replays. One plane. Two planes. Three planes. One tower. Two towers. Fear. What can you do?

Getting the children together at school. Sitting them down. Talking to them about what our Lord Jesus Christ does for us. The safety and security He gives to us, even in such a tragic time. Is there fear? Take it to the Lord in prayer. Are there tears? Take it to the Lord in prayer. So we did. We prayed. We sang. We thanked God for His protection. We prayed for those who lost loved ones. We prayed for those trying to help out. We prayed and then prayed some more. 

And then, in a moment of faith, we joined in the Lord's Prayer. In that moment, we knew that we were in the hands of the Father. There was nowhere safer for us to be. Thanks be to God.

Did we forget? Did we let our memories forget what took place? Have we allowed the events of today to lead us to forget that day? I hope not. I pray not. At that time we said, we will never forget. Later it was said, Lest we forget. Today, I fear that is said, We have forgotten. May it not be so.

Lord, have mercy

 I cannot imagine the pain, what it must be like to be one of the parents, one of the teachers, one of the children in Uvalde, TX this morning. I cannot imagine what it must be like to be one of the patrons, one of the workers, or one of the community members in Buffalo, NY in the days following the mass murder. I cannot imagine...no I cannot. 

Terrible events. Murder. Massacre. Death. These things are so terrible. They happen. Just when we think we have moved beyond such events, another one happens. Just when we think we have a handle of what is going on in life, something takes place.

Awful. Terrible. Nothing brings into focus the fact that we must do something to change the way things are in our communities. There will be talk about gun control. There will be talk about red flag laws. There will be talk about one party being the party of hate. There will be all sorts of  things being talked about. There will be talk about mental illness. There will be hand wringing and then it will begin, the placing of blame upon someone missing something and not reporting it. There will be blame. There will be so much said. 

What can be done so this won't happen again? What laws can be put into place? What kind of security can be put into place to stop this from happening? We will try to figure this out.

There is one need - Jesus. We have pushed the Lord out of the way, setting Him on the shelf, making sure that no one pushes the message of the Gospel upon anyone. We need to bring that message back into hearts and lives.

This last Sunday I preached about peace. I mentioned that the peace of this world can be shattered in a moment. And it was in Uvalde. In that moment, the peace that they felt was shattered, broken. People's hearts and lives were broken. Where is the peace? Where the peace to be found in this situation? What can be said? Where? What? So many questions.

Peace cannot be found in the things in this world. We live in a broken, sinful world. Evil is present each day. Evil cannot be stopped because it does not follow the law, it does not care for others. Evil could care less about anyone but itself, and it wants to destroy and cause more pain and suffering. We will put more laws in place. We will put more security in place. There will be things put in place. Will it stop evil? No. Will it stop someone from doing such a horrific act? No. Why? Because evil does not care. Evil seeks only to create chaos, pain and suffering. Period. 

So where is peace found. "In me is peace..." Jesus said in John 16:33a. There is the only place to find peace. In Jesus Christ. In faith in Him. In this fallen, broken world, we need to turn to Jesus. We need to turn to Him each and every day, not just in such a tragedy, but in days where there is no tragedy. As Jesus said, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world." John 16:33

This is terrible. This should not have happened. But I will tell you this, it will happen again. Not because of lack of gun control, or lack of security, or whatever. It will happen because there is evil in this world. It is only as Christ changes hearts and lives will things change. Only in Christ.

It isn't just in such tragedy that we find pain and suffering. It happens when cancer takes a life, when heart disease takes a life, when a traffic accident takes a life, when a person takes his own life, when there is abuse, when there is hatred, when there is anger, when there is personal attack. All of these are from evil, from this world. In Christ alone, can this be changed. 

I pray for the folks in Uvalde. I pray for the folks in Buffalo. I pray for folks in the hospital. I pray for folks undergoing treatments. I pray for folks in difficult and painful situations. I pray that the ONE, Jesus Christ will come into their lives, into their brokenness, and bring them personal peace that is found in Him. Yes, we live in a broken world, but we have One who has overcome the world. Look to Jesus Christ for peace.

My Journey to the Doctor of Ministry

 This last Friday, May 20th, I had the pleasure of receiving my Doctor of Ministry degree. I had begun work on the Doctor of Ministry degree in 2012, returning to the classroom and academic studies after 25 years of not being in the classroom. It was a challenge, but thanks be to God I received the guidance from the Lord, and support from Penny and my family, and also St. Paul's, Troy, IL and St. John, Clarinda, IA. It was a long and difficult journey, but here I am, having completed the journey and received the degree of Doctor of Ministry. 

Yes, it was great. I enjoyed it. Did I enjoy all the work - um, maybe...ok, yes it was good, and yet it was challenging. To do the work that was necessary was not easy. Penny kept encouraging me when I was ready to give in and cry "uncle." So I ended up writing my Major Applied Project (MAP), which is the "dissertation" of the Doctor of Ministry program, "In Search of the Best Practices in Preaching Christian Stewardship." 

Why did I go into the program? On day I was attending a Symposium on Homiletics at Concordia Seminary (when I was serving in Troy, IL I was within 45 minutes of the Seminary so I took advantage of the continuing education options available), and I began to think about my preaching (that is what homiletics is, the art of preaching). How as I doing with it. It had been over 20 years that I had been in the ministry and I begin to think about how my preaching was doing. I looked around at the various examples of preaching that I saw in different places and I was not really thrilled. I saw a real issue with most preaching - it was shallow, did not offer much, was not done well, etc. I know, sounds judgmental. But there is poor preaching in the world today. Too often, the pastor is afraid to offend anyone so he ends up saying nothing worthwhile. The Gospel is watered down. Or the Law is preached with no Gospel application at all. Or it is just an awful sermon. I thought, "Am I like that? Is my preaching getting shallow, or worse, is it getting worthless or awful?" 

So I began to think that I needed to work on my preaching. I needed to improve (still do, by the way) my preaching. But I also know myself. To try to do that on my own, meant that I would start, get busy with parish life, and not get around to finishing that which I began. Contrary to what some folks think, the pastor works more than just one or two hours a week. You get busy with congregation life and don't make time for continued independent study. 

So I thought maybe I would look into the Doctor of Ministry program, with the focus being homiletics. As I looked into it, thought about it, prayed about it, I finally thought I would bring the topic up to Penny. I figured she would be the voice of reason in this whole process and would tell me all the reasons I should not do it. We talked and she said, "I think you should do it." I was floored. I told her I thought she would be the one to talk me out of this tomfoolery. Yet she said to go for it. So I thought, ok, maybe I should see what my kids thought. I asked both Rachael and Matthew what they thought. And they both said to go for it. Really? I was not expecting that. 

So I approached the congregation (St. Paul's, Troy, IL) elders and talked with them. They also agreed it was a good idea. So I applied. I began my first class in nearly 25 years in January 2012. From there I would take classes each winter and summer. At first they were 2 weeks residental class. Then it became 1 week residental classes. I finished all the course work by summer 2018, which was right at the time I was starting to serve as the national LWML pastoral counselor (2017-2021). All I had left was the MAP. That is all. 

I started and stopped on the research and writing of the MAP several times. I even almost dropped out of the program because I was not sure if I could write the MAP. But when I found out that if I dropped out, I would have to do all the coursework again if I reapplied, and with Penny telling me to get it finished and not drop out, and encrouagement from my children, I stayed in the program. In March of 2019, I took the call to St. John, Clarinda, IA. Covid hit. I had cataract surgery, 2 knee replacments and I finished my service as LWML pastoral counselor (in June 2021). So I returned to writing in earnest, and by the end of August 2021, I had the MAP written, sent to my advisor, made corrections, sent it back (I had sent each chapter to Dr. Peter, my advisor, as I was writing), and by October 2021, I had the MAP completed. I defended my MAP in November of 2021, and I was done. Completed. Finished. No more work on it. nearly 10 years after I started, I was done. I began the journey in January 2012 and by January 2022, I was finished. Praise be to God!

Did it help me? I believe it did. It challenged me to think about my preaching. It showed me different ways to preach. It helped me to see how to bring the Word of God into the lives of the hearers. It assisted me to become a better preacher and a better pastor. It also helped me define and develop my understanding of stewardship and how to apply that into sermons. I am still working on that. I think there is much that I can do to continue to improve in both my preaching and in my application of stewardship, but having gone through the Doctor of Ministry program helped me greatly. 

That is a little of the journey that I took. A ten year journey through hills and valleys, over mountains and through tunnels, finally arriving at the place where I walked across the platform to receive my degree as the picture shows. 

Was I happy? 

 What do you think? 

Thanks to everyone for their support and encouragement. Penny was my biggest supporter and encourager. My family was supportive and encouraging. The congregations I served, St. Paul, Troy, IL and St. John, Clarinda, IA were very supportive. I received finacial support from individuals, the Southern Illinois District LWML, and St. John, Clarinda. I greatly appreciate all that support. 

Now, let's get going on preaching God's Word and living the life of a Christian steward.

Thoughts on Mother's Day

 Happy Mother's Day. For those who have born children, I wish you a blessed Mother's day. Today I think about what it means to be a mother. My lovely wife, Penny, has given birth to our two wonderful children, Rachael and Matthew. That makes today a special Mother's Day. Yet, I also remember that we had a third child, one that we lost early in the pregnancy. Penny was a mother before she gave birth to Rachael, it is just that our first child was not carried to term. We rejoice that the Lord has blessed us with both Rachael and Matthew, both of whom are a blessing to us. Thank you Penny for being that very Christian and loving mother to our children. 

I say that because there are many women who have lost children, being unable to carry them to term because of many different reasons. On Mother's Day, there are women whose hearts are heavy because they have not been able to give birth to their children. Today we need to lift them up in our prayers, remembering that they are mothers too, those they may not have the opportunity to hold and love their children after birth. I give thanks to God for those women who may well be sad on this day. God bless you and give you strength and comfort today. 

Then I thought, there are many women who have taken on the role of mother, even though they had not given birth to the children they raise. There are many who have been adoptive or foster mothers, showing love to children who have not had the blessing to be raised by their birth mothers. I know this for sure because I was not raised by my birth mother. I give thanks to Gen Foerster Osborne Brawner, the woman who raised me and my brothers. I would not be the man I am today if it was not for the fact that she took on the opportunity to raise me when I was 3 years-old. There are women today who raise their grandchildren, their nieces and nephews, and children that are not blood at all. 

If you have the opportunity to talk with your mother today, please do so. Remember that you will not always have your mother present in this world, for one day, they will pass from this life. Then you will not be able to call them on Mother's Day and talk with them. Tell them today how much you love them.

Yes, I know that there are mothers who have been less than stellar. There are those who were not good at raising their children. There are those who do not know Christ and therefore do not raise their children to know Christ. There are mothers who are physically and emotionally abusive. I am sorry for those children who must go through this. I pray that those children will be removed from those terrible situations. And for those who have been removed from those situations, I encourage you to forgive those abusive and unloving mothers for the way that they treated you. That does not mean you must condone those things that they did, nor do you have to go back into those situations. But as Christ has forgiven you, forgive them for the terrible things they did (or didn't) do to you. 

So many emotions on Mother's Day. Personally, I give thanks to God for the mothers I have know - my birth mother, the mother who raised me, the mother of my children, my mother-in-law, and my daughter. Thank You Lord, for each one of them. 

Happy and blessed Mother's Day.

The new life in Christ

 The joy of Easter still rings in my ears and in my thoughts. I can still hear those wonderful words, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen." (Luke 24:5b-6 ESV) He is not here. He has risen. Not "He will rise" or "He still has to rise," but He has risen. The event has already taken place. Jesus, the One who was crucified and buried, has risen from the dead. Never again will He die. Paul writes, "We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him." (Romans 6:9 ESV) New life, eternal life, never again to die.

Jesus is the risen and living one. John writes what Jesus says to the seven churches in Revelation. To Smyrna, we hear, "The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life." (Rev. 2:8 ESV) The living Lord! The living Savior. He died and rose again.

That is the focus of the message of the Gospel. Jesus came to pay the price of our sins, to suffer in our stead, to die for us and to rise again to life - to give to us forgiveness, faith and eternal life. That eternal life is more than just a hope. It is more than just an ethereal existence in some other form of being, some sort of spirit living in the air, floating around bodyless, as though the physical, the body itself is the problem and we have to discard the body in order to reach a higher level of existence. That is the teaching of the gnostics of the 1st and 2nd centuries, that wanted people to believe that all physical life was sinful and needed to be removed from you by some higher knowledge, so that once you reach that level, you no longer need the terrible, physical body. They would tell you that you are better off without it (even while living in this world, if you reached their level, you could then act however you wanted, because you transcend the physical and live in the knowledged, the gnostic level which frees you from responsibility for the physical actions - I know, a vague generalization but just wanted to say that.)

No, the body is not what we must be rid of. It is the sin that must be removed from us. And in Christ, that takes place. So when we die, this body, laid in the ground or cremated, is not the problem. Instead, there is more life to come. For Christ will raise these bodies from the grave, from the dust and will give to us a glorified body like His, to live with Him eternally in the new heaven and new earth (and there can be much discussion about what that means, but not here, not at this time). 

He rises. And in that resurrection, He assures us that we shall live also. I think of this as I prepare to go to a funeral of a Christian who died. The message needs to be one of the resurrection. Don't tell me about how good the person was. Tell me what Christ has done for her, that she has received forgiveness and salvation through faith in Christ, a gift given to her through the working of the Holy Spirit. Tell me about the new life she has in Christ. Tell me that she will rise from the dead, this body sown in sorrow will be raised in joy, this mortal body will be raised immortal. That is the message I need to hear. That is the message the family needs to hear. 

That is the message of Easter. Ringing loud and clear in my ears on this day. He is risen! And in Him, all shall rise again to life eternal! Praise be to God!