End of the world

The world is going to end! Six years ago today, the Maya calendar ran out and folks were saying that the world was going to come to an end because of it. Really? I must have missed it because I am still here, giving you these ramblings on my blog.

This shows us the meaning behind what our Lord says the gospel of Matthew, "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." (Matthew 24:36 ESV) The Mayans didn't know. Those who have set dates before didn't know. We don't know today. The fact is, the end will come at a time that the God will say for it to happen. Today, tomorrow, next year - who knows. God knows.

So what do we do while these days continue? "Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (Matthew 24:44 ESV) What does it mean to be ready? Does it mean sitting in church praying? Does it mean sitting and reading your Bible? Perhaps that is what you will be doing when Jesus returns. Can I be watching TV? Can I be on Facebook? Can I be reading a book? Or eating a meal? Or at work? It could mean that. You see, we don't know what time it will happen, in the morning, afternoon, evening, at night (it will be one of those for someone somewhere in the world).

What it means to be ready is to be living in faith in Jesus Christ. To be ready means that you believe in Jesus Christ as your only Lord and Savior. Living in that faith, you then go about your day, doing the things that you do. Then, when the Lord comes, you will lift up your eyes to heaven, see Him and praise His holy name that He is coming. You will rejoice as your heart leaps within you. You will sing songs of praise, dance a little jig and join Him in the air, entering into heaven for an eternity. Praise the name of the Lord for that assurance.

The end is coming. At some point. Now? I guess not because I am still typing this blog. But one day, at one moment in time, when we aren't expecting it, He will come and those who believe in Him will rejoice and receive that glorious eternal life, after their bodies have been changed, in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye.

Yes, it is coming. Come, Lord Jesus.

Week #2, Day #3, devotional thoughts continue

The next verse of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. God is with us!

Week #2, Day #3 “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”

O Come, O Come, Thou Lord of might,

Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height

In ancient times didst give the Law

In cloud and majesty and awe/

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to Thee, O Israel. (LSB 3567 vs. 3)

Lord of Might! Lord God of Hosts. He is the One who wins the victory over all those who stand opposed to Him. HE is the Lord of great might, shown in the weakness of the manger and the cross. A glorious Lord and a powerful God.

What has He done? He brought His people out of Israel. He led them through the Red Sea on dry ground. He guided them in the wilderness with a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. He fed them manna in the morning and quail in the evening. Yes, this is the God who has cared for His people in amazing ways.

Then He led them to Mt. Sinai. The place of God. The ground shook. The lightning flashed. The thunder rolled. The hearts of the people melted. It was a terrible sight. And yet it was a grand sight. God was with them (Emmanuel) He was giving to Moses the Law. That very Law that we still follow today. He gave the Law in cloud and majesty and awe. It was a great and terrifying time at Sinai’s foot.

The Law was given in ancient times, given for the people of the world. Given for you and me. We still are called to follow this Law. We are still to live our lives according to His will and not our will. It is our will that messes things up. It is our will that leads us into sin again and again. It is our will that causes us to transgress the Law and deserve to be punished by this great and glorious God, by the One who inspires such respect and awe.

And yet this very same God comes to earth, incarnate, as a Child, born of a virgin, born in a stable, laid in a manger. What an amazing God He is. This is Emmanuel, God with us. He has come for us and for our salvation. This is the fullness of Emmanuel. The Law condemns but Emmanuel brings salvation. Rejoice! Rejoice! What is stopping you? Here is your God, for you, for your salvation.

PRAYER: It was with great terror that the people saw You on the mountain God. We given thanks that we no longer approach You with such terror but are able to come into Your presence because of Emmanuel, Your only-begotten Son. Help us to live each day in the wonder of Your grace, following Your Law in our lives. Amen.

Songs of the Season, Week #2, Day #2 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

May the Lord continue to bless you as you prepare for the Savior's birth. The next devotion is here for you.

Week # 2, Day # 2 “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high

Who ord’rest all things mightily;

To us the path of knowledge show,

And teach us in her ways to go.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel! (LWB 357 vs. 2)

What is this “wisdom” stuff? Here you need to think about the book of Proverbs, where Wisdom is personified. Who is this wisdom? It is God Himself. He is the Wisdom from on high. He is the One who brings all wisdom into the world. He is the source of all knowledge, the source of all ordered things in this world. The laws of science that we don’t even think about in our lives, those are the very things of order that God has given to us. He has created this world and all that is in it. He is the source of all the wisdom that we have or need. There is much to be figured out still, and He gives the knowledge and wisdom to those who will figure it out, even as He has given to men like Galileo, Newton and others.

But there is an even greater knowledge that He has to give to us. It is that knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He sends His only-begotten Son into this world to bring the way of Salvation. As Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life…” so He is. Through Him comes the ordered knowledge that there is only one way to be saved, and that is not found in any one of us. In fact, He gives us the wisdom to know that if we look to ourselves, we will only see that which leads to eternal damnation.

So Emmanuel comes. He comes to bring order to the disorder that is caused by sin. He comes to bring peace in a world where there is no peace. He comes to set right that which has been torn apart by sin. He comes to bring life to a world that knows only death.

He does this in the wisdom of the Father. The world looks at the cross, the death of Jesus, and scratches its head. It makes no sense. Try to work it out, it says to us. Try to be good. You are good. You can do it. And in the end, we see how much we fail. Wisdom of the world is foolish. But the wisdom of God is found in Emmanuel. Wisdom is found in the new life given through His death and resurrection. In Christ, in God with us, we are given life, hope and peace. Things are made orderly again.

We long for the time when He will come again. Until then, we will rejoice in the life we have been given through Emmanuel. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O lost one.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Lord of all order and wisdom, we pray that You will enlighten our minds with the assurance of that salvation that comes through You alone. Give us the wisdom we need in Emmanuel, God with us. Amen.

A new week, a new set of devotions. Week 2, day 1

This week our devotions will be centered around the hymn, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel."

Week #2  Day #1 “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here,

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel. (LSB #357 vs. 1)

Lost without hope of recovery. The armies of the enemy draw near and King Ahaz is sore oppressed with the prospect that he is about to lose his kingdom. We are told, “The heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.” (Isaiah 7:2b)  Fear, great fear griped the king and the people.

What great fear grips you at this time? Fear of the future? Fear of the past? Fear of loss? Fear of loneliness? What fear is it that makes you shake like the trees before the wind? What fear has taken hold of your life and stolen away the joy of life? What causes you to doubt that the Lord is able to help you?

The Lord was with Ahaz. He promised Ahaz He would be there for him, that the armies of the enemy would not destroy him or his kingdom. But he still feared. He was still uncertain about what was going to happen.

Sound familiar? Sound like you are captive to some feeling, action, emotion, or situation? Are you like captive Israel? Maybe this song is for you. May you should listen to the words once more.            O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here,

Until the Son of God appear.

Who is the song appealing to? It is appealing to God with use, Emmanuel. God told Ahaz that he could ask for any sign he wanted, and God would give it. When Ahaz was suddenly too timid and afraid to ask of God a sign, the Lord said, Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

Listen to that wonderful promise. God was going to give the virgin a son. Does that remind you of anything? I hope it does. The angel Gabriel came to Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph, but had not had any relations with him yet. Gabriel told her she would be with child from God. And she believed it! She really did. She accepted the word of God even while Ahaz had rejected that very word.

Do you hear the word of God? Emmanuel, God with us! God sends His Son to us, to ransom us from sin, from death, from the power of the devil. He saves us, buys us back with His death and resurrection. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to the, O member of St. Paul’s.

PRAYER: Lord God, as I struggle in my life with those things that would take me captive, help me to trust in You. Help me to know that You are with me, Emmanuel. Give me hope and strength as I go through this day. Amen.

Day #6 of Week #1 devotions for "Songs of the Season"

We bring the 1st week to a close with this devotional thought.

Day #6 “Once He Came in Blessing”

Soon will come that hour –

When with mighty power

Christ will come in splendor

And will judgment render,

With the faithful sharing

Joy beyond comparing. LSB #333 vs. 3

Here is the 3^rd way that we face Advent. We prepare for the coming of the Lord on the Last Day. He will come again! We know that. We long for that, just maybe not today. Wait, did I just say that? Do you ever think that? I know some of you reading this will say, “I am ready for the Lord to come. I have lived a long, full life and I am just waiting for that day when He takes me to heaven.” God bless you. That is a wonderful thing to say, and even more wonderful to live each day.

But there are those of us who say, “Come Lord Jesus” just not at this moment. Why? Because I am wanting to see that child grow up. I am waiting for the Cubs to win their 2^nd World Series in my lifetime. I desire to _____________. You fill in the blank. While we say we are getting ready, we still have things in this life to do. That is all right. Just don’t forget this emphasis, Christ is coming again, coming soon. So, hold fast in faith.

Soon He will come with power. Yes, with mighty power. All eyes will see Him. All people will know that He is the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Savior of the world. For some it will be a judgment they do not want to hear. “Depart from Me, I don’t know you.” Terror! But for those who believe in Jesus as their Savior, it is a day of great judgment, a day when we shall hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Enter the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.” What a joy it will be to hear that voice of the Savior, to feel His love, to have His loving eyes upon you. Come Lord Jesus.

Those who do believe in Jesus, both living and the dead, will be reunited. The dead will rise, full of the Lord’s glory, whole, complete, body and soul reunited. Those who are alive will be changed, in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye. At the last trumpet. Oh, what a day that shall be. Eternity beginning for each of us. New life, eternal life.

What joy! Beyond comparing. To what can I compare it? To nothing I know right now. I can’t find the words. Just able to say, “praise be to God for this new life, this eternal life. Thank You.”

Prayer: Come, Lord Jesus, and take each of us to be with You in heaven. When the time is right, may I be ready, believing in You, holding fast in faith. What joy shall fill my heart! Amen.

Day # 5 Devotion for Songs of the Season

Day 5 devotion for the Songs of the Season.

Day # 5 “Once He Came in Blessing”

Now He gently leads us;

With Himself He feeds us

Precious food from heaven,

Pledge of peace here given,

Manna that will nourish

Souls that they may flourish. LSB # 333 vs. 1

The 2^nd emphasis of Advent – the Lord coming into our heart and lives. That is where we find ourselves today. Come, Lord Jesus, into my heart, my life, into my day-to-day existence. For I am struggling each day. I face temptation. I face trials and tribulations. I face pain and agony. I face the consequence of my sin. I face more than I can handle.

That is why He comes to us daily. He comes to lead us. He comes to help in those times why we are unable to help ourselves (which happens to be all the time!). We think we can do it on our own, but we can’t. We need Him. So, He gently leads us, as a shepherd leads his sheep, not driving them along with an iron hand and hard rod, but with a gentle voice that walks before, even as He has gone before us to the cross, the grave and the resurrection. Leading us along the way.

And He feeds us. Do you catch what is talked about here? It is the Lord Supper, Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, however you want to call it. He feeds us with His body – take and eat, this is My Body given for you. He gives us to drink of His blood – take and drink, this is My blood of the new covenant, shed for you for the forgiveness of sin. Thanks be to God! We are given this precious food to nourish us, to fill us, to strengthen us along the path of life.

Manna from heaven, food from God. It nourished the bodies of the Israelites for 40 years as they wandered in the wilderness. Manna from heaven, given to nourish you and me as we struggle in this wilderness of life. Given to strengthen us as we face those trials and tribulations, as we face the pains and sufferings of this life.

Give so our souls may flourish! Flourishing souls. Instead of wasting away, which is what it often feels like, our souls are flourishing each time we eat and drink His body and blood. Flourishing souls that are strengthened to face yet another day. Thank You Lord. Feed me.

Prayer: Lord God, feed this poor, weak soul so that it may flourish and thrive each day, following Your voice, Your lead each day of my life. Amen.

A New Song for a New Day

As we continue to study the "Songs of the Season," I give you another Advent hymn for your devotional life.

Day # 4 “Once He Came in Blessing”

Once He came in blessing,

All our sins redressing;

Came in likeness lowly,

Son of God most holy;

Bore the cross to save us;

Hope and freedom gave us. LSB # 333 vs. 1

In this hymn, we have the opportunity to focus our attention on each of the 3 ways that we celebrate Advent. Here in this verse, we focus on the 1^st of the advents or comings of the Son of God. Did you catch it in the hymn? We are preparing for His coming as the child in Bethlehem. It is as though we are counting down the days till we celebrate Christmas Eve/Christmas Day for then we see Him coming in likeness lowly.

Wait? Likeness lowly? What is the world does the hymn writer mean here? He comes a likeness of you and me. He comes as a human. This the power of the incarnation, God in man made manifest. He comes in human likeness, lowly, not as the King of the universe, the God who made all things by His Word. No, He comes just like you and I came into the world. He was birthed by His mother Mary, in a stable of all places.

He came to be like us because He came to redress our sins. Redress? What does that mean. I looked it up on line (for who has a dictionary handy anymore?). This is what I found: “Remedy, or set right.” Yep, that is exactly what He did. He came to redress our sins. He came to remedy them, to set them right. That is why the Father sent His only-begotten Son into this world to be a man, to redress our sins.

He does that as He goes to the cross. He bore the cross for us, for our sins, for our salvation. He came to take our place under the Law, to fulfill the Law on our behalf, so that we might have our sins redressed. I like that word. Redress our sins. You might hear that in a sermon one day. Or maybe you won’t. He came to remedy that which we could not remedy. He came to give His life for our lives, to die our deaths, to pay what we could not pay. He did that on the cross. He did that as He stretched out those sinless arms upon that cross, cried out in agony, and died for us and for our salvation.

All to give us hope and freedom. Once He came in blessing, to redress our sins, to give us hope and freedom. Hope, back to that emphasis of the 1^st week of Advent. Hope. Hope and freedom given to us. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Thank You for sending Your Son, dear Father. Thank You for the hope that You give us as He bore our sins to the cross. What a wonderful gift You have given to us. We praise Your name for this new life. Amen.

Day #3 of Advent devotions "Song of the Season"

Continuing the thoughts on the Songs of the Season.

Day # 3 “Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates”

Redeemer, come and open wide

My heart to Thee; here, Lord abide!

O enter with Thy grace divine;

Thy face of mercy on me shine.

Thy Holy Spirit guide us on

Until our glorious goal is won.

Eternal praise and fame

We offer to Thy name. LSB # 342 vs. 5

Eternal praise! That actually seems like an overstatement. We know that we are going to let slip away from our attention that which Advent and Christmas are all about. We will forget because we will become wrapped up in the colorful paper, the pretty ribbons, the tasty cookies, the fun parties and life in general. There will be those glorious fun times. And there will be those times that just wear on us – going to work, housework, washing clothes, driving the kids around, doing homework, facing the problems of health, the heart that hurts, the cancer that sucks away our life, the diabetes that challenges our every meal and movement. Yes, we will forget to praise the name of the Lord.

But wait! That doesn’t stop the eternal praise. The saints in heaven, those who are free of this world, will be praising the name of the Lord eternally! They will praise Him even as we start to crumble under the pressures of life. And then we will remember that is exactly what the King of glory has come, because we are so weak, because we cannot do it ourselves.

Come Redeemer, buy us back from our pains, our sins, our sufferings. Redeem us! Holy Spirit, open wide my heart. Open wide my life. Even as I do not feel like opening my heart up, I know that You will be the One opening it for me. Come to me, guide me, help me. I am weak but You are strong. Come through this glorious Word. Come through the waters of Baptism. Come through the gifts of Communion. Come and give me what I am unable to give myself. Open my heart wide!

Abide in my heart, dear Lord. Come to me so I may lift up my thoughts, my voice, in praise to You! May I join with all those who have gone before me, those who are already in heaven, those who have received that crown of life from the King of glory, those who are singing the eternal praises! Yes, show my Your face of mercy so that I will be able to face tomorrow, or maybe tonight. Until that time when I so receive the goal of all that You have promised to me. The goal…ah, that blessed goal. Yes, I long for it.

Until then, come to me, abide with me, King of glory, righteous Helper, Redeemer, Lord of my life.

Prayer: Lord, I come to You today, asking You to guide me in my life. Help me to face today with a heart that is wide open to Your love, Your mercy, Your guidance. Send the Holy Spirit that I might be guided to that promised goal of heaven. Amen.

Devotion Day #2 Lift Up Your Heads, vs. 2

We continue our series of devotions on the Songs of the Season. The first Wednesday service, this song was one that we looked at. May the Lord bless you as you continue to prepare for His coming.

Day # 2 “Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates”

A righteous Helper comes to thee;

His chariot is humility,

His kingly crown is holiness,

His scepter, pity in distress,

The end of all our woe He brings;

Therefore the earth is glad and sings,

To Christ the Savior raise

Your grateful hymns of praise. LSB # 341 vs. 2

The song continues, as does our praise. It is all about the King of glory who comes. And our hearts can do no more than praise His name. As we asked, “Who is this King of glory? It is that little child in the manger. Wait? A little child in a manger? Yes indeed!

He is the righteous Helper, the One who comes to help each one of us in the midst of our lives. We often feel that we are strong enough to carry the full burden ourselves. We believe that we are filled with a strength of body, a strength of mind, a strength of spirit and a strength of soul. But are we? When push comes to shove, we come to realize how weak we truly are. We crumble when we are struck by the pains of this world. When our health fails, we try to show others how strong we are, while on the inside we are wasting away, weak as could be. Holding fast to the belief that we must put on a strong face, not let anyone know our weakness. But we need our King of glory. We need Him to come to us.

Our Helper comes, his chariot is deep humility. He doesn’t come with a mighty war horse, or a beautifully carved and jeweled chariot. Instead, He comes in humbleness, born as a child, born to Mary and Joseph in the humblest of places, a stable, with the animals, beasts of burden, animals who know nothing more than to struggle all their lives. He is placed in a manger, a feeding trough for these poor animals. Yet He does so willingly. He is so humble. The King of glory in humblest of settings.

Why? To bring the end of all our woes, all our sorrows, all our struggles, all the pains that we face day after day. Struggling under the load of this fallen world and the fallenness of our very being, the Helper comes to free us from all our sorrows and woes! Praise be to God! He has come to be our Helper, the One who does what we cannot do. Like the helper engine pushing the train up the mountain, a train that would stall and be unable to move at all by itself, the King of glory is the righteous Helper giving us life, love and grace. Hope! Advent 1! In Him is hope.

Prayer: Come to us, abide with us, King of glory! Be with us during this Advent season as we focus our attention on all that You have done for us in our lives. May Your Spirit help us to lift up our voices in songs of praise in every situation of our lives, knowing that You are our righteous Helper. Amen.

Daily Devotion in Advent Series - Songs of the Season

On Wednesday evening we began the 3 week series on the Songs of the Season. Last night we studied and sang 4 Advent songs. There is more that can be said about the songs. I wrote a few devotions to accompany the series. I will post one each day, except for Sunday. May the Holy Spirit guide your walk of faith as you prepare for the Advent of the King.

Day #1 “Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates”

Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates!

Behold the King of glory waits.

The King of kings is drawing near;

The Savior of the world is here.
Life and salvation He doth bring;

Therefore rejoice and gladly sing.

To God the Father raise

Your joyful songs of praise. (LSB # 341 vs. 1)

To begin Advent with this song is to reach deep into the meaning of the season. With the song, we come to the house of the Lord to praise our God for all that He has done for us, for our salvation. Whether you read Psalm 24 or Isaiah 60, you get the same feeling. There is praise and worship in the air. For what? Why would the people of Israel offer such times of praise?

The Psalmist asks, “Who is this King of glory? That is the question that you must ask yourself as you start this Advent journey. Who is the King of glory? Why should you praise His name? After all, in this world, we often focus on ourselves, on our desires. We think it is all about what I want. We see that in the world around us. If you don’t like a phrase, change it. If you don’t like a song, ban it. If you don’t like a movie, refuse it. It doesn’t matter what others think. It is all about what you think. Don’t see that in yourself? If that is the case, praise be to God. But for most of us, we would have to say that we are really mostly focused on ourselves. We would like to sing our own praises. We would like others to sing our praises. We fall into the self-centered trap that the is laid for us by the devil, the world, and our own sinful nature.

But isn’t that why we need the King of glory? Who is this King of glory? It is none other than the Lord of hosts, the Lord God of Sabaoth. He is the King of Glory. As we slide our way through this season of Advent, we focus our attention on our inability to save ourselves and the need for a Savior. Here in this song, we meet the Savior. He is the King of glory, the One that comes into this dark world to bring salvation. Or in keeping with the 1^st Sunday in Advent theme, to bring “hope.”

The ancient doors are lifted up to welcome the King. The people in Isaiah’s day are lifting up their eyes to see the wonder of what God is doing for them (Isaiah 60:4-5). We lift up our eyes from the hustle and bustle of the Advent/Christmas season to see the King of glory, the very One who comes for us, for our salvation. Rejoice! Celebrate! Sing those songs of praise! For your salvation comes in the form of the Christ-child, the Son of God incarnate. Thank the Father for all that He has done by sending His only-begotten Son to be the Savior.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we lift up our voices in songs of praise to You. At this time of the year, we recall the wonder of that which You have done for our salvation. You have given to us a Savior, the King of glory. May we open our hearts to welcome Him. Amen.

Crazy where ramblings take a person.

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday. I had never heard of such things until recent years. They just keep growing. First there was Black Friday. Growing up, it was never called that. It was the day after Thanksgiving. A big shopping day. I remember when we delivered the Herald & Review in Decatur, IL, the newspaper for Thanksgiving was HUGE! I mean really big. There were so many sale ads. We had to stuff the papers to get them ready for delivery. There was no Internet, no online shopping, none of those things. It wasn't even called Black Friday. I don't know when it became Black Friday. I guess someone decided it was a good thing and it stuck. Not sure why it is "black" but that is what it is.

Then came Cyber Monday. Why? Because folks started shopping online. Sitting at home on the comfy couch, you could spend your money. You could get what you wanted without facing the crowds. Stores began to run special sales on Monday after Black Friday. So it became "cyber" Monday. Shop, shop, shop! Spend, spend, spend. The more you shop, the more you save, every day at Shop and Save. Wait, that was a store ad. Guess it really plays into Cyber Monday. Save big money by spending big money. I guess it makes sense.

The came Giving Tuesday. What is it? The chance to help not-for-profits. After spending all your money, maybe you will feel a little guilty about focusing so much on the self, on the material, that you just might want to quell the conscience. Give to some organization that could use your financial help. So now, the email is filled with Giving Tuesday requests. Give to this one. Give to that one. I would suggest LWML if you are looking for somewhere to give on Giving Tuesday. Or perhaps your local church. Think about how much that would help here at St. Paul's if you were to support the local congregation in the work it does. Makes me think, maybe St. Paul's should get into Giving Tuesday next year, send out the emails, mailings, and all in order to gain your dollars.

Then I thought, is that really good stewardship? Who cares? As long as you get the money. As long as you meet the budget, who cares about stewardship? The Lord does. I do. And you should. Christian stewardship is not seen in guilt giving. It isn't taking part in Giving Tuesday. It is regular use of the resources that the Lord has given you. It is continuing to use your financial resources in a way that gives glory to your Lord and helps your fellow man. In reality, if members of congregations would be faithful in their giving to the local congregations, if they were tithe in a faithful manner, most congregations would not have any financial problems. Churches wouldn't have to beg for money to meet the bills. They wouldn't have to do fundraisers in order to make ends meet. That is poor stewardship. Terrible stewardship. It betrays either poor giving stewardship on the part of the members and/or poor stewardship use of the financial resources of the leaders of the congregation. Yes, it goes both ways. Members have poor giving habits. Leaders have poor spending habits. It is terrible stewardship for a church to spend more than it could ever support. Ask for more money, to spend more. It might be that the reason it is spending so much is that it feels like it is doing the right thing. But perhaps each congregation should take a hard look at what it is doing and ask, "Is this really what we need to be doing?" It is hard because it might mean giving up a sacred cow.

How did I get there? I don't know. That is what rambling does. It takes you places that you weren't expecting. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday and faithful Christian stewardship. All tied together somehow. I will let you wrestle with it. I know that I do. I wrestle with it regularly even without realizing that is what I am doing. Lord, give me guidance. Give each of us guidance and wisdom these days.

Give Thanks

"Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Jesus asked. (Luke 17:17) This will be the Gospel reading in many Lutheran churches this week as they have the Thanksgiving Eve/Day services. The lepers crying out to Jesus to be healed, then, as they follow Jesus' command, leave to go show themselves to the priests. As they went they were cleansed. The Samaritan returned to Jesus and gave thanks to Him for the healing. The point is made that we need to return to to the Lord and give Him thanks for the many blessings He has given to us.

That is heavy law. Truly it is. It is not telling folks that they should focus on the wonder of the Gospel and give thanks for the healing, the forgiveness, the love of Christ. It is saying, "Get yourself back to church and thank God for the blessings. Do it now! Or you are ungrateful!" Now there is truth in this. We should be giving thanks to God for the blessings He has given to us. But we do that out of joy and not out of obligation. To do it out of obligation is to begin to place our thankfulness under the Law, making it a necessary action in order to show that we truly thank God.

I often wonder about the other 9. Did they not give thanks? Did they go to the priest and not once utter a word of thanks to God for the healing? I know what Jesus is saying. He is showing the importance of giving thanks, and we should give thanks. But the other 9 were only doing what they were told. "Go and show yourselves to the priests," Jesus said to them. And they did. That was what they were doing. When they went and saw that they were cleansed, did their steps pick up? I doubt they drug their feet heading for the priest. They were cleansed! The leprosy was gone. Amazing! I often think that as they went, they were praising God for this healing. They lifted up their voices in songs of praise. They went to the priests and told them, "Jesus healed us!" When they spoke to their families, they told them what Jesus had done. And together they worshiped and praised God.

When you come to Thanksgiving worship this year, don't do it out of obligation, because you are told that you must return otherwise you are like the 9 lepers who did not appreciate what Jesus did for them. Instead, go to worship because you are healed! Because Jesus has healed you of the leprosy of sin. Because you know that without Jesus, there would be no blessings in your life. Because your heart is filled to overflowing for the many blessings of life.

Then don't stop there. Continue to thank God. I know that I thank God daily for the blessings He has given me: Penny, Rachael, Brandon, Matthew and Chelsey, Shirley and my brothers and their families, Penny's sisters and their families, my birth family, their children and grandchildren, my church family at Troy, as well as the families of Harvel, Ferrin and Altamont, my extended family in the LWML, more people than I can count. I give thanks for the blessings of faith and love, hope and peace that are given me despite the sins that I do and the unthankfulness that might reside in my heart. The forgiveness of sins! The wonderful, peace giving, life fulfilling forgiveness that is truly a gift of His grace. So much more. Luther would begin to list out even more things to give thanks for, and that would only touch the surface of that for which I give thanks.

I give thanks with a grateful heart, not because I am told to, but because I want to. I look at my Lord, fall to my knees before Him and thank Him for His love, for all that He has done and continues to do for me in my life. What a great God, an awesome God, a loving God, a wonderful God He is.

Yes, thank You God. I am one of those 9 who follow Your command and praise You as I continue on my daily way. I am that 1 who returns to You and thanks You. I see myself in both because both are folks who are healed, blessed and made clean.

So when I have eaten and had my fill, and I sit back in my chair and look around the table at the family, and the carnage of a meal well eaten, I will give thanks to God.

Yes, God is good. All the time!

Thank you veterans, a mite challenge and snow - random ramblings.

Veteran's Day was yesterday, Sunday, Nov. 11th. I want to thank each veteran who served our country in both peace time and war time. They have given of themselves. They have served with distinction. I thank God for each one. You, as a veteran, may not have received the recognition that you deserve, but know that you are greatly appreciated. I give thanks to God that there are men and women who are willing to serve in the armed forces in some way. I want to give a special shout out to Christian Engelbrecht as he took the oath yesterday (what a day to take the oath!) to become part of the Ohio National Guard. Very proud of him to take this step. God bless all our veterans.

This last week I attended the various meetings of the LWML in St. Louis, MO. Convention Planning Committee (CPC), Executive Committee (EC) and Assembly of Leaders (AOL). Each one had a special focus and work to accomplish. I give thanks that I have been able to serve the Lord as junior pastoral counselor of the Lutheran Women's Missionary League. What a blessing this has been for me and how it has pushed me to grow in faith and service to the Lord.

Pastor Bob Mundahl, senior pastoral counselor, has challenged me to lose 20 pounds by the time we have the Board of Directors (BOD) meeting in later January. I accepted that challenge. Now comes the hard part, to accomplish it. 2 months, 10 pounds a month, during the holiday season. Am I crazy? Penny bakes so many wonderful Christmas cookies. How will I lose weight when I have a wife who bakes such great things? It will take discipline and hard work to accomplish this feat. Oh yes, we have committed ourselves to giving $10 a pound that we lose - to the mites of the LWML.

Here is a challenge for you. Would you join in supporting the mission of the LWML at this time. How about you commit yourself to giving a certain amount over and above your regular mite offering, a certain amount per pound that I lose. $1 a pound, $5 a pound, whatever you are able to do. This in not a requirement but something that you might want to do. I will also put this challenge out on Facebook, to see if we can raise more for the mites of the National LWML so that we can reach our mite goal of this biennium.

We wait to see if it will snow today. I hope it does. Penny and I love snow. We like to see it coming down, to see the landscape turn white. If only we could have it snow just on the grass and trees and avoid the roads, wouldn't that be grand? And wouldn't it be even better if it could snow when it was around 50 degrees rather than under 32? Is that too much to ask? Well, maybe it is too much to ask. I guess we must accept the laws of nature that the Lord has put into place.

Whatever - let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

For all the saints...

All Saints' Day. November 1st is the day when we remember those dearly departed who have entered into their eternal rest. It is a day that has really disappeared from the thoughts of folks, Christian folks. The focus is on Halloween, All Saints' Eve, Hallowed Eve.

I find that to be amazing. Why? We, Christians, have lost the focus of that which is to come for us - life eternal in heaven with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For that is what All Saints' Day reminds us of - the fact that as we remain in faith, believing in Jesus as our Savior, we will go to heaven for eternity. This world, this world in which we live and breath and work, is but a temporary place. When our Lord Jesus comes on the Last Day, this world, this universe, will cease to exit. There will be a new heaven and a new earth, whatever that truly means. I know, we have ideas about what it means, as theologians, we come up with our best explanation, using Scripture to give us parts of what it means, but in the end, all we know is that the current earth will be no more and there will be a new life, a new place, which will be perfect, holy, just as our Lord Jesus Christ is holy. Now, before we get into a discussion of what Jesus means when He talks about heaven, eternity, let's agree that we know it is coming, it is perfect but in the end, we really can't understand it.

Stop for a moment and think about that loved one who has passed away, either recently or in the years gone by. Who is it? What was their relationship with you? What was their relationship with the Lord? That last question becomes the important one. What was their relationship with the Lord? Strong faith? Weak faith? A faith that held to Christ in the midst of pain and suffering? A faith that was there when needed but was struggling through the mundane days of life? It doesn't matter. Was there faith? Did they believe in Jesus as their Savior?

Faith of a child - that is all it takes. The faith that says, "Yes, I believe in Jesus Christ as my only Savior." That is what it is about, not how much faith, how strong faith. But a faith in Christ. Period. Actions that follow the faith are wonderful. But they don't save. Remember yesterday, Reformation day? Justification by grace through faith? The hallmark of Scripture? Salvation is a gift to those who believe. It is not earned by how much you do. Grace. Period. Did he/she believe? Yes, then they are saved. They have eternal life.

They are one of those that we sing, "For all the saints, who from their labors rest..." They are one of those in the white robes before the throne that John sees in Revelation 7. All praise to God for the salvation He gives through His Son.

All Saints' Day is a day of the proclamation of God's grace and mercy. It is a day in which we say, "Thanks be to God that He saved that person." That person, your loved one, your friend, did not save themselves. They did not get themselves into heaven by being faithful or by doing the right thing. They were saved by grace through faith. All Saints' Day reminds us that God saves. That He gives eternal life. That He is the One who takes sinners and makes them saints, gives them life eternal.

I think of my loved ones who died in faith. I rejoice for them. For they have received the crown of eternal life. One day, through Christ, I too will enter into heaven. One day, this heart will stop, this life on earth will cease, and I will begin life eternal with my Savior. Until then, I confess that Jesus is my Lord. And I thank Him for saving those who have gone before me.

A blessed and happy All Saints' Day.

Halloween? Reformation Day? Which is it?

Happy Halloween. Blessed Reformation Day. Which is it? Which do you "celebrate"? Which do you participate in?

That is a challenging question for one who is a church leader. Can I dress up and enjoy the trick-or-treating? Or do I have to withdraw from it and remember the way Martin Luther saved the church from the evils of works and the Roman Church?

There are those who would say, "No, you cannot celebrate Halloween. It is a pagan festival honoring the devil. Avoid it!" They would be correct at one thing, if you are celebrating Halloween to honor the devil, then it should be avoided. As a child of God, I will not do anything to honor the one who brings death and destruction to the goodness of the creation of God.

But they are wrong. The children going out trick-or-treating could care less about honoring the devil. Putting on a costume does not mean I am paying homage to the devil. It means that I am participating in an activity that brings smiles to faces and candy to children (and their parents). Perhaps it is a holiday which is meant to give more business to the dentists. Maybe they are the bad ones in this whole thing. No, I guess not. We can't get upset with dentists because we give candy to children who will then have tooth decay. Be sure to brush when you are done with the candy.

I have no problem with Halloween. I know that there are brothers and sisters in Christ who do have. I will respect that. At the same time, I will also ask that they respect those of us who will dress as ghosts and goblins, zombies and supermen, Spiderman and Wonder Woman. Me, I love to see the kids. I love to see the teens dressed up and going around. Are they too old? Of course not. If they want to enjoy the day, why should we stop them? It is better than going out and destroying property on this night. Come to my table at Light the Night. No age limit. I will give candy to young and old. Just let me enjoy your costume and bring a smile to my face.

Can we celebrate Reformation day? Why yes we can. It is the day when the Lord began to bring the Church back to the teachings of the Bible, the sole source for doctrine and practice in His Church. So today I will talk about Luther in chapel. I have been teaching the 7/8 grade day school kids about Luther and the Reformation. I taught the 5/6 grade day school class about the Reformation yesterday.

But if we allow our remembrance of the Reformation to elevate Luther to the place of "savior" of the church, then we are just as wrong as those who "honor" the devil on Halloween. Luther is not the savior of the church. He was merely a tool that God used to bring His Word back into the forefront of the Church and its teachings. We do not worship Luther. That would be wrong. That is wrong. At times the very ones that demand that we do not celebrate Halloween will turn around and elevate Luther to the point where it seems as those we are worshiping him rather than God. Wrong! Can't do that. I would rather not mention Luther at all than worship him. He is a mere man. God is still the God of the Church. Jesus is still the only Savior. Period.

So what will I do? I will enjoy this day. I will remember what God did through Luther. I will celebrate the wonder of God and His Word and the power He has to change lives and give salvation. I will dress up as something and enjoy giving candy out to children who pass by my table tonight at Light the Night.

I have no problem with either. Both can be a part of this day. When the day is over, I will still thank God for the day. It is all about our Lord and His presence in this created world. I will worship Him alone. Not Satan. Not Luther. Only Jesus Christ.

Happy Halloween. Blessed Reformation Day. What kind of candy do you have?

Watching the Clock

Watching the clock. The minutes ticking by. Slowly. The hours, they don't seem to make any movement. There goes one hour, but it must have taken more than 60 minutes to pass. It seemed more like 120 minutes. Or more. Why is time going so slowly? Why can't time speed up?

Watching the clock. It comes to us at many times. Late at night, while we wait for morning. Eyes open when they should be closed. Waiting. Watching. Wondering when the long hours of the night will be over. Yesterday was a mess. Today will be a start to a new day. Maybe it will be better. Yesterday was a good day. I don't look forward to today because... Watching the clock.

Sitting at the desk. Watching the clock. When will this shift be over? Can it go much slower? Sitting in the classroom. Listening to the teacher drone on and on. Why does that second seem to have stopped? Am I in an episode of the Twilight Zone? Has time stopped? Will it ever start up again?

You have been there. I have been there. Often the situation is difficult. Something is going on. Pain. Physical pain. Mental pain. Spiritual pain. It doesn't matter. It is still pain. And pain seems to make the clock stop moving. We long for the night to be over because there is the hope that in the daylight there will be relief. Maybe. We hope. We pray.

Watching the clock. And while we watch, the Lord watches over us. We might forget that. It might slip away from us because of what we are facing but it is true. The Lord is there. Holding us in His hand. He is there to comfort us, assure us, help us, lead us through whatever it is that is making the clock stop. "I will not leave, nor forsake you," the Lord promises. "I will be with you always," He says to you.

When you are in that situation, turn away from the clock. Look to the Word, the Savior, the One who is there for you. Trust that He will continue to lead you, to help you. The Holy Spirit, the Comforter, knows what you need. He is praying for you even as you don't know what to say. He is taking You to the very throne of the Almighty, the One who made you.

Know this. God is with you, even in those ticking minutes. He is still holding you. Will the pain leave? Will health return? Will sleep come? Will the shift be over? Those I cannot answer. Will God be with me? That I can answer with a resounding "YES!" That is not my word. It is His promise.

And God has never broken a promise.

The Great Need

What are you feeling? How are you feeling? Anxious? Afraid? Blessed? Excited? Bored? Upset? Weak? Strong? Happy? Sad? How are YOU feeling? 

We ask that often. "How is it going?" It is a way to say hello. It isn't an invitation to actually say how you are doing. The person asking often doesn't have the time to hear your answer. So we respond with the bland, "Good." "OK." "Fine." or something similar. We don't really say how we are doing. We hold that in. We let it stay inside of us. 

Perhaps that is why folks are willing to talk with their pastor. They hope that he has time to talk to them. No, that isn't true. They hope that he has time to listen to them, to let them open up, to pour out their heart, their joys, their fears, their feelings. 

As a pastor, I listen. I don't always have the right words to say. Many times, it isn't about having the right words to say. It is about being that caring heart that actually listens to what they have to say. As a pastor, the one thing that I know is that the Lord has called me to be that one that the needy, the hurting, the weak, the ill, the sin-sick, the emotionally drained can come to and talk to. To know that there is one who is willing to listen.

Then to bring one thing forward, the love of Christ, the message that while the world around them is too busy, too unwilling to listen, to filled with anxiety and pain in itself, there is one who will listen. Who will bring the word of the Healer to them. That word is the message of the love of Christ, that touches the heart and life in many different ways. 

The pastor listens. He cares. He wants to be the one that represents the Rock, the Healer, the Savior, the Lover, the Teacher, the One who cares in every situation. The speaks only when he can bring Christ into the conversation. He lets the hurting pour herself/himself out. He is there for that person, for that moment, no other moment matters because that person at that time needs Christ and he is Christ's representative for that person. 

Take a moment and say a prayer - for the person who is hurting, upset, anxious, fearful. Then thank Jesus for His love. And when you are ready to say "Amen," stop and say, "Thank You for the one who listened to me in my pain." 

Your pastor is there for you. I am there for you.

Falling into rambling

Ah, the chill in the air. The heat has abated and the coolness of fall has arrived. Beautiful blue skies, marked with white clouds drifting along on the light breeze. Yes, fall. Clouds roll in, threat of rain. Darkness comes earlier. The sun sets early and rises late. Yes, fall.

If there is a season that I really enjoy, it is fall. The cool nights, the warm days. The smells of fall. The feel. The sounds, or lack of sounds. All are a part of fall. Where have the birds gone? They are there, just not singing like they were in the spring and summer. Where is the sunshine? It is still there, just not as long as in the summer. Where are the green leaves? They are changing into the yellows, reds, oranges and browns that color the trees of summer.

So many things that we can count on when fall arrives. Penny always says that the weather changes from summer to fall right around my birthday (Sept. 21) which is right around the time of the start of Autumn.

This year is was right on time. It was hot and sticky on Thursday the 20th and cool and less humid by the evening of the 21st. Saturday morning, as I went to Cracker Barrel for Men's Breakfast, I wore a jacket. Two days earlier, I was in shorts and shirt sleeve, not dreaming of wearing a coat. Welcome fall, it is good to see you.

The change of the seasons always make me think about the order of the universe that God created. Things are in order. The sun rises and sets in such a way that you can actually say exactly when it happens. The seasons come just a the time they are to come. Days, weeks, months, years are in order. Perhaps you don't even think about it. Can you imagine what it would be like if sunrise was random, depending not upon the order of creation but on the whim of who know what or whom? Today the sun rises at 4:13 a.m. and yesterday it rose at 9:03 a.m. and who knows when it will rise tomorrow? Thank You Lord for giving us order in creation and order in our lives.

Anyway, I just was thinking of fall and felt like rambling. I pray that you have a blessed day today. Know that the Lord of all is with you. He never leaves you nor does He forsake you.

Go out and enjoy the day, even if it is only for a few minutes at lunch time.

9/11 memories

A day of reflection. 9/11. Who cannot help but reflect when this day arrives? It is true that there are those who never lived through this day. Those born after 2001. There are no students in our school that were here on that day. Consider that those who are 17 and younger were born after that fateful day in 2001. It is hard to imagine that what we lived through is nothing more than a history lesson. And even then, who knows how it will be taught in schools around the nation and around the world. Is it a day of infamy? Or what kind of day is it?

A sunny day, apple butter time at Bethlehem Lutheran, Ferrin, IL. Apples peeled. Fires started. Kettles on. Apples poured in the kettles. Sun coming up. Blue skies. Rachael and Matthew were ready for school and wandered out to be with the folks cooking. Fun times. A grand day. The smell of wood fire in the air. This is what life is all about.

Then the reminder, life is not so beautiful. The shock. Disbelief. What happened? An accident? One plane, maybe. Then the 2nd plane. Complete shock. Watching the news feeds showing the second plane going into the second tower. What? How? Why? Who? So many questions. So much confusion. This shouldn't be happening. It couldn't be happening. What can I do? What can I say? Um, I don't know.

And then, shock of all shock. Watching as one tower begins to collapse, then the other. Hearing of the Pentagon. Hearing of the plane in Pennsylvania. What is happening? Is this just the beginning? Is there going to be more? Planes grounded. People stuck in cities, countries, that they did not plan to be stuck in. What were they going to do? What were we going to do?

Prayers. Lots of prayers. Gathering children together at Trinity Lutheran School, Hoffman, IL. Talking, praying, reaching out with the love of Christ.

There it is. There is what was needed. Not rhetoric. Not speeches. Not let's go get them, whoever they are. But Christ. Only the love of Christ could cover the pain of the day. That shouldn't surprise us. It is the love of Christ that covers the pain of any tragedy, any death. It is a reminder of our great need for the Savior, for His presence in our lives. We need. And that which we need is Christ!

He knows the hurt. He knows the shock. He knows what we are going through - then and now. It is only Christ that helps us through the pain and loss of death, through the sting of death. And it does sting. Knowing that all those folks died in an instant when the planes went into the buildings. Knowing that there were people in the buildings when they collapsed. Hearing of the heroics of emergency personnel that were there to save people only to lose their lives. The crushing agony of the great loss of life. Lord, wrap Your arms around us, for we are in shock.

Still in shock. Perhaps not from the event of 9/11/01 but from the events of today. The accident, the surgery, the illness, the betrayal, the actions of those around, actions that are unkind, nasty, upsetting. The world we live in. Only the arms of the Lord, arms that have nail scarred hands, wrapped around us can help us through the moment, the pain, the suffering, the shock. Only hearing the words form the lips of the Savior, the One who gave His life upon the cross for wretched sinners, sinners who would kill others. Wretched sinners who treat others with disdain. Wretched sinners who speak words that hurt, that maim and that destroy the life of the person who is at the center of such actions.

Yes, the Savior, Jesus Christ. His love. His presence. His life. His death. His resurrection. That needs to be the focus of our remembrance. Share that news. Share that love. Live in Him. We see what happens when we don't live in Christ. We see lives ruined, destroyed, people crushed, hurt, walking shells of what they used to be - all because of sinful people like you and me.

Lord, forgive. Forgive me. Forgive my anger. Forgive my hate. Forgive my unkind words. Forgive my selfish actions. Forgive. And lead me to forgive. Lead me to love. Help me.

Yes, remembering 9/11. It is important. We cannot forget. We will not forget. But we also must let the love of Christ cover it. We must not forget, we cannot forget His love. Apply Christ to your memory. Apply Christ to your actions. For Christ is all in all.

We need Christ.

Tuesday morning chirping

A warm morning, window open, listening to the crickets chirping. There is something relaxing about the sound. It is still dark out. The sun hasn't started to rise yet. At this time of the summer, it is getting later and later and sunset is getting earlier. Yesterday was Labor Day, making it the unofficial end of the summer. There are still some hot days ahead of us, warm days and yet, we know that fall is on its way. It will be with us soon.

As I listened to the crickets, I thought, won't be long till they won't be heard again. So I better take advantage of listening to their song. What are they saying? As I listened, I realized that they are praising God for giving them life. They are joining with all creation in lifting up praise to the heavenly Father as they are fearfully and wonderfully made. Created. Created by God to be crickets. They weren't created to be anything other than crickets.

Just like you and me are created by God to be who we are. Yes, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. God wanted you to be you. He made you special, different from others. Oh yes, you are human. You were created male or female. There are similarities between all humans, which is great news when the doctor has to do something for us. He/she doesn't have to figure out what we are first. The doctor knows the way the body is made. He/she knows what needs to be done and how to do it. Praise the Lord for that!

Yet you are different from anyone else. God made you special. He made you - YOU. That is right, he made you to be you. Rejoice in who you are. Rejoice in the gifts you have been given. Give thanks to the Lord that He looks upon you, knows who you are and calls you by name. Think about how wonderful that is! Out of the millions and millions of people that are alive (all right 6+ billion), God knows your name. He calls you by name. He loves you. He cares for you. He made you to be you so that you can live as you. Wow! That is amazing, just as you are amazing.

All that from listening to the crickets. It is great what a simple little black insect can teach me this morning. Listening to them chirp, listening to them on this warm September morning, I know, they are praising God as long as they have life. So too, shall I.