Reflections on...I don't know, could be reflecting upon just about anything. Reflections on Lent - the wonder of the Savior who suffers and dies for each of us, even though He knows that we are going to be just like the ones who crucified Him. We will mock Him (in how we live, act, and talk). We will turn our backs upon Him (in order to "enjoy" the pleasures of the flesh and the lusts of this sinful world). He does this for us. Talk about "Amazing Grace." How quickly we become upset when someone says or does something we don't like, how we turn our backs upon them, and yet, He never turned His back upon us. He suffers for you and me, lost and condemned sinners that we are. He gives forgiveness to us sinners, again and again. Thanks be to God that He sent His only-begotten Son to be our Savior.
Reflections on Spring: It is here! At least the calendar says it is here. The weather people tell us that we are still going to have up and down temperatures over the next week or so. It has been a long winter. I don't know about you, but I am ready for spring. Let the flowers bloom, the trees burst forth with leaves and warm temps engulf us. I am ready to sit on my porch and enjoy the spring which will lead us into summer very quickly. Bring it on!
Reflections on life and death: For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. How true that statement by Paul is for our lives. Living in Christ - each day, reflecting His love and His mercy. One day we shall all die. I am reminded of that as we prepare to go to a funeral at Pickneyville. We long to live eternally, yet we have the thought that we won't have to die. Sin tells us that we will. God's message is one of life - living in Christ each day and then, when this body fails and physical life is over, we will live eternally with Christ - in the new heaven and earth. Reflections of life eternal, overwhelmingly wonderful to think about, yet not something that we want to even consider because we are enjoying this life too much.
Reflections on health: shingles are a pain, literally. They take forever to heal. When they do, you rejoice and thank God for the relief He has given during the spell of 2 months that they decided to come and visit. Thanking him that they are receding and perhaps even disappearing, never to come back, please! Enough is enough and as Penny said, "They can even make you grumpy." Sorry for the grumpiness Penny. I didn't mean to let them get to me. Lord, thank You for giving her patience with me over these last weeks.
Reflections on: nothing else at the moment. Just reflecting the love of Christ that is poured out on me over and over again, without any merit or worthiness on my part. Thank You Lord for that love. May I reflect it today and every day.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
One Generation to the Next
Lutheran Schools Week is a great time at a Lutheran School. It is an opportunity to celebrate the blessings that a Lutheran School truly is for the lives of the children that are being taught the wonder of God's creation. Yes, we can say that it is God's creation. We don't have to teach the lies of evolution or any of the other false teachings about the origins of the universe. We can say, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." We can teach the truth that all humanity began with one man and one women, Adam and Eve.
We can teach that the reason there are such problems in this world stem from the time when Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. All mankind fell into sin when they sinned. Every human born of a man and a woman is sinful from conception (and yes, life begins at conception and all life is valuable to God and should be valuable to us). Death came into the world through the sin of those first people. All have sinned, you and me, the children we teach and the parents of the children, have sinned. No one can save themselves from eternal damnation. All are lost! Yes, we can say that. All are going to hell.
But God (we can talk about God day after day) loved the world so much that He sent His only-begotten Son into the world, born of a woman, born under the Law to redeem those under the Law - to redeem the children, to redeem you, to redeem me. He came to do what we cannot do for ourselves. He suffered and died in our stead. Jesus Christ died on the cross for us and for our salvation. Not only did He die, He also rose again on the 3rd day. He came back to life. He physically rose from the dead. That which was dead, was alive. Jesus lives! He lives even today! And we can celebrate the wonder that life gives to us. We are saved by grace through faith - faith in Jesus Christ alone.
All of that is what we can talk about day after day. That is something to celebrate. That is the wonder of a Lutheran School. I love being a pastor of a congregation that not only supports Lutheran education but makes it a priority.
Yesterday was Grands Day. It was a day when grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, special people, all came into the school, gathered with their special student and then went to chapel to celebrate the gift of life in Christ. 
We sang, heard the Word, recalled the gift of prayer that we have been given, celebrated the love of Christ with one another.
We sang, heard the Word, recalled the gift of prayer that we have been given, celebrated the love of Christ with one another.
We also saw how important it is to pass the message of love on from one generation to the next. We look upon the stories of life that we share and realized that it is just as important, perhaps even more so, that we pass on the stories of our faith. We need to support the ministry that continues to teach our children about Jesus as their Lord and Savior. If we don't, who will? The world around us won't teach them of the love of Christ. You and me, knowing Christ as our Savior, are to pass that on to the next generation - no matter what it takes.
Celebrate Lutheran Schools Week with us. It is a wonder to be a part of this special ministry. Thank God for the opportunity we have to pass on the gospel to the next generation.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
And so it begins...
"Yet even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. (Joel 2:12-13 ESV) Lent begins today with Ash Wednesday. This day begins the 40 days of reflection upon what Christ Jesus has accomplished with His Passion. He carries the sins of all mankind as He walks through this life as the sinless Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior, the Promised One to Adam and Eve in the Garden. Lent is about what He has accomplished for us and for our salvation.
Ash Wednesday reminds us of a reality that we don't like to face. The Lord says to Adam on the day he ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, "By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust and to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3:19 ESV) Death became a reality on this day. Each person, born of a sinful man and woman, is born with sin. This original sin brings us to physical death and eternal damnation. As we read, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23 ESV) We are all going to face death. We shall all be placed into a grave and will return to the very dust we came from. Try as we like, and we do try everything in our power, we will not live forever. Our bodies will fail. We will die. That is the stark reality that Ash Wednesday brings forward.
The tradition of wearing ashes on this day began in the pietistic actions of well meaning Christians. It is to remind them of the fact that they are ashes and to ashes they shall return. Some of our Lutheran churches have revived this action in the recent years. There is nothing wrong with the action as it is meant to remind each person that they are sinful and because of that sin, they are going to die.
I do not follow those who have been reviving this tradition. Why? Partly because I grew up in the Lutheran Church in the time when that was seen as Roman Catholic. And partly because I also grew up in the time when the Lutheran Church saw that as drawing attention to yourself rather than to the work of Christ. Following the Ash Wednesday Gospel it was not an action that was done. "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 6:1 ESV) "And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret." (Matthew 6:16-18 ESV)
Lent is a time for us to focus upon Christ. I believe that the use of ashes can be beneficial in the worship service to help the individual see the impact of sin upon his life but then it should end. When the person walks out of the church that day, they should wipe their forehead of the ashes and go forth forgiven in Christ. Those of the world don't need to see the ashes for it then focuses the attention on the ashes or the individual rather than Christ. That, and we are told not to be doing our actions for others to see. As Joel said in the verse that we started with, "Rend your heart and not your garments." Ashes on the forehead do not change the heart. The Gospel changes the heart. The Holy Spirit changes the heart.
Is that change seen by others? Yes. As our Lord says, "Let your light so shine before others , so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16 ESV) Your heart and life is changed, not by ashes, but by the Spirit working through Word and Sacrament. Your life is to reflect Christ in how you live, talk and treat others.
Enter into this holy season of Lent, focused upon Christ's work not yours. As you walk through Lent, let your heart be changes from one filled with sin to one filled with the love of Christ. We are not pietists. Nor are we Catholic. We are Lutheran. We can use ashes or we can not use ashes. They are a non-thing for us. On this Ash Wednesday, may the focus not be on you but on Christ. As you reflect on your death, reflect on His life. For there, you are given life.
And, so it begins. 40 days of Lent. Let's walk together and look not to ourselves but to Christ alone.
Ash Wednesday reminds us of a reality that we don't like to face. The Lord says to Adam on the day he ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, "By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust and to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3:19 ESV) Death became a reality on this day. Each person, born of a sinful man and woman, is born with sin. This original sin brings us to physical death and eternal damnation. As we read, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23 ESV) We are all going to face death. We shall all be placed into a grave and will return to the very dust we came from. Try as we like, and we do try everything in our power, we will not live forever. Our bodies will fail. We will die. That is the stark reality that Ash Wednesday brings forward.
The tradition of wearing ashes on this day began in the pietistic actions of well meaning Christians. It is to remind them of the fact that they are ashes and to ashes they shall return. Some of our Lutheran churches have revived this action in the recent years. There is nothing wrong with the action as it is meant to remind each person that they are sinful and because of that sin, they are going to die.
I do not follow those who have been reviving this tradition. Why? Partly because I grew up in the Lutheran Church in the time when that was seen as Roman Catholic. And partly because I also grew up in the time when the Lutheran Church saw that as drawing attention to yourself rather than to the work of Christ. Following the Ash Wednesday Gospel it was not an action that was done. "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 6:1 ESV) "And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret." (Matthew 6:16-18 ESV)
Lent is a time for us to focus upon Christ. I believe that the use of ashes can be beneficial in the worship service to help the individual see the impact of sin upon his life but then it should end. When the person walks out of the church that day, they should wipe their forehead of the ashes and go forth forgiven in Christ. Those of the world don't need to see the ashes for it then focuses the attention on the ashes or the individual rather than Christ. That, and we are told not to be doing our actions for others to see. As Joel said in the verse that we started with, "Rend your heart and not your garments." Ashes on the forehead do not change the heart. The Gospel changes the heart. The Holy Spirit changes the heart.
Is that change seen by others? Yes. As our Lord says, "Let your light so shine before others , so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16 ESV) Your heart and life is changed, not by ashes, but by the Spirit working through Word and Sacrament. Your life is to reflect Christ in how you live, talk and treat others.
Enter into this holy season of Lent, focused upon Christ's work not yours. As you walk through Lent, let your heart be changes from one filled with sin to one filled with the love of Christ. We are not pietists. Nor are we Catholic. We are Lutheran. We can use ashes or we can not use ashes. They are a non-thing for us. On this Ash Wednesday, may the focus not be on you but on Christ. As you reflect on your death, reflect on His life. For there, you are given life.
And, so it begins. 40 days of Lent. Let's walk together and look not to ourselves but to Christ alone.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Sausage Supper 2014
As you may have heard by now (I hope you have) the 2014 Sausage Supper at St.Paul's, Troy has been cancelled because of weather. This was not an easy decision. There are people who fall on both sides. Do you cancel? Do you not cancel? Will the weather be as bad as they say? Will it be worse? Will the forecast keep people (customers and workers) away? Will someone fall as the Supper? Will someone get hurt driving to the Supper? What is our responsibility?
The decision was not an easy one. I know that Ken Sipes talked with quite a few people who all had their opinions. I know I talked with quite a few people who had their opinions. Yet in the end, there was only two people that ended up making the decision, Ken and myself. I guess it lands on our shoulders. We held off as long as we could, hoping the forecast would get better but it didn't. So in order to cut expenses (we were already responsible for the sausage no matter what happened), we made the call. Right or wrong, it was made.
Now we wait to see what tomorrow brings. Will it be as bad as they say? Will there be 4-6 inches of snow on top of 1/10th of an inch of ice? Will there really be 2 inches of sleet mixed in with it? I am hoping the weather is bad. I would hate to have cancelled the Sausage Supper for no reason. But I still stand on the decision for the sake of safety, trying to be proactive rather than reactive.
Then the second part of the decision: Do you reschedule? Once again, there are a variety of opinions. It sounds so simple. Just pick a date, set it and go for it. And when you walk in, work for a 3 hour shift and go home, it is easy. When you come in and enjoy the wonder of a sausage dinner, the best in the area if I say so myself, it sounds easy. What isn't easy, is getting everything arranged again. It takes several months of planning to get enough workers for the supper (and we already had trouble getting some of the positions filled, especially in the kitchen for the 2nd shift. Mark Ponce was short on workers even after we had been asking for workers to come forward.) Jennifer Kesterson and Erica Sipes were working to get enough workers for the dinner room.
Folks that signed up to work had set aside time to be there on March 2nd. Many took off from work for the day and asking them to take off another day is challenging. Other events are taking place. There are a host of other reasons. In the end, the call is once again made to not reschedule, to return the canned goods, to freeze the sausage and have a Sausage Sale Day, to store the paper products for next year, and to move on.
Right decision? Wrong decision? Like all things, it will be debated. You might have a strong opinion. I am sure that you will make that known. Like the discussion the next morning after a big ball game, everyone will know what was the right thing to do at the moment. But making that call at that moment it needs to be made is not so easy.
Please be kind when you speak about the decisions that were made. Be forgiving if you think that they were the wrong decisions. Let the love of Christ be the focus of your words and you actions. Remember that all that you say and do will reflect upon St. Paul's Church and upon the message of the Gospel that is proclaimed. And it is, after all, still just a Sausage Supper and the work of the Church goes on. What is that work? To proclaim that there is only Lord and Savior and that is Jesus Christ. Salvation is found in no other name in heaven, on earth or under the earth. We praise God for this wonderful message of life and hope.
And yes, Lord willing, there will be a Sausage Supper in 2015.
The decision was not an easy one. I know that Ken Sipes talked with quite a few people who all had their opinions. I know I talked with quite a few people who had their opinions. Yet in the end, there was only two people that ended up making the decision, Ken and myself. I guess it lands on our shoulders. We held off as long as we could, hoping the forecast would get better but it didn't. So in order to cut expenses (we were already responsible for the sausage no matter what happened), we made the call. Right or wrong, it was made.
Now we wait to see what tomorrow brings. Will it be as bad as they say? Will there be 4-6 inches of snow on top of 1/10th of an inch of ice? Will there really be 2 inches of sleet mixed in with it? I am hoping the weather is bad. I would hate to have cancelled the Sausage Supper for no reason. But I still stand on the decision for the sake of safety, trying to be proactive rather than reactive.
Then the second part of the decision: Do you reschedule? Once again, there are a variety of opinions. It sounds so simple. Just pick a date, set it and go for it. And when you walk in, work for a 3 hour shift and go home, it is easy. When you come in and enjoy the wonder of a sausage dinner, the best in the area if I say so myself, it sounds easy. What isn't easy, is getting everything arranged again. It takes several months of planning to get enough workers for the supper (and we already had trouble getting some of the positions filled, especially in the kitchen for the 2nd shift. Mark Ponce was short on workers even after we had been asking for workers to come forward.) Jennifer Kesterson and Erica Sipes were working to get enough workers for the dinner room.
Folks that signed up to work had set aside time to be there on March 2nd. Many took off from work for the day and asking them to take off another day is challenging. Other events are taking place. There are a host of other reasons. In the end, the call is once again made to not reschedule, to return the canned goods, to freeze the sausage and have a Sausage Sale Day, to store the paper products for next year, and to move on.
Right decision? Wrong decision? Like all things, it will be debated. You might have a strong opinion. I am sure that you will make that known. Like the discussion the next morning after a big ball game, everyone will know what was the right thing to do at the moment. But making that call at that moment it needs to be made is not so easy.
Please be kind when you speak about the decisions that were made. Be forgiving if you think that they were the wrong decisions. Let the love of Christ be the focus of your words and you actions. Remember that all that you say and do will reflect upon St. Paul's Church and upon the message of the Gospel that is proclaimed. And it is, after all, still just a Sausage Supper and the work of the Church goes on. What is that work? To proclaim that there is only Lord and Savior and that is Jesus Christ. Salvation is found in no other name in heaven, on earth or under the earth. We praise God for this wonderful message of life and hope.
And yes, Lord willing, there will be a Sausage Supper in 2015.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Sausage...Need I Say More?
It is almost here, St. Paul's Annual Sausage Supper. This Sunday, March 2, 2014, is St. Paul's Sausage Supper, served in the Ministry Center from noon to 6:00 p.m. I have to say that I really enjoy the Sausage Supper for several reason.
First, it is because of the food. The sausage is some of the best around, which is saying a lot. I consider the Sausage Supper at Bethlehem, Ferrin, IL the best one around. When I measure Suppers, I measure it against Ferrin and let me tel you, St. Paul's is a pretty close second. I don't want you to think I am "dissing" other Sausage Suppers, because I am not. Each person probably has what they consider to be the best. This is my measurement. So if you want great sausage, good gravy, sauerkraut, beans and of course, wonderful pies, then come to Troy on Sunday and enjoy the meal.
Second, it is because of the people. I enjoy working with the folks at St. Paul's. It is good to see so many people, young and old, new members and long-time members working side-by-side, serving the people of the community. It reminds me of how the Lord wants us to be in our lives - living and working together to serve our fellow man. As you come to eat, look around at the workers and see what it means to serve the Lord with gladness.
Third, it is because I get to meet a lot of people. Penny and I serve as host/hostess at the supper. We work to help get people seated (Jennifer Kesterson and Erica Sipes are great to work with in seating folks). Being in the lobby of the Ministry Center and greeting folks from Troy, St. Jacob, Marine, Highland, Collinvsille, Bethalto, Glen Carbon, Maryville, St. Louis, Alton, Ferrin, Carlyle and a whole bunch of other towns in the area, I find it uplifting. I love to talk with folks, see who they are and where they come from. I also enjoy trying to make their day enjoyable. I hope to greet you this Sunday.
Finally, it is because I get to serve the Lord. As I serve the community, I find myself at the feet of my Lord. Each person that walks through the door is a special because the Lord sees them as special (He gave Himself for them!). So in serving them, I serve the Lord. What a privilege and what a humbling thought.
So I hope to see you Sunday at St. Paul's for the Sausage Supper. The weather is going to challenge us this year. I recommend coming during the day, not waiting till the last minute (unless the forecast changes). Bring on the sausage!
First, it is because of the food. The sausage is some of the best around, which is saying a lot. I consider the Sausage Supper at Bethlehem, Ferrin, IL the best one around. When I measure Suppers, I measure it against Ferrin and let me tel you, St. Paul's is a pretty close second. I don't want you to think I am "dissing" other Sausage Suppers, because I am not. Each person probably has what they consider to be the best. This is my measurement. So if you want great sausage, good gravy, sauerkraut, beans and of course, wonderful pies, then come to Troy on Sunday and enjoy the meal.
Second, it is because of the people. I enjoy working with the folks at St. Paul's. It is good to see so many people, young and old, new members and long-time members working side-by-side, serving the people of the community. It reminds me of how the Lord wants us to be in our lives - living and working together to serve our fellow man. As you come to eat, look around at the workers and see what it means to serve the Lord with gladness.
Third, it is because I get to meet a lot of people. Penny and I serve as host/hostess at the supper. We work to help get people seated (Jennifer Kesterson and Erica Sipes are great to work with in seating folks). Being in the lobby of the Ministry Center and greeting folks from Troy, St. Jacob, Marine, Highland, Collinvsille, Bethalto, Glen Carbon, Maryville, St. Louis, Alton, Ferrin, Carlyle and a whole bunch of other towns in the area, I find it uplifting. I love to talk with folks, see who they are and where they come from. I also enjoy trying to make their day enjoyable. I hope to greet you this Sunday.
Finally, it is because I get to serve the Lord. As I serve the community, I find myself at the feet of my Lord. Each person that walks through the door is a special because the Lord sees them as special (He gave Himself for them!). So in serving them, I serve the Lord. What a privilege and what a humbling thought.
So I hope to see you Sunday at St. Paul's for the Sausage Supper. The weather is going to challenge us this year. I recommend coming during the day, not waiting till the last minute (unless the forecast changes). Bring on the sausage!
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
When will it end?
One of our dogs, Blackie, had been a part of our family for nearly 15 years, which when Penny and I thought about it, was 1/2 of our married life. Rachael and Matthew picked him out of a litter of puppies at an auction in Carlyle, IL. We were living in Ferrin at the time. I remember being asked if they could have a puppy (we already had a golden retriever at home by the name of Goldie). They would take care of him. You know the story. And being the softy that I am at times, I said yes.
And I have to say that I am not sorry for that answer. Blackie came home with us and became a part of our family for the next 14 years. He gave us a lot of smiles, laughter, frustration and friendship. He had a bark that would go right through you (he learned that from Goldie). He loved to go for walks. He would lay in the sunshine in the middle of summer when we thought it would be too hot to lay in the sun and didn't like the cold. The snow would always cause problems with his paws but he didn't like wearing the booties that Penny bought him. He was a dog that loved his people. Matthew was close to Blackie. He had bad hips, lots of arthritis and stairs were a problem for him. It was the stairs that finally was his undoing.
On Monday of this week, he fell, tore the ligament in his back right leg and couldn't walk. Sadness hit the family. Tuesday, I took him to the vet, and the unfortunate outcome came upon us. We had to say good bye to Blackie. I know that it isn't true but I sure hope that "all dogs go to heaven," like the movie says. I imagine he is running and playing with Goldie and Missey. And perhaps even with Bart our cat that loved to tease Blackie in so many ways. Thanks for all the memories and joy Blackie. You were a good dog, a good friend and a part of our family.
I was asked the very words that are the title of today's blog. When will it end? One sad event after another. One heartache after another. A family dog for us. A family member for another. The loss is difficult, a weight that is upon the shoulders, in the heart of the one that has the loss. When will it end? When will the pains of this world end? When will people quit getting sick? When will people quit suffering? When will all of this be no more?
The only answer that we can give is when Christ returns! That is the absolute best answer that we have, and it brings joy to the heart. When Christ comes again, this heaven and this earth will pass away and He will give us the new heaven and the new earth. Out of the rottenness of this sin-filled and death-filled world, He will give us a sinless and deathless world. Eternity with the Lord will be the exact opposite of what we face today. No more pain. No more sorrow. No more cold, bitter weather and crippling snowstorms or ice storms. No more traffic jams. No more shootings, rapes, robberies. No more suffering. No more illness. No more temptation. No more sin. NO MORE DEATH!
That is the wonder of Christ's return. All this, all this frustration, anxiety, fear, suffering, tears, pain, grief, and loss will be gone. In one moment, it will be gone. And it is will be replaced by the wonder of what Christ gives to us in eternity. What will it be like? Beyond anything that we can ever imagine. And it will be great, fantastic, wonderful, amazing and however else you want to describe it.
Until then, there will be tears and sorrow. There will be loss. And Christ will take us in His arms, comfort us and heal our broken hearts. We will feel empty and Christ will offer to fill that void. Here is the real question: Will you allow Him to fill your emptiness with His love, presence and peace? Don't live in your grief and loss. I am not saying to forget. You can't. But what you can do is give it to the Lord. Too many times we hold onto the grief thinking that in that way we honor the one we have lost. We aren't. We honor them by giving up the grief to the Lord and holding onto the wonderful memories we have. Carry the memories. Carry the love. Let the Lord carry the grief.
Thank You, Lord, for Blackie. I know that You made these animals to be special to us. I appreciate it. It was a great 14 1/2 years. What do You have for us for the next years? I can't wait to see.
Monday, February 3, 2014
The Beat Goes On
Monday morning, the day after the Super Bowl has been played. One team one. One team lost. It is the same each year. One will come out on top and one will not. Neither team has anything to be ashamed of when all is said and done. Both teams made it to the Super Bowl, the highest level of performance in the football world. This year one team dominated the other. The next time they meet, it might just come out differently. One team was really "on" and the other team was "off." Doesn't change the fact that both teams played well enough during the season and the playoffs to make it to the place that no other teams made it this year. Congratulations to both teams. And congratulations to the team that won.
But what difference has that really made for the world? We have spent millions and millions of dollars for this one game. It is not just the advertisers that spent that kind of money. Think of all the money spent on chicken wings, chips, salsa and beer. Millions of dollars spent for those few hours on a Sunday evening. So much hype and push for the "big game."
All right, I almost slipped over to the "we shouldn't spend that kind of money on worthless things while so many people right here in our backyard are freezing because they don't have a warm place to stay or are starving because they don't have food to eat" direction of talk. But I know the reality. If we didn't spend the money on the ads, the food, the game tickets, the hotel rooms, etc., we wouldn't be putting that money towards helping others out of the problems of their lives. We would just find something else to spend the money on. It is like the lottery of the states - it was supposed to help finance the schools. But with the billions that are put into the lottery, you would expect that we would have the absolutely best school system in the world. But we don't. We just shift money from education to other things and our education system still suffers from a lack of funding.
I sit back and think, "If only 1/2 of that amount of that which was spent by Christians on Super Bowl festivities was spent on the mission work of the Church, think of what could happen." The local churches wouldn't struggle. The mission churches wouldn't have to pinch pennies to make ends meet. There would be more than enough to take care of the needs of the homeless, the sick, and the hungry. But I am also a realist to know that even if that happened, we sinners would find some way of messing things up once again.
So should we stop having the Super Bowl? Nope. Should we cease having the Super Bowl party? No. That isn't what I would envision. (Though I would say to stop getting drunk at these parties because that isn't the life that our Lord wants for any of us. We shouldn't overeat either, for that is just as bad.) What I would encourage is that each of us would look at how much we spent on such things (whether it is the Super Bowl, the World Series or and of the other events that we make such big deals about in our lives) and think about how little it really makes a difference in this world. Then perhaps we might stop, reflect, pray and ask the Lord to guide us to support the work of our local church or mission in the same way. Give us a heart to be so excited about our time of worship, the time we spend in Bible Study and to give as much to the work of the Lord as we do the works of man in some game.
Then perhaps we will begin to see what a difference that just might make.
But what difference has that really made for the world? We have spent millions and millions of dollars for this one game. It is not just the advertisers that spent that kind of money. Think of all the money spent on chicken wings, chips, salsa and beer. Millions of dollars spent for those few hours on a Sunday evening. So much hype and push for the "big game."
All right, I almost slipped over to the "we shouldn't spend that kind of money on worthless things while so many people right here in our backyard are freezing because they don't have a warm place to stay or are starving because they don't have food to eat" direction of talk. But I know the reality. If we didn't spend the money on the ads, the food, the game tickets, the hotel rooms, etc., we wouldn't be putting that money towards helping others out of the problems of their lives. We would just find something else to spend the money on. It is like the lottery of the states - it was supposed to help finance the schools. But with the billions that are put into the lottery, you would expect that we would have the absolutely best school system in the world. But we don't. We just shift money from education to other things and our education system still suffers from a lack of funding.
I sit back and think, "If only 1/2 of that amount of that which was spent by Christians on Super Bowl festivities was spent on the mission work of the Church, think of what could happen." The local churches wouldn't struggle. The mission churches wouldn't have to pinch pennies to make ends meet. There would be more than enough to take care of the needs of the homeless, the sick, and the hungry. But I am also a realist to know that even if that happened, we sinners would find some way of messing things up once again.
So should we stop having the Super Bowl? Nope. Should we cease having the Super Bowl party? No. That isn't what I would envision. (Though I would say to stop getting drunk at these parties because that isn't the life that our Lord wants for any of us. We shouldn't overeat either, for that is just as bad.) What I would encourage is that each of us would look at how much we spent on such things (whether it is the Super Bowl, the World Series or and of the other events that we make such big deals about in our lives) and think about how little it really makes a difference in this world. Then perhaps we might stop, reflect, pray and ask the Lord to guide us to support the work of our local church or mission in the same way. Give us a heart to be so excited about our time of worship, the time we spend in Bible Study and to give as much to the work of the Lord as we do the works of man in some game.
Then perhaps we will begin to see what a difference that just might make.
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