This week's Gospel lesson, which I will be preaching on this coming Sunday(July 31), is the story of Jesus feeding the 5000. As I study the text, it really got me to thinking about how the Lord provides for us. Today, I will begin with the catechetical answer for this from the 1st article of the Apostles' Creed in Luther's Small Catechism. (NOTE: This may be a good opportunity for those of you who have one, to dust it off and take a look at the 1st Article of the Creed and its meaning!) Then I will pose a few questions for you at the end. This week my focus will be all about how the Lord provides for us.
I think that we cannot take a look at how the Lord provides without our starting point being WHY He provides. The answer is really quite simple. He provides for us because He created us.
I beleive that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them.
That last part says it all doesn't it. He STILL takes care of them. That is true with all that God creates. Oh it may not look like it sometimes, but the bad and the ugly that we see with our eyes and experience in and around us is what sin has done to corrupt everything that God has created. This certainly does not mean that God, our Creator has stopped providing for us.
How do you recognize when and how God provides for you? Is there any times that it seems to you that God is not providing for your needs or the needs of others? What do you think about homelessness or starvation or those without sufficient clothing and the like?
Thank you for reading, and thanks be to God for all His blessings!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
On the burial of my friend and colleague Rev. Lowell Boettcher
A Christian is a person who through faith begins to pass out of this life into heaven as soon as he leaves Baptism. For him Christ is already The Way, The Truth, and The Life and does not cease to be these things til his last hour. Indeed, a Christian always proceeds on this way, led by the truth, to the goal of eternal life. [Martin Luther]
Today, I bury a friend and a colleague, Rev. Lowell Boettcher (emeritus). I have to admit that when I received the call to Peace Lutheran Church in Rapid City, SD I was intimidated--not by the size of the congregation (it was quite a bit larger than my church at that time in rural Iowa); not by the prospect of having to start over in a place I didn't know, among people I didn't know; but by the fact that this church had not one, but two retired pastors. I was foolish to fear this, as both men have been extremely helpful to me these last three years. I had to say goodbye to one of them my first year here. Today, I say goodbye to the other one.
Lowell did so many things for so many people that it will be extremely difficult to fill his shoes. You cannot replace a Lowell Boettcher. We will miss you Lowell, but those who have faith in Christ Jesus will see you again in the presence of Christ our Savior! Rest in the peace of Christ my friend!
That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou seest the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the west,
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.
In me thou seest the glowing of such fire
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the death-bed whereon it must expire,
Consum'd with that which it was nourish'd by.
This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well, which thou must leave ere long.
[William Shakespeare-Sonnet 73]
Thanks for reading and God bless you!
Today, I bury a friend and a colleague, Rev. Lowell Boettcher (emeritus). I have to admit that when I received the call to Peace Lutheran Church in Rapid City, SD I was intimidated--not by the size of the congregation (it was quite a bit larger than my church at that time in rural Iowa); not by the prospect of having to start over in a place I didn't know, among people I didn't know; but by the fact that this church had not one, but two retired pastors. I was foolish to fear this, as both men have been extremely helpful to me these last three years. I had to say goodbye to one of them my first year here. Today, I say goodbye to the other one.
Lowell did so many things for so many people that it will be extremely difficult to fill his shoes. You cannot replace a Lowell Boettcher. We will miss you Lowell, but those who have faith in Christ Jesus will see you again in the presence of Christ our Savior! Rest in the peace of Christ my friend!
That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou seest the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the west,
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.
In me thou seest the glowing of such fire
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the death-bed whereon it must expire,
Consum'd with that which it was nourish'd by.
This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well, which thou must leave ere long.
[William Shakespeare-Sonnet 73]
Thanks for reading and God bless you!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
More from Bonhoeffer: Cheap Grace vs. Costly Grace
from The Cost of Discipleship....
[Cheap Grace] "in such a church the world finds a cheap covering for its sins; no contrition is required, still less any desire to be delivered from sin. Cheap grace therefore ammounts to denial of the living Word of God, in fact, a denial of the incarnation of the Word of God. [The Word became flesh and dwelt among us-John 1:14]
Cheap grace means the justificaiton of sin without the justification of the sinner. Grace alone does everything, they say, and so everything can remain as it was before....Yet it is imperative for the Christian to...distinguish his life from the life of the world. "Instead of following Christ, let the Christian enjoy the consolations of his grace!" That is what we mean by cheap grace, the grace which ammounts to the justification of sin without the justification of the repentant sinner who departs from sin and from whom sin departs. Cheap grace is not the kind of forgiveness of sin which frees us from the toils of sin. Cheap grace is grace that we bestow on ourselves.
Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Holy Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.
[In opposition to this] costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all he has[MT 13:44] It is the pearl of great price to buy, which the merchant will sell all his goods. [MT 13:45-46] It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble [MT 18:9]; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him [MT 4:18-22].
Costly grace is the gospel, which must be sought again and again, the gift whiwch must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock [MT 7:7-8].
Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, but it is grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of His only Son. "You were bought at a price" [I COR 6:19b-20a].
The Cost of Discipleship was published in 1937. It was the most radical work of Bonhoeffer to appear during his lifetime. His concern here was not only the idolatrous nature of the Nazi state, but the deadly compromises of the so-called German Christians who substituted loyalty to the Reich for obedience to the cross.
Thanks for reading and God bless!
[Cheap Grace] "in such a church the world finds a cheap covering for its sins; no contrition is required, still less any desire to be delivered from sin. Cheap grace therefore ammounts to denial of the living Word of God, in fact, a denial of the incarnation of the Word of God. [The Word became flesh and dwelt among us-John 1:14]
Cheap grace means the justificaiton of sin without the justification of the sinner. Grace alone does everything, they say, and so everything can remain as it was before....Yet it is imperative for the Christian to...distinguish his life from the life of the world. "Instead of following Christ, let the Christian enjoy the consolations of his grace!" That is what we mean by cheap grace, the grace which ammounts to the justification of sin without the justification of the repentant sinner who departs from sin and from whom sin departs. Cheap grace is not the kind of forgiveness of sin which frees us from the toils of sin. Cheap grace is grace that we bestow on ourselves.
Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Holy Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.
[In opposition to this] costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all he has[MT 13:44] It is the pearl of great price to buy, which the merchant will sell all his goods. [MT 13:45-46] It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble [MT 18:9]; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him [MT 4:18-22].
Costly grace is the gospel, which must be sought again and again, the gift whiwch must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock [MT 7:7-8].
Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, but it is grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of His only Son. "You were bought at a price" [I COR 6:19b-20a].
The Cost of Discipleship was published in 1937. It was the most radical work of Bonhoeffer to appear during his lifetime. His concern here was not only the idolatrous nature of the Nazi state, but the deadly compromises of the so-called German Christians who substituted loyalty to the Reich for obedience to the cross.
Thanks for reading and God bless!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
A Little Bit from Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I have been reading Dietrich Bonheoffer's selected writings this week while in office transition due to installation of new carpet, new air conditioning, and a new desk. As a result of my readings, I would like to share this week some excerpts from those selected writings. In some ways I think this man was brilliant. Enjoy!
from Jesus Christ and the Essence of Christianity
Whether in our time Christ can still occupy a place where we make decisions on the deepest matters known to us, over our own life and over the life of our people, that is the question which we will consider today. Whether or not the Spirit of Christ has anything final, definitive, and decisive to say to us, that is what we want to speak about. We all know that Chirst has, in effect, been eliminated from our lives. Of course, we build Him a temple, but we live in our own houses. Christ has become a matter of the church, or, rather, of teh churchiness of a group, not a matter of life. Religion plays for the psyche of the 19th and 20th Centuries the role of so-called Sunday room into which one gladly withdraws for a couple hours only to get back to one's place of work immediately afterward. However, one thing is clear: we understand Christ only if we commit ourselves to Him in a stark "Either-Or." He did not go to the cross to ornament and embellish our lives. If we wish to have Him, then He demands the right to say something decisive about our entire life. We don't understand Him if we arrange for Him only a small compartment in our spiritual life. Rather, we understand our spiritual life only if we then orientate it to Him alone or give Him a flat "NO."
Something to think about! More from Dietrich Bonhoeffer tomorrow.
Thanks for reading, and God bless you!
from Jesus Christ and the Essence of Christianity
Whether in our time Christ can still occupy a place where we make decisions on the deepest matters known to us, over our own life and over the life of our people, that is the question which we will consider today. Whether or not the Spirit of Christ has anything final, definitive, and decisive to say to us, that is what we want to speak about. We all know that Chirst has, in effect, been eliminated from our lives. Of course, we build Him a temple, but we live in our own houses. Christ has become a matter of the church, or, rather, of teh churchiness of a group, not a matter of life. Religion plays for the psyche of the 19th and 20th Centuries the role of so-called Sunday room into which one gladly withdraws for a couple hours only to get back to one's place of work immediately afterward. However, one thing is clear: we understand Christ only if we commit ourselves to Him in a stark "Either-Or." He did not go to the cross to ornament and embellish our lives. If we wish to have Him, then He demands the right to say something decisive about our entire life. We don't understand Him if we arrange for Him only a small compartment in our spiritual life. Rather, we understand our spiritual life only if we then orientate it to Him alone or give Him a flat "NO."
Something to think about! More from Dietrich Bonhoeffer tomorrow.
Thanks for reading, and God bless you!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Priorities
You've heard the saying, "He's got his priorities all mixed up." Today's blog is all about that. What does it mean to have our priorities mixed up? Isn't it true that one person's priorities will be different than another? So wouldn't it be judgmental for one person to say that about another?
When it comes to God, looking at our priorities becomes a simple matter....or at least it should be. God comes first! There are no ifs, ands or buts about it, God should be our priority, #1, above all things.
That is what our 1st commandment states. You shall have no other gods. Period! But we all know that literally ANYTHING could become a "god" to us. Take money for example, (and truth be told, it seems to be many people's favorite in the USA); money is something that we desire, covet, devote our lives to getting as much of as we can--and in the process, sacrificing much more important things like time and family, or time with family--one could easily make the claim that we "worship the almighty dollar." That's not even to get into HOW we use our money. That's a whole other topic to be sure.
But this blog post today is not intended to be an indictment of money. After all, Scripture does NOT claim that money is evil [though many people misquote it that way!] What Scripture does say, is that the LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And that is another blog topic which I will say more about another time.
I think you can see, with only ONE example, how our priorities can get all messed up. When we devote so much time, attention, and yes, even love to one thing, and that thing is not God, we have our priorities all out of whack.
One of my favorite questions to ask when I am preaching a sermon is "I wonder what it would be like if...." So I will ask that today: I wonder what it would be like if....we actually made it our mission to put God first in our lives, and dads--to make it of utmost importance to do the same in our families, instilling that sense of importance upon your children--that they may carry it forward in their own lives, and eventually their own families.
Tomorrow I will expand on this idea.
Until then, thanks for reading and God bless!
When it comes to God, looking at our priorities becomes a simple matter....or at least it should be. God comes first! There are no ifs, ands or buts about it, God should be our priority, #1, above all things.
That is what our 1st commandment states. You shall have no other gods. Period! But we all know that literally ANYTHING could become a "god" to us. Take money for example, (and truth be told, it seems to be many people's favorite in the USA); money is something that we desire, covet, devote our lives to getting as much of as we can--and in the process, sacrificing much more important things like time and family, or time with family--one could easily make the claim that we "worship the almighty dollar." That's not even to get into HOW we use our money. That's a whole other topic to be sure.
But this blog post today is not intended to be an indictment of money. After all, Scripture does NOT claim that money is evil [though many people misquote it that way!] What Scripture does say, is that the LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And that is another blog topic which I will say more about another time.
I think you can see, with only ONE example, how our priorities can get all messed up. When we devote so much time, attention, and yes, even love to one thing, and that thing is not God, we have our priorities all out of whack.
One of my favorite questions to ask when I am preaching a sermon is "I wonder what it would be like if...." So I will ask that today: I wonder what it would be like if....we actually made it our mission to put God first in our lives, and dads--to make it of utmost importance to do the same in our families, instilling that sense of importance upon your children--that they may carry it forward in their own lives, and eventually their own families.
Tomorrow I will expand on this idea.
Until then, thanks for reading and God bless!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Returning from vacation
This blog may seem like venting, and to be fair, it probably is. I'm just having a rough morning, and I guess I should have expected it. What I mean is that it is generally quite crazy when I return from a vacation. I come back to the usual piles of mail, pages of emails, a load of phone messages to answer, and the normal work that I have to prepare and get done on any given week. Today was no different in many respects, and I was prepared for that. What I was not prepared for was that one of the phone messages was left the day I departed for vacation, asking for a letter of recommendation that week. The problem is that I was gone from the day the person left it, until 10 days later. Oops. I guess it will get to them as soon as it gets to them.
As I began drafting that letter, I hear a voice in the hallway, "Hello? (louder) HELLO?" I went out of the office to inquire as to who was shouting in the hallway at 830 in the morning. It was a technician from the company who we gave the bid to for installing our new air conditioning in the two offices. I had NO idea that he was coming to install today. Then, he proceeds to ask me all kinds of questions about the installation that I had no clue how to answer. Of course none of the trustees who set this all up were available today to answer the questions. Communication anyone????
I have a wedding on Saturday, and it is Thursday. The couple forgot I was on vacation I guess, because I am told one of them showed up the other day and got all bug-eyed when told I was on vacation, until they were told that I would be back on Wed night.
Sometimes I think that it is totally not worth going on vacation, because even just one week of being gone and out of the loop presents an enormity of issues and problems.
Then again, we pastors need time away just like any other person. I just strongly dislike coming back to what I would consider a mess!
It is at such times that I am thankful that I have peace with God in Christ Jesus His Son. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has restored our relationship with God, broken by our sin. I like what Paul has to say in Romans about all the "stuff" that happens in our lives, and how it doesn't matter in comparison with the love of God we have through Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I think I will go and meditate on the 23rd Psalm for a while to calm my troubled spirit.
Thanks for reading, and may God bring some peace and order into your stormy and chaotic days!
As I began drafting that letter, I hear a voice in the hallway, "Hello? (louder) HELLO?" I went out of the office to inquire as to who was shouting in the hallway at 830 in the morning. It was a technician from the company who we gave the bid to for installing our new air conditioning in the two offices. I had NO idea that he was coming to install today. Then, he proceeds to ask me all kinds of questions about the installation that I had no clue how to answer. Of course none of the trustees who set this all up were available today to answer the questions. Communication anyone????
I have a wedding on Saturday, and it is Thursday. The couple forgot I was on vacation I guess, because I am told one of them showed up the other day and got all bug-eyed when told I was on vacation, until they were told that I would be back on Wed night.
Sometimes I think that it is totally not worth going on vacation, because even just one week of being gone and out of the loop presents an enormity of issues and problems.
Then again, we pastors need time away just like any other person. I just strongly dislike coming back to what I would consider a mess!
It is at such times that I am thankful that I have peace with God in Christ Jesus His Son. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has restored our relationship with God, broken by our sin. I like what Paul has to say in Romans about all the "stuff" that happens in our lives, and how it doesn't matter in comparison with the love of God we have through Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I think I will go and meditate on the 23rd Psalm for a while to calm my troubled spirit.
Thanks for reading, and may God bring some peace and order into your stormy and chaotic days!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Happy Independence Day Everyone!
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.We enjoy many freedoms in our country, but often we misuse or abuse those freedoms as we do with all of God's blessings. It is my prayer that we, as a nation of people, respect the history of our nation's people and what it has taken to get and preserve those freedoms that we have long fought for. If we do not love and respect God and one another, this will prove to be impossible. With repentance and forgiveness for sins against God and one another, may we strive to live firstly according to the Word of God, and then also according to this Declaration and its Preamble.
PRAYER: MAY FREEDOM BE SEEN, NOT AS THE RIGHT TO DO AS WE PLEASE, BUT AS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLEASE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT. MAY IT EVER BE UNDERSTOOD THAT OUR LIBERTY IS UNDER GOD AND CAN BE FOUND NOWHERE ELSE. MAY OUR FAITH BE SOMETHING THAT IS NOT MERELY STAMPED UPON OUR COINS, BUT EXPRESSED IN OUR LIVES....TO THE EXTENT THAT AMERICA HONORS GOD OUR MAKER AND REDEEMER. GOD BLESS AMERICA, LAND THAT I LOVE! AMEN.
Thanks for reading and God bless you this 4th of July and always!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Sweet Land of Liberty, Of Thee I Sing
I just finished reading an historical fiction novel about Pearl Harbor and the war in the Pacific. Having been to Pearl Harbor exactly 2 years ago this week, it brought back memories to me of how haunting it was standing on the USS ARIZONA MEMORIAL, reading the names of all the men who died on Decemeber 7th, 1941. It is times like these, even more frequently now, that I think about the brave men and women who have fought bravely and defended this nation so honorably, all to protect the freedoms that we often do not even think about and sometimes take for granted.
Near the end of the book, one of the main characters, a writer by trade, had been asked to write an article about what he thought the world should look like after the war was over. The description that he gave was at the same time very accurate, and also I would say extremely far off. It neither imagined that technology would come so far, nor that terrorism would be such a threat to our nation.
We have God to thank for all the blessings that we enjoy, and for the great Nation that we call these United States. It isn't perfect, but nothing that God has given us do we ever keep the way He intended it. I suppose it would be enough for us to simply give thanks with grateful hearts for all that we enjoy on this earth and in this life. It would be a start anyway!
Thanks be to God for all that He gives, for life, for freedoms, for our nation, and especially for the faith that He provides us with in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ!
Thank you for reading, and God bless you all! Happy Independence Day weekend!
Near the end of the book, one of the main characters, a writer by trade, had been asked to write an article about what he thought the world should look like after the war was over. The description that he gave was at the same time very accurate, and also I would say extremely far off. It neither imagined that technology would come so far, nor that terrorism would be such a threat to our nation.
We have God to thank for all the blessings that we enjoy, and for the great Nation that we call these United States. It isn't perfect, but nothing that God has given us do we ever keep the way He intended it. I suppose it would be enough for us to simply give thanks with grateful hearts for all that we enjoy on this earth and in this life. It would be a start anyway!
Thanks be to God for all that He gives, for life, for freedoms, for our nation, and especially for the faith that He provides us with in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ!
Thank you for reading, and God bless you all! Happy Independence Day weekend!
Friday, July 1, 2011
The wonder of God's Creation
As I sat on some rock formations yesterday at Cave Point, on the Lake Michigan side of Door County, WI, I started singing "How Great Thou Art" in my head. What a beautiful place, which I have been to three times now, including last summer. From where I sat, I could watch my wife and children playing in the cold waves that were crashing up on the shore, on a very cool, breezy last day of June. From that spot I could also look straight out onto the horizon, panning left, then right, seeing from one corner of the world to another, seemingly. The birds were singing, the trees and plants a mixture of countless shades of green, yellows and blue local wildflowers spotting the ground. There was just enough clouds to spot the sky over the waters to make it look like someone had just painted it there. I found myself wishing I had a palatte and canvas at that moment. But someone had painted that sky....God had. This is the Day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. My mother in law thought that rain had ruined or was going to ruin the whole day. But I think it gave a little substance and flavor to our Door County outing. And in addition, I think it brought everything a little more to life.
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee, HOW GREAT THOU ART!
Lord God, thank you for your awesome creation, and help us to enjoy it as I did yesterday.
Thank you for reading, and God bless your enjoyment of His creation!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee, HOW GREAT THOU ART!
Lord God, thank you for your awesome creation, and help us to enjoy it as I did yesterday.
Thank you for reading, and God bless your enjoyment of His creation!
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