Pastor's Reflections
Each month, one of Lord of Life's pastors shares a reflection on the front page of our congregational newsletter. Sometimes funny, sometimes poignant... always relevant.
I’m back. And glad to be!
But I’m not the same. And as I shared on February 14th in my sermon, neither are you. God has been at work in, through and around us. We have been blessed by experiences of God’s grace, and we are changed by them.
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Bagger Vance said
"God is happiest when his children are at play." Throughout September we focused on the 3rd commandment; "Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy." I heard from so many of you about how rewarding, but challenging, the faithful conversation was.
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I attended
churchwide assembly August 17-23 in Minneapolis as a registered visitor. That means you get a nametag and a seat way in the back (Jeff Ramm and Linda Douce also went). It was a long drive, but I'm glad I went. There are some images that will stick with me forever:
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The future can fill us with fear. Even knowing the holy history of God’s goodness, the uncertainty of the future often incites anxiety. August in particular, a month of looking forward, can be stressful.
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A funny thing happened when we went to worship in San Diego last month. The first Sunday we gathered with the community at Christ Lutheran Church in Mission Beach. It was a genuinely welcoming, vibrant, Lutheran worship experience.
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It's not usually flattering to call someone a "sponge." It connotes "mooch" or "parasite." But there is an amazing fiscal stewardship message in the sponge.
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We do a very good job of talking about money in this congregation. We’ve been blessed with strong office and financial staff. We have good boundaries; we provide frequent and transparent reporting. We do a decent job of teaching biblical financial principles (10-10-80). We understand financial stewardship to be discipleship, not organizational fund raising. These are tough economic times, but God is doing a good thing among us! Thank you for continuing to give generously to God through the ministry of this church.
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March has often been described as coming “in like a lion and out like a lamb.” That’s a weather reference ... from blustery winter to early spring. But it may have a spiritual dimension for you this year as well.
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I’ve sung it; I mean really sung it. But never in a Lutheran Church. It’s in our old green book (
LBW 562) and in the new red one (
ELW 841). Of course it’s in our African American Supplement This Far by Faith (
TFBF 296). My assigned congregation while in seminary was Shiloh Baptist on the near north side. And I learned to sing it there. In fact, I learned to sing there. From the heart, to God.
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As one year wraps up, albeit amidst the self induced holiday rush, I hope you’ll be able to reflect a little. Is there really ever a better time to arise early for devotions, to light a candle, to sit quietly by the tree?
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