Prepare Ye

This is my text for my sermon on May 21, the Sixth Sunday of Easter on the Great Commission, Matthew 28.16-20. Peace be with you. Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.  When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Think about the first line of today’s lesson: When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. This passage is known as the Great Commission; it is Christ’s final command to his disciples, it echoes through time, given not just to the eleven on the mountain in Galilee, but to churches today and beyond. This passage is part of the fabric of what the Church is to do: Go therefore & make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. It is part of the liturgy of ordination and installations. This is at the top of the to do list for followers of Christ...

  This is my Pastor’s Ponderings article from our May 2017 newsletter. Don’t fear, because I am with you; don’t be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will surely help you;          I will hold you with my righteous strong hand. + Isaiah 41:10 This is not an easy article to write, nor will it be an easy one to read. I hope it leads to challenging and uncomfortable discussions, because the cost of silence it too great. I want to encourage you to think about, engage and discuss the topics of bullying and suicide. In particular, I’m encouraging you to watch the Netflix TV series, 13 Reasons Why , and/or read the book it was based on Thirteen Reasons Why . The series and the book tell the story of a young female high school student named Hannah who commits suicide, and leaves a series of tapes for the people who, in her mind, caused her to lose the sense of value for her life, and led her to commit s...

This is my sermon text for Easter Sunday, April 16. The lesson is John 20,1-18, John's telling of the Empty Tomb and First Resurrection appearance. My message focuses on the Apostle to the Apostles, Mary Magdalene, (right) depicted in an icon that might have been the inspiration for one of my recent tattoos. May God’s grace & mercy be with you forever. Amen. There is a difference between the two terms that we use to describe those who travelled with, and followed Jesus. We refer to them as disciples and as apostles. The two terms are often used interchangeably. But they shouldn’t be. They have different meanings; they describe different roles. A disciple is a student, a follower. In the Jewish culture of the time, a disciple would study and learn under the supervision of a rabbi. An apostle is someone who has been sent out to perform a duty or set of responsibilities. An apostle may have begun as a disciple and learned, but then has progressed and moved on, and ha...

This is Pastor Brian's article for the April newsletter. I will instruct you and teach you about the direction you should go. I’ll advise you and keep my eye on you . – Psalm 32.8 My favorite TV series of all time is The West Wing. When a project or effort has finished, whether it went well or went horribly wrong, President Bartlett would ask his staff, “What’s next?” The work of the Presidency never stops; it moves from one thing onto the next. We have finally completed our establishment of the ONE in Christ Lutheran Parish . It has been an effort that many of us have spent over a year on. My thanks go to everyone who helped to make it a reality. My hope and prayers are that it will serve the three churches, all of you, and the work of God well. So, what’s next? Personally, I want to get through to Easter. I’m going to take the weekend after Easter off and go to the Twin Cities to watch the Tigers play the Twins, and maybe catch a Minnesota United soccer match. I will...

This is Ananias' article from our April newsletter. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people in God’s own possession. You have become this people so that you may speak of the wonderful acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light. – 1Peter 2:9 My Big Guy told me I need to work on being more welcoming. I’m sorry to anyone who I scared or made nervous when I barked or growled at you or ran over to see who you were. I’m used to being around My Big Guy a lot, just him and me. So when somebody comes to see him, I want to make sure that they aren’t going to hurt him. So I act tough. My Big Guy said that I can trust you all, and tell you I’m not really that tough. It is an act that I put on because I’m really nervous around other people. I don’t know if you will like me, so I act tough, just in case you don’t. And if you do like me, I get so excited. I want to bounce up, even though I’m not supposed to, and my mouth gets all...

Its thy will, not mine. On loss and death, I ask why. And I wait, and trust. We are given so many blessings; love and gifts. It hurts when they go. Memories we want. A last, final hug/smile/glance, A little more time. Pain makes us forget We're promised eternity with loved ones and Love. We forget our time Is limited here on Earth. Its thy will, not mine. 3/25/2017

This is my sermon outline for our second Lenten Soupper Service, held on March 15, 2017. It is based upon the Parable of the Leaven from Luke's Gospel. Luke 13:20-21 And again (Jesus) said, “To what should I compare the kingdom of God?  It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” Jesus gives another short parable comparing the kingdom of God to yeast that leavens flour But you’re not wondering about that, you’re wondering about the shirt I'm wearing Having heard me sing, how could I wear an “LTSG Choir” sweatshirt? -- Easy, I ordered it I ordered it because, in the fashion from when I went there, the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, is closing at the end of this school year It is merging with the seminary in Philadelphia to form the United Lutheran Seminary It is a new venture which should better serve the church & its students Ordered because one of my favorite professors, ...