Prepare Ye

Here is my last article for my newsletter for the ONE in Christ parish. Pastor’s Ponderings Thank you for the opportunity to serve you, and to serve God in this corner of the kingdom. I hope that these churches are in a better position now than when I arrived. I have two final requests for you all, weighing in with my final two cents. You can use them or disregard them. One is on page 5, a request to continue the internet and social media work that we started. The second is about the short and long-term steps that you will be doing. In his message, Kaj Petersen writes that the first step of the call committee is to create a profile of this parish that prospective pastors will receive. Please, take your time and be honest when you work on this. Describe the church and parish that you truly are. Do not describe the church and parish you think that you are. Do not simply tweak the profile I received seven years ago this week. You...

Here is my article from the February newsletter. It will be updated as new information on giving opportunities at the ELCA Youth Gathering arise. Information on the ELCA's Global Farm Challenge is here . A pdf brochure is here . A flyer on the Blast off for Books program is here , and the Amazon wish list link is here . Information on all of the offering opportunities at the Gathering is here . Giving for the Gathering & Yourself Pastor’s Ponderings I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. – Genesis 12:2-3 On the first page of this month’s newsletter, there is an article about special giving opportunities for Lent. Starting from the bottom, we are going to ask you to participate in the 40 Days – 40 Items offering during Lent. It is a great time to get a head start on...

This is my article from the December 2017 - January 2018 Newsletter. A Few Things That Are Going On … We have several things going on in December and January. Please take time to go through the articles and calendar to see what you may want to take advantage of participating in. One of the things that I want to note is that I will be going to Houston at the end of January. I will be attending the ELCA Youth Extravaganza in Houston. This is a conference for youth and family ministries. It is a conference I attended three years ago in Detroit. It is held in the host city of the Youth Gathering in those years, and will give me an opportunity to scout the sites in Houston. It also has some sessions I am looking forward to attending. The downside is that I will not be able to be at the annual meetings for Nazareth and Our Savior’s. I plan to have everything prepared for these meetings before I leave. In preparation, Kay and I will be preparing annual reports and for th...

  This is an article I wrote for a local newspaper's Religion column. I think one of the most important verses in the entire Bible comes right after one of he most well known. In the third chapter of John’s Gospel, a leader of the Temple, Nicodemus came to see Jesus at night. Nicodemus wanted to understand what Jesus was teaching. After their discussion about how people must be born from above, Jesus explained what his mission on Earth is. 16   (Jesus said,) “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17  Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  18 Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come...

This is my Pastor’s Ponderings article for the ONE in Christ July newsletter. I have a series of little notes as we enter into July: First, I want to thank Vita Gosse and Joan Turnquist for their hard work for the two Vacation Bible Schools we sponsored this summer. Most of us don’t realize the amount of effort these two ladies put into creating this week of learning for young people. They are a blessing to our churches; please thank them for all that they do. Second , thank you for getting behind the cause of our VBS this year, Heifer Internationals Irrigation Pumps. In her article, Vita touched on a hidden benefit of these pumps. In many communities, getting water for the household is the work of girls. This means they miss school to get water for their family. Providing better irrigation has the added benefit of improving women’s education, which benefits the world. We will have a total of the donations for next month. Third, you may have noticed the newsletter submis...

B ang when the door, as a girl comes home from school with tears in her eyes and throws her backpack to the ground. Her mother comes over to her, puts her arm around her and asks what is wrong. The other children also come in, and look at the little girl and shake their heads. L ifting her daughter’s chin with her finger, the mother asks again, what is wrong. Between her sobs, the little girl says she never wants to go back to school again. When asked why, she says that everyone is mean to her and bullies her. A s they walk into another room, the mother gives her daughter a hug, and they sit down on the couch, her arm still cradling the little girl. She asks her daughter for specifics, exactly what happened to her. The little girl said everyone picks on her. C autiously, the girl begins her story. When she walks down the hall, people move away from her, like they are afraid. When she passes by, they whisper and talk about her behind her back. Some made n...

  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 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 my Pastor’s Ponderings article for the July-early August OS/Em Newsletter. I want to share some thoughts about conversations that have occurred around the tables of Council meetings and the Parish Agreement Committee (PAC) to invite you all to think about what an arrangement between Our Savior’s, Nazareth and Emmanuel could and should be. During the first meeting of the Parish Agreement Committee, we discussed one of the topics from the sample Parish Agreement template provided by the Synod. These aren’t their recommendations or suggestions, but simply decisions that need to be discussed and decided upon. One of the topics was worship. The template’s language was EITHER for each church to plan and print its own worship order and bulletin, or for the same order and bulletin to be printed and used by all churches. The Committee took time to discuss the merits of both. In all honesty, it would be less work for our secretaries and me if each church used th...

  This is my Pastor’s Ponderings article for the June-Early July OS/Em Newsletter. Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD; bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning. – Exodus 16:23 We are made to rest from time to time, by commandment, at least one day per week. Sometimes, you need to get away to rest. That’s what I did a few weeks ago when I went back to Gettysburg. I went for their Spring Academy, a week-long set of workshops for pastors and others. But most of all, I wanted to go where I could find a place of peace. One of the things I have loved about Gettysburg since my first visit is that it is a place where I can find peace and reflect upon what God is calling me to do. I was able to remember the spiritual disciplines I had while I was at the seminary. There are times that I struggle with nurturing my own soul with prayer, meditation and reading God’s...

This is my Pastor’s Ponderings from the April Messenger. I want to comment and expand on something that Ananias wrote in his article this month. He really is learning a lot from this book. I’m hoping that since he realizes all of his toys belong to me, maybe he won’t chew through them so quickly. As Ananias, and the author of Ask, Thank, Tell, Chick Lane, has pointed out, the gifts and blessings we have come from God. While they are ours to use, they are still God’s. God has given them to us to use, but they are not ours. Nor is anything. Everything comes from God and everything belongs to God. We are just given the responsibility to use them. This is a challenge for us as people, and especially as Americans. We like to think that we are self-made, that we have what we have because of hard work. To a degree that is true. We see that our hard work and extra effort allow us to do better and provide more things for our loved ones. But the abilities we have, even that motivation...

  This is my article for the February 2016 newsletters. One of the biggest news stories of the new year in Lutheran circles is that two ELCA seminaries, the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg have announced that over the next 18 months, they will work to close both schools and open a “new school of theology” for the beginning of the 2017 academic year. Discussions between Gettysburg and Philadelphia about cooperating have been ongoing for years. The structure of theological training for pastors isn’t working as it once did.  Of the eight ELCA seminaries, three have merged with Lutheran universities to make their operations more efficient. Enrollment is down across seminaries of all traditions because people struggle with balancing their call to serve God and the Church with the reality that they will spend four years pursuing their Master’s degree, and accumulating a conservative estimate...

  This is my newsletter article for Nazareth's January newsletter. I forgot to post it and Ananias' article for the same newsletter. Sorry, still getting used to this whole 3 church thing. - Pbc Saul, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” – Acts 9:6 NKJV This verse has changed my life. On one of the windows at the chapel at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, there is a picture of Saul, who has been blinded by the Risen Christ, reciting those words. Actually, it is the original King James Version, “Lord, what wouldst thou have me do?” Whenever I was trying to figure out why God wanted me to become a pastor, I would go into the chapel, and in prayer, stare at that window, and ask, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” I realized that in asking that question, and being willing to embrace the answ...

This is my newsletter article for Nazareth's January newsletter. I forgot to post it and Ananias' article for the same newsletter. Sorry, still getting used to this whole 3 church thing. - Pbc Saul, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” – Acts 9:6 NKJV This verse has changed my life. On one of the windows at the chapel at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, there is a picture of Saul, who has been blinded by the Risen Christ, reciting those words. Actually, it is the original King James Version, “Lord, what wouldst thou have me do?” Whenever I was trying to figure out why God wanted me to become a pastor, I would go into the chapel, and in prayer, stare at that window, and ask, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” I realized that in asking that question, and being willing to embrace the answer was a big scary step. But I felt free...

Since Ananias reminded you to get your pictures taken for the new directory, let me write about some other things. I found this photo online last year, and have saved it to give you an idea of an Alternative Advent. One that you can still enjoy, but one focused on giving back, and not getting gifts. While spending time with family and loved ones can be hectic, those are the memories that last, not the gifts. Except for fruitcake and ugly ties and sweaters, those last forever. Focus on being present and giving the gift of yourself rather than on presents and gifts. Find times and ways to give back to those who have given to you, or to those who have nothing to give. Take time to celebrate one another and the love you have for each other. Share God’s love with others. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas, Pastor Brian

Pastor’s Ponderings   If Joshua gave the Israelites rest, God wouldn’t have spoken about another day later on. So you see that a Sabbath rest is left open for God’s people. The one who entered God’s rest also rested from his works, just as God rested from his own. Therefore, let’s make every effort to enter that rest so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience. – Hebrews 4.8-11 (CEB) After the Sowing Seeds meeting where we concluded the best way to provide pastoral care to Nazareth was for me to lead worship at three churches each Sunday, many people have asked me if I feel up to doing it. I’ve been asked if I can physically handle three services. I appreciate your concern, and am asking for your help. Leading worship services is draining, both physically & emotionally. It will be easier for me to do if I am in better shape. I am going to work on that. I need to improve my diet. I need to work at not being a stress eater. I need to exercis...

from the mid-August edition of The Messenger. Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe. – Hebrews 12:28 I want to refocus my efforts here, and what I am called to do. I want to focus on building and growing disciples of Jesus Christ. I need your help. This isn’t to say that I haven’t been doing this, or at least trying; but this is an intentional dedication to this effort. A disciple is someone who learns from, and follows someone. So to be a disciple of Jesus Christ means to learn from his life, death and resurrection, and to follow what he taught. We are all called to be disciples. The things we promise to do in our baptism and affirmation of baptism are the duties of disciples. If we are going to build and grow disciples, I need many of you to know that you need to do more. You need to come to church more often. I know you are busy. I know you have a lot of ...