Prepare Ye

This is an article I wrote for a local newspaper for a column by local pastors. I feel that I must address the protest by white nationalists, white supremacists and Nazis in Charlottesville, Virginia this past weekend. They began on Friday night by surrounding a church where clergy and community leaders gathered in prayer before preparing to be a counter-protest the next day. Outside of the church, the crowd chanted Nazi slogans and threatened violence. On Saturday, clergy and members of their church gathered in the park where the protest was to go, and sang hymns. The protesters came because a statue of a Confederate general was being removed. The community had decided that it was a symbol of hate and division, and should come down. After their rally, many of the white supremacists used the clubs and shields they brought with them to beat on those who came out to speak against their protest. One extremist drove his car into a group of other cars, killing ...

  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 December 2016 Newsletter. Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. – Luke 2:10-11 CEB Now that I have your attention, let me explain. As part of the “War on Christmas,” people have been pushing back on the use of the term “X-Mas.” They want to put the “Christ back in Christmas.” If you have been one of those people, you’ve been fighting the wrong fight. I don’t have a problem using, writing or saying X-Mas. That is because, unlike Algebra class, the X is not unknown. The X in X-Mas is Christ. The reason is that X is the Greek letter CHI, the first letter in the title Christ (χριστὸς). The second letter, the one that looks like a “p” is actually RHO, and has the sound of the letter “R.” It is an ancient way for people to identify themselves as Christians, combining the letters CHI and RHO. It is where we get...

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...

This is my article for the Owen-Withee Enterprise newspaper for their Christmas edition. It is also the centerpiece for the sermons that I gave at various assisted living and nursing home centers in the weeks before Christmas. A Charlie Brown Christmas is my favorite show about Christmas, and I think it helps to explain God’s love for us. For me, the best symbol of that love is Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree. The tree is just sad. It is one droopy branch that can barely support a single red ball. It doesn’t compare to the other beautiful trees, especially the ones in your homes. But that is why I love it. Because it symbolizes how Christ came to us. Jesus was born to a poor teenage girl and her new husband. They could not find anyplace to stay in Bethlehem, so the stayed with the animals. When the baby was born, his first blanket were strips of rags. His first cradle was a feeding trough. The angels were so excited about the birth of the Messiah, the Savior, that they had t...

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...