Worship Duties: Reader

A couple of weeks ago we went over instructions for helping out with worship duties like Communion Assisting and Greeting.  Today we're going to look at being a Reader for worship.

In many ways this is the easiest ministry of all.  In fact the hardest part for most folks is simply deciding to do it.  Getting up in front of people can be nerve-wracking for some.  Things to remember:

1.  All you have to do is read.  You don't have to make up a Shakespearean Sonnet on the spot up there.  Everything is written down for you.

2.  Everyone is rooting for you.  I've not heard a person yet sniff, "Well, THAT reader ruined the service for me!"  We're all in this together and people love it when you give them the gift of sharing the Word in this way.

3.  We've all made mistakes up there.  I have.  Everybody who has ever read has as well.  Mistakes don't matter.  Having someone to share God's Word matters.

Having the readings beforehand can help you prepare.  Blank bulletins are kept in a box in the kitchen by the copy machine.  You can find them there or you can always ask me or Phyllis.

People often ask how to pronounce tricky names.  There are a few odd places and people in the Bible and they do show up in readings from time to time!  I can tell you, but the better solution is just to pronounce them however.  Nobody who lived in that hard-to-pronounce city is going to come bursting through the doors and say, "That's WRONG!!!"  In most cases the hesitation while you fish around for the "correct" pronunciation is more awkward than just going ahead and saying it however.  Nobody will notice the difference between "Beth-sai-ee-da" and "Beth-say-da".  Everybody will notice when you pause and think, "Oh no!  What did Pastor Dave say again?!?"

With those things out of the way, here's how to do it:

• Make sure you have a bulletin and have at least skimmed through the readings.
• Walk up to the lectern at the appropriate time and make sure the microphone is properly placed 3-4 inches from your lips and pointing at them.  Too high is bad.  Too low is bad.  Either of those plus too far away is really bad.  The microphone is your friend.  Use it.
• Begin the first and second readings with, "The first/second reading comes from the book of [insert name here], chapter [insert number here]."  You can also say the verses but it's not required, especially when the reading is split between several.  "The first reading comes from the third chapter of Isaiah" is much easier on the ears than "The first reading comes from Isaiah, Chapter 3, verse 16-24 and 39-48b."
• Begin the psalm with, "We will now read responsively from Psalm [number], found in your bulletin."
• It's appropriate to finish the second reading with, "Here end the readings" or some similar phrase.  You can also say that after the first reading and psalm but in my experience, most people know that.  Saying it after the second reading provides a nice mental break point in the service.

And that's it!  Pre-read your readings at least once, come up when it's time, USE THE MIC, and introduce each reading properly.  Easy enough.

We always need readers, so be sure and sign up on the worship help sheet!

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

Reminder: Theology on Tap Changes Times!

Reminder:  Due to scheduling conflicts Theology on Tap will now be at 6:00 p.m. this Sunday.  It's still at Phyllis Kanikkeberg's house.

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

The Significance of Space

Yesterday we talked about the power influence of music in setting the mood for worship and opening our hearts.  Today I want to look at another important influence on ministry:  physical space.  Most people don't realize it, but the space you're in affects the quality of experience that you'll have, conveying messages that work for or against the desired result.

Let's start with an obvious space:  our sanctuary.  Some of the most powerful things we've done to define the seasons of Advent and Lent this year involved nothing more than a change in physical space.  Recall the lights during Advent, the baptismal font being moved to the center of the aisle, the nativity scene progressing forward with each Sunday, artwork appearing on the wall.  You'll not forget communion in the round anytime soon either, I'll wager.  The same service done in a slightly different physical way gave a whole new spirit to the proceedings.  So, too, with Lent.  No doubt you've noticed the purple curtains draping the windows and the cross at the center of the aisle.  In both seasons the pulpit has been stored elsewhere, opening up the altar space, affording a clear connection between congregation, pastor, and the altar symbols.

But space considerations go far beyond decoration.  Size of room and physical proximity matter as well.  For example, a couple weeks ago we had around 68 people in Sunday morning worship...not our largest crowd but that's still a bunch of people.  What did 68 people feel like in St. John's?  Empty.  You look across the pews and people are scattered.  About 1/3 of the congregation can't be seen because their heads are too short to peek above the pews and/or they're in the cry room.  We had great music that day and a pretty good sermon.  It all felt flat, not because of the quality of the material but because everybody out there was feeling like they were alone, separated from everybody else, in an empty building. Take those same 68 people and put them in the Valley church and what do you have?  A throng!  The space is smaller, people are closer, and 68 feels like 100.  Do the same service out there and "flat" becomes "enthusiastic" and "uplifting".  If, on the other hand, you take 100 people--about what you'd need to feel full at St. John's--and stick them in the Valley you start hearing "uncomfortable" and "too crowded".  The people haven't changed.  The space affects the energy and tone that much!

We get the same thing every time I teach confirmation after worship.  Because the Fellowship Hall is being used for fellowship we have to begin in one of the back rooms.  They're small, cramped, dark.  The first 15 minutes of every class I have to spend amping up energy.  If I don't come out on fire in that room I've lost them.  They're just going to stare blankly and doodle, like the weight of the world is leaning on their shoulders...no energy at all.  After everybody else leaves we take a break and then re-assemble in the Fellowship Hall.  It's bright, it's open, and all of a sudden people are cheery and enthusiastic again.  If I'm going to have a deep discussion I need to save it for the second half of class so we can do it in the light with willing participants instead of pulling teeth in the dark with a bunch of kids huddled around a table pinned in by walls.

On the other hand that same Fellowship Hall is ill-suited for small-group meetings like our recently-completed Marriage Care group.  In a group about intimate discussion and baring souls you need to feel some level of security, comfort.  That space is too big for those purposes.  You have to move tables to even get chairs in an open circle, a necessity for discussion.  Now you've got 6-8 people in a weird circle of chairs at the corner of a big room with a mass of empty space around, multiple entrances to the room, anyone able to walk in...in fact mandated to walk in if they want to access the building.  You have to really, really build trust in order to work up conversation...not because the people aren't willing but because the physical space gives no assurance.

The same thing happens in Women's Bible Study every Wednesday.  We need, at minimum, two full tables of ladies to even begin to occupy that space.  Anything less and it feels like we're a drop of humanity in a gulf of emptiness.  If you come in on a Wednesday where two or three tables of ladies are present you'll find them carrying much of the discussion during Bible Study.  If you come in when there are less than two tables' worth you'll find me having to talk constantly to fill the space and keep the energy up.  Same ladies, same Bible, different sense of space.  The latter makes all the difference.

Next time you enter one of our church rooms in either building, everything from the sanctuaries on down to the restrooms, ask what message the physical space is sending you.  Notice what qualities your space gives to the proceedings and what qualities it lacks or takes away.  Next time you see a meeting or worship or other gathering going really well or poorly--you feel an abundance of energy and Spirit or lack it--take a quick look around and ask whether the physical space is working with your gathering or against it.  You'd be surprised how much difference it makes.

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

In Praise of Musicians

If you've been with us through Lenten services I think you'll agree that the definitive feature of the season has been the music we've been blessed with.  I stand in awe of what our musicians have been able to accomplish.

People don't often realize it, but a ton of subtle things go into worship.  The physical dimensions of the space you're in matter.  The number of people filling that space matter.  The candles, colors, curtains, light, all of those matter.

Among all the things that enhance our worship experience, I'm hard-pressed to think of one with such positive potential as music.  The right song or hymn can set the mood, reinforce the message, transform an ordinary service into extraordinary.  Each Sunday we hope and pray that our hearts will be open as the Spirit comes among us.  Nothing opens those hearts as effortlessly as music does.  I could speak for half an hour about being prepared to hear the Word and that wouldn't have the same effect as one well-chosen song.

Anyone who has heard Jennifer Parkins sing during this Lenten season will agree with me, I'm sure.  I've been floored every time.  But that's just the tip of the iceberg.  Our children's choir...you can't see it but there have been 15-16 kids up in the balcony most of the time, like their own little section of our congregation.  Those voices have pulled us beyond the ordinary.  Phyllis Kanikkeberg and John Marone have added to the chorus, plus Emmy Parkins and a few others, all gifting us with their message.  Who could help but marvel at the ease with which Louise Marone switches from instrument to instrument, style to style, as we've asked of her.  That's not easy, you know!  Mary Stout as well...I'm in awe every time I hear her play because she's so sensitive in interpreting the pieces she does.  Patrick Adams has coordinated it all and jumped in on any instrument necessary, plus he chose a lot of this music personally.  True story:  I had no idea what this season was going to be about less than a week before it began.  Then I heard Patrick's choice of music and I understood that I didn't have to worry about it.  The songs would define the season.  All I had to do was pick up on their riff.

I can't even tell you what a gift that is.  Credit goes to the church too, for being willing to take chances and incorporate different styles of music and musicians.  I'm not sure that "People Get Ready" has ever been sung to inaugurate Lent at any church ever.  But how perfect was it...this announcement of change and struggle and anticipation?  It reminds me once again that we are blessed to say "YES!" here and what amazing fruits of God's Spirit we receive because we have the courage to do so.

Thank you to all the people who have shaped, practiced, and performed our music during this season.  And in that vein, you do NOT want to miss Easter!  Those who were here on Transfiguration Sunday (and remember the excellent music then) will note that the hymn selections are basically the same with a couple surprises thrown in, bookending our experience from mountaintop to mountaintop.  Hearing all those voices join in will be an incredible experience.

Take a minute to offer a prayer of gratitude for our musicians at church.  It's one of the most vibrant parts of our ministry and one of the most impactful as well.

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

An Amazing 10 Days

We're about to have an amazing ten-day stretch at church!  Frankly it took until today for everything to take shape but my goodness, I'm excited about what we have in store for everybody.  Here's the rundown:

Wednesday Night--Final Lenten Evening Service, 6:00 p.m. Supper and 7:00 p.m. Worship at the Valley

These have been very well attended this year.  The speakers and their stories have been marvelous.  This Wednesday will be no exception.  Even if you haven't been to one yet, you won't want to miss the beautiful music and faith-filled story that night.

Saturday Night--Theology on Tap at Phyllis Kanikkeberg's  7:00 p.m.


Anyone who has attended a Theology on Tap knows how incredible the experience is.  If you haven't, you should get in on this one.  It's our next-to-last before summer starts.  The topic will be great:  bring those things that have honestly confused you or been stumbling blocks in your faith and understanding of God.  Church teachings, common conceptions, things the Bible says...we'll look at anything people are struggling with.  The environment is so warm and welcome at these meetings.  Come and see!

Sunday Morning--Palm Sunday at St. John's, 10:00 a.m.


Normally Palm Sunday is an odd duck.  It's not Easter but it doesn't feel like Lent either.  The 'tweener Sunday gets lost in the shuffle.  Not this year, though!  This year we have an IDEAL and IMPORTANT message to go with the Palm Sunday texts, a message that every person in our community of faith needs to hear.  It's about who we are, where we're going, what we need to do.  It's a big deal, making this Sunday distinct this year.  Be there!

Thursday, April 5th--Maundy Thursday 6:30 p.m. Worship at the Valley


This year we're doing a meal for Maundy Thursday, commemorating the Last Supper and Jesus washing the feet of his disciples.  (Don't worry, eating is mandatory but foot-washing is optional!)  We're going to have a simple but delicious supper together, like the disciples would have.  You'll hear a little about Passover, the feast they were celebrating.  You'll hear about the meal Jesus shared with his followers.  It's not a drama but it will be dramatic in a way, reverently setting the stage for Good Friday and the crucifixion story.  Oh, and did we mention you get to eat???

Note the half-hour early start on Thursday.  It's 6:30 p.m., not 7:00.  If you'd like to do something special for the day/season, you could fast that day until the meal.  It'll be light, but delicious.  The absence of food before will make it taste even more delicious.

Friday, April 6th--Good Friday 7:00 p.m. Worship at the Valley


Good Friday worship this year will be an actual service, as opposed to the dramatic presentations which we've had the last couple of years.  There will still be drama of a sort, it'll just be enfolded into worship.  Of all the services of the church year, Good Friday is the most solemn.  It's also one of the most important, especially if you want to understand the true joy of Easter and the true miracle God wrought for us.

Sunday, April 8th--Easter Worship 10:00 a.m. at St. John's


This is the glorious morning!  And oh, what plans we have for you and everyone who comes!  I'm not going to spill them here.  I'll just say that you'll be lifted and blessed by this service.


If you were ever thinking of inviting friends, family, or whomever to get to know us, ANY of these events would be great chances.  I cannot think of so much spirit or power packed into such a short space of time.  This is going to be quite a ride, a fitting conclusion to our journey of Lent.  You're going to come out the other end feeling different and looking at the world differently...providing you participate, of course.  It'll be worth it, and then some!

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

Monday Morning Sermon: Praising Him

Our sermon text this 5th Sunday in Lent came from Isaiah 12: 1-6.

 1 In that day you will say:
   “I will praise you, LORD.
   Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
   and you have comforted me.
2 Surely God is my salvation;
   I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense;
   he has become my salvation.”
3 With joy you will draw water
   from the wells of salvation.
 4 In that day you will say:
   “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name;
   make known among the nations what he has done,
   and proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things;
   let this be known to all the world.
6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
   for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

It seems odd to hear "Shout aloud and sing for joy" during Lent.  This is the somber season with purple and self-reflection and giving up stuff.  Isn't this kind of thing, like, against The Rules or something?

Well, we have walked the somber path of Lent, hearing stories of personal trials and growth, talking about the place of suffering and self-denial in our faith.  But as we near the season's end we must remember what it's all pointing to.  We're not walking in circles here, we're going somewhere!  The Lenten path leads to the cross.  We need to embrace/explore the role of suffering in our relationship with God in order to understand that.  But the cross itself leads to salvation.  It's not an ending point but a new beginning.

The chemical reaction of the cross is pretty simple.  Take our suffering, sin, and imperfection, mix thoroughly with God, and watch them turn into hope, faith, and salvation.

Lent allows us to be honest about the material we bring to the experiment.  So many times we try to find God by denying imperfection.  "Everything will be OK" and "Be good for Jesus" are common platitudes among Christians.  Lent helps us see that everything is not OK.  People make mistakes.  People suffer through no fault of their own.  In the end people pass away like dust, blown to the wind.  We find that message uncomfortable.  We try to distract ourselves from it. Lent slows us down, calms us down, brings us eye to eye with mortality in all its glory and shame.

But the second part of the reaction--the part that happens upon mixing with God--is the real point.  If we leave that out we're left with our imperfection, either despairing of it or glorying in it as if it were a badge of independence.  Once we have our mortality firmly in hand we bring it to the cross where God does the mixing.  Three days later it's transformed into immortal goodness and with it our somber laments transformed into unbridled joy.

The author of Isaiah 12 knows his imperfections.  In the very first verse of the chapter he says he knows God has been angry with him.  But that's not the end of the story.  Before he can even finish the sentence he's moved into "your anger has turned away and you have comforted me".  He knows what God is about.  He knows this story has a great ending.

Like Isaiah, we end our Lenten journey honestly bearing our burdens--now on the last steps of their journey until they're relieved--and honestly praising at the same time.  This is the best miracle God ever devised:  even our lowest and most fearful moments only end up bringing us closer to him in the end.  The more we're carrying the more we have reason to shout in joy and determination as the cross appears over the horizon.  We're not lifting praise because our burdens are good or because the cross itself is good.  We're not praising because we expect this to be a wonderful time.  Both Jesus and we will shed tears before it's done.  We're shouting for joy because healing is at hand and we know now how much we need it.  We're shouting for joy because after this cross comes something unbelievably wonderful that we never could have experienced without God loving us.

I said in the sermon that this Sunday was the moment on top of the roller coaster hill.  We've just been through weeks of "click, click, click" getting pulled up the slope of Lent.  Now we're perched, still, full of trepidation wondering how these next few moments will feel.  In a second we'll feel a lurch and the drop will start.  At first we're going to white-knuckle the handrail as we pick up speed, repeating to ourselves as Isaiah does: "I will trust and not be afraid."  At some point, though, there's no response but to throw up your hands and scream it out, "WHOOOOOOOO!!!  I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!!!  WOW!"

Welcome to the ride of Palm/Passion Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter.  I hope you find joy in the trip.

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

GLP Pipers First Session April 15th

Pipes for the GLP Pipers have been ordered and are on the way. Six penny whistles in the key of C will arrive in time for our first session after church on April 15th.

Road Trip

Before we get into the story here, a reminder that Soup Supper and Lenten Evening Services are tonight at 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. respectively.  We've been hearing wonderful stories from our church family folks throughout Lent at these services and tonight's will be no exception.  If you're missing them, you're missing something.

Now, providing weather permits I will be departing immediately after this evening's service, taking a brief road trip to Portland.  The occasion is a special Trail Blazers game.  It's not special because of the opponent or because of how well the Blazers are playing.  Instead it'll be a special night for a few kids.

Almost everybody knows by now that I also write a blog about the Trail Blazers that gets a fair amount of attention.  Five years ago the site was getting big enough that we figured we should hold a get-together.  So I arranged for a block of tickets at a game to be reserved for purchase by our readers.  We sold several dozen and were looking forward to getting together at the arena, getting acquainted.

That's when I got an e-mail from a reader.  He had purchased a couple tickets in our section but it turned out he couldn't go.  He said he'd send them to me.  He figured I might know somebody who could use them...a poor college student or something.  I really didn't, but I figured I could find somebody.  So I put up a notice on the blog, saying we had a couple extra tickets to give to somebody who needed them.  I got a wonderful e-mail from a guy named Dan.  He said he worked with underprivileged kids.  They knew all about the Blazers, of course.  Several of them were fans.  (Keep in mind this was just after the Brandon Roy-LaMarcus Aldridge draft, so the Blazers had hit big in the local community again, especially among youngsters.)  He said he knew I must have several requests already, but it would mean a lot to one of these kids to be able to go.

I read his letter and called him up.  We talked for a while and he explained the work he did through an area church.  I asked him how many kids he worked with who fit the description he had given.  He said 16 or so.  I told him I wasn't assigning the tickets yet and asked him to hold on.  Then I went back to the blog.  I explained this guy's situation and request.  I said I was going to give him the tickets but noted that several seats in our block remained unsold.  I wondered if we couldn't surprise him by donating enough tickets to send all his kids plus a couple chaperons.  We needed 18 tickets to accomplish that.

We got 46.

A couple days later I called up Dan and gave him the good news.  We weren't sending a kid, we were sending all his kids plus a couple adults.  I asked if he knew any more children in need because we had about triple the number of tickets we had asked for.  He didn't right away but he said he'd call and check.  Through his network among schools and social agencies he collected enough kids and adults and our very first site get-together included 60-odd readers and 46 wide-eyed and enthusiastic kids who couldn't believe they were actually at a real Blazers game.

The stories we got back from that night were incredible.  Teachers told us how their students--hard and mistrusting and many of them dead silent all year--all of a sudden began to talk to them about the Blazers.  We saw again and again how the weariness of lives we couldn't even begin to imagine--lives that made these kids grow up far too quickly--melted away when they walked into that huge arena, heard the music, saw the court.  For one night they got to be kids again.  It was a side that many of the people who worked with them said they had never seen before.  We were rewarded 100 times over for the effort.

That's how our blog's night at the Rose Garden started.  We kept the tradition through the years.  Dan became our official ticket coordinator, managing requests and distributing our tickets.  As the years went by we saw a curious thing happening.  Everybody gave up going themselves in favor of buying tickets for kids.  We'd announce which night the event was for the year and ask people to write us if they worked with children who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford a game.  Those e-mails would come in, wondering what they had to do to get tickets for their students.  When we told them, "Nothing, we just give them to you," they were somewhat disbelieving.  Then they'd ask how many of their kids could go.  We'd reply with, "How many you got?"  They'd say 5 or 15 or 23 and we'd tell them that we'd send them all.  You could hear the jaws drop.  When we said we'd send chaperons for free too because they deserved it for their hard work, people would come near to crying.  And we always have...as many as ask, we send.  As far as I know, we've not turned away a single request.

On Thursday night 705 kids and their chaperons will attend the Portland Trail Blazers game against the Memphis Grizzlies.  For almost all of those kids this will be the first and only time they'll get to go...their chance to be normal and have fun like everybody else.  Of course everybody at the site is delighted to be able to do this.  They're already asking if we can reserve 1000 tickets for next year.  We just might.

In any case, as long as the snow doesn't destroy my chances at driving, I'm heading out tonight at 7:30 and driving to Portland so I can be there at the game tomorrow.  I'll drive back on Friday, so I won't be gone long.  But it should be a fun time.

It just goes to show you that ministry can happen in the most unexpected ways and places.  And people want to be involved in loving their neighbor like we always talk about.  If you give them the chance, you might be surprised what happens.

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

Early Warning: Palm Sunday

Just a note to let everybody know that both Palm Sunday and Easter are going to be watershed moments for our church this year.  Easter will be about music and celebration...showing who we are.  We have a surprise or two in store!  Palm Sunday will be the beginning of charting our new course forward together.  We're going to talk about some things in the sermon that will be vital to our future.  I hope you already have your calendars marked but in case you don't, you should!

We're getting great attendance on Wednesday Nights but our Sunday attendance was down to 60 or so last week, including kids.  That's not horrible but it looks sparse in the massive sanctuary of St. John's.  People are busy but do remember your participation in worship uplifts us all.  It's important!

Also Theology on Tap folks, don't forget that we're meeting March 31st instead of the week following, due to Easter.  We'll be back at Phyllis Kanikkeberg's place this time!

Last thing:  I've run out of e-mail questions to answer here on the blog!  If you have a question about God, church, the Bible, faith, or life in general that we can chew over, send it to me.  I've got a neat series in mind about the most vexing misconceptions about faith but it's rather involved so I need to wait until after Easter to start it.  Anything you have now would help get us through!

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

Monday Morning Sermon: Strength to Do What Is Needful

This Sunday's sermon covered the text from 1 Kings 3: 3-15.  I don't want to obscure the important announcements below so I'm putting this whole post after the break.

Click through to read this text and the things we drew from it!

Shelter Wist List

Our parish is collecting donations for Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse. They are presently accepting only the following items:

New and unopened:
Toiletries (no sample sizes please)
Non-perishable food items
Feminine hygiene products
Women's and children's underwear and socks (all sizes)
Women's sports bras (all sizes)

New and unused:
Paper goods and cleaning products
Baby supplies: diapers, wipes, pull-ups, etc.

New or gently used:
Good quality children's snow gear (gloves, hats, scarves, etc.)
Good quality women's and children's pajamas (all sizes)
Small, clean household items
Arts and crafts supplies

Other:
Gift cards (movies, hair salon, gas vouchers, calling cards)
Activity passes (Zeppoz bowling, Palouse Discovery Science Center, seasonal activities)

Susan Rigg is coordinating the collection through March 25th.

Join the GLP Pipers

Several people have expressed an interest in learning to play the Penny Whistle so I would like to form the GLP Pipers. The goal will be to learn to play Canticle of the Turning. I will provide Penny Whistles (in the key of C) for those who don't have one already. If you want to join the GLP Pipers talk with me after church.

Announcements

I just spent all evening writing about the Trail Blazers making two trades, waiving the former top pick in the draft, and firing their coach all in the same day.  The church blog gets the short end of the stick tonight!  But keep in mind these important announcements:

• St. Paddy's Day dinner at the Parkins' at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday.
• We have people to plan the Spring Tea now but we're still looking for folks to help us plan a late June congregational campout.
• Theology on Tap will move to the LAST Saturday of March and April instead of the first Saturdays of April and May to avoid scheduling conflicts.  The next Theology on Tap is March 31st at Phyllis Kanikkeberg's house.  The topic is all the things you don't understand about God, religion, the Bible, and the like...things that have been stumbling blocks to you.  Bring 'em, share 'em.
• The next Quarterly Meeting is April 22nd after worship.  Mark your calendars early.
• The next High School movie and dinner is Sunday the 25th at 4:00 at the parsonage.

Now I'm going to sleep!

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

Bible Study Reflections: Sins Like Mist

As we continue our study of Isaiah on Wednesday mornings the Women's Bible Study happened upon the following passages from Chapter 44:

 21 “Remember these things, Jacob,
   for you, Israel, are my servant.
I have made you, you are my servant;
   Israel, I will not forget you.
22 I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
   your sins like the morning mist.
Return to me,
   for I have redeemed you.”
 23 Sing for joy, you heavens, for the LORD has done this;
   shout aloud, you earth beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,
   you forests and all your trees,
for the LORD has redeemed Jacob,
   he displays his glory in Israel.

The interesting passage for us was Verse 22, speaking of a God who redeems his people by turning their sins into insubstantial mist, melted away by the burning sun of his presence.  We give so much power to sin in our lives.  We let people offend us, make us feel angry and slighted.  Most of our lives would be far better right now if we went home to our spouses, siblings, children, or parents and said, "Your sins are like mist to me, insubstantial and blown away.  It's time to treat each other like the redeemed people we are."  This is also true of strangers in our lives.  Why do we view people with suspicion first, acceptance only after they've proven themselves to us?  We understand that everybody has flaws and failures.  But why should we be defined by those when there's so much good to be unearthed beneath them?  We should be clearing the mist, not adding to it!

Be careful how much power and weight you give to sin in your life.  Be careful how much you let it define your relationships and how much you make decisions based on it.  When we view our lives through the mist of sin by definition our vision will be unclear.  It'll also be quite temporary, as God is still in the business of redeeming his people.  Sing for joy in your relationships.  Burst into song at the goodness you find in the world.  Your life and the lives of the people around you will be much better for it.

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

Our First New Social Event!

Just a reminder that our first new-style social event happens this Sunday at the Parkins residence!  Jennifer and Rich are hosting a St. Patrick's Day dinner at 4:00 on Sunday afternoon.  Let her know if you can come and if you can bring anything!

What makes this event "new"?  Well, it's not one of our super-organized, church-wide affairs like the Spring Tea or Summer Camp-Out.  It's not based at church or organized by me like movie or game nights (which you'll see coming up too).  Jennifer and Rich are inviting their church family to get together and hang out on their own.  They just let us know so we could announce it, but it's them inviting us to gather for an event they think is fun...all on their own!

We hope that more people will start doing this kind of thing, figuring out what they'd like to do and then hosting an event.  Everybody has different interests.  Different people will come for different things.  If several of us host events not only will we cover more bases socially, we'll all get to know each other better.

It doesn't have to be fancy or formal.  We'd just like to know what you think is fun and whether you'd consider inviting church folks over to do it with you.  Something to think about as you make your way to the Parkins' awesome dinner Sunday!

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

Marrying This Week's Sermon and Worship

In the post right below this one we talked about God not being the Lord of the Perfect Life, but the Savior who walks with us through every time and situation, good and bad.  We also talked about how unfortunate it was that church has been defined solely as a happy or perfect place...a place for people whose lives are going well.

It struck me on Sunday how much of our worship service is centered around welcoming those who are suffering.  The language of need and imperfection is woven through our dialogue with God.  That's not to say church is depressing or non-celebratory.  We certainly praise, lifting up joyous moments and words every Sunday.  But if you look closely that joy is always mingled with the need for redemption which is an outgrowth of our imperfect condition.

We begin each service with words of confession and forgiveness, stating publicly that we have not lived perfectly, that we suffer and that we have caused other to suffer.  Our first words to God are, in essence, "I'm sorry".  His words in return are, "I wash you clean".  Without the first we couldn't properly hear or understand the second.

The Kyrie comes next.  Its words are simple:  Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.  We admit our need for tender care.  We pray for peace and unity, knowing that our lives and spirits lack them.

The Prayer of the Day follows soon after, a petition for God to help us see new ways to live our lives, better than the old.

After the readings, sermon, and creed we have the prayers of intercession.  Here we pray directly for the things we need most:  comfort, hope, health, helping hands, and the ability to share all of those things with our neighbors.  Again this open admission that we need God paves the way for his presence.  If we weren't suffering and lacking, we'd not be able to pray and hear him come.

After this we share God's peace, broken people shaking hands with other broken people, finding comfort and hope in togetherness.

The offering comes next, our own sacrifice for the sake of others.  Here we give up something, confronting the fear of losing, the fear of not being able to make it unless we keep everything we have for ourselves.

Finally it's time for communion, the meal where we share the body of Christ broken on the cross to redeem us.  We do not come forward proud and in control.  We come forward suffering, knowing that only Christ can save us.  We leave filled, reassured, given strength to make it through another week no matter what may come.

If we weren't suffering people, if God was not present with people whose lives were less than perfect, we couldn't do any of these things.  They'd be meaningless.  Church is a joyous place, full of praise.  But that praise comes from admitting our imperfections, laying them before God and each other, not from ignoring them.  Somehow by accepting suffering--our own and that of others--and being able to walk together through it, we find more strength, more love, and more of God than we ever could alone.

Next time you're doubting whether you should come to church because of something bad that happened in your life, remember this description of worship.  Maybe church is exactly the place you should be...you and all the people you know who are experiencing any of life's imperfections.

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

Monday Morning Sermon: Psalm 42

Our text for this Sunday was the 42nd Psalm:

 1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
   so my soul pants for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
   When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
   day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
   “Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember
   as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
   under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
   among the festive throng.
 5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
   Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
   for I will yet praise him,
   my Savior and my God.
 6 My soul is downcast within me;
   therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
   the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
   in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
   have swept over me.
 8 By day the LORD directs his love,
   at night his song is with me—
   a prayer to the God of my life.
 9 I say to God my Rock,
   “Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
   oppressed by the enemy?”
10 My bones suffer mortal agony
   as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
   “Where is your God?”
 11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
   Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
   for I will yet praise him,
   my Savior and my God.

Click through to see what we found in these beautiful words.

Bible Study Reflections: Idolatry

As we continue through the chapters in Isaiah 40-50 our Women's Bible Study participants keep getting confronted with the subject of idolatry...a subject guaranteed to make God a little upset.  When we read about people making statues out of stone and wood in order to worship them we always say, "How in the world could they be so silly and superstitious?"  In doing so we miss the slightly more subtle (and thus more dangerous) forms of idolatry we still practice.

The process of idolatry can be described most simply as taking something made by human hands and equating it with God.  Most of us think we're safe from this, as few of us specialize in graven image making anymore.  But do you remember when we talked about adultery a couple months ago?  We said, in essence, that anything you invest greater time, energy, thought, and love into than you do your spouse becomes your new spouse.  That could be another person, it could be a job, it could be a project.  If you have more devotion to that thing than your marital relationship, you're committing a form of adultery with it.

It's the same way with idolatry and God.  We don't have outright statues, but you can't even begin to count the number of things we depend on for happiness, comfort, safety, and fulfillment more than we depend on God.  How about the things we invest our time, energy, and resources into?  We don't call them gods, but they determine our actions as surely as if they were.  If something bad happens in our spiritual life, like getting too busy to pray, we figure we can make it up next time.  If something bad happens to our checking account we are devastated and go into a panic because that's irreplaceable!  The balance seems off there...tending towards idolatry.  Our true god is that which we depend upon most.  In a practical sense, that's not the God of the Bible for most of us.

In the course of this dependence it's certainly possible to elevate physical things to the level of godhood.  They're not statues but they're every bit as much of an idol as those ancient carvings were.  In Bible Study the ladies mentioned automobiles and houses.  Others have fine material things that they didn't want anybody else to touch or use...like pristine white furniture in a living room that everyone is kept out of, defeating its purpose.  Most of us can get past those things, but the sneaky one is our church.  Faithful people have idols today, they just look like rectangular buildings with steeples on top.  Woe be unto the kids in your church if you get a new carpet.  It will cause everyone to glare at their fruit-punch hands and make them feel unwelcome.  How willing are people in your church to pay for a roof repair versus paying for evangelism ministry?  For many church has taken the place of God...an insidious development as the church technically has God's name on it, making the idolatry seem more real, thus making it a greater betrayal.

But idolatry isn't just about physical things, it's about control.  This aspect brings even more danger to us, as control is precious in our modern society.  Idolatry is another way of saying you choose your god instead of God choosing you.  The allure of the idol is that you know you made it.  You know its shape, its features.  You fashioned it.  You put it up on its pedestal and you can take it down at any time.  You have the ultimate power in the relationship.  Bowing to the idol only makes your own ultimate power greater.  The bigger the thing you can elevate or destroy the bigger you seem.

How many of us were raised with the idea--and how many people across the world are still told--that the most important thing in the world is that you choose Jesus?  I'm not trying to minimize the moments when we commit ourselves to God.  Those are important.  But there's been such a huge emphasis on personal decision in the Christian process that we've lost sight of the fact that God chose us first, forgave us first, put grace in our hearts first and only then could we find anything to commit to.

The distinction is critical.  For the most part people can only choose what they understand and agree with.  When our faith rests on our personal choice the God we "choose" inevitably thinks like us, agrees with us, and is quite grateful that such a right-thinking person would choose him!  Therefore when we're confronted with anything different than we already agree with, by definition that thing is not godly.  When people in church want to change something that we're comfortable with, by definition that's wrong.  If somebody crosses us the natural solution is to change churches, to find one that worships the "real" god who agrees with us.  This isn't faith, it's idolatry...self-worship with God's name stuck on top to legitimize it.  In our own minds we have the power to put up or tear down God himself, just as if he were that wooden statue.  Except we're using the name of the real God for our charade...far worse than subbing in a carved idol.

We've all seen and confronted, and a healthy number of us have even participated in, this kind of idolatry.  It causes us to shout down when we should listen to, to quit when we should stay, to vilify things we don't agree with when we should be seeking to understand them, to shut out people we should welcome, and to betray the God we were meant to serve.  It happens every time we think that we know faith and judge God by our knowledge instead of saying we belong to God and judging faith by that relationship.  That's distressingly common nowadays.

Don't take idolatry lightly.  It lies all around you, waiting to lead you away from the true God.  It's just as prevalent today as it was in Isaiah's time...maybe more so.  It's just as easy to fall into.  Pray for God to lead you today instead of you leading God around the life that he, himself, made for you.  Ask him to help you rely on him for your joy, comfort, and safety.  Tell him he doesn't have to agree with you.  Thank him for choosing you, as mixed up as you are.  Ask him to put the blessings of this world in their proper place, that they might add to your faith instead of taking you away from it.  Pray that he might open your eyes and heart to his will, so that you might be able to serve and love as his child.  There's no greater gift in the world than that.  I pray that his calling might be yours.

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

Anger

This question comes via e-mail:

Pastor Dave,
I know we're suppose to be good and loving to people but sometimes I get angry and I can't help it.  Some people do things that make loving them near impossible.  I don't know what to do about that anger.

It's a great question.  The first step in addressing it is realizing that anger isn't bad!  The Bible tells us that we have frustrated and angered God plenty of times.  Entire books of scripture are devoted to that theme.  As long as there's sin in the world, anger must exist.  Otherwise we'd just be addressing all the world's injustices with, "Oh...that's nice!"  God does not call us to respond that way.

The keys here are identifying the cause of anger and asking on whose behalf you are angry...what purpose it serves.  My general rule is this:  If it's a personal issue between you and me, I won't hold onto my anger.  If I'm the only one being hurt here, I'm bigger and stronger than anything someone else can do to me.  If it's just you and me, I'll forgive you and let the anger go.  We'll both feel better that way.  But if the behavior that's making me angry is hurting someone else, I will not let it go as easily.  At that point I'm not standing up for my feelings or rights, but someone else's.  I don't know if anger is completely justified in those situations, but at least it's going to good use:  protecting someone else.

I've had people say terrible things to me in the course of ministry, make accusations that couldn't be farther from the truth, try to find my weak points and batter at them until I give in to what they want.  I've been called names.  I've been threatened.  I've let all of that pass.  Most of it has happened behind closed doors.  Who was really hut besides me, and I'll forgive that.

I've also heard people make statements publicly...statements that amount to, "I don't care about any of you"...statements supposedly made in the name of God, assuredly made in his house to his children.  I've seen people try to back up those statements with actions, mostly unfair, certainly hurtful.  That's made me angry, and rightfully so.  I continue to be angry with some people to this day, and again I think that's justified.  But I'm not angry because of what they did to me, but what they did to God's children in his name.

We should be angry about things that unfairly hurt other people.  We should be angry when people practice the tyranny of, "I want what I want and who cares about you" in all its forms:  economic, racial, societal, religious, and interpersonal.  When that happens, it's time to step in and claim that justice is an extension of love and that nobody has a right to claim supremacy at the expense of another...at least not if they're going to factor God into the equation.  It's OK to express anger at wrongdoing and to take the actions necessary to address that wrongdoing.

The answer to your question, then, becomes another question.  On whose behalf are you angry?  Is there a greater cause or reason behind the feeling of anger or is it mostly personal?  You always have a right to the latter, but it's also something you'll have to overcome eventually.  With the former, though, overcoming it may be the wrong thing to do.  Maybe it needs to be explored and acted upon.

Few situations are clearly one or the other.  Usually they're a mix.  That's why it's up to each of us to examine our anger, hold on to the parts that are righteous, and ask forgiveness for--and help in getting over--the parts that are petty.  Having had a fair amount of experience with this, pastors are often good people to see as you sort through these issues.  My door is always open.

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

Evangelism Meeting

We had a small but focused meeting on evangelism on Sunday night.  In the course of discussion we identified two paths forward in community evangelism, which I'd like to share with you today.

Before we start, though, a definition.  "Evangelism" means, in essence, "Good News Sharing".  Whenever you share something, especially news, the direction is outward.  It's ironic that the traditional definition of evangelism involves an inward motion:  getting other people to come to church.  That's not the definition we're choosing.  It's the opposite, in fact.  Our goal is to get the Good News of Christ out there to a community that needs it and a world for whom that Good News--and definitions like "church" and "evangelism"--have been sorely mis-defined.  From the start we went away from the goal of trying to get more members for the church.  It seemed self-serving and uncomfortable.  Instead we focused on that outward flow of love, grace, and news.  We want to send our members out to do wonderful things, not send them out to bring more people back in.  We believe that in due course this outward flow of evangelism will bring more people into the church, but that's a side-effect, not the main purpose.

We identified two broad categories of action in order to make great evangelism a reality in our community:  internal and external.

Internally the first step is simple to admit that we believe.  We need to affirm that we believe in God.  We need to know that we believe in our church and in each other.  We need to commit to both, telling ourselves and each other that this really matters, that it's really important.  If we don't feel this, we're probably fooling ourselves getting together like we do.  If we do feel it, we need to put that forward and back it up with our words and actions.  Personally I believe that our church is blessed right now.  I've searched years to find Spirit, momentum, and creative gifts like we're showing.  I don't think there's a church in the world I'd rather be at.  I know plenty of other churches that are struggling like mad to do the things that are now coming naturally to us.  We need to recognize that, realize the unique opportunity before us, and act to support, sustain, and grow it.

Once we've admitted that we believe the next step is to find common focus.  This will probably take the form of a workshop offered a couple times in the coming year.  We really, really need people to attend this.  In the course of the workshop we will un-learn some of the definitions that hold us back from evangelism and re-learn the wonderful things that propel us outward in Christ's ministry.  Without this step, even with the best of intentions, our efforts are going to fall into the deep ditch dug by previous (less helpful) definitions of evangelism.

Out of that workshop will come our way forward.  The final internal step will be to see evangelism in everything we do.  Evangelism isn't supposed to be something you do on a Tuesday for two hours with a friend.  We need to make all of our gatherings, events, worship services, and moments outside of church more evangelical (in the best sense of that word).  We need to look at everything we do through the lens of spreading the Good News so that people will know what we're about without having to be told in so many words.  When this final internal step happens the external will begin to bloom.

We've already taken some steps externally.  Our Angels on Call ministry delivers the message that help is always near.  This blog allows people daily access to our church and some of the theology that drives it.  We've done a few other things in the community as a group and many things as individuals.  We need to celebrate and expand those efforts.  Through words and actions we need to let people know the amazing Spirit that's alive in our midst.

I think we can do this fairly easily, but not until we've done some of the intentional internal work first.  The exact shape of our external efforts will flow from the internal discussions.  Without the common direction and definitions provided by the internal step, though, all we'll be doing is a series of disparate events.  We need the glue of our common confession and time spent together to make this work.

Listen for the evangelical message in worship over the next few weeks.  Watch for the Evangelism Workshop and participate when it comes.  This is the Next Huge Step in our growth together as a church and one of the most obvious ways God will work among us this year.

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

Comforting in God's Name

Our little Ali has been sick for the last couple days.  Well, honestly we've all been passing around some illness or other since January.  It's not been a fun time in the Deckard household lately, especially for the kids with runny noses, coughs, and aches.  But just when we had finally gotten everybody healthy and thought we were in the clear...BOOM!  Ali came down with a fever that left her burning to the touch, listless, and miserable for about 23 hours of the day.  She can't sleep for more than 45 minutes at a time without waking up crying.  She spent all day today in her mother's arms, except when she was in her daddy's.  Her exhausted eyes told the whole story.  She was hot, hurting, and totally out of energy.

Most everybody who's been a parent has had to deal with these days.  What do you do with a 1-year old who is that sick?  There's nothing much you can do.  You can't explain it to her.  You can't force her to do this thing or that.  All you can do is look at her with compassion, hold her, rock her a little bit, and let her know that you're there and you love her.  You just keep doing that all day long until the fever goes away.

As we were engaged in this process it occurred to me that this lesson was applicable to more than sick kids.  People we care about get in all kinds of trouble:  physical illness, emotional distress, relationship difficulties, struggles at work or with their kids, crises of faith...you name it.  We want to help.  If we share a bond of faith as well as friendship the urge to help becomes stronger.  Suddenly we feel the pressure of speaking God's words along with our own.

Oddly enough, the times we're most keenly aware of the need for God in the conversation are the times we're most likely to go astray.  We associate God with wisdom, with knowing the right thing to say, with fixing the problem.  When someone shares their difficulty with us our mind starts spinning.  "What should I say?  Where are the perfect words?  Should I quote scripture?  What would fix this?"  Instead of being present with the person talking to us we turn inward and panic, retreating into the fear of inadequacy.  Far too often we end up either silent or blurting out some truism that even we know doesn't make sense.

We'd be better off thinking of what God would do in these situations rather than trying to think what God would say.  God's response when we suffer isn't that much different than a parent's response to their sick child.  There's no explaining.  You can't reason it away.  You can't fix it.  All you do is hold them, rock them, let them know you're there and will continue to be there as long as anything bothers them.

Reassurance is 100% better than answers in these situations.  We don't have the right answer, really.  Most of the time there isn't one.  But we always have comfort and company to give.

Jesus preached often in his ministry.  But most of the time when confronted with a person in distress he didn't talk, he healed.  Only after the healing was accomplished did an explanation come.  We might not have the instant healing power Jesus did, but our acts of comfort and compassion provide stability for our friends and neighbors as they walk their journey of healing, just as holding onto Ali gives her strength while she fights her fever.

Next time someone comes to you in distress, resist the temptation to solve their problem or speak instant wisdom, even Biblical wisdom.  Act in Biblical fashion instead.  Offer a listening ear, lots of company, reassurance that you care.  Those healing actions will get you and your friends farther than anything you could say.

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

Monday Morning Sermon: God First

Our text for Sunday morning came from the 12th chapter of the Gospel of John:

 37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:
   “Lord, who has believed our message
   and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
 39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
 40 “He has blinded their eyes
   and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
   nor understand with their hearts,
   nor turn—and I would heal them.”
 41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
 42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

Click through to hear what we talked about during worship!

Sermon Recording

The recording of the February 26, 2012 Gospel reading and Pastor Dave's Sermon has been posted.

Bible Study Reflections: Shunning and Supporting

Once again this week we had a deep discussion in our Wednesday Morning Bible Study.  The topic continues to be Isaiah, this time around Chapter 42 wherein God's wrath and redemption are discussed.

During the course of our conversation the topic of changing societies got brought up.  People noted how different the world is today than it was 50, or even 30, years ago.  Someone cited a statistic from the paper that a large percentage of children are born outside of marriage these days, that single-parent or unmarried families are becoming the norm.

Naturally the group tossed around the ins and outs of that changing reality, but in the end we tried to figure out what a proper response would be.  We found that our feelings had changed on that as well over the years.

Once upon a time the "proper" response of "good" people was to shun and dismiss folks who had violated societal or religious norms.  Somebody cited girls (and a couple boys) being dismissed from school back in the day for unexpected pregnancies.  Another person mentioned that newborn children of unwed mothers were once kept behind a wall in seclusion and rushed out of the maternity ward as quickly as possible.

In 2012 a few high schools in our local area have day care facilities to assist students with babies.  The maternity ward process has changed also.  Is this faithful?  Was it better the other way?

The first question one needs to ask is whether the shunning worked.  I'd argue not.  Unexpected pregnancies are as old as the dawn of time.  They happened thousands, hundreds, and tens of years ago and still happen today.  Rejecting folks who found themselves in this situation only drove them away.  It didn't solve the problem, it created another.

One also needs to ask what God's response would be.  As we talked about last week, we experience both wrath and comfort from God but the former is always subservient to the latter.  Any difficulty or frustration that breaks our relationship with God is merely a prelude to the joy and reconciliation that he chooses as our destiny.  That's why he sent his Son to die for us, after all, not that we might be condemned but that we might be saved.  It's probably OK to be disturbed when you perceive more and more children being born in situations you consider sub-optimal for them.  But that disturbance has to give way to support and love if you really want to reflect God's will.

Too many Christians begin and end with being disturbed and/or complaining.  This is exactly where all that harmful shunning and dismissing took root.  When we do this, we teach an incorrect story about God, equating God's will with condemnation instead of salvation.  It's fine to sigh and even say, "Oh no!" when you find out a 16-year-old is pregnant.  That 16-year-old is probably doing the same and more!  But after the sigh is exhaled, it's time to get to work and figure out how to support that child and the new child that's coming.  That means putting aside the frustration, embracing reconciliation, and figuring out together how to turn this into a gift instead of a tragedy.

We had this exact situation happen in the church I served as youth director long ago. One of our youth group members got pregnant.  In that church everybody who had a child got a baby shower.  That time, though, there was plenty of debate.  "Should the girl get a shower?  Wouldn't that be rewarding her and condoning the act?  Would other kids then want their own babies?"

That last assertion was a little ridiculous.  None of the other kids wanted to be in that girl's shoes no matter how many rattles and little blankies you handed them.  But the first two questions were under serious debate.  To me the answer was clear, though.  Withholding the shower wasn't going to change the circumstance.  It would only bring more difficulty into an already turbulent situation, making the girl feel more alone and less supported.  I'd advise every young girl and guy NOT to get pregnant.  But once a baby is on the way that advice does no good.  The situation has changed.  The proper response now is to make sure as much good comes out of this as possible for the mother and especially for that baby.  That little newborn should not arrive into this world as a problem but as God's gift. In this situation it was up to us to help that change in definition along.

That's exactly what God wants.  He doesn't expect that nothing bad will happen.  He knows the world is imperfect and so are we.  He simply asks us to look at all the circumstances of our lives--those we'd call good and others we'd call bad--as opportunities to make goodness and grace come into the world.  That's the message we're supposed to proclaim no matter how the world changes around us.  In fact that message eases our mind about the world changing, doesn't it?  Those changes don't determine our destiny.  Faith in God and the goodness it brings will always have a place.

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

Kids and Loneliness

I was reading some old magazines the other day when I ran across a column in a now-defunct publication by a gentlemen named Ken Levine.  He's quite the guru in the computer software world now, living out his dream one presumes.  But it wasn't always that way.  Click through to read excerpts from his column from 2004 and why his words still matter.