Dear St. Luke’s Family,

Deadlines. We all have them. We all deal with them. We all have various attitudes and opinions about them. No matter where we are in life, we face deadlines. There are dates and times we need to be aware of so we can get things done on time.

For some people deadlines cause stress and anxiety. The closer due dates come, the more  stress we put on ourselves. We get so worked up we can hardly face or do anything until our deadline is met. We fret night and day over a looming deadline.

For other people deadlines are just suggestions, guidelines as to when something might be needed. For these people the saying, “que sera, sera” (whatever will be, will be), rules the day. If they are a half hour late they get excited because they are usually an hour late!

I used to really not like deadlines. They caused me stress so I sometimes just ignored them. Of course, ignored deadlines cause their own sets of issues. Missed assignments, late reports, or simply nothing completed are not the kinds of things to instill confidence in those around you.

So I have learned to embrace deadlines. I use the deadline as a motivator to get things done. I even try to get things done BEFORE deadlines arrive. For me, a major deadline is Sunday. It comes every week. So I try to have everything done for Sunday by Friday at the very latest. I have found this to be much more relaxing than rushing around at the last minute all the time.

We may or may not like deadlines but we have to deal with them. And there is a BIG one coming. There is a date and time heading our way we need to be ready for. There is a date and time coming, and after it comes, we will not have a chance to get ready. But here is the deal. This deadline is unusual because we don’t know exactly when it is coming. We just know it is.

There is a date and time when we will take our last breath here on earth and take our first breath in eternity. The question is where will that eternal breath be taken? This is a deadline we cannot afford to miss. Once we take that final breath there is no redo, no second chance to get ready.

So…do you know when that day and time is? It could be anytime, are you ready? Lent is a time to make sure we are ready. Lent is a time to reflect on what Jesus did for each of us. Lent is a time to think about and get ready for where we are headed for eternity. I encourage you to join us on Sunday mornings at 10:00am and Wednesday evenings at 6:00pm for soup supper and 7:00pm for a service during Lent. The deadline gets closer every day. So let’s make certain we are ready.

In His Service, Pastor Michael

Dear St. Luke’s Family,

November is here. This is the time of year we often are reminded to be thankful. We really have so much to be thankful for in our lives. I have learned an “attitude of gratitude” goes a long way in making life more peaceful and serene. One of my mentors taught me to make gratitude lists, and to pull them out when times are difficult or stressful. There is nothing difficult or unusually stressful going on, but here are a just a few of the things I am thankful for in my life…

I am thankful for a loving God who sent his Son to die on a cross for me so I can live with him forever. I am thankful I live in a country where it is still ok to believe this truth and live it out with others. I am thankful for the family God has placed around me. For my family of origin – my Dad, Mom, and sister – I give thanks. I am thankful for the woman God placed in my life to be my wife for all these years (really thankful Christine has stuck with me!). I give God thanks for the three girls he blessed us with, they bring joy and happiness into my life. God has enriched my life with grandchildren and a great-grandchild that keep me young and full of smiles. I am thankful for each one. I give thanks to God for the wonderful church family he has allowed me to serve. I cannot begin to express my delight when I think of each of you and what you bring into my life and the life of St. Luke’s. I am thankful for the wonderful house we live in. I am thankful to live in such a beautiful part of the country. I am thankful God has blessed me with good health.

I could go on but you get the idea…I have so much to be thankful for, if I tried to list everything this entire Messenger would be filled and then some! So I will stop. And now it is your turn. During the month of November there will be a “Wall of Thanks” in the front lobby. I invite each of you to add the things you are thankful for to the Wall. You do not have to limit yourself to one thing or one time. Whenever you are here and you think of something - add it to the “Wall of Thanks”. This is something for everyone of every age. I look forward to reading what you are thankful for in your life. Take time to read the Wall yourself as you pass by.

May this November be a month of “thanksgiving” as we share together what we are grateful for in our lives…

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV)

In His Service, Pastor Michael

Dear St. Luke’s Family,

October is here. The month of Harvest and Halloween…Gourds and Ghouls…Football and Fall Colors…Long sleeves and Lingering nights…Hunting and Hot Cider. What a wonderful month. We get to take those comfy, cuddly clothes out of storage and wrap our bodies in their familiar embrace. The heat of summer is a memory and the cold of winter is a ways off. The air is crisp and it will not be long before we see our breath in little clouds hanging before us. 

There is still much to get done, tasks which need attending before the snow flies, short trips to see the changing colors, and preparations for the busy Holiday season. I cannot believe how many retail establishments are charging head long into Christmas already! Halloween and Thanksgiving are getting shoved to the side, left to fend for themselves. 

School is in full swing, the lazy days of summer, that never really materialized, are long gone. The rhythm and grind of academic pursuits and extra-curricular activities now over-fill our days.   

Yes, this is a busy time of year. In the midst of this busy-ness it can be easy to let the squeaky wheels get the grease. Those people and things that yell the loudest tend to get the lion share of our time and efforts. 

But what about those quiet, still things? Those things that whisper peace and comfort to our weary, worn out souls? Those things get lost in the din and commotion of our everyday routines. Things like the gentle, healing voice of our Lord and Savior, calling us to spend time with Him. Things like the loving touch upon our ragged nerves of the Holy Spirit, alive within us, waiting to be remembered. Or things like the Holy presence of our Heavenly Father reaching towards our lonely hearts. 

We so easily get caught up in the direction the calendar points towards, that we find ourselves not seeing the really important things in this life. We find ourselves not seeing those things in our lives standing in the way of our true joy. In fact, we find ourselves blind to the things that hurt us, and those around us, the most. We find ourselves living in our “Blind Spots”. 

We will be continuing to look at some of those Blind Spots during the worship services, on Sunday mornings, in the month of October. We will look at the lives of people in the Bible who shared our Blind Spots and see what we can learn from them. We will try to come up with practical strategies for eliminating those Blind Spots in our lives. 

I know you are busy, we all are. But you have an hour or two on Sunday mornings which you can choose how you use. God’s challenge to all of us is to use those hours for Him – worshiping Him with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and learning from Him about our Blind Spots and what to do about them. 

Will you accept God’s challenge?

In His Service, Pastor Michael

Dear St. Luke’s Family,

From time to time for this job a suit is the best option in attire. I have several suits so I have some choices. I have a charcoal suit and a blue suit. Both are nice and do the job, most of the time. But there are times when a black suit, if not required, certainly is the best option. For weddings and funerals a black suit usually works best.

It is interesting two such contrasting events – one usually filled with joy, the other more often associated with sorrow – call for the same color suit, black. So, I have a black suit.

My black suit has several issues though. First of all it has some wear and tear on it. Almost twenty years of use will do that to any item of clothing, a suit is no different. And second, it seems to have shrunk. It is tighter than it used to be. I have no idea what the dry cleaners did to it, but it just will not fit like it used to!

So, I bought a new black suit. I found a good deal, it looks nice on me, it is just what my work wardrobe needs. But, like most new suits, the legs of the pants are like eight inches to long. They need to be made shorter. I have someone who willingly does this for me, has already said they would be glad to help me out, and they are waiting to make this new suit usable.

The problem is, I have not taken the suit to get the pant legs altered. It hangs in my closet, looking good, but totally unused. I have had several events where it was needed, but alas, it was not available. There it sits, hanging in a closet, looking good, but not fulfilling its purpose. All because I have not taken the time to take the suit out of the closet and have it fixed so I can wear it.

I do not think I am alone in this. Sometimes we all have those things in our lives we need, they would make life easier, but they sit, unused, simply because we have not done what needs to be done so we can use them. They hang in closets, sit on book shelves, gather dust in garage corners, or lay on end tables.

Sadly, there is something in most of our homes that fits this description. Something that does not need any tailoring or special training to use. It may even sit prominently displayed for everyone to see. But it does not get used.

You probably already figured out where I am headed with this – and you are most likely correct. The item most have in their homes that is not being used for its intended purpose is, the Word of God, the Bible. The Bible still holds the record (by a huge margin) as the number one selling book of all time. Too bad it is the most unread best seller of all time as well.

For many, just like my new black suit, the Bible is in our homes but not used. And this is truly sad. The Bible is a gift from the God who created the universe and everything in it. The Bible is God’s number one way of communicating with us. The Bible is intended to be a lamp on our feet and light on our path. The Bible is available to guide us, comfort us, correct us, and encourage us. But there it sits, unopened, not fulfilling its purpose.

I am going to get my suit pants altered so my new black suit can become my go to formal clothing. I encourage you to make the Bible your go to source for what you need in this life. All you have to do is pick it up and read it.

In His Service, Pastor Michael

Dear St. Luke’s Family,

Finally, June is here. By the time you are reading this school will either be done for the year or days away from being done. The busy times will be slowing down. The go, go, go, will be done for a while. The hectic pace of life will relax to a leisurely stroll. Oh who am I kidding?!?

It seems summer is just as crazy as any other season these days. Open houses, weddings, reunions, civic celebrations, vacation planning, yard work, gardening, and the transporting to music lessons, sporting events, camps, and overnights is already in full swing.

Whatever happened to the days described in the George Gershwin song…

Summertime
And the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high…

Sounds nice doesn’t it? But, here we are…and the livin’ ain’t easy. No matter how hard we try to throttle things back, the world keeps speeding everything up.

On top of the pace of this world, things just seem to be getting more and more out of control. And God…well, it feels like God is being taken from the back burner of people’s lives and banished to a forgotten corner of the shed out back.

So what can we do? Can we change any of this? Probably not. But we can choose how to deal with a world taking the fast lane to perdition. How about trying this…

“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” Psalm 46.10 (NLT)

Or this… “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be still." Exodus 14.14 (RSV)

Or how about this… “Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.” Psalm 37.7 (NLT)

God has a lot to say about slowing down and being still. We just need to take the time to hear it.  I’m going to try slowing the pace a little this summer. I’m going to try to listen for God’s voice a little more. I’m going to give relaxing now and then a shot. How about you? I encourage you to sit back, shout out the world, and revel in these words from God…

The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23 (NLT)

Praying For Serenity, Pastor Michael

Dear St. Luke’s Family,

Many of you know about the box I have in my office. I call it my “Garnett” box. Garnett Dean was my uncle. A man I never met. He died on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. He died a young man, in his early twenties. He died in service to this country.

General Douglas McArthur was in charge of the South Pacific Theatre and was stationed in the Philippines. During the latter days of World War 2, McArthur’s men had taken a beating and he withdrew them and moved them to Australia for a time of rest and retraining.

As he boarded a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 in the Philippines those people looked to him as their savior. He made his famous statement in saying, “I shall return.”

Several months passed by. One day the people of the Philippines heard the roar of airplanes and looked up into the sky. They saw the sky was filled with American airplanes. Gen McArthur kept his promise. My Uncle Garnett was part of those who returned with McArthur. He was also part of those who did not leave the island alive.

2,000 years ago Jesus stood on a mountain overlooking Jerusalem and said to His disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:1-3 (NIV)

Like General McArthur, Jesus promised, “I shall return.”

I know the battle gets tough. I know our world looks like one great big mess. Do not be discouraged, one day soon the trumpet is going to blow, After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NIV)

This is an unfailing promise. If it wasn’t so He would have told us. I believe it. I am holding on to it. I am looking for Him to come today. Are you ready? If He comes today, will you go with Him? And think about this…until He comes, we are part of what He left behind to do His work. So let’s get busy!

In His Service,  Pastor Michael

Dear St. Luke’s Family,

April is here! If you can’t get excited about this then maybe there is little that will get you excited. Spring is here. The daylight hours are longer. The snow is almost all gone. The birds are singing like crazy. Some really cool and awesome people have birthdays this month. And greatest of all…

Resurrection Sunday is coming! That’s right, Easter is just around the corner. This is the BIG day…HUUUUUUGE day…this is the reason we exist as a church. The resurrection of Jesus Christ our Savior from the dead! Now this is really something to get excited about. Holy Week begins April 2nd with Confirmation (make sure to read the confirmands Faith Statements in this Messenger), and ends on Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023. Here is the full schedule for the week…

April 2, 2023 - Palm Sunday/Confirmation 10:00am

April 6, 2023 - Women’s Prayer Breakfast 9:00am

April 6, 2023 - Maundy Thursday/First Communion 7:00pm

April 7, 2023 - Good Friday (sanctuary open 12-3pm) 1:00pm

April 9, 2023 - Easter Sunrise Service 6:30am

April 9, 2023 - Easter Worship Service 10:00am

This is one of the greatest months EVER! Make plans to join us for this important season in our walk of faith. And…make sure to read in this Messenger about the Worship Team’s plans to finish Season Two of “The Chosen”.

God is Good…All the Time!

In His Service,  Pastor Michael

Dear St. Luke’s Family,

There is an old adage that says if March comes in like a lamb it will go out like a lion. If March comes in like a lion it will go out like a lamb. As I write this we don’t know which it will be. We’ll just have to wait and see. 

What we do know is this…the Lion and the Lamb are important symbols in our walk of faith. The lion and the lamb are a classic image. Most of you have seen the pictures of a lion and a lamb in peace. One my favorites is here in the article. 

The Lion and the Lamb are often used as a symbol of the peace, specifically of Christ's coming kingdom (though misquoted from Isaiah 11:6 where the wolf lies down with the lamb and the lion with the calf, but you get the idea).

In Revelation 5, the Lion and the Lamb come together in a new way. They are both symbols of Christ. The Messiah is first introduced in verse 5 as the Lion of Judah, a reference to Genesis 49:9 when Jacob is blessing his twelve sons. It is clear this Lion is the Christ by calling Him the root of David (Isaiah 11:1).

After being hailed as a lion, surprisingly, John turns and sees a Lamb standing as if he had been slaughtered. This is clearly Jesus (John 1:29).

The powerful Lion and the meek, sacrificial Lamb, both refer to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus as a Lamb symbolizes why Christ came in His first coming: to die for the sins of the world. Jesus as a Lion symbolizes why Christ will come again in His second coming: to judge the sins of the world.

Most of us like the Lamb, not so much the Lion. We like the death and forgiveness of sins, not so much the judgement. In fact, most of the world lands here if they think of Jesus at all. The world sort of likes “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” but not so much “every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

The Good News is we can embrace both the Lion and the Lamb in our own lives. In fact, both are necessary. Without the Lamb that was slain there is no hope for us – because there is no forgiveness of sins. Without the Lion coming as King there is no hope for us – because there is no victory. Praise God those of us who have been purchased by His blood will not receive the judgment that we deserve! Praise God we have the hope of forgiveness and our coming King!

In His Service,  Pastor Michael

Dear St. Luke’s Family,

So the deadline for getting this letter into the Messenger is looming. I have spent the better part of this day thinking about what to write here. Several ideas have come and gone, and still the deadline gets closer and closer.

And then I get a phone call letting me know there are people saying I am leaving the church if a vote (that is not planned) does not go the right way. Let me address this as clear as I know how… 

I am NOT…N.O.T…in anyway shape or form leaving the church…and certainly not over a vote (a vote that is not planned) not going the way I wanted it to go.

This, my friends, is what is called a rumor. This is the kind of stuff that drives leaders crazy. This is the kind of stuff the enemy of the church absolutely loves. And, this is the kind of stuff God is very clear about… “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.” Proverbs 20:19 (NIV) 

"Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to.” 1 Timothy 5:13 (NIV) 

I could list more, but I think you get the point, God does not like gossips and rumors.

It is interesting that on the heels of one of the most successful years for St. Luke’s in a long time, rumors start to rise. Our enemy does not want another successful year of ministry. Our enemy likes ineffective churches that are not reaching people with the love of Jesus.

So, let’s join together in putting a stop to rumors and gossip. I ran across this story about Socrates that might help… One day in ancient Greece, an acquaintance met with the great philosopher Socrates and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"

“Hold on a minute,” Socrates replied. “Before telling me anything, let’s put it through the triple filter test.” 

“Triple filter?” the man asked.

“That’s right,” Socrates continued. “The first filter is truth. Are you absolutely sure what you are about to tell me is true?"

The man replied, “Well, no… I just heard about it and—”

Socrates interrupted, “Alright, so you don’t even know if it’s true. Now let’s try the second filter, the filter of goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something that’s good?”

The man replied, “No, on the contrary—”.

Socrates interrupted again, “So you want to tell me something bad about him, but you’re not certain it’s true. Okay let’s try the final filter, the filter of usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful for me?”

The man replied, “Not really—”.

Socrates concluded, “Well, if what you want to say is not true, not good, nor useful, then why say it at all?”

Sounds like pretty wise words to me!

Staying Right Here,  Pastor Michael

Here we are in the year 2023. Wow! Just typing it feels weird. Typing the date at the start of a new year always feels different, but typing 2023? For two-thirds of my life I typed 19 (something) as a date. I still am getting used to typing anything beginning in 20. But here we are – at the start of another new year. 

The start of a new year offers many of us a chance to reflect on the past year and look ahead to the coming year. Looking back is good, as long as we realize there is nothing we can do about what has been, the only thing we do anything about – is what will be. And even what will be is not up to us, but rather, lies in God’s more than capable hands. 

So, is there anything can we do in this brand new year to make it better than last year? Well, yes. We can follow the example of the Apostle Paul who said, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13b-14 (NIV)

Now that sounds like an impressive New Year’s resolution! Just think how our lives, our families, our communities, and our world might change if all of us adopted these words of Paul as our resolution for 2023. Pressing on, no matter what comes…to win the prize of eternal life with God in heaven.

Sometimes pressing on means letting some things go and getting back to some basics. In our personal lives this may mean making sure we are focused on living our lives for 

Jesus, changing whatever needs changing in order to be more like Him. 

In our families…pressing on, no matter what, may mean reminding ourselves of some basic, foundational things about being in a family. We are going to look at some of these Family Basics for a few weeks as we begin 2023. 

First we will take a look at how to build a loving foundation within our families. Then we will explore one simple rule for protecting our families. Next we will find out what our priorities should be when it comes to our families and finally we will learn to thank our way to a strong family. 

Whether your family is just getting started or has grown and spread out all over…we can all use a little refresher on how God wants us to live and love within a family. I invite you to make plans to be with us on Sunday mornings for the month of January and the first week of February as we rediscover these Family Basics together. 

I am excited about the coming year. God has been so good to St. Luke’s Church…and He has even more coming our way. So…I will see you in 2023!

In His Service, Pastor Michael

I wrote this a few years ago and thought it was a good reminder for us in 2022…

By the time you get this the Christmas season will be upon us. Most of us will be rushing  around trying to fit to many things into our already overloaded lives. Every year we tell ourselves we will NOT do this again. Even church life takes on an atmosphere of busy-ness. All of this is a far cry from the quietness and peace of the first Christmas. Even though the story is well known it is  good to remember – Christmas is about the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, to earth in human form. Christmas is about God, entering into human life and changing the world forever. No one else has time on a calendar been measured by when they were born. For no one else does the world pause on a silent and holy night to remember their birth. Only our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ has a day like Christmas. 

On the first Christmas there was no room for Jesus. He was born with the animals in a barn. The respectable, clean places were filled; no one would allow the Savior of the world in those places. The world has been trying to make less and less room for Him ever since. The world has  been trying to keep Jesus out of their lives and would just as soon He stay in the barn, out of sight, out of mind. 

How about you? Is there room for Jesus in your life? In the busy runaround that is life, is there room for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? Will you hear the knock and let Him in or will you say, “Sorry, there is no room?”

I encourage each of you to gather with the St. Luke’s family as we invite Jesus into our lives and watch His power unfold around us. Come and worship with us and join us as we exclaim  together, “Come, O Come, Emmanuel” into our lives and bring “Joy To The World!”

Merry Christmas!  Pastor Michael

Dear St. Luke’s Family,

Every month I start my letter here with the words above. From our first day together with the people of St. Luke’s Church it has felt like family. This has never been truer than right now. I am writing this the week after your expressions of appreciation for me as your pastor. Your words, actions, and generous gift touched us deeply. I had tears in my eyes most of the morning. 

This month many of us will gather with family and friends to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. I feel like I have already experienced Thanksgiving with all of you. I searched for a better word than thank-you, it seems so inadequate. But it is the word I have, so thank-you. To this I add these words from the Apostle Paul – they are my words to each of you…

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.  Philippians 1:3-6 (NLT)

God has done many great things through His people called St. Luke’s. God is doing many great things today. And God is not done, He has even greater things to come for us all. 

It is fitting we set aside time this month to give thanks. As a church we will have opportunities to

express our gratitude…

• The Wall of Thanks will be back again this year. It may not seem like much but the simple act of writing a note of thanks, posting it on a “wall”, and letting others read it serves as a powerful display of our thankful hearts. So make sure you stop by, read what others are thankful for, and leave a note yourself. 

• The  Thanksgiving   Eve   Worship   Service  will   happen   again   this   year.   Our   friends   from Wilmington  Lutheran Church  will  join us  here  at  St. Luke’s  as  we begin the  Thanksgiving holiday with giving thanks to God. 

•  Fellowship Time following the Sunday morning worship service is a great time to have a treat, sit with a friend, and let them know how much they mean to you. It is a chance to tell them thanks for being your friend. 

• The Food Exchange is a way to let others you may not even know how thankful you are. As we put food items on the shelves we are saying, “I am thankful for all I have, I hope this helps someone else.” 

• Operation Christmas Child provides a way to say thank-you by giving to those who have so little. As we have learned, a simple shoe box can change a life. Fill a box, join with your St. Luke’s family in packing boxes on November 12 at noon, and say thank-you by sending love to a child. 

I probably missed something on this list. If I did, I apologize. But, hopefully you get the idea…we have so much to be thankful for and we need to take a few moments and say thank-you. 

Forever Grateful,  Pastor Michael

I finally sat down to write this on the first day of autumn. It hardly seems possible summer is gone. The supposed lazy days of rest and relaxation somehow rushed right past me, how about you? And here we are in the hustle and bustle of a new season. A season that brings so many changes – a return to school, more sporting events, expanded hunting, changes in weather, less daylight, and harvest, just to name a few. 

Did you know, the Bible promises us the seasons will continue to change? It does… “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” Genesis 8:22 (NIV)

No matter how hard we try, we cannot stop the changing seasons. Sometimes that causes a little stress in our lives. We want to hang on to the season we are in. We are not ready to say goodbye. It doesn’t feel like it’s time to welcome something new. 

But, the Bible also tells us… “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV)

The time comes when we cannot help but move on into the next season, whatever that may bring. Actually, the consistency of the earth's seasons is a reflection of its Maker and the steadiness of His character. Yes, the seasons change, but they change the same every year. The equinoxes come and go with uncanny consistency. And it was God who set things up that way. 

I find peace in knowing God has even the change of seasons in His control. Because, you see, that means He has the changes in the seasons of my life in His control as well. I can rest assured God knows where I have been and where He has me going. 

As we say goodbye to summer and turn our attention to fall, let us remember the good plans God has for us and our future, both here on earth and in Heaven.

In His Service,  Pastor Michael

In the 1960s there was a popular song by the Byrds with a chorus that went like this…

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under heaven

This chorus, and the verses to the song, follow pretty close to the words of the writer of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Imagine that, culture copying the Bible instead of adapting the Bible to culture! 

The truth is there are seasons of change and purposes to those seasons. Sometimes seasons follow a calendar, sometimes they follow the process of aging, and sometimes they follow the natural rhythms God has put in place. In the words of the Byrds…we turn, from where we are to something else. 

The season of Summer has turned, replaced with the season of Autumn. With this change brings changes here at church.  Sunday School and Youth Group gets rolling again on September 11. Wednesday Night Bible Study meets again starting September 7. Operation Christmas Child picks up speed as we come closer to the packing party. 

Change is inevitable. Whether its seasons, weather, ministries, or aging bodies – change is going to happen. Sometimes it feels like the only constant is…change! I just reread that last sentence and I hope you get what I am trying to say. 

But think about this…in an ocean of constant change, where it sometimes feels like waves of change are crashing down on us, there is one things that remains the same…Jesus Christ. Jesus was at the Creation of the universe, He came to earth and took on human form, and He is coming back someday soon to take us home. And we are told, through it all, He remains the same – yesterday, today, and tomorrow, He does not change.   

I don’t know about you, but I like knowing there is a constant in this unstable, ever changing world. The never changing, always the same, Jesus Christ. The next time I start feeling a little overwhelmed by change – I am going to spend some time with the One who does not change. I invite you to do the same. 

In His Service,  Pastor Michael

I don’t know if it is the heat of summer, the ongoing struggle against illness, the political climate, the awful state of the economy, or what, but there seems to be a fair amount of people getting hurt by the words of others. In almost every area of our lives this seems to be happening. Sometimes deliberately, sometimes unknowingly, but either way, people are getting hurt by the words of those around them. And before you start telling me to keep going, so and so needs to hear this, look in the mirror. You need to hear this. I need to hear this.

James reminds us of the power of our tongues with these words…Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. James 1:26 (NIV) 

We have so much to celebrate, so much to be grateful for, and yet, instead of words of encouragement and joy, we are so easily drawn into saying things that cut deep into already fragile, hurting hearts.

The question is…why? Why do we do this? Why can’t we just keep our mouths shut? Why do we have to throw that one line, that one phrase, that one word out there? 

I am sure psychologists could give us a bunch of reasons. But those reasons would be missing something crucial, something we don’t like to talk about.

As followers of Jesus Christ, brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ, we have an enemy. An enemy that wants us to turn away from Jesus. An enemy that wants us to turn away other people from Jesus. An enemy that knows only one tactic…destruction.

The Apostle Paul warned us about this…For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the  heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)

And here is the deal…the more we follow Christ, the more we allow Him to lead and guide us, the more impact we will have on the lives of people. And, the more impact we have on other people for Jesus, the more the enemy hates us and wants us to fail. 

Sometimes we all need a reminder that our words can be used and twisted by our enemy. None of us intentionally speak for the enemy, but he is a master at taking what we say and manipulating it so people hear something different. We all need to be hyper-vigilant over the words we use.

When building something out of wood I was always taught to…measure twice, cut once. Maybe we need to apply that principle to our words. Think it over twice (at least) before saying something. Think about how it could be misunderstood, twisted, used for pain instead of gain. The challenge is to put everything we say through this filter…Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

 Grateful to Serve, Pastor Michael

Sleep is important, crucial even, for our minds, bodies, and souls to be able to function at their best. I need sleep. In order to be the husband-dad-grandfather-friend-pastor I want to be, I need sleep. But alas, sleep has never been an easy things for me. I envy those of you that lay your head on a pillow at night, fall asleep in seconds, and stay asleep until morning. For me, sleep does not happen that way.

Sometimes the lack of sleep is self-induced – a late night cup of coffee or that before bedtime bowl of ice cream. Other times there are pains in muscles and/or joints that just won’t let me get comfortable. There is the temperature of the room – too hot, too cold, but never just right.

And then there is a little thing called stress. We've all lain awake at night thinking about work, our relationships, or that awkward thing we said in 2nd grade. Call it stress, call it anxiety, or call it horrible childhood memories. Whatever it is, the mind has an amazing way of keeping us up at night.

No matter how hard we try, there are times we just cannot slow down the train of thoughts rushing through our minds enough to get some good sleep. Sometimes that train picks up so much speed it sounds like thunder crashing inside our heads. Sometimes, the harder we try to stop the noise the worse it gets! It’s like we lay there telling ourselves to stop thinking so we can fall asleep, but telling ourselves that adds to the noise and keeps us awake.

The good news is…God has some things to say about the things that cause us so much stress they affect our sleep patterns. Things like, bitterness, what we leave behind in this world, regrets, and just plain old, every day, worry.

On Sunday mornings we are going to take a look at what God has to say to us about these things in a series of sermons called: Things That Keep Us Up At Night. There is no shortage of material, and we are going to barely scratch the surface, but I believe God has some things He wants us to let go of, hand over to Him, and let Him carry, so we can sleep!

 I invite you to join us on Sunday mornings at 9:00 am as we take a look at some of the things interrupting our….yawn… much needed sleep.

In humble service to God, 

Pastor Michael

Dear St. Luke’s Family, 

I am having a hard time getting my head around the fact 2022 is half over! It feels like just last week we were ringing in the New Year, sharing the season of Lent, walking through Holy Week, and Confirming two young men. Where did the first half of this year go? The days, weeks, and months fly by and in a blink of an eye…only half of this year is left. 

Not only are the days racing by but they seem to be increasingly filled with the news of one horrible crisis after another. International, domestic, and local events are becoming more and more difficult to take in. Our own families are not immune to the chaos and catastrophe engulfing society. The evil and depravity of humanity is on full display. God warned us about this, He said about the godless, “…they invent ways of doing evil…” Romans 1:30 (NIV)

We hear speeches, take part in discussions, we yell, scream, cry, and yet nothing changes. Nothing gets better. Our government seems powerless to do anything about the lawlessness and creeping darkness rampant in our country. The truth is, our government is powerless against the darkness in our world. 

Government cannot fill the God shaped hole in the hearts and minds of people. Only God can do that. The problem is, most people are trying to fill that God shaped hole with anything but God. It is not working. It will continue to not work. 

Our world is in need of healing, healing only God can make happen. And here is the deal, the healing our world needs starts with the Church, with God’s people. God told us when tough times come, when devastating events take place, when the world is a hard place to live in…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NV)

It is easy to point fingers at someone else. It is easy to place the blame for the darkness at the feet of some other group. But God says we need to look at ourselves! Those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ need to walk in humility, fall on our knees in prayer, seek God’s face, and leave behind our own wicked ways. The promise from God is…if we do ALL of that He will hear us, He will forgive us, and He will bring healing. 

We want God to heal the broken world, yet many of us are not willing to allow Him to heal us. We hang on desperately to our hurts, real or imagined, until our fingers are cramped. We rail against our foes, we know all the changes they need to make, and yet we rarely, if ever, look at ourselves. We rise up in righteous indignation when we should be falling on our faces before our Holy God. 

Don’t get me wrong, I understand there is a need for tangible, real, hands-on change in our world. But those changes will only make a difference as we, the Church of Jesus Christ, do our part in being healed and bringing healing to the world around us. 

In humble service to God, 

Pastor Michael

“…and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.” Luke 22:2 (NIV)

It is hard to imagine anyone wanting to get rid of Jesus. But several times in the New Testament people, or groups of people, either ask Jesus to leave or make plans to get rid of Him. In the case from the verse above, the reason is clear, “…they were afraid of the people.” They were afraid of people abandoning their leadership and following Jesus. They were afraid the people would begin to see through the facade of their lives and their teaching. They were afraid the people might begin to make noise, rally against them, and draw attention to the cause of Jesus.

And so they attacked the leader, the One people were following, Jesus. 

And the attacks have never stopped. Modern day attacks on Christians are just poorly disguised attacks on Jesus. The powers of this earth still fear the people following Jesus. The powers of this earth still know…a people filled with Jesus, a people filled with the Holy Spirit, a people sold out and on fire for Jesus, cannot be stopped, cannot be vanquished, and cannot lose. They will prevail against the gates of hell. The powers of this earth are afraid of those who follow Jesus. 

So how about we follow Jesus and spread a little fear into the powers of this world?!?

In His Service,

Pastor Michael

Dear St. Luke’s Family,

If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? Pilgrims! (I know, bad dad joke, but what can I say, I’m a dad who tells bad jokes!) April really is a great month. In this part of the country we start thinking maybe winter is really over, we get outside a little more, and the heaviest coats finally get a rest. April is when we begin to think we survived one more season of snow and ice.

And…April brings the highlight of our church calendar, Holy Week. Remembering the events of Palm Sunday, reliving the Last Supper, drawing into that terrible Friday, and celebrating the joy of an empty tomb are at the heart and soul of what the church is all about. There are other reasons for the church to exist but none of them are as important as the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

There is a picture I keep on my phone of a stone rolled away from a tomb. Across the top of the picture  it says, “There are 4200 religions in the world. But only one empty tomb.” Kind of says it all don’t you think?

We have been traveling through Lent together, getting a fresh look at those who walked with Jesus here on earth. We have seen some of the events of the New Testament through their eyes. Holy Week is a chance to experience the events for ourselves, to take part in the excitement of a parade, be challenged by the call to service, be reminded of the pain and suffering, and know for ourselves the thrill of the words, “He’s Alive!”

You are invited to join in this journey. The April rains will come, the sun will shine a little warmer, and the daylight will last a little longer. But be ready, you never know what April might bring. This might be the April your life is changed forever.

February is often the time we think of love. It’s probably normal because Valentine’s Day is a big holiday in this month. Decorations include hearts, cupids, little bows, and arrows. We think about the gifts we will give and maybe some special times we will have with the one we love. Love certainly is “a splendored thing”.

But we live in a world where love has been distorted into something almost unrecognizable. The music we listen to, the movies and television shows we watch, the books we read, have taken something beautiful, a gift from God, and turned it into something it was never intended to be. 

Love has been made to be about feelings and emotions. Love has been made equal to desire, wanting, needing someone or something. Love is seen as something that comes and goes, something to be lost and found, often repeatedly. When the truth is, love is about making a choice. Making a choice to love. Even when it is difficult. Even when we run across situations and people that make love a very hard option, it is still a choice we can make.

When my wife says she loves me, she is expressing a choice she has made, and I am grateful for the choice she made. She has made that choice every day for the last 45 years. And believe me, I have not always made that choice easy for her. If it was about emotions and feelings she more than likely would have been gone a long time ago. But loving me is a choice she makes.

And you know what? God does the same thing with me, and with you. He chooses to love us. We do not deserve it, in fact we deserve him to turn his back and walk away from us, but he chooses to love us instead.

God loves us so much he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

God made this choice about you and me before we even knew anything about him. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure. (Ephesians 1:5) God decided in advance – that sounds like God made a choice, right? And he continues making that choice all the time.

So this month as you see and hear all kinds of things about love, remember God’s love that accepts you no matter what. Remember the love that takes you from wherever we are to where he wants us. Remember the love that wants nothing but the very best for us.

Remember the love that chose you to be his forever child. Keep loving Jesus, keep loving people, and keep reaching out to the world around you.

In His Service, Pastor Michael

The start of a new year can be both exciting and overwhelming, especially during these uncertain times. Whatever you’re feeling as we start 2022 there is a sure and certain truth we need to hear and remember, “…those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31 (NIV) 

I don’t know about you but I am tired of the way things are going. The direction the world around us is headed is draining the life right out of me. Here we are only a few days into a brand new year and nothing appears to be all that different than the last two crazy, mixed up, years. And the last two years have been some of the most physically draining, emotionally demanding, and spiritually testing years I have ever experienced.

But, the promise from the prophet Isaiah is we can find strength, we can soar, we can run, we can walk…all without taxing our bodies, minds, and souls…if we put our hope in the Lord. I know this is easier said than done, but God is the only place hope comes from, and He is the only one who offers real, lasting, hope.

How can we know this for sure? Listen to the words of the prophet Zephaniah, “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV) 

Our Mighty Warrior God is with us! This is the message of Christmas…God with us, Emmanuel. Not only is He with us, but He takes great delight in us. Wow. Talk about Good News. The One who is All Mighty, the One who created and sustains all that is, The One who takes down the armies of evil, delights in us! That brings a smile to my face, how about you? 

There is one more thing we need to be reminded of as this New Year begins. God is not napping through all that is going on. God is not on cruise control or autopilot. God has not simply wound up the world just to watch it tick-tock itself into destruction. God is fully aware of all the events around us and He is completely engaged in making those events work out for His glory. 

God has been around this block a few times. He has watched, time and again, as the world He created has chosen to go its own way, ignoring Him and His ways. None of what we see and deal with in our world today comes as a surprise to God. He has seen it before. 

And God has a plan.

The sad truth is, even though God has told us His plan, we still walk around anxious, fearful, tired, and worn out. I do not want to go through the year 2022 that way. I want to actively partner with God in bringing about His plan for this world. I want to shed the anxiety, fear, and weariness. 

Listen to the words God spoke through the prophet Habakkuk, “Look at the nations and watch — and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” Habakkuk 1:5 (NIV)

I believe this! I am ready to be amazed…are you?

In His Service, Pastor Michael

Dear St. Luke’s Family,

The Christmas season will be upon us. Most of us will be rushing around trying to fit to many things into our already overloaded lives. Every year we tell ourselves we will NOT do this again. Even church life takes on an atmosphere of busyness.

All of this is a far cry from the quietness and peace of the first Christmas. Even though the story is well known it is good to remember – Christmas is about the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, to earth in human form. Christmas is about God, entering into human life and changing the world forever. No one else has time on a calendar been measured by when they were born. For no one else does the world pause on a silent and holy night to remember their birth. Only our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ has a day like Christmas. 

On the first Christmas there was no room for Jesus. He was born with the animals in a barn. The respectable, clean places were filled; no one would allow the Savior of the world in those places. The world has been trying to make less and less room for Him ever since. The world has been trying to keep Jesus out of their lives and would just as soon He stay in the barn, out of sight, out of mind.

How about you? Is there room for Jesus in your life? In the busy runaround that is life, is there room for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? Will you hear the knock and let Him in or will you say, “Sorry, there is no room?”

I encourage each of you to gather with the St. Luke’s family as we invite Jesus into our lives and watch His power unfold around us. Come and worship with us and join us as we exclaim together, “Come, O Come, Emmanuel” into our lives and bring “Joy To The World!”

Merry Christmas!

Dear St. Luke’s Family,

October. Cool days. Even cooler nights. So many colors. Harvest. What a wonderful time of the year. The hard work of Spring and Summer is paying off in the fruits of Autumn. 

When you think about it, without a harvest the planting and growing seasons would not make much sense. If there was nothing to bring in, nothing to gather, the sowing of seeds and killing of weeds would be for nothing.

The time and expense involved in preparing, planting, and protecting is immense. Not to mention the stress and anxiety of watching, waiting, and wondering if the crop will survive. If there was no harvest at the end of all this, how crushing would that be?

Our lives can be like that. We can work hard on making some changes and alterations to our lives. We can do our best to follow through with the goals we set many months ago. We can look and feel busy. But if there is no fruit to our hard work, if there is nothing  to show for the efforts, then why? What has it all been about? Have we been going through the motions just to do  something?

God’s Word has a lot to say about producing fruit in our lives, and warns about not producing fruit. For many the walk of Faith is just a series of events – baptism, confirmation, marriage, funeral – and as long as those events take place in the church then they are ok. There is little thought of the reasons behind those events actually making a difference in their lives, actually showing up in their choices and behaviors.

And that is sad. It’s like putting out the time and money to plant a crop and never having a harvest.

The Bible tells us we should have the fruit of God’s Spirit working in us…things like - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). And these things will begin to produce a difference in the way we act and talk, and the things we do.

The Bible tells us God’s people will display good “fruit” - like making disciples (Matthew 28:19), using their gifts to benefit others (Romans 12:4–8), leading lost people to Jesus (James 5:20), loving their fellow believers (1 John 3:14), and seeking humble ways to do good everywhere (Jeremiah 29:7).

All of these things are indications of a good heart…filled with good fruit.

Is God’s fruit showing in your life? Every day we come a little closer to the day when a messenger will come from God’s Heavenly Temple with these words, “...the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” Revelation 14:15 (NIV)

Are you ready for the harvest? There is still time to allow God to bear His fruit in you. Will you let Him?

In His Service, Pastor Michael

It is amazing how some things happen so quickly and yet we often hardly notice them. We may not want to hear this but, the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer. The sun is rising a little later each morning and setting a little sooner every night. I have gotten into a routine of rising at 5:00 am and not that long ago I didn’t need to turn on any lights to see. Now, I need a light on. Not that many days ago I could be outside at 9:00pm and see pretty well. Now, a couple of hours earlier and I am not able to see much at all.

When I think about what is going on in the world around us, a similar thing seems to be happening. There seems to be more and more darkness and less and less light. International, national, state, and local news has so much more darkness than light. I know it has always leaned this way. After all, good news doesn’t sell advertising. But it sure feels like the darkness is getting worse and worse.

Part of the problem is the sources of true light in our world are not on display. Or if they are, they are being crowded out and covered up.

Part of that is our fault. Yes, the forces of  darkness are doing their best to totally eliminate anything resembling goodness and light. But the question is, are we doing our best to shine light into the darkness?

This battle between darkness and light is not new. Jesus taught about this on several occasions. Once he said, “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.” Luke 11.33 (NIV)

He went on to remind us, “…if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.” Luke 11.36 (NIV)

So yeah, part of this is our doing. We have not been putting our best efforts into making sure our whole bodies are full of light. We have not been doing our part in allowing that light to shine so bright it actually drives away the darkness.

And what exactly is this light? Well, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8.12 (NIV)

You see, the more of Jesus we have filling our lives, the more light we have in our lives! The more light we have the less darkness we have. The less darkness we have the more the light can be seen by those still living in darkness.

The world is getting darker, but we can change that by getting more of the light of Jesus in our own lives, and letting His light shine through us.

As the Fall schedule begins to unfold here at St. Luke’s I invite and encourage you all to take part in the opportunities offered to fill your life with more of the light of Jesus.

For example…All of you parents dropping young people off for Sunday School…we will have a place for you to hang out while your students are in their classrooms, right here at the church. We won’t have it available for the kick-off on September 12, but it will be up and running soon after. A place to hang out, have a treat and something to wash it down with, and gather with other parents. We will keep you posted on this.

And Wednesday Night Bible Study – we will be getting back together starting September 15 at 7:00pm.

So, get ready to “let your light shine before others!”

In His Service, Pastor Michael

Dear St. Luke’s Family,

Check out these definitions of bless: To hallow or consecrate by religious rite or word; to hallow with the sign of the cross; to invoke divine care for; praise, glorify; to speak well of; to confer prosperity or happiness upon; endow, favor.

By any definition, there is no doubt, God has richly blessed St. Luke’s Church. At a time in history when many churches are struggling to pay their bills and keep their doors open, St. Luke’s is not just surviving, we are thriving!

Our in person worship services are approaching pre-pandemic numbers. Our online ministry continues to reach people all across the country and beyond. Our radio ministry is heard each week. We have new families attending and becoming members. People are taking both baby and large leaps of faith. Kids are going to camps. Our general fund giving is strong and our missions giving is amazing. 

While I was giving thanks to God for all He is doing in and through St. Luke’s I kept getting this crazy idea popping into my head. FEED 1000 people. Every time I prayed  about St. Luke’s I continued to hear – FEED 1000 people. It became clear what I had to do.

I went to the Missions and Outreach Team and said to them, “We need to FEED 1000 people for free. Give away 1000 meals.”

I had not totally figured this all out until one of the Team members asked why we need to do this. I answered, “Because we have been so blessed. We need to give back.” And that is how St. Luke’s Church Gives Back was born.

On August 4, 2021, starting at 4:00pm, we will be giving away meals to all who want one. No charge, no freewill offering, this is NOT a fund raising event. This is the church giving back to the community around us.

This is about St. Luke’s Church leading the way in celebrating how much God has done and is doing in all our lives.

And guess what? We need your help to pull  this off. Getting the word out, preparing the meal, handing out the meal (drive through like we did for the last Harvest Supper), cleaning up, there is plenty to do. Talk to Heidi Snell or Diane Bulman – they will find something for you to do.

To those of you who are not physically able to help out – Pray, Pray, Pray! This event only happens if God makes it happen, so Pray!

And, here’s a reminder from the Gospel of Matthew… “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25.34-40 (NIV). 

Excited to Serve the King,

Pastor Michael

Dear St. Luke’s Family,

In our world today the word “hero” is used a lot. Way too much, in fact. Sometimes a word is used so much it loses its meaning. People say a word over and over, use it so often, it means very little to anyone. I am afraid “hero” has become one of those words.

The dictionary defines "hero" as "a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his or her brave deeds and noble qualities."

All too often our modern day “heroes” are given that label because they excel at a sport, can entertain people, have been declared the victor in an election, or have done something out of the ordinary, but not necessarily courageous, brave, or noble.

That last word, noble, is what I believe is missing the most in who we call “heroes” today. There are a lot of courageous, brave acts, but are they noble? Honorable, principled, decent, upright, moral, polite, self-sacrificing, these are the synonyms of noble. These are traits our world used to hold up as admirable. These are qualities people used to strive towards having in their life.

Now it seems those who yell the loudest, and behave the most outrageous, are labeled “heroes”.

Honorable, principled, decent, upright, moral, polite, self-sacrificing, these have a familiar ring to them. The Apostle Paul wrote “… whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” Philippians 4.8 (NIV). We need to start honoring those who live this verse out in their lives as heroes.

And how about the example the greatest “hero” of all time gave us? You talk about noble…Jesus Christ was the most noble person to ever walk the earth. Every breath taken, every word spoken, every step made, every encounter Jesus had, was epically heroic!

And when Jesus spoke of heroes, when he addressed what it took to be a hero, he said things like, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. John 15:13-14 (NIV). And what did Jesus command? Love each other. Love each other with a courageous, brave, noble love.

As I read this over I realize, I will most likely never be a hero. But I am going to try. How about you?

In Service to the King of Kings,

Pastor Michael

Dear St. Luke’s Family,

A year ago we were beginning to look towards having in-person worship services again, after not having them for many weeks. It felt like there was an anticipation, a sense things were going to be better soon.

Little did we know the chaos, confusion, and frustrations that were soon to unfold. It was like the world nose-dived and just continued to spiral out of control.

So, here we are, May 2021. In some ways things are slowly crawling towards some semblance of normal. In other ways, normal seems like a distant place, never to be seen again.

When King Solomon completed the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, the Lord appeared to him and said… “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. 13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:12-14 (NIV)

Verse 14 is often quoted and used in times of community and national difficulties. But verse 13 really struck me. God said, “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people” (Bold added)

We need to remember – nothing is happening in our world that God does not have a hand on. Nothing is surprising him. Nothing is taking place outside of his sovereign rule. We may not understand, we may not comprehend, what God is allowing.

It may be difficult for us to even see God in the midst of all the stuff swirling around us. But we know what to do. At least we are told what to do. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways…”

We are told what to do, but do we actually do it? God even tells us what he will do if we respond as he told us to, “then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

It is way past time to take these verses to heart. It is time to humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from our wicked ways. As your pastor I am calling each of us to listen to these words and act upon them, now. When you are done reading this, do what God is asking us all to do.

As your pastor I am calling us to gather as a church on Wednesday, May 26, to join together as the Lord’s people and pray. No teaching, no service, just prayer. We will start at 7:00 pm and end when the last person leaves.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

In His Service, Pastor Michael

Dear St. Luke’s Family,

The other day I got to church, sat down at my desk, and realized I had forgotten to put on my hearing aids. I was in a hurry to leave the house, distracted by something, I don’t remember what, and I had totally left my hearing aids in the overnight storage container. Now you need to understand, at our house we call my hearing aids, my “ears”. As in, do you have your “ears” on? Without my “ears” my right side hears almost nothing,  nd what my left side hears is muffled at best.

So there I was, sitting at church, knowing I needed to go back to the house and get my hearing aids. I would certainly need them if anyone stopped by to see me. I would need them to be able to better converse on the phone. I would need them to hear anyone knocking on the doors wanting to get into the building.

But I have to tell you something. I delayed going home and getting my hearing aids. I waited a couple of hours. Why? Because the  quiet was really nice. Not having everything amplified onto my eardrums was turning out to be a very pleasant experience. I knew I eventually would have to go get the hearing aids and put them on. But for a little while, the silence was truly golden.

We live in a noisy world. You all live in a world a lot noisier then mine! Even with mechanical amplification I do not hear everything. And sometimes, all that noise gets so loud, it drowns out the still small voice whispering to our souls. All that noise blocks the gentle breath speaking softly to our hearts. All that noise overpowers the Voice who invited us to, “Be still and know that I am God.” All that noise takes us away from the One who offers to, “Lead us beside quiet waters.”

The Prophet Elijah got so caught up in the  noise around him he almost totally missed the presence of God. Here’s what happened,

“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” 1 Kings 19:11-12 (NIV)

It was in the gentle whisper that God spoke to Elijah. It is in that same gentle whisper God speaks to us. We need to learn to shut down the noise. Turn off our ears. We need to learn to listen for the loving voice of our Great Shepherd who will nudge and guide us where He needs us to go.

I encourage us all to turn off the electronics, mute the phone, ignore the door bell, shut windows and doors, and spend some time making friends with the silence. Spend some time listening.

Shhhh…

In His Service, Pastor Michael

Dear St. Luke’s Family,

I was recently asked to respond to this question: What does your faith teach regarding how to treat other people, including those different from us? On the surface this appears to be a good and valid question.

Unfortunately, these types of requests are all too often “gotcha” questions, designed to set up the responder when they do not answer in the politically correct, socially acceptable manner.

Jesus got asked these “gotcha” questions often. His response was to use Scripture to answer these questions. So, I thought, if that is what Jesus did, that’s what I will do.

What does your faith teach regarding how to treat other people, including those different from us?

“On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)

My understanding of all this boils down to this phrase – Love God, Love People. Our differences come in what it means to love – both God and People? Clearly from the parable Jesus shared, love includes mercy, action, caring for those in need, even those we do not like or agree with.

From other teachings of Jesus love also includes correction, accountability, instruction, and yes, at times, rebuking. The bottom line is our faith teaches us to love those we agree with, those we disagree with, those we like, those we do not like, those who like us, and those who do not like us. And sometimes love is hard. Maybe most of the time love is hard.

Because most of the time loving someone includes giving them enough space to travel their own journey, while warning them of dangers ahead. Loving someone includes letting them make their own decisions, and letting them know when they are wrong, when they are off the rails, headed down a path of pain and misery. Loving someone includes holding them close, even when they ignore our warnings. Loving someone includes being there to walk together through the joys and sorrows, the ups and downs, the success and failures. Loving someone includes watching them fly and soar or crash and burn, and then sticking around to celebrate or help pick up the pieces.

Love is hard. That does not excuse us from carrying out the commands of our faith – to Love God and Love People.

In His Service, Pastor Michael

Dear St. Luke’s Family,

Here it is February already. How did this happen? Didn’t we just do Advent and Christmas? I can still hear Happy New Year ringing in my ears. How did we get to February? The pages of the calendar seem to fly by. One more reminder of how little time we actually have here on this earth. The days come and go so quickly. The weeks and months zip past us like we are standing still.

In the whirlwind of passing time there are voices calling for us to slow down. There are voices reaching out, asking us to hear them. The voices of our loved ones – our spouses, our children, our parents, our grandparents, our great-grandparents, aunts and uncles, siblings and cousins. Some of these we see every day, but do we really spend time with them? Some of these we hardly ever see, and even when we do it is for a fleeting moment. All too soon those  voices will be gone. And we will wish we had heeded their call to slow down and spend some time with them.

So how about we make February – Slow Down and Reach Out Month? Yes, I think I just made that up. But it sounds good. Arrange a safe visit, make a phone call, write a note, take the time to connect with those you love. Don’t let another page turn on the calendar without doing something to make a connection with people you care about.

Speaking of time flying by, Lent starts this month. Ash Wednesday is on February 17. We will have a service at 7:00 pm. As far as we know right now we will be having Wednesday Lent services at 7:00pm and we will keep you posted about Soup Suppers at 6:00pm starting February 24. We will keep you posted on these in the Sunday Bulletin, on our website, stlukeseitzen.org, and social media sites.

I am reading and researching a fair amount on what church will look like going forward in 2021 and beyond. We are doing our best to minister to both those who worship in person in the building and those who worship online. Our online ministry continues to grow and presents us with unique challenges.

We are working on transitioning our livestreaming of services directly to our St. Luke’s Church YouTube page (St. Luke’s Church Eitzen on YouTube) so those who are not on Facebook can take part in the worship services live. We will still have recordings of the services posted and available. If there is someone with experience in how to facilitate this change the most effective way I could really use your help.

I am looking forward to seeing all of you very soon.

In His Service, Pastor Michael

Dear St. Luke’s Family,

As we enter into a new year, I think we can all agree, the year we are leaving behind has been unique, to say the least. In an effort to start the coming year off right, I give you some ideas I ran across to reduce stress and anxiety in 2021… 

More Time In God’s Word - I know, I sound like a broken record. But it is so true that the more time we spend in God’s Word the less stress and anxiety we will have. Our situations and circumstances may not change but our ability to face them in healthy and constructive ways will change.

There are many good Bible reading plans around. You could start one of those (if you need help finding one you can ask me or check out…youversion.com. They have many excellent plans. OR just pick up your Bible and read something, anything, every day!

Reduce Screen Time - Whether it is television, computers, tablets, phones, or gaming systems, our brains are bombarded by information that must be processed. Even if all that information was good and holy (and we know it is not) there is too much for us to take in. Shut some screens off. Reduce how much time you spend looking at ANY type of screen (except for window screens, you can look out those all you want!).

Get Outside - Go for a walk. Without headphones or earbuds. Breathe fresh air. Listen to the sounds of nature and the world around you. Use all five of your senses to experience whatever is around you. Enjoy it!

Eat Better - Try eating healthier, more natural foods. Eating at regular times. Eat out less and cook at home more. Enjoy the cooking time. Sit around a table (with the screens off!) and share a meal with others.

Connect With Those You Love - Pick up the phone and make a call. Write a letter or send a card. Get together regularly with those you are closest to. Don’t wait for an invitation – you do the inviting!

Get Rid Of Stuff - Mess brings on stress. Clean off the tops of tables, desks, counters, dressers. Make a pile to go to a secondhand store. Once you start getting rid of things you really don’t need, it starts to feel good! And by donating your stuff you are helping out someone else. Everybody wins.

Do It Now - Stop putting off until tomorrow what you can get done today. Tasks left hanging over our heads bring on stress and rob our peace.

Apologize - All of us have someone we need to apologize to. Do it now. Unforgiveness is a huge contributor to our stress levels. Getting things settled between you and someone else is not only Biblical but a really healthy idea.

Give - The amount is up to you, but giving to those in need is a good way to reduce stress. Be a blessing. Volunteer. Take part in random acts of kindness.

Pray - Ask God to bring peace into whatever circumstance you are in. Spend quiet time with God. Let Him carry the load of your anxiety.

Praying 2021 is filled with amazing blessings,

Pastor Michael

Dear St. Luke’s Family,

I know the holidays might be a little different this year, but there is one thing that will never change, the reason for the season…

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 

This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2:1-20 NIV)

Whether in person or on-line, I encourage you to make plans to join us on Sunday mornings during the Advent season. We will be taking a look at the figures we see as part of most Nativity sets. Through them, we will challenge each other to take a fresh look at this incredible event in the history of the world.

Merry Christmas to you all,

Pastor Michael

Traditionally November is a month we try to spend some time focusing on being thankful, on expressing our gratitude. We will be doing those traditional things – a Thanksgiving Eve service will happen, our Wall of Thanks will be up (see details elsewhere in this Messenger) – but come on, its 2020! Most of us are making plans to stay up late on New Year’s Eve just to make sure 2020 actually comes to an end.

The year has been filled with difficult and trying times. Dealing with COVID-19, no matter what your opinion is about it, has brought stress and anxiety to our lives. We hear things like, “new normal” and want to hide in a cave, or scream, or both.

Political bantering has devolved into outright hostility. Friends and family cannot even talk about politics for fear of sending someone they like into deep, dark, depression, or rude, obnoxious behavior. People get outraged and make horrible threats over just about anything and everything. We deal with phrases like “cancel culture” and wonder when it will be our turn to be canceled.

Whole sections of cities have been burned to the ground because someone got upset about something. We fear someone will get upset with us and bring destruction to our lives.

Even sports, which for many is a way to escape the stresses and strains of life, have become hotbeds of cultural controversy. Instead of entertaining, professional sports have added to the negativity.

I could go on and talk about delayed graduations, weddings, birthdays, and the dangers of isolation. About television and movie stars, the music industry, and the news. But you get the point, the year 2020 will be seen best in the rearview mirror. So what is there to be thankful for?

Did you wake up this morning? Did you have food to eat and clothes to wear? Did you breathe clean air and drink fresh water? Did you survive your trip to work or school and home again? Did you enjoy the beauty of fields and hills, trees and flowers? Did you have a conversation with a loved one or a friend? Did you give or get a hug? 

Did you read your Bible without the threat of someone crashing down your door and hauling you away? Did you see a cross and remember, Jesus died for your sins so you could spend eternity with Him? Even given the absurdity of the year 2020, we have so much to be thankful for. 

When the peace of Christ rules in our hearts, thankfulness overflows. Even in the darkest of times, we can praise God for his love, his sovereignty, and his promise to be near us when we call (Psalm 145:18) We can, even in the year 2020, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Psalm 118:1 (NIV)

I was given this sermon from almost 100 years ago upon the passing of my mom. I am putting it here as a remembrance of her and offer it to all of you who have lost, or are facing the loss, of a loved one…

Go Down, Death

Weep not, weep not, she is not dead; She's resting in the bosom of Jesus. Heart-broken husband--weep no more; Grief stricken son--weep no more; Left-lonesome daughter --weep no more; She only just gone home. 

Day before yesterday morning, God was looking down from his great, high heaven, Looking down on all his children, and his eye fell on Sister Sharron, tossing on her bed of pain. And God's big heart was touched with pity, with the everlasting pity.

And God sat back on his throne, and he commanded that tall, bright angel standing at his right hand: Call me Death!

And that tall, bright angel cried in a voice that broke like a clap of thunder: Call Death!--Call Death!
And the echo sounded down the streets of heaven till it reached away back to that shadowy place,
Where Death waits with his pale, white horses.

And Death heard the summons, and he leaped on his fastest horse, pale as a sheet in the moonlight.
Up the golden street Death galloped, and the hooves of his horses struck fire from the gold,
But they didn't make no sound.
Up Death rode to the Great White Throne, and waited for God's command.

And God said: Go down, Death, go down. Go down to Rochester, Minnesota, down at Mayo,
And find Sister Sharron.
She's borne the burden and heat of the day, she's labored long in my vineyard,
And she's tired--She's weary--Go down, Death, and bring her to me.

And Death didn't say a word, but he loosed the reins on his pale, white horse,
And he clamped the spurs to his bloodless sides, and out and down he rode,
Through heaven's pearly gates, past suns and moons and stars; on Death rode,
Leaving the lightning’s flash behind; Straight down he came.

While we were watching round her bed, she turned her eyes and looked away,
She saw what we couldn't see; she saw Old Death. She saw Old Death coming like a falling star.
But Death didn't frighten Sister Sharron; He looked to her like a welcome friend.
And she whispered to us: I'm going home, and she smiled and closed her eyes.

And Death took her up like a baby, and she lay in his icy arms, but she didn't feel no chill.
And death began to ride again--Up beyond the evening star, into the glittering light of glory,
On to the Great White Throne. And there he laid Sister Sharron on the loving breast of Jesus.

And Jesus took his own hand and wiped away her tears, and he smoothed the furrows from her face,
And the angels sang a little song, and Jesus rocked her in his arms,
And kept a-saying: Take your rest, Take your rest.

Weep not, weep not, she is not dead; She's resting in the bosom of Jesus.

Credit: From God's Trombones by James Weldon Johnson. Copyright © 1927 The Viking Press, Inc., renewed 1955 by Grace Nail Johnson.

At this time of year we usually turn our thoughts to a lot of things that are not happening as normal in 2020. We should be thinking about the blessed event of kids back in school. We should be thinking about Sunday school starting. We should be thinking about Confirmation classes beginning. We should, we should, we should! The list is long.

Living in the world of “should be” can take us down real fast. We get caught up in looking at all the “shoulds” and miss the “ares” all around us. We lament what is not happening the way we are used to it happening and miss the great things actually taking place!

If we stay on the “should be highway” we can exit quickly to “I am missing out on” and “I deserve”. Two roads that lead nowhere but dead ends labeled Hurt and Anxiety. 

In these days of uncertainty and seemingly ever shifting opinions, we need somewhere to put our focus. Somewhere to turn, somewhere to find a straight and knowable road, somewhere to pound a stake in the ground, attach ourselves to it and shout, “This I know for sure!”

Friends, we need to shout out with the Apostle Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 (NIV) (emphasis mine). 

Can you hear the present tense in that verse? Christ lives in me….the life I now live…I live...

No “should be”. No lament. No wondering. No uncertainty. No looking to the past or gazing into the future. Today... “This I know for sure, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” Amen. 

Christine and I also know for sure we are thankful for our St. Luke’s family. We are grateful for your prayers, your cards of encouragement, and the food…YUM! It is good to know we are still united and connected to each other through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

I encourage you to continue to connect with your brothers and sisters in Christ. We are meeting in person at church at 9:00AM on Sunday mornings. We will continue to meet at that time until Sunday school begins (at least until October). 

You can listen to the service live from the church parking lot on your car radio – tune to 87.9FM. 

You can join us live or later (recorded) via my Facebook page or on the church Facebook page…St. Luke's Church, Eitzen, MN. 

I encourage you to also check out our radio ministry…5 Minutes of Good News - Sundays around 7:30am on these radio stations: HAWK ROCK - FM100.5;     THE RIVER – FM94.9/99.1 and around 7:40am on KNEI - FM103.5

You can view all of our video ministry projects and listen to sermons by going to our website, stlukeseitzen.org. This is also a great place to make a contribution to St. Luke’s Church. 

The “should bes” are many, but God is doing great things through St. Luke’s Church now! 

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Pastor Michael

July. 2020. We should be taking part in celebrations, vacations, travel, reunions. But here we are. I saw a meme on-line that went something like this – July: Come in; Sit down; Be quiet! We really do not want, or need, any more surprises than 2020 has already brought us.

One of my grandchildren recently asked if I  thought the year 1010 was as crazy as this year has been. I said it was probably only half as bad  and I was really glad I would not be around for 4040!

While it is true this has been quite a year so far, there is an old saying I am afraid bears repeating, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” Jesus warned us of wars and rumors of wars. Nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom. He told us there would be famines and earthquakes. Jesus told us, His followers, we would be persecuted, put to death, and hated by all nations because of Him (see Matthew chapter 24).

I’m just a bundle of good news, right? But think about it…many of you have been around long enough to see this world get worse and worse. And the further this world travels a path of eliminating God from any and everywhere, the further the plunge into chaos and darkness will be. We have seen this happening right now in 2020. If this year has taught us anything it has taught us what a world without God will look like. Not a pretty sight is it?

But there really is Good News in the midst of this horrible, rotten, no good year. Jesus also said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 NIV). 

Jesus is the lighthouse shining through the storm. Jesus is the flashlight showing the way in a midnight forest. Jesus is the Son bringing in the dawn to chase the night away.

It may sound too simple and cliché, but there really is only one answer to the pain and hurt of this world. There really is only one answer to the anger and hate. There really is only one answer to those blinded in the darkness of lies and untruths. Jesus.

And you know what? The closer we get to Jesus and the more we imitate His life and manners, the more His light begins to shine through us. Do you realize what that means? We, yes you and me, become lighthouses and flashlights showing people the way through the darkness. Showing people the way to the One who is “the light of the world.”

And Jesus warned us not to hide that light under a bushel, NO! We are to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

We continue letting the light of Jesus shine through His church called St. Luke’s. This church is a lighthouse and a flashlight. We continue to carefully meet for worship on Sunday mornings, we have an ever growing internet ministry that reaches across the nation and beyond. We are just starting to reach out through radio and now, if you are not comfortable entering the building but still would like to leave home and “come to church”, you can listen to the Sunday service from the church parking lot on FM 87.9.

So, keep loving God, keep loving people, and be a light to the world!

Normally at this time of year we are getting ready for graduations and open houses, looking forward to the end of the school year, upcoming weddings, and summer vacations. But this year, it would seem, is not normal. Whatever normal was is gone, replaced by uncertainty and the need for flexibility. From its birth the Church of Jesus Christ has been a foundation stone of societies, providing stability and safety even in the most terrible circumstances. Over the last two months the church has had to learn how to continue to offer these to a world in need of both.

The leadership and staff of St. Luke’s Church have been, and continue to be, committed to being essential in people’s lives in a safe way. St. Luke’s Church has been providing online video and audio services, sermons, and meditations. These will continue as they have been well received. Hopefully by the first Sunday in June (maybe earlier depending on delivery dates) we will be offering the capability to listen to the services in the church parking lot via FM radio transmission in your car. We are looking into further expansion of our online abilities to grow and enhance our outreach for Jesus Christ. 

So…the question is…when will we have face to face worship services again? After prayerful consideration and thoughtful discussion, the Church Council decided to have worship services in our building beginning Pentecost Sunday, May 31 at 9:00am.

In the Old Testament Pentecost was a Jewish festival celebrating God’s goodness in the harvest. It was a day of joy and gratitude. In the New Testament the Holy Spirit was given to the church on Pentecost. As the followers of Jesus Christ were gathered together in one place, the Holy Spirit came upon them and the church was filled with the power and strength to carry out the mission Jesus had charged them with.

St. Luke’s Church will joyfully and safely meet on Pentecost Sunday to celebrate God’s goodness and offer Him our thanks. We fully understand there will be those who are not comfortable with meeting together at this time. That is OK! We respect your decision and ask you to join us online or in the parking lot (please check to make sure this option is available). 

Here is a reminder of the precautions we have put in place…

• If you are sick or think you might be sick, stay home

• If you are not comfortable with attending services in person, stay home, online will still be available

• Wash hands or use hand sanitizer upon entering church building

• Masks will be available at front entrance, use one if you choose and take home with you

• No shaking of hands – social distancing will be maintained

• Entrance to building limited to canopy entrance - Christian Education doors for emergency exit only – greeters will open exterior doors so they are the only ones contacting the handles

• No fellowship time following service

• No Sunday School or Confirmation classes

• No staffed nursery during service – quiet room still available

• Spread out in sanctuary when seated – sit with those you live with, otherwise keep appropriate social distances – plenty of seats up front!

• Practice social distancing when interacting with others before and after service 

• Communion will be alter communion with individual preset-up wafer/cup trays.

• Offerings will be collected at back of sanctuary in offering plates

• If bulletins are used they will be pre-placed on pews throughout the sanctuary

• Surfaces will be cleaned following services (we will have seven days between services so there is little danger of virus contamination, but we will be cleaning everything possible)

These are indeed exciting times we live in. Through it all we are reminded…God is good ALL the time!

See you Pentecost Sunday! Pastor Michael

It has been a while since we have been together in person to worship. Some think this will make the church weak and ready to close its doors. They are wrong! The church of Jesus Christ called St. Luke’s has risen up and become stronger, more unified, and even more ready to carry out the mission Jesus gave us. Amidst the strangeness of these days there have been incredible blessings.

God’s people have stepped out and taken care of each other – meals, phone calls, cards, emails, video chats, careful and safe visits, running errands, drive-by birthday parades – whatever it takes to help, God’s people have done.

Because we have been putting our services, sermons, and video meditations on the internet, St. Luke’s Church now has a ministry that extends across the nation. People are listening and watching from California to North Carolina, from Michigan to Florida. People have made first time decisions to follow Jesus Christ, people have re-dedicated their lives to Christ, and God has used the ministry of St. Luke’s Church to accomplish this.

And just think – this is all happening in response to what many saw as a bad thing, a virus. Is God awesome or what? Reminds me of the story of Joseph and his brothers in the book of Genesis. After being sold into slavery by his brothers Joseph rose to second in command in Egypt. When Joseph was reunited with his brothers he said to them, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:20 (NIV)

These days of isolation and quarantine will end. We will worship together soon. But these days have not been wasted. God’s plan is unfolding before us. He has been doing mighty things. There are more incredible things yet to come. I can’t wait!

These are not scary times…these are exciting times! God has us on the journey of a lifetime. God has us on the front lines of a changing world.

In preparation for the day we will meet together in person here are some things the Church Council has discussed as ways to safely gather…

• If you are sick or think you might be sick, stay home

• If you are not comfortable with attending services in person, stay home, online will still be available

• Wash hands or use hand sanitizer upon entering church building

• Masks will be available at front entrance, use one if you choose and take home with you

• No shaking of hands – social distancing will be maintained

• Entrance to building limited to canopy entrance - Christian Education doors for emergency exit only – greeters will open exterior doors so they are the only ones contacting the handles

• No fellowship time following service

• No Sunday School or Confirmation classes

• No staffed nursery during service – quiet room still available

• Spread out in sanctuary when seated – sit with those you live with, otherwise keep appropriate social distances – plenty of seats up front!

• Practice social distancing when interacting with others before and after service

•  Communion will be alter communion with individual preset-up wafer/cup trays.

• Offerings will be collected at back of sanctuary in offering plates

• If bulletins are used they will be pre-placed on pews throughout the sanctuary

• Surfaces will be sanitized following services (we will have seven days between services so there is little danger of virus contamination, but we will be sanitizing everything possible)

We are all in this together…Keep Loving God – Keep Loving People!

Pastor Michael

Are these crazy times or what? As I write this we are in the midst of something most of us have never experienced. And maybe the craziest thing is the ever changing information that keeps coming our way. We really do not know from day to day what decisions will be made that affect all our lives.

The Church Council is trying to keep in touch with each other and trying our best to monitor situations. We are trying to set a course for what the church should and should not do. For now, the best I can tell you is, be patient and be flexible. There is no way to know when this will be at a point where we can safely meet together as a congregation. As much as I want to be together for worship and fellowship, the health and safety of everyone is a priority we cannot ignore.

I am so proud of the St. Luke’s Family. There are those who are checking in on others, providing what services they are able, praying for everyone, and doing what they can to assist those who are most at risk. If you can help out or are in need of help, please let me know. Now is the time to be honest with what you need and what you can do.

I am currently working from home and I can be reached at the parsonage – 507-495-3129 – or on my mobile phone – 563-380-1915. I will be preaching sermons and linking them to the church website www.stlukeseitzen.org. We are also working on a weekly update so we can communicate where we are at and what is going on as far as church life goes.

Just a reminder to remember, as you are able, the continuing financial needs of St. Luke’s. Many of you have been doing that already. I realize we are all facing difficult choices in our finances. As you are able you can mail your offering, drop it off at the church, or take advantage of the E-giving link on the website.

In the sermon last week I listed some things we can be doing to live out our faith in tangible and real ways during these days and weeks ahead…I offer them to you again here…

1.) Trust in Christ as your personal Savior and Lord.

2.) Seek God for His guidance, protection and favor.

3.) Ask the Lord what He wants us to learn in all of this.

4.) Ask the Lord to bring this country and this world to repentance.

5.) Ask God to give wisdom to our government.

6.) Ask God for a cure of this virus.

7.) Ask God to guide our medical professionals, give strength to all caregivers, and protect them all.

8.) Ask God to enable those who are sick to respond to treatment.

9.) Ask God to give you open doors of opportunity to minister to those in need.

Be upbeat. Be positive. Be encouraged. Be an encouragement. Be blessed and be a blessing.

In His Service, Pastor Michael

Sometimes sports is a good analogy for real life. There are times in the life of most sports teams when they must make a choice between staying the course with what they have, replacing or changing a few things, or rebuilding and starting all over from the ground up.

For many of us in our walk with God we reach a similar place. We like the way things are going in our spiritual life so we keep doing the things we have been doing. Or, we like most of what is happening but we would like to make a few changes to take things to a new, deeper, level. Or, we are not satisfied at all with our spiritual life and we need a complete overhaul.

My prayer for this year is we all will experience something fresh and new in our spiritual life. No matter where you are on this journey I ran across some ideas to fine tune, jump start, or start over in our walk of faith this year. (The following ideas are adapted from a work by Robert J. Morgan as written for Devotional Daily, February 17, 2020.)

1. Pull all the ingredients of your life into the circle of the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

This is something we need to do every day at the start of our day. Robert J. Morgan offers this prayer he uses every morning…“Lord, I want You to be in control of every aspect of my life. My time. My habits. My money. My relationships. May they be under Your authority today.”

2. Never miss a day without a personal closed-door appointment with God, allowing Him to speak to you through His Word and responding to Him in prayer.

In a marriage, it’s hard to keep the romance alive if a couple never communicates. In our relationship with God, it’s hard to keep things alive if there’s no regular communication. Jesus told us to go into a private room, close the door, and meet with the Father (Matthew 6:6).

3. Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit

Ephesians 5:18-19 says, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

4. As you leave the secret room and go into your day, consciously remember the reality of God’s presence.

He goes with you. Remind yourself God is with you, near you, around you, within you—and you have constant access to Him through Jesus Christ.

5. Let this show up on your face.

Ecclesiastes 8:1 says, a person’s wisdom brightens their faces and changes its hard appearance.

We can’t always smile. Troubles and grief happen, and we face moments requiring serious thought. But biblical joy isn’t dependent on outward circumstances. The Bible says, Rejoice in the Lord always. — Philippians 4:4

Even when we can’t control our emotions, we can chose our attitudes, trust God with our burdens, and turn problems into prayers.

As I write this we are in the last few days of January. Christmas is over. New Year’s Day 2020 has come and gone. The college football season is over. There is only one Big Game left of the National Football League season. The calendar and the weather informs us winter is upon us.

Recently, Christine and I visited a local retail establishment. Gone were the greens and reds of Christmas. Gone were the festive headgear and noise makers of New Year’s Eve. All of those had been replaced with the reds, pinks, and whites of Valentine’s Day. A holiday set aside to remind us of “true love” and to help us ask that special person “will you be mine?” Hearts of all sizes, banners, cards, candies, even clothing were on full display, front and center.

All of the Valentine’s Day decorations and accessories got me thinking. As much as we value intellect and information, as much as we put education and data on a pedestal, we are still subject to our hearts. Most of us gather facts and research statistics only to find, in the end, we make decisions based on how we feel about things. We come to conclusions based on where our hearts are at. That’s not a bad thing. It’s not a good thing. It just is.

The journey we call life takes us along many different and varied paths. We often find ourselves climbing what seem like never ending mountains or wandering through deep, dark valleys. Sometimes our journey takes us far from where we ever thought we would end up. For many, this trip called living, is hard and tiring. 

But there is one path, one adventure, which for most of us proves to be the most difficult of all. The journey from our heads filled with knowledge to our hearts. Oh, we know stuff, lots of stuff. We can recite intricate thoughts and complex ideas. But the most arduous task we face is to walk the short path from all that information and allow it to affect our hearts.

This is never truer than in our walk of faith. The God who created the universe is not impressed with all our head knowledge. The God who fashioned and wired each of us is not mesmerized by our ability to say the right words at the right times. What God wants, what God desires most, is our hearts. He wants all that head knowledge to travel the eighteen inches or so down to our hearts. God wants all the information we have been gathering for so long to actually impact our hearts. He wants hardened hearts broken and broken hearts healed. On the last Wednesday of February Lent begins.

Ash Wednesday will start a journey we will travel together, all the way to death on a cross and life in an empty tomb. Most of you know the stories and events. You have heard them multiple times. They are locked away in a room in your head marked “Here We Go Again.”

But God wants something more. He wants more than remembering stories and events. God wants those stories and events to leave our heads and travel to our hearts. He wants us to unlock long sealed doors where we have stashed the oft repeated Lenten stories. God wants us to allow the truth and power behind those stories to shape and mold our hearts. It is not enough to just know stuff about God. It is time for that stuff to lead us to a new and wonderful place where our hearts are changed forever by God.

The physical distance from our heads to our hearts is short but it can be daunting to travel. God, in his wisdom, has given us fellow travelers so we do not take this journey alone. I invite you to walk with me and the rest of God’s people as we travel this voyage from head to heart.

In His Service, Pastor Michael

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27 (NLT) 

As I sat down to write this letter I tried to come up with a beautiful, meaningful, life changing Christmas story. I searched files, movies, quotes, and several resources. Then it hit me. The most beautiful, meaningful, life changing Christmas story was written almost two thousand years ago by a man named Luke. I share this story with you…

"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria). And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fieldsnearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the  glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Luke 2:1-20 (NIV)

My prayer is you will remember this story, amidst all the shopping, cooking, wrapping, cleaning, get-togethers, music, movies, and travel. May this most beautiful of all stories…God coming to earth in the form of a baby, God with us…bring you joy and peace.

May we never forget – Jesus really is the reason for the season! Merry Christmas!

Pastor Michael

I have become increasingly aware of the growing effort to remove the God we know and love from the public arena. To say this bothers me is an understatement. I get it…not everyone has the same belief and relationship with God I have.

That should not mean I have to stop having my beliefs, nor does it mean my beliefs are invalid. Just as others are free to NOT believe, so I should be able to believe in an all-powerful, all knowing, always present, all loving God. And the telling of history should not and cannot be changed just to facilitate the elimination of a set of beliefs.

Take the Pilgrims for example. You know, those brave individuals who traveled across an ocean, endured incredible hardships, and barely survived in a new and foreign land. On November 28th we carry on a tradition those Pilgrims started. We call it Thanksgiving. The first Thanksgiving was held in 1621 along with the Wampanoag Indians. There was a feast, but there were also days of fasting and prayer. The current accepted “teaching” on this event is that it was a harvest celebration by some early settlers. But, that is only part of the history.

The Pilgrims were giving thanks. Thanks to God. They were not giving thanks to the Wampanoag Indians. They were not giving thanks to the Universe. They were not giving thanks to an unknown spirit. They were not giving thanks to Allah. They were not giving thanks to a governing body. They were giving thanks to the God of the Bible.

The Pilgrims were living out the words of David in Psalm 9:1, “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” To not teach this part of the history is to leave out the very heart and soul of what the first Thanksgiving was all about.

But then maybe this is not the fault of flawed education systems. Maybe this is not revisionist history. Maybe leaving out the God part of Thanksgiving is because we leave thankfulness to God out of every other day of our lives, why should Thanksgiving be any different! We really need to bring thankfulness to God into the forefront of our lives. We need to understand and believe every breath we take, every move we make, is due to God’s love and care for us.

Did you wake up this morning? Then thank God! 

Did you have food to eat? Then thank God!

Did you have clothes to wear? Then thank God!

Did you survive your journey to work or school? Then thank God!

Did you see the beauty of trees and hills, fields and flowers? Then thank God!

We cannot expect history to teach what we do not believe and put into practice. Can you say with certainty and conviction, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever?” 1 Chronicles 16:34 (NIV). If we, as God’s people, do not lead the way in thankfulness to God, then who will?

You can get started in this by visiting the Wall of Thanks in the front entry of St. Luke’s. Take a sticky note, write what you are thankful for, and put it on the display. But don’t stop there. Let everyone you come in contact with know you celebrate Thanksgiving to God…every day.

From one who is thankful to God -- Pastor Michael

So I have been staring at this screen for what feels like hours. Each month I write something in this space, something hopefully helpful and encouraging. That should be easy, right? But for some reason this has been slow in coming. I think they call it writer’s block. Several germs of ideas have floated aimlessly in and out of my mind, but nothing wants to take root and grow into a full blown article. I am feeling sort of disconnected from this article.

Have you ever felt like that? Disconnected. It can feel like you are walking through your day, doing the stuff you normally do, but things are just not coming together like they normally come together. If I had more letters behind my name I could probably tell you why this happens and what to do about it.

 My guess is…feeling disconnected is not all that unusual. From time to time we all have been there. Recently I discovered some other “problems” we all seem to face from time to time. I could list them out but you know what they are. Issues with things like relationships, money, health, and faith seem to cover most of what we deal with.

Did you know there are people in the Bible who dealt with the same things?

That’s right, the issues we deal with on a daily basis, are the same issues people in the Bible dealt with. The settings were a little different but the underlying problems were the same. I think this is a really cool thing to know about the Bible.

Sometimes we think of the Bible as an old, out of date, irrelevant to my life, book. It is anything but that. Just because the people lived long ago does not mean they did not have to deal with stuff. They were real people facing real problems – the same problems you and I face.

For the next few months we are going to be looking at some of these real people as part of the Sunday morning worship service. In a sermon series I call “Real People, Real Problems” we will discover ways those real people dealt with their real problems and see if we can use the same techniques in our lives.

If you have not been to a Sunday morning service in a while (and yes, there where people in the Bible who had that problem as well) I encourage you to stop in, have a seat, reconnect with friends, and see if God has something to say to you. You just might discover a way to handle something you are dealing with in a new and fresh way.

In Service to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords,

Pastor Michael

Do you remember the story about the monkey who tried to get a peanut out of a bottle? The monkey put his hand inside the bottle, grabbed the peanut in his fist, and went to remove his hand only to get stuck at the opening. The only way the monkey could get his hand out of the bottle was to let go of the peanut. He was not willing to let go and so walked around with a bottle on his hand!

Sometimes I think we are like that monkey. We are unwilling to let go of the stuff we carry around inside of us. The situation that seems impossible. The money that never seems to make it to the end of the month. The hope that takes so long you get sick of waiting. The anxiety over a child heading down a wrong path. The diet that is impossible to stick with. The broken promises of a family member or a friend. The loneliness of no true friends. The constant lack of the peace you want in your home. The impatience, frustration, anger and disappointment. The list goes on…

If only we could fully comprehend how much Jesus understands all the stuff we hang on to. If only we could learn to lay it all in his more than capable hands. The author of Hebrews reminds us…we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16 (NIV)

The Good News is, if we can learn to let go, we can have confidence our High Priest, Jesus Christ, will pick up what we let go of. Not only that, Jesus will replace all that stuff with two of the most amazing and wonderful things – mercy and grace.

In fact, God promises this, if we let go, open our hands and take hold of his, we will have enough mercy and grace to get us through anything we face.

The world we live in offers an endless variety of “escapes” from what we hang on to. The problem is those escapes never last, they are only temporary. I have tried some of those escapes, so have you. And how has that worked out?

I don’t know about you but I am tired of being like the monkey. I am tired of carrying around a bottle full of stuff just because I will not let go. I am tired of chasing after momentary escapes. There is nothing in all of the junk I am so desperately hanging on to that even comes close to what Jesus has and wants for me.

So…let’s make today the day we let go. Let’s make today the day we place all the stuff we hang on to in the nail scarred hands of our High Priest. Let’s make today the day we begin to walk in the amazing and everlasting flood of mercy and grace. (Portions of this were adapted from a devotional by Lysa TerKeurst, entitled Embraced)

In His Service,

Pastor Michael

I was having one of those blurry eyed, can’t make your eyes see straight mornings. The bigger problem was I was driving a mini-van filled with four of our grandchildren. Not a good or safe combination. Once I got my eyes settled down and was able to see the road well enough to continue our journey I began to think about how much we talk about staying focused. In sports, careers, school work, relationships, and even many of our leisure activities, staying focused is crucial to success.

The same is true in our walk of faith. If we find ourselves meandering aimlessly through our journey with God, we will more than likely miss the mark and fall short of where he intends us to end up. The author of Hebrews has a few things to say about this…

Following a listing of the great heroes of the faith in chapter 11, the author of Hebrews goes on in chapter 12 to say this… “1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ” Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)

In our attempts at staying focused it is important to… “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” Get rid of the things distracting us from where we really want to go. Throw off, throw away, toss as far as we can, those things keeping us tangled up in places, situations, and people that take our focus off of where it is supposed to be. 

One of the things helping to keep our focus is knowing where we are going. If our path is laid out, if we can see where we are intended to go, if we don’t have to search from side to side wondering where to go, it becomes much easier to stay focused. The author of Hebrews reminds us we can “persevere”, we can keep going, focused and not distracted, because “the race”, the path we are to follow, is already “marked out for us.” We do not have to guess where we are headed and how to get there. We do not have to watch the road and be looking at a GPS map at the same time.

We only have one place we need to look, one place to focus our attention – Jesus. The author of Hebrews reminds us Jesus is the “pioneer” of our faith. Jesus is the one who started this whole journey for all of us. He was, is, and always will be the creator, inventor, and founder of all we have been, all we are, and all we will be. 

Not only did Jesus pioneer our faith, he is the one who makes our faith perfect. We cannot make anything be even close to perfect. But, if we keep our eyes fixed, our focus on, Jesus…he will make whatever faith we possess grow. Jesus will grow our faith in the fertile soil of his Word, sprinkled with the life giving power of the Holy Spirit, until one day we fully blossom in his presence.

In a world constantly asking for our attention and focus on whatever someone has decided it should be on…we are called to focus on one thing, and one thing only…Jesus Christ.

In His Service, Pastor Michael

As I write this we have just arrived home from vacation. We had a wonderful time and our sincere thanks goes out to all who made this time away possible. We experienced many things with four of our grandchildren along the way.

One event stands out as a great lesson for us all. We were finishing lunch at an IHOP and there was uneaten macaroni and cheese and some fries. We put them into a to-go box and left the restaurant. Outside our small group was met by a man who told us he had just gotten out of a treatment facility, his mom had passed away recently, he had nowhere to stay, and none of his family was around. He commented on how lucky we were to have each other. He never asked for anything, just talked with us as we crossed the parking lot.

As we got near our van the man veered away and headed in the opposite direction. Christine and one of the grandkids took the to-go box, ran after the man, and gave him the leftovers. He seemed genuinely surprised and appreciative. I have to admit I was dubious about the man’s story. But we talked about it as a group as we got back on the interstate. We had no way of knowing if his story was true or not, but we all felt like the right thing to do was to give him the leftover food.

The event reminded me of something Jesus said when He was teaching about when He would return. He said, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:35-40 (NIV)

A simple act, carried out in the spur of the moment, provided the six of us a way to live out these words of Jesus. I do not know that man’s faith story at all. What I do know is he accepted our small gift and in return gave us each a lot to think about. We could not give him a place to stay, we could nothing about his family situation, but we did what we could in the moment.

All around us, every day, there are people in need. We may not be able to solve all problems for all people. But we can do one small thing for one person. If we all did that, then many things would be done for many people. And maybe that was part of what Jesus was trying to teach us.

Some food, some water, a place to stay, some clothes, taking care of some health needs, or visiting those who get few if any visitors – who knows how one of these simple acts of kindness could impact a life.

And you just might find the life impacted the most is your own!

In His Service, Pastor Michael

Vacation. Just the word can bring up a bevy of mixed emotions. A vacation can bring on excitement, a little fear, some stress, and maybe even a little guilt (should I really be taking this time off?). I recently ran across an article that listed five Biblical reasons to take a vacation. I share them with you…

1. Jesus was all for a “getaway.” In Mark 6:31 Jesus told His disciples, after a long day of meeting people’s needs, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Jesus knew His followers were drained. He knew they needed to refocus their minds and revitalize their souls and just rest and replenish, physically, too. Jesus was advocating a getaway. Jesus wanted to take His rest with the ones He loved. Take your vacation, knowing He goes with you to pour rest back into your soul.

2. Vacation makes us better stewards. In Colossians 3:23-24, we are told: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Do you want to give your best for the Lord and be a great example of a child and servant of God? Take a vacation when you need it, so you can return to the job more relaxed and more productive.

3. Vacation reduces our stress. We are commanded in scripture to care for our bodies as the dwelling place of God. First Corinthians 6:19 tells us: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.” So, treat your temple carefully by giving it the rest and change of pace it occasionally needs. Take a vacation to clear the stress out of your life and improve your health, and by doing so, you are taking care of your body, the dwelling place of God.

4. Vacation spurs our creativity and worship. In most jobs or hobbies, if you can add a creative element you can be more productive and fulfilled with what you have created. And that is true worship -- being God’s masterpiece and living out your purpose through the talents, abilities, and creativity He has given you (Ephesians 2:10). Enjoy your time off, and enjoy it with God. You were created to love Him and enjoy Him forever. And vacation is a reminder of that.

5. Vacation prevents burnout. Burnout comes to a certain activity you’re doing to the point you’ve emptied the battery out. It’s exactly why we need vacations – to refuel and re-energize. As you make a deliberate and intentional effort to rest, gain perspective, and enjoy life, your overall outlook will be better and you will be more pleasant to be around. (Adapted from an article by Cindi McMenamin, “Is it Biblical to Take a Vacation?” on Crosswalk.com) 

All that being said, we are going on vacation for two weeks in June. We are looking forward to a change of pace, new adventures, new memories, and renewed energy and passion upon our return. While we are gone I am very excited about the people who will be filling the pulpit during the Sunday morning worship service. 

On June 16, our own Rob Stokman will be sharing his faith walk. It has been a pleasure and a joy to watch Rob grow in his understanding of his faith and his passion for letting others know about his faith. 

On June 23, Bryan Mincks from Ironridge Church in Waukon will be bringing his unique and powerful style to the pulpit. Bryan is a friend of mine and has been preaching part-time at Ironridge for several years.

I encourage you all to make plans to be here for these Sundays. They will be incredible opportunities to hear fresh voices bringing you inspiring Biblical truth.

And we will see you all when we get back from vacation!

In His Service, Pastor Michael