About Nate Preisinger

Rev. Nathaniel Preisinger (he/him/his) earned his Bachelor’s Degree at St. Olaf College and received his Master of Divinity and a Certificate in Theological Education for Emerging Ministries at Wartburg Seminary. Pastor Nate previously served as a Mission Developer for Organic Faith, worked at United Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia as Director of Admissions, and as the pastor at Parkside Lutheran Church in Buffalo, NY and Reformation Lutheran Church in Philadelphia, PA. Nate is married to Amanda and they have three children, Evelyn (12), Solomon (10), and Miriam (6). Together they have fun creating and playing board games, watching movies, hiking around Colorado and doing science experiments. Additionally, Nate enjoys listening to music, running on the High Line Canal, going to the library, reading multiple books at the same time, yoga, and basketball.

“Christmas Reflections from a Father” by Pastor Nate

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I’ll never forget my daughter’s first Christmas.  My first child, Evelyn, was born in the middle of November, so by Christmas time I was keenly aware of what it was like to care of an infant.  And because of this awareness, I became very skeptical of certain details in the Christmas story.

For example, it has often been said that “the little Lord Jesus no crying he makes…” Impossible.  Experience has taught me that a baby’s job is 60% crying.  I refuse to believe that Jesus never cried as a baby.  

It’s also been said that the night of Jesus’ birth was a “Silent Night”.  Well, that makes no sense; the birthing process itself is anything but silent.  And then the very first thing a healthy baby does is cry.  A Silent night? That makes no sense.  

And finally, and this is definitely the detail that I find most frustrating: Mary, Joseph, and Jesus all slept in heavenly peace on the night of Jesus’ birth? Really? On the night that my daughter was born, when she wasn’t keeping me awake with her crying, I was up worrying about her sleeping position; worrying about those strange noises she was making; worrying that every night would be this sleepless.  I do not understand how anyone could “sleep in heavenly peace” on the night their first child was born.      

Obviously, for the sake of this post, I’m being a little dramatic, but what’s interesting is that none of the details I pointed are actually in the Bible.  And so I think we need to admit that what we say about Jesus’ birth and what the Bible says about are two very different stories.  There are a lot of extra details that have been added on over the years, and details really matter.

The Gospel writer Matthew’s version of the Christmas story doesn’t focus on the baby Jesus.  There are only 7 verses in Matthew’s Gospel that actually talk about the birth of Jesus.  I know that I have a tendency to over share when I talk about the birth of my children but if you ask me Matthew UNDERSHARES.  “She bore a son and named him Jesus”—that’s all Matthew says about the birth of the Son of God.  

But maybe, that’s because Matthew is focusing on some other details…  

What Matthew does provide us with is details about Jesus’ family – and the messy, complex family situation that Jesus was born into.

The text tells us that Joseph had discovered that Mary was pregnant and so he made plans to leave her quietly.  

This was a merciful decision on Joseph’s part.  In those days, if Joseph had chosen to report it, Mary would have been stoned to death.  And, truth be told, even leaving Mary quietly would not have presented a great future for Mary.  She would have been left to be a single mother and thus completely shamed and shunned by society.  

It took an angel to convince him, but Joseph did decide to stay with Mary and in so doing Joseph was choosing to allow himself to be subjected to the shame and ridicule of society.  “Oh, there goes Mary and her illegitimate son.  Oh, there goes Joseph, he wasn’t Man enough to leave his cheating wife behind.”  

To say the least, Jesus was born into a complicated situation.

I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’m in a complicated and messy situation now.  I doubt you’ll disagree with me when I say that 2016 has been one of the messiest years on record.   Whether it was the police shootings, or the presidential election, or the drastic increase in hate crimes, or the reality of Russian hackers, or the mass shooting in Orlando, or the crisis in Syria, or…or…or…this year has been horrific, in every sense of the word.

Things are so jacked up right now, I’ll be honest, I’m not even really sure what to do.  I have this deep sense that I really need to be more involved and more vocal and standing up for the needs of those on the margins because there’s just so much need out there right now.  And yet there just doesn’t seem to be a good path forward.

But as we all struggle to make sense of current reality we live in- messy as it may be — I find so much comfort in remembering the very specific details that Jesus was born into.  Because it reminds me that Jesus choose to enter into the mess.

God sent his only Son to earth at a very specific moment in history, to a very specific family situation and although these are not the details that we usually think of when we talk about Jesus’ birth, these details matter.  It matters that Jesus was born a Jew in an occupied land, ruled by the Romans. It matters that Jesus was born to a single mother and an adoptive father.  It matters that because of this unique family situation Mary, Joseph, and Jesus would have faced constant bullying, public shaming, and systematic injustice.  

All of this little details matter because they tell us that God cares about messy situations like these.  All these little details matter because they remind us that God chose to send Jesus into a situation that was filled with oppression and injustice and ridicule and shame.  And so we can be confident that God is those people now who are having to face the terrors of the pandemic or the struggles of unemployment or the horrors of hate crimes in America and everything in between.  We know that God is with us and we know that God is with them because God has a habit of showing up in messy situations.  

But this promise also has an implication for all of us.  God chose to send Jesus into a messy situation, and so we too are called to find ways to be with those who are suffering and shamed.

Just as Joseph chose to remain with Mary despite what people were going to be saying; we too will need to make some hard decisions in the days and weeks ahead. As Christians we are called to be like Jesus – we are called to enter into the messy situations that exist in this world.  

As Christmas arrives we will feast and open presents and celebrate and sing about silent nights.  But what if, this Christmas, rather than focusing on the usual details of the holiday, what if we took some time to think about who God is calling us to be with?  

This Christmas, let’s celebrate how God is with us, but let’s also acknowledge how messy things have gotten and lets look for opportunities to be with the bullied and oppressed and shamed among us.  

“Christmas Reflections from a Father” by Pastor Nate2020-12-17T12:00:33-07:00

Pastor Gary’s full sermon from Sunday December 13th.  This sermon is based on readings from Micah 5:2-5a and Luke 1:39-55

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
2022-02-11T12:48:52-07:00

Riley Sawinski shares her thoughts on Luke 2:5-7 as part of day 3 of our One Minute of Christmas series

2020-12-16T15:14:28-07:00

“Do Not Forget What You Have Seen Here” by Justin March

I have this dream. No,
my friends, it is not the empowering dream that Martin Luther King Jr
envisioned, but I do feel like this dream is trying to tell me something. It is
a dream that hits so close to home that it cannot be ignored. It is a dream
that taunts me when making crucial decisions and haunts me when I am not sure
what to do. And it is this dream that makes me step back, think about my
mission, and ponder what God wants me to do next.

 In this dream, I am in
downtown Denver and making my way to Mile High Stadium. I am enjoying the
sunshine, embracing the outdoors, and happy to be around others who call this
city home. My privileged life has allowed me tickets to a Broncos game, and I
am looking forward to seeing some friends and celebrating the day. But as I
reach the underpass that leads me to the stadium, leave the comforting light of
the sun, and enter that darkened unknown, I become afraid of what I might find.

My dream does not
necessarily lead me into something scary, but it does change the course of the
day. What I encounter, as I travel under the interstate, is not something I am
used to seeing. The fresh air is replaced by an aura of despair, stench, and
hard luck. It is a village rooted in survival, where the occupants just want to
stay warm, be fed, and left alone. And as I walk, briskly, through this
uncomfortable scenario, I avoid eye contact and try to get through as fast as
possible.

But my dream does not
allow me to rush through this village without an encounter. As I get close to
the other side of the underpass, I pass by a gentleman who is hunched over and
wrapped in a blanket. Whatever grotesque thing growing from his back has been
covered, and it becomes apparent that he does not want me to see what is
underneath. But as I try to pass, he stops me, for just a second, and says to
me, “Brother, please do not forget what you have seen here.”

I thought about this
statement, for a few moments, but as I reached the other side and was embraced
by that glorious sunshine again, those words drifted into the wind like they
had never been spoken. But it did not take long for that statement to enter my
mind again. And as I got closer to Mile High and started to embrace the
excitement, something kept calling me back to that desperate village under the
interstate.

As I lie in bed, and
ponder what this dream means, I should know God would have a message for me.
Because before I can wake up and forget about this fictitious tale, I see a
vendor who is selling hot dogs for a dollar a piece. I am sure it is divine
intervention, but I cannot help but purchase 20 hot dogs and take them back to
that village I so quickly tried to escape. I approach the man, who is hunched
over and draped with his blanket, and I offer him one of the hot dogs I have
just purchased. I ask him to take the rest of the hot dogs to his “family” and
to make sure everyone gets one. I do not get much response, but he takes them
from me, and I turn around to make my way back to the stadium.

But before I can leave
the underpass, an amazing light shines brighter than the sun. I turn my head to
see where it is coming from, and my warped perspective of a hunchbacked
homeless man, is replaced by the sight of a glorious angel with wings so big, I
am amazed at how the blanket could keep them under wraps. And this “village”
that I had denounced as a homeless wasteland, was transformed into a beautiful
choir of angels playing music about sacrifice, thankfulness, and humility. No,
my friends, this was not the empowering “dream” that Martin Luther King Jr.
envisioned, but it was a dream with a powerful lesson that could not be
ignored.

As we enjoy this
Advent season, try to think about the statement that was pronounced above.
“Please do not forget what you have seen here.” We will witness many events in
this life. We will have the chance to make choices and decisions in different
situations. We will have opportunities to be grateful, forgiving, and
sacrificial. And we will have opportunities that will either sour our
perspectives about certain things in this life or enhance our perspectives
about how good this life can truly be.

“Please do not forget
what you have seen here.” How many times have we missed the opportunity to
“see” what God wants to show us? How many times have we missed the chance to
help someone in need? And how many times have we ignored the call to be God’s
disciple and bring another closer to Him? Keep your eyes open, soften your
heart, and make sure you capture every opportunity to see God’s angels in
action. You never know where those wings may be hiding!

“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, 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.” Matthew 25: 35-36

“Do Not Forget What You Have Seen Here” by Justin March2020-12-15T15:53:09-07:00

Jason Jaster shared a reflection on Luke 2:3-4 for day 2 of One Minute of Christmas

2020-12-15T14:39:37-07:00

Pastor Nate explains the One Minute of Christmas devotions.

2020-12-14T15:50:33-07:00

The Evangelical Lutheran Worship book is not just a hymnal but also a beautiful prayer book.  Every Monday for the week’s moving forward, Pastor Nate will be posting an image like the one above with a quote from one of our great church hymns.  You are invited to use these posts as an opening to prayer– connect with God through these poetic expressions of worship and prayer.

2022-02-11T12:48:55-07:00

“It’s Not the End of the World” by Pastor Nate

“It’s not the end of the world.”
What a great phrase.  We toss these words
around during those moments when things just aren’t going our way.  

“It’s not the end of the world” is what I said when I received my
summons for jury duty.

“It’s not the end of the world”
is what I said when accidentally booked a flight with a 15 hour layover,

“Its not the end of the world” is
what I said when my 2 year-old daughter put an entire roll of toilet paper in
the toilet.

We use this phrase at those moments if life
that really annoy us but that ultimately aren’t that bad.  The “End of the World” is viewed as
the worst thing that could possibly happen and so daylong layovers, and wasted
toilet paper just aren’t that bad comparatively.   Reminding ourselves “it’s not the end
of the world” can be a very helpful mantra that allows us to keep life’s
annoyances in perspective.  

I’ve been thinking a lot about this popular
phrase because many of the Gospel readings assigned during the Advent season
deal with the end of the world.    During
Advent we read about the sun being darkened, the moon not giving off light, and
stars falling from the sky.

Obviously, these readings create a stark
contrast with the commercial side of the holiday season with all its upbeat
songs and twinkling lights.  Long ago
these merry, jolly, commercial elements of the Holiday season usurped the more
subdued and contemplative nature of Advent, but that’s not the end of the
world, right?

Right.
The secular, commercialized understanding of this time of year does not
see the upcoming holiday as the end of the world.  For most people Christmas is nothing more
than Santa, elves, reindeer, jingle bells and egg nog.  

Unless, of course, you’re a Christian.  

If you’re a Christian than Christmas is a
holiday that’s meant to celebrate God becoming human for our sake.  It’s a holiday that celebrates the world as
we know it ending and a new way of life being born. God is coming to be with us
in the person of Jesus and this is a bold, world-changing claim that is
powerful enough to change our current reality.

As
I think through the events of this past year I am quickly filled with
despair.  The political unrest, the
coronavirus; the racially fueled violence and riots; the injustice towards
minorities both domestic and abroad; it all leaves me feeling hopeless.  But this year, more than ever, I have
embraced this Advent season and the invitation to look towards the future with
hope.   I’ve been looking ahead towards
Christmas hoping that in some way, we (myself included) might catch a fuller
picture of Christ’s incarnation and be inspired to not only bring about an end to
the current ways of the world, but also to usher in a new reality where
Christ’s ways of peace, acceptance, and love guide us each day.

“It’s Not the End of the World” by Pastor Nate2020-12-10T12:00:40-07:00

“Are you Prepared?” by Justin March

Last week, we decided
it was time to refinance our home.  The rates are too low and the savings
too great to ignore how substantial the benefits will be in the end.  So
we started the process, we spoke with our consultant, and we organized what was
needed to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. 

As we filled out the
application and got the ball rolling, we knew there were deadlines we needed to
meet.  Our consultant had prepared us for what was needed, but either I
did not ask enough questions or he made too many assumptions about what I
already knew about the process.  So as I hit the submit button, last
Thursday night, there were many things we actually were not prepared for. 
We needed W2’s, paycheck stubs, and numerous other documents submitted. 
Knowing there was a deadline to meet, we put everything else on hold and
scrambled to find all the necessary paperwork.  It was stressful, I felt
panicked, and something that was going to be so wonderful in the end, felt
ruined by the lack of preparation and pressure to get it done.

Is there something
else in our life that is too amazing to ignore?  Are the benefits so
wonderful, the glory so great, and the peace so fulfilling that we need to be
prepared for what comes in the end?  If we have not done so already, do we
need to start the process, speak with our consultant, and organize what is
needed to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity?

The answer to all
these questions is a resounding yes!  What is waiting in the end is too
precious to ignore the work needed to get to the finish line.  We need to
open our bibles and understand the messages God has put before us.  We
need to help those less fortunate.  We need to take care of one another,
love without boundaries, forgive, and be gracious.  We need to show
thanks, gratitude, and pray when the waters are calm.  We need to stand
tall, ask for help, and pray when the storms seem like they will sweep us
away.  And we need to  help others become prepared for this glorious
end so they too can take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

There is a deadline
that needs to be met.  Unlike the refinance scenario above, we are not
sure of when that deadline will come.  But if we are not prepared, if we
have not allowed God to take control of our lives, and we have not helped
others to find Christ, we run the risk of missing out on this amazing
end.  My friends, it is time to put everything else on hold.  It is
time to let go of the distractions that keep us from God and that keep us from
fulfilling his mission for our lives.  It does not need to be stressful
and we do not need to feel panicked.  But we do need to be prepared, we do
need to act with urgency, and we do need to follow God’s guidance.  That
end will come, those gates will open, and everything will be revealed. 
Let’s make sure we are prepared this Advent season, and let’s make sure we do
not make any assumptions about what others know.  It will take some work, it
will take some convincing, and it will take some persistence to do our best to
get everyone ready.  Because what is waiting for all of us is too precious
to ignore!

“Are you Prepared?” by Justin March2020-12-07T22:57:59-07:00

This is the full sermon of Pastor Nate’s sermon from 12/6/20, the 2nd Sunday in Advent.  It is based on readings from Isaiah 40:1-11 and Mark 1:1-8.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
2022-02-11T12:48:56-07:00

The Evangelical Lutheran Worship book is not just a hymnal but also a beautiful prayer book.  Every Monday for the week’s moving forward, Pastor Nate will be posting an image like the one above with a quote from one of our great church hymns.  You are invited to use these posts as an opening to prayer– connect with God through these poetic expressions of worship and prayer.

2022-02-11T12:48:57-07:00

“Academics & Faith” by Pastor Nate

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It is that time of year when most college students are cramming for exams and submitting final papers.  I remember secretly enjoying this final push at the end of a semester.  There was something deeply satisfying about having such a clear purpose and putting so much work and energy into my academics.  

As good as reading and writing and learning can be, I do remember a time during my Sophomore year of college, when my faith was extremely shaken by the content of my academic pursuits.  

I was a religion major in college and so my studies focused on all sorts of interesting ideas about Bible and theology and religion in general.

As I read works by Rudolf Bultmann, Albert Schweitzer, Friedrich Schleiermacher, William Hegel, Immanuel Kant, and many other old dead German guys (and even some who weren’t German or dead), I began to feel as if my personal faith life was being attacked from all sides.  What was I possibly supposed to believe?  Here are people 10,000 times smarter than I’ll ever be, committing their lives to studying religion, reconstructing the historical Jesus, redefining what it means to pray from a theological standpoint etc. etc.  And here I am, reading all of this stuff, struggling with what to make of it all.

But then a mentor pointed out a short little Bible verse that actually helped me hold all of these ideas AND my faith together:

“The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living.” (Hebrews 11:1 taken from The Message)

I had a sort of revelation after reading this passage.  I thought about some of the great figures in the Bible, and I realized something: Moses, Joshua, Abraham, the Disciples, Paul, John the Baptist, none of these guys ever thought their way to God.  God came to them, and they faithfully responded.  

I might not know much, but I do know that no matter how hard I try to think and reason and research, I will never be able to grasp God.  God is infinite and so far beyond my comprehension.  Through my life experiences God has been revealed to me again and again, God has come to me in worship through song and sermon, bread and wine.

The academic stuff can enrich my life, but my relationship with God is about far more than academics.   It is my faith, not my brain (thanks be to God) that matters.  Life is worth living not because I’ve figured everything out, but because God extends grace to me again and again and again.  

Gracious God, may we all be enriched by our academic pursuits, but may we ultimately find faith and purpose in your love and grace.   Amen.

“Academics & Faith” by Pastor Nate2020-12-03T13:01:07-07:00

Pastor Gary’s full sermon from 11/29/20.  This sermon took place at two different points during the worship service, but comprise one sermon.  

The scripture passages this sermon is based on:  
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16

Matthew 1:18-24a

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
2022-02-11T12:48:58-07:00

“Advent is Here” by Justin March

Justin March leads the Bethany Lutheran Church Men’s Ministry and sends a weekly email message to the Men’s group every week.  Justin has generously permitted us to post his weekly reflections here.

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How many times have
you heard this message, “I cannot wait for 2020 to be over?” Between the
coronavirus infection, the racial strife, and the political debacles, it is
only fair to wish this year would end. But, as we enter the season of Advent,
and we begin to experience all this season has to offer, it would be a shame
for 2020 to end before we got the chance to celebrate this wonderful time of
year.

As we anticipate and
prepare for the birth of Jesus, this time of year teaches us many things. It
teaches us to be patient as we await the coming of the Christ child. It teaches
us to be giving as there are many less fortunate than us. It teaches us to love
one another, pray for each other, and connect as the excitement of Christmas is
near. And it teaches us to spread the news of Jesus’ birth to all those who are
hungry to hear this glorious message.

Yes, I would agree
2020 has been a tough year. There have been challenges in the economy,
challenges understanding our differences, challenges in our leadership, and
challenges with our health. It would be easy to just sit back, let this last
month coast by, and hope for a better 2021. But that is not what God wants us
to do, does he?

Today is the first day
of Advent, and God is asking us to be patient. He is asking us to live in the
present, forget about what has happened in the past, and let go of worrying
about tomorrow. He wants us to be excited for the birth of His son, He wants us
to celebrate the Christmas season, and He wants us to spread the good news to
all that will listen. 2020 will end soon enough. But it would be a shame if we
just sat back, kept to ourselves, and did not rejoice in all that the Advent
season has to offer.

I pray that you find
hope, joy, and patience this season. I pray that you find comfort in God’s
messages and spread them to others. And I pray you see those daily miracles,
that are abundant, when you have an open heart and an open mind. Welcome to
Advent! Remember to enjoy this precious season, and no matter what 2020 has
brought your way, I pray that you find the comfort and peace needed to
celebrate the remainder of the year!

“Advent is Here” by Justin March2020-11-30T17:59:49-07:00

The Evangelical Lutheran Worship book is not just a hymnal but also a beautiful prayer book.  Every Monday for the week’s moving forward, Pastor Nate will be posting an image like the one above with a quote from one of our great church hymns.  You are invited to use these posts as an opening to prayer– connect with God through these poetic expressions of worship and prayer.

2022-02-11T12:49:00-07:00
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