Pastor Nate talks about God’s grace and Martin Luther on this Reformation Sunday weekend.
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
We are the Church by Pastor Nate
Way back in 2011, I was serving as the
pastor of Parkside Lutheran Church. One Saturday
in the fall, we had a church cleaning day and so as I was helping clean out the
nursery at Parkside Lutheran Church I came across this puzzle:
You’ll notice that the puzzle is missing a
piece. The entire Puzzle is title
“Church” and there is a piece for “Boy”, and “Girl”, and “Bible”, “Hymnbook”,
“Minister”, and “Choir”, there even is a piece for “Organ”. But missing is the piece labeled “Church”…
which is interesting because the entire puzzle is labeled “Church”.
As I picked up this puzzle last Saturday
and prepared to put it in the donate pile, a fellow Nursery-cleaner said to me,
“Hey! You should save that puzzle for a children’s sermon, you can show them
that the church isn’t a building, we are the church.” What a great idea!
“For where two or three are gathered in my
name, I am there among them.” Matthew 18:20
These simple words from Jesus in Matthew
get at the very heart of our Christian calling– to gather together. If you look back over all of Jesus’ teachings
and miracles, you’ll see a trend: Jesus is always trying to bring people back
together.
When Jesus heals the sick, he
is not only restoring that person’s health but he’s also allowing that person to
re-enter the community that had shunned him because of his illness.
My experience with the church and with
matters of faith have lead me to believe that community is essential for
development. Not just social and
emotional development, but spiritual development as well. When we gather together we learn about
others, we learn about ourselves, and if we allow it to happen: we learn about
God.
The church shouldn’t be defining itself
with the type of building they gather in, we are the church. Even when we can’t gather in person – we are
the church! When relationships are
forged and deepened around the promises of the Gospel that is church. Really, The Church doesn’t need many of
those pieces from the puzzle at all.
There’s no real need for a hymnbook, or an organ, or even a
minister. Because Jesus promises to be
present when we gather together– regardless of where or how that happens.
May
we learn to more fully be the church.
Amen.
Pastor Gary’s full sermon from 10/18/20
Based on readings from Matthew 22:15-22 and Isaiah 45:1-7
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
“The Voice of Truth” 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.
There are a lot of
strong voices in the world today. As we draw nearer to the presidential
election, we hear the voices of candidates who are pushing their agendas,
finalizing their plans, and asking for our votes. As we see injustice, we hear
the voices of our communities who are tired of the violence, who are speaking
out for inequalities, and will no longer be silenced until their rights are
upheld. And of course, we hear the voices of the media who will do everything
in their power to make sure we hear as many voices as we allow them to bombard
us with.
So, as Christians, how
do we filter through all these voices? How do we differentiate between right
and wrong? Do we understand what messages are pure, gracious, and forgiving?
Are we aware of the voices that fill our minds with hatred, separation, and
empty promises? Or do we allow the loudest voices to take over, tell us what to
do, and force their propaganda into our lives?
If you need some
clarity amongst all the voices you are hearing, remember this. Only God’s voice
will ensure you the truth. When things are blurry, it is his voice that will
erase the confusion. When times are tough, it is his voice that will lift us
up. When we are lonely, it is his voice that will bring us comfort. And amongst
all the mixed messages, it is his voice that will never lead us astray.
If you are having some
trouble filtering the voices, focus on finding his. His is the voice that will
help you find your way back to the path you are destined to travel. His is the
voice that will allow you to understand that you are not on this journey alone.
And his is the voice that will empower you to fulfill your mission, spread his
word, and be the disciple he longs for you to be. There are many voices we can
choose to follow, but there is only one Voice of Truth!
“But the voice of
truth tells me a different story, the voice of truth says, “Do not be afraid!”
The voice of truth says, “This is for my glory.” Out of all the voices calling
out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.” – ‘Voice of Truth’ by Casting Crowns
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.
This week we look at the very first story in the Jesus Story Book Bible. This is an introduction to the entire Bible and it talks about how important stories are to our life of faith.
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
“Improvisation” by Pastor Nate
One of my favorite things in the entire world is a sports
movie. Particularly, a sports movie that
is geared for a younger audience. If I
was to make a list of my favorite movies of all time there is no doubt that
films like The Sandlot, Mighty Ducks, and Space Jam would make the list. What I really love about these sports movies
is that even though they are about different sports, even though they are set
at different times and in different parts of the universe, they still manage to
all follow a very similar narrative arc.
Here’s how it works:
First, we are introduced to some generic sports team.
It doesn’t matter, basketball, baseball, football, softball, hockey, soccer,
team whatever. What we learn is that this sports team is really bad at
their sport! They lose all the time and don’t really seem to understand
the simplest aspects of the game! But then, they are suddenly given some
reason to play well. They need to win lots of games or something bad will
happen. But it’s hopeless! They are so bad at sport! And
then, there’s some new coach who has come to town that’s going to take this
hopeless, rag tag sports team to the championship. And so the coach
walks in to the first practice and sees the players running into each other, dropping
the ball, missing shots, scoring on the wrong goal – the coach sees for the
first time just how terrible this team really is and then – and this is the
most important moment – and then the coach takes a deep breath and says with
the utmost confidence, “I can work with this.”
I believe, that this is how God sees us. No matter what mess we get ourselves into, no
matter what mistakes we make, no matter how unfaithful and undeserving we might
be, God looks at us time and again and God takes a deep breath and says, “I can
work with this.”
We are going to make mistakes. We won’t be perfect, we
will mess up, time and time again we will make decisions that are hurtful and
harmful and destructive to ourselves and others. But in the infinite
goodness of God, in the infinite creativity of our Creator, in the infinite
Holiness of the Holy Spirit, God will see these mistakes and God will take a
deep breath and say, “I can work with this.”
Pastor Nate’s full sermon from October 11, 2020.
This sermon was preached at four different points throughout the service. This video gathers the four parts together into one seamless video.
The entire sermon is based upon Jesus’ parable of The Wedding Banquet, found in Matthew 22:1-15
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
“Who Will Clean Up Your Piles?”
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.
As I was raking up the leaves, mowing the yard, cleaning the hot tub, and picking up the gifts the dogs leave us, I thought to myself, “Wouldn’t it be nice if I could just leave this pile for somebody else?” Wouldn’t it be nice if I could just relax, leave these chores for another day, and wait and see if somebody else would clean them up?
As these thoughts crossed my mind, and I pondered these questions, it did not take long to understand that the answers are not favorable. If I do not rake up the leaves, they will suffocate the lawn, they will pile up, and they will be harder to pick up with each passing day. If I do not mow the lawn, it will be harder for the water to get to the roots, it will be harder for the sunlight to penetrate, and it will be harder to get through it with each passing day. If I do not clean up the waste the dogs leave us, the yard will start to smell, disease will start to spread, and we will not be able to enjoy the creation God has bestowed upon us. And if I do not clean the hot tub, it will become cloudy, unhealthy, and less usable with each passing day.
If we are honest with ourselves, there are many times we leave the piles of life unattended to. There are times we feel suffocated, there are times our lights are dim, there are times we let the diseases of this world spread, and there are times our souls are cloudy and unhealthy. There are times we do not allow ourselves to enjoy the creation God has bestowed upon us, and there are times our burdens become heavier with each passing day. Instead of cleaning up our piles, we bury ourselves in them, and before we know it, the chore of cleaning them up becomes insurmountable.
What if God would have asked himself these same questions? What if he would have said to himself, “Maybe I could just leave this pile for somebody else?” Maybe I could just relax, leave the chores for another day, and wait and see if somebody else would clean them up? Well, you know what? He did leave our piles for another to clean up. He sent his only son to sacrifice his life so we could be forgiven, saved, and redeemed. He gave us freewill, he allowed us to make our own decisions, and he stepped back when we told him we did not need him. And even during times when we ignore his love, grace, and amazing mercy, he continues to clean up our piles whether we deserve it or not.
Do you have piles you need to clean up this week? Are you willing to do what it takes so they do not become burdensome, spread disease to others, and leave your life unhealthy and cloudy? Are you ready to let Jesus take the reins, help you handle the chores, and unclutter your life from that which makes it unusable? My friends, we can leave our piles for somebody else to clean up, or we can stand up, work hard, and show others we are willing to take on whatever piles this life tries to bury us under. We can share God’s love, we can share God’s peace, and we can share God’s message with everyone around us. And once we begin to follow His path, once we begin to understand His mission, and once we begin to bring others closer to Him, our piles will disappear and His blessings and glory will be bestowed us with each passing day!
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.
Pastor Gary’s full sermon from 10/4/20 focuses on the church’s calling to be people who speak up for the vulnerable.
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
Pastor Nate’s children sermon this week deals with the times when God surprises us; times when it seemed like a dead end and like God wasn’t there but then miraculously, God Makes A Way.
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
“Your Own Personal Apocalypse” by Pastor Nate
With everything that’s going on in the world I have been
hearing a lot more whispers lately about this being the end of the world. Some people are adamant that the events of
2020 clearly indicate that the Apocalypse has begun and the end of the world is
right around the corner. I would like to
start by responding to all of these theorists by quoting a much loved Bible
passage of mine:
“But about that day and hour no one
knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”– Matthew 24:36.
Towards the end of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells his
disciples that even He doesn’t know when the end will come. I doubt that this information from Matthew’s
gospel will actually stop people from trying to predict the end of the world
because this is just how humans seem to be wired. We like to have the secret insider
information. We like to be in on the joke, we like to claim to know the
truth about big important matters. We like to be helpful, and informed,
and secure, and in control and impressive. I think this is a big
reason why so many people are quick to predict that the End Times are
nigh.
If you ask me, I think it’s this human mindset that needs to
end. The need to be in control, the need
to be unique, the need to feel special lives within us all. It’s not inherently bad, but these types of
tendencies can quickly spiral out of control.
This way of thinking leads to greed and the oppression of others and all
sorts of self-centered behavior.
“Don’t become so well-adjusted to
your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your
attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what
he wants from you, and quickly respond to it.”
– Romans 12:2
The truth about the word “Apocalypse” is that it doesn’t
always mean “the end of the world”. The
word apocalypse simply means the ending of one chapter and the beginning of
another. I think we all would do well
to end the chapter of self-centeredness that too often pervades our world. Our calling is to focus on God and always
keep God at the center of our life.
So have your own personal Apocalypse today! Follow Jesus and His ways. Let God be at the center of your life and in
control. It’s a better a way to live
and it can change the world for the better.
“I Have One More Song to Write” 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.
“I’ve got one more song
to write. And I’ve got one more bridge to burn. I’ve got one more endless
night. One more lesson to be learned. One more hill to climb. And it’s
somewhere in my mind. I’ll know it when it’s right. I’ve got one more song to
write.”-Willie Nelson….”One
More Song to Write”
Is it becoming more
difficult to understand what your daily mission is? Does the sun set, and you
realize that the day was spent working, watching television, or surfing the
internet? In these times of isolation, locked doors, and limited contact, I
find my daily answers to these questions to be yes more than no. I often end my
day thinking all I did was work, all I did was watch television, or all I did
was finish my chores. Some of this is important and must be done, but none of
it makes me feel good when my head hits the pillow at night.
2020 has made it easy
for us to waste our days. If you need proof, just look at the companies that
are doing well in this pandemic. Netflix, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have
taken full advantage of offering services that keep us home. Many delivery services
have thrived as they offer to eradicate our fears of “going out”. Gaming
companies, internet services, and television subscriptions have skyrocketed as
the days get long and the shut-ins continue. If you can offer something that
keeps the public home, you have probably had a successful year.
All of this was on my
mind this week as I struggled to fulfill my mission. I have wondered how much
longer we can keep the men’s group engaged, how much longer virtual church
service will be effective, and how much longer my family can stay sane during
these changes in school and work. I know God has a plan for each and every one
of us, but I have to admit, it has become difficult to understand what this
plan truly is in these troubling times.
But, just as God does
when we least expect it, he sent me a message as I was getting ready Saturday
morning. As I was showering and getting cleaned up for the day, I had my
I-tunes library on shuffle, and this Willie Nelson song came on. I listened to
the words closely, and the message came to me loud and clear! Yes, I still have
“One more song to write”, and it cannot be done by wasting these days!
I have one more hug to
give. I have one more meal to be delivered. I have one more Zoom meeting to
organize. I have one more Bible verse to read. I have one more phone call to
make. I have one more loved one to stand behind. I have one more story to tell.
I have one more retreat to lead. I have one more email to send. I have one more
smile to share. I have one more soul to save.
You see, God is still
calling us to fulfill our missions. The call may be different now, but the call
is still there. He is still asking us to do so many things, and His call may be
more important now than ever. He knows many are lost, many are suffering, and
many need to find their way to a relationship with Jesus. And He knows that our
light is what is needed to bring them closer to Him. So, watch for His signs.
Listen to what He is telling you to do. Then, go out and accomplish whatever it
is that is being asked.
We all have “One more
song to write.” This week, I pray that you wake up each morning, ask God what
needs to be done, and do what you can to accomplish His daily missions. I pray
that you find joy in helping others, experience His creation with wild abandon,
and share His messages of love and grace with others. And I pray that when the
day ends, you feel whole, fulfilled, and thankful for having the opportunity to
do something meaningful. You have “One more song to write”. Will today be the
day you write it?
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.
Pastor Nate and Jason Jaster bring your another children’s sermon. This week we think about the ways that God uses the unexpected to accomplish the amazing.
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
“Prove It” by Pastor Nate
Growing up, I played a lot of basketball in my driveway. My friends would come over and we would play 2 on 2 or 1 on 1 or, my favorite game of all – 21.
If you’re unfamiliar, 21 is a game played with as many people as you want, but it’s every person for themself. The winner is the first to get to 21 points, but there are a variety of ways to do that and even ways for your opponents to reduce your score.
The other fun thing about 21 is that there are so many variations of the rules. In my driveway, we had a specific rule that really was just a way to try and keep the game going. The rule was called “Prove it”. If you were able to reach 21 points the game did NOT immediately end, instead you had to “Prove it”; you had to prove that you were worthy of the victory by backing up beyond the 3 point line and making one final jump shot. If the shot went it, you won that game, but if you missed, your score was reduced to 13 and play continued.
I think this “Prove it” mentality is all too common in our world today. Everyone seems to be working hard to justify their place at the table, their importance, their intelligence, their skill. Social media is this never ending flood of people shouting “look at me!” trying to prove to all their followers that they matter.
It’s honestly heartbreaking when you really stop to think about it. So many people are walking around thinking that they aren’t good enough, that they need to prove their worth in one way or another. And worse still is the cry of people of color in this country of Black Lives Matter. A whole movement has been born that is seeking to prove that the lives of people of color actually matter because there is so much evidence showing that is not the case.
There’s a passage in the Gospels where, right after being baptized, Jesus goes to the wilderness and is tempted by the devil. Each time the devil tempts Jesus he says “if you really are the Son of God…” the devil is asking Jesus to “Prove it” and every time Jesus resists because proving our worth is not the way of God. People are shouting “Black Lives Matter” because there are so many systems in our society that have been saying for hundreds of years “prove to us that you belong here”. There are millions of people battling depression and anxiety and low self-esteem because they have heard voices saying “prove you’re good enough”.
Jesus never says “Prove it”. Jesus said, “I came that you may have life and life abundantly.” Jesus welcomed the sinners and the tax collectors and the prostitutes and Judas. When Jesus called his disciples he simply said, “Follow me.”
We are all children of God, and nothing can take that away from us. The voices of evil tell us to “Prove it” but the voice of Jesus simply says, “As the Father has loved me, so I love you.”
Pastor Gary’s full sermon from 9/27/20 on obedience and humility.
This sermon is based on readings from Philippians 2:1-13 and Matthew 21:23-32.
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
“Nothing Can Separate You From God’s Love” 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.
“For I am convinced
that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor
the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ
Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
I don’t know about
you, but it is getting harder to find inspiration in the world we are living in
today. Sickness, political strife, warfare, racial tension, unemployment, and
confusion barrage my senses, and finding clarity in the murky waters is not
easy. As I search for the positive messages I desperately need to hear, they
often get lost in the negativity this world wants me to dwell upon. So, as I do
my best to send you a message that I hope is both inspirational and positive, I
must admit the drains of these current events have me at a loss for words.
It is times like these
that it is up to me to seek the messages God wants me to find. If I allow it to
happen, the media will provide me with all the negative gossip, opinions, and
heartache I am open to experiencing. But, if I pay attention to the nature that
surrounds me, the words His followers have written, and the messages embedded
in those subtle places, I begin to understand that nothing can separate me from
the love he has provided in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This was a morning
where I needed to hear His inspirational words. This was a morning where I was
struggling to find them in a chaotic world. And this was a morning where the
thoughts were clouded by news of hatred, violence, and other dire messages.
Yet, as I turned on my computer and googled “positive messages in these current
times” this Bible verse popped up and changed everything.
What a message this
chapter in Romans provides. It does not matter what is going in our world. It
does not matter that the negativity of our current events is trying to overcome
the positivity we long for. It does not matter that our hunger, our thirst, or
our desire for the truth is being compromised by all the negative messages this
world wants to offer. All it took was a message like the one above. All I
needed to hear was the promise that NOTHING can separate us from the love of
God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NOTHING.
As I read this verse
from Romans, my hunger is satisfied by the truth it proclaims. My thirst is
quenched in knowing that neither the present nor the future can separate me
from the love God has for us. And my desire to follow His path, rise from the
murk, and become focused on His mission for my life, is enhanced by these
simple words. My friends, it does become harder to find inspiration when this
world bombards us with negativity. My prayer for you this week is that you
carry this verse with you, that you read it when you are feeling stuck, and
that you find encouragement in knowing that NOTHING can separate you from the
love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!
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.