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.

“Prayer and Healing” by Jack Lindsey

Jack Lindsey is the current “Past-President” at Bethany.  He has graciously agreed to share some of his past devotional writings on this site.

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“Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.” – (Isaiah  58:8) 

The point has been made in this column many times that wholeness in the sense of our health involves all three of our human dimensions: body, mind, and spirit. One of the most interesting intersections that are found between faith and medicine in the last decade or so is the exploration by medicine of the role that prayer plays in healing. From the faith perspective, of course, this knowledge is nothing new, it appears in the earliest biblical texts. 

As is true in much of our progress, this growing recognition of prayer by the health care industry is more of a rediscovery than a discovery. There are many examples from early 20th century rural family practice of physicians who encouraged families to put their faith in God for healing, particularly when the illness exceeded the doctor’s ability to apply traditional cure. As we have increasingly obtained our health care through the institutionalized medical system however, faith was left in the hands of the clergy, and doctors were just for medicine.

Many physicians and especially nurses never lost their understanding of the role of prayer in healing, of course, but it had become less fashionable to discuss it with patients and families. There are encouraging sign that even our major medical institutions are getting back to the ancient knowledge of the need to integrate care of body, mind, and spirit. Consider this paragraph that I found recently on the Kaiser Permanente website:

“There are several types of prayer. Healing can happen either in the presence of the person being healed, or from a distance. This can involve directed prayer requesting a specific outcome, or nondirected prayer requesting the best possible outcome. Some suggest that this second kind of prayer may be more effective in generating positive outcomes.” 

How health and wellness fits as a function of our church life can be difficult to fully grasp at first. I think this is primarily because we have been living in a world where our lives were compartmentalized: we were supposed to pray in church, get healthy in the gym, and get well in the hospital. This month’s illustration of how medicine is returning to honoring prayer and treating the whole person is one example of what we mean when we talk about healing a person, not just curing them. 

Peace and health – JL

©  2010  Jack Lindsey,  Denver,  Colorado  –  Used with permission

“Prayer and Healing” by Jack Lindsey2020-05-06T11:02:12-06:00

Affirmations have been proven to provide great emotional and psychological benefit. The Bible is filled with hundreds of powerful passages that can be read as God’s affirmation of you. Take a quiet moment to read the above passage several times. Imagine God sitting with you and speaking the words directly to you. Let this affirmation rest in your heart and mind today. Return to these words from God again and again throughout your week.

2022-02-11T12:54:47-07:00

Check out the newest Manna video from the Bethany Youth!  
This video has music, an Arabic blessing, a dramatic reading of John 20, a reflection on Jesus as our key, and a Guinea Pig!

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
2022-02-11T12:54:47-07:00

#FaithIntoPractice Week 3- Embodiment

Day 2 – The opening to the Gospel of John states that God became human and experienced life in the same way that we do.  This “incarnation” of God means that this life and these bodies that we inhabit are holy and sacred and forever connected to God.  

The Practice Explained:  This week we invite you to link a time of prayer with a physical movement or posture.  For example… carry on a conversation with God while walking and imagine God walking beside you.  Pray for God’s presence in your life by interlacing your fingers and placing them on top of your head imagine the pressure on your head to be the hand of God resting on you.  When asking God for something place your hands open and palms up in front of you, open to receive the blessings of God.

2022-02-11T12:54:51-07:00

#FaithIntoPractice  Week 3 – Embodiment

Day 1 –  Our bodies are a gift from God and thus a valuable source of connection with the Creator.  For thousands of years, people have found embodied practices such as stretching, yoga, and walking to deepen one’s prayers.      

The Practice Explained:  This week we invite you to link a time of prayer with a physical movement or posture.  For example… carry on a conversation with God while walking and imagine God walking beside you.  Pray for God’s presence in your life by interlacing your fingers and placing them on top of your head imagine the pressure on your head to be the hand of God resting on you.  When asking God for something place your hands open and palms up in front of you, open to receive the blessings of God.

2022-02-11T12:54:54-07:00

“The Path that Brings us Home” 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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There is a certain path we like to take when walking the dogs. It is safe, familiar, and always brings us back home. But in these times of social distancing, we have had to adapt to alternate routes. Sometimes it is simply reversing the route to avoid crowded areas, but sometimes we feel the need to abandon the path altogether. We may not always know where the path will lead, but one thing stays true, it always brings us home.

So, we take the unknown path. We keep our eyes open for dangers, roadblocks, and miss-directions. We make sure we don’t venture too far, get lost, or lose track of time. And we try to enjoy the sights we are uncovering with each new adventure. These new “paths” have been a little un-nerving for me, but it has been a blessing to walk them and allow my faith to bring me back home.
Isn’t this what our journey with Jesus is like? We have a familiar path we like to take with him. We like to feel safe, and we like to know what’s coming next. We are fearful of the dangers, the risks, and the unknown. But Jesus has already promised he will never forsake us. He has promised we will never be abandoned. And he has promised he will take our hand, no matter the path, and bring us back home.

There is no better time than now to take that path. We may not know where it leads us, but we must have faith that Jesus will provide the light. It may lead us into unknown territory, and it may make us uncomfortable. But if we follow him, do his will, and allow him to guide us through our journeys, there is one thing that will always stay true. When we give ourselves to him, and only him, his path will always bring us home!

“The Path that Brings us Home” by Justin March2020-05-04T15:08:20-06:00

Affirmations have been proven to provide great emotional and psychological benefit. The Bible is filled with hundreds of powerful passages that can be read as God’s affirmation of you. Take a quiet moment to read the above passage several times. Imagine God sitting with you and speaking the words directly to you. Let this affirmation rest in your heart and mind today. Return to these words from God again and again throughout your week.

2022-02-11T12:56:02-07:00

Affirmations have been proven to provide great emotional and psychological benefit. The Bible is filled with hundreds of powerful passages that can be read as God’s affirmation of you. Take a quiet moment to read the above passage several times. Imagine God sitting with you and speaking the words directly to you. Let this affirmation rest in your heart and mind today. Return to these words from God again and again throughout your week.

2022-02-11T12:56:03-07:00

Pastor Nate’s children message for 5/3. Scripture for today: Matthew 8:40-56 and the story “A Little Girl and a Poor Frail Lady” from the Jesus Storybook Bible.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
2022-02-11T12:56:03-07:00

Part 1 of our “Fundamentals” small group Bible study series. In this video the pastoral staff shares stories about their understanding of the idea that God is the Father, the Creator of Heaven and Earth. 

If you’d like to participate in a small group discussion and Bible Study (via Zoom) related to the themes of this video contact the Bethany Lutheran Church office.     

Questions about Video 
In the video stories, Pastor Nate talks about the importance of
seeing God as a parent, Intern Rachel talks about the importance
of understanding God’s creative nature, and Pastor Gary told a
story about the beauty of the created world. What story
resonates most with you? 

When we confess that we believe in
“God The Father, The Creator of Heaven and Earth”, what
characteristic of God is most important to you?
Saying that God is our Father and that God is the Creator are big
theological ideas, but what practical implications do these beliefs
have for our life? What do these beliefs mean for how you live
your life each and everyday? 

Why do you think people often point to times in nature as
moments when they have experienced God? What is important
about these types of experiences? What would be lacking if that
was the only way of experiencing and understanding God? 

A word for the Road 
Group members are encouraged to recite and memorize the theme verse
below throughout the week as a way of keeping the Conversation with
God going throughout the week.
“Our soul waits for the Lord; God is our help and shield.” – Psalm
33:20

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
2022-02-11T12:56:04-07:00

“In the Hands of the Silversmith” by Pastor Nate

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I came across this verse today from the little-referenced-book of Malachi.  In Chapter three it says: 

“God will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” (Malachi 3:3)  

We hear a lot of different things about God and about God’s nature.  The Bible is filled with hundreds of different analogies and metaphors that try and describe God, but God as a silversmith? What’s that about?

Now, if you’re anything like me, silver smithing isn’t a profession that you’re particularly familiar with, that’s probably part of what makes this verse so strange.  But as I was scrounging around for information about silversmiths, I came across this brief story, it’s about a women who read Malachi 3:3 and then went to interview her local silversmith.

“As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.  

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”

He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy – when I see my image in it”

The metaphor of God as a silversmith from Malachi reminds us that at times life can be difficult– it can feel like we’ve been thrown into the hottest part of the fire, left to burn away.  But just as a silversmith never takes their eyes off the silver, God never abandons us; God is always watching over us— even in the midst of our struggles.  

And ultimately we are refined and matured by the trials we face.  Just as silver reflects the image of the silversmith, when we grow in our faith and trust we come to reflect the image of God.

We are silver in the hands of a loving Creator– a silversmith who refines and removes our rough spots so that we might shine beautifully and brightly in a world that is often filled with ugly realities.  

Though trials may come, may we know that God’s eyes never leave us.  And may we continue to grow in the ways that we reflect the image of God to the world.  Amen.

“In the Hands of the Silversmith” by Pastor Nate2020-05-01T12:02:44-06:00

#FaithIntoPractice  Week 2 – Breath

Day 5 –  We pray that this practice of Breath Prayer can lead you to understand the unwavering presence of God in your life and that this knowledge would transform you and lead you to be the presence of God for others.  

The Practice Explained:  Choose a short prayer such as “Jesus Christ, have mercy on me” or “God is here; with me now” and break it into two parts.  Breath in deeply and say the first half of the prayer quietly.  As you exhale, quietly say the second half of the prayer.   Repeat this process at least 10 times, trying to deepen and slow your breath with each cycle.

2022-02-11T12:56:08-07:00

What does the Lutheran Church believe about Baptism?  Pastor Nate gives a brief overview of some of the key ideas and aspects of baptism.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
2022-02-11T12:56:09-07:00

#FaithIntoPractice  Week 2 – Breath

Day 4-  Bringing our awareness to the Breath of God that is within us is not an isolated practice but rather a way of life.  Through Breath Prayer we come to see that God is as close to us as our very breath.   Such knowledge has the power to transform us and move us to join our lives to God’s Mission of justice, grace, and love.  

The Practice Explained:  Choose a short prayer such as “Jesus Christ, have mercy on me” or “God is here; with me now” and break it into two parts.  Breath in deeply and say the first half of the prayer quietly.  As you exhale, quietly say the second half of the prayer.   Repeat this process at least 10 times, trying to deepen and slow your breath with each cycle.

2022-02-11T12:56:12-07:00

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#FaithIntoPractice  Week 2 – Breath

Day 3 –  The Hebrew word for God “Yahweh” is said to resemble the sound of Human breath and for this reason, scholars have said that we speak the name of God with each breath we take.  This audio file, created by Rev Matthew Nickoloff (@mnickolo), can serve as a guided entry point into Breath Prayer; into recognizing the way that God is as close as our next breath.    

The Practice Explained:  Choose a short prayer such as “Jesus Christ, have mercy on me” or “God is here; with me now” and break it into two parts.  Breath in deeply and say the first half of the prayer quietly.  As you exhale, quietly say the second half of the prayer.   Repeat this process at least 10 times, trying to deepen and slow your breath with each cycle.

2022-02-11T12:56:14-07:00

“Boredom” by Jack Lindsey

Jack Lindsey is the current “Past-President” at Bethany.  He has graciously agreed to share some of his past devotional writings on this site.  

This week’s note:  After these weeks of much reduced opportunities this week’s column seemed timely again.

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“Be still, and know that I am God …” – (Psalm  46:10) 

“Are we there yet?” is a familiar phrase to many parents – as is the plaintive cry, “I’m borrred!”. Boredom is a challenge that children (and some adults) in many families struggle with, and often our popular culture condemns boredom with an earnestness that rivals that of an impatient child on a long car trip. It is as if we are fearful of those “spaces between the activities”. And it is true; there are situations where boredom is a very unpleasant feeling.

But should we fill up all the spaces in the day? U.S. poet Billy Collins wrote, “Boredom is paradise. It is the blessed absence of what the world offers as ‘interesting’, i.e., the lures of fashion, media and other people …” Many philosophers have written about the idea that spirituality can blossom within those times that we are not otherwise occupied. And there are many, many instances of boredom leading to a thing we very much value in our society: creativity.

There is a wonderful website that explores this issue of boredom and children, Spark Action. One article, The Benefits of Boredom,” discusses boredom in the context of the times that Luther was creating our tradition, the middle ages. Consider this passage:  “In medieval times … if someone displayed the symptoms we now identify as boredom, that person was thought to be committing something called acedia, a "dangerous form of spiritual alienation” that devalued the world and its creator. Who had time for such self-indulgence, what with plague, pestilence and the labor of survival? Acedia was considered a sin.” (http://sparkaction.org/content/benefits-boredom)

This is not to say that we should ignore our children’s need for structure and activity. Social and physical activities promote healthy development in children. But as part of raising self-sufficient and happy people it may be that helping them integrate some quiet moments into their day has value. The author of the website article quoted above, Richard Louv, columnist for The San Diego Union-Tribune, talks about “nurturing constructive boredom”. Louv concludes his article by saying, “Most of all, children need adults in their lives who understand the relationship between boredom and creativity — and are willing to set the stage so that kids can create the play. 

Peace and health – JL

©  2010  Jack Lindsey,  Denver,  Colorado  –  Used with permission

“Boredom” by Jack Lindsey2020-04-29T11:00:27-06:00

Affirmations have been proven to provide great emotional and psychological benefit. The Bible is filled with hundreds of powerful passages that can be read as God’s affirmation of you. Take a quiet moment to read the above passage several times. Imagine God sitting with you and speaking the words directly to you. Let this affirmation rest in your heart and mind today. Return to these words from God again and again throughout your week.

2022-02-11T12:56:13-07:00

#FaithIntoPractice Week 2- Breath

Day 2 – The Hebrew word Ruah (found throughout the Old Testament) and the Greek word Pneuma (found throughout the New Testament) are both words that mean “breath” or “wind”.  But these words also mean “Spirit” and throughout the Bible the Spirit of God is sometimes made manifest as a rush of wind (Genesis 1:3, Acts 2) or the Breath of the Risen Christ (John 20:22).  

The Practice Explained: Choose a short prayer such as “Jesus Christ, have mercy on me” or “God is here; with me now” and break it into two parts.  Breath in deeply and say the first half of the prayer quietly.  As you exhale, quietly say the second half of the prayer.   Repeat this process at least 10 times, trying to deepen and slow your breath with each cycle.

2022-02-11T12:56:17-07:00
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