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.

Holy Week Devotional, Day 2
#Confession
Read: Luke 22:54-62

Narrative

Over the past few
days as Jesus was making his way about town I picked up little bits of
information about him.  Apparently, Jesus
of Nazareth is some sort of great teacher, a rabbi, and so it was not
surprising to see Jesus walking about town all this week accompanied by a group
of disciples.  There were 12 in all, a
real ragtag bunch if you ask me.
Usually, a rabbi’s disciples are a real talented group, but these
disciples seemed, well… ordinary.  

While they might
be ordinary, they sure seemed faithful– they followed Jesus all over Jerusalem
and hung on his every word.  You could
tell that there was some competition among the group – all vying for the
admiration and attention of their teacher.

But what was so
strange to see, was how that week ended.
Things took a turn for the worst for Jesus that week in Jerusalem and
those disciples were nowhere to be found during Jesus’ darkest moments.  I’m sure they were scared, but you’d think
that these 12 men who had so much respect for their Teacher would have been
courageous enough to stay with Jesus…

 

Practice – Consider the ways you have
abandoned or denied Jesus during your life.
Spend some time in self-reflection and pray to confess to God and ask
for forgiveness for these transgressions.

2022-02-11T12:57:26-07:00

“Give me Jesus” 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.  

image

“Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, you may have all this world, give me Jesus.”

Easter is coming, but I am struggling with how different the holiday will be this year. Easter egg hunts, Easter Bunny deliveries, and family gatherings are just a few of the things we will be missing. And as I think about the events that need to be cancelled, I cannot help but fell somber in these trying times.

But, as I listen to the words of this great hymn, I am reminded that you can take a lot of things away, but Jesus is not one of them. You can take away our services at Bethany, you can keep our suits and dresses hung up in the closet, and you can even make us celebrate Easter in our homes. But guess what? The foundation of Easter remains, and everything Jesus did for his people cannot be erased.

So, go ahead and make the Easter Bunny stay home. Go ahead and close our church doors. And go ahead and separate our communities. I am not going to focus on what is being taken away anymore. I am not going to waste energy on what should or could be. And I am not going to wallow in my sadness as I think about the traditions that are being stripped from me and my family.
Just give me Jesus. As the lyrics state above, you can take a lot of things away from God’s people, but we still have Jesus. The Easter message still reigns! We can still be filled with the promises Jesus gave us when he was sacrificed on that cross! And we can still love one another as Jesus loved us then, loves us now, and will love us in the future!

So, continue to celebrate Easter. A lot of things have been taken away this holiday season, but the chance to spread the Easter story is not one of them. Invite people to church through online services, show them the Bible passages that bring the Easter story to life, and pray with them so they too can find the hope and faith needed in these troubling times. There is so much fear, so much sorrow, and so much loss in this current world, but this is the holiday where we have a chance to make it better. And when you share how the events of Holy Week have changed your life, you may just hear them say these 3 simple words…”Give me Jesus!”

“Give me Jesus” by Justin March2020-04-06T18:09:43-06:00

Holy Week Devotional, Day 1
#Praise
Read: Luke 19:28-38

Narrative

It was an exciting
week in Jerusalem. Rumors had been circulating for days that Jesus was coming
to our city. We had heard many things about Jesus of Nazareth—about his
miracles, about his teachings, and about his love for people. Many people
believed that he was a prophet, and some even believed that he was the promised
Messiah. I didn’t know what to think about Jesus. But I was excited to hear he
would soon arrive in Jerusalem. Like many others, I was curious to see this man
that all of Israel was talking about. I vividly remember the day that Jesus
came to town. It was the Sunday before Passover. I was working in my shop when
I began to hear all kinds of commotion. Hundreds of people began flocking to
the streets. They began to shout, “Jesus is coming! Jesus is coming!”
People began to break palm branches from trees, and threw them on the road as
Jesus passed by. A few moments later I saw Jesus, riding on a donkey.
Electricity was in the air. People were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of
David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the
highest heaven!” The children got especially excited about Jesus’ arrival.
Up and down the street, I saw children waving palm branches and crying out,
“Hosanna! Hosanna!”

 

Practice –What reasons do you have to
give God praise today?  Take a moment to
write down or name aloud your reasons for praise today.

2022-02-11T12:57:28-07:00

Prayer Prompt for 04/06/20
“God, I’m tired because…”

Our theme for Lent at #BethanyDenver this year is “Conversations with God”.  Each day of Lent we will post a different #PrayerPrompt here.  Use these prompts to start a conversation with God today.  Feel free to also use these prompts as ways to start a conversation with friends and family.

#ConversationsWithGod

#ConversationStarters

#BethanyDenver

#Lent

#PrayerPrompts

2022-02-11T12:57:30-07:00

Today, as part of our Palm Sunday celebration, we waved Palm branches and shouted “Hosanna”. But the word Hosanna took on added meaning this year. Intern Rachel reminded us in her sermon that Hosanna means both “praise” and “God send help”. On the Palm Branches we waved were the names of healthcare workers connected to the Bethany Community.

As we shouted Hosanna in praise of Jesus our King we also shouted Hosanna as a prayer to God to send help and to protect the brave men and women who are serving our community in the midst of this pandemic.

2020-04-05T18:43:11-06:00

The pastoral staff of Bethany Lutheran Church continues our Lenten Adult Forum study of Purpose Driven Life. Today we look at Purpose 4: “You were shaped for serving God".

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
2022-02-11T12:57:31-07:00

Sunday School Materials for 4/5/20

We will be continuing with our Whirl Sunday school curriculum digitally!  Check this space every week, or go to bethanylive.org/sunday-school to watch the weekly Whirl video and download the class materials.  

Here are the materials for Palm Sunday:

To Download the children’s bulletin activity sheet follow this link

To Download the children’s Sunday School class outline follow this link

To watch introductory Whirl video for PreK-Grade 2 follow this link

To watch introductory Whirl video for Grade 3-6 follow this link

And don’t forget to check out our Palm Sunday Scavenger Hunt!  

Sunday School Materials for 4/5/202020-04-04T18:00:23-06:00

Prayer Prompt for 4/4/20

“Forgiving God, help me to forgive…”
Our theme for Lent at #BethanyDenver this year is “Conversations with God”. Each day of Lent we will post a different #PrayerPrompt here. Use these prompts to start a conversation with God today. Feel free to also use these prompts as ways to start a conversation with friends and family.
#ConversationsWithGod
#ConversationStarters
#BethanyDenver
#Lent
#PrayerPrompts

2022-02-11T12:57:33-07:00

Prayer Prompt for 4/3/20

“Gracious God, thank you for…”
Our theme for Lent at #BethanyDenver this year is “Conversations with God”. Each day of Lent we will post a different #PrayerPrompt here. Use these prompts to start a conversation with God today. Feel free to also use these prompts as ways to start a conversation with friends and family.
#ConversationsWithGod
#ConversationStarters
#BethanyDenver
#Lent
#PrayerPrompts

2022-02-11T12:57:36-07:00

Prayer Prompt for 4/2/20

“Teacher Jesus, show me how to…”
Our theme for Lent at #BethanyDenver this year is “Conversations with God”. Each day of Lent we will post a different #PrayerPrompt here. Use these prompts to start a conversation with God today. Feel free to also use these prompts as ways to start a conversation with friends and family.
#ConversationsWithGod
#ConversationStarters
#BethanyDenver
#Lent
#PrayerPrompts

2022-02-11T12:57:38-07:00

“This is Church” by Pastor Nate

I’ve been to lots of pastor conferences in my day.  I’ve also read way too many books and articles about the current state of the Christianity in the world.  At nearly all of these conferences and in nearly all of these books and articles there exists a common theme:  The Church is on the decline.  I’m not sure why people need to keep making this point.  I get the sense that all of our discussion about the struggles of the church isn’t actually helping make the church any better.  And yet still, this topic is mentioned in magazines and on blog posts and at various assemblies.    

But as I see all this “bad news” being broadcast about the state of the church in 2019, I’m reminded of all the Good News that is still happening throughout the world.  

“And do not let yourselves be conformed to this world, but let yourselves be transformed by the renewal of the mind, so that you discover what is the will of God, good, and pleasing and perfect” – Romans 12:2

Several years back, I led a Mission Trip in New York City for ten young adults ages 19-28.  Our Mission Trip had a simple yet powerful subtitle: “This is Church”.

In New York City we took part in an eye-opening experience that showed us not only what church is, but what church can be.  

We listened to a presentation from the Lutheran World Federation about their work at the United Nations and we said, “This is Church.”

We toured St. Paul’s Chapel and saw how that congregation responded to the needs of rescue workers after 9/11 and we said, “This is church.”

We invited people in Brooklyn to take part in a collaborative art project and said, “This is church.”

We left messages of God’s love on post-it notes and with sidewalk chalk throughout the city, we handed out water in Central Park, we helped out at a nursing home, we planted trees – and each time we said, “this is church”.

But you don’t need to go on a Mission Trip to remember this powerful message.   When you respond with compassion and forgiveness, or when you listen to a person’s struggles and pains, or anytime you bring the love of God to a person or situation– that is church also.

I am convinced that we must stop talking about all the things that the church is not.  Instead, we need to celebrate what the church actually is and has always been: you and me.

Every minute of every day we are the church and we have the responsibility to share the promises of God in big and subtle ways alike.  Even when we can’t be together, even when things are totally different than they have ever been before– This is Church. 

May we forever embrace the opportunity to be the church.  Amen.

“This is Church” by Pastor Nate2020-04-02T11:00:36-06:00

Conversations with God_Thief on the Cross

Conversations with God_Thief on the Cross

Watch our “Conversations with God” dramatic dialogue video above and then consider the question below

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE DRAMA

  • The Thief wants to know what paradise is like, what do you think? Why is this your
    understanding of paradise? 

  • In the dialogue, the thief talks about his burdens being too much to bare. If you have ever
    felt this way in your life, how did you make it through that time? 
  • God says to the thief, “Suffering people feel deserted.” What would you say to someone
    who felt abandoned by God?

A WORD FOR THE ROAD

We encourage you to recite and memorize the theme verse throughout the week as a way of keeping the Conversation with God, that was begun tonight, going throughout the week.

“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of
all who fear him; he also hears their cry, and saves them.” – Psalm 145:18-19

Conversations with God_Thief on the Cross2020-04-01T16:55:10-06:00

Prayer Prompt for 4/1/2020
“God, I need…” 

Our theme for Lent at #BethanyDenver this year is
“Conversations with God”.  Each day of
Lent we will post a different #PrayerPrompt here.  Use these prompts to start a conversation
with God today.  Feel free to also use
these prompts as ways to start a conversation with friends and family.

#ConversationsWithGod

#ConversationStarters

#BethanyDenver

#Lent

#PrayerPrompts

2022-02-11T12:57:41-07:00

Pastor Nate had prepared a sermon for Sunday 3/29 but due to illness in his family it was determined that it would be best if he stayed home.

For the curious, here what you might have heard had Pastor Nate been able to participate in the livestream.

Preaching Text: John 11:1-45

Sunday Lent 5A

2020-04-01T01:11:29-06:00

“Let’s Take a Walk” 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.  

image


“Let’s take a walk.”

I will admit, these times of isolation are tough. For a person that has worked from home for several years, the social interaction of meeting friends for dinner, seeing live music, taking vacations, and running errands have become important factors in keeping me sane. And as I look at all the cancelled events on my calendar, it becomes harder and harder to stay motivated, be positive, and have faith that relief is coming soon.

So, it is in these 4 words that I find hope. Whether spoken by my wife, my son, or my daughter, these 4 words give me a break from the negativity, the boredom, and the solidarity this new world has created. These 4 words mean it is time to harness up the dogs, grab their leashes, and get outside. These 4 words mean it is time to enjoy the sunshine, breathe in that mountain air, and get the body moving. And these 4 words mean it is time to let go, enjoy the family God has blessed me with, and forget about the worries that are occupying my idle time.

“Let’s take a walk.”

In these times of isolation, Jesus is encouraging me to take many walks. Sometimes, he is just asking me to take his hand, be present in the stillness, and be open to what he wants to show me. Sometimes, he is asking me to reach out to a friend, find out how they are doing, and “walk” with them through the virtual means available. And sometimes, he is asking me to pray, read the bible, and find encouraging messages that strengthen my walk. You see, there are many things that have been taken away from me, but as I take these walks, I am reassured that the path is still there, the mission is still clear, and Jesus still loves me.

Friends, these times are difficult, and we weren’t built to be separated from one another. But as I hear these 4 words, I am reminded that the “walk” has not ended. Our path is still clear, and the road must be traveled. We still have a mission, and his proclamations must be heard. And no matter what this world wants to take away from us, we can still “walk” and find refuge in his everlasting arms.

If the current circumstances are getting you down, if you feel the fears rising inside you, or if you feel the isolation allowing depression to set in, I hope you find encouragement in this message. And if you need someone to listen, if you need someone to laugh, or if you need someone to care, reach out and remember these 4 words. It may be virtual, and it may come with distance, but it will be filled with God’s grace, God’s love, and God’s understanding!

“Let’s take a walk.”

“Let’s Take a Walk” by Justin March2020-03-31T15:49:32-06:00

Prayer Prompt for 3/31/20
“Blessed Jesus, help me to let go of…” 

Our theme for Lent at #BethanyDenver this year is
“Conversations with God”.  Each day of
Lent we will post a different #PrayerPrompt here.  Use these prompts to start a conversation
with God today.  Feel free to also use
these prompts as ways to start a conversation with friends and family.

#ConversationsWithGod

#ConversationStarters

#BethanyDenver

#Lent

#PrayerPrompts

2022-02-11T12:57:46-07:00
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