Bringing Up Servant Leaders

"Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it."

                                                    Prov 22:6

This past Sunday, our children led a traditional liturgical worship service at Zion. As they stood in line to process into the sanctuary, I counted. I counted seventeen young people from preschool through High School who would in some way participate in leading the Advent Worship. This may not seem like a large number to many of you reading this. However, given the size of the community around us this is a huge number. The population is right around 200 in Skanee. Our public K-6 school has less than ten youth enrolled. The truth is that most of these young people come from elsewhere in the county.

We do have a couple of very shy students who will acolyte or receive the offering; but, most of our young people are willing to sing in the choir, to read, to pray, even to preach publically. For many years, we have been busy training not just adults; but, our children, as well, to lead worship; to proclaim the Good News in word and song. I have led very few mid-week Advent or Lent services since I was called to serve here as I understand a large part of my call to train others to be servant leaders. I do design the services; but, I do not lead them. We use these mid-week services to help others in the congregation to confidently lead this congregation or other congregations. One of our members presently serves as Lay Pastor to a congregation that is so small that they cannot call an ordained pastor. Pr. Peter is also very active in ministry at assisted living homes.

Our young people love being able to lead the liturgy, to pray the prayers of the church, and; yes, even to preach. They are becoming very good public speakers and witnesses to the Lord. I am grateful that we have this opportunity to train them to be servant leaders. Whether they will use these things that they are learning in the church or out in the world is yet to be seen. But, we trust that they will not depart from the way which they have been shown when they are old.

We do not believe that children are just the future of the church. They are also the church today. With the help of God, one day they will be training their children in the way that they should go.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Thanks Be To God For All The Saints

Today is all Saints Sunday. At worship this morning we will be placing in the offering plates. as an offering of thanksgiving, the names of many who have gone before us and many who are still with us who have helped us on our journeys through this world. Some have fed us with food for our bodies while others have fed us spiritually.

Christ has worked through many to help us on our journey; to bring us closer to God; to help build up our faith by sharing the Word with us. They have and continue to give much for the sake of the Body of Christ. Some have given food and shelter. Some have fed us with the Word of God. Some have given even their whole lives for us. So, today we give thanks to God for those saints who so generously have given of their love.

St. Paul wrote: "You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God." 2 Cor 9:11-12

Indeed, let us give thanks, today and every day, for the generosity and the willingness of others to make Christ known to us.

God's Peace - Pr. J

He Received Life

"I then, as Paul - an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus - I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me." Philemon 9-11

 

    I remember the day that I received word that a young friend had "received life." Now in the Christian context you might assume that he has received Christ into his life; that he has received the promise of eternal life. I wish that I could say that this is so. He "received life" in the worldly context. He was sentenced to life in prison, without parole.  When I heard the sentence he had received, in grief, I voiced it aloud:

                      "HE RECEIVED LIFE."

    There is hope in those words. It is my hope that this sentence in this world is the sign to me that he has received life eternal, even though he may not realize it, yet. I pray for him often. I pray that we would be one in Christ; that he would enter into the Body of Christ. It is painful for me to think of one so young living behind bars for another 50 or 60 years. But, it is reality; a hard reality;  but, one that may be the very opportunity for him to "receive life."  This friend of mine received the consequences that were due him in this life, yet, he still has the opportunity for freedom; a freedom that is found only in Christ; for all eternity.

    We read in Philemon, Paul who is in prison has converted a young man. Paul spent a good portion of his ministry behind bars. Although scripture has no record of how many received the truth of Christ through the Word spoken by Paul, I am sure there were quite a few. I guess you could say he was called to prison ministry, but not in the way most of us view prison ministry. He was there, living it. One on one, he experienced the pain and suffering of those in prison with him. Because he suffered the same pain; he understood and others listened and others received life.

    There is a prison that is worse than any earthly prison surrounded by bars and barbed wire. That is our bondage to sin; our bondage to the desires and ways of this world; our desires to be served rather than serve in the love of Christ. This prison is harder for us to recognize and so we may never experience the desire to be free from this prison.

   Jesus said that the truth would set us free. (John 8:32) However, for those of us who may be bound in a prison of worldly comforts; of self-serving desires and pursuits, it can be really hard to see or hear the truth (often preferring not to see the truth, about our need for forgiveness, so we don't ask), remaining in bondage to sin.

    As we consider our own freedom, let us ask God to reveal to us whether we are truly free. Let us pray first for salvation; for freedom in Christ. Let us pray for one another, in love, that forgiveness in Christ be received by all God's children who find themselves in prison: those in correctional facilities and those chained to the desires of this world. Let us also pray a prayer of Thanksgiving for our Prison Chaplains and all who work in the Prison Ministry for bringing the Light of Christ into such dark lives.

God's Peace - Pr. J

2 Corinthians 12 Ecstasy And Thorns

2 Corinthians 12 NIV
Paul experienced an "ecstasy" fourteen years prior to writing this letter. He claims that he was caught up to paradise where he heard things he was not permitted to tell. Well, he doesn't actually claim it was he who had this experience. He speaks in the third person possibly to deflect any admiration toward him that might occur because of this incident. Paul's mission (and ours); after all, is to proclaim Jesus the Christ not to boast about himself. It may well be that he did not speak of this incident previously because he was not permitted to tell what he heard in heaven. So what good would it have accomplished if he spoke of the incident, but could not tell anyone what he heard there? It would have only sounded like boasting about himself and his experience.

Paul does his best to defend his ministry without boasting about himself. Yes, he was gifted with the opportunity of hearing these unspeakable things in the third heaven. Yet, he was given a thorn in the flesh (we know not what that was) to remind him of his own weakness and not to boast about himself. So rather than boast about this moment of ecstasy, Paul boasts about his weaknesses so that Christ's power might rest on him.

God would not take Paul's "thorn" from him. Weaknesses are not a bad thing. It is when we can recognize our weaknesses and our limitations that we know that we must trust God to get us through.
When we realize that we are weak and can do nothing; then we are strong and not by our own strength but by the power of Christ that rests on us.

God's Peace - Pr. J

1 Corinthians 9:1-18 Freedom In Christ

1 Corinithians 9:1-18 NIV
St. Paul's ministry is not only questioned by people outside the church; after all that he has done for the sake of the gospel and for the sake of the people of Corinth, he and is authority are questioned by the people of the church as well. This seems to be a common problem within the church today as well. If we don't like what is said or done; we would like to be freed from our leaders. Get rid of them...

Sometimes, it is necessary remove a pastor as in cases of wolves in sheep's clothing. However, most of the time it is merely a personality conflict or a control issue. I have a friend who when talking with me will, at times, refer to "the boss." By "the boss," he is not referring to me. He is referring to our heavenly Father, the one to whom we are accountable. He is "the boss." We will all ultimately answer to God for what those things that we have said and done; those things that we have left unsaid and undone. Thanks be to God for Jesus the Christ, the one we proclaim has granted us freedom to serve our heavenly Father by the giving of his life for us!

Through Jesus Christ, God our Father granted us the freedom to proclaim the Gospel, by the power of the Holy Spirit. The world may not recognize this freedom; but, God our Father does and that's the only thing that matters. We may suffer and die in this world because we make use of this freedom in Christ to proclaim the truth. But, it is better to suffer and die so that the Good News of the Kingdom of God may be advanced in a world that rejects Him than to deny this freedom purchased for us by the blood of Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J

1 Corinthians 8 What We Eat Or Don't Eat

1 Corinthians 8 NIV
St. Paul said we should not worry about eating food sacrificed to idols. "Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall." (vs 13) But, let us consider that not eating meat might also cause them to fall.

Now, I have nothing against a vegetarian diet. I personally prefer only vegetables; but, I do eat meat for convenience sake. No one else in my family has ever been willing to eat only a vegetarian diet and definitely not a vegan diet!

I once knew a woman serving in her pastoral internship. She was a vegan. She served as a mission developer in a remote area. Needles to say, she knocked on more than a few doors and ended up at a lot of tables and community meals where she refused to touch most of what was on the menu. People indulged her; but, they also talked about her. It hampered her ministry and ultimately she did not make it through her internship. Now, some may think that the people who judged because of what she would not eat were petty. But, we also need to understand that she was trying to become one of the community and was acting totally alien to the community; rejecting their culture and ultimately, in their eyes, rejecting and judging them because they ate meat. Her diet kept them from hearing the Word of God. May sound petty, but it is true. They did not listen to her. They shut their ears to her. She was proclaiming the Gospel; but, no one was listening.

Now, this is not to say that vegetarians and vegans have no place in the ministry. There is nothing wrong with a vegetarian diet. It is probably a good thing for many. What we eat or don't eat should have no bearing on our ministry. But, sometimes it does. We have long recognized that it is a good thing for there be some kind of compatibility between the pastor and congregation for mission to be able to occur well. Usually, it is necessary to accept the culture of a community that we are serving before the people of that culture are going to receive us or anything we have to say. Now, I know that this intern did not consider meat to be a false god that just us pagans eat. However, her adherence to such a strict diet was such an issue for her that it appeared to others to sometimes take precedence over the Gospel. Her diet; not theirs, was the false god in the eyes of those she was trying to introduce to Jesus.

"But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak." (vs 8, 9) So, keep in mind the context of the community that you are called to serve. Since, eating is something that occurs daily, it is a huge part of a community's culture. No two communities are completely alike. Accept them for who they are. God does!

One of my pet peeves pertains to training that churches often have on how to minister to specific ethnic groups. I had attended more than one in my previous denomination. The problem is these classes tend to generalize people. No two people are alike. No two communities are alike. I have served a community on and near an Ojibway Reservation for sixteen years and I can tell you that you cannot get to know what a person or community is like until you get to know them personally. The Ojibway culture is different than other Native American cultures. Someone who lives in the Southwest lives in the different culture than someone who lives in the Midwest; regardless of their ethnic backgrounds. There are similarities, of course; but, no two are so alike that we can take a class and actually know everything. I have also seen pastors of various denominations fall when it comes to serving Finnish Americans. We have a culture all of our own here in the U.P.. I've known pastors who have come here and have actually tried to "fix" us! Doesn't work... You're here to proclaim the Gospel. Jesus fixes. He saves. We don't.

There are no classes that can teach you what someone is like. "We know that 'We all possess knowledge. But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.'" (vs 1) Sit down at the table and eat with those whom you would serve; talk with them and even more importantly, listen! And... please, don't turn your nose up at anything that your host would serve. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Romans 15:22-33 Saints at Zion

Romans 15:22-33 NIV
St. Paul was a bit of a traveler. He would like to have been everywhere and all at the same time. But, that was and is not humanly possible. There are times in our ministry when we all have to prioritize needs. There are times we may have to say no, I cannot come because I have to be elsewhere. No one person can do everything for everybody no matter how much we'd like to. When tragedy strikes I often have to leave whatever it is that I am doing or whomever I am with to minister to others who are experiencing major traumatic events in there lives. Sometimes, I just have to trust others to do some of the things I would normally do. It is called delegating. But, before delegating we are responsible to ensure that they are capable of carrying on the ministry to which they are called. We need to train others to help others in need. We need to make disciples. We really are not in this alone. We have many brothers and sisters in Christ to work with us for the glory of God.

We rejoice, not only when we can finally visit and pray with someone we have longed to see; but, we also rejoice in the knowledge that when we cannot be there ourselves; another saint or saints have been equipped to minister to those in need. I rejoice; because, I am never afraid to leave my congregation when I have to travel somewhere. They are in good hands. The saints (disciples) at Zion know their gifts and are fully capable of using them whether I am here or away.

Thanks be to God! That is how the Body of Christ works!

May the God of peace be with you all. Amen

Pr. J

Acts 6:1-7 Ministry of Word

Acts 6:1-7 NIV
As a lay person, I understood my primary call to be a prayer warrior. I also had gifts that enabled me to serve as a youth leader and was involved in many outreach programs that helped feed people and cared for them according to their needs. As a pastor, I consider my primary call to be not only as a prayer warrior, but also as evangelist; one who proclaims the Word, not only within the congregation; but, in the whole community or wherever I might be in both word and deed. It can be summed up in these three words:  "Prayer, praise, proclamation." We are all given gifts to be used according to the needs of the community; for the good of all. We work together, using our individual gifts, for the glory of God. One person cannot do it all. I thank God for the many faithful disciples at Zion Lutheran who, according to their gifts, serve one another and the whole community.

The apostles began running into problems not too long after the church was born. The church was growing quickly. There was way too much for twelve of them to do. They were busy trying to minister to everyone who was hungry; feeding thing with physical food. Consequently, they found themselves with less and less time for the ministry of the word; less time to feed them spiritually. So that they would be able to give their full attention to prayer and the ministry of the word, they chose seven men who would be in charge of making sure that everyone, including all of the widows, were fed.

May God fill each of us with the Holy Spirit and with wisdom so that we will know how best to use our gifts for the ministry and the power to use those gifts for the good of all and the glory of God.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Mark 1:14-43 Live Life in the Kingdom

Reading the New Testament can sure be some slow going! There is so much to learn - so much to discuss! Today we hear Jesus proclaim the good news. What is it that he is proclaiming?

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:14-15 NIV)

The good news, the gospel, is this: "The kingdom of God has come near." It has come near for you. It is at hand. It is not some far away place. It is at hand!

We pray, "Thy Kingdom come... Thy will be done... on earth as it is in heaven." What does this mean for us? The Kingdom of God is at hand and it can be seen as we reach out, with the love of God, in the will of God, to love and serve our neighbors. Notice immediately after Jesus is baptized and then is tempted by Satan, he begins his ministry proclaiming this good news of the Kingdom. He goes out to call others into life (ministry) with him; proclaiming the good news and then as a member of that kingdom (as chief member) he goes out and heals the sick and drives out impure spirits so that others might live life. 

Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God and then he proceeded to show us God's will for our lives in that kingdom as he reached out to make whole the people he encountered; to give them life; to help them live life on earth as it is in heaven.

May you live life in the Kingdom of God, even today. May His will be done on earth, even as it is in heaven.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Malachi 3 - Annual Reports; Budgets

So much I'd like to cover in such little space....

First, the prophecy of the coming of John the Baptist:
"I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty." (Mal 3:1 NIV)

Next to consider the word of God when He says: "I the LORD do not change." (Mal 3:6) I'm going to let you think about that one on your own.

Thirdly; I have been working on annual reports and budgets and benevolence comes up a lot when I do that. So the following verses kind of jumped out at me.

“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.
“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’
“In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty." (Mal 3:-8-12)

It is no secret that I and many others in this community think that we live in a delightful land! It is a friendly and caring community. The people who live in this place are very generous when it comes to helping those in need. We do all that we can to help others in need. (See Mal 3:5) As a congregation reaching out to others we have grown in many ways over the years.

Back to the annual report.... Thanks be to God, our budget is also being managed quite well and even grows - slowly but surely. We have some very faithful stewards. I have to admit that I get a little antsy at times when it comes to budgets (maybe even a little cranky - especially if someone intimates that our storehouse is for us and not to help those in need). Our congregation budget, in the end, is one of those things that we (I) have to say, from year to year, that we will just have to trust the LORD to provide. He has, after all, an outstanding track record of consistently providing for us and for others, through us, in various ways. I was quite surprised to find out that almost 40% of our general fund offerings, this year, came from non-members and I want to take this opportunity to thank God, in all of you, for supporting our ministry. We are a small congregation and a small community; but, thanks be to Christ in all of you, the ministry in this place does not just exist, but thrives.

You have been good stewards of God financial gifts. How's your stewardship of the Word and word going? Are you actually reading your Bible so that you can know His word and Word? That, after all, was the intent of this blog to help you get more involved in daily Bible reading and studying. Make sure you read the rest of Malachi 3. There is much in just this one chapter to understand.

God's Peace - Pr. J
P.S. Just a little clarification for those who may be wondering why I refer to both "word" and "Word." When I speak of the word with a small "w", I am referring to the Holy Scriptures. When I use a capital "W", I am referring to the Word who is Jesus the Christ.