Rest in the Lord

 Where do you go to find rest?

Last week my two older boys were out of school for Spring break. They were excited to have some time off, and they wanted to enjoy every moment they had. We were not able to make a big trip happen this year, so tried to find a few other local activities. We drove up to the snow on Mt. Charleston, we explored Ice Age Fossil's state park, we went swimming, and we camped out in the backyard! Nothing was too wild or extreme, but it still felt like we took advantage of the time we had.

A few fun moments from Spring Break!

I think we all need to find little ways to take a step back and embrace a fresh perspective. Perhaps you are unable to fly to the other side of the world, but we still need to find a way to appreciate the blessings that surround us. 

This week in worship we will consider what it means to turn to God and find rest. There are a number of Biblical examples of people who needed to get away from the chaos of the world so that they could rest. I think this is important for everybody. I can personally get so caught up in the details of life, I can forget to the gifts right in front of me.

Enjoying a few of the little things...

Today I hope you can all find some rest. I hope you can embrace God's gifts of love, and I hope you can live inspired to follow God's Spirit.

Blessings!

Pastor Brian

A season of Ashes and Hope

As a church, we are in the season of Lent, and over the next forty days we will travel to the cross with Jesus. When I was a child, I thought this time of year was kind of exhausting. I lived in Minnesota, and the weather was alway cold and dreary. The worship services also felt like laments. The season reminded me of the death that Jesus went through. It was meaningful, but also exhausting...

Lent is still a season that reminds me of human imperfection and mortality. However, this season is also about hope. In the Bible, Genesis 3:19 says, "For you are dust and to dust you shall return." This verse encapsulates much of what the season of Lent is all about. However, the very next verse in the Bible is about hope. Together the verses read:

By the sweat of your brow
    you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,

for dust you are

    and to dust you will return.”

And Adam called his partner Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.

Now I hope I'm not going too deep into the weeds with the translation here, but I think something really cool is going on. The word Adam in the original Hebrew is the same as ground and very closely related to the word dust. The name Eve means "life" or even "everlasting life." So originally the test would read something along the lines of:

"You are dust and to dust you shall return. Then the human (or dust of the earth) called his partner Living One, because she would become the mother of all the living...."

If you can follow all of that, the Bible is telling us that we are indeed dust, but when we come together, we find new life. This is the same story that Jesus came to fulfill. Christ wants us to come together as a church. We are all broken individually, but when we gather in Christ name, Jesus is with us.

Today I hope we can open our hearts to the people around us. I hope we can see that we need each other. Instead of finding reasons to divide ourselves, let us open our hearts to the grace that binds us all together.

Peace,

Brian Ward

Change and Hope

There is a time for everything,

    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

    a time to be born and a time to die,

    a time to plant and a time to uproot,

    a time to kill and a time to heal,

    a time to tear down and a time to build,

    a time to weep and a time to laugh,

    a time to mourn and a time to dance,

    a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

    a time to search and a time to give up,

    a time to keep and a time to throw away,

    a time to tear and a time to mend,

    a time to be silent and a time to speak,

    a time to love and a time to hate,

    a time for war and a time for peace.

-Ecclesiastes 3

How do you feel about change? Are you ready to adapt or do you try to resist it?

The Bible teaches us that change is inevitable. We may like it, but life is going to move forward. This week our Bible text will be looking at the story of the transfiguration. This scripture tells us of the time when Jesus was changed or transfigured on a mountain. Christ's true glory was revealed, and he began his journey toward Jerusalem and the cross. 

Our perspectives are important. Jesus spent a long time trying to offer healing and hope, but he eventually needed his disciples to see something more. That is when he led them up a mountain... Mountains still have the ability to make me stop and reflect. Whenever I am able to look out from a natural viewpoint, I come away changed. Leaving space for awe and wonder allows me to look at the world in a new way. 

When Jesus and the disciples returned, they were changed. Jesus began to turn toward the cross, and the disciples started realize they were in the presence of something even bigger than they first understood. 

Today I wonder if you are in a place of change. Does it feel like the world is shifting under you? Are you uncertain or even afraid of what lies ahead? It is my prayer that we would all take a bit of time for awe and wonder this week. I pray that we could open our hearts to a new teaching. I hope we don't simply stay rooted in our old ways. I hope we can be open to the wonderful calling of God.

Peace,

Pastor Brian

Finding Christ in the Storm

Two weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about my four month old baby catching a cold. Since that time, he has gotten better, but my older boys got sick. In the midst of their snotty noses, my nine year old also caught a stomach bug, and that slowly went through the house. After this, the same 9 year old got a major black eye when he bumped into another kid playing soccer. It was a hectic few days! They say when it rains it pours!

This week at CLC we are going to look at the scripture text describing Noah and the great flood. This is a pretty dramatic story, but we all have to go through storms in life. We all face moments of darkness and despair. The Bible story speaks of Noah lost on a stormy sea of waves. He could only trust that God would lead him through. 

Sometimes we try to convince ourselves that we are in control. We attempt to conquer trials by our own will and determination. This kind of resolution can be helpful, but the Bible tells us we also need faith. We need to acknowledge that we can't control everything. We have to be able to let go at some point and trust that we have a Savior who has always loved us. 

As I look at my family, I know I am blessed that we haven't had to face too much adversity. However, we need to remember the greatest gift we have is the gift of faith. We can believe that we are loved, and there is nothing that can separate us from God's love.

I pray that all of you are able to trust in God even when the storms are raging outside. When we face sickness, uncertainty, fear, or even death, we have to trust in a deeper love. We are asked to believe that we will never be alone or abandoned. We belong to Christ forever.

Blessings!

Pastor Brian

Love matters

Last Sunday my four month old baby woke up with his first cold. We have had a number of close calls with the two other boys bringing home all kinds of germs, but it finally caught up with him. Overall, he is doing ok. He has a rough time sleeping, and he is dealing with a lot of congestion. However, he is not running a fever, and we are optimistic that he can power through this without it getting too far out of hand. It's just hard to watch somebody suffer. I want to do something to make him feel better, but all I can do is show him love. 

We live in a world filled with problems. There is violence, there is hatred, and there are natural disasters. I believe we all have a role in helping one another though these situations, but sometimes our job is simply to sit beside those in need. It is impossible to fix every evil. There is always going to be pain in the world. However, we are called to believe that our acts of love offer more hope than we realize. 

This weekend in worship we will focus on a scripture passage that deals with sin and brokenness. As human beings we are going to make mistakes. We are going to fall apart under pressure, but this does not mean we have to give up hope. God continues to love us, and where there is love, we can find hope.

This morning my son still woke up with a lot of congestion. However, he still was able to smile without too much effort. His older brothers also wanted to hold him and care for him. (My older kids are amazing! Yes, they can be a little wild, but they really love their brother! It is also super helpful when they hold him when I am busy!)

You wouldn't even think he was sick from this picture!

Today I hope we can all find some small way to love our neighbor. If we can't solve all the problems in the world at once, it's okay. God still loves us, and God is leading on a path of hope.

Blessings,

Brian Ward

Searching for Hope

I still remember learning about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a child. My teachers spoke about the hatred and violence in the world, and I remember the hope I felt as we learned about Dr. King and the civil rights movement. 

This weekend in worship, we will celebrate MLK day, and we will lift up the inclusive love of God. Jesus came to this world to offer hope to all people. Jesus did not discriminate. He gave everything so that all people could have a voice. Throughout the Bible, prophetic leaders have had a very important role. They reminded us that there was hope, but they also had to face resistance. Jesus certainly felt pushback his entire ministry...

Christ never traveled the easy road. He went to the cross for all people. Today, as I reflect on Dr. King, I think it is so important to lift up the people who find hope in a dark world. I think it is important to give thanks for the people who choose to pursue hope even when it is not easy. 

Conquering all the world's problems may leave us feeling overwhelmed. However, I believe each person can offer something. My six year old son may not have much worldly power, but he can share hope. He loves to roll his window down as we drive home from school and greet all his friends. He is not looking at the color of their skin. He simply sees a friend he wants to say "Hi!" 

Today I hope we can all find a way to reach out the world in love, because every bit of love matters!

Blessings,

Brian Ward

 

Christ is with us!

It has been a wonderful Advent and Christmas season. I feel blessed by so many incredible worship services and meaningful moments with family and friends. I loved seeing the excitement in my children as they sang Christmas songs, learned their lines for the Christmas play, and opened all their presents. I certainly felt blessed.

As a pastor, I love working to create these moments, but in the end, I am unable to create joy in someone else. I can share the Good News. I can offer opportunities for people to hear the Good News, but I can't force someone to receive the God's promise or be filled with joy. Each person has to leave room for Christ. We have to decide if we are going to continue carrying the burdens of the world or if we are going to trust in an ancient promise. 

Sometimes I think adults get too lost in the cares of this world. Anyone can be defeated by their problems. There are so many difficulties we face everyday. Sometimes even the smallest things can weigh on us. Children, on the other hand, often have the ability to let go. They can trust in a good promise, and they can live in the moment. 

I hope we can all learn to trust that God is with us. I loved watching each of my boys discover that this year. Even my youngest, who doesn't understand any Biblical teaching, is learning to trust that he is not alone. 

Today let us leave room for the love God offers. Let's let go of the fear that holds us back and trust in the wonderful promise that we are always loved.

Blessings!

Brian Ward