Stronger together

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

-Matthew 7:24

Jesus taught us to build our lives on a firm foundation. I wonder if you have ever stopped to reflect on the core values that define you. Are God's words of love living in your heart? Are the burdens of the world controlling you? I have some really good friends who are incredibly smart. They are hard working and very good people, but they have also lost their way. This is sometimes due to drugs or alcohol. Other times the stress of the world can leave them feeling stranded. They have lost sight of their blessings and the wonderful attributes that made them who they are. 

I think we can all lose our way in the world. It's easy to get caught up in the pain, division, and heartbreak. It can also be difficult to stay focused on the blessings that matter most. Jesus can see the potential in each one of us. He knows that we are all gifted in different ways, and he wants us to flourish. Our current sermon series invites us to ask if we are trusting in God's Love or if we have built our foundation on shaky ground.

As I look at our world today, I see a lot of hurting people. Unfortunately we are so divided that we are having a hard time seeing one another as a children of God. Recently, my ten year old son recently found a book about refugees. I think he started reading it because it seemed like a good adventure story, but by the end he was talking about all the different people in the world who were struggling. It opened his eyes to all the real stories of people in the world. It also helped him to see the people right here in our community differently. There are plenty of people who are hurting in our city and they have real lives and real stories. We need to be people who look at one another with love.

Today I hope we can all take a breath and embrace the love that surrounds us. I hope we can all let go of the pain and find a new path forward.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

What matters most...

I love the season of Christmas, but I am always astounded by how quickly it goes by. Just a few weeks ago, we were rushing to set everything up after Thanksgiving. There were Christmas concerts, a children's' pageant, and rehearsals. We prepared worship services and scrambled to buy presents. A few weeks later we took it all down. Life moves fast. I hope you were able to give thanks for the joy you received.

As quickly as the time went, I really loved the moments when I could stop to be present with the people around me. I loved being fully immersed in the Christmas worship services. I loved having my in-laws in town and sharing meals and incredible moments together. Finally, even after the season was over, I loved taking a bit of time to get away as a family for New Years. 

My family has taken a New Year's trip the past few years. It is always a bit stressful, because we really don't have time to plan it. We just pack up and go. This year was no different. There were also a number of things at church we were still dealing with, and we were going to face rainstorms in California. However, we wanted to find the time to make it work.

We piled our camping stuff into the van, hoped we had enough dry socks, and we took off. We stayed on the coast in California's Big Sur. We splashed through creeks to waterfalls, we watched elephant seals, and we explored the coastal redwood trees. It was wet, wild, and super fun. We came home exhausted and with tons on dirty laundry, but we were also rejuvenated as a family. It was wonderful just to spend some time together!

We are entering into a sermon series that is all about getting back to our foundation. We will look at the core teachings of Jesus, and we are taking a look at what matters most. Today I hope you can all find some time to get back to the basics. Don't let the small things drag you down. Let's find hope right where we are!

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Opening our hearts to Joy

We are entering the third week in the season of Advent, and we are lighting the candles of Hope, Peace, and Joy... I wonder if you are taking time in this busy season to experience all of these gifts. I believe we are surrounded by these blessings everyday, but we do not always recognize them. Life either moves too fast, or we are too anxious and frustrated to appreciate the wonder right in front of us. 

Two weeks ago, we celebrated Thanksgiving. I love this holiday. Most of the time we will either travel to be with family in Colorado, or we meet our family here in Las Vegas. However, this year we were not going to have anyone in town. Our neighbors were also busy, so this was going to be one of the first holidays where we wouldn't be including others. We were a little bummed out at first, but my wife decided to ask what else we could do. This world is filled with wonder, and we were going to have a few days off to try something new. After checking the weather, we decided to book a hotel at the Grand Canyon. It was a fantastic experience, and I am so thankful that we all just decided to embrace the moment. I loved seeing my kids walk up to the canyon for the first time and share in a sense of awe and wonder. It was a moment to pause and remember all of the incredible gifts that surround us. More importantly we realized the greatest gift was just being around each other.

The season of Advent is a time to wait patiently for the good gifts of God. Many people in the Biblical Christmas story did not notice the baby that was born and laid in a manger. Many people did not want to listen to the joy of the shepherds. However, the story tells us that the greatest blessings are found in celebrating the small moments. God is here. We are not alone, and we have the opportunity to live in the wonder of all creation. 

Today I hope you can appreciate the gifts that that surround you. It may feel like joy is pretty far off in the chaos of our world. However, the Advent and Christmas story tell us that we can find hope, peace, joy, and love everywhere we go. Let's share this good news with the world.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Hope and Thanksgiving

What are you thankful for?

As I write this, my family is preparing for Thanksgiving.  When I reflect back, I have so many wonderful memories of this season. As a child, my aunt and uncle often hosted the entire family, and we were invited to spend a few days on their farm. From the moment we loaded up the car, I remember feeling a sense of wonder and excitement. I don't remember a number of the logistics, but I do remember spending as much time as I could with the people there. My cousins and I would go outside to build log cabins in the woods. We would take our sleds careening down a hill, and we would always share in a wonderful meal. One could argue that there didn't have to be anything special about all of this. I could have made time for these activities on my own, but the true blessings were found in the relationships. It didn't matter if the turkey was dry or my sled crashed into a tree, the loved ones who surrounded me transformed these moments into beautiful lifelong memories.

I have not been to that farm in Wisconsin in many years, but I will always cherish the memories. More than that, I will continue to live in the hope I found there. I learned that hope is something real. It is something I can trust and put my faith in. I am a changed person, because I feel loved. 

Today, I am building my own Thanksgiving traditions with my family. We are taking time to give thanks for the people that surround us, and we are experiencing the same hope that changed my life. Our traditions look quite a bit different than the ones I grew up with, but we still look for faith, hope, and love.

Let's all try to share in the blessings of this season. Perhaps you are feeling beaten down by the world or exhausted by the road that life has led you on. My prayer is that we could all take a breath. I hope we can all find something to be thankful for and generously share these blessings with the world.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Come and Worship

In the Bible, Jesus invites all people into a deeper relationship with God. He invites the rich and the poor. He invites the young and the old. He also extended this invitation different cultures. Jesus wants all of us to "come and see" what a relationship with God looks like. This is a cornerstone of our scriptures. However, there are quite a few distractions in our world that can prevent us from looking toward Jesus. Personally, I find myself running off to a different activity every single evening. (And people tell me that it only gets busier when my kids get into middle school and high school!) Even when I am working in the church, I can be guilty of losing sight of some of the ways love is transforming the world around me. It's just too easy to get lost in the tiny little frustrations of life...

In our sermon series this this month we are looking at the core values that we have chosen as a congregation. These are gifts that our church has that we can share with the world. This week we are diving into our core value of worship. Following Jesus leads us to all kinds of opportunities. However, worship is a special area of focus. I believe true worship will cut through all of the distractions, and it will allow us to let go of all of the burdens of the world. When we leave time for worship, we open ourselves to a greater experience of what God can do. 

I think the question becomes whether or not we want to leave space for worship. Are we too busy? Would we rather do something else? Would we rather just stay home and watch T.V.? Or is there something valuable in gathering together to surrender ourselves to God. My hope and prayer is that we would all come and see what the Lord is doing in our lives.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Trunks, Treats, and Reformation!

This is an exciting time at CLC. I am in the midst of planning for our annual Trunk or Treat. We are going to welcome our neighborhood to a safe and fun experience, and all are invited! This is one of our largest community outreach events of the year. We try to make sure everyone feels welcome whether they are connected to our church or not. I love meeting all kinds of new kids who want to laugh, talk about their day, or just brag about a costume. Trunk or Treat offers the opportunity to let people be loved just as they are. We don't care if you've ever come to church before. We want you to feel loved and accepted here.

I think it is so important to have safe spaces for people to find a community. Unfortunately many people have negative experiences with the church. Instead of feeling welcomed, they tend to feel judgment. I believe our church stands for something different. You can come in costume. You can come for candy. You can bring your family or friends. All are welcome. We want people to feel blessed and loved. No strings attached!

This weekend we are also celebrating the Reformation. This celebration remembers a time 500 years ago when Martin Luther decided to ask some serious questions of the church. Judgement in the church is nothing new. We can go all the way back to the time of Jesus and we find people trying to push others out. Instead of lifting others up, the journey of faith becomes a just another way for people to tear each other down. 

As I look forward to Reformation, I am excited to see what the Holy Spirit is going to do. We are called to let go of our judgments and transform lives with grace. This is the path that Jesus was leading us on from the beginning. We don't need to hurt one another to prove anything. We believe in a God who loves us and that's all that is needed. Let's live inspired by this kind of grace!

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Surrendering to prayer

Prayer is incredible when we really stop to think about it. It offers a connection to God, and it provides wisdom, hope, and power. The Bible teaches us that prayer can change lives. It will move us to action or give us the peace we need to live each day. However, prayer also requires that we surrender ourselves to something greater.

Two thousand years ago, Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. He didn't require them to memorize a grand liturgy or live perfectly. Instead, he taught them five simple petitions to reach out to our Heavenly Father. We are all called to let go of our own plans and open our hearts to God's will. Jesus promised God would listen. We are simply called to trust in a Savior who loves us.

Today I wonder what prayer practices you have. Do you pray regularly? Do you feel too busy? Does prayer get forgotten in this hectic world we live in?

Christ did not come to the world to judge you or your prayers. However, Jesus does want to hear from you. Jesus put you on this earth for a purpose, and if we entrust ourselves to this promise, God is going to provide. 

Today I hope you can all open your heart to prayer. I hope you can all receive God's Holy Spirit and allow God to connect you to the divine love that surrounds us. We live in a world that is filled with a lot of danger and fear. The Lord's Prayer asks for love and protection from all evil. Let's embrace this hope today. Our world needs people who can allow God's love to work.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian