Taking time for our neighbor

“And who is my neighbor?”

-Luke 10:29

A scribe asked Jesus this question over 2000 years ago, and people are still struggling to answer it today.  The vast majority of us only want to think of ourselves and those close to us. However, this kind of close mindedness can lead to to demonizing the stranger if we are not careful.   

A few days ago, my wife had a conversation with a friend of hers who sees the world very different politically.  Their conversation wasn’t heated.  Her friend just asked about some of her views.  This friend was not trying to pick a fight or stir up trouble, he was simply curious.  When I thought about this, it almost shocked me.  When people ask about politics or religion, they usually want a fight.  It’s almost unheard of to find another person who simply wants to listen, learn, and grow.  

Throughout the scriptures, Jesus continually takes time for others.  He listened to the needs of individuals who were labeled unclean.  He patiently heard the questions and concerns of Nicodemus the Pharisee.  It didn’t matter if a person was a wealthy tax collector or a poor fisherman, Jesus had time to deeply care for all.  

Today I hope we can pause for a minute and consider the people who we have been ignoring.  Is there someone who annoys or frustrates you?  I know there are people who I can easily and subconsciously judge prematurely.  I can get caught up in the busy nature of the world, and I can lose sight of what really matters.  I hope we can take a breath right now, in this moment, and stop the judgement.  Christ valued everybody.  Christ values you.  Let’s take a little extra time and embrace the blessings we find in our neighbor.  

Blessings!

Brian

Let Go and Let God...

Is there something you need to let go of?

 

I love to have control.  That doesn’t mean I love controlling other people, but I really like to be prepared.  I want to know what I am getting myself into, and I want to feel like there is no situation that I can’t handle.  However, there are times I need to let go of this need for control.

 

Last week my family and I went on a vacation to visit my wife’s parents in Colorado.  We were really looking forward to this trip, because it was our first vacation since the virus locked everything down.  We prepared as much as possible, but there was also a lot I couldn’t control.  When my wife and I first started traveling with our boys, we would get so frustrated by the smallest things.  They wouldn't take their naps.  They complained too much.  They spilled their snacks everywhere.  Granted, all of this stuff can be frustrating, but I needed to slow down, develop patience, and open my heart to new possibilities.  

 

Amazingly, when I let go of what I thought the road trip should be, the kids behaved incredibly well.  I had to let go of some of my expectations, but most of those were not very realistic anyway.  We took advantage of many more scenic viewpoints and state parks that I may have otherwise just cruised past to get where I thought we needed to be.  The boys were incredibly blessed to get some time with Grandma and Grandpa, and we cherished the time way more than if I had forced it to happen on my timeline.

 

Letting go is never easy, but God is always offering us another opportunity to experience the grace around us.  We are in a sermon series at CLC that is taking a look at Living Generously.  A generous life is a life that is open to something beyond ourselves.  This week I hope we can all take a bit of time to cherish the grace we have and freely share it with others.  

 

Blessings,

 

Brian

Don't let stress win...

What stresses you out?

 

Do you have a strategy to handle anxiety?

 

I live a pretty blessed life, but there are times even the simplest things can overwhelm me.  Just last week, I was making a quick run to the grocery store, when my two year old called out that he had to go pee.  I pulled him out as fast as I could, but then I realized my other child was missing a shoe!  My two year old was still yelling that he really had to pee, so I gave up on the shoe and carried them both to the public bathrooms.  I feel like we must have been a sight to see.

 

I can smile about that incident now, but if we aren’t careful, we can let the small things get to us.  I also encounter people everyday who are dealing with very serious problems.  It is easy to get lost in the anxieties of the world.  Fear can send us inward.  We tend to focus on ourselves and neglect the needs of others.

In our upcoming sermon series, we are going to look at the idea of:  Living Generously.  We don’t want to let fear and anxiety win.  Christ gave us the gift of grace to live with open hearts ready to share God’s love with the world.  Every day we are alive there will be things to worry about.  Let’s not let those fears define us.  Let’s live with open and loving hearts!

 

Blessings!

 

 

Pastor Brian

An Inspired Life

Do you feel inspired?

 

Fifteen years ago the direction of my life changed forever.  Before that point, I had been focused on graduate school.  I was looking at a path that would lead me to a career in medicinal chemistry.  However, I also felt a calling to inspire people in a different way.  I loved building relationships through the church, and I loved connecting with others as a camp counselor.  Eventually, I decided to take a leap of faith and begin the road to ordained ministry.  When I was following this call, I felt empowered in a way that I had never experienced before.  I felt hope in a new way, and I felt a need to share this with the world.  

 

Looking back, I can see following God’s path was life giving.  However, I am struck by how deeply I tried to ignore the call in that period of time.  I had my plan and my agenda.  Even when the Chemistry lab just seemed like a grind, I put up with it to focus on my plans.  When I finally walked into seminary, it gave me a sense of freedom.  I was living with hope, and I was going to have the opportunity to share God’s Love with everyone.  I was inspired.

 

Today, it is still easy to get caught up in my own path.  I may be a pastor now, but we should never stop looking for the new ways God is calling us.  We still have our plans, and it is easy for anyone to get stuck.  When I look at the stories of Jesus, I am often drawn to the calling of the disciples.  Jesus called men and women from the most unlikely places, and he led them to a completely new life.  They had the opportunity to see the world in a new way, and it changed their lives forever.  Their stories are very similar to ours.  Even though the disciples followed Christ, it was still easy to fall back into their own habits.  As Christians, we are called to look for the Holy Spirit and live an inspired life.  Today I hope you can take a breath and experience new ways God is calling you.

 

Blessings!

 

 

Brian

Faith in Action

Growing up is hard…

My two little boys are ages two and six, and they are both a ton of fun.  However, the age difference between them is such that it can be really hard to find things for them to do together.  The six year old wants to climb a mountain, and the two year old wants to throw his pancakes on the floor.  Then when the two year old is ready to go to the park, the six year old is busy with his legos. (And two year olds really struggle with legos…) Besides all of this, both boys are trying to assert their own independence, and that means they love to say:  NO!  Getting out of the house can feel impossible with all of this going on.  

However, the weather in Las Vegas has been pretty amazing recently.  The temperature has been perfect, and aside from a few windy days, I couldn’t ask for anything better.  My wife and I have really been feeling the urge to take the kids exploring, so we made the extra effort to take the kids to the mountains.  For a while, it seemed like no one was going to be happy, but when we arrived at a nice picnic spot near a patch of leftover snow, the kids started to have a blast.  They were excited to play with each other and laugh and enjoy the moment.  Sometimes it takes quite a bit of extra effort, but it is always so amazing to see their relationship deepen.

This week we are taking time to think about our identity in the Church.  Here at CLC, we have lifted up six words that pertain to our ideals:  REAL PEOPLE, INCLUSIVE GOD, and RADICAL GRACE.  As a church, we believe these six words describe what we believe.  In addition to a statement of faith, they are also part of our mission.  We are called to go forth and share these gifts as the very ministry of Christ.  Putting our faith into action isn’t always easy.  In fact, we can find countless reasons why it’s easier to give up in the face of the chaos in the world.  

In some ways, we all have to grow up in our faith and put our words into action.  This is going to be difficult, but if we believe the words of Christ, it is always worth it.  Personally I have made plenty of mistakes in my ministry and in parenting, but God shows up in the mistakes.  I’ve seen growth in my own family and I’ve seen the church accomplish great things.   We can’t be afraid of falling on our faces at times.  We are called to live out our faith with love.

Blessings!

Brian

Believe!

Do not doubt, but believe...

-John 20:27

 

Jesus told Thomas to stop living in doubt and believe that Christ was still very much alive and in his midst.  Jesus told him to stop believing only in death, and embrace the New Life for all people.  Today Christ is still calling us to believe and not doubt.  As you look out at the world, do you hold faith over doubt?  

 

Personally, I can see examples of war and violence as well as bigotry and discrimination.  Jesus spoke of a world where all are loved, but it is hard not to see the world like Thomas did so long ago… How can Christ possibly be present? 

A few weeks ago, my son received a birthday present for his 6th birthday from a woman who has very few resources.  Even though she didn’t have a ton of money, she gave him a gift… a couple of toy cars.  I explained to my child where the gift came from and a little about the person who gave it, and I could see him thinking all of this over.  He experienced a blessing, and he looked at me and he asked what we could do for her. He wanted to share the love.

 

Sometimes we may not be able to offer the largest or most expensive gifts to others.  We may not be able to single handedly end wars in Ukraine, Syria, or Afghanistan.  However, we can see one another with compassion.  We can take a bit of time and empathize with our neighbors instead of judging them.  God is calling us to do great things, but we are also called to do the small things.  We can bless others with small acts of kindness and love. 

 

Today I hope we can all see that Christ is still present in our lives.  Hope and love are here. 

 

Blessings!

 

 

Brian

Whom are you looking for?

“Whom are you looking for?”

-Jesus

 

Jesus asks this question twice in the last few chapters of the Gospel of John.  In the first instance, Judas Iscariot was leading a squadron of Roman Soldiers to arrest Jesus.  Judas appears to have become disillusioned.  He may have begun to doubt the ability of peace to change the world.  He may have succumbed to the need for revenge and prefer a warrior revolutionary, or perhaps Judas just wanted the money.  Whatever the reason, Judas betrayed his friend and the other disciples ran away.  When Jesus asks, “Whom are you looking for,” the response of Judas and the soldiers is a scapegoat.  The people wanted to place their fears and anger on Jesus… and that is exactly what they did.

The second time Jesus asks this question comes in John chapter 20.  Here Jesus has risen from the dead, but the disciples are still in a state of confusion and fear.  They believe someone has taken Christ’s body to another location, and Mary Magdalene is left weeping outside the tomb.  It is at this moment that Jesus appears and asks her, “Whom are you looking for?”  At first she cannot see who is calling out to her.  However when Jesus says her name, her eyes are opened.  Christ had never been far from her.  Jesus was present with her then, and He is present with us now.

 

Today Jesus is still asking us what we are looking for.  If we are searching for a scapegoat or someone to blame for our troubles, we are going to find that.  If we are looking for a source of hope and love in the world, then that is what we will find.  

 

This Holy week and Easter I hope we can all search for love.  Perhaps you can feel the warmth and love from a family member or friend this Easter.  Perhaps you can feel God’s presence in worship, or in the beauty of nature.  However we search for Christ, let us find God’s love here and now. 

 

Blessings!

 

Brian