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

Joy is with us

This weekend we will light the third candle on our Advent wreath, this is often referred to as the candle of joy. If you follow the Advent tradition, you may notice that this is a pink candle. Joy is something that we notice. It stands out from the other weeks.

I really like this tradition, because it shows us that joy can be revealed before we see the baby born in a manger. You don't have to light all five candle to find joy. Joy is experienced along the way, though faith. This is true in our world as well. We don't always get to see the ending. We don't know where the ups and downs of life are going to take us, but it is possible to find joy along the way.

Are you able to feel God's Joy in your life?

I have sat with a number of people in the hospital recently. Some were in pain. Others were grieving, but everyone of them was going to face a difficult season. It is so hard when a part of us is missing. Perhaps we are missing a loved one, or we may feel like something is missing in our own hearts. Whatever is going on, Christ's message is the same: "I am with you always."

Throughout the Christmas season we hear God promise that Christ is with us. We may feel insignificant. We may feel broken beyond repair. However, God never abandons or forsakes us. We are each loved beyond what we can comprehend. I think our goal is to try and live by faith. If we can trust that we are not alone, we can also discover joy. 

Today you may be hurting or lost. That is okay. God is still with you. You may feel like you have pushed God away or rejected God's goodness somehow. That's also okay. God is not going to give up on you. We are all loved. If we can take one step toward God in faith, I believe we can start to discover the joy that God has already prepared for us. 

Blessings,

Brian Ward

Giving Thanks

Have you taken time to consider what you are thankful for this season? 

I believe most of us know the importance of living with gratitude. Giving thanks has all kinds of physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits. However, it is easy to lose sight of these blessings that surround us. I will often find myself looking enviously at what my neighbors have. I wonder if I have enough. Do I need a bigger house? A newer car? Why do other families seem to have everything figured out? Thanksgiving sounds wonderful, but we often neglect the hope it shares. We are just to tied into the worries and fears of the world.

“A thankful heart is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the other virtues.” 

-Cicero

The ancient philosopher Cicero believed that all the other virtues came from thanksgiving. That's quite a statement! Does every other joy and good thing start by appreciating the gifts that surround us in the world? Modern psychologists are still trying to understand this, and they are still finding all kinds of connections between better health and gratitude. It just remains a question why we let our scarcity mentality win most of the time.

Today I want to live with a thankful heart. I don't want to rush past all the blessings that surround me in my home or in my church. There are too many reasons to let the darkness win. Let's open our hearts so that we can see the good.

Blessings,

Brian Ward

Be still...

This morning felt particularly frantic in my house. The baby kept us busy all night, my 9 year old remembered he needed to finish a presentation, and the the neighbors called to ask if their 5 year old could come over before school. Add to all of this the regular list of cleaning, dishes, and laundry, and we had a full morning. As we were rushing around the house, my wife stopped and exclaimed that the baby smiled! It was an incredible moment. Our youngest just turned six weeks old, and he has really started to look deeply at people's faces. He is trying to mimic facial expressions, and we have just started seeing what could be smiles. It is incredible, and it would have been easy for us to miss. We are all just too busy to notice. 

"Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today... The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

-Exodus 14:13-16

This week we are looking at the Old Testament Bible story of Moses. Moses was asked to do something impossible. He was called to set his people free from slavery. In many ways Moses felt like he had to carry this burden all by himself. However, if we look at the text, God is consistently telling Moses, and the people, to "be still." God is saying if we let go, then the Spirit will begin to work through us.

In my life, I can get pretty wrapped up in the everyday details. It is important to let go and trust that God is trying to offer miracles everyday. That is my hope for each of us. Let surrender to the love, mercy, and goodness of God.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Love Unites

We are living in a very important and emotional time... This year's election was particularly heated, and throughout the campaign, there has been a lot of animosity and division. Today I see people who are celebrating, and I see people who are grieving. Our lives are filled with emotion, but the Bible teaches us to put our hope in God first.

"those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.”

-Isaiah 40:31 

I was considering this while I was at my 9 year old's soccer practice. The kids were having a passionate discussion about who the next president should be, and they were cheering and booing each other for their beliefs. Now personally, I find it rather unlikely that these kids had a detailed understanding of each candidate's politics. However, they were still drawn into the emotion. They wanted clear lines to decide who was in and who was out. On the way home, my son was talking to me about the divisions. It bothers him that some of the kids, who he's become friends with, have drawn these lines. That kind of thing bothers me too. It hurts me to see so many wonderful people divide themselves from each other. 

We are beginning a new sermon series this week entitled: God is in Charge and that's a Good Thing. We will be diving into the Bible to discover people who found unity instead of division. Even in divisive times, God's love can unite us. Every person's vote is important, but it is also important to remember that Christ asked all of us to be His hands and feet. It is my hope that we would all search for God's love instead of division. Today I pray that we as a church can continue to share hope and grace around the world.

Peace,

Pastor Brian

Excitement is in the air!

This is an exciting time. I love watching the seasons change, and I can't wait to enter into another holiday season. Last week, we celebrated Trunk or Treat at church, and we had a wonderful time! We welcomed all kinds of people from the community, and my kids loved seeing all their friends in a safe family environment. It is so cool to have a church that embraces all kinds of people. 

Since that event, my kids have been wearing their costumes around the house and checking on their candy supply everyday. It was all building up to Halloween, but early on Thursday morning my baby woke up and did not want to go back to sleep. My wife tried to deal with him most of the night, but soon enough it was my turn to try and calm him down. We tried just about everything. It took until about 5:45am when I was finally able rock him back to sleep. I had just a moment of rest when the two older boys burst into the room shouting, "Happy Halloween!" (They are allowed to wake up at six o'clock... and they wanted to take advantage of every moment of the day!) Thankfully, the baby was able to stay asleep, but my night was over! It took me a moment, but we wound up having a great morning together.

In the church we also celebrate Reformation Day. This is a time when we remember Martin Luther and his work to awaken the church to Holy Spirit. I think it has always been easy for people of faith to lose sight of the things that matter most. We can metaphorically fall asleep, and we find ourselves on a path that turns away from our neighbor. This was a problem in Jesus' time, and it is a problem in our world too. Instead of continuing down that path, God is calling us to open our eyes to something so much more wonderful. 

These days I am getting a little less sleep, but life is just as full of blessings. I don't want to miss out on the joy. Today I hope you can all look for God's Holy Spirit in your life. I hope you can believe that God is calling you to something wonderful. 

Blessings,

Pastor Brian