Being thankful...

Last week, my family traveled to New Mexico to celebrate Thanksgiving with some relatives there.  It was a wonderful opportunity to see some new places and enjoy time with those we love.  I love these kinds of trips, but I have to admit that prior to leaving I was feeling some apprehension.  This would be the longest drive we had ever done with the kids, and our last big trip had not been easy.  Imagine a car ride with a screaming child for hours on end.  He wouldn’t nap, and he seemed to be pooping every 30 minutes… That was an exhausting way to start our summer trip. 

However, we decided we wanted to try again. (Or maybe we had just forgotten some of the difficulties of the last trip!) There were concerns, but we also had family members telling us:  Just go for it!  In the end, I think that is what life is all about.  There are times we could let the problems of the world overwhelm us, or we can trust that a greater love is waiting for us on the other side.  Our car ride wound up going amazingly well, and we had a blast with the people we love.  It turned out to be a blessing to share this trip with kids, and I love giving them the opportunity to see other people and other parts of the world.  As we got ready to leave, we asked our little boy what he was thankful for, and it was a delight to have him list off every family member he could.  It was a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I know I’m blessed to have such wonderful people around me.

 Blessings!

Brian  

Thankfulness...

Last week we celebrated Veteran’s Day.  As a church, we took time to honor all those who fought for our freedoms, and I was able to spend some time thanking a few of the veterans in my life.  Several years ago I worked as a Chaplin at a VA hospital in Minnesota.  My job entailed meeting with veterans and their families and offering any services I could.  I will always value my time there.  I learned so much, and some of men and women expressed how important it was for them to be able to share their story with me…

Today, in our scripture passage, the Apostle Paul will write of the importance valuing other people.  Taking time to tell people that they are valued and their gifts are needed is important.  Paul writes that we are to live our lives with a spirit of thanksgiving.  Today we sit right in between Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving.  I hope we can spend this time, as well as the rest of our lives, living with this spirit of thankfulness inside of us!

Blessings!

Brian 

αποκαταλλασσο - Reconciling all things!

This week has been difficult.  I don’t want get into all the details here, but there have been a number of things that just didn’t go right.  However, today we are looking at a powerful scripture passage:

Through Christ God, was pleased to reconcile all things to God’s own self, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

-Colossians 1:20

The words “reconcile all things” comes from a very complex Greek word:  αποκαταλλασσο.  In English we pronounce it:  ap-ok-at-al-las'-so.  It looks like a pretty big word, but I think its meaning is even bigger.  It refers to bringing all things, the good and the bad, together in Christ.  God seeks to take what is evil and reconcile it into something new.  This word doesn’t deny that evil exists, because it most certainly does!  However, this verse does say that evil can be changed through Christ.  Two thousand years ago, this would have meant that God was making something new out of the corrupt Roman Empire, oppression within the church, and even death itself.  Those ancient people could have hope that God was working within them… I think we can have the same hope today.

When life is a mess, and we don’t have the answers, God is reconciling all these things to bring wholeness and peace.  There is always a way to move forward.  There is always a way to grow.  Evil does exist, but new life is even more powerful than the chaos that we see!

Blessings!

Brian

All Saints Day

We just finished an amazing week in our congregation.  We had an incredible service celebrating the Lutheran Reformation, and we invited over 1200 people to the church for our Trunk or Treat event.  We are also looking forward to Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas.  It is a wonderful and busy time of year!  However, this week we are taking a step back from our busy schedule to remember all the people who have died.  We take time to grieve their loss, celebrate their lives, and remember how their love changed us.  Taking time to reflect is important, but I know it’s something I can also overlook.  Personally, I get caught up just trying to get the kids to school or pulling bubble gum out of someone’s hair.  Life is crazy, and if we don’t take time laugh, cry, rejoice, and reflect, I believe we will find ourselves in a rat race… and that will always leave us feeling stressed and disappointed. 

This week we celebrate All Saints Day.  Who are the people who have been saints to you?  In our church, being a saint does not mean that you are perfect.  It means that you have in some way shared God’s love with others.  Therefore, we are all simultaneously sinners and saints.  So, who has brought God’s Love into your life?  How has grace been offered to you?  Are you taking time to cherish the love that is near to you?  Today I hope you can find the space to reflect on the people who have brought you hope, and I hope you can take time to embrace the gifts presented before you!

Blessings!

Brian