Christ the King

This week has been a whirlwind.  My wife started a new job, my kindergartner started several new projects for school, and my two year old… well he was busy just being a two year old.  To top all of this off, the whole house was exposed to Covid-19 so we had to do all of this while quarantined in our house.  

I can obviously think of a lot of things to complain about, but we are in the midst of a sermon series at CLC all about being thankful.  There will always be challenges in this world… Jesus knew this, and he told his followers this would be the case.  However, Jesus also prayed that his people would come together to face the trials of the world alongside one another.

Today we live in a time of physical separation, but we are still a church.  We are still united through the body of Christ, and this weekend we are celebrating the glory of Christ the King.  This is also the last week of the church calendar year.  The cycle starts over next week as we begin the season of Advent.  

As I reflect on this past year, I am reminded of so many times when the trials got the better of us.  Instead of working together, we pushed each other apart.  However, this week we remember that Jesus is King.  God is in charge, and my hope is that we would all open our hearts to the love Christ offers.  Let’s look for ways to see the glory of Christ in the world around us.  Let us find hope in the world!

Blessings!

Brian

Living with Gratitude

 Are you living with a spirit of Thanksgiving?

 There is a lot going on in the world today… elections, corona virus, economic uncertainty… It is easy to get distracted by all of it.  In my family we have also been dealing with the fallout of the time change.  I know there must be somebody out there who looks forward to flipping the clocks an hour back or an hour forward, but I am not one of these people.  Even in the fall, when we should gain an extra hour, I feel like I still lose.  Instead of sleeping in, my kids just wake up an hour earlier! (It’s a cruel twist of fate to always lose an hour!) However, earlier this week, when I was trying to get my two year old to go back to sleep for a few more minutes, he looked right at me and said, “I love you daddy… Let’s go eat.” I guess it struck me in that moment that there will always be things I can complain about, but I should probably be thankful!

 This week, Community Lutheran is continuing a sermon series all about gratitude and thanksgiving.  We are asking what is on your heart.  Are you upset? Afraid of an uncertain future? Excited? Angry?  Emotions are a gift, and I believe it is good to embrace them and understand them.  However, I do not believe we should spend our lives being ruled by our emotions.  At the heart of everything is the all-powerful love of God.  This is a love that we can always embrace, and we can also share. 

 Blessings!

 

Pastor Brian