The Blessings in Life

Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to lead a retreat for the youth and families of Community Lutheran Church. We left on Friday for a whirlwind trip to Camp Lutherwood in Utah. The camp is located just outside of Duck Creek Village in a beautiful location around 7,000 feet. We left on Friday afternoon, and we came home on Sunday. Over those three days, we packed in a ton of wonderful opportunities to explore, worship, and experience the Goodness of God.

We didn't arrive to camp until around 10pm on Friday, but as soon as we got out of the van we were greeted with amazing views of the Milky Way in the night sky. The youth stayed up looking at the stars, laying on the grass, and just cherishing the beauty of our world. 

The next day we spent a lot of time exploring caves and climbing up slot canyons. The kids built new relationships, and they learned to work together. We also took time for worship, fellowship, and laughter.

I find that camp ministry is incredibly important. I grew up going to Green Lake Bible Camp in Minnesota. My wife and I met at Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp in Colorado. Today, I still see all kinds of opportunities to grow and experience the blessings of God in the abundance of nature. 

I find that it is so easy to fall into a rut in life. Routines can be a good thing, but I think we have to find times to break free. There is so much more to the world around us. God's blessings are everywhere, and spending time outside can remind us that we have so much to cherish and love everyday.

Today, it is my hope that we can all take a little time to acknowledge God's Gifts in our world. Let us open our hearts to the everything that God is offering!

Blessings!

Pastor Brian

Trusting God

I have learned a lot in my years of ministry, but one of the hardest lessons to grasp is the understanding that I am not in charge. Sure, that should seem obvious. We confess every week that God is the only one who knows what is to come. However, I can still convince myself that I can control my own destiny. If I do everything right, I want to see the results. It doesn’t matter if I am talking about my own personal life or if I am talking about my profession as a pastor. I want to believe that I am in control. 

I had all kinds of plans going into this summer. I thought I knew everything about the mission trips we would be going on with the Youth Group, and I thought I knew what would be the most impactful ministry. I believed I knew the best ways to travel and connect with my family. However, everything was flipped upside down when my family got Covid. I had my plans, but I was forced to change to see how the Spirit was going to work. 

The Youth Group wound up discovering all kinds of new gifts, and we saw new opportunities for mission as we reached out to God’s people in new ways. My family had to change our vacation plans four times to accommodate all the ups and downs of life, but it all worked out. I was not in charge, but God’s Spirit was working. There was all kinds of ministry taking place from the mission trips, Vacation Bible School, and one on one time with family and friends. God is always there for us, but we have to be open to new possibilities.

Today I hope we can trust in the Good News of Christ. I hope we can listen to God’s Word, and I hope we can trust in God throughout this journey of life that we are all on. 

Blessings,

Pastor Brian