The Roller Coaster

Next week, we are going to be remembering a very special time in the church year. Holy Week is the commemoration of the final week of Jesus' life. It all begins this weekend when we celebrate the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. People waved palm branches, shouted hosanna, and they looked to the future with hope and anticipation. However, things changed rapidly when Jesus overturned the tables of the temple and told the money changers to get out. By the end of the week, Jesus would be arrested and put to death. Finally, we look forward to Easter Sunday when Jesus rose from the grave. It is hard to understand how all of that could happen in one week. How did people change their minds so quickly? How were the disciples able to follow Jesus when they faced so many moments of desperation and fear?

Some of these questions are still quite hard to understand. However, from another perspective, we all are living on a roller coaster. Life goes up and down rapidly. We have moments of Joy followed by moments of failure or defeat. 

Just over a week ago, my kids were out of school for Spring Break, and we decided to go on a trip. We went to Florida to visit my 92 year old grandfather, and we did all kinds of Florida things. We went to the beach, we went on boat rides, and we saw all kinds of alligators, eagles, and armadillos while exploring the inland swamps, but it wasn't all fun and games. While we were there, my younger son and I wound up with a 24 hour bug. We had to cut out a few of the touristy things while we tried to feel better, but we had a great time. My kids are still talking about seeing their great grandfather, and they can't wait to go back to see him (and drive his golf cart!) again. 

When we returned home, I was ready to start working on Holy Week and Easter services, but instead, I received the news of the sudden death of a 17 year old member of our church. This person was dearly loved, and it sent shock waves through our youth group. As awful as this moment was, we came together as a community. People showered us with their support, and we had an incredible opportunity to share love.  

Everyday we face a roller coaster of pain and blessings. Life can be really hard to understand, but I think it is important to remember that we have a Good Shepherd who loves us and is leading us the entire way. God is always present. I hope you can take time to find Christ's light now.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

God's gifts are here!

My wife was out of town last weekend on the annual CLC women's retreat. She had a great time in Springdale Utah, and she came back refreshed after being around a great group of women. While she was away, I thought I would plan my own little adventure. I wanted to take my boys down to the hot springs on the Colorado river. This is a super fun hike, and it has enough scrambling to make it really interesting. However, that was not to be. Instead, we faced a crazy windstorm! The only adventuring I was able to fit in was a short bike ride to the neighborhood park. We were able to burn off a little energy, and we laughed a lot as we pretended to get blown away. We were able to get back to the house after a couple hours and before the wind and dust really picked up. Looking back, it may have been a little ambitious to try and fit in a hike anyway. I had four worship services to prepare for, and there was also a funeral at church, where we said goodbye to a beloved member. It actually worked out to spend my time present with the people around me. There was no need to go out and get sandblasted by the storm.

I love to be outside... but last weekend was a little much!

Our sermon series at Community Lutheran is taking a deeper look at the gifts that Jesus brings. God is always providing us with blessings, but there are times we choose to be upset with what we have. I could have been mad where my adventure fell through. My wife could have chosen to be upset as well. (The wind was pretty bad on her retreat too, and she did not get as much outdoor time as she had hoped.) Instead, we all chose to make the best of things. Kira came back refreshed. I had a great weekend. God's blessings surround us.

Today I hope you can all look for God's gifts in your lives. Take time to watch for God when your plans change. Look for new blessings when you find yourself on an unexpected road. Jesus is there. He is leading you to abundance and new life. Let's open our hearts and experience God's Love.

Peace,

Pastor Brian