Our Spiritual Walk

Have you taken time to consider your spiritual needs?

We may be faithful people who go to church regularly. We may spend a lot of time considering the way of Jesus Christ. However, there are still times when our lives can become a mess spiritually. It may be that we are going through a really difficult season, and we are getting run down by the world. Sometimes it is in our busiest moments that we need to stop and take a breath. We may feel like we don't have time. We may feel overwhelmed by our worries, but Jesus reminds us all to pause in these moments and remember that we have to leave space for our spiritual needs.

I know I am guilty of rushing through life. I am rushing to get kids to school, band, cross country, piano, and soccer practice. I am rushing to take care of my own responsibilities at church. There are a hundred different things that I can worry about. However, there are also plenty of reasons to slow down. There are so many reasons to stop and consider what God is doing today... I just have to stop, reflect, and reprioritize my life.

At the moment I am really loving learning different spiritual practices from my one-year-old son. He loves to just be in the moment. He doesn't want to look at a phone. He wants to stop and have me read a book to him. He wants to explore the world. He wants to say, "Hi!" to the people and dogs he meets on the street. These are the things that bring him joy. He has also really started to love putting his hands together and saying, "Amen!" Sometimes he will want to stop a meal and just have us pray.

He also paused the other day to talk about church with my wife and me:

Kian (My 1-year-old): "Mama, church?"
Me: "Yes, Mama went to church."
Kian: "Brothers, church?"
Me: "Yes, your brothers went to church."
Kian: "Kian, church?"
Me: "Yes, you went to church."
Kian (with a smile): "Socks, church?"
Me: "Yes, your socks went to church too..."

He is figuring this world out. He is discovering there are people that offer hope. He is discovering where he can find love. He makes time for this every day. Today, I hope you can all make time for your own spiritual well-being. We are going to be starting a sermon series this week all about the deeper questions of faith. I hope we can all reflect a little in this season to experience God in a new way!

Blessings!

Pastor Brian

A song for the brokenhearted

Music has the ability to transform our hearts and minds. Much of the Bible was originally written to be sung and offered in worship. There was something about the music that brought people into a deeper connection with God.

If we pause for a moment, we can look around and find that music still surrounds us. It fills our movies, our media, and almost every part of our daily lives. In our sermon series, we are taking a look at modern music and some of the biblical themes lifted up today. Sometimes we don't know how to solve a problem, but music is able to open us up to a new perspective.

This week we are going back to a song from 1984, and we are looking for a deeper understanding of how God shows up in times of pain and grief. 

Grief, loneliness, and heartbreak are all themes that show up in Biblical poetry, and they are themes that are present in modern music and poetry. There is a longing in the human condition that we all strive to fill with something.

Today I hope we can all recognize that God is with us. In the ups and downs of life, we have a Savior who loves us. There are people dealing with unimaginable loss today. There are also people just feeling overwhelmed. However, God is with you. You are loved. It is my hope and prayer that everyone would be able to experience that love today.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

A New Perspective

Are you looking for God in your life?

Last week I had the opportunity to go on a vacation with my family to Glacier National Park in Montana. My family from Minnesota was also able to join us for the trip. It was a wonderful opportunity to get out in nature and spend time together.

It was not the most relaxing vacation, though. We drove with our three kids for over 1,500 miles just to get there, and we spent a lot of time camping in our tent. It's a lot of work to drive all day and then set up camp every night. But the trip was amazing! Even when we had to set up the tent in the rain, we were all laughing and enjoying the moment. The weather was cooler, the mountains were breathtaking, and the wildlife was incredible. I will always remember the glacial lakes and all the animals that surrounded us. More than anything, it was wonderful to experience these moments with family and to cherish the love we share.

The trip was a reminder that God is always with us. We didn't need all that extra travel, but it did help us look at the world with a different perspective. Even in biblical times, people looked at the mountains and were reminded of the wonder of God.

This week, at Community Lutheran Church, we are looking for a deeper understanding of how God shows up in our world. We are called to look beyond our current situation and see that God shows up everywhere in creation. We just have to open our eyes.

Today, I hope you can open your eyes and recognize that God is with you. God's love surrounds you. I hope and pray that God will put a song on your heart so you can live in praise to our Creator.

Here's a few pictures from our trip...

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Grace for all

Over the last few weeks, our church has been looking at the book of Galatians in the Bible. This letter was written almost 2,000 years ago to a church that was struggling, not with finances or so many of the concerns that affect churches today. The church in Galatia had lost sight of what it means to live by grace. This is also a problem in our world, but we tend to be more concerned with other things. To Paul, the pastor who wrote the letter, grace was a primary concern. The church loses something essential if we start judging others. We judge people's economic status. We judge cultures. We find all kinds of ways to put some people down and lift others up. Paul saw this as a critical problem in the early church, and I believe he would still see this as a problem in our world today. 

The church talks about grace all the time, but this is very different from living it out. I encounter people every week who tell me how they were just about to leave the church entirely. They felt beaten up and worn down by the church. It's too easy to let these judgments rule our lives. 

This morning I was a little stressed getting my one year old ready for daycare. I was in a rush, and he was not. He was in a great mood. He loved playing with his brothers, running around the house, and putting blueberry pancakes in his hair. I was trying to prepare for the day, and I was getting a little overwhelmed trying to clean up after him. However, I had to admire the joy he was living in. He was laughing and playing, and everything seemed right in the world. Eventually, I had to get to work and he had to get to school, but I had to stop for a minute to watch this little guy live in the moment. He was not feeling any judgment or any other stress. He was happy to be right where he was. 

Today I hope we can all let go of the burdens that Christ doesn't want us to carry. Jesus wants us to be free. Let's open our hearts and live in God's Grace.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

The Season of the Spirit

We are in the season of Pentecost at Community Lutheran Church. Sometimes this season is known as Ordinary Time. However, in reality there should be no "ordinary" season. Pentecost is a season of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit always shows up when we least expect it. Long ago, Pentecost was a celebration after the wheat harvest. There was something sacred about gathering together to share in the harvest. It was supposed to be a time of hope and generosity. It was a time to remember that every person was blessed by God, and that everyone could share something out of their blessings.

In Jesus' time, the disciples came to Jerusalem, but after the crucifixion they were not feeling particularly blessed. After Christ died, they wondered if they were going to have to return to "ordinary" time. However, it was in this moment that the Holy Spirit arrived. Jesus was no longer walking alongside them in the same way, but Christ was still with them. They could still share God's grace and walk in God's path.

As I write this newsletter, I am in the midst of all kinds of summer preparations. We have two major youth trips, Vacation Bible School, and so much more. There are times in the midst of all of this that I feel a bit overwhelmed. It would be nice if there were some ordinary time... I am struggling to prepare all the VBS stations. I am trying to make sure I have van rentals and airline tickets purchased. Then there is the task of herding everyone together to try and create a meaningful experience. There is a point where I have to say, "I've tried my best — now let the Spirit work!" I think that is important for all of us. We need to open our hearts and follow the God who loves us.

Today the Holy Spirit is still guiding us. We just have to open our hearts and listen. It doesn't matter if everything feels like it is coming together, or if it feels like it is falling apart. God is with us.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Having a Heart for Easter

Where Is Your Heart Today?

We are still in the beautiful season of Easter — a time the church sets apart for rejoicing and sharing the good news of resurrection. But if we are honest with ourselves, Easter in the Bible was not only a time of joy. It was also a time of fear, confusion, and uncertainty. The disciples huddled behind locked doors, struggling to release their doubts and step into belief. They did not yet understand what was unfolding around them.

And yet — Jesus was with them. Through every moment of uncertainty, every wave of doubt, every locked door, the risen Christ was present. The world had been forever changed by the cross and the empty tomb, and the love and eternal presence of Christ continued reaching out to his people.

Perhaps that describes where you are today. Maybe the Good News of Easter feels distant when you are carrying something heavy. I understand that — I really do. One bad night with a sick child can cast a shadow over my entire day. And if you are walking through real heartache, loss, or failure, life can feel genuinely out of control.

What I have found in those moments is that nothing is more healing than the presence of someone willing to simply show up. My oldest son has been teaching me this lately. When the baby is fussy and I am trying to keep the household running, my son does not wait to be asked. He just gets down on the floor and gives the baby his full attention — reading him a story, playing with him, being fully present. He never says he is too busy. And every time I watch him do it, I am reminded that presence is one of the most powerful gifts we can offer one another.

This week, as we celebrate Mother's Day, I find myself thinking about all the people — mothers and others — who have offered exactly that kind of love. The ones who show up. The ones who get down on the floor. The ones who make time when they do not have to.

We are still in Easter season. The gifts are still all around us. May we have eyes to see them — and hearts willing to be that gift for someone else.

Blessings, 

Pastor Brian

Radical Grace

Jesus is remembered for many reasons. Some people think of His miracles. They are inspired by the healings and the the wonderful actions that He did. These works were certainly important. They show that Jesus cared about offering hope to the people of the world. However, it is forgiveness and grace that were essential to the message that Christ offered. Jesus wanted people to see the loving nature of God, and He wanted people to know what forgiveness could do. 

As I look at the world today, I see people who are obsessed by works of wonder. It seems like everyone wants to be a superhero that can overcome any obstacle. However, many of these people have stopped looking for real miracles. Instead they want to believe they can accomplish anything without help. In some ways, this way of living doesn't desire grace. We all want to be right all the time, and if we do mess up, we never want to admit we were wrong. I see this behavior my little kids, but I also see it in adults, including myself. 

Jesus came to this world to declare God's love for us. God does not love us because we are perfect. God doesn't love us because we are right all the time. We are loved just as we are. We are chosen to be God's people, and we can have hope in new life. 

Today, I think Jesus is asking us: Are we willing to let grace in? Are we willing to let go of the facade? Are we willing to let go of trying to be a superhero who is right all the time? This is an important part of everyone's faith journey. Our church says we are a people of Radical Grace. God also declares that He wants to bring grace and forgiveness into the world. Are we ready to admit we need this?

Today I hope we can all reflect on what it means to be honest. I hope we can take time to consider the impact that grace has on our lives. I also hope we can go out of our way to be a church that accepts others. We should not expect perfection. We should share the love that God first gave to us.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! 

I love this season. I had so much fun on Easter watching my two older boys help our one-year-old son look for Easter eggs. It was a blast to watch the kids share this excitement. My wife and I usually try to limit the sugar intake, but we couldn't resist laughing when we caught the older two sneaking their younger brother his first jelly beans. (He really liked them!) We experienced so much joy together. The entire season felt like it flew by so fast. I am glad we had a bit of time to enjoy together.

Are you celebrating the joy of the Easter season? It can be difficult to do. There is a lot of bad news in the world. To truly celebrate Easter, I think we have to look at more than jelly beans and Easter eggs. Easter doesn't happen without reflecting on death. Last week, we took time to remember Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. We spent time looking back at the Last Supper Jesus had with his disciples. We gathered around the cross to meditate on what Jesus did for us. I do not think our society is great at reflecting on imperfections. No one wants to admit their mistakes. I see young kids doubling down when they get in trouble, and I see leaders all around the world doing the same thing. People do not want to confess to any imperfections. We are also surrounded by social media that doesn't seem to help much. I can find a new study every week that describes people being harmed online. Anxiety and depression are on the rise and bad news seems to be everywhere in the world. 

What does it mean to be a people of the resurrection in the midst of all of this? We share the Good News that Jesus Christ is risen, but sometimes we may not feel Christ's presence.

I firmly believe Jesus is here. We do not have to pretend that we are something that we are not. I want my kids to always feel the kind of joy and love they felt on Easter. However, to feel real joy they have to know they can make mistakes, and they have to trust that God still loves them. This is the world I hope we can all share with each other. We don't have to put on a facade. We can admit we are broken, and we can find the truth of the resurrection as we love one another.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Christ on the Journey

Next Sunday we will remember Holy Week, and we will take a closer look at the journey Jesus took into the city of Jerusalem. To be clear, the journey did not begin when Jesus entered the city. Jesus began to follow the path to the cross long before. The entire Gospel story shows that Jesus moved intentionally toward the cross with everything he did. He did not come to this world to offer a miracle here or there like a magician. Jesus represents much more than this. He came to the world to walk with us on the journey of life.

Today I wonder what your journey looks like. Are you listening for Christ's invitation to walk with him? Personally, I know when times get tough, I can be guilty of ignoring God's call. Last week, I was blessed to attend the wedding of wife's sister. My entire family was going to be involved in the ceremony in some way, and we were all excited. However, while we were driving to Colorado, all three of my kids started to get sick. I kept hoping we would get a miracle. Perhaps the boys would all feel better at once, but we did not have that kind of luck. The night before the wedding things spiraled out of control. We dealt with an ER visit, a sleepless night, and even car trouble.

Sometimes life doesn't go exactly as we plan it. However, in the end everyone was okay, and that is really what matters. My middle son was able to be a ring bearer, and this thrilled him. My one year old son helped my wife and I officiate the service😀, and my oldest started to feel better the next day. Life is a wild journey, and when I was in the thick of it, I just wanted a miracle. However, God calls us to open our hearts in every moment. The journey is not always easy, but we are never alone. 

The journey does not belong to us. We all have to surrender. Today I hope we can all let go and trust what God is doing. We don't always have the full picture, but we can learn to trust the one who loves us.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

In the wilderness...

There are a lot of concerns in our world today. There is war in the middle east and divisions in our own country. Beyond all of this, everyone is dealing with their own personal pain. Perhaps you have lost someone you love, or maybe you are just feeling broken down by the world. Often times we try to suffer through this pain on our own. We don't share what we are going through, and we assume everyone else is too busy to care about our problems. 

We have been journeying through the book of Exodus during this Lenten season. This book tells the story of a people who were broken down by years of slavery. God heard them calling out, but they still didn't believe anyone cared about them. They thought they were worthless. God had to do more than set these people free. God had to teach them that they were valuable. 

As I was reading through the narrative, it struck me that the Israelites were tested in the wilderness 10 times. This is a call back to the 10 plagues where God tested the Pharaoh in Egypt. Pharaoh failed these tests. He was not willing to believe in God. However, when the Israelites were tested, they don't do much better. Time and time again they seem to fail, but while Pharaoh's heart became harder, the Israelites slowly opened theirs. 

Now, I really don't like the idea of God testing the people, but I don't think God wanted to punish the Israelites. God was waiting for the people to open their hearts. It didn't matter that they failed the tests. If they opened their hearts in a small way, God would be able to offer hope.

Today there are a number of reasons why people can be discouraged. There are a number of reasons why we might feel like we are failing a test. However, God doesn't care if we mess up. God wants us to live with a heart that can be open to love.

I hope all of you know that it is okay to make mistakes. We simply have to open our hearts to the one who is always willing to save us.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

From dust to dust

For dust you are and to dust you shall return

-Genesis 3:19 

This week we enter a new season in the church calendar. We turn our hearts to the cross, and we remember the journey that Jesus took to Jerusalem. He chose a path of sacrifice in order to share God's Love with the world. In our church, we mark the beginning of this season with Ash Wednesday. We remember our own mortality, and we remember everything that Christ did for us.

Sometimes I find the season of Lent to be difficult. I remember it being a somber time when I was growing up. The days were dark, and the Lenten services felt kind of dark and cold too. Many people chose to give something up. It felt like a time for remorse and sacrifice. Life was already filled with enough things to be concerned about. It became really hard to want to make room for this season. However, Lent is not supposed to be a drag on your life. The word Lent actually means:  Spring. It is the season of new beginnings. It tells us that there is a time for death, and it confirms that we need to accept this. However, if we can let go of those things, our hearts can also be prepared to find rebirth and new life.

I know people who are afraid to let go of the past. They find themselves locked into cycles failure or loss. Some people are held back by addiction. Some are held back by grief or pain. Some people are held back by a story that tells them that they are worthless. 

Lent is a season of renewal. We are to live each day with open hearts and minds. There is something that we all have to let go of this season. I hope we can take time to name these things and let them go so that they no longer control us. Then our prayers can lead us to new life.

Blessings!

Pastor Brian

Finding peace

How much of your day is spent worrying? 

Are you concerned about tomorrow? 

In what ways do fears control you?

Jesus did not want fear and anxiety to rule over us. However, that is easier said than done. We have real problems in our world. There are wars, political fears, and divisions within our nation. Beyond all of this, I speak with people regularly who have just been diagnosed with cancer or other serious diseases. If we put all of our personal and societal fears together, it can easily become too much to bear. 

This morning as I was getting my one year old ready for day care, and it struck me how easily he trusts the people around him. He latches on and trusts us to take care of his needs. Even though he doesn't understand why we take him to the doctor, clean him up, or put him in clothes, he does trust us to solve his problems. This doesn't mean he is always happy about it. (He hates it when we wipe his breakfast out of his hair!) However, he wants to be around us. He believes we will help him... even when he doesn't understand the bigger picture.

Trusting God can feel very similar. Jesus tells us to trust even when we can't see everything that is going to happen. We are told to keep sharing our gifts even if we fall short. God is always here for us. Let's try to open our hearts to that promise!

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Stronger together

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

-Matthew 7:24

Jesus taught us to build our lives on a firm foundation. I wonder if you have ever stopped to reflect on the core values that define you. Are God's words of love living in your heart? Are the burdens of the world controlling you? I have some really good friends who are incredibly smart. They are hard working and very good people, but they have also lost their way. This is sometimes due to drugs or alcohol. Other times the stress of the world can leave them feeling stranded. They have lost sight of their blessings and the wonderful attributes that made them who they are. 

I think we can all lose our way in the world. It's easy to get caught up in the pain, division, and heartbreak. It can also be difficult to stay focused on the blessings that matter most. Jesus can see the potential in each one of us. He knows that we are all gifted in different ways, and he wants us to flourish. Our current sermon series invites us to ask if we are trusting in God's Love or if we have built our foundation on shaky ground.

As I look at our world today, I see a lot of hurting people. Unfortunately we are so divided that we are having a hard time seeing one another as a children of God. Recently, my ten year old son recently found a book about refugees. I think he started reading it because it seemed like a good adventure story, but by the end he was talking about all the different people in the world who were struggling. It opened his eyes to all the real stories of people in the world. It also helped him to see the people right here in our community differently. There are plenty of people who are hurting in our city and they have real lives and real stories. We need to be people who look at one another with love.

Today I hope we can all take a breath and embrace the love that surrounds us. I hope we can all let go of the pain and find a new path forward.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

What matters most...

I love the season of Christmas, but I am always astounded by how quickly it goes by. Just a few weeks ago, we were rushing to set everything up after Thanksgiving. There were Christmas concerts, a children's' pageant, and rehearsals. We prepared worship services and scrambled to buy presents. A few weeks later we took it all down. Life moves fast. I hope you were able to give thanks for the joy you received.

As quickly as the time went, I really loved the moments when I could stop to be present with the people around me. I loved being fully immersed in the Christmas worship services. I loved having my in-laws in town and sharing meals and incredible moments together. Finally, even after the season was over, I loved taking a bit of time to get away as a family for New Years. 

My family has taken a New Year's trip the past few years. It is always a bit stressful, because we really don't have time to plan it. We just pack up and go. This year was no different. There were also a number of things at church we were still dealing with, and we were going to face rainstorms in California. However, we wanted to find the time to make it work.

We piled our camping stuff into the van, hoped we had enough dry socks, and we took off. We stayed on the coast in California's Big Sur. We splashed through creeks to waterfalls, we watched elephant seals, and we explored the coastal redwood trees. It was wet, wild, and super fun. We came home exhausted and with tons on dirty laundry, but we were also rejuvenated as a family. It was wonderful just to spend some time together!

We are entering into a sermon series that is all about getting back to our foundation. We will look at the core teachings of Jesus, and we are taking a look at what matters most. Today I hope you can all find some time to get back to the basics. Don't let the small things drag you down. Let's find hope right where we are!

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Opening our hearts to Joy

We are entering the third week in the season of Advent, and we are lighting the candles of Hope, Peace, and Joy... I wonder if you are taking time in this busy season to experience all of these gifts. I believe we are surrounded by these blessings everyday, but we do not always recognize them. Life either moves too fast, or we are too anxious and frustrated to appreciate the wonder right in front of us. 

Two weeks ago, we celebrated Thanksgiving. I love this holiday. Most of the time we will either travel to be with family in Colorado, or we meet our family here in Las Vegas. However, this year we were not going to have anyone in town. Our neighbors were also busy, so this was going to be one of the first holidays where we wouldn't be including others. We were a little bummed out at first, but my wife decided to ask what else we could do. This world is filled with wonder, and we were going to have a few days off to try something new. After checking the weather, we decided to book a hotel at the Grand Canyon. It was a fantastic experience, and I am so thankful that we all just decided to embrace the moment. I loved seeing my kids walk up to the canyon for the first time and share in a sense of awe and wonder. It was a moment to pause and remember all of the incredible gifts that surround us. More importantly we realized the greatest gift was just being around each other.

The season of Advent is a time to wait patiently for the good gifts of God. Many people in the Biblical Christmas story did not notice the baby that was born and laid in a manger. Many people did not want to listen to the joy of the shepherds. However, the story tells us that the greatest blessings are found in celebrating the small moments. God is here. We are not alone, and we have the opportunity to live in the wonder of all creation. 

Today I hope you can appreciate the gifts that that surround you. It may feel like joy is pretty far off in the chaos of our world. However, the Advent and Christmas story tell us that we can find hope, peace, joy, and love everywhere we go. Let's share this good news with the world.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Hope and Thanksgiving

What are you thankful for?

As I write this, my family is preparing for Thanksgiving.  When I reflect back, I have so many wonderful memories of this season. As a child, my aunt and uncle often hosted the entire family, and we were invited to spend a few days on their farm. From the moment we loaded up the car, I remember feeling a sense of wonder and excitement. I don't remember a number of the logistics, but I do remember spending as much time as I could with the people there. My cousins and I would go outside to build log cabins in the woods. We would take our sleds careening down a hill, and we would always share in a wonderful meal. One could argue that there didn't have to be anything special about all of this. I could have made time for these activities on my own, but the true blessings were found in the relationships. It didn't matter if the turkey was dry or my sled crashed into a tree, the loved ones who surrounded me transformed these moments into beautiful lifelong memories.

I have not been to that farm in Wisconsin in many years, but I will always cherish the memories. More than that, I will continue to live in the hope I found there. I learned that hope is something real. It is something I can trust and put my faith in. I am a changed person, because I feel loved. 

Today, I am building my own Thanksgiving traditions with my family. We are taking time to give thanks for the people that surround us, and we are experiencing the same hope that changed my life. Our traditions look quite a bit different than the ones I grew up with, but we still look for faith, hope, and love.

Let's all try to share in the blessings of this season. Perhaps you are feeling beaten down by the world or exhausted by the road that life has led you on. My prayer is that we could all take a breath. I hope we can all find something to be thankful for and generously share these blessings with the world.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Come and Worship

In the Bible, Jesus invites all people into a deeper relationship with God. He invites the rich and the poor. He invites the young and the old. He also extended this invitation different cultures. Jesus wants all of us to "come and see" what a relationship with God looks like. This is a cornerstone of our scriptures. However, there are quite a few distractions in our world that can prevent us from looking toward Jesus. Personally, I find myself running off to a different activity every single evening. (And people tell me that it only gets busier when my kids get into middle school and high school!) Even when I am working in the church, I can be guilty of losing sight of some of the ways love is transforming the world around me. It's just too easy to get lost in the tiny little frustrations of life...

In our sermon series this this month we are looking at the core values that we have chosen as a congregation. These are gifts that our church has that we can share with the world. This week we are diving into our core value of worship. Following Jesus leads us to all kinds of opportunities. However, worship is a special area of focus. I believe true worship will cut through all of the distractions, and it will allow us to let go of all of the burdens of the world. When we leave time for worship, we open ourselves to a greater experience of what God can do. 

I think the question becomes whether or not we want to leave space for worship. Are we too busy? Would we rather do something else? Would we rather just stay home and watch T.V.? Or is there something valuable in gathering together to surrender ourselves to God. My hope and prayer is that we would all come and see what the Lord is doing in our lives.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Trunks, Treats, and Reformation!

This is an exciting time at CLC. I am in the midst of planning for our annual Trunk or Treat. We are going to welcome our neighborhood to a safe and fun experience, and all are invited! This is one of our largest community outreach events of the year. We try to make sure everyone feels welcome whether they are connected to our church or not. I love meeting all kinds of new kids who want to laugh, talk about their day, or just brag about a costume. Trunk or Treat offers the opportunity to let people be loved just as they are. We don't care if you've ever come to church before. We want you to feel loved and accepted here.

I think it is so important to have safe spaces for people to find a community. Unfortunately many people have negative experiences with the church. Instead of feeling welcomed, they tend to feel judgment. I believe our church stands for something different. You can come in costume. You can come for candy. You can bring your family or friends. All are welcome. We want people to feel blessed and loved. No strings attached!

This weekend we are also celebrating the Reformation. This celebration remembers a time 500 years ago when Martin Luther decided to ask some serious questions of the church. Judgement in the church is nothing new. We can go all the way back to the time of Jesus and we find people trying to push others out. Instead of lifting others up, the journey of faith becomes a just another way for people to tear each other down. 

As I look forward to Reformation, I am excited to see what the Holy Spirit is going to do. We are called to let go of our judgments and transform lives with grace. This is the path that Jesus was leading us on from the beginning. We don't need to hurt one another to prove anything. We believe in a God who loves us and that's all that is needed. Let's live inspired by this kind of grace!

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Surrendering to prayer

Prayer is incredible when we really stop to think about it. It offers a connection to God, and it provides wisdom, hope, and power. The Bible teaches us that prayer can change lives. It will move us to action or give us the peace we need to live each day. However, prayer also requires that we surrender ourselves to something greater.

Two thousand years ago, Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. He didn't require them to memorize a grand liturgy or live perfectly. Instead, he taught them five simple petitions to reach out to our Heavenly Father. We are all called to let go of our own plans and open our hearts to God's will. Jesus promised God would listen. We are simply called to trust in a Savior who loves us.

Today I wonder what prayer practices you have. Do you pray regularly? Do you feel too busy? Does prayer get forgotten in this hectic world we live in?

Christ did not come to the world to judge you or your prayers. However, Jesus does want to hear from you. Jesus put you on this earth for a purpose, and if we entrust ourselves to this promise, God is going to provide. 

Today I hope you can all open your heart to prayer. I hope you can all receive God's Holy Spirit and allow God to connect you to the divine love that surrounds us. We live in a world that is filled with a lot of danger and fear. The Lord's Prayer asks for love and protection from all evil. Let's embrace this hope today. Our world needs people who can allow God's love to work.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Our Daily Bread

"How Long O Lord..."

-Psalm 13

I am writing this meditation on September 11, and I am feeling a lot of emotions related to that day. There are people who are still grieving, and there are people who still have to live in the fear that was created at that time. I am also remembering the heroes who offered hope in the midst of darkness. September 11 carries a lot of weight in the world. My children were born long after the attack, but they still come home asking questions and feeling burdened. 

I am also struck by the violence in this world today. It is heartbreaking to see the political violence, assassination, and the pain of yet another school shooting. We are living in a broken world. Psalm 13 asks: 

How long O Lord

Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I take counsel in my soul

and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

There were people long ago who wondered how much more pain they could take. Today we don't know what trouble they were facing, but we remember their prayer. We still cry out to God for answers. 

When my children ask me why there is so much evil in the world, I don't have a perfect answer. However, I do believe that God calls us to be the hands and feet Christ in the world. Humans can bring evil, but we can also bring good. Sometimes it looks like fear and anger are going to win, but I believe faith, hope, and love are stronger.

This week in worship we are going to return to the Lord's Prayer, and we are going to focus on the petition:  Give us this day our daily bread. We are called to ask God for what we need. There are far too many times I am consumed with my wants and desires. I pray for all the things I want instead of the things I truly need. Receiving our daily bread is about being open to the true gifts that we actually need.

Today I hope we can be open to the gifts of Christ. I hope we can receive the love that Jesus shared and spread that hope to all people. There is evil in the world, but we are a people who turn to God in hope. We trust in a greater love.

God Bless,

Pastor Brian