Being open to the Spirit

This is a super exciting time in my house. My first grader can’t wait for all the Halloween parties, and my preschooler is loving the idea of Trick or Treating. They are both finding new costumes to dress up in every day, and they cannot contain their joy. 

When were you last that excited? 

Adults seem to find a number of reasons not to show emotion. We have to keep things under control. We don’t want surprises, and we can even dismiss beautiful moments of joy. Perhaps we have learned that if you feel great joy, then you will also feel great pain. (This is certainly true of the kids in my house… We can go from the best day ever to the worst day possible!) It may just be easier to close our hearts off to the world. 

Five hundred years ago a German monk named Martin Luther opened himself to new possibilities. He opened his heart to the possibility of being surprised, overwhelmed, and delighted. This monk opened his heart to God’s Spirit, and this led him on a journey with many twists and turns. He faced a number of dark valleys, but he also found a joy that surpassed all understanding. 

Today I hope we can tap into the joy of the Spirit. This means that we will also experience moments of darkness and fear. However, God promises to always be with us. Following the Spirit can lead us to some wild places, but we will always be surrounded by God’s grace!

Blessings!

Brian 

You are called

Have you ever felt called by God? 

Is there a person that you feel called to reach out to and share God’s love with? 

There are times I do not feel adequate as a messenger for Christ. I can find reasons to dismiss any gifts that I may have. There are people who seem uninterested in the Good News, and I don’t feel like my words are very helpful. Other times people have interpreted my words and actions as careless or even harmful. I may have a wonderful opportunity to serve others, but one angry critique can fill me with doubt. As human beings, many of us lose sight of our callings due to fear, resentment, and uncertainty.

We all experience doubt, but God calls each of us. It is our duty as followers of Christ to believe in the gifts we have and share these gifts with the world. Christ did not come into our lives to blame us or shame us. Jesus came to create a church that would give the world new life. We are a part of this church today. God believes in us. Christ has faith in us. We simply need to open our hearts and follow the Holy Spirit.

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

Jonah 2:1-2

In our sermon series, we are reading through the book of Jonah. Jonah was a prophet who did not believe in his ability to serve. He also struggled to decide where he was called to serve. God had to call him multiple times to the people of Nineveh. Jonah wanted to love his own people, but he hated the idea of reaching out to his enemies. 

Where God is calling you today? 

Perhaps you need to find God among those that make you feel uncomfortable. Perhaps you need to see God in yourself?

God loves us, calls us, and God has made us his own. We are all the church. It is my hope that we might believe in our callings and reach out to the world in love.

Blessings,

Brian

Are you listening for God's Grace?

This week we are beginning a new sermon series on the book of Jonah in the Bible. Jonah is filled with some pretty wild stories and unbelievable moments. There are people who use the book to say that the Bible is just a made-up tale. How could a man be swallowed by a great fish and live in its belly for three days? How could the great and terrible city of Nineveh repent like the story describes? (They feel so remorseful they even put their animals in sackcloth!) 

I think it is easy to get lost in all the details… We can be so consumed by our questions that we miss the beauty of this little book. 

Every few weeks one of my kids will pull our Children’s Bible off the shelf, and they will want to hear the story of Jonah. This ancient tale is still incredibly meaningful today, and even toddlers can be inspired by its grace. 

The book tells the story of a man who runs away from God’s calling. He doesn’t want God’s gift of grace to show up for his enemies. However, God works through Jonah and miracles happen! As unbelievable as this story may be, there is something timeless and true about it. Today I wonder if miracles are happening in our lives that we are choosing not to see. Are we so tangled up in a web of hatred and fear that we are missing out on God’s Love? 

Let’s open our eyes to the miracles around us. God is doing incredible things… I hope we can enjoy every second of it!

Blessings!

Brian

Love is here...

Psalm 8:3-5

When I consider your heavens,

    the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

    which you have set in place,

what is humankind that you are mindful of them,

   mortals that you care for them?

Do you take time to consider the heavens or the beauty of creation? Our world has inspired people for centuries. I love to imagine the individuals living long ago, whose lives were so different, but they still felt a sense of wonder and awe when regarding the world around them. Today I believe we still need to take time to breathe in everything that God is offering. 

Last week my family took a quick vacation to Pine Valley, Utah. It was a wonderful time for the kids to play in the forest, splash in the creek, and watch the deer and other animals run by. I have always loved camping, but these trips really help me to be mindful of the blessings I have. I need to get away from the heat and smog and realize there is so much more to the life we are living.

Long ago the ancient psalmist looked to the heavens and wondered where human beings fit in. The poet answers the question as follows:

what is humankind that you are mindful of them,

   mortals that you care for them?

You have made them a little lower than the angels

    and crowned them with glory and honor.

God has given us glory and honor on par with the angels. I hope we can all take a little time to be mindful of the love that surrounds us. Let us not simply plow through the next day, week, or year. Let's open our hearts to what God is doing. We don’t want to miss the love God is sharing!

Blessings!

Brian

Trusting the Holy Spirit

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in God, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

-Romans 15:13

Are you feeling the Hope of the Spirit?

This season of Covid-19 hasn’t been easy. People are facing uncertainty in careers, finances, and the overall economy. Nobody is sure of what is coming next, and I know I am ready to get back to normal.

Life is always going to have its ups and downs, but I like to convince myself that I am in control. I want to be able to handle any situation that arises. However, that’s not the way life works. It is always good to plan ahead, but I believe it is a mistake to think that we can control the world around us. Life is filled with uncertainty - even when we aren’t dealing with Covid-19. There are plenty of times we have to open our hearts, let go of our need for control and trust in God.

A couple weeks ago I had my own little moment of letting go. My six-year-old started public school. He finished Kindergarten last year, but this was his first experience walking onto a public school campus. It turned out to be a pretty moving experience for my wife and me as we dropped him off at the fence. (Parents weren’t allowed to take their kids to class because of the virus protocols.) We watched him walk off with a friend he made in kindergarten carrying his oversized backpack and new school supplies. The two of them wandered around to a couple different doors trying to figure out where to go. I wanted to run over there and help him, but I couldn’t. Eventually, the two of them made their way to the right door and slipped inside. A few hours later, we picked him up. It turns out he was just fine. He didn't need me to check on him every step of the way. In fact, he grew a lot. Sometimes we need to have faith.

There are so many people, myself included, who want to rescue others any way we can. However, sometimes the best thing for us to do is offer a bit of love and then trust that they will find their own way. Today I hope we can all believe in God's bigger plan for us. I hope we take time to feel the Holy Spirit moving among us. God is guiding us toward grace, and I hope we can all take a breath and follow that lead.

Blessings,

Brian

The BIG Questions!

Do you have any really BIG questions? 

I loved asking questions as a kid. I remember asking my parents for books about outer space, dinosaurs, biology, and so much more. Today I love my six year old son’s desire to become a scientist. (At least that his plan for the moment!) I think he would stay up all night asking questions if I would let him. There is so much about the universe that we don’t understand, and I think there is something deep within the human spirit that desperately wants to explore.

However, somewhere along the way I stopped asking so many questions. Adults are expected to have the answers, and people can become embarrassed by what they do not know. We tend to focus on the things we do understand and dismiss everything else. Why should we go searching for more? That only leads to trouble.

What if instead of judging people as ignorant, we started cherishing the opportunities we have to learn and grow. This week at Community Lutheran, we are beginning a new sermon series about the BIGGEST questions we have in our faith. What if we allowed our inner child to come out and ask all the creative, silly, or heart wrenching question we may have. That is my hope and prayer for all of us in this season.

Happy questioning!

Brian Ward

An Audacious Prayer

Ask and it will be given to you; 

Seek and you will find; 

Knock and the door will be opened to you.

-Luke 11:9

In Luke chapter 11, Jesus says our prayer should be shameless and audacious… He tells us to pray boldly to God, for God wants to hear everything that is on our hearts. However, I have always thought of being audacious as a bad thing. I don’t like making a big scene, and I don’t like asking for help if I can avoid it. However, Jesus wants us to pour our hearts out. We may not always get the answer we want, but God is listening. If we seek, the Spirit of Christ will guide us.

A week ago, I had the experience of boldly and shamelessly worshiping God at Vacation Bible School. This week long experience brings in kids from the church and the greater community to share in the good news of Jesus Christ. It is always a week filled with joy, love, acceptance, and healing. Kids are given the opportunity to know Christ, and volunteers speak to kids on their level. Bible stories are lifted up in fun and creative ways, and the music gets everybody moving. After reflecting a little bit on all the joy that was shared, I think accepting Christ’s invitation to shamelessly love God is one of the greatest gifts that we have been given. I am in awe of the hope that is found when people feel they can simply turn to Jesus with no strings attached.

Today, I wonder what is holding you back from shamelessly and audaciously turning to Christ. Are you able to let go of any concerns that may be holding you back?  Perhaps you feel that you are not good enough. Perhaps you feel like no one cares about you… least of all God. However, our scripture calls us to ask, seek, and knock. God is listening deeply for you. Although we may not get the answer that we are hoping for, God is present. God’s Love is inviting us into new life each and every day.

Blessings

Brian Ward