Summer Fun!

Are you ready for summer?

I have been scrambling over the last few weeks to prepare all the summer activities coming up at CLC. The Youth Group is packing right now for our mission trip to Long Beach, California. This is a great opportunity for the kids to serve others and build new relationships. I have always found these trips to be incredibly rewarding, and I can't wait to see what God is going to do this time. 

Once the youth are back home, it will be time to dive into Vacation Bible School. This is usually our biggest event in Children's Ministry, and it reaches out to kids in our church and in the greater community. It is another opportunity to share God's Love in new and exciting ways. 

I love watching God's Spirit move in and among us. However, as I prepare to lead each of these activities, I'll admit that I've been feeling more than a little stressed. I am busy securing van rentals, organizing volunteers, preparing craft projects, writing devotions, and a host of other things. It takes a lot to get these projects moving!

I was working through some of these details last weekend, when my wife asked what I wanted to do for Memorial Day. I had been so busy I hadn't really thought that much about it. We thought about going on a hike, but I didn't know if I could get away, and her back had been bothering her. However, when we woke up on Monday, the weather looked so beautiful we decided we couldn't stay home. We decided to go on a little hike with the kids up to Big Falls, near Mount Charleston. It turned out to be exactly what we all needed. The boys loved marching though the creek and sliding down the snow. The air was refreshing, and we left feeling inspired. Besides all of that, water was actually flowing over the falls. (That doesn't happen all that frequently!)

Sometimes we have to take a breath and remember that God is with us today. It is fun to prepare for the big events, but we need to take time for the blessings along the way. Today I hope you can all experience the Holy Spirit moving in your lives. I hope you all take time to cherish this!

Blessings, and here are a few pics from our hike! 

The Season of Easter

Happy Easter!

In the church, Easter does not just last one day. We celebrate the resurrection for seven weeks. Unfortunately, I think many of us have moved on. The joy of Easter is wonderful, but we have lives to live. It is really hard to keep ourselves spiritually centered on the Good News. God offers us every good gift... but sometimes it is amazing how quickly these gifts can be forgotten.

Are you still in tune with God's work?

I know last year, my family was dealing with Covid-19 and other viruses. We were feeling kind of down after canceling our second attempt at a vacation. However, we did get away for about five days to Sequoia National Park. Recently my kids were reminiscing about that trip. They remembered hiking through the trees and swimming in the creeks. Looking back, we couldn't believe the trip was so short. We really enjoyed every moment together, and it was so important for us as a family. We really just needed to intentionally create some space to receive God's blessings. Instead of feeling frustrated that our plans kept falling apart, we made the most of the time we had. We found a way to connect to the gifts that God was providing.

I think God is calling to us everyday. Miracles are happening, and we can look to the scriptures to see all the promises God has in store for us. Christ is alive! What is it going to take for us to see this? My encouragement is for you to take a moment each day to open your heart. God is always with us. It does not matter if we are living with joy or with sorrow, God is present. Let us take a breath and remember that.

Blessings!

Brian 

Radical Grace

Last Monday, I stayed home with my youngest son. He did not feel too well the day before, and I wanted to keep an eye on him. Thankfully, he never got very sick, and we wound up spending the day together. It's interesting that I always feel like I am too busy for him. It always seems like there is something more important to do than play puppy dog... However, we had a really great day, and I am so thankful I took the time to be with him. Sometimes we need to make room for grace... We need to take advantage of moments that are not hard earned or hard fought. We all need to cherish the simple gifts that surround us everyday.

We talk about grace a lot in the church, and I think most people have a basic understanding of its meaning. They have heard a pastor or a friend talk about this free gift. However, there is more to grace than understanding a definition. True freedom is found when we let Grace into our hearts. We do not always want to make room for God's gifts in our lives. We want prove ourselves or our own importance. I think we need time to let go of the rat race we live in and experience what it means to feel loved without any preconditions...

Today I hope we can all take time for grace. I hope we can share and receive God's gifts in everything that we do. I hope we remember to cherish all the blessings that surround us.

In Christ,

Pastor Brian

REAL PEOPLE

REAL PEOPLE
INCLUSIVE GOD
RADICAL GRACE
INSPIRED GROWTH

These eight words declare who we are as a congregation at Community Lutheran Church. Each of these phrases share a little bit of our DNA, and they are woven into everything that we do. Over the next four weeks, we will be taking a little bit of time to explore each of these, and we will ponder how they are impacting our lives. This weekend we will consider what it means to be REAL PEOPLE.

A congregation of Real People understands that everyone is broken, but everyone is also welcome. There are times in my life that I have spent a crazy amount of time trying to show the world that I was perfect. I didn't want anyone to see my cracks or flaws. I thought that if people knew of my failures they would cast me away. However, I learned some of the best relationships and success stories in my life came from vulnerable and broken moments.

Earlier this week, I asked my kids what had happened in our living room. Toys were thrown everywhere, coloring supplies were left out, and one boy was crying. They responded by looking at me and saying, "It wasn't me! My brother did it!" They tried to pretend they were completely innocent of the whole situation. It was better to blame it all on somebody else. Honestly, I wasn't that upset by the mess itself. There was nothing in that room that we couldn't fix. My real concern was the lying... When someone is refuses to be honest and real, it is really hard to grow and learn. 

Today, we may not get into fights over who messed up the living room, but we still can easily become trapped in a web of lies if we refuse to look at our own failures. I hope we are all able to let go of the facades we put on, and I pray that we are able to see ourselves just as we are. We are imperfect, but can grow. God sees our true heart, and God Loves us anyway. Let's share this good news and live with hope and grace!

Blessings!

Brian

A time to reflect

This time of year feels like a roller coaster in the church. We celebrated Palm Sunday last week, and as I write this, we right in the middle of Holy Week and the journey to the cross. I have always found this time of year to be incredibly meaningful, but honestly, it can be difficult to take a breath and really consider the impact of what Jesus has done. Today, I am busy working on worship services, and I just finished teaching a class of First Communion students. I am also busy preparing for the Youth Mission Trip and Vacation Bible School. I love being busy with all kinds of activities, but it is also important to take a bit of time to reflect. Jesus gave his life for each of us, and His love changed the world.

Last week, while I was teaching the First Communion class, I shared a small meal with the students, and we talked about the Seder dinner that Jesus experienced with his disciples on Maundy Thursday. The kids listened, and they asked some really thoughtful questions about the  Passover. They also saw the love Jesus offered in his last meal before the crucifixion. It was really powerful for me to hear the students talk about God's Love in their lives. Seeing just one kid realize that they are welcomed into the family of God is absolutely incredible. It is worth taking a bit of time to honor and celebrate.

Jesus broke bread with people who were about to abandon and betray him. His disciples did not have a perfect theological grasp on everything that He was doing. However, Jesus still found a reason to share God's Love. Although the disciples minds were elsewhere for much of their time together, Christ's Love eventually led them back to God. There will be times we do not understand what God is doing. Other times we will be unwilling to listen to the voice of God. However, Christ is still speaking to us. God is still calling. I hope we can all take a little bit of time to listen and experience the grace that Jesus shared.

Blessings,

Brian

At the feet of Jesus...

Community Lutheran Church has been in a sermon series entitled: At the Feet of Jesus. We are looking at stories of different people who came into the presence of their Savior. Each of these individuals came with something different on their hearts. Some were ready to worship. Some were in search of a miracle. Others came to Jesus out of gratitude, or they wanted to learn and grow in the Spirit. However, all of these people lived by faith, and they were able to trust that Jesus was the answer to everything they had been searching for.

I think it is incredible for people to find Jesus and discover that He matters most. It reminds me that, whatever I am carrying on my heart, I can let it go and turn to Jesus. However, this week we are going to turn the tables a little bit. We are going to consider who Jesus was seeking after. The answer to this may seem obvious:  He sought after God... and that is most certainly true, but Jesus also seeks after us. As much as we need to be in the presence of Jesus, Jesus wants to come to us. Jesus sees each one of us as sacred, and God knows we all have gifts we can use to serve and love others.

There are so many times I forget to look for God's presence in my life. Each day becomes a blur filled with ordinary activities, but last week I had the opportunity to travel to Colorado with my family. We didn't hike any mountains or explore any new trails. We were there to be with family. My wife's parents opened there home to us, and we had a joyful week of love. Sure, my family is a little wild and crazy, but we were welcomed in. It can be important to seek after God in far off places, but my trip last week reminded me that we can find God in the people who surround us. We can find God, just like Jesus did, in our relationships with others. 

Enjoying the simple moments!

Today I hope you can all experience a little bit of God's love today. I hope you can all learn what God is doing, and I hope you can realize that you are a blessing as well.

Peace,

Brian Ward

Gratitude

Can you think of a time that you have been overwhelmed with gratitude?

My oldest son just turned eight years old, and he has lived the last few days with an incredible amount of joy. He couldn't wait to open his presents. He immediately had to start building the lego sets, wearing his new costumes, and playing the new games with his brother. He was also excited to call his grandparents to say thank you for all the good things that they gave to him. 

I think there are a few important steps to gratitude that my son lived out. First, he took time to value each and every gift. Next, he shared his gratitude with the people around him and those who gave the gift. Finally, he is enjoying life with the presents that were given to him. He is living life with in joy and gratitude.

At Community Lutheran, we are taking time each week to consider the people who found themselves at the feet of Jesus. Each person who we have followed in this series has come to Jesus for a different reason. The wise men were inspired by Jesus, and they bowed down with awe and wonder. The family of Jarius and the hemorrhaging woman fell at Christ's feet while they prayed for healing. This week we are going to meet at woman who came to Jesus feet with an immense feeling of Gratitude. Her gratitude brought her to her knees. 

Life is filled with moments to be grateful for. However, there are plenty of times I find myself too busy to really appreciate the gifts around me. Stress and anxiety can consume us, and we can forget to say thank you for some of the most beautiful gifts that God has given us. We can also forget to live a life that is filled with joy. 

I recently met with a person in the hospital. He has faced a number of difficulties over the last few months, but he was also filled with gratitude. Some of the trials he faced reminded him of all the gifts he had but that he had taken for granted. He was now going to intentionally live every drop of life to the fullest.

Today I hope that we all and take a bit of time to appreciate the gifts that God has given to us. I hope we can take time to say thank you to God and to the people who have blessed us. Finally, I hope we can all intentionally live each day with joy.

Blessings,

Brian Ward