Choosing to Change

 What does spiritual change look like in your life?

Over the past few weeks in worship, we have been in a sermon series entitled: Change my Heart O God. There are times when change is inevitable. We can fight against it all we want, but life is going to move forward. At other times, the choice is left up to us. We have to be the ones who open our hearts and respond. Either way, change can come with a lot of difficulties. 

I know as a parent I feel like I spend a ton of time just getting my kids to accept change. Last Monday, I had the day off with my two boys. The school district had an inservice day, and I was off too. That part worked out great. I love all the moments I have with my kids, but sometimes it takes so much energy just to get them moving. They didn't even want to get out of their pajamas. By the time they we found their shoes, got dressed, and brushed their teeth, I felt burnt out. They wanted to fight me every step of the way. To make matters worse, it was also raining that day. I started to wonder if I should have just let them stay in their pajamas and watch TV. Perhaps that would have been easier, but I knew they needed something a little more. We wound up finding our rain jackets and jumping on our bikes to take a ride on the trail. It turned out to be a beautiful experience. My kids laughed as they splashed though the puddles. They opened their mouths to catch raindrops, and we went and explored the Pitman wash. We had a ton of fun. I wouldn't want to trade those moments, but sometimes I wish it didn't have to be such a battle.        

That may be a silly example, but there are plenty of times we refuse to do the work of change. We don't feel a need to search our hearts to grow. We would rather find excuses instead of reasons to change. However, we learn in the Bible that Christ is always asking us to grow. We are called into this incredible love He offers, and we are asked to be transformed by the Spirit.

Today I hope you can all search your hearts and listen for the Spirit. You may feel like change is impossible. You may feel like God doesn't care about you, or that you may not be worth it. However, God's Love promises to conquer all of this. God always wants us to grow and find new life. My prayer is for the Holy Spirit to lead you on that journey.

Blessings,

Brian Ward

Experiencing Change

We live in a world full of change. No one knows what adventures or difficulties await us this year. There are going to be joys and there are going to be great sorrows. The only thing we can really be assured of is change. Sometimes we welcome the changes that come our way, but there are also times that we will try to resist life's curveballs.

As I write this, we are less that two weeks into 2024, and I have already been surprised by the new year. I have watched new leaders step up in youth group. I found some extra time to spend with my family, and I got to go on a hike with some friends. On the other hand, I have also been to the Emergency Room after my five year old slammed his face into the sidewalk, and other family members are facing long and sudden hospital visits.

Throughout the month of January, Community Lutheran is diving into a sermon series all about change. God promises to love us, but when our lives get flipped upside down, we can forget this fact. Last week, we spoke about a person in the Bible named Naomi. This woman lost all the men in her life who were supposed to provide for her. She found herself in a different country surrounded by pain and sorrow. The only person to stand by her was a young woman named Ruth. Ruth was not from Israel, and she did not grow up worshiping the the same God. However, these two women found hope together. They had a faith that was bigger then what their eyes could see.

God is still working in our world today, but sometimes I let the small stuff get to me. Life is going to have difficulties, and there will be setbacks. Sometimes I will just lose it, because my kids won't go to bed on-time. However, none of this has to be a big deal compared to all the blessings before me. 

Today I hope you can all take a little bit of time to reflect on how God is working in you. I hope you can realize that your life is bigger than the twists and turns we may face. God has a plan for you, and you are constantly being transformed by the power of the Holy Sprit.

Peace,

Brian Ward

Living in Christmas Joy

What a whirlwind! The past few weeks were pretty busy at CLC. We gathered for worship, the youth had a month filled with activities and caroling, and there were a number of service projects. It sometimes felt a bit chaotic, but it was also a Spirit-filled season. I felt so blessed to see people sharing God's love and peace. I hope you were able to feel the joy of Christmas this year, and I hope you are still able to experience the Good News that God is with us.

Matthew 2:1-2

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

There is a story in the Bible about mysterious travelers from the east who wanted to experience the joy of Christmas. For them, the story wasn't over after the baby was born. Today, when we are putting away all the decorations and feeling like the magic is over, God is still with us. The Spirit never leaves, even if we feel a little lost. One of my own kids had a bit of a meltdown on Christmas Day when he was going to bed. Perhaps he just had too much sugar, but he was also really upset the excitement was finally ending. We had to reassure him that although time moves on, we don't have to lose the magic. In the Bible, people were still looking for finding hope long after Jesus was born and even after Jesus died. The Good News is open to all the people who can keep an open heart.

Personally, there were times this season when I felt too busy to look for the signs of God's work. I had to prepare worship services, lead events, and try to keep my own house in working order. However, it was nice to take a few moments and stop and listen. My kids would ask about the story of Christmas. They wanted to know the meaning of the candles. They wanted to show me every toy and point out every light and siren. They were filled with joy this season, and they just wanted to share it with all the people in their lives. 

We all need to make room for the joy of Christmas. Some of us are too busy to really notice all the blessings of the season. Others are feeling pretty lonely this time of year, but I believe that God is sharing signs of hope with all of us. 

December 25 may be behind us, but Christmas is still here. God is still with us, and God's love is still changing lives. It is up to us to take the time to notice. Like the wise men who saw the star, we can also look for the signs of God in our lives. We can take time to wonder over all the good things God does.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

A candle for peace

This week didn't feel very peaceful in Las Vegas. There was another mass shooting, and I was heartbroken to learn that this wasn't even the first shooting of the week. The people of San Antonio and Austin were also recovering from their own acts of senseless violence. 

It sometimes feels pretty depressing to look at the state of the world. I met with the church's youth group on Wednesday night after the shooting. We talked about how to find hope, and we asked if it was realistic to pray for peace. To some of them, these horrifying moments feel almost normal. They even expect tragedy to show up in their lives. Everyday a new pain or evil makes the headlines, and it feels like there is no way to bring about change. 

It's true that we don't have all the answers. As a pastor, I wish I could offer so much more. However, we can all share a little bit of love today. We can still gather together. The youth group still took time to light candles and offer our prayers. We still found value in coming together to stand for the love of Jesus. Personally, this is what makes the church so important. We come back, time and again, with the hope of Christ. We do what we can to believe in peace, because we find the light of Jesus in our neighbors. Our world is filled with all kinds of fears and doubts. As Christians, we never bury our heads in the sand to the evil in the world, but I hope you can also find truth in God's words.

We follow a Savior who brings new life to the world. We follow a King who gave up everything for us so that we could find peace. This weekend we are going to light the second candle on the Advent wreath. This candle represents Peace. Although you may not feel very peaceful in our world today, this is a time for us to lift each other up. This is a time to share a little extra love and grace with the people in your life. Don't be afraid to show the love you have. Open your heart... God's light is shining!

Blessings!

Brian Ward

Thanksgiving!

I love this time of year!

We are entering into a wonderful season. Last Sunday my boys and I set up our outdoor Christmas Lights. They could barely contain their excitement! Next, we started shopping for the Thanksgiving groceries, and the oven has been running nonstop as we bake cookies, pies, and other goodies. Throughout this season we want to cherish our blessings. My kids are even looking for ways they can show generosity to others. We talk about living lives of gratitude, and I feel a certain hope in the air. 

Scientists have shown that people who live gracious lives tend to live longer, happier, and healthier. However, I do not always surround myself with this kind of hope. It is easy to be more concerned about all the things I do not have. I worry about not having enough time, money, or stuff generally. There is a constant drive to get more. 

In the Gospels Jesus tells his followers not to worry:

Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:25-34

We are called to live as people of grace. We offer love to others, because we see the love in our own lives. Today I hope we can all take a little bit of time to appreciate the love that is already here. It may be hard. I know some people are going through a season of great difficulty, but God is still present. How do you notice the love of grace of Christ? How can you share a little bit of this love with others?

Blessings!

Brian Ward

Surrender

Last week was a bit of a whirlwind here at CLC. It all started with Trunk or Treat on Thursday. This is always a super fun night, and this year was no exception. We welcomed hundreds of people from the community to our church, and everyone had a blast joining in the festivities and eating lots of candy. After 8:00pm most of the people went home, but our youth group continued the celebration with a lock-in and a trip to Disneyland! This always makes for a super long day, but I was blessed to see the abundance of God.

I saw new relationships form and children and youth find a safe place to celebrate together as a church. I saw youth deepening their relationships to one another and learning more about the love of Christ. I believe God provides opportunities for each of these blessings everyday, but we are often too wrapped up in our own world to embrace them. Sometimes we do not want to invest in a new relationship, and we can be scared of meeting someone new. However, if we surrender our preconceived notions, and we let go of our desire to make things happen our way, then Christ always brings new blessings. There may be exhausting and difficult moments, but God is there.

We are going to be starting a new sermon series this month entitled, "I surrender." This series will take a look all the ways we get in our own way. We wind up carrying too many burdens and too much pain. We often don't realize that we are being held back by all the false idols that promise to fulfill our every need. We will be asking what our lives would look like if we let go and opened ourselves to something greater. 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28–30

Today I hope we can all take a small step toward surrender. I hope we can take a look at our burdens and start to let them go. Let's embrace a new journey with Christ!

Peace,

Brian

Generosity

 Have you ever met someone who lived with a Spirit of Generosity?

When I was in seminary, I had a friend who could light up a room with her wonderful spirit. She welcomed all people into her dorm. She would freely give rides to others, and she was the first to notice if there was someone in need. She would not hesitate to help out another person. 

There are so many people in this world who live with a scarcity mentality. At times, we may feel like there is not enough, and we believe we have to hoard all the resources we can. From this perspective, it can appear the most competitive person always wins. The biggest, fastest, and strongest are able to take what they need. It is easy to see the people of this world as either winners, who took everything they could, or losers, who were beaten.

However, when we come across a person who lives generously, our perspective can change. These people are not trying to take everything they can. Instead, they can be found actively giving away their blessings. They believe in abundance not fear and scarcity. 

This week we are finishing our sermon series on our core values at CLC. The last value we are sharing is generosity. This core values flows from all the others. We began with the value of Welcome then we moved to Worship, Learning, Serving, and finally Generosity. These values all build on each other, and generosity takes all the other gifts and shares them with the world. 

Christ came to this world to give his life for each of us. Jesus didn't hold back. He didn't just come to serve the righteous or the worthy. Jesus came to love us just as we are. We don't have to fight for God's Love. Christ gave this love so that we could freely offer it to others. 

Today I hope you can all find space to feel the free love of Jesus. I also hope you can share God's Love abundantly.

Blessings!

Brian Ward