An Inspired Life

Do you feel inspired?

 

Fifteen years ago the direction of my life changed forever.  Before that point, I had been focused on graduate school.  I was looking at a path that would lead me to a career in medicinal chemistry.  However, I also felt a calling to inspire people in a different way.  I loved building relationships through the church, and I loved connecting with others as a camp counselor.  Eventually, I decided to take a leap of faith and begin the road to ordained ministry.  When I was following this call, I felt empowered in a way that I had never experienced before.  I felt hope in a new way, and I felt a need to share this with the world.  

 

Looking back, I can see following God’s path was life giving.  However, I am struck by how deeply I tried to ignore the call in that period of time.  I had my plan and my agenda.  Even when the Chemistry lab just seemed like a grind, I put up with it to focus on my plans.  When I finally walked into seminary, it gave me a sense of freedom.  I was living with hope, and I was going to have the opportunity to share God’s Love with everyone.  I was inspired.

 

Today, it is still easy to get caught up in my own path.  I may be a pastor now, but we should never stop looking for the new ways God is calling us.  We still have our plans, and it is easy for anyone to get stuck.  When I look at the stories of Jesus, I am often drawn to the calling of the disciples.  Jesus called men and women from the most unlikely places, and he led them to a completely new life.  They had the opportunity to see the world in a new way, and it changed their lives forever.  Their stories are very similar to ours.  Even though the disciples followed Christ, it was still easy to fall back into their own habits.  As Christians, we are called to look for the Holy Spirit and live an inspired life.  Today I hope you can take a breath and experience new ways God is calling you.

 

Blessings!

 

 

Brian

Faith in Action

Growing up is hard…

My two little boys are ages two and six, and they are both a ton of fun.  However, the age difference between them is such that it can be really hard to find things for them to do together.  The six year old wants to climb a mountain, and the two year old wants to throw his pancakes on the floor.  Then when the two year old is ready to go to the park, the six year old is busy with his legos. (And two year olds really struggle with legos…) Besides all of this, both boys are trying to assert their own independence, and that means they love to say:  NO!  Getting out of the house can feel impossible with all of this going on.  

However, the weather in Las Vegas has been pretty amazing recently.  The temperature has been perfect, and aside from a few windy days, I couldn’t ask for anything better.  My wife and I have really been feeling the urge to take the kids exploring, so we made the extra effort to take the kids to the mountains.  For a while, it seemed like no one was going to be happy, but when we arrived at a nice picnic spot near a patch of leftover snow, the kids started to have a blast.  They were excited to play with each other and laugh and enjoy the moment.  Sometimes it takes quite a bit of extra effort, but it is always so amazing to see their relationship deepen.

This week we are taking time to think about our identity in the Church.  Here at CLC, we have lifted up six words that pertain to our ideals:  REAL PEOPLE, INCLUSIVE GOD, and RADICAL GRACE.  As a church, we believe these six words describe what we believe.  In addition to a statement of faith, they are also part of our mission.  We are called to go forth and share these gifts as the very ministry of Christ.  Putting our faith into action isn’t always easy.  In fact, we can find countless reasons why it’s easier to give up in the face of the chaos in the world.  

In some ways, we all have to grow up in our faith and put our words into action.  This is going to be difficult, but if we believe the words of Christ, it is always worth it.  Personally I have made plenty of mistakes in my ministry and in parenting, but God shows up in the mistakes.  I’ve seen growth in my own family and I’ve seen the church accomplish great things.   We can’t be afraid of falling on our faces at times.  We are called to live out our faith with love.

Blessings!

Brian

Believe!

Do not doubt, but believe...

-John 20:27

 

Jesus told Thomas to stop living in doubt and believe that Christ was still very much alive and in his midst.  Jesus told him to stop believing only in death, and embrace the New Life for all people.  Today Christ is still calling us to believe and not doubt.  As you look out at the world, do you hold faith over doubt?  

 

Personally, I can see examples of war and violence as well as bigotry and discrimination.  Jesus spoke of a world where all are loved, but it is hard not to see the world like Thomas did so long ago… How can Christ possibly be present? 

A few weeks ago, my son received a birthday present for his 6th birthday from a woman who has very few resources.  Even though she didn’t have a ton of money, she gave him a gift… a couple of toy cars.  I explained to my child where the gift came from and a little about the person who gave it, and I could see him thinking all of this over.  He experienced a blessing, and he looked at me and he asked what we could do for her. He wanted to share the love.

 

Sometimes we may not be able to offer the largest or most expensive gifts to others.  We may not be able to single handedly end wars in Ukraine, Syria, or Afghanistan.  However, we can see one another with compassion.  We can take a bit of time and empathize with our neighbors instead of judging them.  God is calling us to do great things, but we are also called to do the small things.  We can bless others with small acts of kindness and love. 

 

Today I hope we can all see that Christ is still present in our lives.  Hope and love are here. 

 

Blessings!

 

 

Brian

Whom are you looking for?

“Whom are you looking for?”

-Jesus

 

Jesus asks this question twice in the last few chapters of the Gospel of John.  In the first instance, Judas Iscariot was leading a squadron of Roman Soldiers to arrest Jesus.  Judas appears to have become disillusioned.  He may have begun to doubt the ability of peace to change the world.  He may have succumbed to the need for revenge and prefer a warrior revolutionary, or perhaps Judas just wanted the money.  Whatever the reason, Judas betrayed his friend and the other disciples ran away.  When Jesus asks, “Whom are you looking for,” the response of Judas and the soldiers is a scapegoat.  The people wanted to place their fears and anger on Jesus… and that is exactly what they did.

The second time Jesus asks this question comes in John chapter 20.  Here Jesus has risen from the dead, but the disciples are still in a state of confusion and fear.  They believe someone has taken Christ’s body to another location, and Mary Magdalene is left weeping outside the tomb.  It is at this moment that Jesus appears and asks her, “Whom are you looking for?”  At first she cannot see who is calling out to her.  However when Jesus says her name, her eyes are opened.  Christ had never been far from her.  Jesus was present with her then, and He is present with us now.

 

Today Jesus is still asking us what we are looking for.  If we are searching for a scapegoat or someone to blame for our troubles, we are going to find that.  If we are looking for a source of hope and love in the world, then that is what we will find.  

 

This Holy week and Easter I hope we can all search for love.  Perhaps you can feel the warmth and love from a family member or friend this Easter.  Perhaps you can feel God’s presence in worship, or in the beauty of nature.  However we search for Christ, let us find God’s love here and now. 

 

Blessings!

 

Brian

Unearned Love

Every day I am reminded of how much I love my kids.  Yes, they can be exhausting, but they have taught me to cherish even the roughest moments!  I love listening to their stories, talking to them, laughing with them, and playing games with them.  I want them to do their best in all circumstances, but I will love them regardless.  However, there are times my boys seem to want more.  They want to show me that they are better than others.  They want to prove that they are the fastest, smartest, or strongest.  One of my two year old’s favorite phrases is:  “I win!!”  Sometimes it seems like human beings are only satisfied if we think we have earned the love we have.

  

This week we are coming to the end of our sermon series on the book of Galatians.  Every time I read this book I discover something new.  The book itself is actually written in a very harsh tone.  The Apostle who wrote the letter, Paul, is completely fed up with people who are dismissing the Good News that Jesus came to proclaim.  Instead of receiving God’s Gift of Grace, they want to build their church by their own works.  Each person was trying to prove they were better than the next. 

Competition is ingrained in the human experience.  We love to be the best, and this can be a good thing.  There are healthy ways to compete, but there are also times it can be very destructive.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ tells us to pay attention to something beyond human competition.  In Galatians chapter 6 verses 1-5 it says:

 

Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted. Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks they are something when they are nothing, they deceive himself. Let each one examine their own work. Then they can take pride in themselves and not compare themselves with someone else. For each one will carry his own load.

 

This verse really is continuing the message from the previous chapter that says we all have spiritual gifts, and we don’t need to go around diminishing another person's giftedness.  

 

Today I hope we can all just take time to receive what God has given us. 

Let’s not try and win our way into God’s favor. 

We are loved. 

That is the promise. 

There is no greater miracle than that.  

 

Blessings,

 

Pastor Brian

Love in the Here and Now

 Galatians 4:6-7

Pastor Paul writes, Because you are God’s children, God also sent the Spirit of his Son Jesus into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a child of God...

Is there something inside of you that is crying out to God?  What is your heart searching for?  Are you listening for God’s love?

A couple of days ago, I was feeling pretty exhausted.  It had been a busy day at work, and when I got home, my life got even crazier.  My wife was out so I was trying to feed the kids as fast as possible, clean the house, and try to stop someone from crying every 5 minutes.  It was rough.  Looking back, I know I was trying to do too much.  Finishing work calls, preparing food, and fixing the sink...  When I finally let go of everything else and embraced the moment, the day turned around.  I was able to fully engage with the kids, we sang, laughed, and danced way past bedtime.  Apparently we all needed to feel the devotion and love of another person.  Trying to do everything just left us angry and defeated.

I think we all need unconditional love, but we will rarely make time for this.  We fill our lives with other (less productive) things.  Our scriptures remind us that God’s love is always close by.  God loves us right now.  All we have to do is receive the gift.  

Today I hope that you can all feel a bit of God’s love and devote yourself to this moment… right here and now!

Blessings!

Brian

What matters most...

How much time do you spend trying to be right?

How much time do you spend asking for forgiveness?

If you’re like me, you spend a lot more time trying to be right and much less saying sorry… I think it is wonderful when we can be correct, and I think we should always do our best to have our facts straight.  However, I know my obsession with being right can easily turn into something unhealthy.  For example, when I find myself arguing with my two year old, it is never a good thing.  In that situation, there is no point in trying to prove who is more logical… I can state what needs to be said, but I also need to let go of my ego. :)

There are also times when I am flat out wrong.  Sometimes there are church members who let me know that I have made a mistake, or my wife will tell me that I have messed up.  Other times my kids can even catch me in an error.  These moments of reflection should be helpful.  These should be the times when I open my heart to bettering myself.  However, I often entrench myself against them, or I will blame someone else for the mistakes I’ve made. 

In our church we have entered into the season of Lent.  This season encourages us to go back and reflect on our lives, and open our hearts to the teachings of Jesus.  It is a time to admit that we do not have all the answers, but we also remember that this was never the most important thing to Jesus.  Christ wants us to see that we are loved.  We don’t need to trample our enemies.  We don’t need to destroy anyone who is different from us.  We need to open our hearts to love.  This means admitting that we are wrong and believing we can be forgiven.

In our sermon series, we are going to take a deeper look at the book of Galatians in the Bible.  This book was originally written as a letter to the church that existed in the ancient city of Galatia, and it offers us an incredible amount of hope.  However, we have to swallow our own ego at times to see it.  

Today I hope we can all hear the message that God is with us.  God loves us and cares for us just as we are.  If we can let this message into our lives, then I believe our need to tear others down will diminish.  Let us embrace God’s gifts today and share the light with the world!

Blessings!

Pastor Brian