A step of faith

When was the last time you were stuck in a jam?

We all face difficult choices, and it can be very difficult to decide what to do. We can procrastinate. We can try to run away. We might fall apart... No one wants to be in these stomach churning situations. However, it never helps to hide ourselves from the problem. In fact, great leaders from Moses, to Jesus, to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. all stood up to their trials. In each of our own lives, we are also called to trust in God's Love and take a leap of faith. 

In this week's Scripture passage, we are looking at an Old Testament prophet and judge named Gideon. Gideon was a leader in ancient Israel who had a number of gifts. He was also very connected to God, and he personally experienced a number of miracles that showed that God was present with him. However, Gideon lacked faith. He didn't believe in his own gifts, and he didn't believe God would really stand beside him when he needed it. When Gideon became stuck in a jam, he tended to fall apart. Like so many of us, Gideon would have preferred to run away from God's calling. Over and over, God had to affirm God's own presence. The story shows how difficult it is to have faith when life falls apart.

I remember working with a 15 year old girl several years ago, who was incredibly talented. She was a natural leader, incredibly smart, and she was compassionate. However, her family constantly had to move from one house to another. Her mother struggled to provide enough food, and there was never enough money. The difficulties she faced made it hard for her to share her gifts. If things were going well she was amazing, but if her world was falling apart she was unstable, lashing out at others. For her, the church became a place where she could be accepted no matter what. Good day or bad day... we understood what she was going though. It was not always the ideal situation, but we were growing together. I think Gideon could have gone a lot farther if he found a community that loved and accepted him no matter what.

We all need acceptance, and God is offering that to each of us. God wants us to experience the grace that is only found in making bold mistakes. God's Love exists for all of us. Let's take some time to listen for this grace, and take a step toward faith.

Blessings!

Brian

Loving every minute of it!

 Life moves fast doesn't it?

A couple weeks ago, we were preparing to celebrate Christmas. There was so much excitement at church, and my house was just as busy. I felt so blessed by all the people at each of our worship services, and there was definitely a sense of hope in the air as we gathered together. 

After all of our services and after the Christmas presents has all been opened, my family was ready to spend some time together. (As wonderful as the season is, it is also very busy, and I felt like I was always off to one event and my kids were headed to another!) So my wife set up a trip for a couple nights in California. It was a blast! There was so much to do, including some time at Legoland. It never really felt like I had a chance to catch my breath, but it was perfect! Just being able to set aside the time with my family was all we really needed.

Personally, I find the most meaningful experiences come when we really embrace the moments we have right in front of us. When I saw my kids opening their presents, they were so thankful just to be there. It didn't matter if they unwrapped a gigantic new dinosaur or a tube of toothpaste. They were filled with joy! They also loved our trip to Legoland and playing on the beach, but most importantly we loved the time we had together. There was a lot of laughter, a few bumps and bruises, and maybe a few tears, but we cherished the time we had.

 

Today I hope we can all enjoy these moments that surround us. The Scriptures teach us that everyday is a gift from God. We are often too worried about what is going to happen next. We are concerned over an endless stream of problems that may occur, and sometimes these fears overwhelm us. What if we started seeing these moments we were in as a gift? What if we opened our hearts, and we started believing that God gave us this time? I hope we can all cherish the love we have right now!

Blessings!

Pastor Brian

The Joy of Christmas

This is an exciting week. I love the energy we have at church. Everyone on staff is brainstorming new ideas for all the services coming up, and there is Spirit of Joy that surrounds this time of Christmas. It's hard to put all the excitement into words, but I am certainly feeling the wonder of the season. 

In my home, my kids are counting down the days. Christmas break has started and my boys are running around with so much energy that I'll be surprised if we have much a house left by the end of their break. They have a lot of energy, and they can't wait to open presents. However, they are also are drawn into the mystery of it all. They are delighted by the magic of Santa Claus, and they are also asking more about the Christmas story. "Where did all of this come from?" There is a mystery to this story that began with Mary and Joseph so long ago. Mary started the journey believing she knew how her life was going to look. She was an ordinary peasant girl. She thought she understood everything she needed to know about religion. She believed God was far away, and God would only show up for a priest in the temple. However, through all of this, God comes to her. God becomes present in her life, and God completely changed her perspective of faith. Instead of being far away, God came to her. Love came to her. Divine Love came into the world to transform everything.

There are so many aspects of faith that I try to understand. Sometimes I pride myself in thinking I have it all figured out. I want to understand where my life is going. I want to understand religion. I want to understand everything. However, my children are focused on the mystery. They are open to beauty of the season and they are excited to see where all of this goes. 

I wonder what would happen if we opened our hearts to this kind of childlike faith. What would happen if we had the faith of Mary. What if we said, "Yes" to God's Love. Perhaps we could open ourselves to the exciting new opportunities of Grace that exist everyday.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Advent Joy

Are you ready for Christmas?

The Bible speaks of the importance of preparing ourselves for the coming of a King. Jesus showed up in the world two thousand years ago, but most of the people at the time were too busy to notice. They were too preoccupied with important decrees from the Emperor, new taxes they had to pay, and the daily frustrations of life. There were so many things demanding their attention that very few of them noticed a young family and their new baby being born in a manger.

Do you think you would notice the coming of a Savior? 

I have come to expect influential people to arrive with all kinds of pomp and circumstance. However, Jesus came into this would with the deepest humility. Today the Good News is that God is still with us. Christ is here. However, we may still find ourselves busy with other things. At Community Lutheran Church we are celebrating the season of Advent by taking a deeper look at our To-Do lists. Many of us have lists a mile long of things we feel like we need to get done. However, we are looking at what really matters this season. Are you so caught up in decorating and buying presents that you have forgotten to take a breath and remember the true meaning of it all?

This week we are remembering that God created us to be the light. We are commissioned by Jesus to share God's Hope and Love with others. This is incredible news. A week ago when I was setting up the Christmas lights on our house, I found myself getting into the spirit. However, I really felt the light when my kids came out and helped me hang the lights. The awe and wonder they shared inspired me. Today I hope you can all find that God's Light is shining on you. I hope you can feel God's Grace, and I hope you can share a bit of this love with others.

Blessings!

Brian Ward

Giving Thanks!

As I write this, I am preparing for Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas. There are all kinds of projects and worship services that we are gearing up for as a church, and I am really starting to get into the spirit. Some years, I feel like the holidays come too fast, but this year has been exciting. I love seeing the church's Glitter Team decorate. I love putting things on the calendar and rehearsing the services with kids. 

I am also planning a quick trip to Colorado to visit my wife's family over Thanksgiving. (Hopefully we have arrived by the time you read this. :) Presently, we are trying to pack the car, find snow clothes for our kids, and praying we can all stay healthy! There are a lot of things we could worry about, but there is still a sense of excitement in our house. It is hard to know exactly how everything will work out, but we are trusting in the Spirit!

I hope we can all open ourselves up to the blessings God is offering this season. In the church, we are celebrating Thanksgiving, and we will be lighting the candle for the first week in Advent. We have set aside this time to prepare for the coming of Christ and give thanks for all that we have. Far too often I can get lost in the busyness of the world. There are just too many things to do, and I lose sight of the things that really matter. Other times, I can get bogged down by all the little things. A negative comment that shouldn't cause me any concern can rub me the wrong way for days. One of the reasons I love getting away is to notice all the blessings in my life. I am so thankful for my family and my two boys! Even in difficult moments my children can become excited over some of the smallest blessings. 

Today I am praying that you would open your hearts to the goodness of God. When we find ourselves bogged down with heavy hearts, I hope we can reflect on the things that really matter. If our hearts are burdened, I hope we can turn this over to Christ. God wants to take away our pain, but we do have to turn it over. Let's give our worries to Christ and cherish the wonder all around us.

Blessings, 

Brian

Surrounded by Blessings

This past Monday, the electricity went out for a few hours at the church. At the time, I was preparing for a funeral, and fifteen minutes before the service started, the lights went out. I realized that many of the plans we had were going to change. The sanctuary was completely dark, and the microphones and videos were not going to work. Sometimes I fall into a trap... I start to think that the church is a building. It's easy to assume that if there are no lights, no microphones, no screens, then everything has to be canceled... However, this is never the case. The church is the people. When we gather together, Christ is with us. It is very convenient to have a building with electricity, but it is the people who create the church.

The funeral turned out to be a beautiful. We had to move a piano and set up chairs in the crossroads, but we had everything we needed and more. There was an opportunity to grieve, share memories, and celebrate the life. 

There are so many moments where we lose sight of the things that really matter. The Bible says that God is bringing an abundant Kingdom of Heaven to this world. We can miss out on God's good gifts because we are too worried about our own plans falling apart. 

This week in worship we are once again going back to our core values. We are taking time to think about serving others. When we see other people as part of the body of Christ, we live more fully into God's Kingdom. Instead of living only for ourselves, Jesus asks us to consider others. If we want to become great, God calls us to be a servant to all. I hope we can all ponder what it means to be a servant this week. I hope we can listen for God's Holy Spirit, and I hope we can open our hearts to all the Love that Jesus is sharing.

Blessings!

Pastor Brian

Blessings of the Spirit

 What are your core values?

Where is the Holy Spirit working in your Life?

We are in a sermon series that is taking a deeper look at who we are as a church. We all have gifts, and God's Spirit is working in us to reach out to the world. Christianity is not about memorizing facts to pass a test. Christianity is a walk of faith. It is learning to trust Jesus everyday and letting go of the fears that detract us. 

It strikes me to how easily we can be controlled by our small fears or concerns. This sermon series is taking some time to let go of the junk that is holding us back, and it is uncovering the image of God that we all have inside us. We are taking a deeper look at the Core Values that should guide us everyday.

Earlier this week, I was rushing my two boys out the door. We were scrambling around, trying brush teeth, look for lost shoes, and pack lunches. I was so concerned with trying to get out of the house that everything seemed like it was getting in my way. My two boys on the other hand couldn't care less about my concerns. My seven year old was having a blast telling a story, and my three year old was laughing hysterically. My older son wasn't really even trying to be funny; the two of them were just were just enjoying the time together. Sometimes I wonder why I am always in such a rush. Why do I need to plow through everything? Why not enjoy the Spirit that is right here?

This week we also remember the Reformation of the Church. The Reformation is a celebration where the Church returns to the Core Values that Jesus gave us. As a church, we can remember that the Holy Spirit does't require perfection or purity. The Holy Spirit is with us and we all have the opportunity to share the love that is in front of us.

Blessings!

Brian Ward