Trying to live with faith

Last weekend I had an opportunity to go out of town with my family. We had a blast camping  in Duck Creek, Utah. I love being surrounded by nature, and I love going to the mountains. There is a beauty that is hard to explain, and there is also a certain element of surprise that I really value. When I am at home, it is fairly easy to prepare for the day. I know what the weather will be, and I know exactly where I am going. However, when I travel to the mountains, I have to deal with a certain amount of unpredictability. 

I love an opportunity to go camping!

When we pulled into our campsite, the sunny sky suddenly became rather dark. A mixture of snow and sleet started falling down on us. The nights dropped down to about 38 degrees, and the neighbors, who we went camping with, had a child who became super sick. They had to rush him off the mountain to the nearest emergency room. I never want to see anyone sick, but there was also a sense that we had to put our faith in something greater. We can't control everything. There are times we need to let go and trust in God. We can try to make ourselves believe that we are always in control, but I do not believe that is true. In order to live life to the fullest, I believe we need faith...

In our sermon series at CLC, we are looking at the story of Joseph in the Bible. This man lived long before the time of Jesus, and he faced some incredible difficulties. He was sold into slavery, accused of false crimes, and thrown into prison. It is hard to keep the faith in these moments, but Joseph was able to believe. He trusted that God was in control even when the world looked like it was falling apart.

I wonder what would happen if we learned to trust a little bit more. I love to control every situation I'm in, but that's not always good for me. I love to go to the mountain to remind myself that there is something bigger. When I let go, there is an opportunity the experience the beauty of creation in a new way.

Today I hope each of you can take a step toward surrendering to God's Grace. Jesus came to this world to remind us that we are not alone. We can trust in God.

(Here are a few more pics from our trip...)

Exploring the ice cave

Our home for a couple of nights...

Enjoying Cascade Falls!

Nothing like grilling bacon over an open flame...

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Living with the Holy Spirit

Have you ever felt alone? 

A few years ago, Harvard professor Robert Putnam published the book "Bowling Alone." In this work, he states that people are spending more time by themselves. Instead of connecting with others, at places like church or bowling alleys, we find reasons to disconnect. 

I have been thinking a lot about loneliness recently. A week ago, sat with four young kids who had unexpectedly lost their father. These kids were facing an incredibly heartbreaking new reality. Another woman, who had been a caretaker for many years, had just lost her own father. She was struggling, because her house now seems so empty. I also spoke to several youth who were feeling bullied and isolated in their own ways. 

I think everyone has to face loneliness of some kind or another. We also have to ask ourselves if we believe that God's Love can reach us in our time of need... When we feel lost where do we turn?

This week we are celebrating the festival of Pentecost in the church. This is an ancient Jewish festival that came fifty days after the celebration of Passover. The people came together to offer a thanksgiving feast after the grain harvest. However, the disciples were surprised by the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Two thousand years ago, the early followers of Christ felt very alone after Jesus was crucified. First, they had to grieve our Savior's death, then they experienced the astonishment of the resurrection. Before they knew it, Jesus returned to heaven. They were all left wondering what to do next. Instead of acting, they spent much of their time hiding behind locked doors. 

In the midst of all their doubts and fears, they were visited by the Holy Spirit. God showed up. Even when they lost hope, the Spirit transformed their lives.

The Holy Spirit still moves in our world. Even if we are lost and feel completely broken, God does not give up on us. We are called to take time to listen for the presence of God. Sometimes I think social media and all the electronic ways of staying in touch can actually do us a disservice... Sure, they can be wonderful tools, but they are not a substitute for actually loving our neighbors. 

Our world is always changing. People come into our lives and people will leave our lives. Today I hope we can pause and listen for God's calling. I hope we can trust that God has not abandoned us. I hope we can take time to share God's love with the world.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Life's twists and turns

Do you ever take time to reflect back on your life? 

Have you ever considered the people or events that have changed you? 

If I look back on my own journey, I am sometimes shocked by how much I have changed. I have had some great successes, and I have failed a number of times. However, the most impactful moments for me have been my interactions with other people. 

If I look back 25 years ago, my greatest concern would have been some silly high school problem. Maybe I was stressed about a class, or perhaps I was trying to run a little faster in Track and Field. Those things are still a part of me, but I feel like I have grown so much. In some ways, I have become a totally different person after getting married and having my own kids. Sometimes it's hard to remember what life was like before I had my own family. And for those who haven't heard, my wife and I just announced that we will be having our third child... another baby boy! I look forward to all the new ways I will be transformed in the coming years.

This week we are beginning a new sermon series on the Old Testament character of Joseph in the Bible. Joseph is known for living as the favored child growing up, but he wound up facing a lot of adversity. Through all of life's twists and turns, Joseph always believed that God was with him. I think this offers all of us an incredible lesson. Whatever we may face, we can always trust in God amazing love.

Today I hope you can all take some time to consider how God has been leading you. I hope you can open your hearts to God's goodness and mercy, and I hope you can believe that God is never ever going to leave you!

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Radical Grace

In this season after Easter, we are taking a deeper look at our mission statement at CLC:

Real People

Inclusive God

Radical Grace

Inspired Growth

We are asking what it means to live out each of these values in our church. This week we are specifically questioning what it means to be a community of Radical Grace. Personally I feel like many of us realize there is a need for grace in our world. We cannot be expected to behave perfectly in all circumstances. However, if we are not careful, we can become consumed by comparing ourselves to others. We love to show other people that they are wrong, and we love to sing our own praises when we are right. We may love the idea of grace, but we don't always put these ideas into practice. When I look out at the greater world, I see many of the same issues. Leaders feel like they have to prove themselves constantly. Grace is seen as a sign of weakness. However, living without grace tends to lead us down a road of constantly escalating tensions...

Earlier this week, I had a proud parenting moment. My oldest son decided to share a gift he was given. It wasn't a big present, but other kids were starting to feel jealous. When he decided to give it away, I could almost see him realizing that he already lived in abundance. He didn't need to hold onto everything so tightly. In fact, there is joy in sharing the abundance with others. 

John 10:10

 I am come that you might have life, and have it in abundance. 

I think Jesus understood that in order to experience grace we need to open our eyes to the fact that we are surrounded by blessings. It is far too easy to see only the scarcity. We remind ourselves everyday about all the things we do not have. What if we flipped this around and decided to count our blessings. Perhaps this would help us to realize that sharing and receiving grace is not as impossible as we may have first thought.

We all need grace. If everyone was constantly pointing out every imperfection of mine, I would never have felt free to live up to my potential. Grace frees us to a deeper and greater form of living. Today I hope you can all be reminded of the blessings in your life, and I hope you can share these freely and graciously with others.

Peace,

Pastor Brian

The Season on Easter

I love Easter! As the calendar turns from winter to spring, we are opening our hearts to God's gift of new life. In Minnesota, there were plenty of things to complain about this time of year. The snow would become slushy and filled with dirt. We also still had to deal with a number late snowstorms. Just when the streets became clear, we would get blasted with another round of winter weather. In spite of all the chaos, there would also be days when the temperature would reach 60 or 70 degrees. It was amazing! In Las Vegas, we are on the verge of a brutally hot season, but I can't help but to enjoy these beautiful days. 

The day after Easter, my two boys and I went for a hike in Red Rock. We were there to spend some time in nature, and enjoy the spring weather. It was a joy to see God's gifts in the desert. We saw all kinds of flowers, and we waded through some pretty cold streams. My 9 year old even decided he wanted to jump into the icy cold water. The experience was wild, but more than anything else, we enjoyed the time we had together. 

In a similar way, I also loved our Easter worship services. The music, lights, and everything else all added to the moment. However, it was seeing the church filled with people that made the difference. Everyone was there to share God grace. This is the most important thing.

Easter is a season to remember that God's Love is eternal. As a church, we live in relationship with others. We celebrate the good gifts that we share together. We also remember that there is nothing that can ever separate us from God's Love. Not even death can remove us from Christ's presence. Today I hope you all can take some time to be reminded of God's gift of New Life. I hope you can also share God's gifts with the people around you. 

Peace,

Pastor Brian

The Roller Coaster

Next week, we are going to be remembering a very special time in the church year. Holy Week is the commemoration of the final week of Jesus' life. It all begins this weekend when we celebrate the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. People waved palm branches, shouted hosanna, and they looked to the future with hope and anticipation. However, things changed rapidly when Jesus overturned the tables of the temple and told the money changers to get out. By the end of the week, Jesus would be arrested and put to death. Finally, we look forward to Easter Sunday when Jesus rose from the grave. It is hard to understand how all of that could happen in one week. How did people change their minds so quickly? How were the disciples able to follow Jesus when they faced so many moments of desperation and fear?

Some of these questions are still quite hard to understand. However, from another perspective, we all are living on a roller coaster. Life goes up and down rapidly. We have moments of Joy followed by moments of failure or defeat. 

Just over a week ago, my kids were out of school for Spring Break, and we decided to go on a trip. We went to Florida to visit my 92 year old grandfather, and we did all kinds of Florida things. We went to the beach, we went on boat rides, and we saw all kinds of alligators, eagles, and armadillos while exploring the inland swamps, but it wasn't all fun and games. While we were there, my younger son and I wound up with a 24 hour bug. We had to cut out a few of the touristy things while we tried to feel better, but we had a great time. My kids are still talking about seeing their great grandfather, and they can't wait to go back to see him (and drive his golf cart!) again. 

When we returned home, I was ready to start working on Holy Week and Easter services, but instead, I received the news of the sudden death of a 17 year old member of our church. This person was dearly loved, and it sent shock waves through our youth group. As awful as this moment was, we came together as a community. People showered us with their support, and we had an incredible opportunity to share love.  

Everyday we face a roller coaster of pain and blessings. Life can be really hard to understand, but I think it is important to remember that we have a Good Shepherd who loves us and is leading us the entire way. God is always present. I hope you can take time to find Christ's light now.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

God's gifts are here!

My wife was out of town last weekend on the annual CLC women's retreat. She had a great time in Springdale Utah, and she came back refreshed after being around a great group of women. While she was away, I thought I would plan my own little adventure. I wanted to take my boys down to the hot springs on the Colorado river. This is a super fun hike, and it has enough scrambling to make it really interesting. However, that was not to be. Instead, we faced a crazy windstorm! The only adventuring I was able to fit in was a short bike ride to the neighborhood park. We were able to burn off a little energy, and we laughed a lot as we pretended to get blown away. We were able to get back to the house after a couple hours and before the wind and dust really picked up. Looking back, it may have been a little ambitious to try and fit in a hike anyway. I had four worship services to prepare for, and there was also a funeral at church, where we said goodbye to a beloved member. It actually worked out to spend my time present with the people around me. There was no need to go out and get sandblasted by the storm.

I love to be outside... but last weekend was a little much!

Our sermon series at Community Lutheran is taking a deeper look at the gifts that Jesus brings. God is always providing us with blessings, but there are times we choose to be upset with what we have. I could have been mad where my adventure fell through. My wife could have chosen to be upset as well. (The wind was pretty bad on her retreat too, and she did not get as much outdoor time as she had hoped.) Instead, we all chose to make the best of things. Kira came back refreshed. I had a great weekend. God's blessings surround us.

Today I hope you can all look for God's gifts in your lives. Take time to watch for God when your plans change. Look for new blessings when you find yourself on an unexpected road. Jesus is there. He is leading you to abundance and new life. Let's open our hearts and experience God's Love.

Peace,

Pastor Brian