Radical Grace

 At Community Lutheran Church we are in the midst of a sermon series looking at our mission statement:

Every year we take time to examine God's call for our congregation. We are each blessed, and God is transforming us every day. This week we will discuss what it means to be a people of Radical Grace. I think the church has a reputation for demanding perfection. Many seem to believe there is no room for anyone who messes up or doesn't fit in. Jesus stood against that. Jesus came into the lives of people who didn't fit in. His disciples were not known to be the most influential or powerful. They were ordinary people. They made mistakes, but Christ walked alongside them. 

Today there are still a number of people who don't feel like they fit in. I have personally talked to a number of individuals in our church who almost gave up hope. They did not believe they would ever find a welcoming place. Some had been rejected at other churches. Others were told they did not fit in, and they could not use the gifts they were given to serve God. 

It is heartbreaking to think that so many incredible people could not find a home. We each have so many gifts, but unfortunately so many are led to believe that they don't matter. Today I hope we can all open our hearts to God's Grace. I hope we can let go of our burdens, and share more love into the world.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Share God's Love

A couple weeks ago, I had to opportunity to baptize my youngest child. Baptism is a special gift. It is a time to recognize that God has chosen us. Even when we can't fully comprehend this, we trust that God is working. 

I believe it is so important to live our lives with God's call on our hearts. There are going to be plenty of moments when we don't understand the greater plan. There will be times of suffering, and we will all face situations where we will feel like complete failures. I would never wish any bad event on another person. It feels terrible when we have to pass through the dark valleys in life. However, I also don't want my own children to live their lives in bubble wrap. I want them to be able to explore and make mistakes. I don't want them to face great pain or difficulty, but that is also part of what makes us human. I don't think it would be a good thing to simply slide through life without facing any kind of adversity. My personal prayer would be for each person not to lose hope. 

This world can feel pretty dark. It is possible to lose sight of the plan at any moment. However, even when we don't understand, God is present and walking with us. Today I am so thankful for this promise. As we celebrate Mother's Day weekend, I am also thankful for all the love that women have shown. Their love offers hope to the world. To me, it does not matter if you are a biological mother or not. We need all kinds of people sharing God's promise of hope in the world. Let's lift that up today!

Blessings,

Pastor Brian 

Christ is Risen!

Happy Easter Everyone! Christ is Risen!

I have always loved this season. Growing up I loved watching the snow melt and the plants start to grow and show signs of life. I also loved sharing the Good News. I loved the music, and I loved the joy people felt as we proclaimed that Christ has triumphed over the grave. 

Today I still love to share this Good News. I loved seeing my own children light up on Easter morning. I loved watching them search for eggs and sing their hearts out on Easter! There is so much to be thankful for this season. It is so easy to let the burdens on the world drag us down. The Good News of Jesus Christ is still needed today. 

For the next few weeks, we will live in the Easter season. We will continue to lift up this Good News. My question is: What burdens are you carrying instead of the hope of Jesus? Personally, I know there are a lot of things that can overwhelm me. Two weeks ago my wife came down with a case of vertigo. (I have never experienced vertigo before - but even watching someone go through it is miserable.) As she recovered, I was torn between taking care of her and all the other daily concerns. Between the kids, work, and regular chores... life was getting out of control. It took a few people connecting with me to says that I didn't need to do everything. I needed simply to be present where I mattered most. It was just helpful to hear kind words from others who let me know that they cared. 

Our words can offer comfort and hope. We still need to take time for the people who matter most, and we still need to reach out to tell these people of our love. All of this shares the Good News that Christ offered. Today I hope we can all open our eyes to the things that matter most. I hope we can hear the Good News from the people around us, and I hope we can take a little time to share the Good News with others. We can share a word from the Bible, or we can even share a smile with a stranger. Let's offer hope to the world!

Blessings!

Pastor Brian

A time to praise!

 Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

This week we will be celebrating Palm Sunday and Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem! After spending much of his ministry far to the north in rural Galilee, Jesus finally made his was south. His ministry was bringing him into the lives of all people. It did not matter that he was going to be rejected. It did not matter that there would be people who were jealous or angry. Jesus went to Jerusalem to share his gifts. He needed to share the Love of God with all people, even if that Love would take Him to the cross.

I believe every person is gifted by God. However, there can be trials that derail us. We may face those who stand in our way. Fear and shame my cause us to give up on the blessings God has given. It can be easier to walk away from our failures. 

To be Christian, means that we are people who believe in resurrection. When we fail or face darkness and death, we believe in new life. God believes in each and every one of us. There are going to be broken moments, but God is also working in your life. We are called to trust in the greater picture, even when our lives seem to fall apart.

Today I am wondering where each of you are in your spiritual journey. Do you feel connected? Are you sharing your gifts freely with others. Or, are you holding back? Is there something in the world that has caused you to doubt or question what God is doing?

As I look at each of my own children, I can see so many talents. I also see a world that can cause anyone fall apart. I pray for my kids to have faith in what God is doing in their lives. They are each special, and so are each and every one of us. God is working in you, even when you can't see it.

Today I hope we can all live as resurrection people. I hope we can all shine brightly with the love that Jesus shares!

Blessings!

Pastor Brian

Rest in the Lord

 Where do you go to find rest?

Last week my two older boys were out of school for Spring break. They were excited to have some time off, and they wanted to enjoy every moment they had. We were not able to make a big trip happen this year, so tried to find a few other local activities. We drove up to the snow on Mt. Charleston, we explored Ice Age Fossil's state park, we went swimming, and we camped out in the backyard! Nothing was too wild or extreme, but it still felt like we took advantage of the time we had.

A few fun moments from Spring Break!

I think we all need to find little ways to take a step back and embrace a fresh perspective. Perhaps you are unable to fly to the other side of the world, but we still need to find a way to appreciate the blessings that surround us. 

This week in worship we will consider what it means to turn to God and find rest. There are a number of Biblical examples of people who needed to get away from the chaos of the world so that they could rest. I think this is important for everybody. I can personally get so caught up in the details of life, I can forget to the gifts right in front of me.

Enjoying a few of the little things...

Today I hope you can all find some rest. I hope you can embrace God's gifts of love, and I hope you can live inspired to follow God's Spirit.

Blessings!

Pastor Brian

A season of Ashes and Hope

As a church, we are in the season of Lent, and over the next forty days we will travel to the cross with Jesus. When I was a child, I thought this time of year was kind of exhausting. I lived in Minnesota, and the weather was alway cold and dreary. The worship services also felt like laments. The season reminded me of the death that Jesus went through. It was meaningful, but also exhausting...

Lent is still a season that reminds me of human imperfection and mortality. However, this season is also about hope. In the Bible, Genesis 3:19 says, "For you are dust and to dust you shall return." This verse encapsulates much of what the season of Lent is all about. However, the very next verse in the Bible is about hope. Together the verses read:

By the sweat of your brow
    you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,

for dust you are

    and to dust you will return.”

And Adam called his partner Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.

Now I hope I'm not going too deep into the weeds with the translation here, but I think something really cool is going on. The word Adam in the original Hebrew is the same as ground and very closely related to the word dust. The name Eve means "life" or even "everlasting life." So originally the test would read something along the lines of:

"You are dust and to dust you shall return. Then the human (or dust of the earth) called his partner Living One, because she would become the mother of all the living...."

If you can follow all of that, the Bible is telling us that we are indeed dust, but when we come together, we find new life. This is the same story that Jesus came to fulfill. Christ wants us to come together as a church. We are all broken individually, but when we gather in Christ name, Jesus is with us.

Today I hope we can open our hearts to the people around us. I hope we can see that we need each other. Instead of finding reasons to divide ourselves, let us open our hearts to the grace that binds us all together.

Peace,

Brian Ward

Change and Hope

There is a time for everything,

    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

    a time to be born and a time to die,

    a time to plant and a time to uproot,

    a time to kill and a time to heal,

    a time to tear down and a time to build,

    a time to weep and a time to laugh,

    a time to mourn and a time to dance,

    a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

    a time to search and a time to give up,

    a time to keep and a time to throw away,

    a time to tear and a time to mend,

    a time to be silent and a time to speak,

    a time to love and a time to hate,

    a time for war and a time for peace.

-Ecclesiastes 3

How do you feel about change? Are you ready to adapt or do you try to resist it?

The Bible teaches us that change is inevitable. We may like it, but life is going to move forward. This week our Bible text will be looking at the story of the transfiguration. This scripture tells us of the time when Jesus was changed or transfigured on a mountain. Christ's true glory was revealed, and he began his journey toward Jerusalem and the cross. 

Our perspectives are important. Jesus spent a long time trying to offer healing and hope, but he eventually needed his disciples to see something more. That is when he led them up a mountain... Mountains still have the ability to make me stop and reflect. Whenever I am able to look out from a natural viewpoint, I come away changed. Leaving space for awe and wonder allows me to look at the world in a new way. 

When Jesus and the disciples returned, they were changed. Jesus began to turn toward the cross, and the disciples started realize they were in the presence of something even bigger than they first understood. 

Today I wonder if you are in a place of change. Does it feel like the world is shifting under you? Are you uncertain or even afraid of what lies ahead? It is my prayer that we would all take a bit of time for awe and wonder this week. I pray that we could open our hearts to a new teaching. I hope we don't simply stay rooted in our old ways. I hope we can be open to the wonderful calling of God.

Peace,

Pastor Brian