Pastor Andy

  • He Came Seeking Fruit

    Jesus tells a parable of an vineyard owner who wishes to cut down a barren fig tree, the vinedresser intervenes on behalf of the tree to help it bear fruit. Jesus is the Vinedresser. He is chopped down in our place and through His death and resurrection be bear the fruit of the Spirit.
  • Hidden

    Being hidden is good when something bad is searching for you. Being hidden is bad when something good is searching for you. In the cosmic game of hide and seek between Christ and Satan, we are sought by Christ, delivered from the domain of darkness, and hidden with Christ in the Kingdom of God.
  • Highlighting Our Ministries

    One of the projects I have begun working on is a way to highlight the dozens of ministries that are happening at First Lutheran Church and Preschool. I’m calling this “Ministry Spotlight.” The idea is to create an article in the First Notes (and on our website) that introduces each of the ministries happening at First Lutheran. There are way more than you realize, so this is going to take a while.

    You saw the first appearance of such an article a couple of weeks ago that highlighted Vacation Bible School. This week, there is an article highlighting the prayer chain.

    If you are involved in the leadership of one of our many ministries, expect a call or email from me in the coming months asking you either to write an article about the ministry, or to sit down with me (or others willing to write such articles) to answer a few questions.

    The reason for this project is pretty straightforward. The First Lutheran family is involved in tons of events, ministries, and service to the community. I’m still learning all of the different ways people can serve God and their neighbors at First Lutheran. I’m hoping this project will provide information for current and new members to better inform you about service opportunities. I hope this project can also encourage people in our community toward service with us.

    I hope you’ll help me in this endeavor.

    God’s blessings on your week.

    Pastor Andy

  • Hope and Thankfulness in the midst of Sadness

    Once a month, the LCMS pastors from the surrounding area gather for a time of worship, fellowship, and to discuss any issues that are coming up that we can help each other through. We typically meet on the second Tuesday of the month at one of the churches. This past week we met at Christ Lutheran in Martinez. I’m not sure how many of you are familiar with their story, but Christ Martinez is about to dissolve their congregation and close their doors for good. They have fewer than 10 members remaining. Their buildings are in need of some maintenance. They simply can’t keep the doors open.

    I was struck by several things while I was there. First, was a sense of sadness that the members of this church were going to lose their church home. Certainly, there are many other churches in the area, but there must be a distinct sadness that goes with closing the doors of a church.

    Second, was a sense of thankfulness. It’s easy to consider things a failure when it’s time for them to come to an end, but that isn’t always the case. Every congregation, ministry, business, nation, empire, and person has a life cycle. We don’t consider people failures when they die. We know death is inevitable in this sinful world. Likewise, when a congregation comes to its end, that doesn’t always happen because of failure. Sometimes circumstances lead God’s people to an understanding that the most faithful thing to do, the shrewdest way to act as God’s stewards, is to close a church. Yes, it is sad, but we can be thankful for all of the people who heard the Gospel at Christ Martinez. We can be thankful for all those who were baptized there, who received the Lord’s Supper there.

    Third and finally, I had a sense of hope. I don’t know what’s in store for the community of Martinez, but God knows. I’m not sure if First Lutheran can have any impact on that community in the next few years. I’m not sure what the religious landscape of California will look like in 50 or 100 or 500 years, but God knows. And God’s plans are better and higher and more wonderful than our own.

    Every week in the Lord’s Prayer, we pray “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” As we move forward in faith, let us continually look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter, the author and editor of our faith. Let us follow where He is leading, always eager to serve our Lord with joy.

    God’s blessings on your week.

    Pastor Andy

  • Humility and Courage

    One of the things Lutherans are theologically good at is holding paradoxes in tension. Paradoxes are situations where two seemingly opposing things are simultaneously true. For example, we understand that we are simultaneously sinners and saints. Though being a sinner and being a saint are opposites, we are okay with being both at the same time until Christ returns.

    One paradox that doesn’t get talked about very often is the paradox of humility and courage. At first glance, these seem to be opposing characteristics. People who are humble are often thought to be timid, shy, passive, cowardly even. People who are courageous are often thought to be boastful, proud, arrogant, and ambitious in a bad way.

    Yet as followers of Jesus, we can look at Jesus and see His example as somebody who was perfectly humble and perfectly courageous. He was humble in the sense that He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but rather emptied Himself by taking the form of a servant and humbling Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-8).

    But Jesus was also exceptionally courageous. He did not demean Himself. In His humility He did not pretend He was less than He was. He spoke with authority. He spoke truth to power. He said what needed to be said, and He courageously faced death, speaking the truth of the Gospel even unto death.

    Jesus perfectly held that paradox of humility and courage, but we often struggle to find the balance in our own lives. I’m guessing you trend toward courage or humility and find it hard to hold on to the other. I know I do. And I oftentimes feel like my courageous moments are too full of ambition and my humble moments come from a place of cowardice.

    As we seek to follow Jesus as a church and preschool community, let’s continue to move forward with humility and courage. Let’s not fear to do good and proclaim the Gospel. Let’s not overestimate ourselves and our own importance, but let’s keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the perfect example of humility and courage.

    God’s blessings on your week.

    Pastor Andy 

  • Hymn of Praise

    The Hymn of Praise is a moment of unbridled joy. It's a time when the congregation bursts forth in loud praise of God for who He is: a God of mercy, a God of forgiveness. In one common Hymn of Praise, the congregation uses words from the book of Revelation to note how God is deserving of blessing, honor, glory, and might. God is worthy to be praised because of what He has done for us in sending the Lamb, Jesus Christ, who was slain, whose blood set us free to be God's people. The Lamb has begun His reign and we await its full and ultimate fulfillment when Jesus returns.
     
    It's hard to capture the amount of joy present in this moment. I imagine Merry and Pippin singing and dancing on tables in the pub in the first and third Lord of the Rings films. 
     
    I imagine the scene in Star Wars: A New Hope, in which Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie are trapped in a trash compactor. When it finally stops moving, they shout for joy with such vigor that C3PO thinks they're being crushed to death. 
     
    I imagine Buddy the Elf's uncontainable excitement when he hears Santa is coming.
     
    Many Christians around the world are very good at expressing joy in worship. Dancing, movement, and shouts of praise are a part of their Christian traditions. 
     
    Other Christians are less good at expressing joy in worship. Being subdued and stoic is culturally ingrained into many people of northern European descent (myself among them). In some cultures, worship is viewed as a place of such extreme propriety and piety that joy and praise somehow don't belong. Big emotions are seen as a sign of weakness.
     
    This is a misunderstanding of joy and praise. Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit. It is a gift given to all Christians. It is a fruit to be shared with others. It is not a reckless emotion in need of subduing. Joy is a fruit meant to be multiplied. 
     
    The Hymn of Praise is a moment for joy to come forth. It is a moment for us Christians to bask in God's glory and our forgiveness because of Christ. 
     
    So the next time you sing the Hymn of Praise remember that the joy of the Lord is our strength.
     
  • Hymn of the Day

    After theGospel Reading, the congregation sings a hymn to focus their attention on the themes for the day: the Hymn of the Day. 
     
    The Hymn of the Day is pre-selected. Usually it is the same hymn for all three years of the lectionary cycle. This makes sense for about half of the year when the readings follow a feast day pattern. Lent 1 always utilizes the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness and the Hymn of the Day is always "A Mighty Fortress." Easter 4 is "Good Shepherd Sunday" so the classic Psalm 23 paraphrase: "The King of Love My Shepherd Is" gets the call all three years of the lectionary cycle. 
     
    For the other half of the year though, the Hymn of the Day has a danger of not connecting well. There is nothing really connecting series A, B, and C in the season of Pentecost (or "Ordinary Time" in some traditions). 
     
    The Hymn of the Day is meant to be thematic. It is the good news and story of the day set to music. It's like that one song in a musical or Disney movie that utilizes the name of the show the most. (My mind goes to "Tale as old as time..." from Beauty and the Beast.)
     
    The Hymn of the Day should not be confused with the "Office Hymn" which is used in other liturgies such as Matins, Vespers, Compline, Morning Prayer, and Evening Prayer. The term "office" here refers to the time of the day. Monasteries often had seven specified times of prayer. That's where Matins, Vespers, and Compline come from. They are three of the seven offices. So the Office Hymn for Matins should be a morning hymn. The Office Hymn for Compline should be a hymn to fall to sleep to.
     
    There is also a...trend we'll call it...of not using the Hymn of the Day specifically, but simply selecting something for this slot called the "Sermon Hymn." If the Hymn of the Day doesn't fit the direction of the sermon, this can be a useful change.
     
    A different trend that I think is worth exploring is moving the Hymn of the Day or Sermon Hymn to after the sermon. 
     
    This seems to find roots in the African American tradition of preaching. The goal of many sermons in traditionally African American churches is for the hearers to praise God. (For more see Richard Eslinger's book,The Web of Preaching.) This is a most biblical idea. After God does something saving and amazing, the response in the Scriptures is often singing. In Exodus 15, after the Israelites escape Egypt and cross the Red Sea, they break into song. After Deborah and Barak defeat the king of Hazor in Judges 4, they break into song in Judges 5. After Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper, He and the disciples sing a hymn as they go to Gethsemane. 
     
    We'll get to the sermon next time, but the goal of the sermon could very well affect the order of the worship service. One approach to sermon goals is to have a balance of "faith goals" and "life goals." 
     
    Life goals involve specific actions steps. A preacher may write a life goal out like this:
    • That the hearers would invite a neighbor to church. 
    • That the hearers would be more generous with their tithes and offerings. 
    • That the hearers would read the Scriptures more often. 
    These are all attached to tangible, often measurable actions.
     
    Faith goals often involve things that are more cognitive and affective. They involve the heart and mind more than the hands and feet. Things like being persuaded to trust, hope, and love more deeply. A faith goal might be written like this:
    • That the hearers would find security in their baptismal identity. 
    • That the hearers would see the return of Jesus and resurrection of the dead as their ultimate hope.
    • That the hearers would keep their eyes fixed on Jesus as they persevere through the struggles of life.
    Faith and life goals don't always have solid delineations, and sometimes sermons have more than one goal. In general, Lutherans are often heavy on the faith goals which makes our movement from sermon to Creed, where we confess our faith, a logical one. Other traditions are heavy on life goals, so the movement from sermon to singing and praise is a logical progression. 
     
    The best reason to use the pre-selected Hymn of the Day is pretty simple: many other churches in your tradition are using it (along with the readings,Collect,Introit, etc.) and often the Hymn of the Day is a classic piece to your tradition that your congregation should know. The best reason to not use it is if it doesn't fit into the direction and themes of the service.  
  • I Am Right

    No human being can be saved by their good works, only by God's grace which is given as a gift and received through faith that trusts in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
  • If is a dangerous word

    When Satan tempts Jesus, he assaults His identity saying "If you are the Son of God...prove it." He does the same to us "If you are a child of God, then why aren't you living that way?" But we look to Christ who was tempted for us, died for us, and rose for us and our salvation.
  • Indoor Worship Resumes November 1

    Dear members and friends of First Lutheran Church and Preschool,

    Greetings in the name of Jesus! On Tuesday, October 6, the elders and I met to make a variety of
    decisions regarding indoor worship as we head into the winter months. Below are the decisions we
    came to a consensus on.

    We will begin indoor worship on Sunday, November 1. We will continue with our outdoor services for
    through the end of October. We will continue to have an online option into the foreseeable future for
    those who are unable to join us for in-person worship.

    Many of the precautions we have put in place for the outdoor services will remain in place for indoor
    services. Masks, temperature checks, and social distancing will be required.

    Current state and county guidelines limit us to 25% of our capacity indoors. Our capacity in the
    sanctuary is 280, which means we will be limited to 70 people in the sanctuary for the time being. In our
    outdoor services we’ve typically had 40-50 people, so we do not anticipate that limit being an issue.
    We will clearly mark off the pews to indicate where people are to sit to remain socially distanced. We
    will have 36 different spots where each family unit can be seated, scattered through the sanctuary.

    One concern we have heard is regarding singing. The county and state’s recommendations for singing
    include singing less often and more quietly. We will be singing, but we will begin by only singing the
    closing hymn. We will look for other ways to involve music in our worship and praise.

    Some additional precautions we are taking include a robust cleaning schedule, opening all doors and
    windows in the sanctuary during our service to improve ventilation (you may need a coat in the winter
    months), and having a clear system for entering and exiting the sanctuary. Over the next few weeks we
    will be ironing out the logistics for these plans.

    We understand that some people will not be comfortable worshiping in-person due to their risk factors
    for Covid-19. This is entirely understandable. Each week 30-40 people have gathered to worship with us
    online, and I hope you all will continue to do this. I hope to continue to provide pastoral care to you all,
    especially in the form of bringing you the Lord’s Supper as frequently as possible.

    We will continue to follow state and county guidelines both as a way to respect authority and to take
    precautions for the safety of our community. The state may tighten restrictions again, and we will abide
    by those decisions.

    Through all of this, I pray that we will keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. I pray that you will continue to
    receive God’s gifts of His Word and Sacraments whether in-person or online. I pray that you would
    continue in prayer for myself, our congregation, our preschool, and our community. And I pray that we
    would all continue to run the race of faith that has been set before us together. Clearly there have been
    several hurdles and some rocky terrain in our race of faith this year, but as we keep our eyes fixed on
    Jesus, we pray that He will lead us in His grace and mercy.

    May the God of peace be with you all!

    Pastor Andy Jones, along with elders: Bob Dottery, Kent Campbell, Kevin Meyer

  • Introit, Psalm, or Entrance Hymn

    These three options - the Introit, Psalm, or Entrance Hymn - fit into one specific space in the worship service that is often overlooked, even skipped in some liturgical congregations. Yet it occupies an important space in the movement of the liturgy. 
     
    Introit is Latin for "entrance." The Introit is the time we enter God's presence and this typically occurs after we have been made ready for such a movement by the grand transformation of forgiveness. 
     
    The introit or entrance hymn reminds me of the Disney classic Aladdin. There is a moment when Aladdin comes into the city of Agrabah with a grand processional. But Aladdin cannot make such a grand entrance until he is made worthy, until he is transformed into a prince, which is of course his first wish from Genie. Absolution is our moment of being made worthy, our moment of transformation.
     
    Not that long ago (only 100-150 years ago), confession and absolution was rarely done corporately as part of the worship service. It was done privately (yes even in Protestant circles) on Saturdays before the Lord's Supper was served on Sunday mornings. This was admittedly a different time. The Lord's Supper was not served every week, not even every other week. In many cases the Lord's Supper was served quarterly at best, so a quarterly Saturday confession and absolution was part of the routine. 
     
    Since confession and absolution were not a part of the Sunday morning service, often the first thing after the invocation was the introit, which is typically composed of verses from the Psalms. You can use the appointed introit for the day or the appointed psalm of the day (these are different) or an appropriate entrance hymn. Many congregations will use a hymn here if they don't use an opening hymn before the confession and absolution. At First Lutheran we use the Entrance Hymn option.
     
    Even with the addition of confession and absolution to Sunday morning, you still see this entrance movement in many twenty-first century liturgical congregations, including First Lutheran. Until the absolution is pronounced, the pastor will not move into the altar area. The invocation, confession, and absolution, are done outside the altar area. 
     
    This movement into the presence of the altar, the presence of the elements of wine and bread that will become Christ's body and blood within the hour, echoes the movement of the High Priest into the Holy of Holies in the temple. In former days our approach into God's presence was excessively limited, once a year by one person. But now, thousands, millions perhaps, approach every week and the enter by the blood of Jesus. 
     
    This is why waiting until the absolution is pronounced is ritually significant. We enter as forgiven sinners by the blood of Jesus. 
     
    This is also why when I enter the altar area during the entrance hymn, I look for the line in that hymn that speaks most clearly about Jesus' death for the sins of the world. I enter during that line to subtly communicate that my entrance is only possible because of the blood of Jesus.
  • Invocation

    In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
     
    This is how worship services begin in our congregation: in the name of the Triune God without commas, with the sign of the cross.
     
    This is also the way Christian life begins as we are baptized into the name of that same Triune God without commas, with water and the Word of God.
     
    Some pastors, priests, or ministers add the words "We begin..." to this invocation. Personally, I choose not to do that. "We begin..." is not how you invoke a name. 
     
    In the days when kings and queens, emperors and pharaohs ruled the world, their names were invoked to show the authority by which a task was done.
     
    One place we see a true invocation in our contemporary culture is in George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones. Here are the words Ned Stark uses to execute the Night's Watch deserter, Will.
     
    "In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, First of His Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm, I, Eddard of the House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, sentence you to die."  
     
    As we come before the Lord of the universe in worship, we do so by His own authority and in His own name, a Triune name without commas. It is an official act, a formal act, a solemn act. It does not require the words "we begin..." for the words themselves are a beginning, a notice. They move us into a new time, a new act. 
     
    In this name many official acts occur. We are baptized in this name. We are forgiven in this name. We are blessed in this name. We are confirmed in this name. We are married in this name. We are sent on new adventures in this name. We are installed in various roles in our congregations in this name. We are commended to the Lord for death in this name. We are buried in this name.
     
    From first to last, beginning to end, the name of the Triune God is placed upon us again and again without commas but with authority. 
     
     
     
     
  • It is finished. It is done.

    One of the most interesting books I have in my office is a copy of the Greek New Testament. (That’s the language the New Testament was originally written in.) It was owned by a professor at the seminary that had been retired for many years before I started named Louis Brighton. When Dr. Brighton no longer kept on office at the seminary, he graciously gave away much of his library to the students. That’s how I came to own this book.

    Dr. Brighton’s book of expertise was Revelation. I have his commentary on my shelf as well, but you can tell that Revelation was his book of expertise by looking at the New Testament I inherited. The first 26 New Testament books look barely touched, but the final book, Revelation, looks like it has been read more than a thousand times. The pages are falling out. They are crinkled and bent. There are notes of Old Testament references and underlines and double underlines and references to apocryphal books (books not in the Bible, but that the Apostle John still would have known).

    Whenever I preach on a text from the book of Revelation, I pull this volume down from the shelf and see what Dr. Brighton thought was important.

    The Epistle reading for this Sunday is Revelation 21:1-7. In verse 6, Dr. Brighton underlined the Greek word gegonan(It has come into being/It is done.) and then wrote, “John 19:30” in the margin. In John 19:30, Jesus is on the cross. Jesus does not use the same word. He uses tetelestai(It is finished/fulfilled/paid).

    Notice the similarity to the words. There is an action that has been completed, finished, done. The effect of both actions continues forever. But notice also the difference in the words. When Jesus says tetelstai on the cross, He is referencing an act of fulfillment, an act of payment. When God says gegonan in Revelation 21, He is referencing an act of creation being finished. Indeed, it is God’s final act of creation and re-creation.

    As Dr. Brighton says in his commentary, “Thus all things have been made new.” Everything will be restored to a perfect, pristine state unmarred by sin, death, and Satan. As we walk by faith, we look forward to that day, and we praise God for His continued creation and re-creation in our lives.

    God’s blessings on your week.

    Pastor Andy

  • Jesus Comes for All

    Last Sunday (December 16) we began a three-week Bible study on Luke 1-2. Luke paints such beautiful detail of the Christmas story. He notes the visit of the angel Gabriel to Zechariah and then to Mary. Luke details the birth of John the Baptist and the birth of Jesus. And Luke records three songs or poems in the first two chapters—the Magnificat (often called Mary’s Song), the Benedictus (Zechariah’s prophecy), and the Nunc Dimittis (the song of Simeon). These three passages of Scripture have been instilled in the song of the Church for generations.

    What I have found most interesting in preparing these Bible studies is what Luke does not include. There is no mention of Joseph’s desire to divorce Mary quietly (Matthew mentions that). There is no visit from the Magi (again, Matthew). There is no talk of Jesus as the Word made flesh (that’s John).

    Such details make me appreciate the Scriptures in their wholeness. The four Gospel writers record the same story of Jesus, but each of them brings to light different details in telling the story.

    We do something similar as we tell stories. If a family of four goes on vacation somewhere, you can bet that all four will tell different versions of the same events. That’s not to say any of them is wrong or inaccurate, it simply means we all highlight different details and construct stories and histories from differing points of view.

    The multiple points of view that produce the Christmas story help us see that Jesus comes to the devout (Zechariah Elizabeth), to the fearful (Mary and Joseph), to the lowly (the shepherds), to foreigners (the Magi), to the old (Simeon and Anna), to the young (John the Baptist), to all.

    As you worship in the coming days, remember these words from the angel Gabriel spoken to the shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.” That good news of great joy is Jesus.

    God’s blessings on your Christmas celebrations.

    Pastor Andy

  • Jesus' blood gives every life value

    One of my goals for 2019 is to spend more time studying some of the books of the Bible I don’t know very well. One such book is Leviticus. Last week I listened to the entire book, and I’d like to share a thought I had from Leviticus involving slavery.

    In our day and age, it seems obvious that owning people is deplorable and unthinkable. Still, forced labor and exploitation are very real and prevalent problems throughout the world. From America’s earliest days through the Civil War, and even after, American church bodies have tried to deal with the question of whether slavery was a sin. While many church bodies have long-opposed slavery, few were able to articulate from a biblical perspective why slavery was evil and should be abolished.

    I think Leviticus can help us make such an articulation. In Leviticus 25, God commands Moses to make sure none of the Israelites are sold as slaves to other Israelites. The reason he gives is this: “For they are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 25:42). Since God saved the Israelites from slavery, slavery was not permissible for them ever again.

    Now that Jesus has come, God’s people are from every race, tribe, nation, language, and people group. Jesus dies for all people. He brings all people out of the kingdom of darkness, the dominion of Satan and into the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Light.

    Jesus’ death and resurrection delivers all people. We are all on equal ground before God. There is no male or female, no Jew or Gentile, no slave or master. We all stand before God as people who have been bought by the blood of Jesus; therefore, we cannot be sold for any price to anyone. Since Jesus has saved all people from the slavery of sin, slavery is not possible for all of humanity ever again.

    Since this is the case, how we treat other human beings is very important. While we may not be tempted to enslave others, we are often tempted to demean others, to gossip about them, to make them look bad. This is not acceptable because Christ has died for that person you love to gossip about. Christ has shed his blood for that person you make fun of. As we seek to follow Jesus, we must remember that every person’s life has value, value determined by the blood of Jesus.

    God’s blessings on your week.

    Pastor Andy

  • Kyrie

    In Matthew 17, Jesus comes down from the high mountain with Peter, James, and John after His transfiguration and finds the other nine disciples at the bottom of the mountain with a crowd gathered around them. A man there had a son who was possessed by a demon. The man utters to Jesus these famous words, "Lord have mercy upon my son." It is from this request, this moment of faithful begging that we get the element of the worship service called the Kyrie.
     
    The Kyrie is a moment when we seek God's compassion, His mercy. The Kyrie has taken many forms over the centuries. Some forms are quite short, such as:
     
    Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.
     
    Others examples of the Kyrie include multiple prayers attached. These often begin with:
     
    In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
     
    Answered by:
     
    Lord have mercy.
     
    These prayers go on to include prayers for peace and salvation, for the well-being of the church and the unity of all people,  for the place of worship and all who are gathered to worship, for help, comfort, and God's defense. 
     
    While Matthew records the Kyrie's inspiration, in the same episode, Mark records another line that may encompass the tone and attitude of the Kyrie even better. The father of the demon-possessed child says to Jesus, "But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." Jesus responds with "If?" Or more accurately, "If you can! All things are possible for one who believes.”  
     
    The father's response is our response, "I believe. Help my unbelief!" 
     
    The Kyrie is a time to approach the Lord no matter how much we are struggling, to bring everything to the Lord and ask His mercy, compassion, and peace upon everything. 
    Lord, have mercy. Have mercy upon our unbelief. 
     
    It reminds me of an episode of Firefly when one character, Shepherd Book (the spaceship's unhired, unrecruited, and often unwelcome chaplain) says this line, "I believe. I just...I think I'm on the wrong ship."
     
    Lord, have mercy when we feel like we are in the wrong place, when we have made poor decisions, when we are overwhelmed by the challenges of life. 
     
    Lord, have mercy when we need help with our doubt and unbelief. Have compassion and help us.
     
    Lord. Kyrie. 
  • Led and Followed

    Shepherds lead their sheep, dwell with their sheep, and make sure nothing bad is following their sheep. The Lord is your Good Shepherd and does these things for you, His sheep.
  • Lift Every Voice and Sing

    I have a lot of books in my office. A whole shelf is dedicated to books about preaching. One of my favorites on that shelf is a book of sermon poems by James Weldon Johnson called God’s Trombones. James Weldon Johnson was a poet who lived in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. We sang one of his hymns last Sunday, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Some of you were perhaps not too familiar with that hymn. That was probably only the third time I’ve ever sung it. But I’m sure others were more familiar with it. That hymn has been called the African American National Anthem, and it speaks of challenges overcome and challenges ahead.

    Perhaps the most striking phrase in the hymn is in the very beginning.

    Lift ev’ry voice and sing
    Till earth and heaven ring,
    Ring with the harmonies of liberty.

    The harmonies of liberty. What a phrase. It reminds me of driving in my car with the windows down, listening to a great song and trying to invent my own harmonies with the music.

    Harmony is a beautiful thing. It’s when two or more people are singing different notes, but they somehow sound good together.

    Harmony and liberty are at the heart of the body of Christ. As the body of Christ, we are all different. We are all gifted in different ways. Yet we all work together in a way that is pleasing and useful. And we are all free to give of our time and gifts as we see fit. Nobody is going to force you to do something you don’t want to do. For example, I once had a band director who was willing to do anything at church except music. To him, music was work. He had other ways he preferred to serve his local congregation. He was at liberty to do that.

    Johnson’s hymn is a fantastic reminder of the challenges we face as a nation, as a church, as the human race. And it is also a fantastic reminder of the hope we have in God who always provides for us, even in the midst of disharmony.

    God’s blessings on your week.

    Pastor Andy

  • Looking for Sunday School Teachers

    Last Sunday, I mentioned our Sunday School switch and our desire for more Sunday School teachers. As the number of children in our congregation grows, the need for more teachers is evident. In the fall of 2020 we will have a group of young people starting confirmation. These are good challenges to be facing, but we have to prepare for them.

    If you’re anything like I was the year before I started teaching Sunday School, back in 1999, you probably had no inkling it was something you’d be asked to do. Perhaps at the thought of yourself teaching Sunday School you say to yourself, “I don’t know enough,” or “I’m not good with kids,” or “I’m too old,” or “I’m too young,” or some other negative thing about yourself. I know I’ve done that about myself. In 1999 I had to be the youngest Sunday School teacher St. Paul Lutheran Church had ever seen in its 100+ year history, but God shaped me through that experience, and he shaped my four kindergarteners.

    In 2003, in my first year of college, I started having unwanted, unbidden thoughts that maybe I should become a pastor. I tried to repress them, hide them, explain them away with how I wasn’t enough. Despite my best efforts, God had other plans. People I barely knew started coming up to me and asking if I’d ever thought about being a pastor. No joke: there was one week where at least a dozen people had this conversation with me. Some of them were strangers at a church I had never even attended before.

    Sometimes God does that. Sometimes God works through other people to nudge us in the direction that He wants us to go. I didn’t listen very well. It took 10 years before I actually stepped foot on the seminary campus for my first day of classes, but I don’t know that I would have kept thinking about it if it hadn’t been for the encouragement of others.

    Teaching Sunday School might not be your gift or your calling. That’s okay. You may be called to some other form of service in the church and community, but you also might be surprised by how well you take to the task and how much God blesses you as you pass on the faith to His children. Think about it. Pray about it.

    God’s blessings on your week.

    Pastor Andy  

  • Meditations on O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

    This sermon looks at the O Antiphons, the ancient prayers used during the final days of Advent, as well as the hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.
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