A Prayer For Christmas Eve

Dear Jesus Child, I want to kneel by Your crib.  I know I can never thank You enough.  I know I can't give You anything that would sufficiently thank You for what you've done.  But since You want to have everything that's evil in me, I will give You everything: my life and my heart, my past and my sins, my future and my eternity.  I wouldn't dare to come to You if You hadn't come to me.  But now You are here, and I know that it's for my sake.  Therefore, I kneel here and thank You, Jesus Child, Prince of Peace, You who are called Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God.  Amen.

Bo Giertz - "To Live With Christ" page 797, CPH

A right now blessing

Earlier last week, I was preparing for my Thursday Bible class and began to wonder if it was worth making the effort to lead the class.  I'm not sure why but I was feeling a little down and started talking myself into pulling the plug on the class as soon as it was appropriate.

I was just getting the class started when one of the members approached me and said, "It isn't very much but we want you to know how much we love and appreciate you and this class."  She handed me a Christmas card and inside the card was a very generous gift.  But the words written inside the card were priceless.  It was just the pick-me-up that I needed.

A fellow I used to work with liked to talk about "right now blessings."  These were blessings that came unexpectedly.  And so often they came just when they were needed the most.  

Do you think I left class that day with a new desire and determination to give my best in preparing and teaching the class.  You bet! That's what a right now blessing will do for you!

Making the sign of the cross

We Lutheran make the sign of the cross.  It's not mandatory.  A person doesn't have to do so.  But making the sign of the cross is a very good reminder of our baptism - our adoption into the family of God.

While researching a topic the other day, I came across something in the book, Lutheran Worship: History and Practice that I thought I'd share.  The book references another book, Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book, written in 1912, which gives instructions to the pastor on making the sign of the cross.  Read on...

The presiding minster will, therefore, position himself accordingly.  The signing with the cross connected therewith is a personal signature, and it is appropriate that all join in this act as a remembrance of Holy Baptism and the call to repentance.  Lutherans have commonly made this sign differently from Roman Catholics, specifically as to the direction of the last movement.  With the palm of the right hand held flat with thumb and fingers together, first the forehead is touched ("My Lord Jesus Christ came down from heaven"), then the breast ("and was incarnate for me"), the right shoulder ("and was crucified for me"), and finally the left shoulder ("and entered into my heart").  Luther recommends the use of this sign in both the Small and the Large Catechism. 

For some, making the sign of the cross seems a little awkward.  You might even feel a little self-conscious about making the sign the first few times you do so.  After a time, it is quite easy and becomes more and more meaningful.  Anything we might do that reminds us of our baptism and the new life in Christ we have received through the washing of water with the Word, is a very good thing indeed.

Oops! The Christmas card I didn't mean to send!

Perhaps you've heard this story...

A lady had a circle of friends for whom she really wanted to buy Christmas presents.  Time slipped away and it was so busy at work that she just wasn't able to get to the store to purchase those gifts.  Time was running out.

Not too many days before Christmas she decided to give up on the gift idea and just buy everyone the same beautiful Christmas card.  She went to the local gift store and hurriedly went through the now picked over stack of cards.  She found a box of 50, just what she wanted.  She didn't take time to read the message, she just noticed a beautiful cover on it and gold around it and a floral appearance on the front of the card and she thought, "That's perfect.  So she signed them all, 'With all my love'."

As New Year's came and she had time to go back to look at the cards she didn't send, she was shocked to read the message inside.  It said, in a little rhyme, "This Christmas card is just to say, a little gift is on its way."

Charles Swindoll

Checking in with good friends

This lunchtime I'm getting to me with a couple of good, long time friends, Dan and Paul.

Years ago the church I attended had a great sports program.  We fielded basketball and softball team that won championships in both our city and church league games.  Dan and Paul were two reasons why we did so well.

Dan's family moved to the Valley from Wisconsin.  Being good Lutherans they sought out our church and immediately became faithful worshippers and helpers.  Dan was just starting High School.  You could see that he had a lot of basketball talent.  He very quickly became a key part of our starting five.

Shortly thereafter Paul and his family moved to our area and joining our church.  Paul was tall, around 6'3'' and he had good moves around the basket and could also shoot from the outside.  His rebounds helped to start our fastbreak which usually led to a basket.

When my family and I moved to St. Louis in 1988 I slowly lost contact with Dan and Paul.  But about a year of so ago I reconnected with the two guys.  We've been meeting for breakfast every few months and now with Dan retired, we decided that lunch at a favorite spot would be fun.

Dan and Paul have both gone on to have successful careers.  They both are intelligent and hard working.  Both are married and have families.  I marvel at the men they have become.  I couldn't see that years ago.  

God blesses us with many things.  Friendship is one of them.  I praise and thank God for Dan and Paul.

Joy and Peace at Christmas

Andy Williams sang, "It's the most wonderful time of the year."  And that certainly is our desire for Christmas.  A time for enjoying family, sharing gifts, giving thanks for blessings that came during the year and, most importantly, preparing our hearts and minds for welcoming again our Immanuel, "God With Us," who has come to bring forgiveness, new life and salvation.

But this is a not wonderful time for many people.  Some have lost loved ones during the year.  Or had to dealt with a lingering illness that doesn't respond to treatment.  Or struggled under an inflation that more than outpaced the weekly paycheck.  

This Sunday's Epistle lesson is taken from Philippians 4:4-7.  Paul enthusiastically proclaims, "Rejoice...the Lord is near."  Is it possible to have real joy when loss or disappointment had been at the forefront of life.  That's the question we'll wrestle with this Sunday during the 9 am service at Christ the Redeemer, 43rd Avenue and Olive.  May God give us many reasons to rejoice this Advent season!

Be prepared!

"Thus John's ministry was to abase the proud and life up the humble.  He prepares people for the Messiah through repentance and forgiveness, that they might receive the Messiah - the Lord in the flesh, who was come to save them - and not be destroyed.

So it is that John still ministers to us today.  We still need preparation.  The Gospel begun in the wilderness continues now among us.  King Messiah, risen from the dead, comes to us hidden in bread and wine, but He is not less dangerous now than He was then.  We must be prepared, and we are prepared in the same way: repentance, baptism and forgiveness.  Thus prepared, the coming of Jesus is indeed very good news."

God With Us, David H. Petersen, page 38

Thursday Bible Class

I was rereading some of my recent posts and I noticed that I failed to mention the day that I teach at Church of the Master at 27th Avenue and Cactus.  The class is held each Thursday at 9:30 am.  We begin with a time of prayer then launch into the class.  We end with prayer and a benediction.  On the third Thursday of each month we begin with Holy Communion.

We're studying the second half of the Book of Acts (chapters 14-28).  If you'd like to attend a weekly Bible study class then come and join us.  We'd love to have you! 

A Stack of Books to Get Through

One aspect of retirement I enjoy is that I have plenty of time to read.  There are a couple of times during the day where I have free time to pick up a book.  And my dear, sweet wife and I end our days with digging into a favorite book.  Here's what's on my bed table now:

The Betrayal of Anne Frank - A Cold Case Investigation.  For decades those familiar with the story of Anne Frank and her family have wanted to know who turned them over to the Nazis.  Rosemary Sullivan's book tells the story of how retired FBI agent Vincent Pankoke and a team of investigators reviewed hundreds of pages of files and conducted numerous interviews and believe that they have finally discovered what actually happened to the Franks.  The story of Anne Frank has always intrigued me and I look forward to digging into this book.

A Guide to Mental and Emotional Wellness.  I'm close to finishing Dr. Jennifer Londgren's book.  It is published by Time of Grace and is full of suggestions for finding peace, purpose and joy in the midst of a difficult and uncertain world.  

Paul - A Novel.  I read this wonderful book by Walter Wangerin Jr. many years ago.  I'm teaching a class on the Book of Acts so I decided to read through this book again with the idea that I might glean something from Wangerin that would apply to the class.

Grace Under Pressure.  I recently read Christopher Kennedy's book, Jesus Said What and found it an interesting and helpful read.  Kennedy took a number of those hard saying of Jesus and unpacked them.  I can see myself utilizing the book when preaching on some of those texts.  The subtitle to his new book is Responding Faithfully to Stress.  I'm hoping to find real encouragement in this book.

So, that's it for now.  Happy reading!

The Lord is near during the busy days of Advent

The season of Advent is a busy time for a parish pastor.  The regular work of ministry goes on - writing Sunday sermons, preparing Sunday worship, Bible study or Confirmation to prepare, people to counsel, homebound to visit and any number of unscheduled things that can crop up on a given day or week.

But work increases at Advent.  There are extra sermons to write and extra services to prepare.  There is the need to be sure that volunteers are willing to serve at the extra services.  Every pastor wants to make the Advent season as meaningful as possible.  But the hours are many and the days are long.  There were years when I worked myself into exhaustion.  I hated the fact that there were times when Advent and Christmas were over and all I could do was breath a sigh of relief.

But then I started taking to heart Paul's words to the Philippians 4:4-5 - Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.  Let your reasonableness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.

It was so comforting to know that I wasn't doing all this work on my own.  The Lord was near to me.  I picked up His Word and He spoke to me.  I looked at my baptismal certificate on the wall and rejoiced that I was a child of His kingdom, I thought about the communion elements on the altar and gave thanks that Jesus met me right there, giving me His body and blood.

As this realization took hold, I attached a sticky note to my computer monitor - THE LORD IS NEAR! Since I spent so much time at the computer I was reminded again and again that God had not left me on my own to do the work of the ministry I had been called to do.

The Lord is near to you as well.  He is near as you as you are taken into the surgical room.  He is near to you when it seems that your family has abandoned you.  What ever the situation might be, He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Paul instructs us to rejoice.  Today, rejoice that the Lord is near to you!

Fill our songs with your love

Fill them, O Jesus

Fill our hearts with Your love.

Fill our songs with Your windy Spirit

Let nothing we sing be empty or noxious or foolish or false

For if you will be the cause of our carols

then we will have joined the heavenly choir

We, with Mary, may be transported

and joy will shed joy on everyone.  Amen.

Walter Wangerin Jr., "Preparing For Jesus," page 83

Words of Wisdom

"Our lives are fashioned by our choices.  First, we make our choices.  Then our choices make us."

Anne Frank

The Friday Funny is Back

You've gotten to the end of the week? How did it go? Good?  Bad? Don't want to think about it?  Here's something that might brighten your day.

A little girl finally got to attend a wedding for the first time. While in the church, the girl asked her mother: “Why is the bride dressed in white?” The mother replied to the girl: “Because white is the color of happiness, and it’s the happiest day of her life today.”

After a little bit, the girl looks up at her mother and says: “But then why is the groom wearing black???

So what's happening, you ask?

Retirement has been very nice.  We thank God for giving us the resources and good health to make it so.  We are able to spend summers with our kids and grandkids but when the temps drop (and it doesn't take much for us) we head back home to enjoy our mild and sunny Arizona winter and  spring time.

My dear, sweet wife stays very busy.  Sometimes I feel guilty because I don't keep an active calendar the way she does.  But the guilt is my own.  Sherri has never said or done anything to make me feel like I should be doing something more with my time.  I justify this by saying to myself that I worked two stressful jobs, owning and managing six radio stations and almost 25 years of full time ministry, so a slower work schedule is something that, in my mind, has been earned.

However, I am not a complete slug.  I have the privilege and joy of preaching each Sunday at Christ the Redeemer Lutheran at 43rd Avenue and Dunlap in Phoenix.  I have the same privilege and joy at Church of the Master, 27th Avenue and Cactus when I teach a Bible class.  (Church - 9:am -- Bible Class -9:30 am).

Both congregations are made up of wonderful, special people.  In 2022, I filled the pulpit at CTR for a few Sundays and then over the summer I suggested that I could preach regularly for them during the months we are in the Valley.  It's a match made in heaven (at least that's how I see it).  CTR has outstanding leadership and faithful worshippers.  They are making their facilities available to a number of self-help groups and several churches.  CTR is definitely a community church.

At COTM, the leader, John, had gotten my name and called to ask if I would like to teach when they had an opening in their schedule.  As it turned out, the church we attend when we are in Michigan has an excellent man who teaches their Sunday morning class.  Coming to his class each week planted a new desire to do some teaching myself.  This is my second year of teaching at COTM and we are working our way through the Book of Acts.  I have a lot of fun with this neat group of people.

Have I mentioned our dog, Jake? We rescued him over six years ago and I can't imagine life without him.  How good is he? My dear, sweet wife and her family were cat people.  Sherri didn't care for dogs and the ones we have had in the past were tolerated.  The dogs were for the kids and they were supposed to take care of them (at least that was their promise).  

But Sherri loves Jake and will say, "How's my boy!"  Jake is also our unofficial  exercise director.  He likes to walk every morning - no, he has to walk every morning.  He's established several routes in our neighborhood and the exercise does us good.  Without Jake it would be easy to sit in the recliner, have an extra cup of coffee and complain about the difficulty of solving WORDLE.  

Well, it's dinner and it wouldn't be right to keep Sherri waiting:-). Thanks for checking in!