A good definition of mission

Mission is nothing more than the church in motion to dispense the gift of life and salvation that are in Christ Jesus.

Harold Senkbeil, "The Care of Souls," page 228

Have alb, will travel

Have alb, will travel.  Each summer we spend in Michigan I make myself available to do pulpit supply.  Last year I preached a couple of times for a pastor friend in Grand Rapids.  But this summer I was invited to preach 13 times with 10 of them at Trinity Lutheran in Paw Paw Michigan.

I don't know what the membership of the church is but they worship anywhere from 120 to 140 per Sunday.  That puts them in the top 25 percent of churches worshipping 100 or more people in the LCMS.  Also, while it is a congregation of mostly older believers there are a number of working parents with children to attend each Sunday.  The congregation also offers a school - preschool through 8th grade.

The church offers two services - 9 am is their contemporary worship and at 11 am is the traditional service.  Bible class and Sunday school are held in between the two services.  Also two deaf members attend the early service.  Since my former congregation had an active ministry to the deaf I was able to relate to this husband and wife,  They were a delight.  I brushed up on a few phrases like "peace be with you," Jesus loves you," and "This is the day the Lord has made."

The congregation is currently without a pastor.  Last year an intentional interim pastor came and helped the congregation sort through some challenges.  Since then they have issued and had returned two calls.  They hope to send a call to a third pastor next month and if it is returned they were work through the process of having a graduate assigned to them.

The people there were so warm and friendly to Sherri and I.  They were grateful for the ministry I was able to offer them and many urged us to join them again next summer, whether it be to provide pulpit supply (hopefully not) or to worship with them and a new pastor (yes!).

It's hard for a congregation to carry out ministry without a pastor leading the way.  Join me in praying that the Lord, at just the right time, will send just the right pastor to serve this congregation by proclaiming the Gospel, administrating the sacraments and offering pastoral care and comfort.

How did God show His love to me?

How did God show His love to me just this past week? In the form of family members who laughed with me when I was happy and cried with me when I was sad.  In the from of strength against temptation, healing for a hurting body, success in some venture, and guidance for some decision.  God's love flows down on me constantly.  Every day His love sends me valentines.

From "Together with Jesus," February 14

Even with another birthday, life goes on

We added another candle to my birthday cake yesterday - 74 of them!  My cake looked like it broke out into a prairie fire!   I have been greatly blessed by so many who remembered my birthday yesterday with a card or gift or phone call or even a Facebook post!  The church that I've been serving off and on this summer wished me a happy birthday with singing and cards. What a nice surprise! This outpouring of respect and affection reminded me of something I'd written down in my journal:  Have a blessed day!

I walk through life together with others, and those others are people whom Christ has placed in my life.  They are His gifts.

Bruce Hartung, "Holding Up the Prophet's Hand," page 154

Who Builds the Church?

Just so we are clear about this...

It is not we who build.  (Christ) builds the church.  No man builds the church but Christ alone.

We must confess - He builds.  We must proclaim - He builds.  We must pray to Him - He builds.

Church - stay a church! But church, confess, confess, confess! Christ alone is your Lord; from His grace alone can you live as you are.  Christ builds.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, from "Treasury of Daily Prayer," page 841

The Happiness Advantage

Countless studies have found that social relationships are the best guarantee of heightened well-being and lowered stress, both an antidote for depression and a prescription for high performance.

Shawn Achor, "The Happiness Advantage," page 14 

The importance of our baptism

All of life is lived from the standpoint of our baptism.  It is the start and ending of our day, that event thata begins our life in Christ and will, on the day of our death, complete it.

William Weedon, "Thank, Praise, Serve, Obey," page 36.