Pastor's Blog

Since I shared a letter last week announcing my call to serve as a Navy Chaplain, Megan and I have received many kind notes of support and well wishes for which we are so grateful. We have also gotten some good questions. As a follow up, I thought I would use the Pastor’s Blog this week to try and answer some of the most common ones.

Every year. Do you do it too? I call it an exercise in futility. And it is hard work! You know. The annual ritual of trying to make something beautiful that has obviously struggled to thrive. Lack of care has led to its demise. And, once again, much effort and expense are poured into bringing it back to life. It seems futile. But, the annual lawn aeration, fertilization, and over-seeding exercise has been completed…again. Now, we’ll see if change happens. Do you do it too?

On the surface, the words Included and Inclusion seem to have very similar meanings. In fact, to most people, they have the same meaning, and they don’t give them a second thought.

I got a new IWatch for Christmas. At first, I didn’t want something so “smart.” The idea of constantly getting emails and texts on my wrist didn’t seem appealing. But I have grown to LOVE my watch. One of the best features is that I can answer my phone with my watch. Sometimes… ok a lot of the time, I lay my phone down and go into another room. Yet, I can still answer my phone. It’s great! But there’s one feature that I still don’t know what I think about it.

We all question the significance of our place in the world from time to time. We read how God has redeemed and claimed us as His own, and yet don’t truly understand what to do with such information other than to store it away in a mental filing cabinet or hang it on your wall as a bragging right. What are we honestly called to do with the message God communicated to us? Where do we fit into the greater story? Is the Gospel still relevant today?

As I watched my youngest son play his first soccer game Saturday morning, I was praying for those countless families who were directly impacted by the loss of a loved one. I grieved for them. Because no, even after 20 years, we as a nation haven’t just “moved on.” We have certainly “moved forward” but as with any grief, I’m not sure you ever fully “move on.”

You and your generosity continue to enable many ministries to make a difference in our local communities, throughout the nation and in the world today.This summer, you enabled me and a group of over 20 former classmates, friends and family to engage in a habitat build in my home-town of Yankton, South Dakota supporting a family who recently transitioned to the United States from Afghanistan. The Abraham family, a family of six, will in a few short months have a house they will make into a home.

Anyone who has struggled with fertility issues you understand deeply the joy and the heartbreak that often accompanies the journey for many families who are hoping for children. Sherry and I were on this journey many years ago. Colin and Shannon, our son and daughter-in-law, have traveled down this road. And, I know, many of you have been on this journey as well. But, for Colin and Shannon, and for Sherry and me, our infertility journeys resulted in a beautiful, healthy child. And, for that, we are all so very grateful.

Have you ever helped a person die?In John 12, it reads: Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. Some disciples thought she was wasting expensive perfume while others thought it could be sold and given to the poor. Only Jesus knew what Mary was doing. By pouring on this perfume, she was anointing Jesus for his burial. She was helping a friend die.

This last week we talked about prayer in worship. It got me thinking about my prayer time. I’m good at praying at mealtimes, with my family, and at night before my kids go to bed. But other than that, I don’t have regular, defined prayer time. I have tried. Several years ago, I thought I would set up a regular sit down with just God and myself, nothing to distract me. I work at the church, so I decided to visit the sanctuary and just pray. This sounds like a peaceful time apart to focus all my attention… It didn’t work. There’re always things to do or someone to see and talk with when I’m at church. It was so hard to focus on God and not my to-do list. Then, I thought I would get up early and go on my back porch and read a devotion and pray. This didn’t work either because I like to sleep too much. But I do pray a lot without designated time.

When I slow down and start to pay attention, it’s not hard to see God all around me. I don’t always understand why certain things happen when and as they do, but God’s hand shows up in the details when I need a reminder. Today was Pastor Matt’s last day at South and the sermon topic, picked weeks ago, was Get Found in Belonging. There is not a single better way to describe what Christ South means to me.

Yesterday my son Zach was given a set of Bible tabs. You attach the tabs on the first page of each book of the Bible so that you can find them easily. As he methodically put on the tabs—all 66 of them—I was silently praying for him. Praying that the Bible would be more than just another book on his shelf. 

Each weekday, I have the privilege of walking into a “holy-chaos” full of glue, crayons, toys, bubbles and a lively group preschoolers. To some, this may not seem like a privilege, but to me it is a blessing. Every wide-eyed, cookie crumbed face is proof that God is faithful, and every crayon-masterpiece is a reminder that it has been God’s hand behind it all.

As I’ve been having several conversations with people about Pastor Matt’s resignation in terms of the stability of Christ South and the building of a worship center, after people get through the surprise and disappointment, they quickly move onto, “What are the next steps?” For that, I want to give you as many of those steps as I can see right now.

We have said several times during Covid that long-term planning is something like three weeks out. Guidelines change, variant strains emerge, and people’s comfort levels fluctuate. How can you plan now for something even two months away?