Pastor's Blog

A sacrament is a means through which God acts and gives us grace. For example, in communion, Jesus commanded us to “do this” and through the bread and wine we receive grace.

Many people have strong opinions about specific ethical issues such as abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, universal health care and war. But do you know..

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be honored among the nations. I will be honored in the earth.”

Pride will get us to lofty places. When we have pride, we can be driven to places that, comparatively, are superior. Now, I’m not talking about pride in one's work. I’m not talking about doing a job well or seeing things through. I’m talking about a sense of self that makes us think that we are the end-all, be-all, answer for everything. An overabundance of self-confidence will, absolutely, get you to great places.

For everything there is a season, and each season has a beginning and an end. Our beginning was a small group of people worshipping in a dance studio, and on Sunday, February 12th, we will gather one last time as Christ South. While we naturally seek to understand why things end or what went wrong, it’s important to remember that the real story of South isn’t those two points in time, but all that happened in between.

In case you missed it, the annual meeting on January 29 was one of the largest we’ve seen, and one of the most emotional. No matter how one voted, it was a sad moment for everyone.

“How do we get more young people to come to church?” Almost every congregation asks this question! Churches all over the US are looking for ways to connect with young people as we watch weekly worship numbers decline, giving sliding downward, and the average age of most congregations going up. Every church is trying to find that magic bullet that will bring in more young people to combat against these rising concerns.

I know there are some who would wrinkle their nose at using a preposition at the end of a sentence. I, for one, love this American phrasing. It says all I want and doesn't bring any other baggage. ‘Where you at’ asks where you are; I want to know because I care about you. There are other ways of expressing the same sentiment, but when I hear this version, I know immediately: I am dealing with an American.

This is the word of the year for Christ Lutheran. Hineni. It is Hebrew for, “Here I am” and the theme for our current sermon series. It doesn’t mean being counted as present in class, “Here I am!” It doesn’t mean being found by rescuers, “Here I am!” It means hearing the call of God, stripping away all fears and doubts, stepping forth in confidence and being ready for action, “Here I am.”

Luke 2:8-15I was making cookies with my daughter the other day. We make a whole bunch of “drop” cookies. No baking, just mix the ingredients together and “drop” the resulting paste onto wax paper. In a couple hours we can eat to our heart’s content. We’ve picked up some of these recipes over the years and I didn’t realize it until we were almost done but, for me, that’s the official start of the Christmas season. Making Christmas cookies means Christmas is really, finally, here.

Can you find the Christmas Spirit this year? I can tell you where!

Matthew 6 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Recently, there was an article in the Charlotte Observer about a young man who had been abusing children over the course of five years through his volunteering with their soccer league. To make matters worse, the newspaper listed all the area churches where this abuser had volunteered at their children and youth programs.

It’s happening, folks. Yesterday marks the day I saw my first Christmas Tree being driven home. Strapped to the top of a Nissan Altima, you just know this car is pulling into a house fully decked out with 5-foot-tallcandy canes plunged throughout the yard, faux icicles dangling from the gutters, tinsel strewn around the banisters, and mistletoe over every doorway.

I am so excited for you to meet Kenny Champagne this Sunday, November 20, at all the services at Christ Providence. With over fourteen years of working with youth and their families, Kenny will be taking on the position of Director of Family Ministries for Christ Lutheran.