From the Pastor

Dear Siblings in Christ,

My newsletter article last month was a follow up from a sermon I preached in July about prayer. To recap, I wrote that prayer is very important and is about strengthening our relationship with God and with others and that prayer always ‘works’ as long as we have a proper understanding of its purpose. It is not a ‘get what we want from God’ exchange. This month I’d like to address another aspect of prayer that some people struggle with and that is how to pray.

Jesus’ disciples asked Jesus how they should pray. Imagine that! Faithful Jews confused about how to speak to God! Well, if you understand the context of the scripture and the religious practices of first century Jews it is not all that surprising. Their relationship with God was much different than our relationship with God, and we have Jesus to thank for that. Yet, still some folks may seem intimidated by the thought of wanting to get that prayer just right.

The truth is there isn’t a right or wrong way to pray, and there are many different ways to pray. Some say to think of prayer as a conversation with God as if you were speaking with a friend. That’s not a bad way to think about except God isn’t like any of your friends. He is the Holy and Mighty God, All Powerful, All mighty, All knowing Creator. Unlike a conversation with a friend there probably should be at least a slight amount of awe in speaking with God. That doesn’t mean, however, it needs to be formal or filled with elegant speech and fancy words. It can be a simple conversation in form and language but with the understanding that one is speaking with God.

If you’re one who likes to have a formula or pattern of prayer, look no further than Jesus’ instruction to pray based on the pattern of the Lord’s Prayer. Start with praising or recognizing God’s Godness, thank Him for His limitless blessings and mercy, forgiving our sins, and for being the source of all things. That helps put one in a good mindset to then lift up prayers for ourself and others. The intercessory prayers (prayers on behalf of others) is where the part in the Lord’s Prayer that speaks of His will being done comes in. Praying according to His will implies that God knows what He is doing and we trust Him enough to accept His will in our prayers.

Jesus’ instruction to His disciples doesn’t mean that’s the only way to pray. It very well can be a conversation with Him. Prayer isn’t just about asking God for what we want. If it is about building a relationship with Him as I stated, then simply sharing what’s on your mind can be thought of as prayer. Complaining to God about having a bad day can be prayer. Being angry with God and questioning Him is a form of prayer. As can a simple, “Thank You God’ on seeing a beautiful sunset. Music can also be thought of as a form of prayer. All of these forms of prayer can be found in the Psalms, which are in some way the thoughts and communications ancient people had with God.

Prayer can be spoken out loud as they are in group situations. You may want to check your surroundings before praying out loud when your alone. Individual prayer is generally done silently, and that’s just fine. God knows your thoughts before you think them so He doesn’t need to ‘hear’ you. You can sit or stand, kneel or any other position that is comfortable. It usually helps to have a quite space so as to not get distracted, but that’s not necessary. I know plenty of people that can tune out the noise around them and focus their attention on God. Praying while driving (eyes open!), exercising, showering, brushing one’s teeth, cooking dinner, gardening, or any other activity that doesn’t require singular focus are common. I pray while I walk around my neighborhood. That works for me.

The point is, there is no ‘how’ to pray. Just pray. God is always happy to hear from you! The really important thing is to make prayer a habit, something you do regularly and that takes some intentionality initially. If not done initially at a set time and place its hard to make it a habit. But once it becomes a habit, it becomes something that comes naturally and something you’ll miss if you go several days without praying. I love my time with God! Just me and Jesus spending quality time together. It is when I feel closest to God and that is always the best time of my day. Why wouldn’t it be? That’s it for now. I may have more to say next month, but I’ll pray about it first.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Steve

Dear Siblings in Christ,

I recently preached a sermon on prayer (July 24) and almost as soon as I finished my sermon I started questioning whether or not what I said might have led to some misunderstanding about prayer. I could be wrong, but since I continued to think about for several days I feel like I need to clarify or say more about prayer.

First and foremost, prayer is a vital part of our faith. When Jesus spoke about prayer it is assumed that people of faith will and should pray and pray consistently and often. That is clear evidence that it is important. Part of the problem is that prayer, or the purpose of prayer is misunderstood. The most common misunderstanding is the expectation of our prayers. Prayer is not about getting the result we pray for. Generally speaking, it is relational.

If we expect or think that prayer is about getting the result we desire from God we will quickly become discouraged because we do not always get the results we hope for and that leads to the idea that prayer is well, pointless, and maybe God doesn’t love us or care about us as much as we think. There are so many reasons why always or regularly getting a desired result would in fact not be beneficial and I mentioned several of those reasons in my sermon. I know that seems counterintuitive but consider a very crude analogy of the parent child relationship. As parents we do not grant every request of our children even though we love them, more or less, unconditionally. Parents have their reasons for sometimes saying, “no”, or “not now”, as well as “yes!” A parent’s love is not measured by how often we say, “yes” nor is God’s love for us measured by His always saying, “yes” to us.

If prayer isn’t about getting the result we want, then what is the point? As I mentioned it is relational. Prayer doesn’t change God, it changes us. How so? Well, it doesn’t so much change us in the literal sense. It really deepens the connection we have with God and the more we pray the more connected we are to our Maker. To me, that sounds like a really good thing. Prayer is one of the most, if not the most, important relationship builder between us and God. And it’s not because God ‘forgets’ about us when we aren’t praying. He never ‘forgets’ about us and is in every sense near to us constantly. We are the ones that tend to forget that for a variety of reasons. And just as it is with our human relationships, regular conversation or communication strengthen our relationships. Are you not closer to the people in your life you regularly speak with than you are with a friend you only communicate with occasionally or every couple years? What kind of relationship do we have with God if we rarely ever communicate with Him, or only communicate with Him when we are in crisis or want something? Imagine a human relationship with that dynamic.

But, what about our prayers for others? I mean, we regularly say we will pray for people in crisis. If prayer isn’t going to change their circumstance, then what’s the point? Again, it is relational. When we are in any kind of crisis is when we feel most alone or helpless. Knowing someone is aware of your situation and cares enough to do something, even if it’s something as simple as a prayer, lessens to some degree the sense of loneliness. And involving God in that situation by praying lessens to some degree the sense of helplessness for many reasons. God is always in control and never helpless, and there is a chance that things will change because of our prayer. Wait, you said prayer isn’t about results! And you’ve said God doesn’t change His mind unless we pray. True on both accounts. But, I have said far more often that I can’t possibly know how God thinks or operates. From a strictly theological perspective it is impossible for God to change. Change implies something less than perfect and God is perfect, ergo God cannot change. But God doesn’t follow our theological ‘rules’. Prayer connects us with God, connects us with those we pray for and places God in the middle of our relationships with others. Does that sound pointless or useless? And who knows how our God will respond to our prayers? When it comes to prayer we have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Life is absolutely better when we pray. Jesus prayed often and taught His disciples to pray. And if someone asked you if you had a desire to feel more connected to God, or closer to God, would you say, “NO”? I have so much more to say, but this article is already a little long. I now know what next month’s article will be about. I hope I have clarified what I believe to be true about prayer, but just in case let me say it again.

Prayer matters and is a vital part of our faith. Until next month.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Steve

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The first official day of summer was June 21^st. Some of you may pay attention to such things as the ‘official first day of summer’, but I’ve always thought of summer beginning with the 4^th of July. It’s kind of the kick off of summer for me with the all the fanfare and such. When I was young it meant summer vacation from school and family trips, bar-b-ques, beach parties and those lazy days of summer. And I loved that it felt like the fireworks and excitement of 4^th of July was a perfect way to start 3 months of fun, fun, fun!

Of course, 4^th of July is much more than parties and instructions to ‘light fuse and get away’. It is really a day of patriotism, celebrating our countries independence from an oppressive monarchy. And a country borne out of a fierce desire for independence and democracy, a government of the people for the people, started a culture that has embraced our independence as a nation and as individuals. We cherish our freedom as much as anything in this world.

The dictionary defines independence as, “freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others.” Sound about right? I don’t know about you, but I like to be in control. I don’t want anyone telling me what to do, what to think, where to go, or how to live my life! I think that attitude stems largely from a culture that was born out of a struggle for independence. It doesn’t hurt that that kind of attitude also appeals to our generally strong egos.

So, how does this work with our faith? Certainly we embrace the freedom of religion in our country, but do our religious beliefs promote a radical kind of freedom or strict obedience to our Lord? Think about that for a second. Does the Bible teach us that we are free from the control or influence of God? Well, in a way, yes it does. God gave all humankind free will to resist being controlled or influenced by the God who created us all. On the opposite side of the coin is the understanding that we should submit our lives to God and let Him be in control and be influenced by the teachings of Jesus. In a sense faith means giving up our independence to God. It is recognizing that God truly is in control and that submitting to Him is the ideal way of life.

As a Christian we can say that it’s super easy to give God control! Right? If you said “Yes!” we need to talk. This is one of our greatest battles and most significant struggles of our faith. Sin, our egos, and the world we live in bombard us with the message of, “It’s all about me! I want, I want, I want! And ME, ME, ME!!!” Jesus tells us to ‘love our neighbors,’ ‘give to the poor,’ ‘be the least of all’. And Paul tells us not to think too highly of ourselves. With these mixed messages it’s no wonder life can be so confusing, especially life as a Christian.

We fight our whole lives for independence and it’s a fight we will never win. In order to live a life of fulfillment we will always need others, but more importantly we will always need God, especially as it relates to our salvation. We are completely dependent on Christ for that. This is one of the many paradoxes in the life of a Christian. Fiercely independent and completely dependent all at the same time.

So, what the point of all of this? Frankly, it’s what your Pastor writes when he can’t think of anything else to write for the newsletter and the deadline has already passed to finish this article and he’s thinking about the month of July and a national holiday. But, beyond my lack of inspiration I hope that it sparks in you to take a moment and consider what it means to be totally dependent on our Lord for the one thing that matters most of all and how we all might let God take control of all aspects of our lives. He’s taken care of the big thing, so it’s not difficult to think He can also handle the little things as well. When we do that the hope, peace and joy we have with the promise of our salvation becomes the hope, peace, and joy of our everyday lives. This is the abundant life that Jesus promises us if we depend on Him in all things. We celebrate our countries independence once a year, but we should celebrate our dependence on God every day, giving thanks to the One on whom we can always depend. Amen.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Steve

Dear Grace Family,

As I write this article for the June newsletter I am filled with a variety of emotions in the wake of the mass shooting, the murder, of a classroom of children. I am broken hearted. I am confused and frustrated. I am angry. And I feel helpless. And that doesn’t really begin to describe all that I am feeling as it has been less than 24 hours since I first learned of this horrible, unimaginable tragedy and I am still trying to process something that will never make sense. I imagine you are, or did when you first heard about it, feeling similarly.

I really dread writing about it. I do. I would rather not be writing about another instance of senseless gun violence that has become all too common in our country. I do not have any insight theologically, existentially, psychologically, politically or societally that you have not already heard. I also do not have an answer to how we can, as a society, stop this from happening again. But I am outraged and as your Pastor feeling somewhat obligated to say something because these tragedies often raise questions that involve God.

Now, God does not me to defend Him, not do I have the wisdom to understand God, as I have said a number of times. But, there are a few things I believe to be true that bear mentioning. God did not cause this to happen just as God is not the cause of any tragedy, natural or unnatural. From the most basic theological perspective sin is the cause. Sadly, in the past I have heard that God brought tragedy into our world as a punishment for sin. This happened when hurricane Katrina devastated the New Orleans area. I heard it when there was a mass shooting at a concert in Las Vegas several years ago. I heard it when the AIDS virus first reared its ugly head and killed thousands.

It is unlikely that anyone would say the shooting in Texas happened because God was punishing specific people, but it would not surprise me if there is some wacko pastor out there saying God is punishing our country for some form of immorality. One of the many reasons I do not agree with this argument is because it misrepresents how God understands sin or sinful acts. God does not have a ranking system for sin. We are all corrupted by sin and each act of sin, no matter how ‘great’ or ‘small’ is an offense to God. The unkind thought is just as bad as the mass murder of children. That is hard to type, and hard to believe, but it is true. This is one of the many things that makes God’s grace so amazing.

I also believe that God is not responsible by omission. In other words, God did not make a choice to allow or prevent this tragedy, or any other tragedy, as a matter of His will. I have heard it said after a tragic event that it happened because it was God’s will. Death and pain are not the will of God. God’s will for us was peace and perfect tranquility and He gave us the option to live that life and Adam and Eve chose a different option. A cruel simile would be, ‘We (humans in general) made our bed, now we get to lay in it.’ It is much more complicate than that. There have been countless books written about this subject and this is simple newsletter article, so the simplistic viewpoint will have to do.

I also believe that God’ heart is even more broken than yours, mine, or the totality of humanity over this horror. God’s love for each of us is infinite and anytime something like this happens God is heartbroken. I cannot begin to imagine how God feels watching over an over the unspeakably horrible things we humans do to each other since the dawn of time. And yet he never gives up on us. That is immeasurable grace. Here is another difficult truth. God’s heart breaks for the perpetrator of this heinous act because he was also one of His children. That is radical grace. Can’t say that like that one. Just being honest.

So, what can we do? I wish I knew. What we cannot do is what seemingly we as a society and we as a government have been doing in response to these kinds of tragedies, and that is nothing but lip service. We send out thoughts and prayers to the victim’s families and the communities where they happen, and we mourn for a couple days then we move on until the next mass shooting. Has there been any legislation passed to address this kind of gun violence? Has there been enough discussion about what leads 16-23 year old males to resort to mass murder as an option in life and the mental health issues in our country? How about holding social media outlets more accountable instead of accepting they are protecting people’s privacy when so many of these young men post obvious evidence that they are about to snap and nobody is warned? Can we sit idly by and wait for the next tragedy?

I for one feel helpless. The problem seems overwhelming. It is. We will never bring an end to senseless violence completely. That will happen at the Second Coming. But, we have changed the course of history before when enough people say, “ENOUGH!” Is now such a time? I pray that it is.

I realize this is probably not going to be one of your favorite newsletter articles you have read from me. It is uncomfortable and lacking the typical positivity I usually write about. But, discomfort is what often leads to change and as your Pastor I am not just charged with sharing the good news and the happy things in life. God has always chosen people who live in a broken world to be truth tellers and a light in the darkness because darkness is also part of our reality. And He chose us to identify the dark places in our world and to do something. We are the light. How will you shine yours?

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Steve

He is Risen!

Greetings Siblings in Christ,

He is risen indeed! Obviously this article will be available weeks before we celebrate Christ’s resurrection, but the truth and power of the resurrection is something we proclaim and a reality we live into every single day of our lives. And that is a reality for every believer pre and post resurrection for all eternity. Normally this month’s article would be focused on Easter, but this year my focus will be on the second day of what is called the Triduum, otherwise known as Good Friday.

I have always felt a little uneasy with the ‘good’ in Good Friday. It certainly was not a good day for Jesus’ followers, those who witnessed His persecution and execution. From Jesus’ human perspective it most definitely was not a good Friday, but from a divine perspective it was one of the best days. That is hard to imagine or understand and that is part of the tension that exists in that blessed day. Undoubtedly it is a very good day for believers like you and I. I suppose my discomfort resides in the tension that is very much a part of that day.

Christianity focuses much more on the birth and life of Jesus. Sure, we talk about the cross often, but it is usually pretty sterilized, or disconnected, with Jesus’ actual death. The cross makes allusions to His death, but the horrifying details are left unspoken except for on Good Friday when we read the story of Jesus betrayal, arrest, trial and execution. It is not a typical worship service at all. In every other instance our worship services are uplifting, encouraging, comforting, and generally positive. Not this day. It is somber, really somber. We enter in silence, leave in silence and in between are reminded of the cost of our salvation and reminded that we are all co-responsible for what happened to Jesus.

But, we would not have the hallelujahs and empty tomb without the death. Death is what gives us life and that is uncomfortable and filled with tension. In every other instance when humans die it is traumatic and the finality of it is one of the aspects that makes our grief so difficult. The death that Christ died is and was different. It was not the end, it was the beginning for you and I and every other believer. Just as Jesus was raised again to new life we too have the promise of eternal life and a new beginning.

That is the reason we call it Good Friday and that is what the gathering on the Friday before Easter is really all about. It is the painful reminder of how horrific death was for Jesus, the cost of our salvation, that leads to a more profound and life giving HALLELUJAH on Easter morning. There would not be an empty tomb without a bloody cross. For me attending the Good Friday service has always made Easter Sunday that much more powerful and joyous because I experience the full range of emotion that is a byproduct of the tension of the Tridium, or three days. If you have not been in the habit of attending Good Friday services I hope that this article will encourage you to join us that Friday before Easter. If you were or are in the habit of attending Good Friday services then you know what I am talking about. There is no empty tomb without the cross.

Blessings,
Pastor Steve

Greetings Grace Family,

As we turn our calendars from February to March we also begin the season of Lent. It is one of my favorite seasons of the Church year, and not because I get to wear my purple stole for the next 7 weeks. It is the time when we are encouraged to follow Jesus on His journey to the cross and it starts with the reminder that we were formed from the dust of the earth and to the earth we will eventually return.

Those words spoken on Ash Wednesday remind us of our mortality, but also that in addition to God forming Adam and Eve from the dust God also breathed His Spirit in to us forever connecting us to our Maker. It is also a reminder that our time here on earth is temporary, but at the end of this journey we will return to the Source of Life for all eternity thanks to the event that comes at the end of our Lenten journey.

Throughout the season we are invited to be intentional in our self-examination. There are a plethora of spiritual disciplines that we can use in order to take an inventory of our lives and our faith. Of course, the most common of these disciplines is the removal of something in our life. It could be a certain type of food, or social media, a favorite eating spot, television, or anything else we become too dependent on. The point of this discipline is multi-layered, but ultimately reminds us on our dependence on God when we feel the sense of deprivation from whatever it is that was given up.

However, there are other disciplines like daily prayers of thanksgiving, or confession. Meditating on scripture, a daily Psalm reading, or spending time in silence to be more attentive to what God is saying to us (we are generally much better at talking than listening, especially to God!). Service to others, or donating to a ministry or charity in honor of the season are ways for us to ‘love our neighbors’ which was one of Jesus’ more familiar commands. Over the last several years I have suggested adding something to your life of faith rather than the deprivation partly because after 50 days of doing something it is likely to become a permanent part of your spiritual life.

One of the reasons I love the season of Lent is its intentionality. Let’s face it, we are creatures of habit and if we are always doing the same thing over and over life can become a bit stale, and that’s true of our faith and relationship with Jesus. Changing things up makes us more aware and gets us out of our routine. It can be uncomfortable, but we are much more likely to grow when we stretch ourselves or when we are a bit uncomfortable. And who among us has perfect faith? God is always ‘working’ on us. This is the process called sanctification, becoming more like Christ. Is that not something we would all say as Christians we strive for?

Sisters and Brothers, I urge you to take advantage of this season of intentionality that has been a part of Christianity for a very long time! You have nothing to lose (no pun intended) and everything to gain.

In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Steve