Mountain Top Faith

I recently had the great fortune of taking our Sr. High youth to our 4 day, state wide youth gathering known as "The Gathering." 5 days later I took our Jr. High youth to a similar 3 day version for them known as "Youthquake." I am still a little tired. LOL! I still love it! I have been to countless retreats in my life, and I have enjoyed them all. I love that we get to leave the "real world" and enter a place where praising God and growing in faith is the goal and the norm.  I love that we can gather together, with other Christians from our state, and focus on Jesus. Of course these retreats are not perfect. We are human, after all, and we are surrounded by teenagers! Yes there will always be a hiccup or two, but mostly these retreats take us to the "mountain top," which is a good thing, and a great place to be. Time after time I have seen youth at these gatherings take down their masks and walls and open up their closely guarded hearts. Often times something happens within them where they experience Jesus and feel His Holy Spirit in new and exciting ways.
This year's theme at the Sr. High gathering was "Grace-Full." I believe all of my Sr. High youth, because of attending "The Gathering," have a better understanding of God's grace, in both the receiving and giving of His grace. The theme at the Jr. High Youthquake was "Thrive." It  centered on Jeremiah 29:11 which reads: "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord; plans to prosper you and not to harm you; to give you a hope and a future." The speaker was inspiring and effective. He grabbed their attention and helped them consider what God's plans for them is about. The kids were challenged to look at "The Baggage" in their lives and then wrestle with the thought that God loves them no matter what!
Our youth were truly impacted while on the "mountain top." The problem, however, is the coming down from that mountain top experience. Sometimes we get wrapped up in the feelings of the experience and believe that if we don't have that same feeling when we come home, then something must be wrong. Other problems are that we come home, changed, to a home or a group of friends who aren't  "changed" and who didn't experience what we experienced. It can then be very easy to forget what we learned, thus falling us back into the same old same old lifestyle and longing for our next journey up that mountain. I do not believe that is what God intended for us in those retreats.  No, it is not realistic to believe that we can be on that mountain all the time, but we can take the experiences and let them transform our everyday lives. We can take what we learned and apply it to our families and our friends. I don't think God expects us to be on that high all the time, but He does call us to love Him and be faithful. What we experience at those retreats may not seem to be "the real world" but they can be. If we come down that mountain committed to seeking and loving God in our every day life, then "The Gathering" and "Youthquake" have done their job. At their best, spiritual retreats are a spark that keeps our fires of faith alive and keeps us longing for Jesus. My hope for our youth is when they come back, they would seek Jesus more and more so that the walk down the mountain would be less and less. Amen.

Tigers Fever!!!

If you are a sports fan in Michigan it would be difficult to not catch "Tigers Fever." Our beloved Detroit Tigers are one win away from eliminating the New York Yankees (again) and advancing to the World Series. These are exciting times and I am definitely all in. I was able to go to game 3 in Detroit to witness Justin Verlander lead the Tigers to a 2-1 win and a 3 games to 0 lead in the series. It was awesome! Not only was I in the stadium, but I was there with three of my best friends. We loved the game, the comraderie, and the hours of male bonding. Nothing brings guys together better than watching our favorite teams. We were cheering, high fiving, and nervously anticipating the games' final out, which seemed to take forever to achieve. Whether I am in the stadium, or watching at home, I truly love being with a crowd of my friends and family enjoying the spirit of the game that unites us. Just last Sunday, we were in my living room hugging and dancing as the Lions completed their comeback with an overtime victory. It was great a great celebration shared by a house full! Unfortunately, of course, not all the games end in celebration. Yes, sometimes the agony of defeat elicits negative emotions and even inappopriate behavior. My only explanation for such histrionic behavior, in both victory and defeat, is passion. I am definitely a passionate person, especially when it comes to my sports teams. I am, however, convicted at times. I do ask myself if spending so much time, energy, and even money, is worth it in the big picture. My wife wonders if I am as passionate about her as I am my teams. And I know Jesus is asking me if I am as passionate about Him as I am my sports teams. As someone who is in full time ministry, my first response would be "of course I am." But I keep hearing Him ask the question. What would my life look like if my first and foremost passion was about knowing Jesus and helping others know Him as well. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Does the way I spend my time, money, and energy reflect my love for Jesus or something else? I think this is a question all Christians should ask themselves. People who know me know what teams I cheer for, but do they really know how much I love Jesus. I think they do. But those passions can't be on the same level. Jesus has to be first. I know this is a struggle of mine, to keep my passions in their proper order, but I will always be a fan. I can't help it! My prayer, however, is that someday when people remember me, they will talk about Jesus first. In the meantime, I will keep doing ministry and keep cheering my heart out. May God bless you all, and Go Tigers and Lions!

Us Change?

Revelation 22:13-  "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."
James 1:17- Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows.

God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The message of the Gospel is good news for all people about a savior whose love never wavers. Jesus' grace is consistently abundant! This has not changed in over 2000 years! The only thing that changes with our faith is us. And that can be a blessing. Although God is always the same, I believe that He never leaves us the same. Christ is in the redemption business and business is always good. We are in constant need of redemption. Our salvation is assured when we claim Jesus as Lord, but our daily selves are always in need of His grace. When we walk with Jesus, we are being renewed every day. In other words, God is constant, but He is constantly changing us. God always takes the old, tired, worn aspects of our lives and makes them new. He will never leave us the same!
I think in our churches, we sometimes forget this. What I mean is this...although the message is the same, the way we deliver it must sometimes change to reach the people.  We must be open to new ways and methods of communicating the Gospel so that in this world of constant change, people can be changed by Jesus! Change is inevitable, but I pray that the change happens in the hands of Jesus. His change is truly life giving!
I am proud of my church, Mamrleund Lutheran, for being open to the many changes we have begun to implement this fall. Change can be hard in church, but it is in the name of Jesus, and following the lead of the Holy Spirit that we are making changes. And really, if change is in the name of Jesus and led by the Holy Spirit, what have we to fear? If it is of God, we know and trust that it will always turn out great!
So here's to change, not for change's sake, but for the sake of Christ always changing us! Amen.

"Who Do You Say That I Am?"

In Matthew 16:13-20, Jesus asks his disciples a very important question..."Who do people say that I am." The disciples gave him a variety of answers, and then he asked THE question. This is the question that all of us, Christian or not, must answer..."Who do YOU say that I am?" The disciple Peter was quick to answer, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." I believe that all of us are faced with this question everyday. Non-Christians or Atheists cannot avoid this question either. Jesus changed the world, and even they must come to terms with who he is. They may say he was nothing more than a good man or teacher, but they still must confront Jesus. That is why it is vitally important that we, as Christians, answer this question daily. When asked, I'm sure most Christians would say that Jesus is the Messiah, just as Peter did. But what if others are looking for the answer without asking the question? What if people who are seeking Jesus are trying to find him by examining our lives? What answer would they discover? Yes, it is grace that saves us, but will others see Jesus when they see us? Will others come to know the living Messiah because of the way we live? In no way am I saying that Christians should be perfect (we cannot achieve such lofty expectations), but I am saying that we should be trying to answer this question in all areas of our lives. Do we show Jesus in our work, in our play, in our relationships, at the ballgame, in traffic, in our anger or frustrations, in our everyday dealings. "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus asks the question everyday. What is your answer today?

Almost Heaven Part 2

On the last night of our West Virginia trip, Pr. Mark took our group to a place called "Beauty Mountain." This was a viewing area high in the mountains overlooking the New River Gorge. It's name was understated. This view was gorgeous. We arrived as the sun was setting over the mountains, creating a very serene atmosphere. Pr. Mark instructed us all to sit in silence and take in all that God had to say to us. For at least 10 minutes we worshipped in the silence, yet heard so much. As I gazed over the amazing creation, I felt really small. The mighty river below, that we raced down the day before, seemed almost insignificant. The vastness of the scenery overwhelmed me and I wondered to God, "Who Am I?" Sometimes I feel very important and big. Sometimes I feel that this world could not survive without me, and I have a jaded view of my significance. But on that mountain I felt like a speck of sand on the beach, or a wave on the ocean. This world has long existed before me and will long exist after I'm gone. It was a humbling moment. But, then, I heard God speak to me, saying, "yes, I created all this long before there was you. And yes, my creation is much bigger than you. But you are still more important to me than all of it. Remember, I did not die for the mountains, the rivers, or the setting sun, I died for you. This creation will all end someday, but you will be with me forever in paradise." Of all the wonders that God has created, He still loves us more than all of it. That is also a humbling thought, but a life-giving humbling thought at that! Amen.

Almost Heaven...

Almost Heaven, West Virginia! I just recently returned from a Sr. High trip to West Virginia, where we did volunteer work with the National Parks and then did some whitewater rafting on the New River, & "duckying" on the Gauley River (A "ducky" is an inflatable kayak). The trip involved both hard work and hard play. Our work in the parks seemed unspiritual, but it was hard work and much appreciated by the park rangers. Our evenings were spent playing in the water and bonding as a group. It was a good week. The high point for me was probably on Thursday. Most of the day was spent on the Gauley River where "Old Man River" was laughing at me! The river definitely knows how to humble the proudest of egos. I felt confident going in that I could handle my ducky and not be taken victim like other novices. There were 54 of us, plus river guides, duckying down the river that day. After falling out of my ducky into the first 3 rapids, I was embarrassed, my confidence clearly shaken, and my ego sorely bruised. Luckily for me, thanks to the help of the amazing river guides, that was all that was bruised. As the trip down the river continued, the words to the song "You Never Let Go" started playing in my head. "Oh no, you never let go, through the calm and through the storm. Oh no, you never let go, in every high and every low. Oh no, you never let go, Lord. You never let go of me." The more I sang those words, the more my worries and fears subsided. And yes, I started to figure out how to survive the rapids. I only dumped in one more time out of about 20 more opportunities. What I learned on the river that day was a great metaphor for life. There are times when we can float along peacefully, enjoying the beauty around us (it was gorgeous!), and the company of our loved ones. Those are great times. There are also times when others are in troubled waters and we are called upon to lift them back to safety. It feels good to be a "hero," helping others in their time of need. And then there are times when we can't hold on and the river is taking us for a ride, washing over us, and we are helpless. It stinks to need help from others, but without it, I could have been swept under a rock and possibly drowned. I didn't care how I got back in my ducky, I just wanted back in! Yes it was humbling, but that is what community is all about. Helping when you can, receiving help when you need it, and being thankful for those that were on the ride with you! At the end of the day, only about 5 people didn't fall in the river, but we were all glad to have survived it together. We were all proud of one another, not for our "duckying" abilities, but for the community we had on (and IN) that river. I truly believe Jesus was at the center of it. Remembering that He never let's go of us, AND being surrounded by such a great community, was what kept me going and ultimately provided for me an awesomely spiritual experience. I truly believe that God's greatest gift to us is Jesus, and His next greatest gift to us is one another. Thanks, "Old Man River" for reminding me of what our Christian lives are all about. Amen.

Jesus, My Hero!

On this the holiest of weeks for Christians, I have been encouraged by my Men's group to write why Jesus is my hero. So here goes...
Jesus, you are my hero because you are always changing the old and making them new. You changed the course of history. Dates and times are based on your life. You changed entire cultures and their tradtions. You changed our view of God, how we know God, and how to draw near to God. We don't have to work to get to you, you came to us. You changed religion to relationship. You give us your unconditional love, grace, and forgiveness through your sacrafice instead of our having to earn your love. Because of your resurrection you have conquered the grave, changing our fear of death, and giving us eternal life!
You continue to change hardened hearts, drawing them to you through that love that you lavishly provide for us. Yes, Jesus, you are always changing the old for new, but you are never changing. You are our rock that doesn't roll. You are Alpha and Omega. Yes, you are the same always, but we never will be when we live our lives for you. Jesus, Thank you for being my hero.