Palm Sunday

All through Lent we have been using material created by Roddy Hamilton and his folks and it has been great. At least I think so and I believe our congregation enjoys being involved in the service. Our Sunday school young people make things ahead of time for the next Sunday and it's been wonderful to see their creations which they of course make with the assistance of their teachers.

I have been using a "talking" stick which is being wrapped with a different colored ribbon each week. These symbolize the story being told on that particular Sunday.  Today's was, of course, green for palm branches and gold for King Jesus. Our stick came to us by way of Colorado. It's a piece of twisted pine that I've had in my breezeway for years.  Who knew that God intended it to be a "talking" stick?

Today we had the addition of a banner that 30 young people made Friday and Saturday as they fasted for 30 hours. It's a bed sheet with "30 Hour Famine" spray painted and then each person's hand prints with their name.  It's pretty cool.  Can you imagine not eating one bite of food for 30 hours?  They did it and collected $1,500 for hungry children in the world. They even made their own cardboard shelters to sleep in Friday night.  Pictures will come later.

As a pastor it touched something deep within to see these young folks, all on their own, plan and coordinate the whole thing.  I was just a resource, a chaperone. It was a beautiful thing to watch unfold.

God does some amazing things with very ordinary people. I shouldn't be surprised but honestly I am.

So maybe in a week or so I'll be back to posting my Sunday messages. This has been an awesome week. I'm looking forward to Holy Week services and Sunday's celebration of Jesus' resurrection.

May you all be blessed and graced by God this week.

Spiritual Disciplines

For some reason I woke up early, before 4 a.m., and only God knows why. So after a cup of coffee, heated in the microwave, I'm catching up on things in the ethernet. 

One of the things I've read this morning, and it's something I've been reading and thinking about for a long time is spiritual disciplines. What they are and can they or will they bring me closer to or more aware of God and his presence in the world?

So, on RevGalBlogPals this morning the discussion is on this same topic. Mary Beth noted that in her church they are doing a Lenten study using Richard Foster's book Celebration of Discipline.  I have the book and have read bits of it in preparation for Great Plains Presbyterian Pilgrimage. I've not sat down and read the whole book. I think that's the story of my life. I have many books that I've only read bits and pieces of .

Anyhow, spiritual discipline is a topic that has been on my mind for a while. I have been doing morning prayers for some time. I find that easier to do when I'm at work in the church than when I'm at home. There I can be centered in prayer whether I'm reading from the Bible or one of my other books I have in the corner of the pew where I sit. 

Prayer is, I think, central to my spiritual discipline. I have a continual conversation with God but I've found that I need to take time to just sit in silence with him everyday. To be honest all I hear is the creaking of the boards in the church but I like to believe it's His footsteps as he let's me know he's there with me. Hokey maybe, but's why couldn't God make his presence known like that. He showed Moses a burning bush and Balaam's donkey talked to him so why not creaking floorboards in the church?

When I was working full-time as a project engineer I would get up this time of day to read, think, and pray but since I retired from that and now work as a full=time pastor I sleep in.  I kind of miss that quiet time and I wonder now why I quit.  Maybe it's because I like to sleep and be warm wrapped in my blankets.

Right now I'm reading Henri Nouwen. It's a book about prayer and how it is so very central to everything. So it is excerpts from many of his different writings on the subject. Here is a person who asks the same questions I do and yet centered his whole life on service to other people and God. God being first.

From what I read it looks as if he struggled with the discipline and the mystery of it too, but he never gave up. He prayed morning, noon, and evening. And probably more I think.

So, how do we discipling ourselves to be near to God and experience his presence? I find that I do it by reading, the Bible, other books, blogs, music, and prayer. Oh, and by visiting, being in community with people in this community where I live. And not necessarily just the folks in my worshipping community.

So, as you can probably see my attempt at spiritual discipline is messy, disorganized, and maybe haphazard but it has helped come closer to God.

One thing has been instrumental in all of this and that has been going to Great Plains Presbyterian Pilgrimage.  When I'm there my whole focus is on what God is doing in and through all of us as we serve him and our guests. I'm not there this month and I do miss it. But I am praying for them all and I know they are praying for us as well.

So, good friends, what are your spiritual disciplines? What are you doing that works for you, that brings you closer to the One who created us and loves us?

A Snake and a Wanderer

I haven't blogged for two weeks because I'm using some material put together by Roddy Hamilton's church in Scotland.  It is for Lent through the Easter season and its called Spill-the-Beans.  We are telling the stories from the Old Testament as monologues.

Last week the snake spoke to the congregation about why he did what he did and about the choices the woman creature and the man creature made. And how that changed everything.  God was sad, they were sad, and the snake was sad. We're sad.

This week without telling too much of the story we will hear from Abram and his journey to the Promised Land.

I have talked about the gospel and epistle lessons for so long its really fun to get back to the Message of God's love in the Hebrew Bible.  I love the old stories.

And so that brings me to what I've been thinking about for a while, stories, our stories.  You see I'm a member of the Evangelism & Discipleship committee in our presbytery and stories are how we evangelize. At least that's how I believe we tell the Good News of Jesus Christ. We tell "our" story. We tell others how God is actively present in our lives and why that all matters.

And, by telling our stories we can lead others into discipleship teaching them about God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit and God's love for us.   Sometimes we tell our stories without even using words.  Of course you all know that all ready. People are observing us all the time to see how we "really" react to the obstacles the world puts in our paths.

So, good friends, I will let you know next week how Abram's story went. It's a good story. Check it out in Genesis. 

Oh, by the way, pray for my sister June as she battles another round of breast cancer.  It's kind of hard to understand why so many of our family and friends have to suffer from this terrible disease. Maybe it's something we're doing to environment that causing it. I don't know but I'm getting awfully tired of it.

God's grace, peace, and joy be with you all,
Pastor David

A Mountain, Mysterious Appearances, A Cloud, Light, & THE VOICE

I’ve always hoped God would speak to me. I’ve wanted to hear his voice so I could be absolutely certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he exists. I’ve always kind of envied the disciples who walked with him, listened to his stories, were there when he gave sight to the blind, healed the crippled, and cast out the demons. Peter, James, and John got to do it all. They even got to see Jesus in his glory.


Now be honest, haven’t you wished God would speak to you? Wouldn’t you like to hear his voice? Don’t you think that we should expect God to speak to us? After all he spoke face to face with Moses. Abraham heard his voice. Jacob wrestled with an angel and he “knew” God was in that place. God spoke to the prophets, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah and others. Doesn’t it make sense that we should expect to hear God’s voice?

But then I wonder, would it really make any difference in how we live our lives if God spoke to us or invited us to meet him on top of a mountain and revealed his glory to us? If he did would we be more willing to give our all to him then? Would we be more willing to love and care for our sisters and brothers who are struggling with life? Would hearing God’s voice and seeing his glory change how we are and who we are today? I guess that’s something only each of us can give the answer to.

Speaking for myself if I heard God’s voice speaking to me, and it was just me and him, I’d probably have a heart attack, literally. Can you just imagine what it’d be like? It’s no wonder that Peter babbled on about building huts for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus.

But, of course, you’re all saying, “God isn’t going to speak to David, or me.” He’s way to busy to take the time to talk to me. I wonder if that’s true. Maybe he’s spoken to you and me and we just haven’t heard. That could happen. There are times people have said something to me and I never heard them. It’s not that I’m deaf, really, I just wasn’t paying attention.

I don’t think the lesson for us today is about hearing God’s voice or going up on a mountain to see God’s glory. I think the lesson for us is that believing in Jesus and inviting him into our hearts and our lives will change us from the inside out. Our faces may not glow like Moses' did after he talked with God. No one will probably see us talking with Elijah or Moses but I believe they will see that we are changed.

Spending time daily in God’s presence can’t help but transform us. Listening for God’s voice to speak to us will change us, whether we actually hear him speak or not. The act of sitting and waiting patiently for God will change us.

It all begins with believing those who were witnesses to the transfiguration of Jesus. If we believe their words that they were reliable witnesses then it makes it easier to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, God’s Chosen One, the Savior of the world.

That’s it. We are being asked to make a decision today. Do we believe Jesus was the Beloved Son of God or wasn’t he? Believing is the first step.

And after we’ve taken the first step it’s easier to take the next and the next and the next until we’ve finally given our all to the One who truly loves and cares for us. Once we’ve given him our allegiance we may wonder why we took so long.

Friends, God loves you and wants nothing more than to be loved by you. Thanks be to God for his loving grace. Amen.

Servants of Christ

Quite a few of us ask ourselves, and maybe God, “Why am I here?” I have to admit that I have asked God that very question.


Have any of you discovered the answer to that burning question? Do you know why God put you here? Maybe you’d like to share your discovery with us. No.

Well, then I’ll just have to share with you what I think the answer is and you’ll have to decide for yourselves whether you agree or not.

I believe that God has put us here in this place at this time to love Him. To love him with our hearts, minds, and souls and…to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. That’s it. We are here for God, to love him with all our being and…to love our neighbors.

Now that doesn’t sound so difficult until we come to the realization that that means everyone. Not just the people we know and love because they love us but even those we find not so lovely.

And I believe that when we are told by Jesus to love our neighbor that means that we care enough about them to actually see to their needs. We are called to be servants of Christ to them as Paul mentions in his second letter to the Corinthians.

Even that doesn’t sound like it would be too hard to do until we remember the neighbor down the street who spends his whole paycheck at the bar and then can’t come up with his monthly rent check. Or the young mother who can’t quit smoking and most of her check goes for that instead of groceries for her family. Or there’s the new family that moved to town and the husband lost his job and you notice that they have these really expensive new cell phones but they buy their groceries with food stamps. Then being a servant of Christ to them, without being judgmental, becomes awfully hard. In fact some people refuse to serve them at that point.

I don’t believe that Jesus meant for us to judge whether this person could be served and this other person couldn’t just because we know they’ve made some really bad life decisions. I believe that Jesus is asking us to serve all of them no matter what and let him be the one who does the judging.

Now, that doesn’t mean we have to approve of the decisions people make but it does mean that we are to love them and care for them just as God loves and cares for us, unconditionally. At least that’s what I believe.

Do I always do it right? Nope. In fact I find myself coming to God asking him to forgive me and give me another chance to get it right.

I don’t know if I answered the question right or not but it is what I believe. So if you are wondering why God has allowed you to live as many years as you have this may be the reason. There are folks that he wants you to lovingly serve. And of course while you are doing that he wants to receive your love too. He’s kind of jealous that way.

So, as we approach the season of Lent and Easter let’s think about why we are here and what we should be doing with the time God has given us. Let’s commit our lives to be ones of service to our fellow humans who live among us.

Instead of giving up something for Lent let’s instead serve our friends and neighbors by giving them our love with our whole being.

Thanks be to God for his loving grace. Amen.

Why Are You Here?

Why are you here? That question has been answered for you in the scriptures read this morning. You and I are here to be seasoning for the people we interact with every day. But, not only seasoning but light too, salt to bring out flavors and light so that God’s colors can be seen in all their beauty. We are here because we’re salty and bright.


I don’t mean we’re here this morning because we’re salty and full of light. No, I’m talking about why we’re here in this place at this time. We’re in this community as God’s children to bring out God’s flavors.

When you join a group of folks the flavor of that particular group is enhanced because you’re there. God brings us to certain groups, to particular people, so that we can help them see God’s kingdom here on earth.

Think about it. Why do we put salt and pepper, or any variety of herbs, on food before we eat it? We add these seasonings and spices to bring out the flavors that are hidden in the food. Without them they’re just not the same. In fact some food is pretty tasteless without some seasoning.

We can use the same reasoning to explain why we’re here in this place at this time. We are here to help people see, to find, to experience God’s gift of grace. Without us someone may not ever experience the joy of being in God’s presence.

Now I know that there are some here this morning who would rather not be put on a lamp stand. There are some who just aren’t comfortable being in the lime light let alone being the light. But, think about it, God has given you this one gift that is just what one person needs in order to be able see God’s kingdom. And if you don’t let your light be seen they may never see God’s kingdom.

So, good friends, we are here because we are the seasoning and the light that God needs in this place at this time. Without us someone may not ever get to experience God as only they could with our saltiness. Or they may never get to see the kingdom of God without our special light. Friends, that’s why we’re all here now. God needs our salt; he needs our light. His church needs your brand of spice and your degree of brightness.

So, today as we receive new members and install new elders ask God to use their salt and their light to bring us closer to his kingdom here on earth. As we receive the bread and the cup think about how different it would be if there were no salt in the bread or if there were no light to see the bread or the cup.

Friends, we are the salt and the light. Pray that God will use us today and this week so that someone else may become salt and light for the world.

Thanks be to God for his loving grace. Amen.

God's Wisdom

Who has God all figured out? Who understands God’s wisdom? Who has life figured out? Let's see a show of hands. Really, there are that many?


There was a time when I thought I had everything completely figured out. I knew what my purpose in life was. I knew what I was going to do with my life. I just knew that it was all part of a master plan and it was all going to be fine.

I soon discovered that I didn't know anything for certain. And I still don't. I used to believe that if I kept all the laws, the Ten Commandments, that God would bless me. Then I found out that wasn’t right either.

So, what is God's wisdom? And are we ever going to be able understand it? Has anyone ever figured it all out? I hope you're not expecting to hear all the answers from me this morning, because I for sure don't have it all figured out.

Friends, all I know for certain is what I've read in the Word, the very same Word you heard read this morning.

The prophet Micah was preaching to the people about how they had made such a mess of things by not living as God had directed them to live that they were going to be disciplined and they weren't going to like it. He asks a rhetorical question that says, “What can I bring with me when I come before the Lord, when I bow before God on high?

Should I come before him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with a thousand male sheep? Will he be pleased with ten thousand rivers of oil?

Should I give my first child for the evil I have done? Should I give my very own child for my sin?" And Micah replies, “God has told you what you need to do. Do what is good. Be kind to your neighbors. Live humbly and obey God.”

How many of us can honestly say we’ve been successful in doing all these things? No one I would imagine. I know I haven't.

And that brings us to the lesson from Matthew where Jesus took his disciples up on top of the hill and taught them. The lessons he taught them probably weren't what they expected to hear. Shoot, they're not what we really expect to hear either.

Jesus climbs the mountain followed by those he had chosen to be his disciples. He sits down, gets himself all set and then he opens his mouth. The words that he speaks aren’t what any of them expected. The poor are blessed? The hungry are blessed? The lost are blessed? How can being in any of those situations be a blessing?

Think back to the last paragraph from last week’s gospel lesson. What was Jesus doing? Matthew said that Jesus healed people of all their ailments, physical, mental, and emotional. As word got around people from all over the region were bringing their friends, their neighbors, and their relatives to Jesus to be healed; some just by touching the hem of Jesus’ robe. Jesus saw so many folks who were beaten and battered by their health, by the world, even by their own religious leaders and he blessed them.

Because of everything he was seeing, every person he touched, he knew that he had to teach his disciples how to care for these folks when he wasn’t here to do it anymore.

Now tell me, who do you think of when you think of someone who is blessed? Does a homeless person living on the streets in Omaha come to your mind immediately? Do you picture someone who has just lost a loved one to cancer as being blessed? No.

We think those who are blessed as those who have won the lottery or have made wise investments with their money. Those who are blessed are those who have beautiful mansions and fancy cars and maybe retire early so they can enjoy their golden years. These are the people we think are blessed, not those others.

But Jesus says they are the ones who receive the blessings. How does that work? Where’s the wisdom in that?

Paul says that the teachings about the cross are foolishness to those who don’t know the Christ. But God chose to do it that way. What the old order had been doing wasn’t bringing anyone closer to the kingdom of God. So God chose to do it differently. He died on a cross for us so we could be saved. He blesses those who are down on their luck. He blesses those who are suffering. And he asks us to bless them by offering them a hand, caring for their needs, and loving them as God’s children no matter what. God blesses those who stand up for the poor, the homeless, and the oppressed. God blesses those who speak up for them even when it’s not the popular thing to do.

That’s God’s wisdom. It’s not what we’ve been taught in school. That’s not what the world teaches us. But that’s what God is teaching us. God blesses those who are so near the bottom they have no hope of being saved. But God in his wisdom, not ours, blesses them.

Didn’t Jesus say that those who were last would be first and those who were first would be last? That’s God’s wisdom not the world’s.

So what do you think? Where are we, the first or the last? What’s the lesson for us? Friends, I think what God is telling us is that we must learn to love those who are struggling in this life. Not pity them, not judge them, but love them, care for them, give them a hand up not just say to them, “God’s blessing to you.” That’s God’s wisdom not ours.

When we accept our responsibility then they are blessed and so are we. But it’s not about us it’s about God and his love for his children.

So, what the world sees as foolish God sees as wise. I wonder, are we beginning to understand God’s wisdom and how we fit into his plan?

Friends, God loves all his children. His grace is for everyone. Thanks be to God. Amen.