CREDIT: Lewis W. Hine, Smithsonian American Art Museum

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

A devotion I read had this little anecdote about a church sign in “farm country.” It said, “Pray for a good harvest, but keep on hoeing.” There’s a lot of truth to those words. It shows faith in God’s promise to hear prayer. And it reflects the truth that God gives us all gifts to be used to fulfill His will in the world.

Jesus began His ministry without any disciples. However, as He gave people the gift of His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) the number of disciples grew. Then He let His disciples witness His divine power through healings, mastery over nature, and exorcising evil demons (Matthew 8-9). But these gifts simply set the stage for what Jesus truly intended for His disciples. Yes, He wanted them to believe in Him and His work. Yes, He wanted them to follow His example and live according to His teachings. But, more importantly, He wanted them to use these gifts to lead others to saving faith in Him.

Jesus selected twelve of His disciples to be Apostles, from the Greek word ἀποστέλλω (apostello) which means “sent out.” They were to go into the world using the gifts He’d given them to say, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 10:7) Jesus taught them to pray and called them do so that God would save the lost sheep of Israel. He also called them to be the means, the workers, God used to bring His kingdom to fruition.

Two-thousand years later, we’re Jesus’ disciples. God has blessed each of us with many gifts, including the gift of saving faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection. We know God hears and answers our prayers. However, we also need to realize that we are quite often the answer to prayers — our own and others. As we pray for family, friends, and neighbors to come to Christ, remember to “keep on hoeing.” God has gifted us to faithfully work the fields, so He can bring in the rich harvest.

                                                                                                In Christian Love,

                                                                                                Pastor Jim

Dear Disciples of Christ,

“When do you go to a doctor?” The obvious answer – “When you’re sick.” We might try home remedies or cures we’ve found on “Life Hacks” websites. But when we try to heal ourselves, and fail, it’s time to see the doctor. That’s why we have them – to heal us when we can’t heal ourselves. Unfortunately, we must usually make an appointment to see them. They rarely come to see us. Nevertheless, at the doctor’s office or our home, the doctor can bring healing when we can’t heal ourselves.

Left untreated, disease can lead to death. Which is why Martin Luther used the analogy of disease, doctors, and medicine to explain sin – the disease we all have – and forgiveness – the healing we can only receive from “the doctor”, Jesus, the Son of God. Fortunately for us, Jesus makes house calls!

Right after calling a dreaded tax collector, Matthew – also called Levi, to be one of His disciples, Jesus went to Matthew’s house for dinner (Luke 5:27-29). There, all kinds of tax collectors and other sinners gathered with Him … Jesus was exposed to them all. The Pharisees questioned Jesus’ choice of company, “Why is He hanging out with all these sinners!? Doesn’t He know that’s a good way to catch sin-itis too?” Jesus responds, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick … I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:12-13) 

Jesus, the Son of God, not only made a house call to Matthew and his friends to bring them His healing grace and mercy; but He also comes into our lives to bring us healing from the deadly disease of sin. Despite being immersed in a sin-filled world, Jesus never caught the disease. His perfect life, suffering, and death brings the cure for our sin – His Father’s forgiveness. And His resurrection eliminates sin’s effects – restoring us to eternal life. We can’t heal ourselves. Thank God for His love and sending His Son to make a house call and bring us healing.

                                                                        In Christ’s Love,

                                                                        Pastor Jim

Dear Disciples of Christ,

Can three things exist together at the same time and place as one thing? In nature, under very specific conditions liquid water, frozen water, and vaporized water can all exist at the same time and place. It’s one thing – water, yet in three phases together – liquid, ice, and steam. The “Triple Point of Water” exists when water is exactly 32.018 degrees Fahrenheit at 611.657 Pascals (a unit of pressure). Check it out at this link.

The Triple of Water – or any other substance – is similar to, but not exactly like, one of God’s mysteries. Based on God’s word, we believe there is one God and we should have no other gods (Deuteronomy 6:4, Exodus 20:3). However, from God’s word, we also believe in three persons of God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). We call this the Trinity, a word that combines “tri” – meaning “three” – and “unity” – meaning “one.”

The Trinity, the three persons of God, show up at the same time and place as the one, true God throughout scripture. There’s Jesus’ baptism – the Son is standing in water as the Father praises Him while the Holy Spirit descends upon Him (Matthew 3:16-17). But even before time began, the Trinity existed. Genesis 1 tells us the Spirit hovered over the face of the waters as the Father spoke all things into existence. You might ask, “I see the Spirit. I see the Father. But where’s the Son?” John tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1,14) All things, seen and unseen, were created by the Word, the Son of God, who became flesh, living among us. The Trinity – three persons of God, yet also one God. It’s a mystery we believe in faith, but we see and know it to be true through God’s word.

                                                                        In Christ’s Love,

                                                                        Pastor Jim

CREDIT: Wally Gobetz

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”  After two years of instruction at First Lutheran, Confirmation students confirm their faith in Christ. But Confirmation Day is not the end. It’s “the first day of the rest of their lives of faith.”  Today is also the first day of the rest of all our lives of faith. 

Last week, we celebrated Jesus’ Ascension. Jesus told His disciples, “You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:48-49) Ten days later, that power swept down upon the disciples as promised. The Holy Spirit enabled the Apostles—simple, working-class men from Galilee—to clearly proclaim the gospel of Christ to people from around the world in their own language (Acts 2:1-13)! This “1st century United Nations” heard the good news that “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:21) Pentecost signaled the beginning of a new life of faith for God’s creation. “Clothed with power from on high” the disciples would never be alone as God worked through them to reach all mankind. They became the world’s first “Confirmation teachers” by instructing all mankind in the essential elements of the Christian faith.

Confirmation provides Christians with knowledge and insight to faithfully proclaim their faith to all who ask about Jesus. But this instruction from God is only a continuation of the rest of our lives of faith. Each of us are called by Jesus to a life of continuous learning to continue to grow in His word through regular worship—hearing His word, receiving His grace. We’re also called to show His love in our words and deeds to those He brings into our lives. Then, one day, when Jesus Christ returns as promised, He’ll find a world filled with His disciples whom He’ll joyfully bring into eternal life in His glorious kingdom.

                                                                                        In the Love of Christ,

                                                                                        Pastor Jim

CREDIT: Ryk Neethling, 2010

Dear Easter People,

Name the four biggest days of the church year. I’ll give you a moment … 

I’m sure you thought of Christmas and Easter. Perhaps you thought of Pentecost. How about Ascension? Ascension is the day Jesus returned to His Father in heaven. It’s among the church year’s most important days because we celebrate Jesus going ahead to prepare a place for us to live forever and His gift to us of the Holy Spirit (John 14:1-3, 26).

Jesus departed physically, but it didn’t mean He has disappeared from our lives. In fact, immediately after ascending, His disciples went to the Temple to be with Him (Luke 24:50-53). They prayed for His guidance in selecting a new Apostle (Acts 1:24-25). They prayed to Him as they organized their new community of believers (Acts 2:42). They prayed for His help as they proclaimed His gospel to others (Acts 4:29-30). Whenever they needed to hear from Jesus – they prayed, and He answered them. What’s more, Jesus continually spoke to His disciples as they recounted His gospel to everyone they came in contact with. Jesus was never far away from His faithful people then …

Nor is He far from us today. Through the Spirit, received in Baptism we believe Jesus and His promises. Through the Spirit, whenever you open His word and read it, or hear it spoken, you know Jesus is right there with you – speaking to you in those words. Whenever you open your heart and lips in prayer, He is near to you – speaking to you through His answers. Whenever you come to worship, He is present in His word and in His Sacrament of Holy Communion. He is never far from you. And one day, He promises to return. When He comes back, He will return to judge all the living and the dead. Then He will bring all who believe in Him back to His Kingdom to dwell in the places He has prepared for us. Jesus is never far from us. He’s here right now.

                                               In Our Risen and Ascended Savior’s Love,

                                               Pastor Jim

Dear Easter People,

Happy Mother’s Day! We all have one thing in common – we have a mother. As I ask God to bless and keep all our mothers – the ones who bore us, the ones who cared for us, the ones who love us, I know not everyone’s “mother experience” is the same. No matter who you consider to be your mom, I hope you appreciate their help – their teaching, their comforting, their encouraging, their presence along the way. In these and many other ways, our moms have helped us get to where we are today.

I understand our experiences with our own mothers are all different – and for me personally, I’m more thankful than you can imagine for the help and support mine has given me throughout my life. But as much as I know she helped me in my life, there’s another who has helped me … who has helped all of us … even more. God tells us He won’t leave us alone, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:18) He gives us another Helper, the Holy Spirit to be with us forever; to dwell within us all the days of our lives (John 14:16-17).

It is this gift of the Spirit that enables us to live as God’s own children, His sons and daughters. The Holy Spirit, given in baptism, takes up residence in our hearts. He helps us to live our lives in accord with God’s Commandments, loving Him and loving our neighbors – the people we like – who look, act, and agree with us, as well as the people we don’t like – who don’t look, act, or agree with us. Keeping the Commandments perfectly is impossible. But that’s where the Spirit helps us most. He helps us see how we fail to keep God’s commandments. He helps us turn back to God to ask for His forgiveness – which He gives. Then He helps us continue on, loving better than we ever could without Him. It’s the exact help we all truly need.

ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN!

Pastor Jim

Dear Easter People,

I follow my favorite sports teams closely. My favorite football team struggled somewhat last year. They had many good skill players – those making the flashy plays, scoring the points, getting the headlines. But the team struggled because they lacked equally good “behind-the-scenes” players to help the skill players excel at what they were drafted to do. So, in the draft of new players, they selected some behind-the-scenes players to help the skills players perform better. Hopefully success will follow next season!

Long before anyone ever even dreamed of a thing called the NFL, the early church’s first “skill players” had a problem. The Apostles were God’s skill players, chosen by Jesus as His representatives in the world. Jesus called them to “make the flashy plays” by preaching and teaching everyone about Him to “score points” by bringing more to faith through the Holy Spirit. They had a problem though; they were also responsible for taking care of all the behind-the-scenes work needed to care for those who already believed (Acts 6:1-2). To address the problem, they held a “draft” to select a team to take care of the work of the church within the church. This allowed them to focus on proclaiming God’s word outside the church. The draft was successful as “the word of God continued to increase, and the number of disciples multiplied greatly.” (Acts 6:7)

God is still increasing His word, growing the number of His disciples. He does this through His church – the gathering of all who believe in His word and promise that Jesus suffered, died, rose from the dead, and will return one day to gather these believers into the kingdom of God. Until that day, God has drafted us to use the gifts He’s given us – some to be proclaimers of His word, others to work behind the scenes. But all of us are drafted to do something. Therefore, prayerfully consider how you might use your gifts to serve God and His people in some way to increase His word and grow more disciples.

ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN!

                                                                    Pastor Jim