Ephesians 2:11-22 “Brought Near”

As I prayerfully considered what book of the Bible to preach for my last sermon series at King of Glory Lutheran before I take up my new call at Solid Rock Free Lutheran, I felt led to the book of Ephesians. It is an excellent book and I have enjoyed preaching the first few texts. There are only so many weeks left and unfortunately I am not able to cover every verse in the sermon series as I would like. Some texts got “squeezed out” of the sermon series. Instead of preaching them, I decided to write a blog post on the portions that I won’t preach. This is the first installment of this mini-series of blog posts.

So here’s the deal. I want you to stop reading this right now, open your Bible and read the “sermon text” of Ephesians 2:11-22. Go ahead, I’ll wait for you.

OK, you’re back! Thanks for taking the time to read the Bible. I hope one thing you remember about having me as your pastor is that I encouraged you to read and study the Bible in your daily life.

Did you find this section of verses in Ephesians 2 to be encouraging? I know I did. In fact, I’m regretting not preaching this text: it is so good! The theme that I want to highlight in this post is the nearness of God. If you were to read through this text again to find every reference to something involving nearness, you’d be surprised at how much you would find. Go ahead and scan through this text again.

This spatial proximity motif helps us understand the Gospel goodness from a different perspective. Verse 13 especially highlights this theme: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” The Apostle Paul is speaking to this group of Christians who once felt what it was like to be far from God, to be “separated,” “alienated” and “strangers.” The conclusion of the description of what the Gentile saints in Ephesus once were apart from Christ is striking: “having no hope and without God in the world.”

I have heard many Christians use distance to describe their relationship with God. “God feels far away,” one Christian told me. Another said, “During that song I felt that God was wrapping His arms around me.” As people we know what it is like to be close or to feel far away from someone in a relational sense. This human emotion is tapped into as a way of describing the work that God has done in our lives. In verse 17 Paul writes, “And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.”

The remainder of the passage describes us as being brought near to God. As He does this in the lives of other Christians, we find that we are brought near to God…together. The image that comes to my mind is a magnet. As the gravitational pull of a magnet sucks in and pulls close every piece of metal nearby, the metal pieces clump together on the magnet. When my parents were remodeling our house during my teenage years, I remember frequently taking a long stick with a hockey puck shaped magnet on the end and walking around the yard to pick up any nails that might have dropped in the grass. Every trip around the yard with that magnet stick accumulated a random collection of pieces of metal. Doesn’t that seem like a good description of church: we are a random collection of Christians pulled together by the Gospel and joining ourselves together not because we are all alike, but because we have the same Savior. God brings us together in the body of Christ. He pulls us near. We are now a “holy temple in the Lord” (verse 21) and a “dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” (verse 22).

Rejoice in these truths today, friends! Believe the Gospel. It’s good to be comforted by the nearness of God and the close-knit fellowship of the body of Christ, the church. You were once far off, but now you have been brought near. Hallelujah!

And so this Sunday (March 21, 2021), we will hear the next passage, Ephesians 3:1-13, in our sermon. That text will build on the theme of various types of people being brought together in the body of Christ. Please pray with me as we prepare to hear, listen, and receive God’s Word applied to us. See you Sunday!

In Christ,

Pr Brett

Worshipping Indoors Fall 2020

As we prepare to kick off another “school year” of ministry, I thought I would provide an update about worshipping at King of Glory Lutheran this Fall 2020. We enjoyed many outdoor worship services this past summer, but now that the weather will be turning to colder temperatures, we will be worshipping indoors from here on out. We pray for the stop of the spread of COVID-19.

Here is a summary of what to consider as you join us to worship the Lord.  If you have any questions, please contact me or any Council member.

• If you show signs of sickness, or are at high risk for sickness, we strongly encourage you to stay home.  There is no shame in making this decision.  Our priority is the safety of every congregational member. 

• In light of the “mask mandate” from Governor Walz, we ask that you wear a mask. If you do not have your own, we have masks available.

• Hand sanitizer will be stationed in the entryway alongside the bulletins and the basket for tithes & offerings (we won’t pass the offering plates during our worship service). 

• In order to meet capacity requirements and maintain physical distancing, every other pew will be roped off.  We have opened the glass doors in the back of the sanctuary so that people can sit in the entryway and still participate in the worship service. There are rows of chairs and a few couches to sit on. Once these areas are filled up, there is an overflow area in our fellowship hall where with speakers to hear the worship service.

• Six feet of physical distancing between households will be kept.  (A “household" is a group of people that live in the same house, which could be a single person, a couple, or parents with children, etc). 

• We ask that everyone enter and exit the church building through the main entrance.  The side doors will be locked. The main entrance doors and doors to the sanctuary will be propped open.  The Council will serve as ushers, greeting you outside the main entrance and helping each household find a seat in the sanctuary meeting the physical distancing standards in the point above. We ask that you come right into the sanctuary.  

• The drinking fountain will be roped off.  The restrooms will be available for use, but one household at a time.  A sign on the door stating, “Please knock before entering. Only one household at a time” will be on each restroom door.  Please wash your hands appropriately. 

• At the conclusion of the worship service, we ask that everyone safely exit the building, keeping physically distanced between households.  There will be no coffee or donuts served.  If you would like to fellowship with each other, you may do so outside in the parking lot or church yard, keeping a distance of six feet between households.

May the Lord bless us this year as we are strengthened in our faith as we gather together around God’s Word and the fellowship of God’s people!

in Christ,

Pastor Brett Boe

In-person Worship Services to Resume June 7, 2020

The Church Council met recently in response to Governor Walz’ updated orders regarding churches that he gave over the weekend of May 24th.  After much prayerful discussion, the Council voted last night to resume in-person worship services on June 7th (9:30am summer schedule).  We will continue to provide video of our worship services on our YouTube channel for those who choose to stay home as we re-open.  

Click here to watch a “walkthrough” video from Pastor Brett that provides guidance for what to expect when returning to church.

There is much to communicate regarding this decision.  I will summarize the key points about how we are planning to resume in-person gatherings safely, keeping in line with CDC guidelines.  If you have any questions, please contact me or any Council member.

• If you show signs of sickness, or are at high risk for sickness, we strongly encourage you to stay home.  There is no shame in making this decision.  Our priority is the safety of every congregational member. 

• “Occupancy must not exceed 25 percent of the normal occupant capacity as determined by the fire marshal.” To meet this requirement, 25% capacity of our sanctuary is 37 people.  Every other pew will be roped off.  

• Six feet of physical distancing between households will be kept.  (A “household" is a group of people that live in the same house, which could be a single person, a couple, or parents with children, etc). There will be overflow seating with speakers turned on in the entryway (couches), and also in the fellowship hall. 

• We ask that everyone enter and exit the church building through the main entrance.  The side doors will be locked. The main entrance doors and doors to the sanctuary will be propped open.  The Council will serve as ushers, greeting you outside the main entrance and helping each household find a seat in the sanctuary meeting the physical distancing standards in the point above. We ask that you come right into the sanctuary.  

• We strongly encourage you to wear a mask.  If you can bring your own, great.  If not, we will have masks available. Hand sanitizer will be stationed in the entryway alongside the bulletins and the basket for tithes & offerings (we won’t pass the offering plates during our worship service). 

• The drinking fountain will be roped off.  The restrooms will be available for use, but one household at a time.  A sign on the door stating, “Please knock before entering. Only one household at a time” will be on each restroom door.  Please wash your hands appropriately. 

• At the conclusion of the worship service, we ask that everyone safely exit the building, keeping physically distanced between households.  There will be no coffee or donuts served.  If you would like to fellowship with each other, you may do so outside in the parking lot or church yard, keeping a distance of six feet between households.

Good Friday Tenebrae Service at Home

Since we cannot meet in person on this Good Friday, I decided to offer a way for you to experience our Tenebrae service at home. “Tenebrae” is the Latin word for “shadows.” In a Tenebrae service, candles are extinguished to represent the snuffing out of the life of Christ as He died for our sins. Tenebrae services have been practiced by the Church through the centuries. Below you will find instructions on how to conduct a Tenebrae service at your home this Good Friday.

Before you begin:

• Decide a spot in your home where you will set up as a family to do this service. Make sure there is sufficient darkness.

• Decide if you’d like to include any music as part of your time. Queue the music on your computer or phone to be played at certain points that you choose.

• Decide how many candles to set up. You will be extinguishing seven candles. One candle, the “Christ candle” will be lit the entire time. There are two ways you could do this: You could use eight candles, designating one as the “Christ candle” to stay lit and seven to be extinguished throughout the service. You could use two candles, one designated as the “Christ candle” and one to be extinguished and re-lit seven times.

• Choose a “leader” for this service. This is an opportunity for fathers and husbands to step up and lead your family. Some of you may be doing this alone. That is perfectly fine. Feel free to comment on or discuss each Scripture reading.

• Choose who will read each Scripture passage. This could be the “leader” or each family member can take turns .

• Enjoy and share your reflections with me!

GOOD FRIDAY TENEBRAE SERVICE AT HOME

• Begin with prayer.

• Read Luke 22: 47-53 “Jesus is arrested”

• First candle extinguished.

• Read Luke 22: 54-62 “Peter disowns Jesus”

• Second candle extinguished.

• Read Luke 22:63 - 23:12 “Jesus before Pilate and Herod”

• Third candle extinguished.

• Read Luke 23: 13-25 “Jesus is sentenced”

• Fourth candle extinguished.

• Read Luke 23: 26-43 “Jesus is crucified”

• Fifth candle extinguished.

• Read Luke 23: 44-46 “Jesus dies”

• Sixth candle extinguished.

• Read Luke 23: 47-56a “Jesus is buried”

• Seventh candle extinguished.

• Whisper The Lord’s Prayer.

  • Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven; Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

• Christ Candle Is carried out.

• The Closing of the Tomb (slam a door) - a King of Glory tradition!

• Christ Candle is brought in.

• Spend a time in silence

2020 Lent Recap

What a season of Lent we have had! I’m sure we will never forget the last month+ as the time when COVID-19 swept across the world and left us closing down in-person meetings.

Since Lent was “interrupted” by the corona virus, I’d thought it would be helpful to provide a recap of our sermon series, “To the Finish.” Below you will find links to either listen to or watch each sermon. A brief summary of each sermon is also provided.

We chose our theme “To the Finish” to coincide with our planned Good Friday Tenebrae service cantata “It is Finished.” We were unfortunately unable to have this event. Each sermon is based on an event that happened on each day during Holy Week, thus walking us through the events “to the finish,” to the cross.

Monday: Cleansing the Temple - In this sermon Pastor Brett Boe begins the Lenten sermon series by examining the cleansing of the temple by Jesus. We were called to true repentance and faith, not abusing our place of worship.

Tuesday: Fig Tree - Through the cursing of the fig tree, Jesus taught His disciples lessons on prayer that can be received by us today.

Tuesday: Parables - Jesus shared a number of parables during Holy Week, but we zoom in on the parable of the vinedressers in this sermon. Pastor Brett shows how our lives can produce fruit as we are connected to Jesus.

Tuesday: Questions - In this sermon (the first sermon we recorded in light of our cancellations due to the COVID-19 crisis) Parish Assistant Alex Woodworth fleshes out the two greatest commands that Jesus gave in response to a question He was asked on the Tuesday of Holy Week.

Wednesday: Plot - We take a look at the plot to kill Jesus, both from the perspective of the religious leaders and from the perspective of Judas Iscariot. Why does God allow this to happen?

Thursday: The Upper Room - Pastor Brett wraps up the Lenten sermon series with a sermon on the event of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. Through God’s Spirit at work in us, we too can serve others around us.

BONUS!! While not technically part of the Lenten preaching series, I did mention in my Palm Sunday sermon “Crowds” that this event was actually “episode one” in the Lenten series, happening before all of these events as a kickoff to Holy Week.

Stay tuned for more content on Good Friday and Easter Sunday!

Special Announcement from the KoG Council

Dear King of Glory Lutheran friends, 

Our Church Council met this evening and made this resolution: "In light of the CDC recommendations concerning the COVID-19 virus all in-person church activities will be cancelled through Easter Sunday, April 12. The Council will continue to monitor the situation weekly.”

We will plan to livestream Sunday sermons and the remaining Lenten services on our church YouTube account that will be created soon. If you haven’t already liked our church Facebook page, now would be a good time to do so. Any updates will be posted on our church website in addition to our Facebook page. 

The financial needs of the church continue.  Please consider online giving as an option. You may also mail checks to the church office in the meantime. 

I will continue to send out weekly update emails on Fridays with any announcements or changes. We will stay connected these days.  I would also encourage you to stay in touch with fellow church members through phone calls and messages. 

If you have any physical and/or spiritual needs in the midst of this crisis, please contact the church. 

Please pass this information along to those you know who aren’t on email. 

We are thankful that the Lord is sovereign and in control of all history.  During this Lenten season we continue in this time of repentance and faith.  We daily take up our cross and follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

In Christ,

Pastor Brett Boe

We are having church on Sun, March 15, 2020

We are still having church this Sunday, March 15, 2020.  With all of the discussion surrounding the corona virus (COVID-19), the Church Council and myself have been discussing what we should do as a congregation.  As always, we seek to entrust ourselves to the Lord and not live in fear or go down the path of increasing anxiety. We are a gathering of people so we do want to take these precautions for this Sunday and coming church events, including worship services, Lenten services, Sunday School, etc, until the virus dies down. With that said, we as a Council and pastor encourage these things:

- If anyone has a cough, fever, or any sickness, we encourage you to stay home.
- We encourage everyone to use good hygiene (as always, of course, but especially these days). I heard someone encouraging people to say the Lord’s Prayer while washing one’s hands, because that amount of time is perfect for washing hands. :)
- We encourage no shaking hands (this would include the greeters at the door, and for me as I greet people after the service.  I will position myself at the back of the sanctuary as I usually do - perhaps we can come up with creative ways to greet one another!)
- We won't pass the offering plates (We will have offering plates available similar to when we do freewill offerings)

-We also won’t have our usual fellowship time with donuts, coffee, juice, etc.

I don’t want you to feel guilty for choosing to stay home if that’s your decision.  I’d like to hear from you if you do. In all of this, we walk by faith and not by sight.  May the Lord stop the spread of this virus.  May the Lord draw us near to Him as we know our lives are always in His hands.

See you Sunday!
in Christ,
Pr Brett

Spiritual Gifts, the Mini-Series

As I preached through 1 Corinthians 12-14, I had the sensation that this particular group of sermons comprised a mini-series within the greater sermon series. My wife and I enjoy watching TV shows when we can (if we can find one that is both clean enough and good enough to watch). We enjoy the flow of a series, building upon themes as each episode gets released. I’d like to take a minute to briefly wrap-up this mini-series and encourage you to keep reflecting on these texts of Scripture. The topic of spiritual gifts is so vital for healthy congregations - and that’s what I am aiming for, hoping for, praying for, and working for. (Sorry to have a dangling participle in that last sentence - it was for dramatic effect!).

In “Spiritual Gifts” I preached the introductory message of this mini-series (1 Corinthians 12:1-11). This sermon sets the stage well for the rest of the sermons in this “mini-series.”

“Members of Christ’s Body” (1 Corinthians 12:12-31) - This sermon included a reference to PJ Fleck, the coach of the Minnesota Gophers football team, a hilarious conversation between different body parts, and a serious call to biblical church membership.

In “Not a Wedding Sermon” (1 Corinthians 13:1-13) - What great mini-series doesn’t have a love story? In this sermon, we came to realize that a sermon text that is often shared at weddings is actually set in the context of a discussion on spiritual gifts.

“God is Really Among You“ (1 Corinthians 14:1-25) - Here we get into the nitty gritty of the use of spiritual gifts within the congregation, especially prophesy and speaking in tongues. These gifts are defined and discussed.

“Orderly Worship” (1 Corinthians 14:26-40) - In a section that contains some issues that are hard to discuss, we wrapped up this mini-series with a picture of what our worship services should strive towards: orderly gatherings with the purpose of building up the saints.

If you were to use your mind’s eye and imagine what a healthy congregation would look like with these elements being lived out in the power and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, what kind of scene would you see? As I close my eyes at my desk, I am watching a masterpiece of a program unfold before me that is compelling, gripping, and enticing. It pulls me in. This vision drives me forward, seeking the Lord to bring these things among us.

Book Recommendation: "I am a Church Member"

In light of the sermon this past Sunday (November 10, 2019) on being a member of the body of Christ, I want to make a book recommendation. The small book by Thom Rainer entitled “I am a Church Member” is an excellent primer on what it means to be a church member. Buy this book and read it. Better yet, seek to put this teaching into practice. You (and your fellow church members at King of Glory) will be blessed.

Thinking and Responding Biblically to Gender Identity Issues in Culture

For the last few weeks our adult Sunday School class has been learning about and discussing gender identity issues in the culture. I promised to give the students in that class links to recommended resources to read, listen, or watch to continue growing in wisdom concerning this important topic. Below you will find general recommendations of sources for excellent content from a biblical worldview along with recommendations of individual articles or videos.

Recommended Sources:

Breakpoint - John Stonestreet

World Magazine and/or “World & Everything In It” daily podcast

Focus on the Family

Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood- they have a weekly summary with links to stories about gender and sexuality in the church and in society

Individual Resources:

Pastor Wade Mobley, President of AFLC Schools, at FLY 2019

Owen Strachan sessions at Free Lutheran Schools in 2017

He, She, Ze, Zir? Navigating pronouns while loving your transgender neighbor

Responding to a Transgender Family Member

SIT 2019 - Thursday "Influence is the New Attendance"

The impact of small churches is more about influence than attendance

If we’re not focusing on numbers, why not start looking at the impact that we can have and the advantages of being small.

You might not see that numerical growth that coincides with the growth of influence.

The pastoral Prime Mandate: to equip God’s people for works of service (Eph 4:11-12)

The three essential elements of a healthy, effective church: The Great Commandment, Great Commission and Equipping God’s people

• Unhealthy churches aren’t doing the Great Commandment, the Great Commission or equipping the saints

• Loving, but ineffective churches are doing the Great Commandment, but not the Great Commission or equipping God’s people

• Overworked pastor and passive members when we’re doing the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, but are not equipping God’s people

• Healthy, effective churches and pastors are doing all three

Karl- When our church was unhealthy, we focused on the Great Commandment: Love God (worship services), Love others (potlucks). That was all we did. We healed to the point of moving towards the Great Commission.

If you do all the work for your church, they’ll let you.

Greatest way to increase influence: mentoring. Equip the people you have to reach the people you don’t have

Do ministry from the church, not just in the church. In practice, we are actually trying to get people into our seats.

Influential small churches do:

fewer events- If we add something in the week, we need to give them something that they aren’t getting on Sunday morning (worship, teaching, fellowship). In small churches, they can’t get ‘outside the walls’ ministry on a Sunday morning. Big churches push small group ministry because people can’t get fellowship on Sunday morning. But in small churches they can get all of that on Sunday morning.

simpler structures- we need to develop a strategy for our church of how we grow people in maturity

deeper relationships-

What does your church do that your phone can’t do? We have to do what only the church can do. Physically be in the same room with other people who love Jesus too. Swing back to ‘analog’ over ‘digital’ - what an opportunity for church.

SIT 2019 - Wednesday "How to Discover and Use What Your Church Does Well"

primary difference between two types of small churches

50 people- as a pastor you can be there for everyone

150 people- you are pushed more to equip others; you can be main provider of ministry but you have to have trained others

most of us are “chaplain-ing” (does ministry for people & bring ministry to people) our churches and not “pastoring” (equip people to do work of ministry) our churches.

recommended book: “Dirt Matters” Jim Powell

Pastor in rural Indiana who had an ‘ah-ha’ moment “We do funeral receptions well!” He told the funeral director that they would host funeral receptions for anyone who died in their town. As a result, they touched the lives of everyone in that town/county and grew. “Church growth through funeral receptions”

Do what you know to do, pay attention to what works, and why

After you discover what your church does well, do it on purpose

Front-load the value: feature what you do well

The smaller your church is, the more singular your focus needs to be

Use the “closet rule” for ministries: Don’t add a new one until you’ve dropped an old one

What does your church do well, that you would like to do more of?

What does your church do poorly, that you would like to do less of?

Ask: “If our church wasn’t already doing this, would we start doing it?”

after every event, we do a major assessment - what worked? what didn’t?

can a church do senior ministry primarily? you have to be thinking at least the decade out; consider following groups like AARP to see how they keep on the cutting edge of senior ministry

We have to stop being driven by our structures, programs and habits

We don’t need ‘cool’ churches. We need churches that are appropriate for our context.

Move out of a destination mindset and into a process orientation

destination mindset- we arrived at that destination & we stayed there (we got the building, we’ve bolted pews, and the pulpit won’t be moved until the last member of the family that donated the pulpit has died) now we can ‘rest’ but then we lose touch with the neighborhood

Most unhealthy churches look like what their neighborhood used to look like at the time when the church was founded or at the time when the last great pastor was there.

process orientation- we are going to change things but we will explain why & have a process for it.

Churches can handle change, but they don’t like to be surprised

The Sweet Spot: God, the church and the pastor’s hearts meet

The Default: God and the pastor, but not the church

The Listening Place: God and the church, but not the pastor

The Danger Zone: The Church and the pastor, but not God

Do not mistake the absence of conflict for the presence of God.

It’s OK for a pastor’s vision to be helping people fulfill their vision.

SIT 2019 - Tuesday "Big Churches, Small Churches – What’s the Difference?"

Karl’s church grew to 150 people after 15 years, then in two years grew to 400, then in one year was back down to under 100

what happened?

1. their growth was mostly through ‘transfer’ growth instead of new believers; “we were the cool church in town for awhile, then people left for the other cool church"

2. we weren’t training and discipling our people

3. Karl isn’t called, equipped, or gifted to be a large church pastor

Over 90% of our churches are under 200, over 80% are under 100

First Reaction: Oh no!

Second Reaction: So what?

Final Reaction: Now what?

The average size of a church in the whole world is 75 people.

The smaller your church is, the less help you can get from large church resources.

The law of large numbers: the bigger the crowd, the more predictably it behaves.

The smaller the crowd, the more impact each person has – for good and bad.

Big churches that are healthy know that they need to fight against the tendency to attract passive observers. Small churches that are healthy fight against those who seek control in a smaller setting.

Big church principles center on process, systems & programs

Small church principles center on relationships, culture & history.

Discipleship in a small church should not be based on a curriculum but instead be based on relationship.

Culture- set of invisible rules that governs all you do. "Culture eats strategy for breakfast."

type of churches in the way they respond to ideas:

1. Stubborn- “we don’t do it that way” they have been hardened by hurt; patiently love them

2. Shallow- say “that’s a great idea, pastor!” then don’t follow through; help them go deeper

3. Busy- “let’s add that to all the other things we are doing”; help them simplify

Small towns have long memories and so do small churches.

Don’t do what our founders did, think like our founders thought. Honor the past and move into the future.

SIT 2019 - Monday "Redefining Success in Ministry"

I am blessed to attend the morning sessions at SIT, the Summer Institute of Theology, on the campus of the Bible College and Seminary in Plymouth. I wanted to share my notes with you. For each day I attend (Monday through Thursday this week) I will share my notes from Karl Vaters’ sessions on small church ministry. They are tidbits, snippets, main bullet points, and perhaps a few of my thoughts. These notes may lead to some good discussion in our congregation. Enjoy! ~Pastor Brett

Monday: Redefining Success In Ministry

there are two types of small churches: 50 people give/take 50, 150 people give/take 50

Define success in ministry without having numbers attached to it.

What is The Grasshopper Myth? "The false impression that our Small Church ministry is less than what God says it is because we compare ourselves with others.” based on Numbers 13:32-33, "All the people we saw there are of great size. …We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

Three undeniable realities of pastoral ministry:

Reality #1: 80-90% of churches will never be larger than 250 people

Reality #2: Virtually all pastors will pastor a small church for at least some time in our ministry

Reality #3: You can lead a small church well, without settling for less

Small is not a problem, virtue, or excuse.

Start figuring out what you’re called to do at the size you are at right now.

Don’t fall for the myth of inevitability: "If I do everything right, we will inevitably grow”

Over one billion people choose to worship God in small churches.

What does ‘quality’ look like in a small church?

Reasons people give for attending a small church:

1. The pastor knows my name

2. I can have an impact there

3. When I’m gone, they miss me.

Sometimes people don’t want to be further sub-divided into small groups. Small group ministry is more vital in larger churches because they can’t get what they get at a small group in their large group gatherings.

Remembering the Galland’s

It's been about a year since we lost our beloved friends, Pastor Les Galland and his wife Jan. The shock of losing both of them within a month still stings to this day. I’d like to take this opportunity to reflect on their lives.

Pastor Robert Lee shared a text during one of the funerals that has stuck with me over this past year as I remember Les and Jan.

Hebrews 13:7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

Sometimes, it can be helpful to plug in actual names of people to a pronoun in Scripture. If we plug Les and Jan’s names into the words “your leaders” in Hebrews 13:7, we are blessed to remember and think about a real-life example of this verse being fleshed out. We are called to “imitate their faith.”

One of my favorite Twitter users is a guy who calls himself, “The Batting Stance Guy.” He posts short videos of himself imitating the baseball batting stance (how a batter stands while he waits for a pitch) of major league baseball players. The videos are funny because he exaggerates the tendencies of each batter. If Pete Rose used to squat down, The Batting Stance Guys squats a little bit further. Baseball fans like me smile, knowing the original player. If we were to “step up to the plate” of life while imitating Pastor Les and Jan, what would that look like?

While I could write more, I want to offer two ways I am seeking to imitate Pastor Les and Jan’s lives. First and foremost, they had a simple trust in Jesus and lived their lives accordingly. Being a Christian, a follower of Christ, was so vital to their existence. It was a real part of their lives. And it was the most important thing in their lives that informed everything else. Everything they cared about and promoted always came back to that central point: that Jesus is Lord and Savior, and He is Lord and Savior of my life. They wanted others to have that simple faith and trust in Jesus. They exemplified that to me by talking about and praying for others who needed to have that assurance of faith. It’s easy for me to forget the reality of everyone’s eternal destination. I’m seeking to make it a habit to pray daily for those around me who aren’t saved.

Second, they loved fellowship. I’m personally not a big “hugger” like Pastor Les was, but I am learning to dish out a few more here and there. This simple act, hugging a person as they enter the doors of church, highlighted for me the love that this ministry couple had for people. They sincerely loved to be around others and welcome them into fellowship. Anyone who remembers them will remember being warmly greeted by Les and Jan. Another aspect of fellowship that Pastor Les and Jan both thoroughly enjoyed was having meals together. There’s something about food that brings people together. This ministry couple understood that well and loved every minute of it. I recall attending the Tuesday morning Bible study a few times. Jan had prepared a smorgasbord of options to eat. It was a full-blown meal of “snacks.” A little sugar and a little spot of coffee helps the fellowship flow around the sweet nectar of God’s Word.

Imitate Les and Jan’s faith. “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” When we imitate someone else, we are genuinely complementing them on a life well-lived. Certainly each person (and pastor) is different, with different strengths and weaknesses. But we can still benefit from seeking to imitate the strengths of those who have gone before us. I want to live my life in a way that others would want to imitate my faith. Have you thought about that angle to your own life?

In what ways will you imitate the faith of Pastor Les and Jan? Leave a comment. Or, better yet, ask this question around a table in the fellowship hall with a donut and coffee in hand.

-Pastor Brett

Imprecatory Psalms

A few of my friends have asked me why I have not preached any of the “imprecatory psalms” in the current preaching series at King of Glory Lutheran during the early months of 2018.  I’m surprised that I have been asked this a few times.  I even asked myself this question when laying out the Psalms series.  Yes, I chose not to include one or a few of these psalms in the list of psalms to preach.  There were just too many other psalms that I wanted to preach.  I did want this series to have a more “positive” tone about it, so the imprecatory psalms were squeezed out.  But, today, they get a blog post.  

Before I get any further, we need to know what we are talking about here.  What is an “imprecatory psalm”? Thanks for asking.  The word “imprecatory” means to call down curses (or evil) on another person.  The “imprecatory psalms” are a handful of psalms that express curses upon enemies.  They are Psalm 35, 55, 59, 69, 79, 109, and 137. Here’s a sample that leads us to raise our eyebrows: “O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us! Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!” (Psalm 137:8-9).  The imprecatory psalms contain verses like this.  The psalmist feels free to cry out for the destruction of their enemies or the enemies of God. 

Why are they included in the Bible?  What benefit can they be for us? After all, Jesus taught, “Love your enemies.” How could it be loving to call down curses on a person?
One of the things I love most about the imprecatory psalms is that they dispel the Christianese notion of niceness.  “Be nice” we are told by well-meaning people in authority positions. When we are told to “be nice” we might bottle up that anger or wrath that we feel is necessary to be poured out on the one who has hurt us.   
The rawness, the realness, and the ragged emotions that come out of imprecatory psalms show us that God knows we feel hurt, scarred, and angry when we are sinned against.  God cares deeply about injustice.  We learn from imprecatory psalms that life is messy, life hurts, and people do bad stuff against us, even as we also sin against others.  We can admit that and not pretend it doesn’t happen. 

Yet, there is something that’s different about the imprecatory psalms compared to a general calling down of curses on others.  God is firmly in the picture in the imprecatory psalms.  The psalmist is directing this cursing in the direction of God, pleading for Him to bring justice.  We should never curse out a fellow person, even if they deserve it.  When we are honest with our hurt, we cry out to God to do something about it.  He will.  He will make all things right.  If we in our own power call down curses on others or take it upon ourselves to bring justice, we won’t carry it out to the fullest extent.  But God does.  Thankfully.  As verse 22 in the imprecatory Psalm 55 reminds us, “Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”  And, hey, it might be helpful for you to read one of the imprecatory psalms on a day when you have been hurt by someone.  It will, at least, force you to cry out to God in your hurt. 

Good Grief, Lent is Almost Here

The season of Lent is quickly approaching.  I really enjoy our Wednesday night Lenten services.  Historically, these times have offered an opportunity for special teaching, or catechesis.  Each year a different topic has been chosen to dive into as we go through this time leading up to Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  This year, 2018, I’d like us to explore the topic of grief.  Over the past few years at King of Glory Lutheran we have had a number of loved ones die, both those that were part of our church and also those who were family and friends.  In one way or another, each one of us is touched by grief.  

The theme of our Lenten services this year is “Grief: An Uninvited Guest.”  Grief is just that, an uninvited guest.  When Theresa and I were starting to have sparks fly between us before we were married, I came with a group of friends to Theresa’s parents house in Wisconsin.  At the end of the night, we were saying goodbye to Theresa’s parents.  I said to Theresa’s dad, “Thanks for having me here tonight.”  He replied in a dead-pan voice, “I didn’t invite you here.” Grief, as personified, shows up at our house when we least expect it, uninvited.  It might slowly creep into your house.  Either way, grief is a guest that we don’t particularly enjoy.  Yet, it is there.  How should we handle it?  

Lent, in a way, is a season of death.  In the church year it is set aside as a time of reflection, repentance, and further learning as we approach the marking of Jesus dying on the cross on Good Friday and as we celebrate Jesus rising from the dead on Easter Sunday.  We will take these weeks to examine Scripture that teaches us about grief.  We will be shown examples of how some biblical characters handled grief.  Through it all, we will be pointed to Jesus Christ, who has conquered death, hell, and the devil through His death and resurrection.  

Please mark your calendars for the six weeks of Lent.  It’s a bit odd that Ash Wednesday (the first Wednesday in Lent) happens to land this year on Valentine’s Day, February 14th.  Come on out to church these nights.  We’ll start at 7:00 pm each Wednesday and enjoy a modified worship service, complete with singing the rich, somber tones of Lenten hymns.  There might even be a special music piece!  Please bring a friend, especially one that might benefit from learning more about grief.  

-Pastor Brett

Singing in the New Year

Yes, that title is an attempt to make a play on words with the phrase "ringing in the new year."  New Year's Eve is just around the corner.  And as we think about new year's resolutions, gym memberships, the post-holidays letdown, I am thinking about what I'm going to be preaching on next. 

Here at King of Glory we enjoy solid biblical preaching.  And I love to do my best to deliver it! I'm delighted to announce the new sermon series.  On Sunday, December 31st I will begin a sermon series through the book of Psalms!  You might be thinking: that will take a long time to get through all 150 chapters in that book.  I thought that too.  Instead of walking through each of the chapters, I hope to give you a selection of some of the "classic" psalms, somewhat like the "greatest hits" album that you'd expect from your favorite musician.  

As we "sing" along with the psalmists, we will experience the joys and sorrow of life lived as those who walk by faith.  I invite you to shuffle up to the speakers and take in the tones and tunes of the psalms.  Your life will be enriched.  

What are some of your favorite psalms? 

in Christ, Pr Brett