February 21, 2024 — A New Thing

“Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters,  who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:  “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:16-19)

The Lord says, “I am doing a new thing”. This has been the most remarkable thing about our G-d throughout history – G-d has always looked to do the “new” and the “unexpected”. G-d used the flood to wash away the old and gave Noah and his family something new. G-d used slavery for the Israelites to achieve freedom. G-d called murderers (like Moses) and adulterers (like David) and double-crossers (like Joseph’s brothers) to be leaders and models for our living today. G-d allowed the Temple to be destroyed and the people to be taken into captivity so that they could return and make things new.

My question for you to ponder today is this: why do we try to hold on to the old so much that we squeeze the living life out of it? This has been the battle within the church for millennia. We don’t want things to change, yet the mantra that G-d told the people from the beginning was that the new would be a part of their relationship with G-d.

Since the time of Martin Luther there have been changes in the Lutheran Church — some very subtle, and others rather jarring. And today many want to keep what they do in worship the same — and will go to their deathbeds trying to hold onto the old and stop the possibility of any changes. Just like hair styles have changed, so have our responses to G-d’s love, mercy and Grace. My advice — you better get used to change, and better get used to G-d doing a new thing in your life and the life of the church — or there will be plenty of reasons to call us the “frozen chosen”.

Pastor Dave

February 20, 2024 — The Stories of Our Lives

The Parable of the Prodigal and His Brother

Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ (Luke 15:11ff)

We know that Jesus liked to tell stories. Jesus was a gifted storyteller. The stories he told were about the things people knew and experienced each and every day. So when he began this story, he used the structure of the family unit. In fact, even today, looking at this story, Jesus could be talking about my family or your family — my father has two sons – I have two sons. You have to wonder: “Did the father from this story in Luke (Luke 15:11-32b) also have two daughters?” After all, the bible likes to do things in pairs, so in essence, this story could again be about my family — or your family. Maybe you are the oldest child in your family – maybe you are the youngest. Perhaps as the oldest child you lived your life as the “do it by the book never stray from the straight and narrow path of being a good child”. Or perhaps as the youngest, you were just a bit of a rebel, didn’t always listen to your parents and didn’t always do things the conventional way.

The important point I want to make today is this: when you find a story in the bible that speaks to you, a story that you can personally relate to, you need to hold on to those stories, because so many of the stories Jesus tells are stories that capture our imagination and speak to our reality. And, as such, Jesus not only uses situations that we are familiar with, but his stories usually speak about forgiveness, not condemnation; speak about mercy, not judgment; speak about love, not hate; and about many situations that resonate with our own lives. And, here is another point to remember, when we find a story that explains “Amazing Grace” — that tells the story of G-d’s unconditional love, mercy and Grace, then we better remember and repeat that story every day….every day.

Pastor Dave