Blessed to be a blessing!

Stewardship - a way of life

18 months ago I arrived at St. John’s Lutheran Church as the call rostered leader. It has been wonderful being here, even with the welcome we received with the below 0 temperatures to close down school! We have grown together as a mission post in the body of Christ and are doing wonderful ministry together.

And now we are approaching summer, a time when families head to the cabins, and go on vacations. And this is something we need to do. We need to get away when we can for rest and relaxation and time with the family. So go! And remember that you are the body of Christ as you go. You will be sharing His love and grace and mercy with everyone you see and meet.

But as you go, remember we are still here at St. John’s. We are still a part of your life and your faith journey. We will be here, with the same needs we have during the non-summer months. Council met last night and discussed the dwindling checking account. This made me rethink my newsletter article this month, and come into the office and look at some numbers and trends over the time I have been here.

Over the 18 months I have been here, income has been over expenses in 6 months. Which is good, as those spikes can carry us through some of the low spots. And they are what you think they would be, Easter, the car show/auction and November/December. And we are close in the other months.

An easy response to this is, we need more people. Well that is not always a way to solve money issues. As new families do not understand stewardship concepts. I remember the first time I attended worship at a congregation and they started talking about giving. I gave $5 or $10 a week. I did not understand the Biblical basis of giving. And some of our “new” members come from other congregations, and they do have a concept of giving, and stewardship, but maybe life situations right now do not allow for them to give, with children and bills. So more people does not automatically mean more in the plates.

So then we ask our members to give more, when some of us are giving all we can give. And we have given, and have given to special projects and other things the congregation needs. So we just can’t squeeze any more out. And I get that. Some of us are giving all we can.

So what do we do? I wish I had the easy answer and could say, “Here is what we need to do to make this problem go away!” I don’t. So what do we do? Well we start by praying.

Let us all continue to Gather, Grow and Go. Let us gather together for worship and fellowship and building up of each other. Let us grow in our understanding of that we are not giving money to God and trusting Him to do the right thing with it, we are giving back to God what He trusted us with.  Let us grow in our discipleship and our relationships with God and each other. And let’s go into the world to share His love and our understanding of the relationship we have with Him and help others have that same thing. But as we go, let us not forget to still be here at St. John’s through our giving. This can be made easy by joining in on the Simply Giving program which allows you to give electronically any amount you would like on your chosen day of the month. This can be set up as a one time giving or a reoccurring giving option. So even when you are away, you can still be here too!

We can all look at what we have been blessed with and pray about how we can be a blessing.

I am ready to buckle down and live into the relationship we have started and build this mission outpost for God. Are you ready to buckle down with me? Let us be a blessing as God has blessed us!

of the devil

Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. Everyone who commits sin is a child of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born of God do not sin, because God’s seed abides in them; they cannot sin, because they have been born of God. The children of God and the children of the devil are revealed in this way: all who do not do what is right are not from God, nor are those who do not love their brothers and sisters. (1 John 3:7-10, NRSV)

Wow! I am wondering if my salvation is secure…

Everyone who commits sin is of the devil and those who are born of God do not sin.

So any one who sins is of the devil and has no part of God, only those without sin are going into the kingdom of Heaven.

So who then can be saved?

According to this passage no one is safe, or going to be saved.

Because we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Yes even after we have met Jesus and been given the grace that only God can give, we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

We all struggle with doing what is right, and not sinning. So where is the hope?

If we love our brothers and sisters we are from God.

So stay the course and follow after God, and live in the grace He gives us, not giving into the flesh but seeking forgiveness when we do fall short, and love all of God’s children.

The Holy Trinity – Sunday – May 31, 2015 by Kenn Storck

It is Holy Trinity Sunday.
Time to dust off the Dogmatics.
Speak of God as H-2-0:
water with three parts –
mist, liquid, ice.

Or a three leaf clover will do
to disclose the Three-In-One.

Why do we bother with
images, icons, projections of God
worthy to be shattered
by the mystery unsolved?

How dare we define the Divine,
Domesticate the Godhead?

Go ahead: Draw your pictures,
Color your triangles,
Speak of the Three-In-One,
And the One-In-Three.

Use the Athanasian Creed litmus test
Of Father / Son / Spirit.
But all the while do not trust
The limit of language,
The confinement of metaphor,
The simplicity of simile.

The Ancients knew
One could not be
In the presence of the living God
And live.

Moses beholds God’s backside,
Jeremiah – God’s fingers in his mouth,
Isaiah God’s robe and a hot coal.

The Christ confined in flesh,
Spirit unmanageable,
Cosmic-Creator.

Expand do not contract God
For God is the Great Iconoclast.

And we at last
With Job
Stand in the Divine Presence
Jaws dropping
In muted wonder.

Kenn Storck / May 25, 2015

Used with permisssion copyright @apoemasunday by Pr. Kenn Storck.

Born from above

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:1-17, NRSV)

This is always an interesting verse, because Nicodemus asks a good question. “How can one enter for a a second time into their mother’s womb, and be born again?”

It is a difficult concept to understand. But the NRSV helps us a little by saying it a little different.  You must be born from above, but still how does one get born again after growing old?

It is not an easy concept to understand.

But Jesus says unless you are born of water and of spirit you can not enter the kingdom of heaven.

So you must be born of water and spirit. Well all of us are born of water, whether it was natural child-birth, or c-section there was water involved. Now baptism is something we are told to do by Jesus in Matthew, but water was present in all of our births, so water birth is check on all people. And if you want to argue that baptism is necessary for salvation I would ask for you to show me where the disciples/apostles were baptized, and the thief on the cross that Jesus tells will be with Him in paradise…

So then we all must be born of the spirit, and when and how does that happen?

I do not know, but the spirit flows where it wants, and does the will of God, so that is up to God, or as Martin Luther said I can not by my own understanding come to believe in Jesus except through the power and guiding of the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit does it, and calls and enlightens us in God’s grace! So live in that grace!

My trust

Answer me quickly, O LORD;
my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me,
or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning,
for in you I put my trust.
Teach me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.
(Psalm 143:7-8, NRSV)

In you I put my trust!

Have you put your trust in God?

Would you rest in His grip of grace if the bottom fell out of your world?

Would you ask for His guidance in times of trial and lean on His unfailing love even when you weren’t sure He was there?

Dear Lord help us to so fully trust in you that we will sit with you when we are in the dark night of the soul and feel you have left us. Help us to give ourselves to you so fully that you are the foundation of our world!

One body…

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. (1 Corinthians 12:4-27, NRSV)

“If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.”

Just because you are not like someone else at your congregation does not mean you are not a part of the body of Christ!

Just because your gift is not the same as anyone elses does not mean you have not been given a gift by the Spirit!

We are all gifted and called to be a part of the body of Christ. It takes us all with all of the gifts we have to give.

We can not do the mission of God alone. We need each other, and we need to remember we are united in His Body, in His mission to the world!

So use your gift so the world will see His love, and be drawn to Him.

living water

living waterOn the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39, NRSV)

On the last day of the Festival of Booths, or Tabernacles, Jesus cried out that those who believe in Him should drink and out of their hearts will flow streams of living water.

The Spirit was coming, and would be with the believers to help them.

The Spirit would guide them to all truth.

The Spirit would show them where to go.

The Spirit would utter their inner most needs with sighs too deep for words.

The Spirit would be with them always, even to the end of the age.

So drink, and let your heart over flow with streams of living water!

even

Do not fear, O soil; be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things! Do not fear, you animals of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit, the fig tree and vine give their full yield. O children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the LORD your God; for he has given the early rain for your vindication, he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the later rain, as before. The threshing floors shall be full of grain, the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. I will repay you for the years
that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent against you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I, the LORD, am your God and there is no other. And my people shall never again be put to shame. Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour out my spirit. (Joel 2:21-29, NRSV)

Everything in all of creation has ne need to worry because God is in control.

As I read this passage this time, I was struck by the last verse, “Even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour out my spirit.”

Now that is saying something. We mostly look over it, but this is huge.

Almost as big as “your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.” Now sons prophesying is one thing. And that would be big if you had a son who could prophesy, but a daughter, or a slave!

I mean why would God waste His time on daughters and slaves?

Now don’t get me wrong, I know why God is giving the gift to daughters and slaves, because all flesh, everyone gets the gift, but in Joel’s day, or the day before Jesus, daughters were property, and slaves were even lower property.

So these statements are huge! God is giving His gift to everyone, including those whom you deem less than worthy of the gift.

So remember that today, that God’s gift is God’s gift and He can give to whom He pleases whether we find them worthy or not.

dry bones

The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD.” So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act,” says the LORD. (Ezekiel 37:1-14, NRSV)

Mortal can you do this?

Mortal can you do the thing I am asking?

God sometimes asks us to do things that we think are impossible.

If we just hold to what He is asking ans follow through on what He tells us to, we will see wonderful things happen through us by God’s doing.

When we are not able, God is able to.

God will use you to do wonderful and miraculous things, if you just let Him work through you and believe in what He is asking you to do.

Dry bones were brought to life, and He will do even greater things through you!