The Best Is Yet To Come

A few days ago Ryan Stevenson released a new song called "The Best Is Yet To Come".  I think this one will soon become a "regular" on Christian radio stations. In addition to being a catchy song, the words have a great meaning during this time of uncertainty. Even as things in our society are beginning to open up, we have doubts and misgivings about the future. It’s easy to feel distressed or anxious about the future when you don’t have a clear direction of where you’re going, especially if you aren't very fond of your current circumstances. You worry that your life will continue to unfold with the same old pattern that’s troubling you. As this song states:

I can’t see the future I don’t know what’s up ahead

Can’t see around the corner I don’t know what’s coming next 

I don’t have all the answers but I know it’s not the end

All I know is this

The best is yet to come 

We were never promised an easy life and its difficult to deal with life’s setbacks but we can teach ourselves how to survive, we can choose to see the silver lining when life gets hard. We can't know what tomorrow brings or what lies ahead in our immediate future, but as Christians we do have faith that with God "the best is yet to come." We can take comfort in that.

An Angry Nation

Sharing another email from artist, Jason Kotecki:

The bald eagle has long been a symbol of our nation. This painting is a symbol of how our nation is feeling right now.

There is a lot of anger.

We are angry at the injustice that has gone on too long.

We are angry at people who don’t seem to understand our point of view.

We are angry at the unproductive violence and destructive looting taking place in our communities. 

We are angry at our leaders and the media and this damn virus.

First of all, let me say this: It’s ok to be angry. 

I am all for being optimistic and positive thinking. But life is meant to be lived and it’s meant to be felt. Sometimes the feelings are joy and elation, sometimes they are disappointment and grief, but they are all a part of being truly alive. Putting on a happy face to mask some sadness is not all that different from using food or drugs or alcohol to numb some deep pain. The problem is that those feelings never really go away, and in many cases, they bubble up later with devastating consequences.

Right now, we are angry and we are hurt.

People have been hurt by racism.

People have been hurt by poverty.

People have been hurt by political divisiveness. 

People have been hurt by this pandemic: physically, financially, and emotionally.

Something Kim and I try to teach our kids and thus remind ourselves of is this: hurt people hurt people. 

Moments like these always seem to call for a good inspirational quote. 

“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” –Yoda

Truth comes in many forms, and sometimes it comes in the form of a diminutive green Jedi master. Fear really has been the source of all this, starting with a tiny virus that arrived uninvited.

We are afraid that we might lose our life, our livelihood, or someone we love.

We are afraid that what we have will be taken from us.

We are afraid that we or someone we love will suffer great injustice.

We have lost so much, and are afraid that we will lose even more.

And for decades, we have been slyly tricked by dishonest leaders and a dishonest media, drunk on power and ratings, to be afraid of the others, the ones who look different, vote different, and have different perspectives than us. 

As Yoda warned, this fear leads to anger, which leads to hate, which has led to suffering.

Hurt people hurt people.

The way forward is not to keep hurting one another. That is not who we are. We are America. We are a melting pot of beautiful cultures and diverse perspectives unified under a banner of freedom and a spirit of courage, compassion, and cooperation.

We are not perfect, but deep down, we are good.

It’s okay to be angry. But may God give us the grace to transform it into a righteous anger that fuels ruthless, senseless acts of love.

That’s the prescription: do something recklessly generous in the next few days for someone who won’t see it coming. Something that goes against the narrative that’s been fed to us by our news media.

I leave you with one more quote, not from a Jedi master, but from another wise sage, an evangelist named John:

“There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out fear.” 

– 1 John 4:18

If we banish our fear and commit to instigate small rebellions of love…it is inevitable that we will soar again.

Open up the doors...

Here is a flashback to the past.... we haven't done this song in church for quite a while, but I've been thinking lately about the lyrics to the song, "Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble".  This song was written and performed in 1995 by a band called The Cutting Edge which later became known as Delirious?. Over the years this song has been performed by many artists from Sonicflood to Chris Tomlin to Upper Room to Dave Redmon, just to name a few.

The words of this song are just as relevant today as they were 25 years ago. As I watch the news reports about protesters assembling to make there voices heard, I can't help but think that we as Christians have the same opportunity. The timing is appropriate as we once again open the doors to our churches and all work together to make the world a better place. Maybe its time to throw open the doors and let the music play.

Do you feel the darkness tremble
When all the saints join in one song
And all the streams flow as one river
To wash away our brokenness 

Open up the doors and let the music play
Let the streets resound with singing
Songs that bring Your hope
Songs that bring Your joy
Dancers who dance upon injustice 

And here we see that, God, You're moving
A time of jubilee is coming
When young and old return to Jesus
Fling wide, you heavenly gates
Prepare the way of the risen Lord

And here is a flashback video of Delirious?...

Who Can

Welcome to June 2020... our year of discontent seems to continue. Adding racism, riots, and public unrest to illness, division, and quarantines. At times it all seems overwhelming. It is during these times we need to remember that God can carry us through. As it says in Romans 8:38-39 "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

A great new song just released by Cochren and Co. called "Who Can" aptly reminds us that God still loves us and is always with us. In Michael's own words, "Our lives can get messy. But Jesus doesn’t run FROM our mess, he runs TO our mess. I hope this song helps you to know how much Jesus loves you. "

You’ll Never Guess... What I Saw Out the Back Door of Church!

Fifteen folks with guns. Aimed not at each other, but at little orange discs made of clay!

For those of you unfamiliar with "trap shooting," it's like target practice and is designed to hone skills for later in the year when hunting ducks or geese. The little orange discs are launched skyward from a mechanical "thrower" and the participants take turns attempting to turn them into dust particles that fall back to earth. Some folks are "lights out" and really good! Others, like me, most often leave the little orange discs unscathed, later to be gathered and used again next time! We console ourselves with the idea that we're "helping the cause" by reducing the number of boxes of clays we need to purchase for the next shoot :)

That's "technically" what I saw on the 5 acres out back of our church building. But what I really saw - beyond the obvious - was the truth of God's statement in Genesis 2:18: "It is not good for man (or woman) to be alone!" You see, this was our first trap shooting outing of the spring. More importantly, it was the first time most of us were able to get together with anyone not residing in the same house since the COVID-19 lockdowns began a couple months before. What I saw went way beyond the normal fun of competition or of enjoying a perfect Minnesota spring evening. I saw smiles and heard the laughter that comes from being together instead of being alone!

God created us to be in community, to be interdependent rather than independent. He designed us to need each other instead of needing just ourselves. As we've seen so vividly highlighted these past few months, it is not good for man or woman or teen or child to be alone. I thank God for that trap shooting evening and the blessed reminder of just how good it is to be together! 

And, I hope you can join us this Sunday, May 31, as we finally are able to be together to worship the God who created us to be together!

Pastor David

See The Light

Not a new song, but TobyMac recently released a new video for "See the Light" with the help of some friends, including his daughter and his Pastor. This was a good song two years ago when it was originally recorded, but the words take on a relevant meaning in our current troubled times.

Some things will never be the same
Some things are only for a season
And just the thought of letting go
Well, it’s brought you to your knees
Oh, but if you can make it
You can make it through the night
I can promise that the sun is gonna rise
You wake up just a little bit stronger
So, hold on just a little bit longer

To the people who are struggling, maybe emotionally down, or maybe dealing with issues larger than you can handle... God sees you in this place. "You've got more than you on your side and we gon' see the light."

Memorial Day

Today is  Memorial Day. The unofficial start of summer. Traditionally a day of backyard barbeques, public flag ceremonies, time spent with family and friends, or maybe visits to parks or beaches. This year is a little different in that we probably don't participate in the normal large social gatherings.

Perhaps this year, we have a bit more time to pause and remember to honor those who gave their lives to keep us free and the families they left behind. Time to remember that freedom is not free after all.

I hope you have a chance to get out and enjoy America, which despite all its problems and shortcomings is still a wonderful country that our fallen have defended for us. Have a safe and meaningful Memorial Day!

The Blessing

In the May newsletter I shared a link to the new worship song, "The Blessing", which was released on March 20th, 2020 by Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes that was being performed by a virtual choir, which I thought was a unique concept. This song first starting playing on Christian radio on May 1st and has since become a hugely popular. During our current time of pandemic this song has become a phenomenon with virtual choirs around the world.

There are many versions currently online. In addition to many church choirs and individual performances, there are a variety of virtual choirs around the world publishing performances:

•      The Blessing -South Africa
•      The Blessing -Canada
•      The UK Blessing 
•      La Bendicion (Spanish)
•      The Hawaii Blessing  (some great photos)
•      The Malaysia Blessing
•      Der Herr segne dich (German)
•      The Blessing Zimbabwe
•      The  Blessing in Cantonese
•      The Blessing in Russian
•      The Blessing in Farsi
•      The Blessing in Korean
•      The Blessing in Hebrew
•      Kids from around the world

...and many, many more versions. This is an impressive listing since the song has only been out for a couple of months.  I believe that this is due to the power of the words that come straight out of the Scripture which we have heard many times:

"The Lord bless you and keep you. Make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace."  

One of the most impressive versions is the Global Choir of singers from around the world. I hope you enjoy it.
 

Keep Me In The Moment

Jeremy Camp recently released a new music video with a message and story perfectly suited for America’s current quarantine.  Though "Keep Me In The Moment" was written for his movie I Still Believe, his new music video seems like the perfect theme song to describe the world’s current quarantine.

“Keep Me in the Moment’’ is about family and meaning.
As Americans and nations around the world social distance, staying home to protect others from the Coronavirus pandemic, the video, released March 20, shows similar American families, together at home.

Few Americans expected to be “shut down’’ even a few weeks ago…
Here we are, ordered to stay home, thinking about our families, safety, our health and our future. Certain friends and relatives are kept apart for safety’s sake.

Our normal community activities including work, restaurants, movies, traveling, the gym and church are largely off-limits. And Camp sings: 

“Singing oh Lord, keep me in the moment. Help me live with my eyes wide open cause I don’t wanna miss what you have for me… show me what matters..’’

Our activities and our economy are stuck in place, suddenly barely able to move. Forced to read more, reflect more from home, Camp adds: 

“Throw away what I’m chasing after ’cause I don’t wanna miss what you have for me. Keep me in the moment. Oh, keep me in the moment…’’

Our past was taken away, our future is uncertain…
When the future is uncertain and our past routines and communal activities have been disrupted “the moment’’ is literally all we have. As Camp sings: 

“All I got is one shot, one try. One go around in this beautiful life Nothing is wasted when everything’s placed in your hands.’’

The silver lining of our current crisis?

With communities and our very economy closed, most Americans have been forced to stay at home, forced to pull closer together, quarantined with loved ones, reflecting on the moment and the meaning of our very lives.

Hope In The Darkness

I wanted to share this email that I received from artist Jason Kotecki...

It was a dark and stormy night…

…that lasted for two months. 😳

That’s the season we find ourselves in, when darkness has filled the entire world and months feel like centuries.

As I think about darkness, I can't help but think of a strange quality we humans have. Whether it’s a handful of birthday candles in a darkened room, the glowing embers from a campfire in the woods, or the flickering stars in a night sky, we can’t help but be drawn to the light.

Throughout this pandemic, a particular phrase has resurfaced again and again during my morning quiet times: fix my eyes.

I’ve been encountering it so often, in songs, books, and videos, that I was curious to look it up and see if I might glean some deeper understanding. According to one dictionary definition, this version of “fix” means to direct one’s eyes, mind, or attention steadily or unwaveringly towards something.

I immediately thought of a story In the Bible in which Peter, one of Jesus’ most lovable and bone-headed followers, gets to walk on water. The thing is, when he’s focused on Jesus, all is well and he is able to do the impossible. But when he shifts his attention to the raging waves, he’s swallowed by fear and begins to sink.

The only difference is where Peter has chosen to fix his eyes.

Back to this peculiarity that human beings are born with an innate attraction to light. Spend any time at sunset on any beach in the world, and you will find every single person staring at the sun. No one is facing the opposite direction.

It’s not that we don’t notice the darkness. There have been times during this pandemic when I have been sucked in by it. It’s a scary place to dwell. During those times, my anxiety levels increase. Fear grows.

But then I notice it.

My attention is pulled away by something else…a tiny firefly, glowing amidst the expansive backdrop of black. Before long, I see another, and then another.

These fireflies are the helpers. The people who have decided to help where they can. It’s the same light, but expressed by individuals in different ways.

The high school principal visiting over 600 graduating seniors. 

The woman delivering donuts to her staff who are working from home. 

The DJ leading dance parties in the street. 

It may be just as dark at one in the morning as it is at three, but only one of them is two hours closer to dawn. For most of us, it’s still night. But sunrise is closer than it was a month ago.

The fireflies are hope in the darkness that we will see the light.

Until morning comes –  which it will – may we continue to fix our eyes on the humble lights pulsing with hope all around us.

And may we flash our own light for others.

Sometimes the best verses are ones you stumble upon!

Every month we have what we call a "Discipleship Verse." We recite it three times in each worship service during that month to help commit that verse to memory. Well, I was looking for a verse for the month of May that would speak to our current "Stay at Home" situation here in Minnesota. Proverbs 3:5-6 came to mind (maybe because it has always been one of my favorite verses). If you're not familiar with it here's what God tells us in it:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

    

And after I read that proverb I glanced down at the next one. (A proverb is a "short saying that expresses a practical truth." i.e. "Wise words for life.") Here's what I saw:

Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
THIS WILL BRING HEALTH TO YOUR BODY
AND NOURISHMENT TO YOUR BONES.

I put those last two lines in all caps, because "healing" has been front and center in our prayers and on our minds since early March. And here's a passage that not only tells us what to do that will bring us health, but the instruction comes from no less than God!!!

God has been called "The Great Physician - of both body and soul." Here's His prescription:

Don't be arrogant or proud. Don't pat your self on the back for being so smart. Instead, be humble and have a healthy respect for the Lord and His power. And stay far, far away from anything that's contrary to what God wants ("evil").

Or maybe put even simpler:   "Remember that you aren't god, but that I Am!"

Hurry Up and Wait

MercyMe has a new song that they released a few days ago called "Hurry Up and Wait" that is inspired by the scripture of Isaiah 40:31

But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint

The new video that they released with this song shows that Bart and the rest of the band may be going as "stir crazy" as the rest of us during this quarantine...

Walking Miracles

Our sermon a couple weeks ago and the May newsletter featured a Matthew West song, "Forgiveness" and the story behind the writing of the song. Matthew likes to write songs about real life experiences that inspire him. In January of this year he released a song called "Walking Miracles". Just yesterday, he released the video talking about the story behind this song. The message is an encouraging one about how God can create miracles in everyone.



You can even upload your photo on Matthew's website as a "walking miracle".
Find out more about Matthew's mission to tell the stories of other people and their experiences.

Finally, on a less serious note, check out Matthew's video on "Quarantine Life".

God Can Do All Things

A new video released today from Caleb Grimm (a member of Anthem Lights) and his wife Kelsey called "Never Lost". They perform under the name Caleb and Kelsey and maybe some of you saw them last year when they performed at the New London Performing Arts Center or in Willmar last December. This is an excellent song with a great message. I hope you enjoy...

 

How Are You Holding Up?

As the pressure build in the chaos of our "new normal" we might be ready to give in. At a time like this, we look to the Bible for guidance and reassurance. It tells a story of how Moses struggled to hold his hands up in prayer to God as his people were being attacked. Listen as Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour, shares this story and tells us what it teaches us about holding each other up in times of difficulty and uncertainty.

HOLDING UP from Lutheran Hour Ministries on Vimeo.

Together We'll Get Through This.

A brand new song from Steven Curtis Chapman called Together (We'll Get Through This) featuring Brad Paisley, Tash Cobbs Leonard, and Lauren Alaina. The video was just released on 4/30/20.

Psalm 23 & Me

I thought this was an interesting way to show how God's Word remains relevant and important to us today...

Webmaster's Quarantine Thoughts...

Saturday was day 40 of the statewide stay at home order in Minnesota. Seems our quarantine has reached biblical proportions... it rained for 40 days in the time of Noah, Moses spent 40 days on Mt Sinai, and Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness. (Though I am sure that Jesus complained about it less than us, I like to picture him sitting on a rock and saying "Lord, 40 days is a loooong time.")

I actually started practicing my "stay at home" about 6 weeks earlier than everyone else because of a surgery, but even then I was comforted by the fact that the rest of the world was still open and active and I was still able to attend church on Sunday. There are many things to miss during this time of social isolation, but attending church is one of the biggest. Maybe it is one of those "absence makes the heart grow fonder" type of situations, but it is now easy to see that it was a blessing that so many times I took for granted.

However, I do see many positives from this time of quarantine. For one, I have more time. More time to reflect and spend with God in prayer and scripture. More time to do all those little things that I was putting off until I had the time. Time to spend in longer conversations with my wife and with my family (even though it may be via Facetime or Zoom). I am also thankful for the technology that allows these conversations and the ability to work from home. The technology that allows us to worship and watch our church service on video. In fact, our videoed services are being watched by far more people than the number that usually attended worship at church. Amazing! Perhaps this is all part of God's plan.

Another positive that I am finding in this time is that many of my favorite Christian musicians are not working and are staying at home instead of being on tour or performing. Like the rest of us, they are bored and looking for ways to share. Many are doing live "concerts" from their homes.  These are often not the best sounding, but I really enjoy the raw, unrehearsed glimpse into their personal lives and homes as they share thoughts, stories, and play their music and other songs that they enjoy playing. There is often not much lead time on these performances, but hey, my evening schedule is relatively free right now anyway. I enjoyed one of these live performances Saturday night from Michael Cochren (Cochren & Co.) and his wife from their home. If you would like to see it, the recorded video is at https://youtu.be/z4vH-YrGDy0.

Perhaps the most poignant part of the performance was when Michael sang his song "Church". (We have done this song a few times in worship services.) The words really take on a special meaning during this time:

Take me back
To the place that feels like home
To the people I can depend on
To the faith that's in my bones
Take me back
To a preacher and a verse
Where they've seen me at my worst
To the love I had at first
Oh, I want to go to church

Thought I would share. Enjoy...

Taking Time to Rest

For many, it feels like the world has stopped. Yet for others, this is a more stressful time than ever before. We have been encouraged to stay at home as much as possible and our lives are full of uncertainty. What hasn't stopped is Jesus' care for us. Listen to what Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour, has to say about what it means to truly find rest in Him.

Rest from Lutheran Hour Ministries on Vimeo.

Here is a new video released yesterday from Zach Williams and Dolly Parton called "There was Jesus:. A wonderful message in song that blends contemporary Christian and classic country sounds...

Thank God ...

You maybe staying home, because of the "Stay at Home" orders. Or you may be staying home, because your place of employment has been forced to close. You may be staying home, because you've been laid off - even if your place of employment is still technically open. You may be staying home out of fear. Whatever the reason, the message on our sign board is one you need to remember:

God knows where you live, and there's no power that can keep Him quarantined from you!

        ...for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
        So we can confidently say,"The Lord is my helper; I will not fear;
        Hebrews 13:5,6  

In the context of the rest of this, that verse is given as a reason we can be content with our current situation - especially financially. God knows the situation you are in. He knows exactly what you need. He has the power to give what you need... at just the right time!

Rejoice!

This pup is a perfect illustration of the truth that "You can't always choose the situation you are in, but you do - always  - have a choice about how you respond to that situation."

As the Apostle Paul wrote (from prison!) "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice!" Philippians 4:4.

Another great song for Easter season.

Still in the Easter season.  Here is a great song and performance. I hope you enjoy...

This Bible Quiz is a bit trickier than expected... From Lutheran Hour Ministries:

Dear Friend, A year ago we launched our “Half-Truth, Whole Truth or Nothing Like the Truth?” quiz as a fun way to test your Bible knowledge. So many of our friends let us know they enjoyed the quiz that we couldn’t resist creating a new one! Here it is, the brand-new “Half-Truth, Whole Truth or Nothing Like the Truth?” quiz—five more common sayings that may or may not be from the Bible. I hope you’ll enjoy it. But it’s a quiz with more than one purpose. We also want to use it as a way to get more people thinking about Jesus and the Bible. After you take the quiz, will you use the social sharing tools on the page to encourage your friends and family to play, too? I don’t have to tell you that the problem of biblical illiteracy is only growing. Together, we need to introduce more people to the programs, resources, and materials produced by Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) so they can hear and understand the Word of God. By sharing the quiz, you’ll give others the opportunity to experience some of LHM’s most popular resources. Please take the quiz today and share it as widely as possible! Here’s the first question to get you started: No. 1 “God will never give you more than you can handle.”

Your partner in His mission, Kurt Buchholz President & CEO

TAKE THE QUIZ!

Blog post about Easter Sunday

You'll Never Guess What I Saw . . .             On Easter Morning!

If you live in Minnesota you might guess one of the things I saw on Easter morning: Snow! I'm sure it has snowed on other Easter mornings here, but I don't remember any! I thought the snow, while not what we were expecting, was actually very appropriate for Easter. You see, what we celebrate on Easter is Jesus rising from His grave, and that resurrection proves Jesus' Good Friday sacrifice on the cross did indeed make our sins "as white as snow." (see Isaiah 1:18)

But the really unusual thing that I saw - a scene that you would not likely guess - was twenty vehicles in our church parking lot. Now that would not be unusual at all on a normal Easter Sunday morning. But keep in mind, this is a year unlike any other! We are smack dab in the middle of the COVID-19 shut down! As a result, we haven't been able to worship inside our church building for the last four weeks and won't be able to for at least another three Sundays. But forty people "congregated," (amidst swirling snow and howling winds) in their cars to watch on their smartphones a YouTube video of our Resurrection worship! In the message I talked about how God has used this COVID situation as a "teachable" moment for us. One of the things He has taught us is, "You don't know what you got 'til its gone," (to quote an old song from the sixties). Not being able to gather to worship is something we have long taken for granted. Not any more!

But there's one other thing I saw that I won't soon forget. The elders and I (decked out in full COVID-19 combat gear - face masks and blue rubber gloves) distributed communion to those brave souls in their vehicles. I saw a gratitude that welled up from deep within their hearts. I witnessed, through my steamed up eyeglasses, a thankfulness expressed in smiles and tears as well as in comments.

Making this online worship happen (along with communion in the snow!) was - like so many rewarding things in life - not easy. But it was good! Unforgettably good!