Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Pre-Christmas Resolutions


New Year’s Resolutions are nice, but they don’t come for another month.  How about some Advent/pre-Christmas resolutions??  The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas turns into a crazy rush from one thing to another.  A little pre-planning can help me to make conscious decisions to keep God in the center of it all…and help me keep my sanity!

Bring on the resolutions!!

·         In the midst of a lot of extra Christmas ‘stuff,’ I will take at least 5 minutes a day to quietly sit with God, reflecting on my day and asking for guidance.

·         Every time I receive a Christmas card I will say a prayer for the people who sent it.

·         I will make sure that I have time with Shannon and Ben.  It’s easy to want to be a part of a zillion worthy events…I won’t do that at the expense of family time.  (Churches are notorious for telling people to ‘slow down’ before Christmas and then scheduling a bunch of special activities…we’re trying not to do that at Peace this year!)

·         I will do most of my Christmas shopping on-line to avoid the frustration of long lines (some people enjoy getting out to the stores…it drives me nuts!).

·         When I hear instrumental versions of the Christmas songs of faith (Joy to the World, O Come All Ye Faithful, etc.) I will try to remember to sing the words (in my head if I’m in public so I don’t embarrass my family too much!).  That will take the songs from my ‘general Christmas smarminess’ category to my ‘faith building’ category.

·         I will not rush into decorating the house for Christmas, making it another chore to get through. Instead, I will take it slow and enjoy each decoration as it goes up (thankfully I have the lights on my roof…I admit putting them up brings thoughts of ambulance rides, which kinda kills the fun).

·         This is a time of year when I usually indulge on cookies!  To keep my waist-line in order I will commit to running at least 15 miles a week (in addition to playing basketball a couple times a week).  I may even attempt to eat fewer cookies.

·         To avoid the last minute rush of sermon writing, I will have the Christmas Eve sermon written by December 18th.  That way I’ll be able to use my full creativity in writing it.

These will work for me!  What resolutions might you come up with to keep the ‘Christ’ in ‘Christmas’ in your life?

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Thanksgiving - Pete Style!


Thanksgiving is right around the corner…what do I have to thank God for??


·         Pazopanib!  This is the little pill that is doing amazing things to keep Shannon’s ovarian cancer at bay.  Over the past months her blood tumor count has dropped significantly and the tumor keeps shrinking!  It also has blessed her with a wonderful hairdo.    Thank you God!

·         Dr. Prema Peethambaram!  Shannon’s doctor has led her through nearly nine years of treatments with skill and compassion.  What a blessing to live so close to Mayo Clinic!  Thank you God!

·         Dover-Eyota Schools!  This school district has provided my son Ben with a great environment to gain wisdom and grow into a young man.  He has cross country and track coaches to challenge him, teachers to guide him, and a band director to inspire him (a shout out to Mr. Anderson!).  Thank you God!

·         Geeky friends!  Ben has surrounded himself with motivated guys who are proud to be called geeks!  Their engineering obsession serves them well.  Thank you God!

·         Peace Lutheran Church!  What a wonderful place to be a pastor.  I can’t think of many other congregations that are so open to listening to God’s call to the future.  Leaders step up to get things done.  Kids nearly overwhelm the service.  People enjoy getting together.  There is amazing energy around reaching outside the congregation to help people in need.  Thank you God!

·         Church buildings!  Sometimes I still marvel that I have an office to sit in…a worship space to walk into (and not set up weekly)…space to gather and linger.  This space has given Peace newfound visibility and a place to do great things.  Thank you God!

·         Turkey Trot!  How awesome that Peace could raise over $3000 to feed the hungry of southeastern Minnesota by doing what so many of us love to do: run!  Thank you God!

·         Running!  It’s been a wonderful year of getting in shape and putting in some miles.  I even won a couple races!  I never thought I would ever enjoy exercise so much.  It’s good for the body…the mind…and the spirit.  Thank you God!

·         South Sudanese Ministries!  I still have a hard time believing that the Southeastern Minnesota Synod is at the forefront of African Ministry in the ELCA.  In my role as Mission Director of the synod, I’ve gotten to know some wonderful leaders.  I even got to meet the vice-president of South Sudan!  As of right now there are six South Sudanese worshipping communities in southeastern Minnesota…but another one may be coming.  Thank you God!

·         Treefrog Treasures!  Shannon’s business continues to expand, causing her staff to grow to two amazing full time employees.  She even has a kiosk at Rosedale Mall!  Thank you God!

The list could go on and on.  God is good!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Letter To Those Elected: I will pray for you


I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. – 1 Timothy 2:1-2
Dear newly elected public servants,

Congratulations on your victories.  Some of you faced closely contested races.  Others of you waltzed to easy wins.  However it worked in your particular race, you inspired people to vote you into office.  Today is a day of celebration for you.  You have earned it.  Way to go!

Soon the hard work of governing will begin.  We are in a nation and state facing major challenges, from the ‘fiscal cliff’ looming over the national government to the financial struggles of our state, from challenges surrounding Iran to health care, from the solvency of Social Security to the issues of immigration and education.  On a national level, this nation elected a Democrat as president, a Democratic majority in the Senate, and a Republican majority in the House.  There is no ‘mandate’ to push any agenda forward.  The election only reflected the deeply divided nature of this nation.  In recent years both parties have been very good at obstructing any meaningful progress on the important issues of the day.   It’s been more important for your party to ‘win’ than for the people of America to ‘win.’  Democrats can’t agree to any Republican idea, no matter how much merit it might have.  Republicans can’t agree to any Democratic idea, no matter how much merit it might have.  That has to stop.  The work ahead is too important to allow your political bickering to hijack the system.  I ask that, for the sake of our nation, you humbly consider the point of view of those on the opposite side of the aisle.

During the election I heard much talk about where God fits into American politics.  Many of you Republicans insisted that a vote for you was a vote for God, basing such assertions on issues like abortion and gay rights.  Many of you Democrats insisted that a vote for you was a vote for God, basing such assertions on issues like care for the poor and gay rights.  The last that I checked, God is not registered in either party and was not on the ballot.  This election didn’t decide between ‘good’ and ‘evil.’  People of faith all over this nation prayerfully considered who to vote for.  Some voted for you and some voted for your opponent.   While it’s easy to declare that God is on your side, sometimes it’s harder to discern if you are on God’s!  As you prepare to govern, I ask that you spend some time on your knees, asking for God’s guidance.  This isn’t a time to tell God what the nation (or state) needs…it’s a time to listen to God.

I will admit that I did not vote for every one of you.  In some cases I thought that your opponent would do a better job of governing than you.  Nevertheless, whether you received my vote or not, you are in my prayers.    I ask that God would guide you in your decision-making.  I ask God to strengthen you as you prepare to face the rigors of your office.  I ask people of faith to join me in these prayers.  

Again, congratulations on your election.  May God guide you in the days ahead.

Sincerely,

Pastor Pete Reuss