Maybe I'm not in control

4+4=8

9*9=81

4+8*2-3*4=8 (Ah, that pesky order of operations!)

 

I love math.  In fact, I majored in statistics in college.  The great thing about math is its predictability.   I have a sense of control over the numbers.  If I use the right formulae I get the right answer every time.  It’s up to me to get it right.

Other parts of life can seem to fit this same mold.  If I work hard and manage my finances properly I will be financially secure.  If I go jogging several days a week and eat healthy foods then I will be rewarded with good health.  If I raise my son in the right way he will grow to be a responsible young man.  If I use the right formulae I get the right answer every time.  It’s up to me to get it right.   I have control over my life. 

It sounds so simple…until it all falls apart.

Last week I had a chance to get some fishing in with a good friend of mine.  We had the right lures at the right places at the right time of day.  We know our stuff!  We waited for the haul of fish but we caught next to nothing!  I went a day and a half without getting a fish in the boat.  We got excited about catching scrawny little 15” northern!   My sense of control faded.  Was I using the wrong colored lure…the wrong size…were the fish deeper…shallower?  I did what people often do when control fades: I appealed to a higher authority!  “God, I’m on vacation and I want to catch fish!”  I bargained with God…I pleaded with God…I still didn’t catch many fish. 

When I have things under control I know who I trust: me!  I know who should get the credit: me!  When the finances look good and I feel healthy and my son does well I pat myself on the back for a job well done.

When things get out of control I’m forced away from that fallacy.  Sometimes, despite my best efforts, finances get tough.  Sometimes people who care for their bodies diligently get cancer...that’s sure the case for Shannon!  Sometimes my ‘brilliant’ parenting seems to go south.  I can use the right formulae and get the wrong results.  Maybe I’m not as in control of life as I thought.  When this happens I do what people often do when control fades: I appeal to a higher authority!  I lean on the One who has power.

Why do I turn to God so much more quickly when I think I have lost control?  There seems to be some randomness to this world.  Things do not turn out as expected.  The formulae don’t always work.  It’s time to recognize that One that remains in control at ALL times, in good and bad days.

Direction First...Speed Later

When running a race, speed is only important if I follow the right route.  The fastest runner stands no chance if she leaves the proper path!

Driving like a madman, obliterating the speed limit, makes no sense if I have no idea where I’m going.  I simply get lost more quickly.

Direction first…speed later.

Ruben Duran, the Director for New Congregations in the ELCA, made this clear at a conference I recently attended.  It’s something he heard from his father years ago.  Direction first…speed later.

I am a person that relies on speed.  Fall is right around the corner, and that means new programs, new activities, new leaders, and new excitement.  The calendar year may begin in January, but church calendars tend to revolve around the school year.  For the past few weeks I’ve been a part of many meetings, planning many activities.  It’s easy to work long hours to get everything ready.  My role as Mission Director for the synod continues to expand in new and exciting ways, adding to the workload.  I come into the office every morning and hit the ground running.  I have the need…for speed!

Ruben’s words struck a nerve with me.  Have I been racing along so fast that I’ve forgotten to make sure that I have the direction right?  Do I need to pause before ‘hitting the gas’ to make sure I’m on the right road?

This week I’ve gotten back into a routine that had slipped away from me.  I no longer come to the office and immediately plow into work.  I now take time to read something to deepen my faith (Philip Yancey is one of my favorite authors for that!).  I then pause for prayer, with significant time spent with the question, “God, what do you want me to do today?”  I think through my day with God…and sense where God calls me.  Direction first…speed later.

When things get busy this time for prayer and reflection can easily be sacrificed to allow more time to ‘accomplish things.’  But what is the point of running quickly if I don’t know where I’m going?  Prayer is a time to ground myself in the God who leads me.  It’s not an extra thing to do if I have time…it’s essential to all that I do.  It provides direction to the speed.

Direction first…speed later.  Thank you Ruben (and Ruben’s dad) for these Godly words!

What kind of friend do we have in Jesus?

A couple weeks ago someone asked me to identify my very best friend.  It took a bit of thinking.

In two weeks I get to spend some time with Eric, a good buddy of mine from Illinois.  We’ll spend time fishing…talking baseball...laughing…heckling each other… enjoying cool beverages.  Eric and I always have a wonderful time when we get together, though we don’t get to see a lot of each other.  Illinois is just a bit too far away!  From time to time we’ll get on the phone and chat, but those calls are few and far between.  Hey, we’re busy guys!  While for much of the year we’re not in close contact, I know that as soon as we get together we’ll pick up where we left off.  Shannon keeps in pretty close contact with Eric’s wife Erin, so whenever I want to know what Eric is up to I just ask her. 

I’d call Eric one of my best friends.

But when it comes to my very best friend, I think I’d have to say that it’s my wife Shannon.  She’s there in my life every day.  She laughs at (many of) my jokes…she supports me when I feel down…she puts up with my quirks…she’s a lot of fun to talk to…she enjoys many of the things I enjoy.  I’m free to be my weird self around Shannon and she puts up with it.  We share everything in life.  While there are times when we get away just the two of us to focus on the relationship, we have each other every day.  That’s friendship!

These are two very different kinds of relationships.  One is awesome when I’m focusing on it….the other impacts every day!

My relationship with God vacillates between these two kinds of friendships!  There are times when I treat God a bit like Eric.  When I spend time with God it’s awesome, but those experiences come and go.  I spend more time talking ABOUT God than talking TO God.  When I worship I focus more on the service itself and what it’s saying to others and forget that God also speaks to ME!  My daily conversations with God in prayer slide to the wayside.  I allow the busyness of the world to get in the way of my relationship with my savior. 

At other times my relationship with God is a lot more like my relationship with my wife.  I spend focused time with God every day.  I share my daily joys and anxieties.  I recognize that my savior is with me every day, providing for me, caring for me, and loving me.  While there are more intense times of focusing on God’s work in my life, I sense God’s presence every day.

Do I want to treat God as an ‘every once in a while’ savior…or the one who walks with me every day?  For me, the choice is clear!  It’s time to quit talking ABOUT God…and get back to talking TO God!

Many styles...many theologies...one Jesus!

There are a lot of paths in this world that lead the same direction.

As a pastor I have 47 Sundays a year where I have the honor of leading Peace Lutheran Church in worship.  We have a very unique style which I appreciate.  We have an understanding of God which is very helpful.  We’re on the path that God called us to.

For the other five Sundays a year I have the opportunity to join other congregations on other paths.  While at our cabin for the last couple weeks I got to worship in two very different churches. 

New Life Christian Church is a classic non-denominational/Baptist community of faith.  Worship involves a lot of singing…and long preaching (maybe I should take note!).  At New Life they have a very conservative understanding of Scripture and faith.   Other than a few women who lead singing, it’s men who lead the service (from the preaching down to ushering).   They have communion every week, but simply see the bread and juice as ‘emblems,’ reminding people of Jesus’ death on a cross (with no sense of Jesus’ specific presence in the break and juice).   I got to hear a passionate (and mostly Biblical) argument for adult baptisms by immersion.  Several times I caught myself thinking, “Wow, that’s not how I see that at all!”  On the other hand, the style of worship was quite casual and enjoyable, making me feel right at home.  For that one Sunday morning I joined the people of New Life in worshipping the God who came for all of us.  God’s presence filled the service whether I agreed with everything or not.  New Life Christian Church is on the path that God called them to.

The next Sunday we went to a very traditional ELCA congregation.  They definitely shared my understanding of God’s grace.  I got to go to the communion rail and hear, “This is the body of Christ, given for you!”  The service was ‘by the book,’  with all the standing & sitting, reading & responding, robes & formality that one would expect from an ELCA community.  I don’t find this type of service to be very helpful to those who did not grow up with it.  New Christians can find it pretty weird.  For that one Sunday I joined the people at First Lutheran Church in worshipping the God who came for all of us.  God’s presence filled the service whether I agreed with everything or not.  First Lutheran Church is on the path that God called them to.

All too often Christians try to draw lines in the sand, determining who the ‘true believers’ are.  Perhaps we need to learn to agree to disagree on some things…and keep the focus on the God who came for us.  We may be on different paths…but those paths lead to the same savior.  It's about Jesus...not us!

The Amazing Eyota Ambulance

Many people equate ‘serving God’ with ‘things that people do at a church.’  On Saturday night I received a stark reminder that this need not be the case!

I woke up on Saturday morning with a load of ambition...and didn’t waste a minute!  Despite the heat, I cleaned out a shed, painted over some mildew spots, rearranged part of the garage (to make room for the clutter from the shed), sorted part of a closet inside, did some laundry, ran to Rochester to pick up a few things at the store, listed some stuff on Craigslist (anyone want car ramps??), and dealt with some rust on my trailer hitch.  Whew!  As the sun started to go down I headed out on a run to get me ready for Friday night’s Eyota Days 5K.

I knew from the start that it would be a hot and muggy run and I wasn’t disappointed.  About halfway into the race my hands started to tingle, feeling like I’d rubbed them against some wild parsnip.  A little while later my face felt the same way.  I wondered what I’d gotten into…and I kept running (and sweating).  By the time I got home my feet began to tingle as well and I felt a bit ‘off.’  I quickly guzzled a couple of glasses of water as I felt more and more woozy.  Soon I got too dizzy to stand up.  Shannon and Ben raced to get ice on me to cool me down but didn’t have much luck.  Ben did a quick Google search for ‘Heat Stroke’ and read off the symptoms.  I had most of them.  I’d done too much…with way too little water.  My body rebelled.  The website was clear…call 911.

A short time later three of Eyota’s wonderful volunteer EMTs were at my side, giving me oxygen and checking my pulse.  They had the training to help me improve.  By the time they left I was on the mend, able to stand once again (though a bit shaky).

Being a volunteer EMT is not glamorous work.  It takes many hours of training…and countless hours of being on call.  Emergencies interrupt family time and sleep time.  Pagers go off at all hours.  It takes a serious commitment!

The three men who came to my house did God’s work on Saturday night. They gave of their time to help someone in need (me!).  I certainly appreciate it!

Peace is blessed to have three members of the Eyota Ambulance in our midst (Laurie Mickow and Scott & Carla Brunsvold).  While their work at Peace is always appreciated, they daily serve God by serving the community.  Thank you to Laurie, Scott & Carla…and all those who give of their time to help the people of Eyota in times of need.  Whether you realize it or not, you do God’s work!

Happy Anniversary Dear

It seems like only yesterday.  July 10, 1993.  A fresh college graduate (with GREAT hair) stood before an altar and uttered the words, “I do…until death do us part.”  That began an adventure abounding in twists and turns, joys and sorrows, hopes and dreams.

Shannon and I had little idea back then of where life would lead us, but we vowed to walk together into the future.  We prayed that God would guide us on the journey.

Who knew that soon after being married I would be comforting Shannon as she got news that her mother had cancer?  Those were hard days, but we endured them together.  God remained faithful…Jan’s been back and forth with cancer for 19 years now and is going strong!

Who knew my internship would take me all the way out to Boise, ID for a year?  We feared that Shannon would lose her nursing job at the VA…but God remained faithful and provided a VA job in Boise (3 blocks from the church!).

Who knew that we’d get sent all the way to central Illinois for my first congregation?  It seemed so far away from everyone we knew, but God remained faithful and provided a wonderful place for me to start my ministry.

Who knew that Shannon would start her own little business as a way to keep busy in a small town?  What started as a lark to have some fun now puts food on the table for several employees.  God has been faithful as Treefrog Treasures has become a giant in the toy soldier world.

Who knew that we would only have one child?  When we got married we couldn’t agree on whether to have two or four.  We had one…and no more.  That was hard to take, but God helped us through it.

Who knew that our cute little boy would grow into such a fine young man?  Parenting is definitely a challenge, but God has remained faithful for 14 years now!

Who knew that shortly after moving to Eyota that Shannon would be diagnosed with cancer?  For over 8 years we’ve battled it together, working through many highs and lows.  God remained faithful and has given us the strength to persevere. 

Through hair long and short (and gone)…through moving from state to state…through sickness and health…God remained faithful.  We are not the same people that got married 19 years ago, but God remains the same. 

Happy anniversary, my lovely bride!   It’s been a wonderful journey…I look forward to many more years of having you…and God…at my side!

My Sister's Wedding Day

 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”  Matthew 19:4-6

Weddings have become increasingly complex events.  Gone are the days when the couple can just go to the parsonage for the pastor to marry them!  Weddings mean planning…and more planning…and even more planning!  Weddings have become day long EVENTS…just ask any engaged couple (or their parents)!  There are reception halls to reserve (many of which are booked over a year in advance)…caterers to try out…soloists/musicians to secure…DJs (or bands) to sign up…photographers to book…cakes to sample…dresses to try on…tuxes to reserve…invitations to order and send out…RSVPs to process…groom’s dinner locations to secure…and the list can go on and on.  Oh, and don’t forget the preacher (who is a bit important to the whole proceeding…and who will probably require some premarital counseling). 

Somewhere in the midst of all that hoopla the couple becomes husband and wife.



The 'Head Usher' keeps his eyes on the proceedings!

This past weekend I got to head down to Iowa for my sister Sarah’s wedding.  If ever there were a wedding without hoopla, this was it.  The service was simple with a focus on how God worked in their relationship.  The reception immediately followed at the church with cupcakes, punch, and mints.  We all had a chance to chat for a while, catching up with relatives and congratulating the couple.  Then Landon and Sarah headed out the door as husband and wife amid a sea of bubbles. 

At the end of the day, the important thing was that ‘a man left his father and mother to be united to his wife, and the two became one flesh’.  We got to surround them in our love and our prayers. 

  

It was especially fun for me to be at a wedding that I didn’t have to preach at.  I could simply be the big brother.  I had the honor of being the (self-appointed) head usher, meaning I got to tell my brothers what to do.  I spent time with my relatives…and get to know some new ones.  It was a truly wonderful weekend.

 

My prayer for Landon and Sarah (and for all married couples, really) is that they will grow together in love…that they would be able to forgive as they have been forgiven…that they will allow God to be the bedrock of their relationship…that they would receive the blessing of their families…and that they would just have a whole lot of fun together!

  

Any marriage based on these things will be in good shape, whether the wedding day abounds in hoopla or not!