Merry Christmas

I have been preparing my Christmas Eve sermon today, and honestly, I‘ve gotten a little impatient. Tonight is our final Midweek Advent service, and I think I’m going to need it. I need some time to sit in the wonder of advent… to wait and watch intentionally.

I hope you have had enough time to sit in the Wonder of Advent.

You see, while waiting and watching are not our favorite things to do, often it is in this time of stillness that we can truly prepare for the Wonder of Christmas! Sometimes we get so busy doing, buying, and preparing for others this time of year that Christmas can seem like just one more thing to be done for others.

While there is a blessed element in serving others in sharing with others, particularly this time of year, I have found that it is helpful, even necessary, to have a way to keep your “cup full” to be healthy spiritually, physically, and mentally. Consequently, our giving of self then is a blessing rather than a curse! As much as I can struggle with this, I have found that an essential part of this is to be still. To stop, for a moment, let the snowfall, the unfinished Christmas cards sit, and the cats climb the tree, be still, and know that God is God.

Maybe most importantly, it is critical to be still and know that God… is God for you. Sometimes we focus so much on the fact that God in Christ has come for all we forget that we, too, are a part of that all!

Pastor Edward Markquart tells a beautiful little story that helps drive this point home.

It doesn’t seem that long ago. It is as clear as yesterday. It was in the morning, 6:30, Sunday morning, and I heard the patter of little feet. And the patter of the feet came into the kitchen, and it was dark in our kitchen except for the light above the kitchen table. I was putting the finishing touches on the Sunday sermon, and the little child came in half asleep, and he said to me, “Where’s the scissors, Dad?” I gave him the scissors and he went over to where there was a chain which was made of paper, a paper chain link for each of the days of Advent, and he went and cut off the chain and he said, “Dad, one more day to Christmas!” And then that little boy got up into my lap, and he put his arms around my neck, and he just sat there and hugged me, for what seemed like five minutes of stillness and five minutes of love. And I put my arms around his little body and that child was my very own, my very own child, belonging to the world, belonging to my wife, belonging to his family, belonging to God, but also, belonging to me, my very own. And there was an inner glow of satisfaction deep within me.

And when you finally realize that Christ is your very own, not only for all the world, not only for all the shepherds, not only for all the angels, but when you realize that Christ is your very own, then there becomes a glow in your heart, and you begin to sing the Gloria.

In one of his sermons, Luther wrote, “This is what is meant by ‘Thy king cometh.’  You do not seek him, but he seeks you. You do not find him, he finds you. 

The Wonder of Christmas need not be made up of parties, crowds, or gifts, but rather in the still small voice of God that says, I have done all this in love through Christ for you.

Well, it is back to writing the Christmas Eve sermon!

Merry Christmas to you and to all!

Pastor David

Coming this summer…

A few months ago, we brainstormed ideas for our summer worship series in our weekly worship planning meeting. Our thoughts went all over the map, but it was felt because of schedules, the season, and events that something “fun” would be good. When we say fun, we don’t mean anything unchallenging, derogatory, or dismissive. But rather engaging and unique! At one point, I think it was Norma who offered the idea of “Gospel according to…” and different topics and sources came up. One of which may have been Pixar! We didn’t settle on anything, but as I walked the 50 or so feet back to my office, “the Gospel according to Pixar” idea wouldn’t leave my head. The more I looked into it, the more I felt compelled to do this, not just for a few weeks but the entire summer!

If you are familiar with Pixar animated films, you likely know why I was so enamored with the idea.   They are fun, thoughtful movies that operate on many levels. I have yet to watch a Pixar feature and not find myself thinking… “yeah, that’d preach.”  So, we are going to give it a go this summer.

Now the key to this series is not, in fact, Pixar, but rather the word Gospel. As Lutherans, a big part of our theological tradition and way of thinking is based on the proper division of Law and Gospel. The law places demands on us, and the Gospel shows us how we are freed in Christ by what he has done for us and promised us in baptism. As simple and as different as these two concepts seem, we often forget and even more often confuse the two. We will be using scripture from both the Old and New Testaments to share the Gospel, the good news of God’s love for us. The movies simply provide us with a medium to share this message.

I liked the idea of using Pixar so much because they do a great job telling stories. Not only are these movies technologically fascinating productions (which is something else I love about them), but they also let us touch on serious and lighthearted topics in a distinctive way. This summer, there will be moments of sadness and joy, silliness, and thoughtfulness, all of which Pixar captures in its characteristic way. We aim to use these movies to tell God’s story of forgiveness, grace, and life in Jesus Christ. I hope you will be able to join us, and if you have a favorite Pixar film, I hope it is one of the ones we chose!

Welcome!

A blog from Pastor David

If you are reading this, you have discovered our newly redone website. I am excited as this new format allows us to do some new things, including this blog! If you are a long-time member of St. John's, you should find all the resources you have come to know and love with a bit of exploring! If you are new to St. John's, welcome in Jesus' name! We hope that you will find here connections, information, opportunities, and so much more to help you engage in the life and ministry of St. John's.

You will find that much like our faith; this website is constantly being made new! (2 Corinthians 5:17) Check back often. I hope you will find opportunities to Worship, Love, Give and Grow on this page and resources to help equip you and others as we grow in faith and service in Jesus' name.

I hope to use this blog to communicate and reflect on life and ministry in and through St. John's with you! In my column in the Weekly News, I will seek to keep you updated and connected with many of the day-to-day events here at St. John's. In this blog, I hope to explore things a bit deeper, do a little teaching, have some fun, and ponder things that don't fit in our weekly publication.  

Welcome to the blog! See you around…