Dear Saints and Sinners,

We prepare to be ready for something we hope never happens. We prepare for hurricanes by stocking up on food, water, and, like me, propane to make hot coffee. We prepare for serious health problems by exercising, eating right, and getting insurance to pay expensive bills. Preparing is necessary because of the curse of sin Adam and Eve brought upon all mankind (Genesis 3:17b-19a) … because they weren’t prepared to face evil. Have you ever thought of how you’d fare facing evil face-to-face?

God tells us the best way to prepare is to “put on the whole armor of God … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:11,17).”  Jesus demonstrates for us when He encounters the “face of evil” up close and personal. After 40 days and nights fasting, Jesus was hungry and, I’d imagine tired and thirsty. Satan tempts Jesus to turn rocks to bread. Jesus, counters Satan with Deuteronomy 8:3, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then Satan tempts Jesus to prove His Father’s love with the Psalms. Jesus reminds Satan, there’s more to God’s Word than cherry-picking verses with Deuteronomy 6:16, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Finally, Satan – attempting to trick Jesus – offers the ultimate temptation, God’s creation. All He has to do is worship him. Jesus fights back with Deuteronomy 6:13, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.’” In the face of the sword of God’s Word, Satan flees!

Evil still looks for targets to turn against God. Our best defense when attacked is still the strong offense of God’s Word. Satan cannot stand against it. But it takes constant preparation to be able to fend off Satan’s vicious attacks. 

This Lent, let’s engage in good preparation - regular study of God’s Word and prayer in groups and on your own. In this way, we’ll stand firm against Satan’s attacks too. 

                                                                                        Your Fellow Saint and Sinner,

                                                                                        Pastor Jim

CREDIT: Houghton Modern on FLICKR

Dear Friends and Family,

For centuries many have espoused the value of a university education; encouraging the best and brightest to attain the wisdom the world values. However, I’d argue this isn’t the place to go to develop wisdom – knowledge perhaps, but not wisdom. If it were, why would one of the world’s “so-called” preeminent universities change its motto from Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae (Truth for Christ and the Church) to simply Veritas (Truth)?

Paul warns against placing too much faith in the world’s wisdom. Doing so causes us weak and foolish humans to boast of our wisdom and abilities – forgetting these all come from God (1 Corinthians 1:28-31), His gifts to us. 

An example of God’s perfect wisdom flying in the face of the world’s foolishness – Jesus’ Beatitudes. (Matthew 5:1-12) Jesus calls all who recognize their poverty in spirit, grieve the sin in the world, seek to meekly serve others, desire nothing above understanding God’s will, show unbridled mercy to everyone, seek to make peace with all, and willingly suffer for Him … “blessed.”

In contrast, the world – both sides of the aisle, as headlines painfully show – without regard for God, too often lauds and praises those exerting unbridled power over the weak and defenseless. It frequently strives to get possession of things they hope will ensure their security. It regularly and willfully subjects “the other” to pain and suffering until they capitulate to the “seat-of-power’s” will.

Jesus taught a much different way to His followers, His disciples. As God’s divine Son, He most certainly could’ve destroyed His enemies in an unrelenting hail of literal fire and brimstone. However, He chose differently, defeating His enemies by suffering and dying on His “foolish” cross – that God’s power might show itself in His love, His mercy, His grace. He calls us to return to Him – rejecting the world’s wisdom as He freely forgives us our reliance on it – then grants us strength to live in His truth, in His Body – His church … humbly, obediently serving Him while bearing our “foolish” crosses, awaiting His glorious return. 

                                                                                        In Christ’s Love,

                                                                                        Pastor Jim

CREDIT: Kyle Wong on Unsplash

Dear Disciples of Christ,

I read the other day of a regular traveler along I-68 in western Maryland. It’s a scenic, very hilly piece of interstate. He’d gotten quite used to the scenery until it became a blur to him, especially in the winter when the trees were bare and the ground was brown (or white with snow). But, one night he experienced something new! As he descended toward Exit 50 he noticed a beautiful array of lights in the valley below. The lights caused him to wonder, “What’s that?! I gotta see it!” The bright lights, invisible by day, shone brightly in the dark to draw Him in.

A continuing theme in this season of Epiphany is light … lights that contrast with darkness to reveal the light of Christ in world. It’s a light we see growing as the season progresses to lead people to God and the light of His grace and mercy. God speaks through Isaiah to promise His people, living under the oppression of foreign powers at the time, it’s not always going to be like this, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone” (Isaiah 9:2). Joys will multiply. Burdens and oppression will be lifted. And these promises are realized centuries later when the Light of the World, Jesus Christ begins His ministry.

Jesus begins His ministry, not to bring the royal throne of David back to Jerusalem, but to bring an even greater kingdom into reality. He says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Jesus commands Israel, and you and me, to turn away from the darkness of the powers of the world - the sin of idolatry - and return to reliance and trust in the light of God. Let us then follow the light of Christ by being bright lights shining in the world – lights which attract others to Jesus and into the kingdom of heaven that awaits all who believe in Him.

                                                                        Your Brother in Christ,

                                                                        Pastor Jim

CREDIT: James Tissot

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

When something breaks, we try to fix it. For example, if one of our Christmas ornaments broke – say a reindeer’s antler snapped off – we’ll try to repair it with super glue to rejoin the pieces to form a whole again.

We’re in the middle of a church season called Epiphany, a season of growing lights – bookended by the distant star in the night sky leading the Magi to Jesus and the glorious light of Jesus’ Transfiguration the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. Epiphany continues with Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River. There, the Holy Spirit comes to rest on Jesus as His Father proclaims, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) We might ask, “Why does sinless Jesus need to be baptized?”

The eternal Son of God was born of a woman to bring to fruition His Father’s plan to repair the damage sin had done to break His good and perfect creation. And to repair this brokenness, Jesus not only had to enter our world, but join with it … and join it to Himself. In His baptism, Jesus – who is indeed sinless and not at all in need of salvation – joins Himself to us in the same waters of baptism we receive. In this shared experience, though sinless Himself, our sins become a part of Him so He can carry them to His cross. There He pays the price of death and is buried with them in the grave … where they will stay forever when He rose to new life on that first Easter. And, when we are baptized, something of Jesus is joined to us – His righteousness. (Romans 6:3-5)

In the great exchange, our sin is joined to Jesus and His righteousness is joined to us. We are joined together as His brothers and sisters. It is the waters of baptism, Jesus’ and ours, that join us together with Him to begin repairing the brokenness sin causes, restoring God’s creation to the whole goodness He intended from the beginning.

Grace be with You,

                                                                                                Pastor Jim

CREDIT: www.goodfon.com

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I resolve … This time of year many make resolutions to improve – improve health, mind, and relationships. It’s a good practice because God has given us these temporal – time-bound, earthly – gifts to be used effectively during the time He’s given us to live. If we do nothing to improve, we get flabby, lazy, and isolated – not God’s intention. So, let’s resolve to improve these aspects of our lives to prepare to better use God’s gifts to us.

These “time-bound” gifts are great blessings, sustaining us in the time God allots to us to live it. Eventually though, we’ll move from this life to the next. When? God only knows. 

That said, God has given us a gift which sustains us through this life into the next. The gift of faith. And He helps us sustain this gift through the additional gifts of His “means of grace” – His Word and Sacraments. Which brings me back to resolutions … 

Our spiritual health sustains us through this life into the next life. It also, like our physical health, must be maintained or it will grow tired, weak, and unable to support us. However, God, knowing this, gives us His “means of grace.” Let us resolve then to improve our spiritual health by strengthening our faith in God and His promises through the exercise of these eternal, spiritual gifts.

Let us resolve to spend a few minutes – maybe 5-10 minutes – each day reading from God’s Word. Pick up an Our Daily Bread in the church lobby to guide you. Or check out our daily devotions posted to First Lutheran’s Facebook page. Then, guided by His Word lift a short prayer asking God’s help to follow His Word. And finally, resolve to join with the Body of Christ in worship, Sundays or Wednesdays, to receive His Word and Sacraments. These simple resolutions will help improve your spiritual health. And, along the way, they’ll also improve the health of your temporal gifts as your life starts aligning more closely with God’s will for you.

A Blessed New Year to All,

                                                                                        Pastor Jim

Dear Friends and Family of First Lutheran,

For many, Christmas – or any of the numerous holidays that surround it – is about “presents.”  Ever since early November we’ve been bombarded with commercials showing cars with big red ribbons, jewelry with little ribbons, houses wrapped in lights. The list goes on. The idea behind wrapping is for the gift to be a surprise when you open it. However, I know some people who already know what their gifts are because they buy their own gifts, wrap them, and then act like they’re surprised when they open them, “Oh you shouldn’t have!” Know anyone like that? I’ll admit it, I did this once. It wasn’t as much fun as I thought it would be.

I understand the gift giving tradition. It’s a great way to show our love and appreciation for those we love. In a small way, these gifts can be thought of as symbols of another gift we all received that was wrapped up for us 2000 years ago. Luke tells us, “Mary gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger.” (Luke 2:7) God’s gift to us, Jesus, whose name means “God Saves” was wrapped up for us by His mother. But, unlike most gifts we unwrap each Christmas, this gift is continually given to and unwrapped for us as we worship Him by singing His praises, hearing His Word proclaimed, and receiving His grace and peace in our Baptism, Confession and Absolution, and Holy Communion. 

These gifts nourish our faith continually helping us live our lives in the here and now as God’s children. God desires we continually unwrap His gifts of mercy and grace because He has even better gifts waiting for us one day. He will send His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ again. When that day comes, He’ll bring us into His presence in His new creation. This gift will keep on giving … we’ll receive the love of God and the peace of Christ over and over for all eternity.

                                                                                        Merry Christmas to All,

                                                                                        Pastor Jim

Dear Saints,

Ever heard of a Locust Tree? I first encountered them damaging my house, blocking my satellite signal, and making a mess of things when they shed their leaves and pods. So, I got out my chain saw. That was that! Until a couple years later, when I noticed new locust trees where the old ones stood – growing from the old stumps. This tree, though it looked dead, sprouted leaves, flowers, and fruit! 

God’s Word tells of a man named Jesse and his son David, whom God anointed as king of His people. (1 Samuel 16:1-13) For a while, Israel, under King David was obedient to God and His Word and thrived. However, after David died, this mighty kingdom fell into depravity. The stump looked, to all who saw it, dead. But God, remembering His promise to David centuries before that David’s kingdom and throne would be established forever, (2 Samuel 7:12-17) reminded His people of His promise through Isaiah, saying “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.” (Isaiah 11:1) 

Then one night, in a small, unimportant village a shoot emerged from Jesse’s family tree. This baby, born in a manger wasn’t much to look at, but He was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s centuries old prophecy. Jesus, the Son of God, was the shoot from the stump of Jesse (Matthew 1:1-16) … a shoot that became a branch which bore much fruit for His Father in heaven. Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection all who believe in Him – though dead in sin, receive new life in Christ Jesus. 

Mankind, because of sin, is nothing more than a forest of lifeless stumps. However, Jesus, the Stump of Jesse, gives new life to lifeless stumps! Through the waters of baptism, we’re brought to new life and begin bearing fruit of the Spirit in God’s creation; fruit God uses to raise more dead stumps to new life. So, let’s give thanks to God for granting us this new life and bear fruit for God!

                                                                        In Christ’s Love,

                                                                        Pastor Jim