No Ordinary Blog

"CHILDREN OF ADAM & ABRAHAM - CHILDREN OF GOD!"

2024-06-19T11:24:00.000-05:00

The following was an overly ambitious attempt to pack too much into a single sermon. Even with cutting it short during the delivery, the result was a 25-mitnute presentation. It is presented here for blog readers to review the material at their leisure. Scripture references were taken from the New International Version; the reader may use any Bible version of choice for personal study.

4^th Sunday After Pentecost

16 June 2024

“CHILDREN OF ADAM & ABRAHAM –

CHILDREN OF GOD!”

St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church – Johnstown, PA

Grace, mercy and peace from God our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Heavenly Father, thank You that in Your grace You designed Your perfect plan of salvation, that all who are born of Adam into the original creation that was cursed, may be born again into Your new creation where death is defeated and fellowship with You is restored for all who believe in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You for being willing to send Your dearly beloved Son to be the sacrifice for our sin and that Jesus was willing to die on our account. Praise Your holy name that death is swallowed up in victory and we are restored into fellowship with You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

[Now] may the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

The first of several Scriptures for our attention this morning are those verses of Genesis, chapter 3, which were not included in last week’s First Reading. Hear now Genesis 3, beginning at verse 1.

[Genesis 3:1-7; 14-24 NIV]

Adam and Eve’s sons followed them into sin. We turn to Genesis 4.

[Genesis 4:2-10 NIV]

The promise that God would provide an atonement for sin was first made in the Garden of Eden and later to Abraham who was put to the test. We hear Genesis 22, starting at verse 1.

[Genesis 22:1-14 NIV]

While God’s people waited for a second Adam, He established ritual sacrifices to symbolize the one who would come to fulfill the atoning sacrifice once and for all. Leviticus 16…

[Leviticus 16:6-19 NIV]

“In the Shattered Bliss of Eden” vv. 1-3

God provided the ram for Abraham’s sacrifice in place of his son, Isaac. Now, God would provide His Son as the sacrificial Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. We hear John the Baptizer’s declaration from the Gospel according to St. John.

[John 1:29-36 NIV]

John writes in the Book of Revelation how tens of thousands of angels surround the Lamb who was slain and sing His praises. This should be familiar to us – “This is the Feast of Victory for Our God”!

[Revelation 5:6-13 Select Verses NIV]

Just as sin entered the world through the original Adam and all men sinned, so also through the obedience of one man – the new Adam – many will be made righteous. Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 5.

[Romans 5:12-21 NIV]

The forgiveness won for us by Jesus’ crucifixion, death and resurrection is offered to us freely by grace and received by faith in His Holy Supper. We turn to the Gospel of Matthew…

[Matthew 26:26-29 NIV]

John continues to reveal the worship of the Lamb as a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language – those who have come out of the great tribulation and washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb – surround the throne day and night.

[Revelation 7:9-17 NIV]

By grace through faith, we are made new through our Baptism into Christ. Only God has the ability to take away our sin, cleanse and us and work new life from the inside out through the work of the Holy Spirit. Paul describes this process in Galatians, chapter 3.

[Galatians 3:26-29 NIV]

“In the Shattered Bliss of Eden” vv. 4-6

Paul says that those baptized into Christ have put on Christ. He used this metaphor, like when we put on new clothes, to describe how it can change how we feel and present ourselves.

Putting on Christ transforms us from the inside out. It means we are clothed in His righteousness, love, and grace. Jesus covers our old self with all its flaws and failures. Living with this identity can change everything.

When we remember that we are children of God, we start to see ourselves and others differently. We understand our worth and the worth of those around us. This identity can give us confidence and peace, as we know that we belong to God and that nothing can separate us from His love. It starts with reminding yourself of this truth every morning. You can begin your day thanking God for making you His child.

When challenges come, remember that you are not alone, God is with you, guiding you as your loving Father. In Christ, we have a new identity, a new family and a new way of life. Embrace it fully, and let it transform you. You are a beloved child of God, clothed in Christ.

May this truth shape our hearts and actions today and throughout our lives. Amen!

__________________________

2020-08-29T10:41:00.015-05:00

"THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT!"
[Matthew 16:21-28]

30 August 2020

Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost

St. Paul Lutheran Church - Johnstown, PA

“May [the] words of my mouth and [the] meditation of [our] hearts be pleasing in your sight, [O] Lord, [our] Rock and [our] Redeemer.” AMEN!

[Psalm 19:14 NIV]

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today's gospel reading from Matthew is a difficult one for most Christians. In fact, many pastors will avoid this text as the basis for preaching on this 13th Sunday after Pentecost. Yes, this text is a challenging one indeed! Just last Sunday, we heard how Jesus held Peter up as an example after his confession of Jesus as “the Messiah, the son of the living God”. Jesus said that he would build his church on the rock of faith like Peter’s. What a difference a week makes! However, as time goes on and we hear from Peter again, we now must question Peter's understanding of what he was confessing in last week's gospel.

When the rubber hits the road, we find that Peter might have had in mind a different kind of Messiah. The Jewish people we're looking for a Messiah who would come as a conqueror, someone who would ride into Jerusalem like the glorious Kings of old, someone who would set up his throne like David or Solomon who followed him. The Gospel tells us that after Peter confessed Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus began to talk all kinds of craziness at least in the minds of the disciples! While the Jewish people and the disciples were looking for a Messiah who would conquer the Romans and throw out all of Israel's enemies, Jesus starts talking about going to Jerusalem, suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and ultimately, being crucified on a cross.

What Jesus began to talk about, the Heavenly Father's plan for our Salvation, simply did not fit with the disciples’ vision for a Messiah. We may even be shocked by Jesus response to what Peter said, especially when Jesus tells Peter to “Get behind me, Satan!” and paraphrasing here, “You do not have in mind the things of God but the things of men!” By now, many of us will be extremely uncomfortable! We don't like to hear about Satan or the devil or evil. We may even play it off if we get caught doing something wrong by saying “The devil made me do it.” Fellow Christians, make no mistake, Satan is alive and well in our world and the more often that he can get us to focus on the things of men instead of the things of God, the happier he is.

Some would even dismiss the presence of evil or a Satan or devil is a reality. I can tell you from experience that the existence of evil in this world is real! While some would maintain that the Bible is an ancient book and has no relevance for our life today, I would contend that the things that are recorded in Holy Scripture are still very applicable. I have firsthand experience and knowledge of evil possessing individuals and speaking through them and causing them to act in ways that they do not even remember after the fact.

This morning, I would like to take us back to revisit the Old Testament and the account of Job. The story of Job is more than just about someone who loses everything through misfortune and disaster only to be more blessed in the end with the second family and more prosperity than even before. It only takes 5 verses into the Book of Job and by the 6th verse, Satan makes his appearance! Hear now the first 12 verses of the Book of Job, chapter 1.

[Job 1:1-12 NIV]

In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.

His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.

One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

At this point, what do we know about Job? At this point in the account of Job, we know that he was very wealthy, we know that he had a large family, we know that he loved his family and we know that he interceded for his children before God because he knew that they were likely to make mistakes! All that he had was taken away – God allowed Job's family and possessions to be taken away – by Satan. Then along comes Job’s friends who, in somewhat of a foreshadowing of Peter's statement in today's gospel, did not have in mind the things of God but the things of men!

[Job 2:11-13 NIV]

When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him because they saw how great his suffering was.

Instead of offering comfort and praying for him, Job’s friends tried to find fault and try to identify what it was that Job had done to deserve the things that had been inflicted upon him because surely somewhere in Job’s past, at some point in time, Job must have sinned against God. Doesn't that sound familiar? The extended rants of the friends of Job go on and on ad nauseum.

If you still don't believe that Satan is alive and well or that evil exists in our world, all you have to do is open your eyes and look around. The things that are happening in the world today on a daily basis surely have God shedding tears of sadness while the devil himself could not be more overjoyed. Those who would seek to destroy the world as we know it do not have in mind the things of God but the things of men!

How about us? Do we find ourselves grumbling about all manner of topics from family and friends to city leaders to state and national government representatives – people in positions of leadership and power. Instead of grumbling, have we prayed for them – interceded on their behalf before the throne of Almighty God? Do we curse the president or the opposing political party? Have you or I prayed to God asking Him to inspire our leaders and for His will to be done. In a few weeks, we will have the opportunity to vote for president and numerous other leadership positions. Will you pray before you cast your vote or put your will ahead of God’s plan and desires?

Earlier we joked about the devil making us do things. The reality may be that all he has to do is sit back and watch. We also do well to remember that when Jesus tells Peter to get behind him as Satan, Jesus knows firsthand what he's talking about. Remember before Jesus’ ministry, he went out into the desert for 40 days and 40 nights. It was during that time that Satan led him to the top of a mountain and, ironically, told him that he would give him the whole world. Then he took Jesus to the top of the temple and told him to throw himself down for surely God's angels would protect him. Jesus has faced every temptation known to humankind!

Peter makes no attempt to rebuff Jesus’ rebuke and does not make a lame excuse about how Satan was influencing him when he protested Jesus’ revelation that he would face suffering and death. At the height of Peter’s ministry, he fully recognized the influence and presence of the Devil, Satan, in our world and personal lives. His words are a fitting prayer and reminder of God’s promises to us on this occasion. In the fifth chapter of the First Letter of Saint Peter, he writes:

[1 Peter 5:6-11 NIV]

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

“Whoever has ears, Let them hear!”

2020-07-11T22:59:00.003-05:00

“Whoever has ears, Let them hear!”

12 July 2020

St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, [O] Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

[Psalm 19:14 NIV]

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

The text for this morning’s sermon is the Parable of the Sower. Hear again these verses from a slightly different translation.

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

[Matthew 13:1-9 NIV]

As I contemplated God’s Word set aside for this 6^th Sunday After Pentecost, and as I planned to lead worship today aware of the hymns which had been chosen to round out the worship service, a song which I first learned over 40 years ago came to mind. In fact, it is included in Lutheran Book of Worship – our green hymnal – in the “Canticle” section as #14 – “Listen! You Nations” and as we will discover fits nicely with both the Scriptures set aside for this Sunday, the Gospel text and the other hymns for this day.

Refrain:

Listen! you nations of the world: listen to the Word of the Lord.
Announce it from coast to coast; declare it to distant islands.

The Lord who scattered Israel will gather his people again;
and he will keep watch over them, as a shepherd watches his flock.

Refrain

With shouts of joy they will come, their faces radiantly happy,
for the Lord is so gen'rous to them; he showers his people with gifts.

Refrain

Young women will dance for joy, and men young and old will make merry.
Like a garden refreshed by the rain, they will never be in want again.

Break into shouts of great joy; Jacob is free again!
Teach nations to sing the song: "The Lord has saved his people!"

[Lutheran Book of Worship, Canticle #14]

The Old Testament reading from the prophet Isaiah appointed for today, the verses from Psalm 65 sung minutes ago and the section from Matthew’s Gospel devote a lot of attention to sowing and harvesting, the cycles of nature and the blessings that God pours out on us abundantly each and every day we draw breath on this earth. What are we really talking about today? What is the bottom line?

St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans reminds each of us that “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” And again, he writes “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”

Since it has been over 21 years since I left active ministry, I have often been asked if there is anything I miss about full time ministry. There is one event that often comes to mind when asked that question. Can you guess what it might be? No, it is not the Advent and Christmas during which we build up to and celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Of course, that is a keystone of our faith and I do love Christmas. When in ministry, however, one is so consumed with the services and telling the story that there becomes a danger of missing the point for oneself.

Another guess? No, it is not the Lenten and Easter season when we remind ourselves of the sacrificial ministry, suffering and death of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We journey along with the triumphant entry into Jerusalem, while the palms waved, coats lined the path and the King of Kings humbled himself and rode on a colt, the foal of a donkey. In the garden at Gethsemane, we may even feel the strain on Jesus’ heart and mind as he pleads with the Heavenly Father and sweat like drops of blood runs down his cheeks. In fact, we may even be swept to tears at His trial, as a crown of thorns is set on His head and he is beaten and nailed to a cross – not for His own transgressions but for our own sins. Sometimes we even sing “Were You There”!

The climax of the salvation story is of course, the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter morning! Jesus is Alive! The baby born in Bethlehem, crucified on Calvary’s hill and laid in a stranger’s tomb is risen from the dead! So we say “Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!” Merry Christmas! Happy Easter! Because all of us know that we cannot have Christmas without Easter nor Easter without Christmas. The Christmas – Easter salvation story is not the end; it is only the beginning!

That is why the event that I miss most when asked is an event we heard something about in recent weeks. Every summer, I remember those great weeks of Vacation Bible School as a child, as a teacher or coordinator and later in the years of ministry. At a Vacation Bible School in a small town church in Minnesota, a church I was later married in and where my eldest child was baptized, is where I first learned Canticle #14, the song “Listen! You Nations”.

How well we undoubtedly know the exuberance and excitement of children attending Vacation Bible school. Of course, they are often eager for the crafts and the playtime but they are also excited to learn the Bible stories and songs. Children have a willingness to tell others which seems to dissipate as we grow older and weary of the world and its ways. I can still remember various groups of children singing out the lyrics with force and emphasis, especially the words of the refrain:

Listen! you nations of the world: listen to the Word of the Lord.

Announce it from coast to coast; declare it to distant islands.

In a world that needs to hear more than ever, would that we could recapture that childlike enthusiasm to hear the Word of the Lord and bear fruit. Jesus concludes His explanation of the Parable of the Sowers saying, “the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” [Matthew 13:23 NIV]

Depending on the translation of today’s Gospel, the rendition is “Let anyone with ears listen!” or “Whoever has ears, let them hear! Lest we miss the point and the words of Scripture go in one ear and out the other, our final focus is on what God means in the Old Testament when in Hebrew we hear “Shema, Israel!” or when Jesus says in the New Testament gospels “Listen!” Jesus Himself offers an explanation when He speaks about hearing the Word and understanding it. It is more than just simple hearing. “To listen” as translated from the original Hebrew and Greek means to perceive, to comprehend, to understand, to put it into practice – “to obey” the Word of the Lord.

At the end of this service, we will sing:

Spread, oh, spread, almighty Word,

Spread the reign of God the Lord;

Tell how his own Son he gave,
All from sin and death to save.

In other words:

Listen! you nations of the world:

listen to the Word of the Lord.
Announce it from coast to coast;

declare it to distant islands.

“Whoever has ears, let them hear!” Amen

Jesus Has Risen!

2020-04-12T04:31:00.003-05:00

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

Happy Easter! Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas! Happy Easter!

"On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: " 'The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " Then they remembered his words.

"When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened." [Luke 24:1-12 NIV]

We Shall Overcome! Cliche or Fact?!

2020-03-23T12:20:00.000-05:00

"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

'For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.'

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." [Romans 8:31-39 NIV]

Fear and Uncertainty

2020-03-23T12:02:00.001-05:00

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." [2 Timothy 1:7]

The More Things Change... They Change!

2018-09-18T13:05:00.000-05:00

"Which will you choose?"

The More Things Change...
They Change!

“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. [Malachi 3:6-7 NIV]

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. [James 1:17 NIV]

I know. I know. Again, with the tired old cliches! "Wait just a minute. You have it mixed up." You want to tell me that it is supposed to be "The more things change, the more they stay the same." OR "The more things stay the same, the more they change." While I have been contemplating this blog post for several days, it is not likely to carry the same words it might have when I first conceived the idea. Just today, in perusing clip art (yes that is still a thing) and images I ran across proof that I am not the only one championing the idea that "the more things change... they change"!

The Scripture verses at the beginning of this post indicate that there is only one Being who does not change. Truthfully, we must acknowledge that even the universe which we believe God created constantly changes. This planet that we call home is constantly changing. Our failure to recognize or embrace change becomes one more attempt to put ourselves in the place of God.

Earlier today, I remembered a woman who lived well in to her 90s and experienced more change than any of us can probably fathom. Born at the height of the First World War - the "Great War" as it was considered by many, she lived through the Great Depression, the Second World War, the Korean Conflict (War), the assassination of a president, the Viet Nam Crisis (War), economic downturns and booms, the first Gulf War, the 9/11 attacks, ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and so much more. She lived through the introduction of rural electricity, television, the transition from farming with horses to tractors, rabbit ears and antennas on a pole to cable TV, cooking with electric instead of a wood-fired stove, and eventually enjoyed a transition to indoor plumbing. A lot of change because as they are bound to do, things change!

It should be no surprise to those who knew her best that when, in the early 1980s, it was decided that her small Lutheran church would introduce a new hymnal for use in worship services and other events, this woman - my mother - embraced the change. She loved the "new" music, the more lively settings for worship and the opportunity to move beyond the staid and stoic 1941 hymnal. Never once do I recall her mentioning that she wanted to go back to the "old" hymnal. In fact, she was proud of the fact that her small dying church embraced the 2005 hymnal published for use in the congregations, universities, colleges and seminaries of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. Elfrieda Turnmire recognized that change was a part of life and an opportunity to grow and expand one's horizons and not become stagnant as one who turns inward and opposes change for the sake of opposing change.

Lest we forget, Jesus the Christ was an agent of change in the world of his day and remains so today. Think about it. Jesus came to save the lost and rejected of the world. He was chastised for socializing and eating with sinners. We might also say that Jesus was the first preacher who on multiple occasions preached to thousands at one time. Today, we may be inclined to say that those who attend "mega churches" are going for the entertainment value. Perhaps some do go to "get lost in the crowd", remain anonymous and make no commitment. The same could be said of some who came to hear Jesus preach. In fact, when the going got rough and Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem, there were many who abandoned him and went home. Jesus' message was becoming too real!

What exactly about Jesus' ministry makes me consider him an agent of change? Remember some of the specific events of His ministry. Beginning with his baptism in the river, it became more and more obvious to his followers and the throngs that he was not like anyone else. Among his followers were women with whom he had close friendships, he dared to speak to Gentiles, the diseased, the lame, and he embraced children and set them forth as an example of the kind of faith one needs to enter the Kingdom of heaven. His preaching was simple, in words the common people could understand and relate to, and his very presence made the religious leaders of the day uncomfortable and afraid.

While we are reminded of the God does not change, even God changed the method and the means by which He sought to save humanity. With all of its failed attempts at keeping the law, the untold numbers of animals sacrificed in accordance with the law and in vain efforts to appease the wrath of the Creator, without the grace and favor of God, these measures amount to nothing. What does God do? He provides a Savior in the person of His One and Only Son. Jesus embraced his divine mission and he came to earth as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world. He fulfilled the law and opened the way to salvation by grace through faith for Christ's sake. What should have been a change embraced by the world, instead the religious leaders and zealots were threatened. Eventually, the Romans would be threatened and did everything in their power to extinguish the fire of those who became followers of the Way.

One of the common themes put forth by those who resist change may just end up being the seven last words of many church groups here on earth, "We've never done it that way before!" The mantra may also go something like this: "If it was good enough for us, it should be good enough for the younger generation as well." So is that really true? I challenge those who may have those thoughts to consider the impact of their belief. Pick a date. 1941? 1958? 1978? 1983? If you really want to return to the "good old days", does that mean you are ready to heat your home with wood or coal? Are you ready to give up your iPhone, Android, iPad, tablet or laptop computer? Those things did not exist in those years. Car phones existed but were not common and if there were mobile phones they might have been as bulky as a lunchbox (another nearly obsolete but historical part of our past). Forget those high-definition televisions, DVD and blu-ray players, Roku, Apple TV and the like.

Change happens. Sometimes it is downright shocking! Imagine my recent surprise to learn that the pastor who counseled me, drank coffee with me and helped begin the healing process 19 years ago when I first began a journey that led me to where I am today, is no longer a Lutheran pastor with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He is now The Very Reverend [Unnamed], Dean of an Episcopal cathedral. The journey God sets out for us may lead in unexpected directions.

The wife of the pastor who shepherded me when I joined another church after high school (more than 40 years ago) has been on a spiritual journey filled with change herself. As I am prone to do, I look for ways to reconnect with people from my past who have made an impact on my life. When a need arose to aid in the continued growth of a mission congregation, she took steps to become a certified Associate in Ministry. Later on, taking it a step further, she became an ordained pastor within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Imagine my further surprise and astonishment to learn that the church I attended when my life transition was in its infancy, an historical landmark in Fargo, North Dakota, has been transformed into a beautiful events center because the owner and developer wanted to preserve the heritage and not see the structure demolished. I had known that the congregation had moved out and sold the church building, which has become a common refrain of the 21st century, because the dwindling congregation could not afford the maintenance and upkeep of the facility. God does not change but the survival and relevance of the church on earth may depend on it.

As I have sojourned, some would say in the wilderness, over the past nearly 20 years, I could never, at the outset, have imagined the path I would be led to follow or the people that I would encounter throughout those years. Since I do not believe in coincidences, we all have opportunities to make a difference, to be change agents in the lives of others. When the churches are empty, the doors are closed and no one is left, will the last survivor say "We should have changed!"?

"Ponder anew what the Almighty can do!"

Jumping In The Deep End

2018-08-26T13:05:00.000-05:00

JUMPING IN THE DEEP END

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9 NIV

Having contemplated the writing of this blog post for several days, it now seems strange to me that I chose the title "Jumping In the Deep End" which could also be titled "Jumping In With Both Feet". Bill was the swimmer. I, who never took swimming lessons as a child, was terrified when I had to take a swimming class to meet one of the physical education requirements to obtain my Bachelor's degree at the institution then known as Concordia College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Bill competed for swim teams at swim meets. For me, to pass that swimming class in college, I had to swim across the pool and jump in the deep end. I survived by the grace of God and actually managed a "B" in swimming of all things!

Perhaps it is indeed appropriate that I write a blog borrowing from Bill's experience as an accomplished swimmer since he was, for the better part of the past two decades, my biggest advocate. He encouraged me to pursue my true calling and return to the ministry. Even though I have clung to my lifetime Scripture verse spoken at the rite of my Confirmation of faith, there always seemed to be a small obstacle that I viewed as a mountain in the way. You see, Bill knew that I would never be truly happy or content unless I returned to ministry.

What many do not know, especially in my family and among friends and acquaintances from high school and beyond, is that I viewed every minute of my time with Bill and in many other situations over the past nearly twenty years to be opportunities to answer the call to ministry. While from the outside it may seem if I have been wandering in the wilderness, I was engaged in spiritual warfare, healing ministry, emotional and spiritual counseling often to the neglect of my own physical, mental and emotional needs. The time of sojourning in the wilderness is coming to an end.

Early in June of this summer, I started a position as a contractor working with the IT Service Desk of the American Red Cross here in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Midway through the second week of training, I became seriously ill and would not return to work until after a visit to urgent care on a Sunday and the emergency room on Monday. Missing 4 days of work in the first two and a half weeks is not an ideal way to start a new job. The next week, I was taken to the emergency room from work with a blood pressure of 210/100 and spent that night and the next day as a patient. Blood tests, urinalysis, x-rays, a CT scan, a stress test and a colonoscopy later revealed no real causes for the symptoms and recurring issues. On my birthday, July 27, management decided that I could switch to the schedule I had asked for - working an overnight shift - which would allow me time off during the week to schedule and keep medical appointments if needed. After continuing to be sick every other day or not even skipping a day in between, I implored my primary care physician to allow me stop taking one of my medications since I did not feel it had ever worked for me as was expected. He gave in and I have not been sick since. In fact, I feel better now than I have in several years! Thanks be to God!

Improved health and a clarity of thought and mind have allowed me to focus on spiritual things. Some of you will think this is odd but I have planned my memorial service including readings, hymns, a theme and a service for the committal as well. I have also compiled two CDs of my favorite music which are titled "In Memoriam - When You Hear This Think of Me" and "Saved By Grace". Paying attention to God speaking to me through His Word and in the words of hymns and spiritual songs, the message is clear. I remember singing the words of a hymn I looked forward to singing in that Midwestern congregation of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, "Hark the Voice of Jesus Calling".

Hark, the voice of Jesus calling, "Who will go and work today?

Fields are white and harvests waiting, Who will bear the sheaves away?"

Loud and long the master calls you; Rich reward he offers free.

Who will answer, gladly saying, "Here am I. Send me, send me"?

Let none hear you idly saying, "There is nothing I can do,"

While the multitudes are dying And the master calls for you.

Take the task he gives you gladly; Let his work your pleasure be.

Answer quickly when he calls you, "Here am I. Send me, send me!"

"In the year that King Uzziah died [Isaiah] heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And [Isaiah] said, 'Here am I. Send me!'” [Isaiah 6:8 NIV]

The time is right! The time is now! No, not mere cliches which I am finding with every year hold a lot more meaning than many people accredit to such pithy sayings thrown around without thought or concern. January 31, 2019 will mark 20 years since I stepped down from the pulpit at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Lidgerwood, North Dakota. It seems like a good time to share that I have begun the process of making formal application to return to ministry within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. I pray for God's blessing as I continue in the journey that He set out for me and before me. You might say "I am jumping in the deep end with both feet"!

"Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip [us] with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." [Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV]

"What's Cooking?"

2017-11-22T11:21:00.000-06:00

"What's Cooking?"

What sounds like an appropriate question surrounding Thanksgiving dinner became the title of a movie released in 2000, prior to the events of 9/11 and when, at least for appearance sake, there was less open hate speech and controversial division in society. Set in urban Los Angeles, viewers of the movie follow four families of different ethnic and religious backgrounds as they prepare for and celebrate Thanksgiving in America. Ironically, the four families live on four corners of the same intersection yet know very little of the others' existence. One soon realizes how the families are intertwined and a shocking event draws them out of their houses as the day of Thanksgiving draws to a close.

By now, I have watched this film numerous times as it became a Thanksgiving tradition in the Bill and David household. Indeed, I watched "What's Cooking?" again yesterday afternoon while attempting to resolve a pesky computer issue. With every viewing, something new catches my attention or perhaps details I had taken for granted take on new meaning. As I watched the beginning of the movie, it was as if I had never viewed those scenes before. All of them seemed new and different. Bill, who was much more a movie and film aficionado than I will ever be, loved this movie and I am thankful that this became a part of our Thanksgiving tradition even while I tended to favor the non-traditional.

Today, 22 November 2017, marks eight months to the day and day of the week since Bill's death. To say that I was not prepared for the emotions which the holiday season would bring this year is an understatement. Reality and one's own thought process are not always in sync. The past several days have been especially difficult yet with much to do, there are times that I feel frozen and stopped in my tracks.

As I find myself in prayer and meditation, the call to return to ministry gets louder. Sometimes those who are called to proclaim good news need to listen and reflect on that message for themselves.

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,

because the LORD has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,

to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

and provide for those who grieve in Zion --

to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,

the oil of joy instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

[Isaiah 61:1-3c NIV]

This past Sunday, I was introduced to an unfamiliar hymn which led me to seek out resources to learn the hymn lyrics, the tune and the composer. Quoting from a blog post on The St. Augustine Record website: "Henry Smith Jr. was born in Crossnore, North Carolina, in 1952. Of the nearly 300 songs he had written, only one has been published -- that's right, only one, but what a song! What a meteor!" “Give Thanks” continues to be one of the most popular songs — during the Thanksgiving season — used in churches worldwide. It is easy to understand why so many people love this song. One only has to carefully examine the lyrics.

Give thanks with a grateful heart;

Give thanks to the Holy One.

Give thanks because He’s given

Jesus Christ, His Son.

And now let the weak say, “I am strong!”

Let the poor say, “I am rich

Because of what the Lord has done for us.”

Give thanks!

Heavenly Father, You created us to give thanks in all circumstances and for all things. Forgive us when we are thankless. During this season of thankful living, we give You thanks for those loved ones who have gone on before us, with whom we no longer celebrate the earthly gifts of Thanksgiving. Through Your Son, our Savior and Redeemer, we celebrate the gift of eternal life by grace through faith. During this season and always, send Your Holy Spirit to comfort us in our sorrows, renew us in our times of weakness and remind us of all the good gifts we share because of Your blessing. May we find our Thanksgiving joy in You! In the name of our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier - Father, Son + and Holy Spirit. Amen

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

[1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV]

HOME AT LAST

2017-11-03T07:23:00.002-05:00

HOME AT LAST

William J. Snyder III Memorial Service
20 May 2017

Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church

Minneapolis, Minnesota

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 NIV

RAGS Story – Walter Wangerin, Jr.

I saw a strange sight. I stumbled upon a story most strange, like nothing in my life, my street sense, my sly tongue had ever prepared me for. Hush, child. hush now, and I will tell it to you.

Even before the dawn one Friday morning I noticed a young man, handsome and strong, walking the alleys of our City. He was pulling an old cart filled with clothes both bright and new, and he was calling in a clear tenor voice: 'Rags!' Ah, the air was foul and the first light filthy to be crossed by such sweet music.

'Rags! New rags for old! I take your tired rags! Rags!'

'Now this is a wonder,' I thought to myself, for the man stood six-feet-four, and his arms were like tree limbs, hard and muscular, and his eyes flashed intelligence. Could he find no better job than this, to be a ragman in the inner city?

I followed him. My curiosity drove me. And I wasn't disappointed.

Soon the ragman saw a woman sitting on her back porch. She was sobbing into a handkerchief, signing, and shedding a thousand tears. Her knees and elbows made a sad X. Her shoulders shook. Her heart was breaking.

The Ragman stopped his cart. Quietly, he walked to the woman, stepping round tin cans, dead toys, and Pampers.

'Give me your rag,' he said gently. 'and I'll give you another.'

He slipped the handkerchief from her eyes. She looked up, and he laid across her palm a linen cloth so clean and new that it shined. She blinked from the gift to the giver.

Then, as he began to pull his cart again, the Ragman did a strange thing: he put her stained handkerchief to his own face; and then he began to weep, to sob as grievously as she had done, his shoulders shaking. Yet she was left without a tear.

'This is a wonder,' I breathed to myself, and I followed the sobbing Ragman like a child who cannot turn away from mystery.

'Rags! Rags! New Rags for old!"

In a little while, when the sky showed grey behind the rooftops and I could see the shredded curtains hanging out black windows, the Ragman came upon a girl whose head was wrapped in a bandage, whose eyes were empty. Blood soaked her bandage. A single line of blood ran down her cheek.

Now the tall Ragman looked upon this child with pity, and he drew a lovely yellow bonnet from his cart.

'Give me your rag,' he said, tracing his own line on her cheek, 'and I'll give you mine.'

The child could only gaze at him while he loosened the bandage, removed it, and tied it to his own head. The bonnet he set on hers. And I gasped at what I saw: for with the bandage went the wound! Against his brow it ran a darker, more substantial blood -- his own!

'Rags! Rags! I take old rags!' cried the sobbing, bleeding, strong, intelligent Ragman.

The sun hurt both the sky, now, and my eyes; the Ragman seemed more and more to hurry.

'Are you going to work?' he asked a man who leaned against a telephone pole. The man shook his head. The Ragman pressed him: 'Do you have a job?"

'Are you crazy?' sneered the other. He pulled away from the pole, revealing the right sleeve of his jacket -- flat, the cuff stuffed into the pocket. He had no arm.

'So,' said the Ragman. 'Give me your jacket, and I'll give you mine.' So much quiet authority in his voice!

The one-armed man took off his jacket. So did the Ragman -- and I trembled at what I saw: for the Ragman's arm stayed in its sleeve, and when the other put it on, he had two good arms, thick as tree limbs; but the Ragman had only one.

'Go to work,' he said.

After that he found a drunk, lying unconscious beneath an army blanket, an old man, hunched, wizened, and sick. He took that blanket and wrapped it round himself, but for the drunk he left new clothes.

And now I had to run to keep up with the Ragman. Though he was weeping uncontrollably, and bleeding freely at the forehead, pulling his cart with one arm, stumbling for drunkenness, falling again and again, exhausted, old, old, and sick, yet he went with terrible speed. On spider's legs he skittered through the alleys of the City, this mile and the next, until he came to its limits, and then he rushed beyond.

I wept to see the change in this man. I hurt to see his sorrow. And yet I need to see where he was going in such haste, perhaps to know what drove him so.

The little old Ragman -- he came to a landfill. He came to the garbage pits. And I waited to help him in what he did but I hung back, hiding. He climbed a hill. With tormented labor he cleared a little space on that hill. Then he signed. He lay down. He pillowed his head on a handkerchief and a jacket. He covered his bones with an army blanket. And he died.

Oh how I cried to witness that death! I slumped in a junked car and wailed and mourned as one who has no hope -- because I had come to love the Ragman. Every other face had faded in the wonder of this man, and I cherished him; but he died. I sobbed myself to sleep.

I did not know -- how could I know? -- that I slept through Friday night and Saturday and its night too. But then, on Sunday morning, I was wakened by a violence.

Light -- pure, hard, demanding light -- slammed against my sour face, and I blinked, and I looked, and I saw the first wonder of all. There was the Ragman, folding the blanket most carefully, a scar on his forehead, but alive! And, besides that, healthy! There was no sign of sorrow or age, and all the rags that he had gathered shined for cleanliness.

Well, then I lowered my head and, trembling for all that I had seen, I myself walked up to the Ragman. I told him my name with shame, for I was a sorry figure next to him. Then I took off all my clothes in that place, and I said to him with dear yearning in my voice: 'Dress me."

He dressed me. My Lord, he put new rags on me, and I am a wonder beside him. The Ragman, the Ragman, the Christ!

+++++++++++++++++

Some of you have asked and others may be wondering why this date was chosen for a celebration of life and memorial service for our loved one and friend, William “Bill” Snyder. When considering the available dates in May (because I knew it could not happen before May), the first weekend was close to birthdays, the second weekend was Mother’s Day weekend and the last weekend was Memorial Day weekend. Providence determined that the available date was May 20th which provided me with an opportunity to unite two very important dates in my life.

You see, 44 years ago, on May 20, 1973, as a teenager, I stood before God, family and the congregation at Peace Lutheran Church in Claremont, Minnesota to confess and confirm my faith in the God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This date, those vows have remained to this day an important part of my life. Part of that rite of confirmation was the bestowing of what I choose to call “a lifetime Scripture verse” – Joshua 1:9. We hear it again:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 NIV

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous” and I will exchange your filthy rags for new! “Have I not commanded you? …Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” for I am willing to take away all your spots and blemishes and deformities to carry them to a cross on a trash heap and die! Through it all, “the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go”. Those are powerful and meaningful words as I find myself living in a seventh different state since that day 44 years ago! Some of you have heard me repeat the words of Joshua 1:9 many times. In fact, for a few of you that verse was given special meaning in your own lives.

The same God who promised Joshua that He would be with him wherever he went in life promises us the same. This is the same Shepherd God that Jesus taught would leave the 99 sheep in his flock to search for the one missing. Before he entered the hospital for the last time in June 2016, one early morning…

The Good Shepherd (in White)!

David Turnmire (6/28/2016)

…Bill was dreaming or having visions. [Now you may choose to believe or not to believe in dreams and visions. The truth is that they may be and often are a source of comfort to the individual who is dying. They should also be a source of comfort to the loved ones left behind.] In an attempt to clarify what Bill was seeing, I asked him what he was saying and Bill told me that there was a Shepherd dressed in white. The Shepherd said it was not his time. That Shepherd promised Bill that he would be back to take him home.

When Bill was hospitalized last summer, many misunderstood Bill when he said that "he wanted to go home". He was not talking about an apartment on Leroy Street in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. For Bill, "home" is a house on Blair Avenue in Tyrone, Pennsylvania which is no longer there. I prayed for the Good Shepherd (in White) to take Bill by the hand and lead him "home". No, that was not my preference but the reality of my faith. Bill had repeatedly told me that he was tired and he was not talking about a lack of sleep.

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,

I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 NIV

My Heaven

William Snyder (11/23/2010)

Bill wrote about his own vision of heaven:

“The dream started in the basement of my childhood home on Blair Avenue. I was standing in the basement looking at all this stuff! I first noticed that the things in the basement were objects from my life. Games, toys, furniture and nick knacks. I was overwhelmed by how much stuff was in the basement. Then I noticed David was in the basement with me. We started looking around at the different items when I noticed a box I really wanted to look in was being blocked by this big old metal pipe joint so I asked David to move it for me.

“When David moved the pipe, I noticed my son David was in the basement at that point looking at things on the other side of the basement. I started looking at items in the box and asked them to hide things I was handing them before anyone else got there! I looked up from the box and noticed this brownish display with pockets on it. In the pockets were all the brownish envelopes with oval windows on the front of each envelope. My eye caught this one envelope with something purple in it. I picked it up and I think it was a real Amethyst in the envelope. I turned around to put it back when I noticed all the other envelopes had disappeared. I walked over to the other side of the basement and as I was walking there, I noticed the furniture had changed into Donna’s stuff!

“When I got to the other side of the basement, David and David had everything organized and cleaned. I noticed the only thing left on that side were some outside items I recognized. The items where old lawn games. At that moment, I heard voices coming from the side basement door that went out to the side yard. I walked towards the stairs and looked up and saw little Brenda coming through the door. After her, Donna walked through the door. I could hear Mom’s and Brenda’s voices coming from outside. I walked up the stairs and went outside and stood beside mom, Brenda and Donna.

“I noticed they were looking across the street. There were two of the most beautiful apartment buildings I have ever seen. The apartment buildings had many balconies on the front of them. On these balconies were many people releasing these little lanterns that were being lit by small flames. The people released them and they floated into this incredibly beautiful sky. All the lanterns came together to make this most remarkable light. At that moment, I felt at peace and was truly happy!

“I woke up and noticed the time was 8:45 am. I was just going to stay up but I felt so drained and needed to sleep some more. I went back to bed.

“As the dream continued, I was standing with Donna on the corner of 15th street and Blair Avenue. We started walking towards our childhood home. I noticed the street was paved with this incredible reddish brick. The sidewalks were absolutely wonderful! I also noticed there were row houses along the street. They were indescribable. I asked Donna when everything changed. She said when you arrived. The row houses were located where the paper mill playground used to be. I cannot describe how beautiful everything was. Everything was so clean and glowing. As we walked towards the house, Donna’s face glowed and I realized I was the happiest I could ever be. I felt complete. We arrived at the house and Brenda came up to me and said we are truly your sisters now and she smiled the most loving smile at me. Mom looked at me and said, “Hi honey”. At that moment, I wanted to see the rest of the house. I knew the inside was going to be just like it was when I was growing up. I was heading towards the door when I woke up. The time was 9:00 am. I had tears in my eyes when I woke up. I cried for a couple minutes not wanting it to end because I felt drawn to go back.”

A Testament to Faith

In the process of sorting out and preparing for this service, I have discovered amazing things that Bill had written without my knowledge. One such message was written in a journal which Bill had started after we moved to Texas.

Just days before Christmas on December 21, 2010, Bill wrote this entry in his journal.

“[I] woke up emotional today! [I] think [it was the] Facebook page I saw yesterday [which was] really disturbing. The page was ‘F*** Jesus’!!! I find it disturbing people cannot believe in anything. How can you go through life and not feel there is some Higher Power at work?! Sad.

This has made me realize how much I love God! It broke my heart to see this.”

After Bill had returned home from the hospital to enter hospice care at home, he asked me about being baptized. He related to me his heartfelt belief that a previous baptismal experience was not sincere. Reaching security in his salvation was important to Bill. On Sunday, July 17, 2016, William Joseph Snyder renounced Satan and all his works and all his ways. He then confessed faith in Father, Son and Holy Spirit – Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier! Through the water and Word of Holy Baptism, he received the gift of salvation by grace through faith. That faith served him well as he looked forward to going “home”.

Bill Snyder is finally “home at last”!

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 NIV

Sometime after we met in 2002, Bill watched a video of my last sermon at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Lidgerwood, North Dakota. During that service held on January 30, 1999, part of the message included the following story.

The Fork: “The Best Is Yet to Come”

There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. As she was getting her things in order, she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like to be read and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.

"There's one more thing," she said excitedly.

"What's that?" came the Pastor's reply.

"This is very important," the young woman continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."

The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say.

"That surprises you, doesn't it?" the young woman asked.

"Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the Pastor.

The young woman explained. "My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and to those who need encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!"

So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder "What's with the fork?" Then I want you to tell them: "Keep your fork ..the best is yet to come."

The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman goodbye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She knew that something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, "What's with the fork?" And over and over he smiled.

During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.

He was right. The next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come.

+++++++++++++++++

Bill knew the “best was yet to come”! When he watched the video, I gave him one of the forks leftover from that 1999 service. Bill kept his fork. [Show fork.] It will be my prayer that each of you will keep your fork and remember that “the best is yet to come”!

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39 NIV

Amen.

The GREATEST of These Is LOVE

2017-09-27T19:58:00.001-05:00

"The Greatest of These Is Love"

Several years ago I compiled a set of personal CDs which included many of my favorite contemporary Christian songs at the time. Each of the CDs was themed as I picked songs which I felt conveyed the theme I was attempting to get across. A number of family members received one or more of the CDs as gifts for Christmas that year. The fourth contained music a bit more edgy; that CD was reserved for Bill and me. In order, the themes for these CDs were "Love Heals", "Live Like You're Dying!", "And the Greatest of These is Love!" and "Love Your Life".

Most everyone who is going to read this blog will be able to quote one or more Bible verses or even cliches about "love". "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." [John 3:16 NIV] And again, "If you love someone set them free. If they come back to you it was meant to be." Of course, there are all manner of variations to that cliche about loving someone.

In the summation of "The Love Chapter" written to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 13), the apostle Paul eloquent states: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." [1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV] Easy to remember, perhaps easier to quote or spout something close. What is often overlooked is the "tough stuff" of love, sometimes hard to remember and eve more challenging to carry out.

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away." [1 Corinthians 13:1-8 NIV]

Beautiful words. This portion of Scripture is often spoken at weddings but I contend that it applies to all of life. Another cliche seeks to remind us that "you can't live on love"! I would suggest that "you can't live without love". Human beings if neglected as babies and not shown love will not develop to their full potential. Elderly humans wither and die quickly in the absence of love. This is one of the reasons that the surviving spouse of couples who have had lengthy marriage relationships of 50, 60, 70 or more years of marriage frequently die within a short period of time of each other. At every stage of life, we depend on love to live as functioning humans.

Love is so much more than mindlessly repeating three words, chocolate and flowers on Valentine's Day or warm and fuzzy feel good moments. Love is hard work. Love is sacrifice. Jesus spoke about the love of His Father and His passing of that love command to us. He said: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." [John 15:9,12-13 NIV]

It was stated earlier that love requires sacrifice. Jesus loved to the point of sacrificing His life to demonstrate that love. "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." [Romans 5:8b] We know that God calls on us throughout Scripture to "love our neighbors as [ourselves]". Christ pushes us further when He says: "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." [Matthew 5:43-44 NIV]

"Now these three remain: faith, hope and love." What can we say about faith? "Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." [Hebrews 11:1 NIV] By grace we are saved through faith as the result of Christ's death and resurrection. Hope is mentioned throughout the Old and New Testament. Paul writes about the hope that we gain as a result of our faith which comes through grace.

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." [Romans 5:1-8 NIV]

There you have it! Faith, hope and love come to us through Christ and Him alone. As sinners, we were enemies of Christ and He died for us. The love that we demonstrate for family, friends and enemies is a result of the Holy Spirit's work in us. "We love because [God] first loved us!"

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” [1 John 4:7-12 NIV]

"TEN GOOD YEARS!"

2017-09-22T05:53:00.001-05:00

"TEN GOOD YEARS!"

PREFACE: While contemplating writing this blog post, I am fully aware of the various responses which will be elicited by family members and friends alike. Please note that it is not my intention to offend or cause anguish to any reader.

Death is a part of life. Death is a fact of life. Like that tired cliche, "the only things certain in life are death and taxes." In other terms recently heard by this writer, humans have a 100% mortality rate. About 25 years ago, a young Lutheran mom with whom I was acquainted spoke of the importance of Lutheran parochial education to her family. She stated that she sought "to teach her children how to die so they would know how to live."

Many of you will be bothered by what you consider a "cynical view of life". I would contend that a view of life in light of God's Word is neither cynical nor pessimistic. A realistic life view based in Scripture should never be reason for sorrow but reason for rejoicing. The psalmist wrote in Psalm 90, verse 10:

Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures;

yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

Psalm 90:10 NIV

And again in the same psalm, verse 12:

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12 NIV

Today, 22 September 2017, marks six months since the death of William Joseph Snyder III, husband, partner, best friend, father and grandfather to name just a few of the roles Bill filled during his life on earth. As I anticipated the arrival of this date, I reflected on numerous Wednesday afternoons when I watched the clock and felt that twinge of sadness overtake me each week at 12:35 pm - the exact moment when Bill drew his last breath on Wednesday, 22 March 2017. It became imperative to me that by the time this date arrived, I owed it to Bill and myself to formulate and state a goal and a vision for life's future.

In keeping with Scripture and my own view of life, I have chosen as the theme for my future life: "TEN GOOD YEARS!" To the biblical psalmist, seventy years was a full life and one was additionally blessed if he or she lived to eighty or beyond. It may be more than 30 years ago that I faced the realization that though the youngest among my siblings, there would be a distinct possibility that I would be the first to depart this physical, earthly life. It is true that I have not made it a habit of discussing this topic with close family members. I imagine reactions to range in the gamut of disbelief to anger.

The apostle Paul, writing about the resurrection of Christ, wrote that our faith might be misplaced: "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are above all people most to be pitied." [1 Corinthians 15:19 NIV] As Christian believers, our "faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." [Hebrews 11:1 NIV] Belief in something that we do not see with our own eyes is difficult in a world which thrives on empirical evidence. While I have not seen the resurrected Christ, I believe in the promises of eternal life and my own resurrection.

With the writer of the Hebrews, I am reminded of "my great cloud of witnesses"!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame,

and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners,

so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV

Each of us may have our own "cloud of witnesses" who have died in the faith. For me, some of those witnesses include the love of my life, Bill Snyder, mother Elfrieda Turnmire, father Roy Turnmire, grandmother Amanda Wessel, aunts and uncles, former parishioners and individuals I gladly called "friends".

At 58 and with far more "nagging health problems" than either of my parents faced at the same age, I have no illusions of a life expectancy equal to my dad's 76 years or my mother's 97 years. It is my goal and prayer that God would grant me "ten good years" for which I will be grateful. At the same time, I am fully aware that the plan may be less than those years. If God, in His grace and wisdom, grants me more than ten years, I will be thankful but at the same time, I will not be disappointed if He calls me home sooner.

During the final weeks of Bill's life, I sang a hymn which I also sang at both of his memorial services - "Lord, You I Love With All My Heart". The final verse of that hymn expresses my hope and my confidence when I reach the end of my life here on earth:

Then let at last your angels come; To Abram's bosom bear me home

That I may die unfearing.

Within my earthen chamber keep My body safe in peaceful sleep

Until your reappearing.

And then from death awaken me That my own eyes with joy may see,

O Son of God, your glorious face, My Savior and my ground of grace!

Lord Jesus Christ, Oh, hear my prayer; oh, hear my prayer,

Your love surround me ev'rywhere!

John Ylvisaker penned a hymn used in many Christian churches to express faith in God's promises. This "modern-day" hymn is often used at baptisms, confirmations and even funerals. It is no mere coincidence that the hymn begins and ends with the same refrain: "I was there to hear your borning cry, I'll be there when you are old. I rejoiced the day you were baptized, to see your life unfold." The third verse of the hymn, "I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry" concludes with these words: "When the evening gently closes in, and you shut your weary eyes, I'll be there as I have always been with just one more surprise."

I admit that I have never liked surprises much, but there is a surprise I look forward to along with much anticipated reunions with those "witnesses" who have gone on before me. So yes, "ten good years" is my goal! At the same time, I realize God's plan takes place according to His timing. While I wait, I have the assurance of the Word of God spoken to Joshua:

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,

for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9 NIV

Heavenly Father, through faith in Jesus Christ and according to Your will, I ask for the blessing of "ten good years". Yet, not my will but Yours be done. Grant me grace to live a life of service to You, my family and fellow humankind. When, at last, my days here on earth are fulfilled, send Your holy angels to take me home and grant me a peaceful transition through death and in to the wonderful surprise of eternal life. In the name of Him who was, who is and who is to come, Amen!

Remembering William "Bill" Snyder

2017-04-22T05:39:00.001-05:00

Remembering

William "Bill" Snyder

6 February 1961 - 22 March 2017

Have you ever noticed how quickly time passes while, at the same time, it seems to drag along. One month has passed since Bill's death.

The psalmist reminds us:

[God,] You turn people back to dust,

saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”

A thousand years in your sight

are like a day that has just gone by,

or like a watch in the night.

Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—

they are like the new grass of the morning:

In the morning it springs up new,

but by evening it is dry and withered.

[Psalm 90:3-6 NIV]

And again, the second letter of Peter:

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." [2 Peter 8-9 NIV]

One month of 31 days has seemed like a lifetime and just a moment in time. Today, I remember.

Remembering

One month has passed since you breathed your last

And not one day goes by that I don’t cry.

Tears flow easy for me as it should be

While others struggle to express themselves with a heavy sigh.

Close family has gathered to say good-bye,

To remember and celebrate the life that was yours.

Tears flowed amidst the stories that show

The lives touched which even you did not know.

Every Wednesday afternoon I watch the clock

As the seconds tick off and the hands move

Closer to twelve and thirty-five

When my heart stops and I am still in shock.

Moving forward is easier said than done.

There is no prescription or “one” path to follow

Even though many will share their own ideas

Of what to do and where to go now that you are gone.

Reminded of your life and your presence daily,

You are there in the thunderstorms as they roll;

In the pictures and the memories we shared.

You left your mark on many from the depth of your soul.

I can only imagine that the singing in your ear

Is so much sweeter than what you heard here!

As the days, months and years march on,

Guided by faith I look forward to a joyous reunion.

22 April 2017

David B. Turnmire

In loving memory of my husband and partner, William “Bill” Snyder

6 February 1961 – 22 March 2017

Messages From Nature: Thunderstorms Abound!

2017-04-20T15:48:00.000-05:00

THUNDERSTORM

Lightning flashes and thunder claps;

Skies turn shades of yellow and hues of green;

Winds rage and all of nature cowers -

The thunderstorm draws closer.

Rain begins to fall and lakes and rivers form

Where once there was dry land.

Trees bow before nature’s fury;

Sheets of water pummel the earth.

Now the sky is black as midnight –

It is mid-morning or late afternoon.

Pinging sounds are heard on roofs and windows;

Hail adds a new dimension to the storm.

Captivated by nature’s eruptive forces,

Staring through the panes of glass,

He is amazed by the spectacular display –

Such power unleashed for all to see.

Sounds of thunder fade into the distance;

Pouring rain slows to a drizzle;

Shimmers of light appear on the horizon;

Birds chirp and squirrels scamper.

Storm clouds vanish and blue skies appear.

Rays of sunshine dry the urban landscape.

Steam rises from once cold pools of water.

Brilliant rainbow colors mix with azure.

The life of a thunderstorm!

~ May 20, 2004 ~

Dedicated to William "Bill" Snyder III ~ a true "thunderstorm lover"!

William J. Snyder III Obituary (6 February 1961 – 22 March 2017)

2017-03-23T00:59:00.001-05:00

William J. Snyder III

6 February 1961 – 22 March 2017

William J. Snyder III was born February 6, 1961, the son of William J. Snyder Jr. and the former Sandra Wilson in Tyrone, Pennsylvania. Following the death of William J. Snyder, Jr. in May 1961, William was later adopted by his paternal grandparents, William J. “Bill” and Thelma (nee Port) Snyder, Sr. William died Wednesday afternoon, March 22, 2017, at his home in Johnstown, Pennsylvania following a lengthy series of illnesses. His spouse David was at his side.

William “Bill” Snyder III was raised and attended schools in Tyrone, Pennsylvania. During high school, Bill was involved with DECA, participated with the Tyrone-Bellwood high schools’ swim team and played a role in the musical production of Guys and Dolls at Tyrone High School. He graduated from Tyrone Area High School in 1979. On October 28, 1979, Bill was united in marriage to Gloria “Jean” Miller at Tyrone. The couple later divorced. Their marriage was blessed with two sons, David and Matthew.

Bill enlisted in the United States Navy in 1979. Following discharge from the Navy, he was employed by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry based in Clarion, Pennsylvania. After returning to Tyrone, Bill was employed by Gardners peanut processing plant in Tyrone prior to attending South Hills Business School in State College, Pennsylvania. While attending South Hills Business School, Bill was named to the Dean’s List and graduated with honors, earning an Associates’ Degree in Marketing - Management with Microcomputer Option. Prior to graduation, he served an internship at Blue Mountain Quality Resources, Inc. – a software company. Bill was also a member of the South Hills Executives Club. Following graduation, Bill worked as a manager of Martin Oil in Bellwood and later as a nurse’s aide at a nursing home in State College, Pennsylvania.

In 1999, Bill relocated to Boiceville, New York and was employed by the Head Trauma Center in Kingston, New York and later became the lead dispatcher for Valley Courier located in Kingston. Bill relocated to Minnesota in September 2001 and was employed by Methodist Hospital and Park Nicollet Health System, St. Louis Park, Minnesota in food service management. He became a ServSafe Minnesota certified food service manager during this time. Bill became employed by Regis Corporation in IT POS technical support, eventually serving as the principal software and technical support individual for franchise store locations. Health issues contributed to Bill’s permanent disability in 2009.

Bill met David Turnmire in December 2002 and the couple lived in St. Louis Park, Minnetonka and Brooklyn Center, all in Minnesota. In 2010, they moved to Dallas, Texas prior to relocating to Johnstown, Pennsylvania in May 2014. Bill and David were married in a private ceremony on October 4, 2014 in Blair County, Pennsylvania.

Bill enjoyed reading, history, science and most of all, movies. He possessed a vast knowledge of classic movies and movie stars throughout the ages. Bill was an historian of the Academy Awards and Oscar winning movies and actors. He was a fan of cooking, home improvement and paranormal television programming. Bill also enjoyed social networking and in previous years, he and David enjoyed various coffee shops in the Minneapolis and Dallas area.

William J. Snyder III is survived by his spouse and longtime partner, David Turnmire of Johnstown, Pennsylvania; two sons: David (Bailey) Snyder and Matthew Snyder, of Tyrone, Pennsylvania; one grandson, Alex Snyder, also of Tyrone; four step-children: Amy (Jeremy) Malheim of Grand Forks, North Dakota, Ryan Turnmire of Fridley, Minnesota, Alan (Karen) Turnmire, also of Grand Forks and Erin Turnmire of Eagan, Minnesota; four step-grandchildren: Emma and Sidney Malheim of Grand Forks, Mason Jones of Eagan and Owen Turnmire, also of Grand Forks; one sister, Brenda (Joseph) Yucas of Makanda, Illinois; niece Jennifer Yucas and her partner Kayla Stults both of Makanda; a half-brother, Mahlon (Bonnie) Osterhout, Jr. of Sinking Valley, Pennsylvania. He is also survived by numerous other relatives.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, William J. “Bill” and Thelma (nee Port) Snyder, Sr.; William J. Snyder, Jr. and Sandra (nee Wilson) Osterhout; one sister, Donna (Donald) Price and numerous aunts, uncles and other relatives.

Received into Christ’s Kingdom and the Christian faith through Holy Baptism on Sunday, July 17, 2016, at home in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Bill had attended various Christian churches, most recently Ascension Lutheran Church in Garland, Texas. God, in His mercy, called William to his eternal rest at the age of 56 years, one month and sixteen days. Bill’s remains will be cremated and will await the glorious resurrection onto eternal life.

GIFTED THROUGH GRIEF

2017-03-19T23:56:00.005-05:00

GIFTED THROUGH GRIEF

This article was written in the fall of 1990 and published in the Wyoming edition of The Lutheran Witness a few months later.

When I received the call to be assistant pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, I had no idea of the challenges and opportunities that awaited me. From time to time, I remember seminary professors would tell us that they only hoped to prepare us adequately for the first sixth months of parish ministry. Scripture also reminds me that God does not forsake His servants and will bless them with the necessary gifts to meet those challenges and to serve in His Church.

Since my ordination into the office of the holy ministry, I have been amazed at how the vast array of life experiences which God has given me has served to bless my ministry among His people. This has certainly been true of the latest major occurrence in the life of my family.

Just six weeks after my ordination and installation, my wife, Karen, and I were grieved by the death of our fourth child through miscarriage. God has certainly used and will continue to use this event in our lives to bless His Church. We have been gifted through grief. We have been given new insights into the grief that those who experience the death of a child through miscarriage, stillbirth and infant death must face.

It is very difficult to find the right words in the midst of a painful situation like the one we and others have experienced. Perhaps, there is a message for us in that difficulty. One of the most important ways of healing during grief is to talk about the death and the pain.

All of us, including me, need to be more sensitive to the hurts and needs of those who suffer during childbearing death. Prior to our experience, I had no idea as to the intensity of grief that follows childbearing loss. For the grieving parents it is a very real and traumatic experience. One of the best ways to be more sensitive is to listen to the parents as they express their grief. When the opportunity arises to speak to the parents, we need to speak the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that message alone offers reassurance and comfort to people hurting with grief. Death is never timely and it is rarely welcome. In reality, death hurts. That is why Jesus came, died on the cross and was raised to new life. All of those things He did for us so that sin and death would lose their sting. Through our faith in His work, He grants us peace. He gives us that gift, even in the midst of grief. One member of Trinity simply said to me after a Sunday morning worship service, "The peace of the Lord be with you." Nothing more was said. Nothing more was needed.

Pastors especially need to be aware of the theological questions that may arise following the death of a baby. If there has not been the opportunity for baptism, the parents may have concerns about the welfare of their child's soul. After the death of our child, I was asked that question. I groped for an answer that I was not prepared to give. That question was answered beautifully for me by a brother in Christ. He reassured me by reminding me that God is the God of the living and the dead. All things are in His control, including life and death. God has blessed Karen and me by using us to create life. He has also seen fit to take this child to Himself without the need for or benefit of Holy Baptism. That is truly a miracle and a source of joy in the midst of grief.

That we have been gifted through grief is indeed remarkable. For me, it is so remarkable because we anticipated the birth of another child as a gift from God. Convinced that we would have another son, I picked a name that reflected that reality, Nathan Glen. From the Hebrew root, meaning "to give," the chosen name reflected the blessing God was seeing fit to give us.

Indeed, God is still blessing us with a gift. It is not the gift that we expected, but one that will be used to bless others. As I minister to those who experience grief through childbearing loss, I pray that God will use my own grief as a basis to grant me the wisdom to serve with compassion and understanding. It is also my prayer that He will equip me with the listening and communication skills necessary to make me an effective messenger of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those suffering from the heartache which accompanies the death of a child. Furthermore, I pray that it will enable me to be more sensitive to those who experience grief through other losses as well. Only God knows the extent to which the gift I received through grief will serve as a blessing to others. He will use this gift according to His good and gracious will. Our Heavenly Father is restoring a sense of peace to the Turnmire home. There will be days when we are saddened by our loss. But we rejoice that God gave us the gift of life, if even for a short time. He has blessed us with four children, three in our care and one who rests safely in His loving arms. What a wonderful God we have who is able to give us great gifts, even in the midst of our grief.

Rev. David B. Turnmire, 1990

19 Years Later: This Is One of the Best Sermons I Ever Preached

2016-07-30T15:19:00.001-05:00

3/23/1997 Palm and Passion Sunday / The Rite of Confirmation

Trinity Lutheran Church - Fieldon Township

Zion Lutheran Church - Lewisville

"WHERE'S THE `POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE'?"

Revelation 2:10 / 2 Peter 3:18

"`Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.'"

"Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen"

Before we begin the sermon this morning, I thought it appropriate to give a few introductory comments. Did you ever think you'd see this day? There were times I wasn't sure I would! I told a couple of people that I was considering going to one of those shops where they imprint T-shirts to have a shirt made with these words on it: I SURVIVED THE CLASS OF `97. Then, I would have them list the names of the five young men who comprised the class between Trinity and Zion jointly. (I haven't done that yet!) Yesterday afternoon, as I was reflecting on what this day means to you, AND TO ME, I remembered that there were seven boys in the class when we started a few years ago. When I related that possibility to someone, their response was: "Then, you'd really have gray hair!" To show my appreciation for your accomplishment ─ the public confession of your Christian faith ─ I will have a special presentation to make to you during Confirmation class on Wednesday. Just in case you had any thoughts of skipping, now you'll be so curious that you'll have to come. On a more serious note, based on the words of the Scripture texts before us, we consider the theme, "Where's the `Pomp and Circumstance`?"

Grace and peace...

During practice for this service Friday night, someone asked me what "Pomp and Circumstance" was? I explained that it was the musical piece often played at graduation commencement ceremonies. As you noticed this morning, we haven't heard that played, and we won't! This is not a graduation ceremony marking the completion or the end of your training and growth as a Christian. Rather, the Rite of Confirmation is just the beginning. You have your wholes lives ahead of you ─ however many years God has ordained for your life according to His good and gracious will ─ and my hope, and the hope of this congregation, is that you now have the basics of the Christian faith to build upon during the rest of your lives. If you want to compare Confirmation with a graduation, you might compare it with graduation from Kindergarten. In Kindergarten, a child is taught the basics of counting, learning the letters of the alphabet and early reading, so that throughout his or her years of formal education, he or she might continue to build and expand on that foundation. It's the same in Confirmation instruction. Dr. Martin Luther notes that the doctrines taught in the Small Catechism are "AS THE HEAD OF THE HOUSEHOLD SHOULD TEACH THEM IN A SIMPLE WAY TO HIS HOUSEHOLD." That's a good reminder for parents, especially fathers who serve as the head of their families. It also reminds us that when we have a good understanding of what's in the Catechism, there's a lot more to learn. So there's no "Pomp and Circumstance" because you're not done yet!

At our last Truman circuit winkel conference, one of the pastors suggested that maybe instead of trying to rush Confirmation in the Lutheran church, we should be postponing it until perhaps age 16 or 18. Oh, the moans and groans that such a change would bring. However, we need to take a realistic look at where we're at in many of our churches. What happens when young men and women are confirmed? Statistical averages tell us that you and I will never see a majority of them again ─ at least for ten or twenty years. While I don't believe that is a concern with this group of confirmands, it is important for us to remember and consider why that is happening in our church. Perhaps, it is because we give our confirmands the impression that Confirmation Sunday is a mini-graduation day. We celebrate it like graduation ─ receptions, open houses and the like. We neither offer nor require them to participate in any formal Christian education. We do not provide them with a high school or young adult Bible class. When we should be expecting more from them as maturing Christians, we expect less. Yet, Jesus said, "Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life."

These young Christians are the future of the church. They have a lot of good insights into what the church needs to do, and possibly even change, to meet the spiritual needs of its members. We will do well to listen to them! Today, we welcome them into full communicant membership of this congregation. Therefore, I will challenge the members of this church with this question: "How much do you really care about their spiritual growth and life?" It is the Christian responsibility of every member of the Body of Christ to assist and support them as they strive to serve God and be faithful to Christ and His Church until the time of their death.

That brings us to the second Scripture passage which serves as a text for this sermon. St. Peter writes, "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Faithfulness to Christ until death means that you and I will have to continue to grow in our spiritual lives throughout our earthly lives. As babies, we crave milk. By it, we grow during those early months and years of our lives. Even though, it may be an old-fashioned way to raise livestock, it doesn't work for humans to try to live your whole lives on milk alone. It would cause all kinds of health problems. So it is in our spiritual lives as well. Elsewhere, Peter tells us to "crave the pure spiritual milk of the Word," so that by it we may grow up in our salvation. The pure spiritual milk of the Word is presented in the Small Catechism and during Confirmation instruction. However, as babies begin to grow, they need more solid food ─ which helps them to grow into strong, healthy individuals. So it is in our spiritual lives that we need to move beyond the milk to the meat of God's Word. Always reading, always hearing, always learning! That would be a good motto for us Christians to live by. Keep on growing. Otherwise, as one who deprives himself or is deprived from receiving nourishment for the body eventually shrivels up and dies, when we are deprived of nourishment for our spiritual lives, our faith will eventually shrivel up, and our souls will die.

Remember your Confirmation vows which you will speak today, and your lifetime Scripture verse. Let them serve as the foundation on which to build throughout your lives as Christians. "Be strong and courageous," because the Lord will be with you wherever you go. Never be ashamed of the Gospel, which "is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith ─ and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God ─ not by works, so that no one can boast." Jesus is "the Vine; you are the branches....Apart from [Him], you can do nothing." By grace, through faith, you can "`be faithful, even to the point of death, and [He] will give you the crown of life.'"

Having said all this, we still haven't heard any "Pomp and Circumstance." And you won't! On this Palm and Passion Sunday, we heard how Jesus rode into Jerusalem, not on a big white stallion ─ the mark of a true Champion or King ─ but on a lowly donkey colt. Instead of a big fanfare and a red carpet, there were coats and palm branches lying on the road. Instead of "Hail to the Chief" there were shouts and cries of "Hosanna, Lord save us!" Then, things went downhill from there, or should we say uphill. Later on that week, the same people who shouted cries of "Hosanna" cried out for His death. Jesus went up Calvary's hill, where He suffered and died for the sins of the world, including your sins and mine, all because "God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." The joy for us as Christians comes next Sunday when the mournful cries of Holy Week turn to the victory songs of Easter as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord from the grave. That resurrection gives us hope of a resurrection of our own and eternal life with Him forever. Our sins are forgiven and forgotten, removed from us as "far as the east is from the west."

Therefore, each day you and I can arise anew in the grace and promises of our Baptism, which you will reaffirm in just a few minutes. We can, as Luther suggests, make the sign of the cross to remind us that we are marked as ones chosen by the Triune God ─ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Furthermore, in our lives as Christians, we will surely want to avail ourselves of every opportunity to receive God's means of grace through Word and Sacrament. Then, and only then, will you and I "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Then, and only then, will we "remain faithful, even to the point of death." The closest thing to "Pomp and Circumstance" that you and I will ever likely have played for us in the church will be the music at our funeral services. May it be said of us then that we have been faithful, and we will receive "the crown of life." That is Jesus’ promise to you and me, and Jesus keeps His promises. "To Him be the glory both now and forever! Amen."

Your Label Does Not Define Me!

2016-07-09T11:17:00.004-05:00

On Monday evening, 27 July 1959, at 8:37 pm, I was born the male child of white Midwestern Minnesota farmers. The youngest of eight children, I was a white American male. At the entry point of my life I could be defined as white, male, a son, a brother, a nephew, a cousin and most of all, an American. These are important facts to remember as this blog post is unveiled.

Sunday morning, 16 August 1959, I was baptized into Christ through the washing of Holy Baptism at Peace Lutheran Church, Claremont, Minnesota. On my twenty-first day of life, I became a Christian and as a result of the church of my parents, a Lutheran. Therefore, at 21 days old, I could be defined as a Christian Lutheran American male, a son, a brother, a nephew and cousin.

Throughout my formative years, I became a student, a classmate, a scholar, hopefully a friend to some, a leader, a mentor and even a date on rare occasions. Upon graduation from high school, I could be defined as a graduate and later a college student. The number of labels a person collects as life progresses is ever-increasing and ever-changing. How it is that nowadays people are quick to label a person or groups of persons baffles me. But we are not finished yet!

My parents had a proud heritage as farmers and I grew up as a farm kid, a farm boy, later became a dairy and swine farmer on my own for a time. More labels. As the youngest of eight, I was assigned the label uncle numerous times as my older sisters and brother married and began families. Through their marriages, I became a brother-in-law. From time to time, I was also known as a babysitter for family members.

Spiritually, I was confirmed in my faith on Sunday, 20 May 1973, and thus became a confirmand and a full member of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. That foundation of faith led to my attendance and graduation from Concordia College (now University) in St. Paul, Minnesota. From there, I journeyed to Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri where I became known as a seminarian, a field worker, a vicar and finally, a graduate. This led to my ordination into the ministry where I was bestowed with the label of pastor.

Personally, I married and became a husband, a son-in-law, brother-in-law, and through time, a father of four beautiful children. Do you need a dictionary yet to keep up with the labels borne by me through the years? We still have a long way to go!

I have also served as a Sunday School teacher, catechism class teacher, Vacation Bible School coordinator, deacon, elder, church council member, usher and likely several more that I am not recalling. In the political realm, I have attained the title of Dodge County Young Republican president, treasurer of the Dodge County Republican party, candidate for county commissioner and delegate to a political convention. During my involvement in politics, I have campaigned for representatives, senators and governors. There was even an invitation to a gubernatorial ball and attendance at the event.

Seven paragraphs completed and not one mention of my sexuality. Yet there are those among us that would label me or groups of persons solely based on a small part of who I am. Before we get to that, I have been employed as an insurance representative, a youth worker, a financial aid student worker, a security agent at a major airport, backstage security for famous singers, help desk analyst, supervisor and manager. I have worked as a store systems supervisor, trainer, mentor and friend to colleagues.

As a pastor, I served churches in Wyoming, Minnesota and North Dakota. Faith is important to me and if you ask me to define myself, I will say that I am a believer first and foremost. Who I am flows from my faith and trust in God. I do what I do because Christ died for me. The decision to leave the ministry was not made lightly. The decision to embrace the person God made me to be cost dearly.

It is 17 years ago that I came out as a gay man. Even though this event may seem momentous to you, very little changed. I was still a son, father, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, employee, friend, white American male. Foremost, I remained a Christian Lutheran and continued worshiping the God who created me in His image. That this detail was not discussed until the eleventh paragraph should put sexuality in perspective. While coming out may have been a defining moment, gay sexuality does not define me!

I am and will always be a passionate Christian American who cares deeply about the future of the United States of America. Yes, I am a white male of European descent. Yes, I am all of the labels outlined above. You can pick one or see me as the whole that I am.

Currently, I am a husband and caregiver to a beautiful man who is facing death. As I offer him love and comfort him with the reassuring words of a loving God, I am supported by friends, family and the gift of music to uplift my soul. As Christians, we are called to be caring and compassionate following the footsteps of Christ. Please remember that "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” [1 Timothy 1:15-17 NIV] Looks like there is another label!

It seems that our obsession with labeling individuals or groups of persons is more irrational than when I set out to write this blog. Unless you are willing to carry around a volume of labels and state that I fit all of them, then your label does not define me! See me as the person that I am or don't see me at all.

"WALKING WITH THE RISEN LORD"

2015-04-06T13:40:00.000-05:00

"WALKING WITH THE RISEN LORD"

Disciples on the Road to Emmaus

Preface: The following is the text of the only Easter sermon which I preached as pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Lidgerwood, North Dakota on Easter Sunday, 12 April 1998.

Luke 24:13-35 NIV

13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them;16 but they were kept from recognizing him.

17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

19 “What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

No one believed that Jesus would come back to life. His enemies, the leaders of the Jewish people, didn't believe it, but they were nervous because He claimed that He would. They knew that He had brought others back to life, so they thought that the followers of Jesus would steal His body and claim He rose from the dead. They didn't want to take any chances, so they asked for guards to watch the place where Jesus was buried, and they sealed the tomb.

The friends of Jesus were in despair. Jesus was dead, killed by their own countrymen. They began to worry about their own safety, so they went into hiding. Early on Sunday morning, the women began to circulate stories that they had seen Jesus, but no one except the women had seen Jesus. Sometime during the afternoon of Sunday, two men left Jerusalem in despair. It was the third day since the horrible crucifixion, and nothing had happened; time was running out. They did not believe Jesus rose from the grave any more than any of the other disciples, so they left Jerusalem and began their walk to Emmaus.

We have walked together with Jesus from Bethany to Calvary over the six weeks during this Lenten season. Our walk should end at Calvary, the place where Jesus was nailed to the cross and left to hang until dead. When someone dies, that's it; that person's life is over. His life is history, and whatever relationship anyone had with that person moves from the present tense to the past tense. We stop making new memories and treasure the memories of the past.

But our walk with Jesus is not over. We have not stopped making new memories. Two men make their way from Jerusalem to Emmaus on Easter Sunday afternoon. We continue to walk with Jesus. These two men meet Jesus as they walk, and they learn that Jesus rose from the dead. As we listen to their conversation with Jesus, we will discover what they discovered.

These two disciples represented the feelings of all the disciples of Jesus. They never expected to see Jesus alive again. The morning reports from the women were amazing, but no one had confirmed the reports. Perhaps these two men had stayed in Jerusalem with the other disciples through the morning hours and past noon hoping that something new would confirm the reports of the women, but nothing happened. No one else saw Jesus. Their hope had turned sour, leaving nothing but stories by hysterical women. Surely, that's what they all must have thought. So these two men decided to walk the seven miles to their home in Emmaus. It would take about two hours, and they could talk along the way.

They must have left early enough to get to Emmaus before dark. On the way Jesus appeared and walked with them. Jesus prevented them from recognizing Him as they walked together. He listened and then asked what they were talking about. He pretended not to know anything because He wanted to show them an important truth. These men needed to know that the proof for all of God's actions is in the Bible, in Scripture. Later, He would show them that He was alive, but now they needed to know what the Scripture said about the resurrection.

Calmly Jesus began to teach these two men the truth of the Scripture. What did He teach them? Perhaps Jesus began with the prophecy of Zechariah. The prophet wrote that the king would come lowly, riding upon a donkey. So Jesus had come into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. These two men told their fellow traveler that their "chief priests and...rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death." Did Jesus then remind them of the prophecy of Isaiah, which said that Jesus would be beaten, wounded, and bruised? Perhaps Jesus turned to Psalm 22 and showed them how David wrote about the dogs that surrounded the Holy One of Israel. In the same psalm, Jesus may have pointed to the words telling of the action of the soldiers at the foot of the cross: "They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing."

It was all there ─ every detail. The walk to Emmaus would have taken about two hours. Each step of the way must have brought new prophecies of the Savior's work. All these events were clear in the minds of these two despairing disciples, and Jesus showed them that the betrayal of Judas, the 30 pieces of silver, the false witnesses, the crucifixion with the criminals, and so many other details were all foretold in the Scriptures. He was buried with the rich, as Isaiah had said, "He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth." If they were wondering about the resurrection, even that was foretold. Psalm 16 says, "You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay."

All we need to know is in the Scriptures. Jesus is arisen. The Bible teaches it without question. His grave was empty. How often have we walked along the road of life despairing and filled with sorrow? Like these two men, we get so wrapped up in our own sorrow that we do not look to Scripture for help, comfort, and assurance. We expect Jesus to come and straighten out our every problem, but He has given us His Word to guide and sustain us on our walk through life. That was His lesson here for these two men, and it is a lesson for us too. Let the Scripture be your source. When you face death, doesn't Jesus say, "Because I live, you also will live"? When we are faced with tragedy, difficulty, and heartache, doesn't God's Word say that everything will work out for the good of those who love Him? In the Scripture Jesus comes and walks alongside of us. Don't expect any visions. Don't expect any miraculous signs. Jesus comes to us in His Word to guide us along life's path.

As Jesus taught these men the Scripture, their hearts burned within them. The Holy Spirit was at work to strengthen their faith and bring them the comfort of the resurrection. Jesus ended the lesson by proving that all He said was true. At the end of this walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus, Jesus acted as if He were going farther. These two men strongly urged Jesus to stay with them for the night. As the sun began to set, they prepared the evening meal and sat at the table. Jesus sat at the table with them, took bread, said a prayer of thanks, broke the bread, and began to hand it out to them. In that moment these two disciples recognized Jesus for the first time. They had seen Him break bread many times before. It was the same Jesus they had come to know and love. He was risen. As soon as they recognized Him, He disappeared.

Jesus had fulfilled all the Old Testament Scripture. He was there before them; without knowing it, they had talked with Him all afternoon. Everything He told them was verified by His presence. The Scriptures He had taught them were true. The stories they heard earlier in the day were true. The women were not hysterical. They saw Jesus. It was true. The sight of Jesus was like the exclamation point to the lesson Jesus had taught them all afternoon.

What a dramatic change took place in the hearts of these two disciples! They had left Jerusalem with heavy hearts. They were confused and without hope. Then they saw Jesus. He had arisen. Their sorrow had been changed to joy. They had no question what to do next. They left for Jerusalem immediately. The others needed to know what they knew. They must tell the story of Jesus' resurrection to others.

The resurrection of Jesus has the same effect on us. We are confronted with death at every step of our journey through life. We face our own death. We face the death of our loved ones. We have walked with Jesus, and now we know that he is risen. Death is not the end of things. Jesus lives. He is not dead. When death takes us, it is not the end. Because He lives, we shall live too. Are you down in the dumps at times? Remember that Jesus lives. He walks beside you every day. He rules all things for your good. The Scriptures tell us all this good news. His resurrection means that our sins are completely forgiven. God loves us. Jesus is the only religious leader in the world ever to come back to life.

So many in this world anguish over death. We have joy because Jesus arose from the grave. So many find no joy in life and are filled with despair, sorrow, and heartache. What we do next is not a mystery. We must tell others about the risen Lord. Have you told your family about Jesus? He is the living Lord of life. Have you told those with whom you live? Have you encouraged your fellow Christians? Share the good news. Death is overcome by the power of Jesus. Jesus lives! Let the message of his resurrection be what puts a spring in your step. Let the joy of the empty tomb speed your steps along life's road. Walk with Jesus ─ the journey has just begun. He will walk with you all the way to the end of your path; then He will stand there ready to receive you into His heavenly kingdom. At your journey's end, He will invite you to come and walk with Him forever.

Amen. So shall it be!

EASTER CUSTOMS: "Bunnies and Eggs"

2015-04-05T11:31:00.002-05:00

EASTER CUSTOMS: "Bunnies and Eggs"

"If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied."

1 Corinthians 15:19(NIV)

Preface: The following is the text of the last Easter sermon which I preached as pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Lewisville, Minnesota and Trinity Lutheran Church - Fieldon (rural Lewisville, Minnesota) on Sunday, 30 March 1997.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Christ is risen!

He is risen indeed!

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father, and from His Son ─ our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen

At our joint Midweek Lenten services over the past several weeks, we have been looking at the various customs of Lent: ashes, fasting, penitence, foot washing, and the veil. This Easter morning, we will look briefly at two of the customs of Easter: bunnies and eggs. In the text, St. Paul says, "If only fort this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." This morning, we might paraphrase these words: "If it is in bunnies and eggs that Easter consists, we ─ and all other people ─ are to be most pitied." The fact is that Satan loves to sidetrack and pervert all the good gifts of God.

Most of us probably do not know what the word Easter means, or where it comes from. Easter is the name of the Teutonic fertility goddess of spring. Those ancient fertility cults were all over the world. Their goddess was called "Astarte" in Babylon and "Oster" in Germany. Since the day of Jesus' resurrection came at the same time of year as these pagan festivals, the church sought to switch the people's thoughts from the pagan celebrations to Jesus and His resurrection.

Similarly, some of the customs of these ancient festivals of spring remained. As far back as Old Testament times, God's people had been caught up in fertility cults with their temple prostitutes. Only by participating in immoral rituals could people hope for an abundant harvest and springtime renewal. Rabbits were a symbol of this fertility─ anyone who has raised them knows why. They really know how to multiply. Eggs were also fitting symbols. The ancient Druids, Hindus, Japanese, Chinese, and Babylonians celebrated the arrival of spring with sacred eggs.

On the one hand, these customs can be viewed as harmless leftovers from long-forgotten cults. Now they are just "fun." As we know, Satan works non-stop to pervert all the gifts of God. Take, for example, our celebration of Christmas or of Sunday, the Lord's Day. For many, Christmas had little or nothing to do with Christ, the world's Savior and Redeemer. Many people view Sunday as "my day," day to sleep in, relax, and do whatever "I" want for once. It's not a day to honor the Lord.

On Easter, Satan tries to get us so absorbed in bunnies and eggs and celebrations of spring that our "hope in Christ" is in danger. That's his whole goal in your life; to leave you with no hope, no faith, no confidence, no strength, no forgiveness, no purpose in living.

By ourselves, you and I are hopeless. We have no strength or confidence to overcome our greatest problem: sin. We are alienated from God by our rebellious hearts, adrift from His kindness and compassion because of our disobedience. Apart from God, human beings have no lasting goal; we have no purpose for living and no reason for hope in the future.

These treasures are exactly what God wants to give you. That is why He came at Christmas, to bring you "good news of great joy that will be for all people....A Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord." That's also why He invites you to His house every Lord's Day ─ not just on major religious and secular holidays. Your problems and worries and temptations and guilt build up. God wants to reconnect with you as His dear child. He wants it to be His day with you so He can renew in you all the riches of His kingdom.

Why do we celebrate Sunday as the Lord's Day? It's because the resurrection took place on Sunday. Sunday is to be a weekly "resurrection day," a "mini-Easter." The worship service is our weekly "feast of victory," our weekly reminder of all the promises God has given us by His grace. That's why Easter is the decisive day in world history and in your history. St. Paul reminds us: "If Christ has not been raised, your faith [and mine] is futile; you are still in your sins." We heard it in the text: "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men."

That's why Satan works so hard to pervert all the great celebrations of the church year. The evil one wants us to feel that we are still in our sins. He wants us to feel that you and I are still in our sins. He wants us to feel that faith is futile. Satan wants us to have no hope in Christ. He wants us to remain in the darkness and despair and aimlessness of the disciples that first Easter morning. Our adversary wants us to live as if Christ is not risen. He wants us to be shrouded in gloom.

Do you know that Christ is risen? Do you know that your Redeemer lives, and that because He lives so shall you? Our "Christianity" does us no good unless we know this, unless we know Him. Knowing Him is the whole point of the Christian faith. If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you "are to be pitied more than all men." You are to be pitied even more than those who live and die as Hindus and Buddhists and Muslims. They may never have had the opportunity to hear of Christ. They may never have know of the feast the Lord has prepared for all peoples, as Isaiah describes it in the Old Testament reading. They may never have known that death has been swallowed up forever because Christ is risen.

They die in ignorance. You and I would die in rebellious contempt. We heard, but we didn't care. We turned our backs on to His outstretched hand. We preferred bunnies and eggs and Sunday morning naps. We enjoyed wallowing in our pity bag. We enjoyed having an excuse to feel sorry for ourselves. We enjoyed doing as we want with all the time, talent, and treasure our Lord has entrusted to us for His service. Think of what could be done in the church if all the Christmas and Easter Christians ─ in fact, all who call themselves Christians ─ would commit their entire lives to serving the Lord with their whole heart, mind, soul, and body ─ talents, abilities, and treasures. There would always be enough teachers in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. The youth of our church would never be wanting for a leader or a counselor. Members of the church would care about their church ─ enough to attend meetings and serve in one of the leadership positions available. Church properties would be cared for as well as our homes. Offerings and gifts would far exceed the needs for home purposes and the mission fields of the church would grow in leaps and bounds. But we enjoyed imagining that we would never have to give an account.

Do you know that Christ is risen? Is Easter and every mini-Easter your day to reconnect with the Lord and His good purposes for your life? Do you want strength and confidence and hope and direction and forgiveness in all the ups and downs of life on earth? Do you know yourself as a child of God? Do you know that your Heavenly Father has the "riches of His grace" to give to you? If not, you are to be pitied more than all people. God's gift is in your hand. Will you receive it? It is at this altar through Christ's Body and Blood "given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins."

Do you know that Christ is risen, risen for you? Do you know that the price for all your sins has been paid? Do know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Do you know "the peace of God which transcends all human understanding," and believe that your living Lord is with you all the time? DO you know that death has been conquered? Do you know you belong to the Lord? Will you walk with Him and one day rise with Him? If so, all the riches of His kingdom are yours now and forever.

The apostle Paul expresses our confidence in Christ: "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins....We were by nature objects of wrath. But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in [our] transgressions ─ it is by grace you have been saved." Your resurrected Lord stands before you on this, His victory day. He invites you to "cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." He wants you to be filled with renewed joy and confidence and strength and purpose in your heart.

One pair of rabbits produces many more. Your Lord will produce a bountiful harvest from the riches of His grace. A chick emerges from the captivity of its egg to light and life. By God's grace, you and I are able to captivity of sin and death. The season of spring renews the fertility of the earth. By grace through faith, in Christ emerge from the, your life [and mine] is renewed.

That's what Easter can mean for you and me. That's what every mini-Easter can mean for us ─ throughout our lives and into eternity. We dare not let Satan pervert the grace of God shown to us. Too much in life and death depends on it. Isaiah said: "This is the Lord, we trusted in Him; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation." This is the day for you and me to say: "Surely this is our God; we trusted in Him, and He saved us."

Christ is risen!

He is risen indeed! Amen

What Does It Mean to Say "Good-Bye"?

2013-02-16T06:24:00.003-06:00

What Does It Mean to Say "Good-Bye"?

I know that my Redeemer lives!
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, he lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my ever living head!

He lives to silence all my fears;
He lives to wipe away my tears;
He lives to calm my troubled heart;
He lives all blessings to impart.

He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death;
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me safely there.

He lives, all glory to his name!
He lives, my savior, still the same;
What joy this blest assurance gives:
I know that my Redeemer lives!

Today, Saturday, February 16, 2013, the descendants, extended family and friends of Elfrieda Louise Elizabeth Wessel Turnmire, will gather at Peace Lutheran Church in Claremont, Minnesota and later at Riverside Cemetery at Dodge Center, Minnesota to say "Good-Bye". I recently heard someone say that "good-byes" are never good. It is not always easy to say good-bye, whether you are parting for a short time or for a lifetime. For me, I knew that when I said good-bye to Mother on Sunday, January 13, 2013 after visiting for a short four days, that this would be the last time that I would see mother in person. The God of grace and glory called to her to everlasting rest less than one month later. To God Alone Be the Glory!

For each of Elfrieda Turnmire's children, today will carry with it a flood of emotions, memories, tears and grief. It is not possible for one to measure another's level of grief by mere expression of emotion. I fully realize that as the youngest of mother's eight children, I have the fewest memories. She was my mother for over 53 years. My oldest sibling has over 74 years of memories to process. Just as one cannot measure one's grief by their expressions of emotion, neither can one's grief be measured simply by a number of years.

Personally, I am thankful that my children had the opportunity to know their Grandma Turnmire for the years of their lives thus far. My paternal grandparents, the Turnmires, died years before I was born. Grandpa Wessel died when I was a toddler. I hold memories of Grandma Wessel and am thankful that my young family had the opportunity to visit with her shortly before her death. Dad died when I was 21 which is the same age as my younger daughter, Erin. My children never met their Grandpa Turnmire. This fact saddens me occasionally as I consider missed blessings for my children.

I miss my father often and have wished over the years that I could have discussed many different things with him. There is so much I do not know about this man who became my father at an age older than my years now. Of course, some of this is because I have now been a father myself for over 31 years. Countless times over the years, I have longed for and wished that I could have some time to sit with my father to discuss decisions I was facing or simply to have an adult discussion with him. I am confident in the promises of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ so therefore I trust that Mom and Dad are reunited in everlasting joy and peace.

Our family was not the expressive type so we did not hug or say "I love you" to one another during my formative years. To this day, most of my siblings and I will not express our feelings of love or most other emotions to each other. Though I saw my father in the hospital less than an hour before he died and he gripped my hand tightly during our final time together, I did not tell him that I loved him verbally out loud. It was apparent to me that Mother was not completely comfortable with saying "I love you", at least when I closed several of our final conversations with those words. Having said all of this, I knew that my parents loved me whether it was part of our family culture or not.

For the past few days, there has been a great celebration among the heavenly hosts and all the redeemed saints of God. Another of Christ's faithful servants has received her eternal reward - the crown of everlasting life which no one can take away. My mother was granted a blessed end. Her suffering was minimized and she was able to live at home alone up until a short four weeks before her death. God was very good to her. As we remember and rejoice at the life of Elfrieda Turnmire today, we also give thanks for the blessings she has poured out upon us. Today we say "good-bye".

Each of the "good-byes" which will be expressed for the woman who is a mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great grandmother, great great grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin or friend will differ. Every person deals with grief on an individual basis. For me, saying "good-bye" to my mother means saying good-bye to the last tie that binds a family together. Realistically, I know that today will be the last time during this earthly life that I will see certain family members or family friends. Yes, I know that this may even include some of my siblings. The simple truth is that several of them will never go out of their way to visit me and that I will not subject myself to the grief and pain of attending family functions. It would be a great relief if I am proven wrong over the coming years.

There is another element of saying "good-bye" for me. Today means that I am able to say "GOOD-BYE" to the part of life requires me to play the role of someone else. While I have never been completely comfortable in my own skin, at least now the pretending is over. I am really grateful for the support of my partner Bill, my children, Bill's sons and friends over the last decade and more. Whether you accept the fact or not, whether you are open to me or not, I am the person that God made. Life is short and starting at 53, that means life is even shorter!

"Good-Bye Mother! Say 'Hi!' to Dad and tell him that I love him."

"Good-Bye family and friends that I will never see again. I pray that God will bless your life and perhaps we will meet again on the other side."

A life of "blessing to be a blessing to others" begins today. The glory belongs to God and our Savior, Jesus Christ!

God be with you till we meet again;
Keep love’s banner floating o’er you,
Strike death’s threatening wave before you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Words: Jeremiah E. Rankin, in Gospel Bells, compiled by Rankin, J. W. Bischoff, Otis Presbrey (Chicago, Illinois: The Western Sunday School Publishing Co., 1880).

~ DTurnmire

As Time Goes By...Treasure Every Moment!

2012-01-29T04:28:00.003-06:00

Amy Katherine 1.29.1982
Methodist Hospital - Rochester, MN

For some reason, I am feeling rather nostalgic these days. Today, especially, I am remembering January 29, 1982. Of course, I will never be allowed to forget the stories of falling asleep on the sofa watching the Minnesota Golden Gopher mens' basketball game, waking up to go to bed only to be awakened again a short time later with the news that "our firstborn" was about to arrive. Then, obviously expecting a photo opportunity, I took time to shave before we headed out for Methodist Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota.

Thirty years, 10,957 days, 292,968 hours, 15,778,080 minutes or 946,684,800 seconds has passed since 3:26am rolled around on January 29, 1982. Seeing those statistics adds depth and perspective to my own life and makes me feel really old. It is sometimes difficult to grasp or accept that one of my offspring has reached such a milestone. More than a cliche, life goes by too fast and it is my hope and prayer that every one of us will take time to appreciate the blessings we receive.

Throughout the years, Amy and I have shared very special father-daughter moments. Just some of those moments include watching Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, the Big Bird: Follow That Bird movie, reading together, walking to Ralph M. Captain school, attending seminary basketball games, vacation Bible school and confirmation classes, Sunday School programs, St. Paul Lutheran, Martin Luther and Lidgerwood High schools' basketball games,volleyball games and tournaments. There were some really good times and others that we may wish could be forgotten.

Over the years, Amy has grown into a beautiful young woman, now with a family of her own. She has overcome challenges and obstacles, worked extremely hard, dedicated herself to her studies and earned two degrees. Even more importantly, she has devoted herself to her husband and beautiful daughter, Emma Denise. We are proud of her in every way and I am delighted to say that I was there on in the early morning hours of Friday, January 29, 1982 at 3:26am to welcome an adorable baby girl into the world as it was on that day.

I was there to hear your borning cry, I'll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized, to see your life unfold.
I was there when you were but a child, with a faith to suit you well;
In a blaze of light you wandered off to find where demons dwell."

"When you heard the wonder of the Word I was there to cheer you on;
You were raised to praise the living Lord, to whom you now belong.
If you find someone to share your time and you join your hearts as one,
I'll be there to make your verses rhyme from dusk 'till rising sun."

In the middle ages of your life, not too old, no longer young,
I'll be there to guide you through the night, complete what I've begun.
When the evening gently closes in, and you shut your weary eyes,
I'll be there as I have always been with just one more surprise."

"I was there to hear your borning cry, I'll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized, to see your life unfold."

- John Ylvisaker, 1985

Amy & Emma Visit Grandpas
Dallas, TX 1.14.2012

Throughout our lives, we have the opportunity to celebrate many milestone events. Challenges, choices, responsibilities, joys and sorrows are part of human life in this world. The writer of Ecclesiastes summarized these sentiments in one of the most memorable passages of biblical scripture. The Byrds immortalized the words in a song entitled "Turn, Turn, Turn". Ironically, Pete Seeger put those words of Ecclesiastes to music in 1959, the year of my birth.

In our lifetimes, we have seen and will see again "a time for everything" because "whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before..." [Ecclesiastes 3:1a; 15 NIV]

A Time for Everything

¹ There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
[Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NIV]

Dear Amy, it is my hope and prayer that the next thirty years will be filled with every good and beautiful blessing of God. On March 2, 2041, may you have the opportunity to reflect on the joy and blessing of knowing a special daughter in your life. God grant that the mother-daughter bond you now share will grow and develop over the years into a beautiful friendship that will endure forever.

God's blessings and Happy Birthday, Amy!

Love, Dad

Emma Denise Malheim: Child of God

2011-10-16T07:40:00.020-05:00

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart... [Jeremiah 1:5a-b NIV]

"I was there to hear your borning cry,

I'll be there when you are old.

I rejoiced the day you were baptized,

To see your life unfold.

- John Ylvisaker, 1985

Dear Emma,

Today, October 16, 2011, at Grace Lutheran Church, Oakes, North Dakota, you will be received into the kingdom of God's grace through the washing of Holy Baptism. How perfect it will be that you will receive this gift of God at the baptismal font in front of a congregation of His people that celebrates His grace everyday by their very existence as Grace Lutheran Church. One day, when you are a little older, you may ask your mother to recount a simple way to remember the G.R.A.C.E. of God. In confirmation classes and sermons preached by me, grace has been explained as God's Riches At Christ's Expense.

Imagine the grace of God coming to us through simple means - water and the Word. In Baptism, we are not the ones doing. As Martin Luther explained, "Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God's command and combined with God's Word." We are reminded of Jesus' life-changing, world-changing directive to His disciples: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." [Matthew 28:19 NIV]

"Baptized into Your Name most holy,

O Father, Son and Holy Ghost,

I claim a place, though weak and lowly,

Among Your seed, Your chosen host.

Buried with Christ and dead to sin,

I have Your Spirit now within."

Luther, in his Small Catechism continues: "...the Word of God in and with the water does these things, along with the faith which trusts this Word of God in the water. For without God's Word the water is plain water and no Baptism. But with the Word of God it is a Baptism, that is, a life-giving water, rich in grace, and a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit..." Your parents and godparents bring you to receive the new birth in Christ. Your grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and the members of Grace Lutheran Church and the entirety of Christ's Church pray God's constant blessings upon your life as you grow in stature, in faith and in His grace.

Emma Denise Malheim, God has a plan for your life. To the prophet Jeremiah, God said: "I know the plans I have for you, ...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." The truth is, no one but God knows those plans but I am confident that He has great things in store for your life. You hold a special place in His heart as His child. May God pour out His abundant blessings on you today and always!

Love,

Grandpa Turnmire

Letters to Emma - Day 3

2011-03-05T20:41:00.012-06:00

"People were bring little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them." [Mark 10:13-16 NIV]

Dear Emma,

What a blessing you are, especially in the eyes of God! It is my prayer that as you grow through the days and years ahead, that God will always reach out and bless you through His own dear child, Jesus. One day, you will read these letters and gain a greater understanding of my love for you. Even more, it will always be my prayer that you will also come to know the love of Jesus in your life.

Someday I hope to share with you my faith journey and how, even when others thought God was so far away from my life, He was indeed right there beside me all the way. I trust and pray that Jesus will be your friend and that it will never seem that he is not there right beside you.

Today has surely been a big day for you, Emma. You and your mommy and daddy had a day of bonding together - the first of many. I also know that you have another of God's creatures who will be very interested in playing with you and protecting you. The picture of you and Sage together is adorable. In time, you will enjoy watching Sage and the kitties, playing with them and maybe even pulling an ear or tail from time to time.

Tomorrow, we will pray for your family in church and celebrate your arrival into your family. For tonight, I will share one of the first songs your mommy learned to sing.

Jesus love me, this I know

For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to him belong,

They are weak but he is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me; Yes, Jesus loves me;

Yes, Jesus loves me; The Bible tells me so!

Good night, Emma.

Love, Grandpa David

Letters to Emma - Day 2

2011-03-04T20:20:00.010-06:00

"Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children." [Proverbs 17:6]

Dear Emma,

Your mommy and daddy, all of your grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends of your parents are more captivated today than yesterday by the adorable baby girl in Muncie, Indiana. By now, your parents have taken you home from the hospital and all of you are getting settled in as the Malheim family. Don't tell them but your mommy's and daddy's lives have only started to change.

Just between you and me, Emma, I am enjoying being a grandfather. Contrary to common thought, it is actually helping me to feel younger rather than older. Some of my co-workers and friends are having a great time calling me "grandpa" or asking "How's grandpa today?" That's OK because I enjoy showing off pictures of you to friends at work, at church and even where I used to work in Minnesota. And if your daddy and mommy keep taking adorable pictures of you, I will keep showing them off. Since it has been decided that I will be visiting you in Indiana in a few weeks, perhaps we can have our picture taken together. You will become a celebrity here in Dallas, Texas.

The time has grown late dear Emma so I will end this letter with the following night time prayer.

"Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord, my soul to keep.

To guide me safely through the night

And wake me with the morning light."

Good night and God bless!

Grandpa David