A true mentor is someone who believes in you, challenges you, pushes you, sees things within you that you don’t see in yourself, allows you to fail, and then helps you learn from your mistakes and try again (if you are willing to listen and change).  A mentor gives you space to grow, space to become who God created, gifted, and called you to be.  Pastor George Miner was a true spiritual mentor to me, and to many, many other people.  His mentorship and the lessons he taught me during my internship at Community Lutheran Church, a crucial year of my life and ministry, continue to shape and mold me.   In the years since serving CLC, when I have gotten lost in the wilderness because of my failures, or tempted to quit the journey altogether in the face of disappointments, I’d remember George, then say a prayer asking for God’s grace in my heart, put a song of praise on my lips, lace up my boots, tighten my pack, and keep going wherever God’s Voice would lead.  Backpacking metaphors always seem to arise when I think of Pastor George.

Pastor George showed me what it meant to have a passion for following God, especially by observing his interactions with people.  His ability to sweep people up into his enthusiasm and excitement for living the life of faith, ever growing and learning to be Jesus’ disciples in the world, was amazing to behold.  To say that George had an indomitable spirit would be an understatement.  To follow Pastor George was to experience first hand the power of the Holy Spirit in his life, not to mention the importance of a good cup of coffee.  OK, maybe not “good” coffee, just coffee, any coffee, and a lot of it!  Even if that meant drinking instant coffee grounds mixed with cold water while on the trail backpacking, bringing a new meaning to the term, “true grit.”

Of all of the wonderful opportunities and experiences serving, preaching, teaching, and growing while at Community Lutheran Church, I most looked forward to my weekly one-on-one meetings with George.  I cherished that special time I got to have with him.  I am sure the seminary gave him a handbook of topics and questions to cover, but he always seemed to have more important things to discuss.  After grabbing some more coffee, he’d close the door to his office and start talking about where and how God was working in the lives of the people in the church, and where God was leading this community of believers in ministry and mission together.  As he’d get more and more excited, his gestures would get more and more excited, splattering coffee all over the place!  But whatever the topic, issue, or ministry agenda item we discussed, Jesus Christ as always at the center; George made sure of that, for Jesus was at the center of his life, and it showed in who he was and in all he did. 

I thank God for the life, the friendship, and the ministry of George Miner, for the chance to hike along with him for just a little while.  And I hope we will all take with us the memories and lessons he taught, wherever the trail leads, until that day when we meet again on a heavenly mountain vista that will make the beauty and grandeur of the Emigrant wilderness look like a cheap copy (if you can imagine that!).  God be with you George, until we meet again.

• Which Gospel does not include the birth of Jesus?  (extra point: where does the story start?_________)
  • Matthew
  • Mark
  • Luke
  • John
• Who was born first, Jesus or John the Baptist?
  • Jesus
  • John the Baptist
• How are John the Baptist and Jesus related?
  • Step-brothers
  • Neighbors
  • Cousins
  • BFFs
• What were the names of John the Baptist’s parents?  (extra point: In which Gospel?_______)
  • Sonny & Cher
  • Ole & Lena
  • Zechariah & Elizabeth
  • Abraham & Sarah
• What were the names of Jesus’ parents?
  • Zeus & Hera
  • Lady Gaga & Jay-Z
  • Joseph & Mary
  • Joseph & Martha
• In which Gospel does the angel visit Joseph?  (extra point:  How did the angel visit Joseph? _______)
  • Matthew
  • Mark
  • Luke
  • John 
• In which Gospel does the angel visit Mary?
  • Matthew
  • Mark
  • Luke
  • John
• What did the angel say to the shepherds?  (extra point: in which Gospel? ________)
  • “You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I’m telling you why: Jesus is coming to town!”
  • “Wake up!  Take these diapers to Mary and Joseph, now!”
  • “Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”
• How many wise men visited Jesus?  (extra point: Which Gospel, what chapter? _________)
• • Three
  • One
  • Thirteen
  • The Bible doesn’t say
• Who did they think Jesus was?
  • He was the Son of God.
  • He was a famous musician.
  • He was the king of the Jews.
  • He was a space alien
• How did the wise men find Jesus?
  • They followed the map.
  • They followed their GPS.
  • They followed a star.
  • They followed Lassie.
• The word for wise men is “magi.”  What are magi?
  • Magicians
  • Jewish Ninjas
  • Astrologers
  • Kings
• What gifts did the wise men bring to Jesus?
  • Gold, frankfurters, and mustard
  • Gold, Frankenstein, and Marshmallows
  • Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh
  • Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree
• Bonus Points:  What do the three gifts signify?
  • Gold: ______________________________
  • Frankincense: _______________________________
  • Myrrh: _______________________________
• Which Gospel tells the Christmas story by saying, “the Word became flesh and lived among us”?
  • Matthew
  • Mark
  • Luke
  • John
• Where was Jesus born?
  • Nazareth
  • Jerusalem
  • Bethlehem
  • Galilee

May you all have a very merry and joyous Christmas!

“And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” – John 1: 14 

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

            Did you know that the season of Advent really started before Halloween this year?  I was kind of embarrassed that I missed the memo as I walked into our local mega store to see the Christmas decorations already up next to the discounted Halloween candy and costumes, as well as the posters of cheerful Pilgrims and a smiling turkey.   It was even more confusing when I went to look for any sign of the baby Jesus, the Christ child, and found only cute angels and stars, evidently advertising the coming of Santa Claus complete with laser blasters and heavy metal tattoo Barbie.  

It is easy to get all sanctimonious and self-righteous; pointing fingers and complaining, isn’t it?  But then I remember – it isn’t the responsibility of retail stores to do what we Christians are supposed to do, which is to join the angels in proclaiming the Good News, the surprising gift of the birth of the Savior, who is the Messiah, Christ the Lord.  The Real Gift and Promise of Christmas is that “the Word became flesh and lived among us,” and that is not something you can buy in a store, it is a free gift given in Word, Sacrament, and the lived-out faith of Christian people.  God became Incarnate; meaning, that in Christ Jesus we see the glorious union of God and humanity, full of grace and truth.  The Real Gift and Surprise of Christmas has been entrusted to us, Christ Jesus, not to keep for ourselves, but for us to freely receive and then give to everyone!

And so Jesus admonishes us to “Keep Awake!”  The Risen Christ is in our midst, to heal and save us, to forgive and cleanse us, to love and care for us…but are we awake and paying attention? 

About 100 people from Casa de Oracion, Lily of the Valley, Christus Victor, as well as family, friends, and neighbors, gathered a week ago to work side by side putting 250 Thanksgiving Baskets together for families in our community.  Christ was in our midst!  Then individuals and families began to arrive to pick up their baskets, some with broken spirits and wounded pride, yet leaving with a smile and hope and love in the form of a card board box of food.  Christ was in our midst!  Two young boys hefted the heaving boxes out to a vehicle, as a grandmother cried with relief and joy, because now she would be able to feed the grandchildren she was raising all by herself.  Christ was in our midst!

Yes, Christ has come, Christ is present with us, Christ will come again.  So, keep awake this Thanksgiving/Advent/Christmas season, for Christ is in our midst!

What an incredible blessing it has been to sit down with our ninth graders as they prepare for their Confirmation/Affirmation of Faith, and talk about their journey faith.  We discuss what they believe about God and why they believe in Jesus Christ.   They share what some of their faith/spiritual experiences have been.  They reveal some of the people who have been their faith mentors/role models from childhood to today.  We also discuss how they are involved in the church, where they are using their gifts and serving the Lord, and where they hear God leading and guiding them next.

I wonder what a difference it would make if the parents and adults of our church would sit down with our youth and just listen to them talk about their faith and life?   What a difference that would make to how we understand and value our Children, Youth, and Family Ministries! 

Peer Ministry Leadership – Faith is about relationships

(Excerpts from a letter about the new Wednesday Night Youth Group at CV)  Well it has been a whirlwind fall so far, with planning and gearing up for the future of youth ministry at Christus Victor.  To help and guide us through this year of transition the church council and Pastor Kent have hired a Youth Ministry consultant by the name of Lyle Griner, who comes to us with 30 years of Youth Ministry experience, and is the national trainer of Peer Ministry Leadership.  The plan is to train a core group of youth and adults in Peer Ministry Leadership to equip and empower the youth to continue the Wednesday night Youth Program which will become a Peer Ministry led by the Youth (with support and guidance from adults)!  

The new and improved Wednesday Youth Program will begin on November 2^nd.  The youth group runs from 8:00-9:00pm every Wednesday evening and is open to all high school students grades 9-12.

The training has been occurring on Wednesday evenings and one Saturday morning in September and October, with the youth program beginning again on Wednesday evening, November 2^nd .  We will be continuing our relationship with Lyle Griner as our coach and consultant to assist in teaching the youth how to be in charge of their youth group, guided by some adult volunteers, parents and other caring individuals.

We want to encourage all of our high school youth to attend and become a part of this fabulous opportunity to grow in their faith while bonding with their friends.  We are also encouraging  the youth to bring their friends, from school or other areas of their life.  We want to make it a place where youth feel at home and  welcomed.

Faith Based Loving Relationships Take Time and Commitment

This post had been a bit of a hodge-podge, but here is the final point/take away.  In all of my conversations about faith-spiritual experiences and faith role models and mentors, almost 99% of the time the kids point to their family as the place and people who have had the biggest influence in their faith (duh!)!  Moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, and yes, even their brothers and sisters are people of faith who have made a huge impact on their life and faith in Jesus Christ.  Oh, yes, there are friends, camp counselors, Sunday school teachers, and even pastors (sort of), along the way.  But it is in the family that our children and youth are shaped and impacted by the love of God in Jesus Christ. 

So, all you parents, grandparents, aunt and uncles, and yes, brothers and sisters, my word of encouragement and challenge to you is to keep growing in your own faith in Christ Jesus!  Keep living out your faith, even when you think it isn’t making a difference or an impact, your family is watching and paying attention.  Stay involved or get involved in your church; serve, worship, sing, teach, count, make new friends over a cup of coffee, take a class, just get involved, stay involved and help!  God is already, and will continue, to work in your life, and through you touch the lives and faith of your family and friends around you.

I really like the coach and the assistant coaches.  I admire them.  Not only do they volunteer a ton of time to coach these kids and teach them football, they are teaching them so much more.  What’s not to admire?  This coach played in the NFL!  He is tough, he is smart, he knows football and he can teach football!  This is serious stuff.  And for a non-football playing kind of guy, I respect that.  But here’s what I respect more.

Last Saturday, I finally was able to go watch my son and cheer the team on (had to leave early, but that’s another story).  The coach and assistant coaches are running them through some drills and plays, and then it’s time for the pre-game pep talk.  Here’s what I heard as I listened from the sidelines:

“OK, listen up!  What’s my job as your coach?”

“LOVE US!”

“What’s your job?”

“LOVE EACH OTHER!”

“Reject…”

“PASSIVITY!”

“Accept…”

“RESPONSIBILITY!”

“Lead…”

“COURAGEOUSLY!”

“Serve…”

“HUMBLY!”

“Seek…”

“THE HIGHER REWARD!”

I thought, my gosh, he’s teaching my son life and faith lessons!  How awesome is that?!

They went on to play the game, only to be beaten by a team with larger, older, and more experienced players.  The boys were dejected.  But later that day, after I got back from the emergencies I had to attend to, my son asked me, “dad, what does it mean that you learn more from your failures than you do from winning?  That doesn’t make any sense.  Isn’t it all about winning?”

I’ve been thinking about these lessons from my son’s football coach, especially when it feels like I am flat on my back and I’ve got to pick myself up and get back in the game.  I’ve been thinking about what kind of father, husband, friend, pastor and leader I have been, compared to what I want and know I should be.  I’m realizing it is absolutely true that I’ve learned more from my failures than I have from my successes, but those are hard and painful lessons to learn about myself.  I’m realizing I’m learning a lot from my son’s football coach, though not much about football.  Thanks coach!  Keep up the good work!

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a Vacation Bible School Team…

Do you know what it takes to put on a week of Vacation Bible School for 50+ kids?  It takes a leader and organizer who spends months putting curriculum together, recruiting volunteers, gathering materials, planning advertising, and making sure every little detail is covered (THANK YOU STACEY)!  It takes musicians and actors, and a director to keep them together.  It takes cooks, servers, and people to set-up and clean-up.  It takes sound and computer tech people.  It takes people with an artsy-craftsy flair.  It takes people with energy and enthusiasm for games.  It takes teachers and assistants working together, preparing Bible lessons, games, and activities.  It takes shepherds to lead children from one activity to another, and keep them from running down the hall and out into the parking lot.  It takes a group of parents, grandparents, adults, neighbors, college students, high school and middle school kids, everyone working together, doing their part to make it all work.   It takes a community of people wh0 love Jesus and love kids, to use their gifts and talents, give their time and energy, to help everyone young and old to learn and grow in their relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

I encourage everyone to come and check out vacation bible school this week, even if you don’t have kids.  Come to worship on Sunday, July 31 at 9:30am to get a glimpse and a taste of what God is doing in the lives of our children and adults.  But most of all, I encourage you to learn the lessons of VBS, and listen to where God might be calling you to get involved, use your gifts, and be a part of what God is doing in our midst.

“So those who welcomed his [Peter's] message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.  They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” – Acts 2: 41&42

If you were to come to a Baptism at our church, you would notice that we only use a bowl to hold the water that we pour over the infant, child, youth, or adults head.  We do not have a pool for full immersion, though if full immersion is an option that the individual or parents would like, we just find a pool or a lake (at Camp Wapogasset for an example).  For Lutherans, it is not the amount of water that is important, but the water with God’s Word received by faith, that is most important.  Baptism is a means of God’s grace, trusting in Christ’s command and promise, “The one who believes and is baptized will be saved,” (Mark 16:16).  And while Baptism is only needed once, it is a life-long journey of faith, a daily dying to our old sinful self and rising to our new self, our True self in Christ, that begins in the waters of Baptism.

I had the wonderful opportunity to spend almost a whole week at Camp WAPO with our kids.  For a weekend (Seeds Camp) or a whole week, children and youth, not to mention the young adult counselors and somewhat older church staff (no snickering!), are fully immersed in Christian community.  They are totally surrounded by people of faith and the practices of faith, as they are learning by doing and becoming a community of faith.  Then it struck me, church camp is a Faith Immersion! 

If you’ve ever been to a church camp you know that every day there is Bible study, devotions, prayer, praise and worship, serving others, building of Christian friendships and fellowship through faith and life discussions and by simply having a lot of fun together.  To riff off my friend, Rich Melheim’s ministry of the family and church being Faith Inkubators, church camp is like a faith particle accelerator!  And that is an incredible gift and blessing from God!  BUT…

What about we parents and adults who maybe haven’t had our own Faith Immersion for a long time, if ever?  Kids need families and church homes to continue the Baptismal faith incubation and nurture that was accelerated at camp!  Once they have had their Faith Immersion, they need adult and peer Faith Inkubators at home, in the neighborhood, at school, and at church.  Case in point…

Our friends invited us over for a BBQ dinner Sunday night, and it quickly became a neighborhood event as our friends neighbors wanted to know if they could come join the party and share a “little something I’m whipping up.”  (The little something was marinated, grilled chicken and a herb/veggie puree to slather on good bread!).  The food was laid out and the kids went first.  Mind you, my kids had only just met these neighborhood friends, and soon they were singing grace together, without parental coaching!  “Oh, the Lord is good to me…”  These new friends had been to WAPO too!  The Faith Immersion continued at a back yard BBQ with neighbors!

So, last year, I wanted to increase the number of kids going to camp, and with the financial support of folks from church we doubled the number of kids!  This coming year, the goal is a family camp weekend at WAPO!  Wouldn’t it be great if our parents and adults from church get their own Faith Immersion so they can be better equipped, empowered, and inpsired (in-Spirited) to continue the Faith Inkubation at home and at church that was kick-started at camp.  My challenge and hope is to have a family camp at WAPO in mid-July after the kids have their weekend or week at camp.  This will be for families and adults of all ages!  I would love to have our SWAT Teamers attend the week of TIM Team Training at WAPO, so they would be prepared to lead the family camp in July.  The SWAT Team would be the CV Family Camp Counselors, leading Bible Studies, games, free-time activities, and the worship services (s-k-i-t, whoop whoop, s-k-i-t, whoop whoop!).  I don’t know if anyone would be interested, but I think it is an idea worth working on if we are truly committed to growing up as disciples and raising up disciples of Jesus Christ.  Who wants to join me on a Faith Immersion next summer?

When it was announced that a NAVY SEAL team had found and killed Osama bin Laden, I felt more than a bit of relief and satisfaction.  There was a feeling that justice had been done on the behalf of all those innocent people he had helped kill, not just on 9/11, but in many other terrorist attacks around the world.  At the same time, I was taken aback by the gleeful celebration and pronouncements of some Americans that reflected more a thirst for revenge and a need for blood, than justice.  Justice or revenge, too often the difference gets blurred.

At the same time that this event was being repeated over and over again by the media, I saw a part of a documentary about the aftermath of the genocide in Rwanda, and the continued difficult work of reconciliation and forgiveness there.  In 1994, in the short space of 100 days, 800,000 Rwandans were killed, mostly Tutsis, by the Hutus.  Rwanda is a country that is over 90% Christian!  Yet neighbor killed neighbor, and churches, instead of being sanctuaries, became sites of massacres.     

Before becoming too sanctimonious, we forget at our peril that our own Civil War, with over 618,000 dead, was more than all who have died in all of the other wars fought by our country from the Revolutionary War to today! 

How hard it is to receive the peace of Christ into our own lives, let alone work for God’s Peace in the world.  You and I, sisters and brothers in Christ, have been called, sent, and equipped with the Holy Spirit by Jesus Christ to continue God’s ministry of reconciliation and forgiveness in the world!  How hard it is to continue the work, the ministry that Jesus has sent us to do, with the power of the Holy Spirit, to forgive sins.  It is an awesome responsibility and privilege, to forgive people their sins in Jesus’ name.  What a blessing to proclaim to people seeking forgiveness, “In the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven!”  

But Jesus shows that there is another option – to not forgive sins, but to retain them, which literally means “to hold.”  By not forgiving, it is not only the person who committed the sins, or who is stuck in sin, that holds onto sin, it is the person who will not forgive that also holds onto the sin.  This does not mean we should not expect repentance, confession, or remorse; it does however require us to look at our hidden intentions and attitudes behind our own “holding onto” sin, even if it is the sins of another.  It seems that when forgiveness is withheld, and sins are held onto, there is no forgiveness for anyone.

Go, as Jesus said, forgive the sins of anyone and everyone who is held by the power of sin, or who are holding onto sin, and in the process don’t you hold onto sin either, their sin or your own.  Instead, hold onto Jesus Christ and the power of forgiveness!

Dear Friends in Christ,

            The echoes of Easter still ring in our ears, “Christ is risen!  He is risen, indeed!”  This refrain, this proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection is not just for Easter, not just for those of us inside the four walls of the church; it is the Good News that through Christ, God has chosen us to tell the world!

            Perhaps you remember the dread while sitting in school, trying to hide behind the person in front of you as the teacher scanned the room for someone to pick to come up front to answer a problem on the board?  Not many want to get up in front of the class alone, especially when you aren’t sure of the answer.

            The problem that is on the board in front of us all is one simple word: Sin.  Its manifestations are as many and varied as there are people and situations in the world.  By ourselves we could not and cannot come up with an answer or a solution.  On our own, as hard as we would try, we could not and cannot fix it or explain it away.

            So God gives us the answer, the solution, the fix, and explanation: Jesus Christ the crucified and risen one!  And God picks you to share the answer!

            But God does not just choose one to proclaim the answer, through Christ God chose everyone who hears and believes in the Good News, “in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light.”  Together we proclaim and share the Good News of Easter with the people of the world, perhaps starting with our own family, friends, and neighbors.

            We can all begin with the answer that is in the Book.  The Mighty Acts of God are written down for us to learn and to share with others.  There is also our own story of faith, our personal experiences of the mighty acts of God.  We each have our own, still unfolding, story of coming out of darkness into the light of Christ, which is part of the larger story of God’s love for the world. 

            Let us join together to share the Good News with those who have not heard or do not yet believe and trust that Jesus is the answer!

Easter is coming!