Ascension Lutheran Church Podcast

This past February, I attended a church conference called Best Practices. It’s a gathering of Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod church workers sharing ideas, practices, and ministries with the hope that something learned may spark an innovation in their current ministry or practice.

In family life, say nothing of congregational life, when we see someone doing something that is not right, we often swing hard to one extreme to the other. We either come down hard and condemn the sinner or we say nothing at all.

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I am thankful for the gift of medicine and technology our God has given us. I am praying the cancer cells don’t come back or reactivate. Join me in rejoicing in praise to God and join me in thankfulness even when one is still going through the pay up.

The amazing truth that confronts each of us today is that the Holy Spirit is just as active today and, in our lives, as he was on the day of Pentecost.

This coming Sunday is the last Sunday of Easter until the completion of the 50 day Easter celebration that ends with Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Ascension is the day we celebrate Jesus transitioning from being at one place physically, to be present everywhere, always with us, always showing up somehow, someway as King of kings.

It is hard for us to remember that Christianity isn’t our religion, but we were outsiders who have been adopted into the Jewish family, by the Jewish Messiah.

Earlier this Spring, I was cleaning up the corner flower bed by our front door. We have a large River Birch that grows there and its leaves still covered a mound on which we plant flowers. When I blew the leaves off the mound, to my surprise the Dianthus flowers and the Dusty Miller survived the winter

I came across an interesting article last week by Kelsey Borresen from the online version of Huffpost. And if you are raising or have raised children, I think that you might also want to tune in as well.

God treats you with never-ending love. An always-present ear. A forever-attentive eye. He treats you with His Son. His Spirit. His heart longing for your heart.

As a kid, glitter was this magical sparkle that could be added to any art project, and it would make even the most mundane picture a masterpiece. My thinking back then as a child was: more glitter, more better.

You belong to Jesus. Your ending is resurrection. You and the rest of the world will one day experience a grandiose makeover where all who belong to Jesus will live in crystal clear joy.

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What a mess. Not only had Jesus been tragically taken from those who so dearly loved him. Not only had he suffered so terrible at the hands of the authorities that had been called by God to serve and protect the innocent. Not only had Jesus been crucified, mocked and forsaken by God. But now they can’t even properly grieve his death.

Last week, being Holy Week, reminded me once again of one of my most egregious errors. I’m sure I was taught in seminary. I guess. Or else they simply assumed. Incorrectly.

What makes God’s grace so amazing isn’t that it is free and that you need do nothing, but that God offers his grace as we actively resist his offer fighting with every inch of our being to make things right on our own.

After weeks of anxious waiting, the surgeon revealed the results. I hadn’t expected the word he used.

Walmart is an interesting place to people watch and at my last visit I was not disappointed.

Some people prefer unadulterated coffee. I’ve always been a flavored creamer guy. Not milk. Too thin and watery. I want the substance and thickness a little fat brings.

As we come near to Holy week and the passion story of our Lord Jesus. One little moment caught my attention as I was reading my devotional materials at home with my family. It’s that moment when Jesus locked eyes with Peter.

Such is God’s desire for us when talking of Him and His Son.

During this season of lent with it’s special emphasis on spiritual disciplines and the giving up of certain things it is tempting to think that we are really making some improvements only to realize that the next big change awaits us. It can be discouraging.

Right or wrong I’m not one for high school reunions. I had some great friends in high school, but if they aren’t attending, I feel no tug to reunite with the others. Some classmates I contact occasionally. One classmate I contact every day. Dianne started out as a high school classmate.

Jesus told a quick story about a certain fruit tree that did not bear any fruit. You will hear this parable in the gospel reading from Luke this coming Sunday.