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Messages from Pastor Mark Borseth
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Pastor's Message, February 2023
“Enemy #1 of Living the Life God has for Us: HURRY!”
Lent is a time to reconnect with God for those of us who have lost the connection we used to have and to connect with God for the first time for those of us who never had the connection.
One of the spiritual greats of our time, Dallas Willard, was asked by Pastor John Ortberg the following question: “What do I need to do to become the me I want to be?”
There was a long silence on the other end of the line… According to John, “With Willard there’s always a long silence on the other end of the line.” Then: “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”
What if the solution is not adding more things to our lives to get more of what we want from God? What if the solution is eliminating hurry from our lives so that God finally has access to give us more of what he wants for us?
Sunday sermons and Wednesday nights during Lent will focus on how we can eliminate hurry from our lives and be more available to God and those around us. Pastor Mark will be using the book The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer as his resource for Sundays and Wednesdays. He will be ordering 20 copies for those who want to read the book for themselves. First come, first serve. There is a suggested donation of $20 to cover the cost of the book.
Sermon Themes for the Remainder of Epiphany
We continue our “All Hand’s on Deck” series by looking at three ways the Enemy keeps God’s people from being fully engaged in God’s plans for their lives.
February 5 - Fear
February 12 – Busyness
February 18 - Injury
Lent is a time to reconnect with God for those of us who have lost the connection we used to have and to connect with God for the first time for those of us who never had the connection.
One of the spiritual greats of our time, Dallas Willard, was asked by Pastor John Ortberg the following question: “What do I need to do to become the me I want to be?”
There was a long silence on the other end of the line… According to John, “With Willard there’s always a long silence on the other end of the line.” Then: “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”
What if the solution is not adding more things to our lives to get more of what we want from God? What if the solution is eliminating hurry from our lives so that God finally has access to give us more of what he wants for us?
Sunday sermons and Wednesday nights during Lent will focus on how we can eliminate hurry from our lives and be more available to God and those around us. Pastor Mark will be using the book The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer as his resource for Sundays and Wednesdays. He will be ordering 20 copies for those who want to read the book for themselves. First come, first serve. There is a suggested donation of $20 to cover the cost of the book.
Sermon Themes for the Remainder of Epiphany
We continue our “All Hand’s on Deck” series by looking at three ways the Enemy keeps God’s people from being fully engaged in God’s plans for their lives.
February 5 - Fear
February 12 – Busyness
February 18 - Injury
Pastor's Message, January 2023
“I’m Here”
The Enemy’s agenda is to normalize absence. God’s agenda is to normalize presence. The Enemy wants us to live our relationship with God as though he is absent and watching from a distance. He also wants us to live our relationships with each other without being fully present to one another. God wants us to be aware of his presence with us each moment of each day. He also wants us to be fully present to each other in full and meaningful relationships.
In Jesus, God made a clear statement, “I’m here.” In the Holy Spirit, God continues to make a clear statement, “I’m here.” The Christian life is about a God who is present, not absent.
Jesus’ invitation to us is to be able to say “I’m here” to ourselves, to the people we encounter each day, and to God.
Am I present to myself, or am I unable to live in the present moment because I am living in the mistakes of the past, avoiding the discomfort and pain of the present or fixated on my worries about what might happen in the future?
Am I present to the people God has put in my life, or am I distracted by busyness, addictions, fear, shame, or anger?
Am I present to God, or am I focused on myself and the things of the world to such an extent that I am unable to hear his voice or recognize his presence in my life?
My prayer for you is that 2023 will be a year in which you learn to:
Sermon Themes for Epiphany: “All Hands on Deck”
God has plans for all of us to be part of what he is up to in the world, but many of us are not engaged in what he has planned for us. To begin 2023, we will be focusing on how we can make sure all of us are fully engaged in living out the lives he has prepared for us. Are you fully engaged in God’s purposes for your life, or has the Enemy managed to keep you from engaging in God’s plans for you?
We will be looking each week at the ways the Enemy seeks to keep us disconnected from God’s purposes:
January 8 – God’s Plans for the World Require “All Hands on Deck”
January 15 – Disconnected from God’s plans because of broken relationships and disunity
January 22 – Disconnected from God’s plans because we feel disqualified
January 29 – Disconnected from God’s plans because we feel unqualified
February 5 – Disconnected from God’s plans for us because we feel afraid
February 12 – Disconnected from God’s plans for us because we are distracted
February 19 – Disconnected from God’s plans for us because we have been hurt
The Enemy’s agenda is to normalize absence. God’s agenda is to normalize presence. The Enemy wants us to live our relationship with God as though he is absent and watching from a distance. He also wants us to live our relationships with each other without being fully present to one another. God wants us to be aware of his presence with us each moment of each day. He also wants us to be fully present to each other in full and meaningful relationships.
In Jesus, God made a clear statement, “I’m here.” In the Holy Spirit, God continues to make a clear statement, “I’m here.” The Christian life is about a God who is present, not absent.
Jesus’ invitation to us is to be able to say “I’m here” to ourselves, to the people we encounter each day, and to God.
Am I present to myself, or am I unable to live in the present moment because I am living in the mistakes of the past, avoiding the discomfort and pain of the present or fixated on my worries about what might happen in the future?
Am I present to the people God has put in my life, or am I distracted by busyness, addictions, fear, shame, or anger?
Am I present to God, or am I focused on myself and the things of the world to such an extent that I am unable to hear his voice or recognize his presence in my life?
My prayer for you is that 2023 will be a year in which you learn to:
- Be aware of God’s presence with you every day
- Live in the moment so that you are present to yourself and to the people you encounter each day
- Hear God’s voice, see what God is doing and join him in what he is doing each day
Sermon Themes for Epiphany: “All Hands on Deck”
God has plans for all of us to be part of what he is up to in the world, but many of us are not engaged in what he has planned for us. To begin 2023, we will be focusing on how we can make sure all of us are fully engaged in living out the lives he has prepared for us. Are you fully engaged in God’s purposes for your life, or has the Enemy managed to keep you from engaging in God’s plans for you?
We will be looking each week at the ways the Enemy seeks to keep us disconnected from God’s purposes:
January 8 – God’s Plans for the World Require “All Hands on Deck”
January 15 – Disconnected from God’s plans because of broken relationships and disunity
January 22 – Disconnected from God’s plans because we feel disqualified
January 29 – Disconnected from God’s plans because we feel unqualified
February 5 – Disconnected from God’s plans for us because we feel afraid
February 12 – Disconnected from God’s plans for us because we are distracted
February 19 – Disconnected from God’s plans for us because we have been hurt
Pastor's Message, December 2022
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,
‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.” ’
‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Matthew 3:1-3,11
Experiencing God and God’s purposes has less to do with our ability to achieve and more to do with our ability to receive. It’s not about finding our way to God. It’s about getting rid of the barriers in our lives preventing him from getting access to us.
We are not preparing the way for us to travel to God. We are preparing the way for him to travel to us. The way we prepare the way is not by merit but by repentance.
This Advent we will be focusing on the barriers which have been keeping us from more fully experiencing God and how to remove them. We will be talking about opening the way for the coming of Jesus on Sundays and removing the barriers to his coming on Wednesdays.
You may be a new Christian or a lifelong Christian and still have very little experience of God’s presence in your life. You will never work or earn your way into intimacy with God. Your experience of God, rather, is based on removing the barriers which prevent his access. My prayer for all of us is that more barriers will be removed this year, and everyone will have a greater awareness and experience of God from this point forward.
‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.” ’
‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Matthew 3:1-3,11
Experiencing God and God’s purposes has less to do with our ability to achieve and more to do with our ability to receive. It’s not about finding our way to God. It’s about getting rid of the barriers in our lives preventing him from getting access to us.
We are not preparing the way for us to travel to God. We are preparing the way for him to travel to us. The way we prepare the way is not by merit but by repentance.
This Advent we will be focusing on the barriers which have been keeping us from more fully experiencing God and how to remove them. We will be talking about opening the way for the coming of Jesus on Sundays and removing the barriers to his coming on Wednesdays.
You may be a new Christian or a lifelong Christian and still have very little experience of God’s presence in your life. You will never work or earn your way into intimacy with God. Your experience of God, rather, is based on removing the barriers which prevent his access. My prayer for all of us is that more barriers will be removed this year, and everyone will have a greater awareness and experience of God from this point forward.
Pastor's Message, November 2022
“Finding God”
18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
The answer to the needs of the world = Finding God
Many of you are nodding your heads up and down agreement, “Yes, finding God is the source of meaning and fullness of life.” The clarification I need to make is in my definition of “finding God”. For many of those reading, the expected answer is that we need to make it a priority in our lives to seek out and find God. From this perspective, the one needing to be found is God and the ones doing the finding are us. That’s not what I mean.
I am not talking about us finding God, I am talking about the reality that we have a Finding God who is constantly pursuing us. Since the sin of Adam and Eve, God has been seeking to bring people back into relationship. The Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5 that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. He was not waiting for us to find him, he was finding and reconciling us to himself and his plans for our lives.
As we move toward Advent, may we not focus so much on what we need to do to find God. Instead, may we invite the Finding God who is seeking access to us. He is not the one who is lost. We are. He is not the one who needs to be found. We are.
May you experience your Finding God finding you as we prepare to celebrate the coming of Jesus this Christmas.
18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
The answer to the needs of the world = Finding God
Many of you are nodding your heads up and down agreement, “Yes, finding God is the source of meaning and fullness of life.” The clarification I need to make is in my definition of “finding God”. For many of those reading, the expected answer is that we need to make it a priority in our lives to seek out and find God. From this perspective, the one needing to be found is God and the ones doing the finding are us. That’s not what I mean.
I am not talking about us finding God, I am talking about the reality that we have a Finding God who is constantly pursuing us. Since the sin of Adam and Eve, God has been seeking to bring people back into relationship. The Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5 that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. He was not waiting for us to find him, he was finding and reconciling us to himself and his plans for our lives.
As we move toward Advent, may we not focus so much on what we need to do to find God. Instead, may we invite the Finding God who is seeking access to us. He is not the one who is lost. We are. He is not the one who needs to be found. We are.
May you experience your Finding God finding you as we prepare to celebrate the coming of Jesus this Christmas.
Pastor's Message, October 2022
“Fullness of Life: In Christ and in the Neighbor”
“We conclude, therefore, that a Christian lives not in himself, but in Christ and the neighbor. He lives in Christ through faith, and in his neighbor through love” Martin Luther from Freedom of Christian
When we live for ourselves, we will have small and empty lives. When we live for Christ and our neighbor, our lives will be bigger and fuller.
The Enemy is always trying to disconnect us from God and from each other. Whether it is through pride, shame, fear, hurt, distrust or simply being too busy, he wants to keep our lives no bigger than ourselves.
God is always leading us into connection with himself and with other people. His commandments turn us out from ourselves to live in healthy relationships with God and others. And, when we break his commandments, his grace and forgiveness are there to restore us again to healthy relationships with him and with others.
One subtle way the Enemy seeks to make our lives smaller is to confuse us regarding the Christian life. Many Christians see their connection with God as only occurring when they die, so they spend their lives focused on themselves just trying to make sure they get to heaven. Many Christians do their acts of kindness for others not because of love for or connection with others, but to score points to earn their way to God. This kind of Christian life allows us to call ourselves Christians because we are living our lives for God and doing good things for our neighbors, but leaves us with nothing more than ourselves. I have spent too much of my life feeling disconnected from God in this life hoping to find connection when I die. I have too often done the right thing to serve my neighbor, but my motivation has been less out of love for them and more out of trying to feel better about myself.
The trajectory of a full Christian life is not me doing good things for people to feel better about myself and to score points to get to God when I die. That kind of life is way too small and empty. The trajectory Jesus came to make possible is to know I am loved by God now so that I can stop focusing on saving myself and start loving and serving my neighbor. Not to score points to get to heaven, but so heaven can work through me to bless them.
That kind of life, living in Christ through faith and in my neighbor through love, will always be bigger and more fulfilling than a life lived in myself full of fear, emptiness and striving.
“We conclude, therefore, that a Christian lives not in himself, but in Christ and the neighbor. He lives in Christ through faith, and in his neighbor through love” Martin Luther from Freedom of Christian
When we live for ourselves, we will have small and empty lives. When we live for Christ and our neighbor, our lives will be bigger and fuller.
The Enemy is always trying to disconnect us from God and from each other. Whether it is through pride, shame, fear, hurt, distrust or simply being too busy, he wants to keep our lives no bigger than ourselves.
God is always leading us into connection with himself and with other people. His commandments turn us out from ourselves to live in healthy relationships with God and others. And, when we break his commandments, his grace and forgiveness are there to restore us again to healthy relationships with him and with others.
One subtle way the Enemy seeks to make our lives smaller is to confuse us regarding the Christian life. Many Christians see their connection with God as only occurring when they die, so they spend their lives focused on themselves just trying to make sure they get to heaven. Many Christians do their acts of kindness for others not because of love for or connection with others, but to score points to earn their way to God. This kind of Christian life allows us to call ourselves Christians because we are living our lives for God and doing good things for our neighbors, but leaves us with nothing more than ourselves. I have spent too much of my life feeling disconnected from God in this life hoping to find connection when I die. I have too often done the right thing to serve my neighbor, but my motivation has been less out of love for them and more out of trying to feel better about myself.
The trajectory of a full Christian life is not me doing good things for people to feel better about myself and to score points to get to God when I die. That kind of life is way too small and empty. The trajectory Jesus came to make possible is to know I am loved by God now so that I can stop focusing on saving myself and start loving and serving my neighbor. Not to score points to get to heaven, but so heaven can work through me to bless them.
That kind of life, living in Christ through faith and in my neighbor through love, will always be bigger and more fulfilling than a life lived in myself full of fear, emptiness and striving.
Pastor's Message, September 2022
“Lutheran Fam Tour, Fall 2022”
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15
What if someone were to ask you why you go to Resurrection Lutheran Church?
Hopefully, you would say you come to RLC because you feel loved, valued and spiritually nurtured. Hopefully you would say you hear the message of Jesus’ love clearly proclaimed on Sundays and see that lived out in the lives of our church members. Hopefully everyone attending every church in town could say those things about their church, regardless of denomination.
But what does it mean to be LUTHERAN?
Would you be able to answer a friend who might ask you what means to be a Lutheran Christian? It’s not that you need to know what makes Lutherans distinct to receive God’s forgiveness or to go to heaven, but it does help you more fully understand and participate in what is happening at RLC and make sense of why we do what we do and say what we say. The focus of worship this fall will be to help you have a coherent answer to the question “What does it mean to be Lutheran?” As you learn to answer that question, you will also be able to more fully understand and enter into what is going on around here.
I used to be an Event Administrator for youth conventions back in my 20’s, and one of my favorite things was to go on “Fam” tours to explore places we were looking at to hold our conventions. Fam tours (or “familiarization” tours) were opportunities for the Chamber of Commerce of the city I was exploring to sell themselves by showing all their city had to offer. To sell their city, they would show us the most impressive sights, give us comp rooms in their nicest hotels, and feed us some of their best food. Their goal was to convince us that we wanted to do our convention in their city.
After going on the Fam tour to a city, I would go back to my organization and share why we should or shouldn’t go there for a convention. If they did a good job of selling me on the city, it made me motivated to convince others it would be a good place for us to do an event there.
This fall, I will be giving you a Fam tour of Lutheranism. I will be sharing about the history, the culture, the people and the beliefs of people who call themselves Lutheran. The goal is to help you understand the Lutheran culture enough that you can fully experience the ministry of a Lutheran church, tell others about the culture in a way that makes them interested, and inspire you to learn more about what it means to be Lutheran for yourself.
Come to church on Sundays this Fall to hear sermons about Lutheranism and then come to a 30-minute class in the small fellowship hall after worship to ask questions and learn more about the topic of the day.
As one who has lived my entire life in the Lutheran culture, I am excited to share with you what I already know about Lutheranism and have a reason to do some more exploration for myself each week so I can have more to share with you.
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15
What if someone were to ask you why you go to Resurrection Lutheran Church?
Hopefully, you would say you come to RLC because you feel loved, valued and spiritually nurtured. Hopefully you would say you hear the message of Jesus’ love clearly proclaimed on Sundays and see that lived out in the lives of our church members. Hopefully everyone attending every church in town could say those things about their church, regardless of denomination.
But what does it mean to be LUTHERAN?
Would you be able to answer a friend who might ask you what means to be a Lutheran Christian? It’s not that you need to know what makes Lutherans distinct to receive God’s forgiveness or to go to heaven, but it does help you more fully understand and participate in what is happening at RLC and make sense of why we do what we do and say what we say. The focus of worship this fall will be to help you have a coherent answer to the question “What does it mean to be Lutheran?” As you learn to answer that question, you will also be able to more fully understand and enter into what is going on around here.
I used to be an Event Administrator for youth conventions back in my 20’s, and one of my favorite things was to go on “Fam” tours to explore places we were looking at to hold our conventions. Fam tours (or “familiarization” tours) were opportunities for the Chamber of Commerce of the city I was exploring to sell themselves by showing all their city had to offer. To sell their city, they would show us the most impressive sights, give us comp rooms in their nicest hotels, and feed us some of their best food. Their goal was to convince us that we wanted to do our convention in their city.
After going on the Fam tour to a city, I would go back to my organization and share why we should or shouldn’t go there for a convention. If they did a good job of selling me on the city, it made me motivated to convince others it would be a good place for us to do an event there.
This fall, I will be giving you a Fam tour of Lutheranism. I will be sharing about the history, the culture, the people and the beliefs of people who call themselves Lutheran. The goal is to help you understand the Lutheran culture enough that you can fully experience the ministry of a Lutheran church, tell others about the culture in a way that makes them interested, and inspire you to learn more about what it means to be Lutheran for yourself.
Come to church on Sundays this Fall to hear sermons about Lutheranism and then come to a 30-minute class in the small fellowship hall after worship to ask questions and learn more about the topic of the day.
As one who has lived my entire life in the Lutheran culture, I am excited to share with you what I already know about Lutheranism and have a reason to do some more exploration for myself each week so I can have more to share with you.
Pastor's Message, August 2022
“A Community Where God is at Home – One that Forgives and One that Loves”
19Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. Matthew 18:19-20
Many of us are familiar with the promise in Matthew 18 that wherever two of us agree about anything we ask that it will be done for us by God, but most of us don’t know the context of that promise. This promise of answered prayer and experiencing the presence of Jesus in community is given in the context of forgiving each other.
It is when we forgive each other that we have the unity which will invite answered prayers. It is when we forgive each other that we will have the unity which will invite the presence of Jesus in our midst.
In the summer of 1727, the community of Herrnhut in southeastern Germany was in turmoil. This place of refuge from religious persecution had drawn a diverse crowd of people who were not getting along very well together. Count Zinzendorf, the owner of the property on which the town was built was distressed, so he started going door to door appealing to people to reconcile with each other. Then, on August 13, they held a service of reconciliation and Holy Communion where they declared forgiveness for each other, and a major outpouring of the Holy Spirit began. The presence of God in the midst of the community was so strong, people didn’t know if they were in heaven or on earth.
This outpouring happened in a Lutheran church! It led to a 100-year, 24/7 prayer meeting, the sending of more missionaries around the world than the rest of the Protestants in Europe combined, the birth of the Methodist church and the fire which ignited the First Great Awakening.
What happened? People forgave each other and God showed up. People chose to love each other and God answered prayers in amazing ways.
In worship on August 14, we will be taking a time of confessing our sins, receiving forgiveness and offering forgiveness to others (not just church members, but anyone we need to be forgiving) and then having Holy Communion together. May we experience the presence of Jesus powerfully in our midst as we worship. Then, after worship, we will have a potluck and a conversation about how we can better love each other.
19Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. Matthew 18:19-20
Many of us are familiar with the promise in Matthew 18 that wherever two of us agree about anything we ask that it will be done for us by God, but most of us don’t know the context of that promise. This promise of answered prayer and experiencing the presence of Jesus in community is given in the context of forgiving each other.
It is when we forgive each other that we have the unity which will invite answered prayers. It is when we forgive each other that we will have the unity which will invite the presence of Jesus in our midst.
In the summer of 1727, the community of Herrnhut in southeastern Germany was in turmoil. This place of refuge from religious persecution had drawn a diverse crowd of people who were not getting along very well together. Count Zinzendorf, the owner of the property on which the town was built was distressed, so he started going door to door appealing to people to reconcile with each other. Then, on August 13, they held a service of reconciliation and Holy Communion where they declared forgiveness for each other, and a major outpouring of the Holy Spirit began. The presence of God in the midst of the community was so strong, people didn’t know if they were in heaven or on earth.
This outpouring happened in a Lutheran church! It led to a 100-year, 24/7 prayer meeting, the sending of more missionaries around the world than the rest of the Protestants in Europe combined, the birth of the Methodist church and the fire which ignited the First Great Awakening.
What happened? People forgave each other and God showed up. People chose to love each other and God answered prayers in amazing ways.
In worship on August 14, we will be taking a time of confessing our sins, receiving forgiveness and offering forgiveness to others (not just church members, but anyone we need to be forgiving) and then having Holy Communion together. May we experience the presence of Jesus powerfully in our midst as we worship. Then, after worship, we will have a potluck and a conversation about how we can better love each other.
Pastor's Message, July 2022
“The Influencers, not the Influenced”
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect…21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:1-2,21
Followers of Jesus are not on the planet simply to play it safe and avoid being influenced by the world. We are here to influence the world for the world’s good.
How do we turn from being the ones being influenced to being the ones doing the influencing? Some thoughts:
As we are shaped by God’s word, prayer, Christian community and the activity of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we start to think differently. We start to lose interest in some things that used to keep us captivated. We start to become more aware of things we had never noticed before. We start recognizing where the Enemy is at work in our lives or in the world trying to manipulate or deceive us. We start to hear God’s voice and see God at work in ways we never have in the past.
As we are transformed by the renewing of our minds, we are no longer victims of the pressures of the world. Instead, we are shapers of the world around us. Instead of being overcome with evil, we start to overcome evil with good.
The world needs more than nominal Christians who are conformed to the world and look no different than non-Christians.
The world needs more than frightened Christians who spend most of their time and effort hiding and protecting themselves from the world so they don’t get tainted.
The world needs Christians who give their minds, hearts, bodies and lives to God to be transformed by his love, truth and presence. These are the ones who will be agents of truth in deceitful world, love in a hateful world, peace in a chaotic world, hope in a hopeless world, fullness in an empty world and substance in a hollow world.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect…21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:1-2,21
Followers of Jesus are not on the planet simply to play it safe and avoid being influenced by the world. We are here to influence the world for the world’s good.
How do we turn from being the ones being influenced to being the ones doing the influencing? Some thoughts:
- Spend time regularly in God’s word
- Spend time regularly in prayer
- Be part of a healthy Christian community
- Be led by the Holy Spirit – when he says to do something DO IT!
As we are shaped by God’s word, prayer, Christian community and the activity of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we start to think differently. We start to lose interest in some things that used to keep us captivated. We start to become more aware of things we had never noticed before. We start recognizing where the Enemy is at work in our lives or in the world trying to manipulate or deceive us. We start to hear God’s voice and see God at work in ways we never have in the past.
As we are transformed by the renewing of our minds, we are no longer victims of the pressures of the world. Instead, we are shapers of the world around us. Instead of being overcome with evil, we start to overcome evil with good.
The world needs more than nominal Christians who are conformed to the world and look no different than non-Christians.
The world needs more than frightened Christians who spend most of their time and effort hiding and protecting themselves from the world so they don’t get tainted.
The world needs Christians who give their minds, hearts, bodies and lives to God to be transformed by his love, truth and presence. These are the ones who will be agents of truth in deceitful world, love in a hateful world, peace in a chaotic world, hope in a hopeless world, fullness in an empty world and substance in a hollow world.
Pastor's Message, June 2022
“Vocation on the Way to the Destination”
For many, the whole point of the Christian life is to reach a destination, Heaven, when they die. That, they believe, is the place they will finally experience God’s presence and activity. There is something amazing about the destination God has prepared for us and the experience of God we will have when we get there, but what if God has created us for more than just a destination.
As Lutherans we know the way to the destination is through Jesus. Getting there is nothing we achieve on our own or earn. Rather, it is a gift of grace that is entirely based on what God has done for us through the cross of Jesus.
Grace is the thing Lutherans are mostly known for, but Luther had another part of his teaching that was not focused on the destination, but on the journey. While we are on the way to the destination of heaven for our sakes, God is sending us to love and serve our neighbors on this earth for their sakes. We are not saved simply for ourselves, but also for our neighbor.
Luther’s doctrine of Vocation is about what the Christian life is to be about between now and the destination. Our lives on earth are about more than just avoiding being stained or corrupted on the way to heaven. They are about the activity of heaven breaking into the world through us to bless others wherever we are. Where we are is where God desires to work in and through us to bless our neighbor and glorify him.
As Lutherans, we believe God has called EVERY ONE of us to serve him through our vocations. Often, we think that if God is calling us, it means we need to become pastors, missionaries or Bible teachers, but God is just as likely to be calling someone to serve him as a businessperson, doctor or mother as he is to be calling them to full-time professional ministry.
If the only place we do ministry is in the church building or in our homes, we leave huge portions of our society to be taken over by the Enemy. We wonder how society has gotten so messed up as people of faith have chosen to stay in their church buildings and in their homes, rather than understanding that God’s calling is to lead us to other areas of influence in society – academia, business, politics, media, entertainment.
This summer, we will be focusing on what it looks like to recover Luther’s doctrine of vocation. This summer, we will look at where God is sending his people to bring his kingdom values and activity to all areas of influence in society, and not just the church and our individual families.
May you see where God has called you to be part of what he is up to through your vocation as you make your journey toward your final destination of heaven!
For many, the whole point of the Christian life is to reach a destination, Heaven, when they die. That, they believe, is the place they will finally experience God’s presence and activity. There is something amazing about the destination God has prepared for us and the experience of God we will have when we get there, but what if God has created us for more than just a destination.
As Lutherans we know the way to the destination is through Jesus. Getting there is nothing we achieve on our own or earn. Rather, it is a gift of grace that is entirely based on what God has done for us through the cross of Jesus.
Grace is the thing Lutherans are mostly known for, but Luther had another part of his teaching that was not focused on the destination, but on the journey. While we are on the way to the destination of heaven for our sakes, God is sending us to love and serve our neighbors on this earth for their sakes. We are not saved simply for ourselves, but also for our neighbor.
Luther’s doctrine of Vocation is about what the Christian life is to be about between now and the destination. Our lives on earth are about more than just avoiding being stained or corrupted on the way to heaven. They are about the activity of heaven breaking into the world through us to bless others wherever we are. Where we are is where God desires to work in and through us to bless our neighbor and glorify him.
As Lutherans, we believe God has called EVERY ONE of us to serve him through our vocations. Often, we think that if God is calling us, it means we need to become pastors, missionaries or Bible teachers, but God is just as likely to be calling someone to serve him as a businessperson, doctor or mother as he is to be calling them to full-time professional ministry.
If the only place we do ministry is in the church building or in our homes, we leave huge portions of our society to be taken over by the Enemy. We wonder how society has gotten so messed up as people of faith have chosen to stay in their church buildings and in their homes, rather than understanding that God’s calling is to lead us to other areas of influence in society – academia, business, politics, media, entertainment.
This summer, we will be focusing on what it looks like to recover Luther’s doctrine of vocation. This summer, we will look at where God is sending his people to bring his kingdom values and activity to all areas of influence in society, and not just the church and our individual families.
May you see where God has called you to be part of what he is up to through your vocation as you make your journey toward your final destination of heaven!
Pastor's Message, May 2022
“What Does God Look Like?”
John 12:32-33,44-45 - 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ 33He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die…44 Then Jesus cried aloud: ‘Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.’
What does the invisible God in heaven look like? He looks just like Jesus!
Where do we get the clearest picture of what the invisible God in heaven looks like? Believe it or not, the answer is – on the cross of Jesus!
Jesus says it is when he has been lifted up on the cross that people will be drawn to him. Why would be they be drawn to a gruesome thing like the cross? They will not be drawn to the gruesomeness of the cross, they will be drawn to the love of the one dying for us there.
When we look at the cross of Jesus, we see not only the clearest picture of Jesus’ heart for us, but we also get the clearest picture of what the Father is like. Jesus says, when we look at him, we see not just him, but we see the one who sent him, the Father.
What is the clearest picture of the Father? Jesus dying on the cross for us! When I was younger, I saw Jesus and God the Father in very different ways. I saw Jesus as the nice one on earth who came to protect me from the angry, demanding, punishing God in heaven. But that cannot be correct. Jesus says that if we have seen him, we have seen the Father. The Father is not the opposite of the loving Jesus. He looks just like the loving Jesus.
When I saw God as frightening, I wanted to stay as far away as possible to keep myself safe. Now that I know that the invisible God in heaven, the Father, is just like Jesus I want to be as close to him as possible to be healed and transformed by his love.
When you pray to God, what does that God look like? Is he a frightening Judge from who you keep a safe distance? Or, is he a loving Father who seeks to embrace you and transform you with his love? How accurately we see God makes a difference!
Jesus, thank you that you came to reveal that the invisible God in heaven is not an angry Judge we need to hide from, but a loving Father who wants to embrace us with his love. Remind me again today what my Father is like so I don’t waste any more time hiding from him. AMEN
John 12:32-33,44-45 - 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ 33He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die…44 Then Jesus cried aloud: ‘Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.’
What does the invisible God in heaven look like? He looks just like Jesus!
Where do we get the clearest picture of what the invisible God in heaven looks like? Believe it or not, the answer is – on the cross of Jesus!
Jesus says it is when he has been lifted up on the cross that people will be drawn to him. Why would be they be drawn to a gruesome thing like the cross? They will not be drawn to the gruesomeness of the cross, they will be drawn to the love of the one dying for us there.
When we look at the cross of Jesus, we see not only the clearest picture of Jesus’ heart for us, but we also get the clearest picture of what the Father is like. Jesus says, when we look at him, we see not just him, but we see the one who sent him, the Father.
What is the clearest picture of the Father? Jesus dying on the cross for us! When I was younger, I saw Jesus and God the Father in very different ways. I saw Jesus as the nice one on earth who came to protect me from the angry, demanding, punishing God in heaven. But that cannot be correct. Jesus says that if we have seen him, we have seen the Father. The Father is not the opposite of the loving Jesus. He looks just like the loving Jesus.
When I saw God as frightening, I wanted to stay as far away as possible to keep myself safe. Now that I know that the invisible God in heaven, the Father, is just like Jesus I want to be as close to him as possible to be healed and transformed by his love.
When you pray to God, what does that God look like? Is he a frightening Judge from who you keep a safe distance? Or, is he a loving Father who seeks to embrace you and transform you with his love? How accurately we see God makes a difference!
Jesus, thank you that you came to reveal that the invisible God in heaven is not an angry Judge we need to hide from, but a loving Father who wants to embrace us with his love. Remind me again today what my Father is like so I don’t waste any more time hiding from him. AMEN
Pastor's Message, April 2022
“A God Who Keeps Showing Up”
In a world that has lost sight of God, we are called to be the ones who help others see that God’s character is not to abandon us, but to keep showing up, over and over and over.
Into a lost world, God showed up and lived among us in the life and ministry of Jesus.
Into sickness, oppression, brokenness and pain, God showed up in Jesus for healing.
Into sin and death, God showed up in Jesus for forgiveness and new life.
Into the lives of normal, everyday people like fishermen and tax collectors, God showed up in Jesus to invite them to live and minister with him.
Into the lives of grieving disciples who saw Jesus crucified, God showed up as Jesus met Mary Magdalene by the tomb, the two men on the road to Emmaus, the disciples locked in the upper room and then to hundreds of people who saw him alive after his resurrection to bring new hope.
Into the upper room where 120 were praying after Jesus ascended to heaven, God showed up in the Holy Spirit to give them love, power, intimacy and courage to expand his kingdom.
Into the life of a Pharisee named Saul who was bent on destroying God’s people, God showed up in Jesus on the road to Damascus and the Holy Spirit in Damascus to turn him from a persecutor of the church to one who was willing to be persecuted to share the good news of Jesus.
Into the lives of those in need of love and hope, God continues to show up through his people.
Into the lives of those who invite Jesus into their lives, God makes a permanent dwelling for his Holy Spirit.
How can we as people of God keep giving the world the impression that God is only interested in meeting us when we die when he wants to keep showing up every step of the way between now and then?
Father, may our lives be constant reminders to the world around us that you are a God who is in the habit of showing up all over the place.
AMEN
In a world that has lost sight of God, we are called to be the ones who help others see that God’s character is not to abandon us, but to keep showing up, over and over and over.
Into a lost world, God showed up and lived among us in the life and ministry of Jesus.
Into sickness, oppression, brokenness and pain, God showed up in Jesus for healing.
Into sin and death, God showed up in Jesus for forgiveness and new life.
Into the lives of normal, everyday people like fishermen and tax collectors, God showed up in Jesus to invite them to live and minister with him.
Into the lives of grieving disciples who saw Jesus crucified, God showed up as Jesus met Mary Magdalene by the tomb, the two men on the road to Emmaus, the disciples locked in the upper room and then to hundreds of people who saw him alive after his resurrection to bring new hope.
Into the upper room where 120 were praying after Jesus ascended to heaven, God showed up in the Holy Spirit to give them love, power, intimacy and courage to expand his kingdom.
Into the life of a Pharisee named Saul who was bent on destroying God’s people, God showed up in Jesus on the road to Damascus and the Holy Spirit in Damascus to turn him from a persecutor of the church to one who was willing to be persecuted to share the good news of Jesus.
Into the lives of those in need of love and hope, God continues to show up through his people.
Into the lives of those who invite Jesus into their lives, God makes a permanent dwelling for his Holy Spirit.
How can we as people of God keep giving the world the impression that God is only interested in meeting us when we die when he wants to keep showing up every step of the way between now and then?
Father, may our lives be constant reminders to the world around us that you are a God who is in the habit of showing up all over the place.
AMEN
Pastor's Message, March 2022
“Where Does God Meet Us?”
He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Isaiah 53:3
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18
The journey of Christianity doesn’t begin with our human strength earning us encounters with God. It begins with God meeting us in our weakness.
Jesus didn’t wait for us to stop sinning to die for us. He died for us while we were sinners.
Jesus didn’t wait for us to becomes strong enough to do the work he has for us. He invited us to rest in him and learn how to be yoked to his strength so he can do his work in and through us.
Jesus didn’t say we would understand him through our human wisdom. He said he would reveal himself to us in our weakness and dependence.
Jesus isn’t keeping his distance from us when we are brokenhearted and crushed. He is near to the brokenhearted and crushed.
This Lent, we will invite Jesus to meet us in our weakness, shame, guilt, fear, anxiety and trauma. We will learn what it means to see and enter the kingdom of God by meeting him in the place he wants to meet us – our need.
He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Isaiah 53:3
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18
The journey of Christianity doesn’t begin with our human strength earning us encounters with God. It begins with God meeting us in our weakness.
Jesus didn’t wait for us to stop sinning to die for us. He died for us while we were sinners.
Jesus didn’t wait for us to becomes strong enough to do the work he has for us. He invited us to rest in him and learn how to be yoked to his strength so he can do his work in and through us.
Jesus didn’t say we would understand him through our human wisdom. He said he would reveal himself to us in our weakness and dependence.
Jesus isn’t keeping his distance from us when we are brokenhearted and crushed. He is near to the brokenhearted and crushed.
This Lent, we will invite Jesus to meet us in our weakness, shame, guilt, fear, anxiety and trauma. We will learn what it means to see and enter the kingdom of God by meeting him in the place he wants to meet us – our need.
Pastor's Message, February 2022
“The Church is In Desperate Need of a Vowel Movement”
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ 3Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ 4Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ 5Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. John 3:1-5
When Jesus arrived on the scene, he quickly got the attention of others. Some of that attention was good, as people started to experience the love and power of God through him. Some of that attention was bad, as many of the church leaders of the day saw him as a threat to themselves and their monopoly on religious activity and discourse and sought to silence, discredit and cancel him permanently.
One of those church leaders named Nicodemus wasn’t repelled or threatened by what he saw in Jesus. He was attracted to it. He came to Jesus secretly at night so he wouldn’t be seen by those who considered Jesus and enemy because he saw that the love and power Jesus displayed must be from God. He was a leading teacher of the Jewish religion yet he had never seen or experienced anything like what he was seeing in Jesus.
Jesus tells Nicodemus that the only reason he is able to see that he is from God is that God has opened his eyes to see the kingdom activity of God. God was the reason Nicodemus was drawn there. Will Nicodemus settle for seeing the power and love of God at work in Jesus and going back to his dry, powerless religion, or will he accept Jesus’ invitation to enter into that love and power in the kingdom activity of God?
Jesus invites Nicodemus to be born of the Holy Spirit and enter into the kingdom of God. As he sees the kingdom and allows the Holy Spirit to fill him with love, courage and power, his life will go from the structured, predictable impotence of religion into the spontaneous, unpredictable power and love of a life of intimacy with God.
I think the church of our day needs the same type of awakening Nicodemus had. In many ways our religious culture has become more of a dry, powerless religious system than a living, powerful adventure with God. What will happen if we allow the Holy Spirit to sweep us into the kingdom of God?
I think we will begin a “Vowel Movement” which will get the love and power of God flowing through us freely into the world. What are the characteristics of this Vowel Movement?
A – Aware of who we are, who God is and who our neighbor is
E – Engaged in living out our callings to love and serve God and neighbor
I – Inwardly living a life of authenticity as individuals and unity with others in the body of Christ
O – Outwardly aware and engaged in loving and serving those outside the body of Christ
U – Upwardly aware of and engaged in an intimate connection with God.
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ 3Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ 4Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ 5Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. John 3:1-5
When Jesus arrived on the scene, he quickly got the attention of others. Some of that attention was good, as people started to experience the love and power of God through him. Some of that attention was bad, as many of the church leaders of the day saw him as a threat to themselves and their monopoly on religious activity and discourse and sought to silence, discredit and cancel him permanently.
One of those church leaders named Nicodemus wasn’t repelled or threatened by what he saw in Jesus. He was attracted to it. He came to Jesus secretly at night so he wouldn’t be seen by those who considered Jesus and enemy because he saw that the love and power Jesus displayed must be from God. He was a leading teacher of the Jewish religion yet he had never seen or experienced anything like what he was seeing in Jesus.
Jesus tells Nicodemus that the only reason he is able to see that he is from God is that God has opened his eyes to see the kingdom activity of God. God was the reason Nicodemus was drawn there. Will Nicodemus settle for seeing the power and love of God at work in Jesus and going back to his dry, powerless religion, or will he accept Jesus’ invitation to enter into that love and power in the kingdom activity of God?
Jesus invites Nicodemus to be born of the Holy Spirit and enter into the kingdom of God. As he sees the kingdom and allows the Holy Spirit to fill him with love, courage and power, his life will go from the structured, predictable impotence of religion into the spontaneous, unpredictable power and love of a life of intimacy with God.
I think the church of our day needs the same type of awakening Nicodemus had. In many ways our religious culture has become more of a dry, powerless religious system than a living, powerful adventure with God. What will happen if we allow the Holy Spirit to sweep us into the kingdom of God?
I think we will begin a “Vowel Movement” which will get the love and power of God flowing through us freely into the world. What are the characteristics of this Vowel Movement?
A – Aware of who we are, who God is and who our neighbor is
E – Engaged in living out our callings to love and serve God and neighbor
I – Inwardly living a life of authenticity as individuals and unity with others in the body of Christ
O – Outwardly aware and engaged in loving and serving those outside the body of Christ
U – Upwardly aware of and engaged in an intimate connection with God.
Pastor's Message, January 2022
“Ubiquity”
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
I feel like the word God has given me for 2022 is the word “ubiquity,” and I feel like the verse God has given me for 2022 is John 20:22 – “And with that (having told them that he is sending them into the world the same way the Father sent him into the world) he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
ubiquity: [noun] presence everywhere or in many places especially simultaneously : omnipresence. (Merriam Webster)
In John 20:21, the resurrected Jesus has just sent his disciples into the world in the same way the Father had sent him into the world. Jesus has been sent to bring the presence and activity of God into the world by proclaiming and demonstrating the kingdom of God. Now that he is going to be with the Father, how will God’s presence and activity continue to break into the world? It will be through his disciples. How will they be empowered to fill the world with the kingdom of God? By the gift of the Holy Spirit!
How can we be sent to fill the world with God’s presence and power? By the filling of the Holy Spirit. Jesus says in Acts 1:8 that the Holy Spirit will empower and send them first to influence the city they are in, then to influence the region they are in, then to influence the neighboring region, finally to influence the whole world.
In this world where we are fragmented, isolated and often unaware of the presence and activity of God, how do we begin the process of turning scarcity of connection with God and each other into a ubiquity of connection with God and each other? What if we are to spread it like a virus? What if we are to be infected with the love, power and presence of God and then get close to others who need to experience that same infection. What if we start one at a time loving one person at a time? What if we start where we are? What if enough people filled with the Holy Spirit, loving the people next to them can create an unexpected pandemic of God’s kingdom in the world until there is nowhere to escape it? What if this can happen through people like us until the kingdom of God is ubiquitous in our community?
My ministry in 2022 will be defined by ubiquity and empowered by John 20:22, the power of the Holy Spirit sending us into the world just as Jesus had been sent by the love of the Father.
Anybody want to get infected by the love and power of God with me? Anybody want to start a pandemic of God’s kingdom?
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
I feel like the word God has given me for 2022 is the word “ubiquity,” and I feel like the verse God has given me for 2022 is John 20:22 – “And with that (having told them that he is sending them into the world the same way the Father sent him into the world) he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
ubiquity: [noun] presence everywhere or in many places especially simultaneously : omnipresence. (Merriam Webster)
In John 20:21, the resurrected Jesus has just sent his disciples into the world in the same way the Father had sent him into the world. Jesus has been sent to bring the presence and activity of God into the world by proclaiming and demonstrating the kingdom of God. Now that he is going to be with the Father, how will God’s presence and activity continue to break into the world? It will be through his disciples. How will they be empowered to fill the world with the kingdom of God? By the gift of the Holy Spirit!
How can we be sent to fill the world with God’s presence and power? By the filling of the Holy Spirit. Jesus says in Acts 1:8 that the Holy Spirit will empower and send them first to influence the city they are in, then to influence the region they are in, then to influence the neighboring region, finally to influence the whole world.
In this world where we are fragmented, isolated and often unaware of the presence and activity of God, how do we begin the process of turning scarcity of connection with God and each other into a ubiquity of connection with God and each other? What if we are to spread it like a virus? What if we are to be infected with the love, power and presence of God and then get close to others who need to experience that same infection. What if we start one at a time loving one person at a time? What if we start where we are? What if enough people filled with the Holy Spirit, loving the people next to them can create an unexpected pandemic of God’s kingdom in the world until there is nowhere to escape it? What if this can happen through people like us until the kingdom of God is ubiquitous in our community?
My ministry in 2022 will be defined by ubiquity and empowered by John 20:22, the power of the Holy Spirit sending us into the world just as Jesus had been sent by the love of the Father.
Anybody want to get infected by the love and power of God with me? Anybody want to start a pandemic of God’s kingdom?
We publish the last six months of Pastor Mark's messages here. For older messages, please refer to the newsletters.