Relax

Teenagers and Thanksgiving
I’ve been spending time thinking about Thanksgiving lately and as I was preparing for my school chapel message today, I decided to talk about one way of giving thanks. It was a way that my parents wanted me to give thanks that I tried to get out of as I went through my teenage years. For my family, thanksgiving was always a time for family. We would usually spend it either at our house with my grandparents joining us or we would go to my grandparents’ house for dinner. That was the norm – at least that’s the way I remember it being (maybe my mom or dad or both can refresh my memory). Christmas was the same. But as I entered those “wonderful”

People Pleaser?
Like most people, I don’t like it when people are not happy with me. But it is my personality that I worry that not everybody will be pleased with me, with what I say or what I do. My friends tell me that I can’t please everybody all the time. And I know that’s true at a reasonable level in my head. But there is still this unreasonable fear that I won’t please everybody all the time. But its a mistake to try. As a disciple of Jesus, I follow a man who was more than a man, he was also the Son of God! If anyone could possibly please all people all time, it is certainly the Son of God. But even Jesus didn’t please everybody all the time. In fact, I think it might b

Walls or Windows
I recently read a quote by Bill Tenny-Brittian, “To say the church exists to serve the needs of the churched is like saying McDonalds exists to serve hamburgers to its employees.” I then tweeted that quote and got a few heated replies to it. One reply informed me that the church actually does serve its members. Well, that’s true. But that isn’t the opposite of what the quote is saying. Another reply informed me of the definition of “church” in the Lutheran Confessions, where it says that the church is “where God’s word is taught in its truth and purity and the sacraments are administered according to Christ’s institution.” I can’t argue with

Top Ten Things Church Hoppers Say
I wanted to share this with you because I've heard #10 several times in the three church's I've served as pastor over the last 14 years. I saw this on Will Mancini's blog, who got it from Josh Reich's blog, a young pastor in Tuscon. Below is his post on a book by Bob Franquiz entitled, Zero to Sixty. It has a chapter on Church Hoppers. Here is how to spot a church hopper and what they mean (my favorite is the last one): 1. “But my old church…” This usually means they want your church to be like their old church. 2. “I just need time to be fed.” This means, “I don’t want to do anything. I’m here just to sit and see what I

God Didn’t Make a Mistake
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. – Philippians 1:6 (ESV) The providence of God is something that is overlooked at times. There are times when it feels as though you aren't making progress in your spiritual life. The “one step forwards, two steps back” kind of feeling. But I believe that we who are disciples of Jesus are all where we are according to God’s providence. He intended for us to be here, wherever “here” happens to be. Yes, there are times when we try to force things, set situations up to our benefit. Sometimes God allows