Day of Pentecost 05.17.2024

This is a very special weekend, one that many have been looking forward to for quite some time.  It’s graduation weekend for the Mitchell High School Seniors.  Our seniors have been dreaming of and planning for this weekend for months…maybe even years, because the big event of this weekend, graduation, is seen as a stepping out of what has been and stepping into something new.  So, yes, this weekend is a big deal!!

Graduations are an important moment in life.  Sometimes they help the participant recognize that something new is about to begin…or at the very least graduation events give the message that something is changing.  This is why we see Eighth Grade Graduations, Kindergarten Graduations, Preschool Graduations.  And sometimes the graduations that we experience don’t involve a cap and a gown…but they are still significant moments where those involved recognize that something is changing and that a new beginning is happening.

Such as, this weekend is the recognition of another graduation of sorts, that really isn’t recognized as a graduation, but I believe it is.  You see, this is Pentecost Sunday.  Yes, Pentecost Sunday is seen, in a sense, as the birthday of the church.  It is the moment that Jesus told the disciples to wait for in Jerusalem. (Acts 1:4) Pentecost is when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and empowered them and changed the direction of their ministry…forever!  

You see, up to this point, the disciples were the students of Rabbi Jesus.  But once the Advocate, the Counselor, the Holy Spirit was given to them at Pentecost, they became more than just students.  As Acts 1:8 says, they became “witnesses.”  Matthew 28:18-20 tells us they also became baptizers, disciple makers, and teachers.  All of this is a part of the new beginning, the new role that the disciples have as Jesus’ representatives in the world.

Pentecost was and is a powerful day to celebrate because it truly became the graduation day for the disciples.  Through their Pentecost experience, they knew things were different…things were changing and moving in a new direction.  You see, graduations often have a way of pushing a student out of what is known and comfortable into something that is new and, in many ways, unfamiliar, such as college, or graduate school, or even full-time employment.  Pentecost, all those years ago, empowered the disciples to stop laying low in Jerusalem, and instead it pushed them out into the community, and ultimately, the world, to be Jesus’ witnesses of God’s Good News.  

So, on this graduation weekend, it is fitting that we also celebrate Pentecost.  And maybe we need to take a moment to consider where and how the Holy Spirit, which is still active and present in our world, is impacting each of our lives.  How might the Holy Spirit be seeking to press us into a moment of change and maybe even new direction, all for the sake of God’s Kingdom becoming more real here on earth.  

It’s true, Pentecost usually doesn’t involve a cap and gown.  However, Pentecost does involve tongues of fire resting upon all those who were gathered with the disciples.  That fire or presence of the Holy Spirit pushed the disciples and believers out of that room and into the community, living out the message and the love of Jesus to all who would listen.  

It is my hope that Pentecost Sunday can be a Graduation Sunday for our church and for all in the Christian Faith.  May we all experience the movement of God in our midst…and especially within us.  And may God’s Holy Spirit move us out of what is comfortable into the unknown of living out the message and power of Jesus.

Pastor Keith

New Beginnings 05.10.2024

What does it mean to “commence?”  According to the online dictionaries I consulted, the word commence means to begin, as in to begin an action or an activity.  OK, that makes sense.   So then why do I always think of commencement as an ending not a beginning?  

This weekend MTC and DWU will have their commencement ceremonies and next weekend is Mitchell HS commencement.  Plus, all the communities in the area are having their commencement ceremonies over the next couple of weekends too.  I’ve been through three commencement ceremonies in my life, high school, college, and seminary and each time it was the final official event I had with each of those communities of learning. The classes were finished, the testing and evaluating completed.  So, why does “commencement” seem to mark endings but “commence” is about beginnings?

So, I dug deeper into the word commencement and discovered that the intended focus of the commencement ceremony is on the conferring or giving of a degree to an individual.  What that means is that the ceremony is about starting a new reality about the individual receiving the degree.  In a sense it is saying, “You are a different person now.” “You have new knowledge and skills to use as you live your life.” In that sense, commencement is a beginning.  One crosses the stage, receives their diploma and degree, and then steps into the world with the skills, training, and education for a new beginning in life.  

Yes, commencement can mark endings, the end of attending classes at a certain institution.  It’s the end of certain professor/student relationships.  It’s the end of certain friendships as people head off in their different directions for their next chapter in life’s ongoing journey.  

However, the real intention of commencement, I now realize, is that of beginnings.  It is the beginning of a new direction or phase in life.  It is the beginning of using one’s education and skills in a new way.  It is a beginning with certain doors being opened or at least available to the person because of the training and education that has been received.  But there is one other way that I believe the commencement ceremonies mark a “beginning” point in life.  It marks the beginning of a time of continued learning and growth. 

There are two moments that have been a part of “commencements” in my life that have shaped me.  The first was at my high school graduation. There was a specific award given out to one male and one female student in the graduating class.  It was called the “I Dare You…” award.  It was an award that recognized the potential in a student to make a difference in the world.  I received that award.  I was shocked.  I never saw myself as a world changer…but could I??!!  Someone seemed to think I had the potential.  

The second moment that has shaped me was a part of an unofficial commencement ceremony.  I had just completed my Private Pilot check ride with an official FAA examiner.  Once back on the ground the instructor took my logbook and signed it, he also gave me a piece of paper that said I had passed and that I was now a certified private pilot.  That was a special moment.  But what really struck me was as he handed me all those documents he said, “This is your license to keep on learning.”  He was saying, you’ve accomplished something great, but don’t think you know everything you need to know.   There is so much more to learn.  Keep on learning!  Keep on growing!

So, to all you seniors and others who are experiencing commencements, I know you’re thinking it’s time to put the books and learning behind you.  You’re done with that!!  OK…maybe set the books aside for a week or two.  But realize, this isn’t an ending…it’s a beginning.  Yes, you have accomplished something great…but there is so much more to learn.  Keep on learning!  Keep on growing!  Good words for all of us no matter our age.    

Pastor Keith

Change 05.03.2024

Change is hard!  Change is hard work!

We are living with this reality in the office here at our church facility.  If you haven’t been by the offices in a week or so, you won’t recognize it when you do stop by.  Right now everything is torn out from the main office area.  Tonya is literally working from a 6-foot table we brought in.  The wallpaper and carpeting is gone.  The desk, countertop, and cabinets are gone.  It is truly a bare wall, bare floor, bare room except for a few tools that Dan is using in his deconstruction and prep work for the remodeling that will soon be taking place.  

This change is even affecting Short and me.  Short has already cleared off the shelves in her office, awaiting the same demolition process to begin in her space.  If you look in my office you’ll see boxes, mostly empty but some full, taking up floor space in my area.  Yes, all the ministry mementos, all the books, and all the other odds and ends that have a place in my office are about to be put in boxes and stored elsewhere until the remodeling process is complete.

The hard work of change in the remodeling process is more than just removing old items that has served this church well for many years.  The hard work is also about finding new ways of doing things until the new furniture arrives and the office equipment is back in its place.  The hard work also comes into play as we sort through all the “stuff” before we put it into a box, to determine if this is something that needs to be kept or is this something to throw away.  Is this item something that is no longer useful or is this something to hang on to.  As many of you know, these are not always easy questions to answer…especially since so many of us in our culture are ones that hang on to stuff.  

Change is hard because we are all creatures of habit.  We tend to get comfortable with our surroundings and often we expect things to stay the same.  I once read a report that talked about how a person gets so used to the clutter or things in their space that often they fail to notice what is really there or what things are really like.  This is why some people will look in my office and see a mess.  Yet when I walk into my office I don’t see the mess, I see all my stuff and the work that I do that involves or includes the things on my desk and floor.  We’ll have to have a grand reopening when the remodeling work is done, then you can see my office when it is neat and tidy.  ☺

Change is hard because sometimes it involves the ways of thinking that have made sense previously, yet maybe aren’t working so well in a new day.  An example for me personally is that there are certain things that I have thought and practiced in my ministry all these years.  But what I’m finding is that in the last few years those same practices are no longer effective, useful, or even beneficial to me and our church.  

Because of this, I have applied to participate in the next Practical Church Leadership program offered through a partnership with DWU and the Dakotas Conference.  It’s a year long certificate program that allows me the opportunity to meet with other pastors from across the Conference and the nation, and together we learn new ways of thinking, communicating, and being in ministry in today’s world that will allow me and our church to be more effective in sharing the Good News of Jesus with the world.  

Change is hard!  Change is hard work!!  But hopefully the outcome of all the hard work is something useful, beautiful, and helpful for each of us to continue on in our walk of faith and being a follower of Jesus Christ.  Here’s to the hard work!  Let’s all press on for God’s greater glory!

 Pastor Keith

Who Are You? 4.26.2024

Mourning Doves…with the nicer weather returning, so are the Mourning Doves.  Every summer I’ve lived here in Mitchell it seems that a lot of the birds congregate here in the northern part of town where I live.  I hear their haunting call every morning.  I’m guessing many of you hear them too.  So, my question is, what do you hear them saying?  I’m serious!  When you hear their call, what do you hear?  What does it sound like to you?

To me the cadence of their call has a specific pattern and sound that reminds me of a question I heard an individual ask a while back.  The cadence of the question asked by the speaker is the same as what I hear from the mourning doves.  In the words of my dad, who when he was in the Army, was a company clerk and communications person, so he knew and used Morse Code…(and knew it still until the day he died).  He would have described the cadence as “short…loooong…short” or “dit…daaaaaa…dit.”  So, the question I hear being asked in those bird calls??  “Who are you?”  Emphasis on the “are.”  “Who are you?”  

So, how would you like to be greeted by that question every morning as you head out for the day??  Actually, it’s a great question to start your day with?  Who are you??  It is a very powerful question if you really stop and truly consider it.    

My Mourning Dove experience reminds me of a story I heard a while back about a Rabbi from many years ago who was running an errand.  He took a wrong turn in his village and ended up at a military garrison.  As he approached the Post, the guard on duty hollered out, “Who are you?  What are you doing here?”

The Rabbi stopped and considered the questions.  Then he responded to the soldier, “Young man, how much are you paid in a week?  When the guard answered, sounding a bit bewildered, the Rabbi said, “I’ll pay you twice that amount if you’ll come to my home every morning and ask me those same two questions.  “Who are you?  What are you doing here?” 

These are two important questions.  Important for individuals and important for the Church as well.  So much so, that our church leadership is taking this year (2024) to ask those questions in our own way.  We are focusing more on “Why are we here?”…as in, in this community.  Or another way to put it is, “What is our purpose?”  Why does God have us in this community at this particular time?”  I’d invite each of you to pray for our church’s leadership as we ask these questions and listen carefully and wait patiently (or not so patiently) for the response we hear from God.

But, back to us as individuals, how would it change your life or the direction of each day if you had someone asking you those questions?  Actually, maybe you can have that experience.  Listen for the mourning doves in the morning.  They’ll start you out with, “Who are you?”  Then you can fill in the rest.  “What are you doing here?”  Part of the answer, I believe, is remembering each day that we are children of God…and that what we are doing here is trying to touch this world…or touch another person with the Love of Christ.  That’s Kingdom Living made simple.   

Pastor Keith

"Stay Alert" 04.19.2024

For those of you who watch or listen to my Tuesday morning Faith Break video on Facebook, I always end with the same words; Stay Alert!  Stay Connected!  Stay Grounded in God!  On occasion I’ve had someone ask what that means, the “Stay Alert” part.  Or they’ll ask why I say that, why should we remain alert?  Well, I guess the main reason is that Jesus tells his disciples to remain alert. 

There are four times in Mark and Luke, in our New Testament, that Jesus tells his disciples to remain alert.  The first time in Mark 13:23, Jesus is talking about how there will always be people pointing to false messiah’s and someone will always be repeating what the false messiah’s say.  But Jesus’s word is.  “Stay alert.”  The word means to be watchful, to not sleep, to be ready, to keep awake.  And then, right after telling the disciples to “Be Alert,” Jesus goes on to say, “I have told you everything.”  In other words, if the message of a would-be messiah doesn’t line up with what Jesus has said, that’s a sure sign of a false messiah.  Be alert, Jesus says!!

Just a few verses later, in Mark 13:33, Jesus once again tells his disciples to “be alert.”  This time the message is given in a story about an owner or boss who goes on a journey and doesn’t really know when the return date will be. The servants are left in charge.  But the wise servants don’t goof off because the owner is gone.  They stay vigilant at their tasks because they don’t know when the head person will be back.  So, they are to keep doing what the owner has told them to do.  

In Luke 12:35 and following, Jesus again tells the disciples to be alert, like the servants of the person who goes off to a wedding celebration.  Weddings were a multi-day celebration in that time period.  But again, the admonition is given to stay alert, waiting and watching for the homeowner to return so that the servants can open the door and welcome the owner into the home.  When those servants are found faithfully doing their work and faithfully accomplishing their duties, they will be blessed.  

Luke 21:36 is the final time Jesus says, “Be alert.” He’s reminding the disciples that there will be difficult or dark days, and that they should “be alert” to be watching out for those moments so they won’t be tripped up or caught off guard.  Hang on to your faith and trust in God, is the message.  Be Alert!!

So, what does being alert look like?  To me, a great example of alertness is our dog, Sophie.  The other evening Nancy was gone (and FYI, Sophie really is Nancy’s dog).  I was doing some office work for a bit.  Sophie came and lay on the floor by me.  Then I went to the living room to read for a while.  Faithfully, Sophie followed me into the Living Room and again laid down close by.  Even though Sophie appeared to be sleeping and totally disconnected with the world, she truly was not.  All the sudden she sat up, her ears cocked toward the garage, then I heard it too.  The garage door was going up.  Sophie ran to the side door and stood there waiting for her master to open the door and greet her, which Nancy did.  That is an example of alertness.  In the ordinary moments of a dog’s day of wanting to be loved by her human, she was very much alert and waiting.  

In our lives of following Jesus, we too are called to be alert.  Alert for moments when we can live out God’s Kingdom and Jesus’ love in our world. Alert for the moments to see Jesus in the people that we meet in our day-to-day lives.  Alert to moments when Jesus is being falsely represented in the world and we have the chance to not necessarily correct the false messenger, but to live and act as true representatives for Jesus in the world.  Yes, there is much for us to be watchful for.  So, I’m going to try to be more like Sophie.  I’ll go through my day doing my human things…but I always want to be ready for the Jesus moments that might come my way so I, too, might be ready.  How about you??  Yes, a good word for us all…Be Alert!!! 

Pastor Keith

The Light 04.12.2024

On Monday of this past week a celestial rarity, called a solar eclipse, took place and was all over the news.  Actually, in doing a little research, I discovered that a solar eclipse isn’t really all that rare.  A solar eclipse of some form takes place at least two times a year and can happen as many as five times a year.  It just depends on orbits, alignment, etc.  In fact, according to Royal Museums Greenwich, and Astronomy Magazine, a total solar eclipse happens somewhere on earth about every 18 months. What made this eclipse so special was that it was a total eclipse that stretched across an area of the United States.  A total eclipse occurs in any particular area of the globe once every 400 years – give or take a few years.  

What I find so interesting is how every time there is an event like the solar eclipse on Monday, it always brings out people who are claiming the eclipse is a sign of something awful about to happen, God’s judgment is upon us, or the end of the world is right around the corner, meaning Jesus’ return is near.  Of course, the same predictions occur whenever there is another round of war in the Middle East or other parts of the world.  

So, with all these predictions about the end, people ask me at times about my thoughts.  What I tell people is that I am a firm believer in what Jesus said in Matthew 24:36 – “No one knows about that day or hour (of Jesus’ return) not even the angels in heaven, nor the son, but only the Father.”  Even when the disciples ask the resurrected Jesus, just before he ascended into heaven, if this was the time that he was going to “restore the kingdom” to Israel.  That’s their wording and understanding for the end of one age and the beginning of God’s reign.  Jesus said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or the dates the Father has set by his own authority.” Acts 1:7   But in Mark and Luke Jesus does tell his followers to be alert and watchful.  He also tells us that we are to live every day as if the Lord was returning tomorrow or soon. 

My favorite passage, especially at the time of an eclipse, is that of John 1.  John is writing about Jesus and John the Baptist, but primarily about Jesus being “light.”  John 1:5 states, “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness did not overtake it.”

To me those are beautiful words and the eclipse on Monday helps us see and understand the power of those words.  Yes, there was a shadow of darkness that crossed our nation…and even crossed our world.  But the thing is, it didn’t last.  The darkness could not overtake or overwhelm the light.  In just a matter of minutes the light was back at full strength once again.  

This image of an eclipse is so helpful for all of life, I believe, even our faith journey.  There are moments of darkness.  But when we look to and follow Jesus, the light of the world, we can know that the light will always push back the darkness. There may be darkness for a period, but the light will return.  That is in part what Easter is all about.  While it was still dark, the women went to the tomb.  It was empty.  But when Mary finally saw and recognized Jesus, the light was dawning upon their world…and also in her life.  Jesus, the light of the world, was alive and with her.  That is our hope, too!!  The darkness of Good Friday and Silent or Waiting Saturday does not last!  Easter Hope, Easter Light, and Easter Life is coming!!

So, whenever an eclipse of any sort attempts to cover our world, our thoughts, or our lives with darkness, I always remember John 1:5, “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness did not overtake it.”  Heavy emphasis on the DID NOT!!  We are Easter People.  We are people of the Light!!  

Pastor Keith

Now What? 04.05.2024

Now what??  When was the last time you heard those words coming from your lips?  Maybe it was after receiving a letter from your bank, or your doctor’s office, or some other official looking letter that you weren’t expecting.  Now what?  I remember asking that question of myself when we brought our first newborn child home and placing him in his crib in our apartment.  Now what!  I can also remember that question being asked after each of my graduations; from high school, from college, and even from seminary.  There was always the sense of, now what?  It means, OK, what comes next.  

Recently I read an article from a fellow Dakota’s Conference pastor who asked that question in relation to Easter.  He wrote, “So, Easter has come and gone.  Now what?”  That is such a great question!  

That was the exact question being asked by the women that went to the tomb that first Easter morning.  It was the question being asked by the disciples when they finally came to realize that Jesus was alive again.  It was the question asked by the two followers walking on the road to Emmaus, not sure what to believe anymore.  It was the question Thomas was asking after saying he wouldn’t believe Jesus was alive unless he saw him and touched him for himself.  

In our lives today, we ask the question too.  Now what?  The palm branches have mostly been disposed of, the Easter lilies have been taken to individuals’ homes, and people are now starting to focus on confirmations, graduations, summer camping trips, Vacation Bible School, etc.  What does our belief in Easter, or Jesus’ resurrection mean for us today?  Truly, the question is, Now what??

My first “Now What” response is that we need to be on the lookout for Jesus.  I’m guessing the disciples were much that way.  Those first few days after Resurrection Day, they were wondering when and where they’d see Jesus next.  We also need to have our eyes and hearts keenly aware and on the lookout for where we will see Jesus next; in a smile, in an act of compassion, in a prayer, in a statement of praise, in a sunrise, in a robin’s song, etc.  

My second “Now What” response is that we need to be living out Jesus’ presence in the world.  Jesus is truly alive, and he is also alive within us as his followers.  Our lives are to be dedicated to living for and living out the Good News of Jesus’ love in the world today.  In other words, Jesus sightings should be taking place in how we live our day to day lives.   So, yes, as the Easter Eggs are put away, as the chocolate bunnies are finished up, as all the symbols and signs of Easter slowly disappear, the real sign of Easter and Jesus being alive, needs to continue within each of us.  That is our “Now What” for today, tomorrow, and every day!  Maybe that is what Jesus means by, “By this all people will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  John 13:35. This is also how others will know Jesus is alive.  This is our Now What!

Pastor Keith

Good Friday 03.29.2024

My dad was a rather quiet, laid-back kind of guy.  He generally didn’t get overly worked up about anything.  Yet, every now and then you’d see the rebel, or a different side of the man peek through in his personality.  Such as, one day I noticed dad wearing a T-shirt with a message on it that really rather surprised me.  Oh, it was nothing vulgar or anything like that, but the message was just…surprising.  What the T-shirt said was, “Don’t tell me what kind of a day to have!” This message was commentary on people constantly saying, “Have a good day!!”  

Now, I never was able to have a serious conversation with dad about the T-shirt and its message, and ask if he was just making a joke, or thought the message was funny, or if he was serious and just plain tired of people constantly saying, “Have a good day!”  So, I’m thinking of dad as I write this article, because I want to tell you, and the world, the kind of day to have.  I want you to have a “Good Friday!”  I don’t mean this as a platitude, as in the cheery voice saying, “Have a good day.”  But since today, as I write this, is Good Friday, I truly want each of you and myself to have a Good Friday.

What I mean by this is that I hope each of us will absorb or think about the meaning of this day for us as followers of Jesus.  This is the day that we remember Jesus died on the cross.  He died as the perfect sacrifice, once and for all.  

You see, you have to understand the sacrificial system that was in place in Jesus’ day.  Sin is real and has to be dealt with in a certain way.  Sin, or missing the mark of God’s desire for us, causes a break in our relationships with God.  It’s saying that I know better than God, so I’m going to do things my way rather than God’s way.  Taking that action, or sinning, costs us something.  The cost is damage to our connection or relationship with God.  It says something about how we view God and God’s desires for our lives and the world.  So, to “fix” or to take care of the damage that sin has caused in our lives, that too, has to cost us something.  It requires something of value from us to show we understand and recognize the damage done through our disobeying and disregarding God’s ways.  Since it was such an agrarian culture in Jesus’s day, it made sense that the “sacrifice” was generally something agrarian in nature, an animal, some grain, bread, wine, etc.  

However, there came a point when God realized that the sacrificial system had lost its meaning and effectiveness within the hearts and minds of the people.  The cost of erasing the effects of sin or repairing the damaged relationship had generally become insignificant or of little consequence to the people.  So, people just kept on sinning without giving it a second thought and without changing their lives.

So, a new plan, a new covenant was needed.  Rather than humanity providing the sacrifice for their sins…what if God provided the sacrifice?  That sacrifice would be something so significant, so great, from God’s perspective, that it would cause humanity to take notice.  So, God sent his son into the world.  God sent his son to the cross not out of anger and wrath, though God is angry about sin.  God sent his son to the cross out of a loving desire to clear the way for humanity to reconnect with God, to cover the cost of sin, and to show this is a relationship based on love not anger.  As Romans 5:6-8 tells us, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.” 

This is a Good Friday.  The debt has been paid.  God’s love for you and me has been displayed for all to see.  I don’t want to tell you what kind of a day to have…but I do want you to have a Good Friday, experiencing the genuine cost and love that the cross reveals for all humanity and all creation!!

Pastor Keith

Decisions 03.22.2024

We all make decisions every day of the week…every day we live.  I expect we all know this to be true, but we probably don’t realize the number of decisions we make each and every day.  I made a decision to do a little research and check it out on the all-knowing Google, asking the question how many choices/decisions the average adult makes each day here in America.  The answer I discovered, through several different articles I read in my research, is that generally speaking, we make anywhere from 33,000 to 35,000 decisions a day.  Wow, that’s a lot of decision making!

Chances are we don’t always think about the decisions we make, such as turning off the alarm clock, rolling back over in bed to get a few more Zzzz’s before getting up, making the bed…or not, picking up the cell phone, checking one’s apps, etc., etc.  What I’ve described are just a few of the decisions that are likely made within the first 5-20 minutes of one’s day.  On it goes throughout the day.  In fact, I did just a little quick math.  If we make just 33,000 decisions a day and we are awake for roughly 16 hours a day, that means we are making just over 2000 decisions an hour and around 35 decisions every minute.  No wonder we feel so tired sometimes.  We’re exhausted from the decision making going on in our lives…especially in the stressful days!!

One of the things that I find interesting to observe in my spiritual life, specifically my bible reading, is that of paying attention to the decisions that Jesus makes.  In the gospel of Mark, chapter 1, there is a brief story that tells of a decision Jesus made.  The story starts at verse 40 where a man with leprosy came to Jesus, got down on his knees, and begged Jesus to heal him.  In fact, the wording is, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” Mark 1:40 (NRSV).  Jesus’ response is to stretch out his hand toward the man, touch him, and say, “I do choose.” (verse 42). And we are told the man was cured.

I was reflecting on the love of Jesus expressed in his choice and this simple act.  Jesus, reaching out to physically touch a leper, an outcast in the community.  This is no small thing.  But Jesus does it time and time again.  As I thought about this brief story, it struck me that there was another choice made before Jesus said, “I do choose.”  

This choice was that of the man’s.  He chooses to seek out Jesus and ask for his help.  You see, a leper had to isolate themselves from the rest of the community.  If they were around people they had to shout out, “Unclean, Unclean!” as a warning for others to steer clear.  This man made the choice to leave his isolation community, approach a known Rabbi and large gathering of people, and ask for help from Jesus.  This was no small thing.  But because of this individual’s choice, Jesus responded with his choice, and a holy moment took place and is forever recorded in three of the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  

In reflecting on this story, I believe there is a powerful message for me in my faith journey.  Sometimes, Jesus’ response and choice is directly related to my choice of deciding to seek Jesus out. When I choose to approach Jesus, it is then he also reaches out to me.  I believe part of the message of this and many stories of Jesus healing, is that our choice matters.   

As I write this reflection, we are just a few days away from Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week.  In this week, in which so many choices were made that impact our faith today, may we each make a choice to approach Jesus to learn, grow, and most of all to seek Jesus’ healing touch in the place we need it most.  And when we ask for Jesus’ touch, may we hear his response, “I do choose!”  Blessings on our Holy Week journey!

Pastor Keith

Unplug and Reconnect 03.15.2024

The other evening, I was doing some work in my home office.  I was doing some research on the internet from my computer.  Suddenly, the screen went blank, and a little box appeared in the bottom corner of the screen that said, “You are not connected.”  A moment later the same basic message appeared on another device I was carrying.  I went upstairs to see if Nancy had done something with our internet connection.  Nope, she was sitting there reading a book.  

I went to the room where all the computer and internet connection equipment is located.  I stood there looking at the boxes and jumble of cords.  What to do…what to do…what to do???  Then the voice of my son rang in my head, “Dad, the first thing you do with technology, if there’s a problem, is unplug it and then plug it back in.”  So, that is what I did.  Unplugged things, waited a minute or so, and then plugged it all back in.  And that seemed to take care of the issue.  We were once again connected.

I wish my spiritual life came with those sorts of pop-up messages. You know, like what happened with my computer the other night.  I wish there would be a message box that would appear saying something like, “Your connection with God is weak!”  Or that it would just say flat out, “No Connection with God!”

If there were those sorts of messages that would appear in our lives, would we know what to do?  Now that is a great question!  Would we know what to do?  The advice of my son doesn’t seem to apply – Unplug everything.  Or does it apply??  Maybe we, or at least I, really do need to “unplug.”  Unplug is a word used in our day to mean to rely less on technology.  That’s probably not bad advice.  

This season of Lent is, in a sense, a time of unplugging – a time for resetting things, in order to reconnect with what is really important in life and what is really important in our faith.  The focus of Lent isn’t so much on giving up stuff, as it is considering what the barriers are that slow down, interfere, or even block the connection that we have with God.  Giving something up for Lent isn’t so much about sacrifice, in my opinion, it’s more about removing the distractions that get in the way of our faith connection and our growing in God.

For me, one of the things I’ve been cutting back on during Lent is my use of social media on my smartphone.  An interesting feature my phone has is that it will tell me how much time I use the various apps or programs on my phone.  After the first week of Lent my phone reported that my usage had dropped 79%.  Oh my goodness!!!!  That means there’s more time each day for other things, like my relationship with my spouse and my connection with God.  I hadn’t realized just how much time I spend looking at the screen in my hand.

The truth of the matter is, I think there are dialogue boxes within us that try to give us messages about our connection with God, but the question becomes, do we pay any attention to those messages?  Maybe it’s that little nagging feeling that I should, or shouldn’t, do something.  Maybe it’s the feeling that I should slow down.  Maybe it’s the sense of emptiness that I feel within.  Maybe it’s the little voice calling me to open my Bible or simply talk to God. Maybe it’s the feeling of needing to just go outside for a quiet walk without anything playing on our earbuds or headphones. There probably really are a lot of Message Boxes in our faith journey…it’s just that they get overlooked or maybe even ignored.

Today, or in the coming week, what if we each took a moment to unplug and reconnect with our God who knows us best and loves us the most.  That is what the journey of Lent is all about!!

Pastor Keith