In my devotional reading I have been working my way through 2 Kings. 2 Kings is not high on many people’s “must read” list, but I have always found it a fascinating book. Elisha, the lesser-known prophet, is a prominent character, performing many miraculous works because of the double spirit of the Lord on him …
From Worship Experiences
Flag at Half Staff Again
One of the duties that Tom and I are often privileged to be able to do is to raise and lower the flag at the start and end of the work day. Sometimes (too often it seems) we have to put the flag at half staff, signifying that our nation is in mourning. Today the …
Trinity Lutheran Church in Hovland, Minnesota
Today Tom and I attended worship at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hovland, Minnesota. Hovland is a tiny little town with one business and one church about 20 minutes down MN 61 (MN 61 runs along the north shore of Lake Superior – ne is up and sw is down). Trinity Lutheran is the closest mainline …
Full of Juice and Ready to Be Squeezed
I like to buy those little oranges (Cuties or Haloes) and have them for a snack. I especially enjoy them when the juice runs all over my hands – then I know that they will be delicious. Sometimes they end up being dry and shriveled. I eat them, but they are not nearly as delicious. …
Means of Grace: Piety and Mercy
Last week I talked about kinds of grace. This week I want to cover the means of grace: how we experience the great, generous love of God after we have walked through the door of the mansion of grace. John Wesley, in Sermon 16, preached that the means of grace are the “ordinary channels” by …
Kinds of Grace: Prevenient, Justifying, and Sanctifying
When I was a pastor, grace was one of my favorite sermon topics. I especially loved talking to the youth in Confirmation Classes about God’s grace: the undeserved gift of being loved and accepted by God. In Confirmation Class we talked about the three kinds of grace: prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying. Yesterday at church, Confirmation …
Relationship Is More Important than Being Right
Yesterday at church, one of the things the pastor said stuck with me through the day: relationship is more important than being right. Actually, her exact words were “being right is never more important than being in relationship,” but I tend to shy away from words like always and never. Those words are relationship breakers. …
Detour Ahead
As we were driving to church this morning I noticed a sign, “Detour Ahead.” When we are driving, we don’t like to see these kinds of signs – they always mean a delay from the way we intended to go. I’ve always seen the hand of God in road signs. Can you imagine God putting …
I Need Help!
I need help! This was how the prayer at the beginning of the worship service started yesterday and it certainly caught my attention. I listened with great interest to the rest of the prayer as the woman went through several variations – “they need help” and “we need help.” It was an honest and refreshing …
How Do We Measure God’s Love?
“How do we measure God’s love for us?” was the subject of the Children’s Time at church this morning. Being someone who believes that we often learn as much from Children’s Time as we do from the “adult” sermon, I listened and thought about the question. The Children’s Minister started by suggesting that we might …