God is the Pilot

New T-shirts

2006-10-23T01:45:00.000-04:00

Hey we just got our new shirts in for our student group at CMU. There are some extras available and if enough people want them we might be able to make another order of them.

Gotta Love Global Warming

2006-10-13T01:42:00.000-04:00

I mean without it we would not have snow sticking to the ground on October 12th in Michigan. Can't wait to see what warming Earth temperatures will bring us next.

Great new Christmas song

2006-10-11T00:42:00.000-04:00

I know it is too early to be listening to Christmas music. We have not even reached Halloween after all. Today, however, one of my favorite artists Brad Paisley released a new Christmas cd.

Listening to Born on Christmas Day it might be one of my new favorite Christmas songs. Amazingly Paisley wrote it when he was only 13. One thing I find great is that it touches on what was expected of the savior and the way that God chose to send him. Plus the way that he uses a recording of when he was 13 mixed with today is pretty cool.

The rest of the CD is great as well if you like country or even just great Christmas music you should check it out.

Brad Paisley- Christmas

Why Campus Ministry is Important

2006-10-03T23:45:00.000-04:00

Here is an article that I wrote for our campus ministry newsletter. Feel free to use it if you would like. If you do and you could let me know as well that would be cool.
Enjoy.

Without Campus ministry we lose a very valuable part of the church. To me, campus ministry takes care of the students in college who are often neglected by the church. It gives them a place to continue to grow as students of faith in a Lutheran setting. There are so many organizations that can seem appealing to a student and lead them away from the faith. A Lutheran campus ministry helps to fill that void before that happens.

If we do not work with people when they are younger we lose the opportunity to equip them for leadership in the church. Because they have a place to go in college and continue in the Lutheran faith, they are much more likely to become elders or even consider studying for the office of the holy ministry.

Christ the King Lutheran Chapel has probably been one of the single most important influences in my college life. In the few years that I have been here I can safely say that my faith and knowledge of God has greatly increased. I can also see this in the eyes of my classmates all around me. This is truly what campus ministry is designed to do. Its purpose is to maintain and nurture the faith in Jesus Christ that exists in those who attend. It helps to make sure that that faith is nurtured with solid biblical teaching and worship. There are so many organizations on campus that fail to meet this criteria.

I wish that every college student would have the opportunity to experience what I have at the chapel. Unfortunately, not everyone has this same blessing. I am grateful that the Lord has placed me in such a place where I can learn and grow and not have to leave campus to do so. This place has truly become my home. From the wonderful congregation to the great pastors that we get to work with, it is the best thing that we can offer a college student. In 30 years I probably won't remember anything about some of the classes I am taking, but I guarantee that I will remember the experiences the chapel has created for me in my life and the lives of so many before me. Hopefully, this place will be around for many years for people to come and serve and to help create other opportunities like it.

It has begun....

2006-08-29T22:50:00.000-04:00

Well, classes have finally started and I can say that this semester will be great. I know some people in my classes which is something I couldn't say a few years ago. It is nice to be in a major and seeing the same people often.

Tomorrow our stuff for campus ministry will start with our lunch at 12 and then bible study at 9:30. Normally it is student led but our new pastor will be leading it tomorrow. This is the first time that I will have been able to sit in on one of his studies.

In other news my favorite band, Nickel Creek, of all time will be taking a break at the end of 2007. At least the lead singer Chris Thile will be pursuing a solo career so I won't lose them entirely. However, I have recently taken a liking to the bands King Wilkie and Old Crow Medicine Show. If you like bluegrass at all you should take a look at them.

Good Search

2006-08-22T02:09:00.000-04:00

One important thing for a college group to survive is money. We are registered on Good Search.com It is a search engine which donates a portion of proceeds to a charitable organization of your choice. Each search on the site equates to one cent for the group. That can add up fast. Check it out. Specify Christ the King Lutheran Chapel in Mount Pleasant, MI as the charity if you would.

Back to School...Back to Blogging

2006-08-21T20:19:00.000-04:00

So it is back to the old university for me. The summer was good but I am glad that I will be getting back to doing things on a good schedule. It is good also to be back with things like Lutheran Student Fellowship. I love my church here and we even get to have a new pastor this year as well.

Reflecting on the idea of my blog a little over a year ago is something I have thought about. I started writing in order to get my thoughts out there and also receive some feedback. Soon however I was overtaken by the numbers game and lost my focus trying to get more people to visit. My attempt this fall is to get back to the idea of getting my thoughts out there.

On that note I would also like to turn my blog to a certain topic in a way. Campus ministry is something that affects me a lot. I would like to make an effort to show what exactly goes on with our group here at CMU be that by things like posting Bible studies and more photos of what goes on around the church. I think a lot of people get lost in the college years and maybe that is something that needs to be talked about a little more.

So in conclusion my goal is to get back to blogging about things I am thinking as well as turning my efforts to explaining exactly what campus ministry is and possibly working towards being a resource for other campus ministry groups be they LSF or Christ on Campus which our organization is also a part of. Here's to at least a good fall worth of thought provoking blogs.

Everyone says I can get it right now! Even God?

2006-07-09T00:39:00.000-04:00

Through reading Is God Listening- making prayer a part of your life by Andrew E. Steinman a strange idea struck me. Our modern society is extremely focused on obtaining instant results. I must say that I myself am guilty of this all too common demand. I read my news online, I bank online and a various number of other tasks I handle online. The reasoning of this is that I want my results quickly. For instance today realizing that I needed a cable to connect my GPS to my computer on jumped on eBay and purchased in a matter of minutes. It will be shipped to me tomorrow. Even as little as a few years ago this simple online transaction would have taken some time to be played out if I needed to actually leave the house to make a purchase.

I have known that this has been something that plagues the world for some time but it has never really occurred to me as to what it may affect. The book as you may suspect raises the idea that our immediate results do not normally happen with our prayer lives. God does not care if we want to know right away he will answer us when he feels that the time is right and he will answer however he wants in our best interest. Maybe something that deserves to be looked at is the immediacy with which some expect God to answer them. It important for all of us to remember that God will always act in our best interest whether we can see it happening or not.

To me it seems that I often want that immediate result but it was interesting to have a different look on the way that God deals with and uses the prayers that we bring to him on our behalf.

Oh and just for fun the reason that I have a GPS is for one of my immediate result style hobbies of Geocaching. Check it out if you get the chance but don't say I didn't warn you if you get hooked.

I am still around...

2006-07-08T22:05:00.000-04:00

Boy, it has been a long time since I have posted. This post has been long overdue. Anyone who even remotely checks my blog should know that. Well I have been working at the golf course and savign some money up for next school year.

My birthday was the fourth and like it seems with most of the days that I get gifts now I find that my personal library has increased. Maybe I will review these books once I get them finished.

Discourses in Matthew- David P Scaer
Is God Listening- Andrew E. Steinmann
A Theology to Live By- Herman A. Preus
Proclaiming the Parables- Martin H. Scharlemann

Contempt of the divine service

2006-05-28T14:55:00.000-04:00

It has become more and more apparent that people do not like what the Divine Service has to offer. That's right offer. After all it is God giving us his grace not our trying to make him feel good through our praise.

I think the thing that bothers me the most is that the reason that most people do not like the Divine Service and would prefer a contemporary one is due to the fact that they do not understand it. I recently finished the Fire and the Staff and Klemet Preus has a great description of how when one does not understand what is going on they will not appreciate it.

This begs another question though. How come we are not teaching people what the Divine Service is all about? I contend that if people did not think it was just the same old thing and actually understood the reason behind the parts of the service that they would come to know and love the grace offered in it so much more.

It's just that all of the praise songs that I have run into lately have been very empty. Not to mention that they are often in a very high key and since I have a very low voice I get left out. The hymns from the hymnals tend to be able to include me since they are focused more in the middle ranges. Could this be a reason that we do not see men singing in church? The praise songs were simply not made for them to sing. I guess that is because we know that all men hate singing and are almost never capable of it. Anyways those are my thoughts on the subject for the time being.

With Great Care

2006-05-02T21:52:00.000-04:00

Today, I began really packing stuff up to head home for the summer as college students do. In the process I found that I took great care in packing my books. I like them and they are mine so they deserve proper care. I made sure that I placed them all in the box in a fashion so that they did not bend one another's cover or any of the pages. Stay with me here I'm getting somewhere. It doesn't matter that when they were shipped to the bookstore or put on the racks they may not have received the best of care. Now that they are mine it is my responsibility to watch over them.

After packing all of my books away I thought of the care that we should take care of the Gospel of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. It is after all the Good News which was shared for us. It is now ours and it is our responsibility to watch over it. Without it we are lost as it is the only assurance that we are forgiven of all of our sins. We are given the command to share it with others and be sure that it remains pure in its teaching. Since we have received the Gospel so graciously as a gift from God it is our job to take care of it in the ways God expects us to. It is important to remember to keep it in a form so that "none of the pages get bent". Once we receive something it is our job to take care of it.

I urge everyone to take care of the gracious gift that our Lord has bestowed upon us and watch over it with the utmost of attention.

Coffee

2006-04-27T19:49:00.000-04:00

I was just thinking about the fact that I do not like coffee. Everyone always talks about their favorite coffee shop and what not. I guess maybe I am missing something, though I doubt it unless someone can convince me otherwise. Because I want to be a pastor and I don't like coffee it seems it may be an issue, not really in a serious way though. But hey according to a lot of people what is a service without the coffee. It's almost as if the coffee and donuts provide us some means of grace. Anyways maybe I will just stick to getting my caffeine from Mountain Dew. All that sugar has to be better for me anyways.

Christ Is Risen.....

2006-04-16T19:51:00.000-04:00

.....He is Risen Indeed ALLELUIA!

The Faith of Children

2006-04-10T21:31:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, which was Palm Sunday, during the children's talk one of them said something that sparked a thought in my mind. The faith of a child is an amazing representation that our faith is really worth something.

The kid I'm talking about, a little boy, is about 3 or 4 years old. In general he is a pretty funny kid. But during the talk our Pastor asked why the people put palm branches on the road when Jesus was riding into Jerusalem. He raised his hand and stated that it was so that the cars could drive on them. Upon realizing that this wasn't really the right answer he interjected this thought. "But when Jesus died on the cross he took away all of our sin". Of course we all know when you are a kid this is the right answer to any question asked at church but he truly meant it. Out of the mouth of someone who most would never consider as having a really valid opinion about many matters comes this important and simple statement.

The thing is he as other kids know is that one thing only truly matters. That thing is that Jesus died to take away all of their sin. They are not worried about the things that we disagree on in the church. Rather the faith of a child can take us right back to what is truly important and that is our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. This is the only thing that matters to them and is what gives them confidence about their life. It is interesting that as we grow older we often lose this perspective on things. We find things that seem to be important but when it comes down to it that simple statement of faith is all we truly have and rely on.

I have been told that when I was in kindergarten I happened to be talking to my class and telling them about how Jesus died to forgive their sins. I guess my teacher had to kind of cut me short since I was in a public school and was explaining this. Where has this ease of sharing the Gospel gone as I have gotten older? I still share but it seems not as often as I need too or as easy as I once did. What is it about growing older that causes us to lose the sense of faith and ease that we had when we were young?

Perhaps this is why we are given this very common story of Jesus and the children in the New Testament. In Matthew 19: 13-15 Jesus tells the disciples to allow the little children to come to him and that the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as them.

Earlier in Matthew 18 we are told that unless we do not become like children we shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. This is surely a testament to the innocence and understanding of Jesus that the mind of a little child is capable of possessing so simply.

Even though they may not know much about life they have the ability to show us great faith. Although they may not necessarily know why they know they just know that Jesus died for them and that is what matters. It is amazing what we can learn when we listen to the little children around us.

Socialism and Evolution Don't Mix

2006-04-04T22:51:00.000-04:00

Just like oil and water these two philosophies do not work together. I noticed that there are a lot of kids here at school who will argue that they agree with both of these ideas. Fundamentally though one person can not believe in both.

In a nut-shell evolution says the fit will survive. This means that those who can not make it in life on their own should die off since they are not fit for life.

Socialism on the other hand says we should help everyone even if they can not accomplish things on their own. It is an attempt to make everyone equal.

Clearly, you can not say that the people who are more successful therefore in their opinion superior for life should also be helping those who are not superior.

Personally I think both of these philosophies do not hold a lot of strength anyways but why do people seem to agree with both of them so often?

Jesus

2006-04-04T01:11:00.000-04:00

Apart from faith in the resurrection of Jesus there is nothing.

Day one and Two of the trip to Biloxi

2006-03-20T16:48:00.000-05:00

We started out the trip driving down to Nashville in order to stay the night at Our Savior Lutheran Church. It was about a 10 hour drive or so to get there.

We also had a chance to go into the city for some dinner and to see some of downtown Nashville after we rolled in at about 6:00 p.m. Oh yeah and the warmer climate was definitely a welcome change from the snow that we left in Michigan.

Here is my girlfriend Rachel and I outside of a great barbeque place in Nashville. Another cool thing was that we walked into an ice cream shop which had a live band. We ended up talking to the guy and he made up a song about us on the spot it was pretty cool.

On Sunday morning we got up and went to church at Our Savior. It was a good service. After that we were back on the road for the remaining 9 hours or so after stops in order to get us to where we were staying in Biloxi, MS.

I'm back

2006-03-14T00:07:00.000-05:00

After a long trip all day Saturday and into Sunday morning I am back in Michigan. As promised I will have posts about the trip and what we did forthcoming.

Off to Biloxi

2006-03-03T21:35:00.000-05:00

I will be leaving tomorrow morning to go to Biloxi, MS to do some hurricane relief work over spring break. We are staying at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd. We are driving from Michigan so it should be a good drive. I would ask that you please pray for our safe travels down there as well as getting work done when we are down there. Thanks.

I will be back in a week and this time I promise I will give some more information about my trip.

Curling anyone?

2006-03-03T00:24:00.000-05:00

So today I went curling for the first time. Yes the crazy winter sport where rocks are thrown down a sheet of ice. It was much harder than it seems on tv and also a lot more fun. I honestly can not wait to go play it agian there.

I went curling at the Midland Curling Club.

You can also check on the USA curling association if you want.

To give up or not

2006-03-01T12:35:00.000-05:00

Lent is a time of reflection upon ones own sin. The way I see it giving up something for lent stems from the idea that it helps one recognize what Jesus did for us through his sacrifice. Too often it seems that giving something up has either turned into a chore. People seem to do it because they think they have to and if not they are doing something wrong. These people will also complain about the fact that what they are giving up they really want. I think the whole point of this tradition is missed. Of course there is no real merit in giving up anything anyways it is meant as a way to help people prepare for Easter not as some contest for God.

Two examples I have seen in the past few days from either side.

One friend is giving something up but won't tell anyone. He seems to not feel it is important for anyone else to know what he is giving up. It is between him and God and he is using this to reflect not for glory.

Another person says they are giving up soda and fast food. Then goes on to mention that they will have nothing to eat now and what not in a very complaining matter.

First guy seems to be doing it for the right reason. It does not seem to be beneficial for the second person to give anything up. Will I be giving anything up probably not it is not really effective for me but I will be preparing nevertheless.

Christianity will change to survive... in the next 100 years

2006-02-28T23:35:00.000-05:00

In the post before this I mentioned the where will Christianity be in 100 years discussion in my class today. The comment that struck the hardest chord with me was the idea that in order to survive Christianity will have to conform to the times.

This could not be farther from the truth. No matter how much people would like to change our message there is only one way that it can be done. God does not give us room to rewrite the Gospel and the Law so that it can relate to social issues. In fact the cause for all of this rewriting is the Law accomplishing what it is supposed to but people are not being given the Gospel to show them how much God really does care about them. So much in fact that he gave his only son to save us from a fate which we deserve.

Society loves to rewrite the rules for Christianity because they are living under the delusion that as long as the accepted rules are followed then it will merit the Grace of God rather. The Christian church is not one of following Law to be saved but rather a combination of rightly divided Law and Gospel. (A good intro to this idea by Ryan at Wretched of the Earth) The key is the Gospel for salvation we can do nothing on our own to merit God but rather God gives us everything as a free gift no strings attached.

Anyways does anyone have any thoughts about where Christianity will be in 100 years?

If being nice were good enough....

2006-02-28T23:24:00.000-05:00

At lunch today something was mentioned that I could not pass up as a start off for a post. One of my friends was talking about his brother and the fact that he was born with diabetes, epilepsy, and ADD for example.

My roommate and other good friend happened to say to this "and he's such a nice kid too. Being nice doesn't count for anything anymore." Or something along those lines.

In a way what he was saying is right. Being nice doesn't really gain us anything when it comes from gifts from God. Things like salvation after all are not earned and the only thing that we have to do to receive them is to be alive to accept them. This seems to be the hardest thing for many people I see to understand. There is nothing that can be done to merit the grace of God period. The fact that his son Jesus Christ died on the cross for us is what saves us and allows us into heaven.

It brings also another point that came up in my Christianity class today. We were discussing where Christianity would be in 100 years. Someone mentioned that they thought Muslims and Christians would begin to grow closer together, and also she wondered how they can not be closer right now since they are basically the same. Except for the fact that the basis of the religion is totally different.

The comment can not everyone say that as long as you believe something then it is find came up. Of course to someone who has no affiliation either was as she did this statement seems to make sense. I do not see the divide getting closer based on the fact that there is only one way to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ and his death for us on the cross. I guess in a way this kind of falls into the well at least they were a nice person category.

Any thoughts on whether we will somehow become closer with Muslims? Someone said we are already close with Jews it will only be a matter of time before we will be the same way with Muslims.

Computers to solve obese children....

2006-02-20T14:00:00.000-05:00

What will they come up with next to make parents think that raising their kids should involve no real communication. This computer system at some schools in Houston makes sure that kids are buying the lunch their parents want them too. I'm sorry but watching what kids eat for lunch is not going to tackle obesity. Parents need to step up and teach their kids about exercise firstly and also healthy eating habits.

A computer is only as good as the person who is using it.

Hat tip : Drudge

Gnostic

2006-02-08T19:15:00.000-05:00

I realize this is the first time I have posted in quite awhile. Hopefully, I can get some thoughts going again. Funny I always say that.

Anyways in my Christianity (public university) class we have been talking a little about Gnostic and how this sect may have been suppressed by the orthodox church at the beginning of Christianity. After looking at some of the stuff from the Gospel of Thomas it is no wonder they would be suppressed. Some of the information we have read mentions that it was an attempt by the church to gain power and the Gnostic gospels were a threat to the institution of the church. The suggestion is that there might be some useful things that were written and the church was scared so they crushed their existence.

Me I don't buy it. There are too many things that strike me as odd about the Gnostic gospels and I get quite the weird feeling when I read some things in them. The feeling is akin to the one I get when I have read things in the Book of Mormon. Here are some of the things I find disturbing about them.

They claim to be "secret" this really was not the goal of Jesus
In them a man can essentially become his own god and there is no dependence on Jesus or grace
For some reason they did not survive. If so many people knew they were true this would not even be a topic of discussion 2000 years later.

I really do not know a lot about these "secret gospels". There is nothing of value to be found in them so I would not want to spend too much time with them other than being able to refute them if asked. If anyone has any thoughts I would definitely welcome them.

Losing My Voice

2006-01-11T23:35:00.000-05:00

Driving down to Mississippi by way of Michigan was quite the journey in a 15 passenger van with 13 people in it. It was fun though because it was a big group of people I am good friends with. I also happened to be one of the people to keep the drivers up the entire time down there. We actually had two vehicles one person followed down in his Mustang.

Upon arriving in Biloxi and due to being awake for about 28 hours without sleeping and what not I ended up losing my voice. It was hard at first because I enjoy talking to people. Of course here I would have a great opportunity to hear some good stories and be able to talk about some of the things that people went through. Of course for the first few days I was forced to do nothing but listen and observe what was going on around me.

I think my voice was gone for about 4 days and on the 2nd day I began to realize that there might be a purpose for my voice being gone. Since I wasn't able to talk it forced me to listen. I think God may have had that in mind when I lost my voice. Especially since this is the first time that it has ever happened in my life. It really made me realize the importance of listening. Sometimes I just talk to much and I guess God wanted me to listen a little more than talk to the people that I met at least at first.

Anyways this is probably the first of things that I came to realize when I was in Biloxi.

A preview of thoughts ahead....

2006-01-09T23:57:00.000-05:00

I spent about a week over my Christmas break in Biloxi, MS doing hurricane Katrina relief work. I am glad to have been able to help. There are some amazing people down there. In the next week or two I will be talking about some of the things that happened down there, as well as what you can do to help out our brothers and sisters in the area.

This casino is one mile away from where it was originally located. A Holiday inn stopped it from going farther.

B I N G O!

2005-12-21T00:05:00.000-05:00

Ok so it has been a long time since I have posted. I just haven't felt the need to post anything though different ideas have crossed my mind.

But anyways I just wanted to make a statement about the game of BINGO. I played on Sunday night with my girlfriend and her mom. It astounded me how many old ladies there were there. Maybe it is just me but I was having a hard time figuring out which of my 15 cards might have a BINGO. How come these old ladies could do it but they have such a hard time performing the task of driving? Maybe I notice this because I am 19 let me know if that's the case. But that's really all I have to say for now I think I will start writing more though.

An Essential Truth...

2005-12-01T21:11:00.000-05:00

I have begun going through the adult confirmation class that is being offered at my church. I figure it will be a good way to review some of the points with Christianity and Lutheranism. After all studying the Word is a lot of who we are as Christians.

But anyways I have some cool stuff I picked up one thing was a picture of the Trinity. This is of course the belief that God is one but also The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all at the same time. What I was provided with were some explanations as to how one thing can be three parts at the same time.

Illustration #1

The Apple

Pretend you have three parts of the apple the core, meat, and skin. Now all parts are apple but all have distinct characteristics to them. If you ate them you would definitely understand that. Still all of the pieces are apple and without one piece you can not have an apple. In the same way God is three distinct pieces however each one makes up the whole which is God and you can not have God without one of the pieces.

Illustration #2

H2O (aka water)

No matter what form we see this in for example liquid, gas, ice it is still water. In this way it can take different forms but it is still water all the time. The same way God takes different forms but is still God all of the time. You can also look at it that there are two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen that make up a water molecule. These different pieces form water and you can not have water without them.

Those were a few of the cool illustrations that I picked up as ways to describe how it is possible for God to be three pieces at the same time but still always being one.

The battle for Christmas

2005-11-29T20:52:00.000-05:00

Hey anyone who wants to help out with the cause especailly the Speaker of the House should go ahead and do it.

Thanks Drudge.

Is that what it is...

Lutheran Carnival XI

2005-11-20T22:40:00.000-05:00

Check out the new Lutheran Carnival. Dan did a great job with it.

This is my life... and I miss the small stuff

2005-11-18T02:20:00.000-05:00

As I sit down to write this post I am first wondering why I am not sleeping yet and second this idea has been running through my mind for a couple of days. Hopefully it makes some sense as it comes out.

I have come to the realization that this time that I am here at college really is part of life. Sometimes it is easy to forget that while being within the confines of the campus things really are going on around me. That even though I am "trapped" in the dorms I am part of the world. It seems that it is often that I trudge through my life right now not realizing that I am not only preparing for the future but that there is also a present right now.

It is to easy to live in the future. And frankly I think that when this happens I lose sight of what is going around me. In a sense I lose the purpose that God has planned for me right now. Now don't get me wrong I haven't been reading Rick Warren or anything but I think that sometimes I miss the small opportunities I have to share Jesus with people all the time because I find myself to focused on the future.

I guess what I am trying to say is the age old adage that sometimes we just need to "stop and smell the roses". Either that or we need to think about the small opportunities that we have around us everyday to share the Gospel that was so graciously granted to us so that we may spread it to everyone.

I'm not sure if this is really where I meant to go with this post but there it is. Also I haven't really tried to find a good Bible passage to put this next to yet. If anyone can give me a suggestion that would be nice. Plus I get extremely excited when people post comments and give me new things to think about.

It's time to go to sleep so I can be awake for those "moments" tomorrow. With the help of the Spirit I can put my faith in knowing that if I take advantage of the moments I will have the words ready to share.

Is there better things to argue about?

2005-11-16T14:52:00.000-05:00

So now we have the "under God guy" Michael Newdow fighting to get In God We Trust off of United States currency. Apparently this statement is very offensive to him and should be of great important to a religously free country. Read about it here.

Common Struggles

2005-11-10T16:48:00.000-05:00

Last night at our weekly bible study we did something called a faith walk. Basically the idea is you go around in a circle and share how your faith has developed across your whole life. The rest of the group listens and can also ask questions if they might want to know further about something that is mentioned. This was the first time that I have really ever done something like this. As it turned out we barely got through half the people there before we decided it would be better to continue on later.

What I guess I noticed was that many of the people that were talking had dealt with a lot of the same problems that I had. This is something that people always talk about the idea that everyone goes through a lot of the same stuff you just never really think about it. Anyways it was comforting to find out some of the people that have also experienced the same types of problems I have had in dealing with my faith instead of just assuming that everyone else has them too.

What really is ours?

2005-11-08T13:10:00.000-05:00

My pastor gave a sermon this week which focused a lot on stewardship. Not the idea that we should be giving more money than we are but realizing that all that we have been given was given in a way that it might glorify God.

He told a story about a couple of guys Jim and George. George had a rake that one year he loaned to Jim so that he could rake his leaves. Jim raked his leaves but never remembered to give the rake back to George. Each year Jim would use the rake for his leaves in the fall, grass clippings in the summer, and various other times throughout the year. See since he used it every year he just kept forgetting it belonged to George. The problem was not that Jim ever broke the rake and was afraid to give it back. In fact he took very good care of it like it was his own rake. Over time he had completely forgotten George loaned it to him and he now thought it was his own. George did get the rake back though a few years later when Jim died. His family was going through the shed and came across a rake that had the name George on it. They then returned the rake to its rightful owner. See the fact that Jim used that rake for so long never meant that he owned it. Ownership is not transferred by use as my pastor stated.

Then where does this leave us. Well in the same way God loans us all the we have including the body that we inhabit on Earth. He gives us these things and expects us to take care of them, but no matter how long we use them they are never truly ours. They have always been God's. So do we really own anything? The answer would be no, we are only using our gifts from God for our purposes here on Earth. "Ownership is not transferred by use."

Which is more important?

2005-11-06T13:43:00.000-05:00

So I started thinking this morning which of these holidays can be considered the most important. Christmas the day our savior was born or Easter the day that he rose again proving that he was the savior? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

How does your offering get used?

2005-10-24T20:52:00.000-04:00

So the other day I had the chance to go to a meeting with the President of our district Rev. C. William Hoesman. He is a great guy I really enjoyed being able to meet with him.

For those of you who don't know the district is a part of the LCMS which helps to facilitate things between churches and the synod. They also help with issues that hit closer to home such as district ministries like campus ministry. There is also some things that they do like help congregations and pastors to work things out if a problem arises. They do not however control the churches or decide what they should be teaching. They are there as a service to the churches.

Anyways the way funding works in the Michigan District. Is that money is given to the church in the collection plate. Then the church takes that money and keeps some of it for its own ministries. It then gives the rest to the district. The district here at least keeps 50%, some keep more some less, and the rest goes on to the synod. So if less money is put into the collection plate then the district has less to fund some of its ministries. This is what is happening in things such as campus ministry. Which I talk about because I am affected by it. Apparently the district budget is shrinking and this is attributed to more giving going directly to certain ministries rather than having the church be a steward of their money. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that the money is all going to the same purpose, sharing the Gospel, just in different ways. The problem lies however in the fact that while some more visible ministries are growing others that are equally as important just not as well known are being left behind so to speak.

In Mount Pleasant I am experiencing what the shortage can do to a ministry that I am involved with. This being campus ministry. No one can deny that it is important but since the district is receiving less money there ability to support these programs is also becoming less. Not because they want it to it's just how things are working right now. So I guess we should remember to keep in mind that the money we put in the collection plate each week is doing a lot more than we sometimes realize.

I really don't know where to go with that other than to explain what was presented to me on what types of things are happening. I would love to hear thoughts that anyone else has on the way that certain ministries are funded by God's people.

My Church at CMU

2005-10-20T22:18:00.000-04:00

This is the outside of the church I realize it is dark I'll try to see if I can make that better soon.

The altar.

This is the room just outside the sanctuary where we have our fellowship and bible studies and what not.

This is our "famous" scrolling red sign. We describe our church by it often.

Setting the Mood for God

2005-10-20T00:18:00.000-04:00

There is a danger in worshipping with the feeling that is created by the mood which is set around the one doing the worshipper. The Holy Spirit does not require a certain setting to work at the full extent of his abilities. If we say that we can get a better experience by setting the mood with the music, lighting, etc. we are deceiving ourselves of how the Spirit actually works in our lives. We do not do anything to cause him to act in us and when we set the mood he does not care that we have tried to do design a place where his work can be accomplished easier. By doing and believing thus we undermine the abilities of God.

Just a good article for more thought on one of the specific ways in which we try to set-up the mood.

Discovering Bach

2005-10-19T01:08:00.000-04:00

So I have come to like many of Bach's works now that I have begun to listen to some of them. I had a great discussion on the tabletalk chat about which one's I should listen too since I am just starting out. I happened to stumble upon the Itunes Essentials in the music store which coincidentally released a list of many of Bach's works. If you don't know where to start and you are an Itunes user I suggest you check it out. Oh and if anyone wants to recommend some personal favorites for me to listen to feel free.

Not Easy

2005-10-18T00:47:00.001-04:00

The life of a Christian is not easy. We were not created to please the world. It is not easy, it is not supposed to be. We were not created to be a "part" of the world. There is something more important as our purpose.

Is the modern day youth group on the right track?

2005-10-17T00:33:00.000-04:00

There was a great discussion on youth ministry on Issues etc. today. A lot of mention was given to the fact that maybe when we separate the youth from the rest of the church we do them more of a disservice. If you want to check it out it's online at Issues etc. Look for the discussion in an mp3 format. If you listen to the beginning of the second hour I even got a question in. If you have a few minutes and any interest in the youth the time will be well spent.

Lutheran Carnival VIII

2005-10-10T13:34:00.000-04:00

The Lutheran Carnival is up once again over at Full Throttle and an Empty Gas Tank. Take a Chance to look it will be worth the time.

Has God Changed?

2005-10-07T21:39:00.000-04:00

Lately I hear a lot of talk about all of the "new" things that God is doing. Or come to church and God will show you how he wants to make you new. There are all sorts of things focusing on the "new". The idea that God is somehow doing something different for people now then he was say 10 years ago or at the beginning of Christianity seems to be the common ploy to get people in the pews.

Maybe I missed something but I'm pretty sure the saving grace that was given to us from God by Jesus is not changing at all. God is the same today as he was when he created the heavens and the earth. By getting people into church by saying that church in this time is "not your parents church" seems to be a deception. While worship might be conducted in a slightly different way than it was a generation ago, is the message any different? If God has changed the way that he chooses to save people I suppose I am behind the times, but I'm pretty sure he is the same God he has always been.

I guess it bothers me that the new wave in Christianity is that of "you were right the church isn't doing what it is made for, let's redesign its purpose so more people can start coming." In my opinion if you change the function of the church from equipping people and strengthening their faith and turn it into a form of entertainment just to get people in the door the point is being missed.

Can tradition be changed to help the church gain more members? Yes, as long as that change is made responsibly and not in such a way that people feel they are a new type of Christian. Nor should the church be willing to change just because people are not "feeling" as good as they used to when they leave the church. The bottom line is God is still operating the same way as he always has. If we try to say that there is some new form of Christianity out there we are only harming the people we want to help.

Luther is great

2005-10-05T23:18:00.000-04:00

I am starting to get into some of Luther's stuff. Specifically the Bondage of the Will. I am really enjoying it. I have worked with the catechism and some of Luther's "lighter" stuff before. But getting into some of his more theological works is really interesting. Everything that I read lately confirms to me why the Lutheran position of "grace by faith" is really the only true thing that we can depend on. Because if we try to tell ourselves that we can do it without God's help we are sorely mistaken. Anyways I hope that I will have some more to post about the subject in the coming weeks. Including a post on where to me mainstream Protestantism is beginning to miss the mark with teaching people about the grace which is freely offered through Jesus.

National Porn Sunday

2005-10-03T22:47:00.000-04:00

That's right you probably read this title the same way I read the advertisement at breakfast last week. What you don't know is that this advertisement was by a Christian fellowship on campus called His House. But that is only the start of the way this day was being set-up. I figured looking further into the matter was in good order. It turns out there were many more churches that participated across the country on Sunday. The idea for the service is explained at NationalPornSunday.com.

The idea is to spend a service talking about dealing with the sin of pornography. Good intentions but lets face it singling out one sin seems to send the message of we are gonna tackle this "law thing" one item at a time until we have nothing left. Forget everything else we'll spend a whole week talking about one specific sin. I'm starting to rant which I try not to do but this is a type of preaching that seems to be hitting a lot of the quick growing mainstream churches nowadays. Oh yeah and sometimes they forget that God's love doesn't banish the teaching of the Law into oblivion.

To make matters worse the site that sponsored the whole thing is XXXchurch.com They claim to be the "#1 Christian Porn Site" I guess if you have to sensationalize to get people to visit go for it. But are they really getting people there for the right reasons, or do they think someone might click to look at porn but low and behold they find this site and everything is better. I don't know that this form of media sensationalism is the best way for people to get to know the churh.

Oh and a further look into the faq's of the website reveals these nice answers to some questions.

Why don't you have more Bible stuff or have it be more Christian?
We have Bible studies and sermons that you can listen to and a prayer wall where you can post prayers. However, we refuse to have this be your typical Christian crap website with crosses and bibles all over the place and communicating things that most in the world can't relate to. Just the truth communicated in a no-nonsense way.

Huh, I guess Jesus or God aren't needed just the word Christian is enough to help out.

The Name
XXXchurch is provocative, memorable, and it combines the seedy and the sacred. Enough said.

Combine the seedy and the sacred huh that also sounds like a great way to treat the things the Lord has created for us.

Anyways, I have gone on long enough but this really got me upset. To tackle the issue of sin like this there has to be a better way, and one that doesn't just get people upset to get a point across.

"We the people"...who worship the one true God...

2005-09-26T19:38:00.000-04:00

So as I was sitting in my Public Administration class today my professor brought up a very interesting point. He was talking about the Federalist papers which were written by James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton. They are a collection of articles written by the three men in order to drum up support for the Constitution. The interesting thing comes in the statement which my professor made as to the style of writing that these authors used. He mentioned that many of the papers are written with the same type of style as many of the books of the Bible.

The papers are written in such a way that the authors did not know exactly what was going to happen if the new Constitution was ratified. They made the best guesses as to what the situation was going to be. While we know significantly more about the situation of God there is still things that we will not be able to understand until Jesus returns then we shall know exactly what the meaning of everything written is.

But all in all it was interesting that the framers of the Constitution would even write in a way like the Bible. It sure seems to offer a lot of proof that they did intend that the government could be involved with the affairs of the government, but they did not want the government to control their church.

Narnia: Salvation in Disguise

2005-09-25T23:54:00.002-04:00

So I just finished reading the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Granted I am quite behind the times being as I never read this novel as a kid. I have read somewhere that it is great to be able to read it as a kid, someone around my age, and then once you get older. At least I can get 2 out of the 3 God willing. But anyways I had always heard that the books were grounded with a lot of theology about Christ and God but I never realized how much there actually was. Recently I have begun reading a lot of C.S. Lewis books and am intrigued by everyone that I pick up. This book was by no means a let down in fact I think it was one of the best that I have read so far. I've had the series for awhile but have never really started it except for half of the Magician's Nephew. To be able to read stuff for the movie coming out I figured I should read the Wardrobe. If you haven't read this book it should definitely be towards the top of your list. You won't be disappointed.

On another note there is a CD being released by quite a few CCM artists on Tuesday the 27th. The songs were inspired by the movie and from what I have heard it will be a worthwhile listen.

An Enjoyable Book

2005-09-20T23:22:00.000-04:00

I started to read the Case for Christ this week. This is the first time that I have read it and from what I have already read it is a very impressive book. While there was never any doubt in my mind that the Scriptures were correct this book sure does start to show some less important "real world evidence" that things do seem to check out. The thing that fascinates me most about this book is the fact that it attempts to tackle the questions that skeptics often associate with the Christian faith. These facts that we know can be a very important tool to reaching out to those who want to "see" before they believe. Of course this is part of human nature and it is apparent even in cases where Jesus was right there such as when Thomas doubted his friends about the risen Christ. At any rate this book is giving me some cool topics that I can talk about with other people without getting into any realy theological debates. Hopefully, if I can break some things down I will be posting about some of the things I find interesting in the book.

New Look

2005-09-20T19:24:00.000-04:00

I have been looking for a bit to find a new look for the page. I think I got something that I pretty much like except for the stars next to the items but i can live with that. Hopefully the new look will give me a spark to write some new stuff.

My First Bible Study

2005-09-14T23:42:00.000-04:00

Here is the information that I used for my first Bible study that I led tonight.

Law and Gospel

Thesis 1

The doctrinal contents of the entire Holy Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testament, are made up of two different doctrines differing fundamentally from each other, viz., the Law and the Gospel.

What kind of ideas come to mind when you hear about the Law and the Gospel?

What is the purpose of each doctrine?

Law: teaches us what sin is (Romans 7:7)

Gospel: tells the good news that God provides for us freely (John 3:16)

Can anyone think of some examples of Law?

Can anyone think of some examples of Gospel?

Example of Law:

Mark 12:30-31
Ten Commandments

Example of Gospel:

Galatians 5
Romans 1:16
Col. 1:13-14

What is the common key for all of these passages?

The Gospel is what fulfills the law and gives it its full meaning according to Jesus. (Matt. 5:17-18)

Law is not the Old Testament and Gospel the New Testament parts of both doctrines can be found throughout the entire Bible. Jesus was in fact one of the greatest teachers of the Law. (Matthew 5-7 Sermon on the Mount)

What happens if we mix elements of the two doctrines?

Dividing the doctrines is a key fulcrum upon which Christianity degenerates into hollow moralism, as our faith becomes a de facto works-righteousness. Erroring in regards to the second Law/Gospel distinction makes a bunch of people who are living under Law; not only are they incredibly difficult to be around, but they often end up in a pit of despair because they can't keep the Law.

Why is it important to divide between the two doctrines?

Thinking a different way about things if we followed the Law perfectly what purpose would Jesus serve?

What is the main purpose of the doctrines together?

Further Info:

God's No and God's Yes- C.F.W. Walther

Wretched of the Earth- Ryan Tinetti
http://wretchedoftheearth.blogspot.com/2005/06/introduction-to-law-gospel.html

Luther's Small Catechism with explanation

A Good Talk

2005-09-12T14:58:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday I was able to have a very good experience. I got to sit down with Rev. Dr. Wally Becker who is one of the admissions guys at Concordia St. Louis. I was able to run through some things pertaining to my looking into attending the seminary once I graduate from Central Michigan. He was able to offer some very encouraging points and is just a great guy to talk too. I guess this post is not really about anything other than the fact that it was pretty cool to be able to talk to one of the people who is the one of the starting points for attending the seminary. I got a lot of good information to look over too which always gives me something to do when I am bored. Hopefully, now that I have a schedule figured out a little better I can begin posting more often.

Would Luther Spank His Kids?

2005-08-31T20:21:00.000-04:00

As I was reading through the large catechism this strange question went through my mind. It is take from the section of the catechism on the Second Commandment.

"Those who can only be forced by means of rods and blows come to no good; for even if hey seem to make improvement they will stay good only as long as the rod is on their backs."

Luther brings up some valid points in his statement. Forcing people to do things out of fear that they may be physically harmed is not the best way to reach people. Of course this idea is the doctrine of law which is important to teach to people, but once they become convicted through the law they should be allowed to hear the redeeming truth of the Gospel. This is the essential hinge of the idea of a separation of Law and Gospel.

So would Luther spank his kids. If he had kids it is my belief that he may have thought it a quick fix for an issue but not something to be permanent. Much the same way the Law came before the Gospel (which is the ultimate fix for redeeming us from sin). The Law serves a purpose when it is used correctly but it is important to use the Gospel as well. Back to whether it is right to spank kids as long as they are told how they are loved after then there is no fear that this is the only form of punishment.

Importance of the Catechism

2005-08-30T00:47:00.000-04:00

So I received the new Book of Concord for my birthday about two months ago. I am now in the third week of the reading schedule in the front of the book. The first part led me through the small catechism and now I am in the large catechism. This is a territory that I have not really entered before. I am really enjoying the elaborations that are provided by Luther.

In the introduction I was particularly struck by the importance that Luther places on the catechism. I am finding that there is great benefit in reading about the points of the Christian faith as well as reading from the Scripture.

I would like to post the whole introduction, but I will end this post with a good quote from Luther from it on the importance of the catechism.

"As for myself, let me say this. I too am a doctor and a preacher. In fact, I am as educated and experienced as any of those who have all that nerve and brazen self-confidence. Yet I continue to do as a child does that is being taught the Catechism. Mornings, and when I otherwise have time, I read and recite word for word the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Creed, Psalms, etc. I must still read and study the Catechism daily, yet I cannot master it as I would like, but must remain a child and student of the Catechism. This I do gladly."

What About?

2005-08-26T10:44:00.000-04:00

There is plenty of times during the course of a week where different people will ask me questions about where the LCMS stands on certain issues. Sometimes I know what the position is and am able to make a statement. Other times it causes me to wonder and ask the same sorts of questions. Our synod has provided a great source on how to respond to many different topics that people often ask about. The series is called "What About....". It was written by former synod president A.L. Berry. They are a great quick reference guide for any lay person. Of course they should not be a replacement to Scripture and the catechism but they can be a good starting point. All in all they are one of the best sources I have found and they are free and available online.

What about series

Interesting Wedding

2005-08-16T14:20:00.000-04:00

So I thought I might share an interesting story about a wedding I went to on Saturday. Well it started out that we couldn't find where the wedding chapel it was supposed to be at was. It was supposed to be over by a gazebo which clearly was not a very good description because it was hardly visible.

But that is not really the interesting part. The minister who proceeded over the wedding was female. Obviously being Lutheran and all this was a little strange to me. So not only was I a little wierded out by the sheer fact that a female minister performed the wedding it gets better. While we were at the reception I happened to overhear the bride talking to one of her family members and I quote "She really is a AAA insurance adjustor but she is also an ordained minister." At that point I didn't really know what to think. But as far as people being ordained this didn't seem like the type of person who qualified. First being female but then to be an insurance claims adjustor. Who knows all I know is that to call yourself ordained seems to need a little more respect given to the position.

Carnival is coming to town...

2005-08-11T01:21:00.000-04:00

...well the Lutheran Carnival that is. There will be a new blog started this week over at Lutheran Carnival. Other confessional bloggers will be sending in some of their favorite posts here so that others may be able to sample some of the writings and hopefully become new readers of some different blogs. Take a look the first carnival will be this Sunday.

I will hopefully be coming up with a new post tomorrow. I have been thinking about some things to write. Look for something on the importance of the catechism.

The Weaker Force

2005-08-06T00:55:00.000-04:00

As I look around the world that I live in I am constantly experiencing the trappings of the devil. By my thoughts, words, and deeds the devil works to lead me away from God. It is so that he can rejoice in feeling more powerful than the all powerful. This of course is not the fault of our God but rather the fault of humanity. Thankfully Jesus has removed this fault from the eyes of his father. We no longer are required to be the slave to sin that we once were. The righteousness that has been proclaimed for us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is more than enough to fill that empty void in our lives.

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."
(1 Peter 5:8)

This is clearly a warning against the great power which the devil possesses. He is a strong tempter and is constantly working to prevent us from our true faith in God. When he is able to turn us against our faith he has been able to devour us in his evil plan. Lest we forget the devil does exist and he is where he is because he thought himself to be more powerful than his creator. No creation can be greater than the one that had the ability to form it from his own will.

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)

When we turn the struggle of temptation to the guidance of God we are able to avoid the trap which has been set for us. Our God is much stronger than his adversary. More so than we can ever know. He is the weaker force. When he hears a voice from Heaven he will flee to where he knows that he belongs.

Lord, thank you for allowing us to use you as our refuge for our daily struggles. Struggles which are initiated by the evil one who knows no friend but sin. But through a confidence in your triumph over sin we can rejoice. Thank You. Amen!

Nothing without Him!

2005-08-05T01:32:00.000-04:00

As I was reading through God's No and God's Yes: Proper Distinction of Law and Gospel by C.F.W. Walther tonight something finally clicked with me. Nothing I do is good enough and only with God does anything I do have any ounce of value. There is no command in the Bible that I can keep to the standards that God wants.

All that I have is to praise him for giving his one and only Son to die for the sins that I am always committing. No matter how hard I try to stop myself from sinning it is futile. There is no way to follow the Law. Instead I must depend on someone else to do it for me. Cue Jesus. He took care of everything for me and I just have to rejoice in this great gift that has been given to me. How simple is that, I do nothing I can be secure knowing that everything is already taken care of for me.

Does this mean that I can sin all I want now knowing that I will be forgiven? Of course not. For doing things against my conscience is not living in a way that is faithful to my Lord. But rather living willfully against my conscience shows that I am still putting my faith in sin. This is something which is clearly not acceptable.

Our Lord Jesus Christ died so that we may have the confidence that we do not need our own merit to survive. His death is the merit that we need. Our obedience to God is lived from him through our faith. For it is by grace alone that we are saved. My mind is reeling from this new light that has been shed on the Scriptures for me. I can now see that anything I thought that I did was really only God working in me through my faith.

Praise the Lord for the gift that he has so freely given to us. We would be nothing without the wonderful gift of grace.

Does it ever rest?

2005-08-02T00:46:00.000-04:00

Tonight I had a thought while thinking about how the Law convicts us of our sins and then the Gospel takes that sin and clears it from our records with God.

"The doctrine of the Law never takes a moment to rest, and thankfully the doctrine of the Gospel is awake right there with it."

Televangelists

2005-08-01T00:39:00.000-04:00

So these are a group of guys that have always bugged me. Clearly they are spelled out in scripture in chapters such as Timothy and Titus to be the type of leaders to guard against. If you look into what they are doing any further than the surface you find their motives to be the money that they can make off people who are "lost". These guys are preying on the very people that need the presence of Jesus in their lives. I am hard pressed to find a more disrespectable profession.

Right now I am extremely angered by these types of things that I see on TV. In case you are wondering who set me off it was Peter Popoff. Of course this guy as I found out was proved to be a fraud back in the 80's. But he is still hanging around preaching his so called "prophet of prosperity" messages. He even claims that if you annoint yourself with his Miracle Spring Water that you will get instant prosperity within a week. Ahhhhhhhhhh! It makes me crazy when people use God to swindle people out of their money. I still can not believe what I heard in the few minutes that I watched him.

Anyways I just needed to vent that out a bit. I figured this might be the right place to do it.

The Best Minute

2005-07-31T14:19:00.000-04:00

So when I looked at the clock today I noticed that it was something like 12:52. Whenever I see this particular time or any time eneding in 52, I immediatly begin to think of the cross. If you look in the middle of the 5 and 2 you can see a vague picture of a cross in the middle of the two numbers. It serves as just a quick reminder of some of the things that God can use to make you think about him.

Emphasis on the earlier post through this song, therefore If you read that one first this might make more sense

2005-07-29T00:21:00.000-04:00

I am Understood?- Relient K

Sometimes it’s embarrassing to talk to you
To hold a conversation with the only one who sees right through
This version of myself
I try to hide behind
I’ll bury my face because my disgrace will leave me terrified

And sometimes I’m so thankful for your loyalty
Your love regardless of the mistakes I make will spoil me
My confidence is, in a sense, a gift you’ve given me
And I’m satisfied to realize you’re all I’ll ever need

You looked into my life
And never stopped
And you’re thinking all my thoughts
Are so simple but so beautiful
And you recite my words right back to me
Before I even speak
You let me know, I am understood

And sometimes I spend my time
Just trying to escape
I work so hard, so desperately, in an attempt to create space
Cause I want distance from the utmost important thing I know
I see your love, then turn my back, and beg for you to go

You looked into my life
And never stopped
And you’re thinking all my thoughts
Are so simple but so beautiful
And you recite my words right back to me
Before I even speak
You let me know, I am understood

You’re the only one who understands
Completely
You’re the only one who knows me yet still loves completely

And sometimes the place I’m at is at a loss for words
If I think of something worthy, I know that it’s already yours
And through the times I’ve faded and you’ve outlined me again
You’ve just patiently waited, to bring me back and then

You looked into my life
And never stopped
And you’re thinking all my thoughts
Are so simple but so beautiful
And you recite my words right back to me
Before I even speak
You let me know, I am understood

The noise has broken my defense
Let me embrace salvaction
Your voice has broken my defense
Let me embrace salvation

The noise has broken my defense
Let me embrace salvaction
Your voice has broken my defense
Let me embrace salvation

The noise has broken my defense
Let me embrace salvaction
Your voice has broken my defense
Let me embrace salvation

Your voice has broken my defense
Let me embrace salvation
Let me embrace
Let me embrace salvation

Learning God with a Little Help From My Friends

2005-07-28T23:36:00.000-04:00

In case you noticed the title of this post is sort of a play on a Beatles song. And well lately I have been slightly out of "tune" with what everyone else has already realized. Sure I know that the Law is something that can't be followed and the Gospel is what saves us. But I still have a tendency to mix a little Law in with my Gospel. Thinking that if I could follow something I would not necessarily earn my salvation but that I would just feel a little better about myself. Or that if I could not "do that" I would be a better Christian and person. Of course I am never doing anymore than lying to my own face. Jesus makes it so clear in his sermon on the mount. That even the slightest breaking of the Law is still breaking it and in fact that breaks the entire thing. Gee, I'm glad that their was someone who could take that weight off my back.

Of course that person/God was Jesus. He came from heaven to say "Don't worry I'll take care of the Law you just try to live as an example to others of what I have done. You will fail but with me you will be lifted up and made right." This is what I finally realized sometimes with all of our "what have you done talk" we begin to cloud the borders of Law and Gospel. This is clearly not acceptable!

Now on to the friends part. These posts were inspired by recent posts made by Ryan over at Wretched of the Earth and Joe at The Grateful Christian. They have really said some thinks that the Holy Spirit has taken a hold of in my mind and is letting me know that if I fail and sin. Which I will do no matter what. I just need to look to the cross and I can instantly be assured that I will be picked right back up as if I never did anything wrong in the first place. To dwell on the places that we fail is to focus on the Law when the Law is not meant to be a focal point but rather an arrow that points to the saving grace of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Thank you Lord for being able to account for my sins by following the simple rules that I could never dream of following so that one day I may be with you in eternity.
Amen

What else does the Bible say about marriage?

2005-07-26T23:06:00.000-04:00

Not only is marriage called for directly from God in the earliest recordings of the world, but we see the same call from the New Testament as well. Paul says that in 1 Corinthians, "It is good for a man to marry. But since there is so much immorality each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband." (1 Cor 7:1-2)

In the Bible we have a very clear description of the way that husbands and wives are supposed to love one another.

"Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for here," (Eph 5:25)

A marriage is supposed to reflect the exact relationship that our Jesus had with the church. This means that there will be struggles in the relationship but that the final goal will be used as a way to glorify God.

The themes of submission that are found throughout the Bible dealing with marriage are a way that God shows us an earthly example of how we should live our lives towards him. We can not depend on ourselves for our strength but must look to God. In this same way one partner in the marriage can not sustain it but it is an effort on both parts. Ok so maybe its not the same cause we really don't put any effort into the strength that we get from God. I'm not exactly sure what I am trying to say here. All I know is that a solid marriage is a way to strengthen faith and glorify the original plan that God had for man.

If anyone might be able to figure out what I was saying or wants to offer some more insight to these thoughts please feel free to offer them up.

What is Marriage?

2005-07-26T01:09:00.000-04:00

This is the first post on a topic that I do not know a lot about considering that I am not married and am only 19. Which by the standards of today is too young to get married. I hope that I will be able to learn a little more about God's plan for marriage and maybe get some input from others too.

Marriage: 1. a.The legal union of a man and woman as husband and wife.
b. The state of being married; wedlock.
c. A common-law marriage.
d. A union between two persons having the customary but usually not the legal force of marriage: a same-sex
marriage.
2. A wedding.
3. A close union: Âthe most successful marriage of beauty and blood in mainstream comicsÂ (Lloyd Rose).
4. Games. The combination of the king and queen of the same suit, as in pinochle.

I would agree with all of these definitions except for 1. d. But that is for another post and this is of course the world definition of marriage. God speaks of marriage in this way "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."Genesisis 2:24) (KJV) This is the overall theme of the plan that God created for marriage. There is much more to it that is spoken about and I plan on addressing in future posts.

Kids Understand

2005-07-25T01:09:00.000-04:00

As I was overseeing summer Sunday school today. In fact the very one that my buddy Ryan over at Wretched of the Earth is in charge of. You can read some of the things he has pointed out about the program. But all of that is beside the point and not why I started this post to begin with.

As I was wandering between the classrooms mainly making sure that the craft was going well. I overheard something from the preschool class that peaked my interest. One of the high school teachers had suggested that playing "Jesus says" might be a good idea, since they finished before the adult bible study had. One of the young girls stated that she wanted to be Jesus. Among the midst of noise these statements were more or less missed. Except one boy made it a point to say to this girl "No one can be Jesus, it's not polite." He continued to repeat this though I'm not sure the little girl heard it or would have cared had she heard it.

The thing that was interesting to me is that this 4 maybe 5 year old knew that their could be only one Jesus. Even if the idea was just to play a game there was no way that anyone could try to be Jesus. This preschooler singlehandedly was stating that he knew no one could be "holy" and completely like Jesus by his own actions. Adults often overlook the opinions of children in things like the church. If we were to sit back and listen I think we would learn more about faith than we expected. For Jesus said during his ministry that "Whoever does not enter the kingdom of God as a little child shall never enter it." (Mark 10:15)

Next time that you get a chance to work with a Sunday School or VBS or any other activity involving the small youth in the church I challenge you to step up and learn a little about faith that only a small child can explain. Plus there is no greater way to motivate yourself to learn than by teaching the Word of God to others.

Going to Argentina

2005-07-23T01:19:00.000-04:00

Well actually I'm not going. My girlfriend is going with a church from her hometown. They will be working for 10 days to bring the news and joy of the Gospel to the Argentinean people. I get lucky that I have a girl who likes doing these kinds of things too. Anyways I would ask for prayers for the safe travel for the team and also that their ministry may be successful. Also a sidenote for the safe return of James a friend of mine who is due back from Iraq in the next few weeks.

That is Rachel on the left and this is also the first picture of me on my blog. I as you would have guessed it am on the right.

God's "Planned" Struggles

2005-07-23T01:15:00.000-04:00

Our Lord places obstacles in the lives of those who he deems strong enough to overcome them, so that through these obstacles others can see the source of strength which the challenged being feeds on. Thus when things happen to us that we can not understand we must not dwell on what the implications for us are but realize that the challenge is being used for the Lord in ways we may never even know.

Update on My Dad

2005-07-20T00:26:00.000-04:00

Thanks everyone for their prayers. The transplant went great. He is still in the hospital for the next to weeks or so to continue getting his strength back. So if you could say a prayer for his speedy recovery that would be awesome. It is amazing what science can do when God chooses to work with it.

Older than Sin?

2005-07-18T20:00:00.000-04:00

If you read this blog at all you probably know that I work in a photolab. Well the other day a lady came in and picked up some film and she said she had no idea what was on the rolls because she had just found them in her house or something. Then she preceded to say that they must be "older than sin".

I wonder if she was truly thinking when she stated this. Surely she could not have been taking pictures before sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden. (see Genesis 3). It made me want to respond but due to the fact that this could lead to me making the situation not good I elected to let it go. It really got me thinking about some of the things that we say in life that really make no sense. Another common one is "I swear to God." Clearly this is worse than the first expression because you can not really swear to God that something is true. Plus that is being pretty careless with the name of the one who can decide to squish you like an ant if he felt so inclined. Not that really happens all that much or at all. That is due mostly to the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ blotted out these sins, with his blood, in the eyes of his father.

If anyone can think of anymore phrases that we say that clearly don't make sense in the world feel free to post them.

Cross Around My Neck

2005-07-16T14:04:00.000-04:00

As I was getting dressed this morning and putting my cross chain across my neck I began to think about what it was that makes me want to put that cross on each morning. To me it seems to serve as a daily reminder that I walk with Jesus during my day in everything I do. It reminds me of the greatness of the cross. I do not worship the cross rather I look to it for my confidence and peace in handling the daily rigor of life. This great hymn comes to mind

In the Cross of Christ I Glory
John Browning

In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering oer the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.

When the woes of life oertake me,
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me,
Lo! it glows with peace and joy.

When the sun of bliss is beaming
Light and love upon my way,
From the cross the radiance streaming
Adds more luster to the day.

Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure,
By the cross are sanctified;
Peace is there that knows no measure,
Joys that through all time abide.

Great Music

2005-07-15T01:39:00.000-04:00

Ok I think I will do the post I was talking about the other day when I am more awake. For now though how about a link to a new single from an amazing artist Memorial Stones MP3 If you would like to listen to any of his other music there are a lot of samples on his website. Mat Kearney Online

This picture is from a live show that I was at earlier this year. This guy is amazing in his lyrics and his sound. Let me know what you guys think of any of his stuff.

Verse Suggestions

2005-07-14T21:29:00.000-04:00

So my dad is currently in the hospital for a stem cell transplant. He has non-hodgkins lymphoma. The transplant is supposed to take care of this. I would ask anyone reading if they could keep my dad, Jon, in their prayers.

Beyond that I would like to put together a list of verses that can give him encouragement while he is recovering. If anyone has any suggestions for me I would greatly apprecaite it.

Good News and Bad

2005-07-14T01:12:00.000-04:00

Good News: After missing a season the NHL should be back in action this year. Now I will have something to do on cold winter nights besides nothing.

Bad News: Whenever I move my previous it is making a clicking noise. From what I have read it may mean that my hard drive is beginning to fail. Wonderful.

Good News: The computer is still under warranty and I have an Apple store nearby.

Hopefully tomorrow I can come up with something good to write possibly something about the Sermon I just finished listening to at Lutheran Conversations.

Keep the Sowing Going

2005-07-12T12:44:00.000-04:00

This was the title of the sermon this last Sunday. As you might guess it was based on the parable of the sower which was the Gospel lesson. It comes from Matthew 13:1-9 if you are not familiar.

Anyways I very much enjoyed this sermon partly because it is one of my favorite parables maybe just because it is so visual to me for some reason or another. But the main point that Pastor VanDellan made was that we need to continue sowing the seed of the word. We all know this but we need to broadcast the word much the same way the seed is broadcasted across the ground and not in extremely specific places.

The analogy that was give is that the seed (word) is in endless supply so we do not have to take extreme care in worrying about whether it will grow where it lands or not. The Holy Spirit is solely responsible for the seed taking root. Pastor compared the church to being a barn and that when we come to church we stock up on the seed so that we can go out and spread it until we come to stock up once again. This is one of the things that I see people doing often. They come to church and get the seed but then they never go plant it. It just sits in the shed and rots. This is not what the word of God is meant for. It is meant to be spread everywhere so that everyone can have a chance to hear of the saving grace that we have been provided through the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Using Time Wisely

2005-07-11T00:47:00.000-04:00

In addition to some of the other books that I am reading, I have started reading the Fellowship of the Ring which is the first two books in the Lord of the Rings. As I was reading through there was a passage in the book that stood out to me. Gandalf is talking to Frodo about how the evil in the world is beginning to rebuild itself. In many ways it speaks to the evil which is perpetually rising against us in the time that we live in. To clarify here is the paragraph that I am talking about.

"Always after a defeat and a respite, the Shadow takes another shape and grows again,'
'I wish it need not have happened in my time,' said Frodo.
'So do I,' said Gandalf, 'and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. Already, Frodo, are our time is beginning to look black. The Enemy is fast ripening. His plans are far from ripe, I think, but they are ripening." (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, p50)

To me this spoke to the idea that evil is always around us and many times when you look around the world it is growing more each day. The devil's plans have in fact already ripened and they ripen every day in order to attempt to keep us at bay from realizign that we are not part of the world. The only thing that we have is the ability to let the Holy Spirit take hold of the time that we have and use it for its purpose. This is the only way that we can battle against the dark that is constantly rising up in our lives and cracking the foundation that we are trying to build. It is not easy and sometimes we have so very much as to go against the world that we are living in to do what we know is write. For it is written:

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." (John 15:18-19)

These are great words of encouragement to help us stay on the right track and use the time that we have been given by God for his purposes. This is not to say that we need to do things in order to gain his favor but rather because we are already aware that we have gained his favor and we should be compelled to serve him in all aspects of our life through the Son of Man.

CPH is FAST

2005-07-09T01:21:00.000-04:00

I did have a longer post planned but I got sidetracked when I came home from work. On my porch was the books I ordered from CPH late Tuesday night and here they were on Friday. Needless to say I am impressed. Well the book that I received and started glancing through was the Book of Concord readers edition. I have some of the things inside in bits and pieces but the layout of this particular version is great. I can't wait to be able to look into some of the great Lutheran doctrine that is waiting for me to learn about.

Grace from God's view

2005-07-08T00:03:00.000-04:00

For the past week or so as I have mentioned in previous posts I have been reading Walther's comments on the proper distinction between law and Gospel. I must admit by reading this there have been many times where something seemed to really click with me.

One thing that struck me as I was reading today was the comment that many preachers in the reformed church do not correctly divide law from Gospel. Walther writes:

"They give them a long list of efforts that they must make in order, if possible, to be received into grace: how long they must pray, how strenuously they must fight and wrestle and cry, until they can say that they feel they have received the Holy Ghost and divine grace and can rise from their knees shouting hallelujahs.
But the required feeling may rest on a false foundation. It may not be the testimony of the Holy Spirit in the heart, but a physical effect, produced by the lively presentations of the preacher. That explains why sincere persons who have become believers not infrequently feel one moment that they have found the Lord Jesus, and in the next, that they have lost Him again. Now they imagine that they are in a state of grace; at another time, that they are fallen from grace."

This feeling that people get when they hear a very charismatic preacher is something that I hear of all the time. I have in fact experienced it myself. Man can not help but get lost in what seems to be such a good thing. When in fact it is a good thing just being presented in the incorrect format. Thus causing more harm than good to the penitent sinner. The bottom line though as Walther is saying here that no matter how much we praise God is does not afford us his grace. Nor do we gain grace from anything but faith alone. That is that which consists of reaching out for the grace that God has already declared to be ours.

This is in my opinion something that the Lutheran Church does a good job of. That is making the service based on the Word and Sacraments and not how well the message is delivered. There is much more to the Church than the speaking ability of the man charged with watching over the congregation. The Divine Service provides a true worship setting. One which is focused on the saving grace of our Lord only after learning how undeserved of the grace we really are. When we base our faith off of how much we "raise our hands" or bow down to pray we are dangerously mixing the doctrines of Law and Gospel. One does not make way for the other.

The Law and Gospel Game

2005-07-06T15:58:00.000-04:00

Starting reading about the proper division of law and gospel has made me wonder what other people think about it. I can say these are probably not very hard to distinguish but let's see how people can do.

1. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. (Col 4:6)
2. Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
(II Timothy 1:9)
3. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. (I Peter 3:12)
4. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5)

I did use the KJV version because I have a program which made it easy to do this with. It also might mean looking into a different translation to answer. Once some people respond I'll write what I think about each one.

Books and More Books

2005-07-06T01:24:00.000-04:00

So after a great holiday weekend despite my still working and a wonderful birthday I now have more new literature in my possession than I ever have had at one time. I have a lot of reading to do and I must say that I can not wait to start it. Here is the list in no particular order

1. God's No and God's Yes by C.F.W. Walther (actually I got this one before my birthday and am halfway through it)
2. Why Men Hate Going to Church- David Murrow
3. The Fellowship of the Ring- J.R.R. Tolkien
4. The Bondage of the Will- Martin Luther
5. The Great Divorce- C.S. Lewis
6. The Screwtape Letters- C.S. Lewis
7. The Case for Christ- Lee Strobel
8. Fundamental Greek Grammer- James W. Voelz
9. Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions-A Reader's Edition of the Book of Concord
10. Large Catechism- Martin Luther

There we go quite a list for me at least. If anyone wants to recommend where to start let me know.

Sermon Notes

2005-07-04T01:12:00.000-04:00

I'd like to cover tonight a great sermon which Pastor Tritten preached today. Well yes technically it was yesterday. And now today I am technically 19. That's right born on the fourth of July. Well really I guess it is tomorrow still but anyways.

Back to the sermon. I recently have begun taking sermon notes. I know many people do this but it is not something that I have been accustomed to doing since I was in confirmation class. But still getting to the point today's sermon text was Matthew 11:25-30 and the title was A broken tool The general idea that Pastor T had was created by his attendance at the pastoral leadership institute last week.

In the passage Jesus tells us to take his yoke upon ourselves and he will give us rest. A yoke for those that don't know is what you would put on a plow animal to direct him in which way he is supposed to go. In this sense Jesus is saying that through working for him we will be granted rest through him. The yoke is a tool that the farmer uses to guide his animals into doing their work the right way. One thing that was pointed out however is that if a tool is used incorrectly it will break.

Here comes the idea of the sermon. When we look around at the people we see everyday many of them are burnt out. They have taken a yoke upon themselves which was not designed for them. Some have done it to make more money, others for many other reasons. But they have broken their yokes since you got it they used the tool incorrectly. When we realize that the yoke that we are to be taking is that of Jesus Christ we will no longer be under the wrong yoke. If we look first to the Lord for what course in life we are supposed to take then we will be granted rest knowing that the work we do is one that we were designed for.

On another note I received my copy of God's No and God's Yes: The proper distinction between law and Gospel today. I am very excited to read it and hope that I will better be able to understand the very thing that is so hard to explain to people who cannot grasp the real concept of the two doctrines.

Getting our teeth cleaned

2005-07-01T02:06:00.000-04:00

Well today I had a dental appointment. On the way to said appointment I was hoping that I would find out that I had no cavities this time. This thought led me to think of an analogy in a way. In order for it to work you need to imagine that everytime you go to the dentist no matter how good you have tried to clean your teeth on your own you still have cavities.

So as you are on the way to the appointment you are hoping that the dentist won't find any of the cavities. In the same way we often hope that God will not see the sins that we commit if we do our best to try and clean them up. But in the end the dentist will find the cavities. In that same sense God will find our sin no matter what we do.

Now we come to the Gospel portion. (Just assume that the dentist can fix the cavities) When we find out that we have cavities we depend on the dentist to fix those cavities for us and the we can once again have perfect smiles. This is the same way that we depend on our faith in Jesus to wash away our sins and restore us to perfection in the eyes of our heavenly father. There we go I hope that made sense. As I tend to say at this time I'm a little tired so if it doesn't make sense or something is out of place be sure to offer some insight.

Tradition is key

2005-06-26T00:50:00.000-04:00

So I went to a wedding today. It was a very nice Christian wedding. With great devotion to the reason that God instituted marriage on the earth. It was not however what you would call traditional. From the music to the actual flow of the service it was very contemporary. Not that this was bad or anything but I suppose I just prefer a more traditional service. While the focus of the service was still on God it was detracted from with the contemporary theme. The altar was also decorated with Hawaiian flowers and some sort of a theme set-up on it. To me this was not an appropriate display for the altar. All I can say is that when I get married my service will be very traditional and focused more in the Scriptures than the life accomplishments of my bride and I. That is what the reception is for.

Bible anytime

2005-06-24T01:36:00.000-04:00

I have a co-worker who grew up in the Middle East. As you may see where this is going he is Muslim. He's a great guy from the pure standpoint of being a human, we get along fine with one another. The other day he happened to mention that when he sees people just reading the Bible anywhere say at a break on work that it bothers him. This is because that in order for him to read the Quran he must cleanse himself first. How terrible it would be if I could not have the comfort of reading the word whenever I felt the need. Thankfully we have a God who has made us free from such rules of law.

In Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis states that one reason people like man-made religion is that they are simple to follow. That Christianity is too complicated for anyone to want to follow. God did not make himself to be figured out in some simple steps, but rather that he is something which is in each one of us and will still never fully be in our understanding. There are some things that the Father does not want us to know. That is why we put our trust in him. Bringing us to the statement that Father knows best. If anything doesn't make sense here let me know, it's late and I'm not sure that I am thinking or typing at my full capacity.

Little did I know

2005-06-23T01:27:00.000-04:00

I have been a member of the LCMS for my entire life. While that is not an extremely long time or anything I have always loved the way my church has been in my life. I have always felt the synod to be one which does a good job of being Lutheran.

As I am getting older and starting to learn more about the synod and the church itself, I am realizing there was a lot more politics involved than I ever thought there was. I suppose this is one of the benefits of being a child. In the way that Jesus says "Anyone who does not enter the kingdom of God as a child will never enter it". When we are young we have little to worry about concerning the politics of the church and the doctrines which our parents make sure are right for us. Stepping into adulthood brings the things I was once unaware of to the forefront.

To me it is disheartening that the church I love so dearly could be having problems which could possibly threaten to divide it. I hope that for the sake of the synod there is able to be agreement reached on how to solve the many different rifts that have been created. Like I said I don't even claim to hardly know much about the subject. I am just now learning that the synod I thought to be so strong is still subject to sin and the thoughts of man. I pray that for everyone in the church that the Lord may look upon us with favor and help us settle our differences for his sake.

Time goes on but some things never change

2005-06-22T01:18:00.000-04:00

I work at Meijer in the 1-hour photo lab. It's not a bad job I enjoy being able to look at lots of people memories. The think that amazes me though is how many of the staples in life never change. I say this meaning the things that people truly define as important in their lives seem to be the same from generation to generation. Many of the photos I develop are of the new baby, graduations, or weddings. If it were not for the changes in quality of the photos you could put any of these photos next to pictures from years ago and they would look quite the same. The human condition still holds dear many of the values that it did from long ago.

So not only have I realized that pictures tend to be the same through the years so does Christianity. As I have said before I am working my way through Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. I find it fascinating that many of the things that he addresses as being important for the life of a Christian hold true still today. The book was written nearly 60 years ago yet I feel as though it might as well be coming out tomorrow and I just have an advance copy.

This in no doubt proves to me that Christianity is a solid foundation. One which has principles rooted in thousands of years of human experience. The world has changed but the heart of man still desires the same types of things though some of those things now look a little different. At the center of this is Christ he is our rock and everything that is built upon his foundation will be lasting. Without Christ we are only sinking sand. For all of the things that happen in my life there is only one thing that remains constant. It is written "...I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13:5.

Tending to the crew

2005-06-20T14:56:00.000-04:00

Caspar at Beggars All brought up a good point in my analogy of fishing and how Christians can be alike. I mentioned that the bait was the members of the Christian church. After the comment I do realize that the gospel being the bait makes much more sense. So in order to see if I can set my analogy straight lets try to come at it from a different angle and see if I can get it to be a little more correct.

If we step back from the bait and the fisherman to the next step and pretend that they are on a fishing boat then we can begin to tackle the analogy once again. If the captain of the boat is the church, the fisherman the members, and the bait the gospel then it makes a little more sense. It is the captain's job to make sure that his crew has the guidance that they need in order to be the most succesful fisherman that they can be. So the church helps to get its members to take the gospel to the world. As long as the fisherman cast out the bait though they will have a good chance of catching some fish. Even better is when we know the captain is working at his best to make his fishermen even better than they could be on their own.

I'm not sure if this makes any more sense or not but it does lead to the gospel being what actually causes the fish to leave the sea.

Keep the Bait Alive

2005-06-19T19:27:00.000-04:00

Ok, so here is another one of my little analogies that has something to do with the Church and some of the things that it is doing. This one actually came to me last night before I went to sleep when I was camping. It's interesting how a vacation and especially camping (although not that rustic) but I did sleep in a tent, can revive you and remind you that everything in the world is not as terrible as it may seem to be. I sometimes seem to reach this point where living in the world too much and worrying about the state of things can be sort of annoying. It's nice to just step back and take a look at the whole process. I'm not sure if that really made a lot of sense but it's what came out and I'm not going to change it.

But anyways back to the idea of the post. Here is my not so profound idea. We are taught to be fishers of men, but we need to make sure the bait in the live well doesn't die. If we are to have a church that creates people (bait) which are able to go out and feed the people who need the gospel we need to make sure that they dont die before they get there. To me the church does have the job to go out and take the word to the world but there is also the need to make sure that members who have heard that word continue to grow. Recently there has been a lot of talk about the amount of people levaing some of the more liberal denominations. One thing that I see in some of these denominations or non-denominations is that once the members of the church enter it they tend to not grow much more due to the focus of the church. When a church is more concerned about just bringing in the people rather than helping to nurture and grow their members the members lose spiritually. Thus people getting tired of this type of thing are moving back to the conservative denominations that talk about sin and the law along with an emphasis on the gospel. To me people are wanting to learn more than a lot of these denominations are offering past the surface.

If the bait is dead then there will be no way to bring in the fish. But if we are able to keep the bait alive while they are doing the work then the harvest will be much more effective

A Polar Behavior

2005-06-18T13:08:00.000-04:00

I am reading Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis right now. I have only made it throught the first sectoin of the book and I already love his writing style and the thoughts that he has on the subject of religion.

The thing that fascinates me about the first part is his description of a code of ethics by which all humans tend to follow. Regardless of what they learn people seem to have an ability to distinguish that one sort of behavior is the correct one and the other is obviously wrong. Although he doesn't say it in the book yet since this argument is being made only for the case of a creator rather than science I find it quite interesting. It really makes you think about the fact that the law really is written on a man's heart and that is the first thing which he consults when he makes a decision. It makes gives one the compelling thought that it is not possible that there could be no reason we are here. If everyone knows the difference between some sort of right and wrong the univers certainly can't be responsible for that. Without a doubt this is something that God created so that we could always look to the inside and realize there was something more than what we want driving us.

God is the pilot, I am the wingman

2005-06-17T19:29:00.000-04:00

I suppose I have a witty title designed for my blog. To me that was my rule that I needed before I was going to start one. The title that I ended up using is something that has been sitting on my desktop. Well actually in a notes widget for those that know what that is. Anyways this thought conveys to me that God is alone the leader of my life. I am along for the ride in a sense while still helping with the navigation and keeping the pathe on course. With this blog I plan to write some thoughts that I have about the world of Christianity and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod of which I am a member. I do not claim to know much about doctrines or theology but attempt to try to figure them out anyways. Hopefully through writing and some comments from other readers it will be possible for me to gain a better understanding of faith and my mindset.