January 18, 2018
Pastor’s Weekly Message: Whatever happened to…?
Over the years we have said ‘good-bye’ to…Phone party lines, 5 cent candy bars, 8 Track Tapes, cartoons before movies in theatres, truly free checking, civil public discourse…? Over time we have experienced change, and with that change we have experienced loss. The changes in our culture have often left the church wondering what happened; where did everyone go? In past times our youth would leave but they would return when they became parents and we would baptize their children and repeat the family cycle. That no longer automatically happens. We can blame lots of different characters but that will not help the church regain its vital and important place in our communities.
What will revitalize our church? That is an important question that we could be asking…so why aren’t we really even asking the question? I believe it’s for two reasons:
1) We don’t really want to know what it will take to get the church back on track. If we really knew and if we really followed the leading of the Holy Spirit then that would change our lives even more. We have become comfortable in our lives and don’t want to change. We think the prospect of new life in Christ is just not worth the effort. Besides…we are busy with other things (Jesus will understand…won’t he?)
2) We aren’t asking how the church can be revitalized because we are too busy complaining about our situation. SERIOUSLY?!?!? I listen to church people complain about the synod and their pastors and…I listen to pastors complain about their congregations. It is very frustrating for me. I can’t celebrate Christmas with family without someone complaining. Personally, I just want us to stop whining, remember that we follow Jesus, and get back to work.
We have more reason for JOY!!! then anyone else on this planet. Jesus won the final victory over our final enemy (death) and taught us how much God loves us and how we ought to love each other. That is GOOD NEWS!!! Our message is not the same as the network news channels…so let’s not model our lives after them. Whatever happened to the church leading the culture? Whatever happened to the joy that we knew as children when we gathered with our friends at church and sang our favorite Bible songs?
Friends…the reason for our joy is still here (it never really left) and I think it’s high time we stopped focusing on the faults of others and focused our lives on Jesus!
Thanks be to God!
Pastor Mike
Pastor’s Weekly Message: Whatever happened to…?
Over the years we have said ‘good-bye’ to…Phone party lines, 5 cent candy bars, 8 Track Tapes, cartoons before movies in theatres, truly free checking, civil public discourse…? Over time we have experienced change, and with that change we have experienced loss. The changes in our culture have often left the church wondering what happened; where did everyone go? In past times our youth would leave but they would return when they became parents and we would baptize their children and repeat the family cycle. That no longer automatically happens. We can blame lots of different characters but that will not help the church regain its vital and important place in our communities.
What will revitalize our church? That is an important question that we could be asking…so why aren’t we really even asking the question? I believe it’s for two reasons:
1) We don’t really want to know what it will take to get the church back on track. If we really knew and if we really followed the leading of the Holy Spirit then that would change our lives even more. We have become comfortable in our lives and don’t want to change. We think the prospect of new life in Christ is just not worth the effort. Besides…we are busy with other things (Jesus will understand…won’t he?)
2) We aren’t asking how the church can be revitalized because we are too busy complaining about our situation. SERIOUSLY?!?!? I listen to church people complain about the synod and their pastors and…I listen to pastors complain about their congregations. It is very frustrating for me. I can’t celebrate Christmas with family without someone complaining. Personally, I just want us to stop whining, remember that we follow Jesus, and get back to work.
We have more reason for JOY!!! then anyone else on this planet. Jesus won the final victory over our final enemy (death) and taught us how much God loves us and how we ought to love each other. That is GOOD NEWS!!! Our message is not the same as the network news channels…so let’s not model our lives after them. Whatever happened to the church leading the culture? Whatever happened to the joy that we knew as children when we gathered with our friends at church and sang our favorite Bible songs?
Friends…the reason for our joy is still here (it never really left) and I think it’s high time we stopped focusing on the faults of others and focused our lives on Jesus!
Thanks be to God!
Pastor Mike