Giving Thanks 11.18.22

Turkeys are on sale at the grocery store, Stove Top Stuffing is conveniently stacked prominently at the end of an aisle, Cream of Mushroom soup is available right inside the main door, and pumpkin pie shells and pie filling are nicely displayed side by side in a very visible location.  It seems that a certain holiday, Thanksgiving, will soon be here, and the grocery stores are doing their part to make sure all our favorite foods will be conveniently available for us to purchase.

Of course, Nancy has put out some fall / Thanksgiving type decorations.  I’m even cleaning up my home office, with Nancy’s help, because we’ve got company coming (our children – and families). So, we need extra space for people to sleep.  Yes, Thanksgiving is coming, and the preparations are in process for a wonderful holiday.

So, the food preparations are likely well in hand for all of us and our homes are likely in pretty good order, what else needs to be done? Well, what about ourselves – you know, each of us? Are you…am I, emotionally or spiritually prepared for Thanksgiving? That’s a great question. Now just in case you’re wondering what there is to get ready for, I feel that Thanksgiving is more than just a national holiday. It’s also an opportunity for us to reflect on how the attitude of gratitude is developing and growing in each of our lives.

Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi (Philippians) is known as a Letter of Joy.  In that short letter Paul repeatedly, five times, speaks of the Joy that is his, in spite of the fact that he is in prison when he writes the letter. Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae (Colossians) should be referred to as Paul’s Letter of Thanksgiving because six times in the four short chapters, Paul speaks of giving thanks to God or being thankful and encourages Jesus followers to do the same.  

You might wonder, how is that possible??  You might be thinking that Paul doesn’t live in our world.  Paul doesn’t know about the economic conditions of our day; he doesn’t know about all the struggles in our nation and in our world.  He doesn’t know about the troubles of cancer or covid, or mental illness, etc.  Paul doesn’t know about the troubles of living in the 21st century.

What we all need to keep in mind is that Paul, likely born into a family of means, spent most of his adult years experiencing many trials and challenges as he faithfully followed Jesus.  In Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth, he writes about all the struggles he’s endured; whipped, beaten with rods, stoned, three times shipwrecked, in danger from bandits, gentiles, and even Jewish authorities, etc.  2 Corinthians 11:24-28.  Despite all this, Paul is able to be filled with a spirit of thanksgiving and encourages each of us to do the same.  

You see, the truth that Paul knew in life that he wants to pass on to each of us is this, thankfulness in not so much about one’s circumstances, it’s about one’s disposition and character.  Even in the Old Testament, the Psalmist writes about giving thanks and praise to God and entering God’s presence with thanksgiving.  It wasn’t about just feeling it in one’s heart…it was about having an attitude, having the disposition that no matter what, no matter one’s circumstances, there is still much to be grateful for.  

Yes, the last couple years have been difficult in so many ways. There have been struggles in each of our lives, many that I’m not aware of. Yet, despite all of that, there is still so much that we can be thankful for. There is still so much goodness in this world and in our lives…because, no matter what, God is with us.

So, as we make our way to the Thanksgiving Holiday, now just a few days away, we all know we can’t go to Coborns or County Fair and pick up a one-pack or a family-pack of Thankfulness.  However, we can develop the type of thankfulness within us that Paul and many of the Psalmists speak of, by simply looking beyond our circumstances, to see the larger presence of blessings in our lives…as well as seeing and knowing, that no matter what…God is with us!  May we all continue to grow deeper in our attitude of gratitude!!

Serving Together,

Pastor Keith

Let The Children Come 11.10.2022

Have you heard it lately?? I have!! It’s incredible!! It’s a wonderful sound. It’s the sound of children in our church. It’s not just the sound of children coming to Sunday School. Oh, I enjoy that and interacting a bit with our children. But the sound I’m thinking of is the sound of children with us in worship!! To me, it’s the sound of children being taught through parent’s actions the value of connecting with a church family and the value of connection with God! Young children with their parents & families in worship is a beginning point for children learning to connect with the spiritual part within each of them.

I’m reminded of a church that I visited in the district I served when I was a district superintendent.  There were no children in that church.  They said it was much too quiet.  They also knew that without children and families in their church, that within a matter of years that church would most likely shut it’s doors forever.  They didn’t want that to happen, not just for the sake of the institution of the Church, but because that church family believed that Jesus still had much to offer their community and the world today.  

So, early in my time of ministry on the district, when I was meeting with this church family, and they were lamenting about their situation.  I asked them what they were going to do about it? They weren’t sure.  I made a comment about making babies.  They just laughed and said, “Look at us pastor.  That’s not happening.”  I asked them if they remembered how old Sarah was when she had a baby?”  I challenged them to take my question seriously, about what were they going to do about the lack of children in their church.  

After I left that meeting, and over the next several months…they started doing something about it.  They made some changes and improvements to make their church more children and family friendly.  They actually worked on becoming a friendlier and more inviting church family.  But the most important thing they did was that they began to pray for children.  

Two or three years later, when I visited them again toward the end of my time as their DS, they were so excited to report to me that they had 4-5 baptisms that past year.  They had even started a Sunday School.  They loved the sound of children in their church.  We had a great celebration that evening around about a remarkable change that had happened in their church and the fact there were children’s noises in their church building once again.  

I’m reminded of a well-known story told in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  The story is of parents bringing their children to Jesus so he could be near him and experience his love.  The disciples were the curmudgeons, trying to keep the children away from Jesus, after all, he was a busy man.  He had more important things to do than have his day interrupted with children.  Fortunately, Jesus intervened and straighten the disciples out about what was most important.  You likely know the words Jesus spoke.  “Let the children come to me.  Do not stop them, for it is to one’s such as this that the Kingdom of God belongs.” Luke 18:16.  

I am so glad I serve a church that is open to and welcoming of children…and the sounds that often accompany children.  It is truly a wonderful sound and I believe it makes Jesus smile.  Next time you hear children noise in worship, give thanks to God and maybe even compliment the parents/family for understanding the importance of bringing children to church!!

Serving Together,

Pastor Keith

Be Just, Be Kind, Be Humble 11.4.2022

Can you believe it??!! We actually get to help pick the people who serve in the governmental offices that guide our community, state, and nation. How many people in our world can really say they feel like their vote or voice counts? But we have an opportunity to make a statement and help guide the direction of the leadership in the place where our citizenship lies. We do this through voting and elections.

If you feel that your vote doesn’t really matter, simply google “Elections decided by one vote.” A number of articles will appear before you that tell of numerous elections that have been decided by one vote. Some of those elections were even on a national level. In fact, a person from our church family ran for an elected position which ended in a tie and the winner was decided by the turn of a card. One vote either way could have made a difference.

Of course, most of us realize there is a bit of homework that we must do before we vote. This homework is to do a bit of learning about what the issues are, learning what candidates truly stand for, and then allowing that information to “inform” how we vote. Please don’t just take the information that one gets in the mailings, in the Facebook posts, in the TV, radio, and newspaper ads as the whole story. Generally, those are slanted toward a specific issue or toward a certain candidate. If an ad or a mailing stirs up feelings of fear or anxiety within you, that ad is definitely slanted in a certain direction and it’s getting the response from you it desires.

The truth is this participation in selecting our governmental leaders and officials is truly hard work. It takes our time and attention to be informed in order to make knowledgeable choices. Yet, this is such an important task in which we can participate. I’m reminded of the saying, “If you don’t vote you have no right to complain about the results.”

As a leader in the church, I have never told people who to vote for. In fact, in the past when “voter guides” were offered to our church, I wouldn’t accept them because I have found those are usually slanted toward a particular party or a particular issue. What I will do is encourage people to vote!! I’ll also tell people to vote their values. As followers of Jesus, another way to look at voting is to vote according to who or what will further the Kingdom of God here on earth, as you understand it.

A final word… Most of us have come to despise the election season, mainly because it tends to be filled with such negativity and divisiveness. Many of the higher profile campaigns tend to be more about tearing down one’s opponent than they are about stating what a candidate stands for. Because of this trend, a United Methodist Church in Kansas has committed to every two-years having a special campaign about how to treat our fellow human beings even in, especially in, an election year. This year the focus is called the “Be Campaign.” They are drawing from Micah 6:8 which states that what God expects of us is to Be Just, Be Kind, and Be Humble. So, as we make our way through the last few days before the actual election day, maybe we can have our own “Be Campaign.” May we each seek to Be Just, Be Kind to one another and may we remember to Be Humble in how we live out our faith and our values each and every day.

So, as we enter this election season – please do your homework and research the candidates and issues, please vote your values, no matter which candidate best represents your values, and most of all…get out there and vote. It does make a difference!!

Serving Together,

Pastor Keith

Do Not Be Afraid 10-28-22

Here we are in the season of candy and costumes, tricks or treats, monsters and eerie music, and ghosts and goblins of all shapes and sizes. It’s the season of Halloween, a season that often highlights the more fear-filled side of life. A neighbor of ours has a yard full of inflatables; monsters, pumpkins, witches, and all sorts of creatures that would make our hair stand on end and bring out a fear response in the most stoic person, if they were real. In fact, those inflatables are real to our dog. She doesn’t like them much!

I would argue we don’t need a special holiday to draw attention to the reality of fear in our midst. Currently, it seems that heightened anxiety and elevated fearfulness is all around us, and maybe even within us because of various world and societal trends and realities. Maybe Halloween simply provides an opportunity to laugh at or have some fun with the subject of fearfulness in our world and lives, and that’s not all bad.

Yet, as people of faith living in an age of chaos and uncertainty, we have an important phrase to help us deal with the fear that touches our lives. It’s a simple four-word phrase. “Do not be afraid.” For those of us who claim the Christian faith, our Bible has the theme of not being afraid woven through its pages and stories. From the beginning in Genesis to the final story of Revelation, one can find the words, “Do not be afraid” stated over and over again. This statement, “Do not be afraid.” isn’t intended to be a “live in denial” type phrase, but rather it’s intent is to be a word of faith-filled hopefulness.

Probably the most well-known people in the Bible to hear the message “Do not be afraid!” is that of Mary and Joseph. Both received this message from a messenger of God, as the angel shared the plan of what God was about to do in the world for all humanity. Hearing this simple message didn’t erase all the uncertainty or doubts, or clear away all the problems that Mary and Joseph would face in the future. But the angel’s “Do not be afraid” message did communicate the hope-filled reality that God was at work in this situation and in their lives. I believe the same is true for each of us as we, like Mary and Joseph, seek to live faithfully in a world filled with uncertainty and chaos.

So, over the next few days as we enjoy the costumes that are paraded before us, as we smile and laugh at some of the “scary” things in our midst, may we also receive a message God has for us yet today, “Do not be afraid!” And as we receive this message for our lives, may we also hear the word of hope behind it. The simple message, “God is at work.” Even in the craziness and confusion of this world we live in, we can know and believe, God is at work! And because of this reality, fear does not have the final word in this world or in our lives! Remember…God is at work…which means God is with us! And that means fear doesn’t rule in our lives. This Halloween hear the message…Do not be afraid!

Serving Together,

Pastor Keith

Autumn Transformation 10-21-22

First United Methodist Church

310 North Rowley, Mitchell, SD 57301

Rev. Keith Nelson, Lead Pastor

keith@mitchellfumc.org

605.630.6586

This is certainly a great time of year in that there are such beautiful colors all around. I have several friends who are pretty good with a camera, so I know this is a great time of year to check out their Facebook pages because there will be a lot of beautiful nature picture displayed there. Some of you in our church family have posted pictures of the fall beauty from your yard, your neighborhood, or from your travels. It is a beautiful time of year!!

It also seems that this is the time of year where I will hear the comment made, “Why can’t this colorful beauty be a year-round thing?” Now, I am no botanist or plant biologist so I don’t know the intricacies of plant life. But I do know there are reasons in nature why the Fall colors only appear at a certain time of year. The simple answer I would give is, it’s not the right season.

A week or two ago I was out for my morning run and I noticed several trees. A couple of them had pretty much changed to their beautiful fall colors but another tree right there with them was still displaying mostly green leaves. I wondered about this for a bit. Why would one tree not be making the change in colors when the other trees around it were clearly into the fall “change?”

There were two answers that came to my mind. 1. Keith, you can’t see what might be going on deep within that tree. Maybe the transformation is taking place, it’s just at a level, or depth, that isn’t visible yet. 2. It’s not the right season.

As I pondered these thoughts about these trees, a new question entered my mind. “Do you suppose the same answers might apply to people?” Think about it…we’ve all done it. We’ve all looked at a person and thought to ourselves… “They have such potential…why can’t they see it…why are they doing that…why are they wasting their time, energy, skill, ability, love, faith, etc., doing that? The answer might be that God is at work bringing transformation to that person’s life, it’s just at a deeper level than what we can see. Or it might be that it’s just not the right season in the person’s life.

Like the tree I wondered about, there was probably a force at work that I wasn’t aware of. The same, I believe, is true in people’s lives. As United Methodists, that’s what we call Prevenient Grace. God is at work in a child, youth, or adult’s life in ways that we can’t always see. But it’s not our perspective that counts…it’s God that sees and brings transformation into reality. I’m hoping and believing that God is still at work within me, creating the thing of beauty that God knows is there. I believe the same is true for each of us…and even for our Church.

Serving Together,

Pastor Keith

Moment by Moment- Say "Yes!"

Downtown Mitchell First UMC

310 North Rowley, Mitchell, SD 57301

Rev. Keith Nelson, Lead Pastor

keith@downtownfirstumc.com

I surrender! This seems like a simple enough phrase. How many different ways can you think of to say it…to say, “I surrender?” As a kid, I can remember being told, “Say uncle,” when someone was twisting my arm behind my back. I don’t understand that word being used in that way, but it basically meant that I surrendered to the person doing the arm twisting. I wasn’t going to fight them. “I give up” or “I give in” is another way of saying, “I surrender.” In debate or in driving, to say, “I yield” means that a person surrenders the right to speak or the right-of-way to another. “I concede” is another way of saying I surrender. Another way of communicating, “I surrender” is to simply wave a white flag. I’m guessing there are several other ways of saying this little two-word phrase that basically means, I give up.

I was reflecting on this simple phrase recently because I spoke to the youth of our church about surrendering during their Overflow Wednesday evening worship service. They had recently watched a movie that involved a person surrendering to God. As is so often the case, the moment of surrender was very dramatic and highly emotional. In fact, one of the youth had written a question for me to respond to. Their question was, “What does it mean to surrender to God?” That’s a great question!!

As I was wrestling with how to talk to the youth about surrendering to God, I was also reading and working with a story from the Gospel of Luke. It was the story of Jesus first recorded encounter with Simon Peter. The story is recorded in Luke 5:1-11. In this story Jesus is on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. A crowd forms and starts pressing in on Jesus. Rather than being forced into the water, Jesus steps into a fishing boat nearby.

Jesus then asks Simon Peter to push out a little bit away from shore so Jesus can see and talk to the crowd. Now, the story doesn’t record it, but obviously Simon’s response is “Yes” verbally or nonverbally, because Simon pushes his boat away from shore with Jesus in it.

After Jesus has finished teaching, Simon is likely thinking, “Great…it’s time to go in, then I can go home and rest.” But Jesus has other ideas. Jesus instructed Simon to push out into the deeper water and cast the nets in for a catch of fish. Understand, Peter had been fishing all night long, the usual time for a commercial fisherman to fish, and he hadn’t caught a thing. Simon starts to protest, but then again, through his actions he says, “Yes” and goes further out and drops the nets in. Suddenly a large catch of fish starts pulling and tearing he nets. Simon is amazed and then realizes that Jesus is the reason for this incredible catch.

The final scene of the story is that Jesus is inviting Simon Peter to join him on the journey of fishing for people. Obviously, Simon once again said “yes” because the final words are that he “left everything and followed him.” Luke 5:11b

As I worked with this story I began to realize surrendering to God doesn’t have to be something dramatic and emotional. It can be…but it doesn’t have to be. Surrendering to God is simply saying “Yes” to Jesus, day by day, moment by moment, just as Simon Peter had. I am one who believes surrendering to God or saying YES to Jesus isn’t a one-time event, but rather it is an ongoing thing in our lives, just as it was for Peter on that life- changing day on the Sea of Galilee. Day by day, moment by moment Jesus invites us to respond and follow. Moment by moment we have the opportunity to surrender and say “Yes.” However, Jesus never forces us. God never twists our arm until we say “Uncle.” We are always given space to respond as we wish.

Today may we recognize the ways and the opportunities that we have to say “Yes” to Jesus. In doing so we may find ourselves in deeper waters…but remember, we’ll also have Jesus in the boat with us.

Serving Together,

Pastor Keith

God's Backside 10-07-22

Downtown Mitchell First UMC

310 North Rowley, Mitchell, SD 57301

Rev. Keith Nelson, Lead Pastor

keith@downtownfirstumc.com

So, here’s my question of the day… “Where have you seen the backside of God, lately?” This question comes out of my personal Bible reading, where I am currently in the Old Testament book of Exodus. I’m currently reading at the end of Exodus, chapter 33, where Moses is asking God to not destroy the Hebrew people. What just happened previously is Moses was up on the mountain too long with God, or so the people thought. They figured he was dead or had run away. So, they convinced Aaron to make them a statue that would be their new God, since they were sure the God that brought them out of Egypt had abandoned them. Moses gets the word from God that God will indeed go with the people and guide them. Then Moses asks to see God’s glory. God responds by saying that Moses can see the backside of God’s glory, but not the face of God.

I’m intrigued by this passage and the wording.  The face of God cannot be directly seen, according to the passage, but the backside, or the after effect of God, so to speak, can be seen.  I’m reminded of an image from when I was growing up on the farm.  Sometimes the corn would be really tall so we couldn’t see a car as it traveled the gravel road near our home.  However, we could see the dust the car was kicking up as it traveled, so we knew a vehicle was passing by.  In the same way, Moses wasn’t able to see the very presence of God, but Moses was allowed to see the after effect, the dust or residue of God, after God had passed by.  Thus, my question, “Where have you (or I) seen the backside of God, lately?”

Actually, I have an answer to that question.  Yesterday I was mowing the lawn.  Yes, there were a lot of leaves on the ground and there were the usual fall colors of orange, brown, yellowish/gold, etc.  But there was one bunch of flowers in Nancy’s flower bed that were the brightest and most vivid yellow.  It was such an incredible contrast to the other fall colors.  It was as if the sun was shining brightly on that one little spot of our flowerbed. It brought a brightness and sense of joy to the entire area.  To me, that was the backside of God, showing up on a fall day to say, my presence and glory is still seen, even in the transition of seasons.  

Or, I have seen the backside of God in the joy in a child’s eyes as they were painting a pumpkin at our Family Fun night here at the church just a couple days ago.  The child’s eyes just sparkled with delight.  Thanks Becky and the Family Ministry Team for making that possible.  I saw the backside of God in a request that I received.  Someone wanting a version of the Bible that is more readable because they want to be able to come to a better understanding of God in their life.  That is a sure sign of the aftereffects of God present and at work in a person’s life.  

I see the backside of God each time Love Feast is served, or the backpacks are given out.  I see the aftereffect of God in the commitment of people to volunteer for Meals on Wheels.  I see the glory of God revealed in the giftedness of our SS Teachers, in our various Musicians that help out in worship, I see the backside of God in the spirit of one of the saints of our church who responds to a favorite Bible verse, even as their own life is slowly ebbing away.  I see the wake (like a boat wake) of God in the eyes and attitude of many who come forward to receive communion.  I see the aftereffect of God in a person or two from our church and a team out on a mission trip, responding to God’s nudge to make the world a better place.  I could go on.  

Today, as we continue on our way in this day, I pray that all of our hearts, minds, and eyes will be attuned to see the glory of God, or the backside of God passing by in our midst.  God is there…God is here…just waiting to be seen.  Maybe we should start a “God-Dust” spot at church or on Facebook.  A place where we could post where we’ve seen the presence of God passing by.

Pastor Keith

The Gift of You! 9-30-22

Downtown Mitchell First UMC

310 North Rowley, Mitchell, SD 57301

Rev. Keith Nelson, Lead Pastor

keith@downtownfirstumc.com

I am so glad that I live and work in the day and age in which I do. This is not to say that we are living in the perfect age. Certainly, we all know that is not the case. There are enough struggles in the world and in our own nation to keep us all humble and stretching to do better. No, I’m glad I live and work in the Church in the time-period I do because of all the blood mentioned in the Old Testament.

I’m currently reading from the book of Exodus in my morning time with God. I’m almost to the end of the book and it’s talking about getting the place of worship set up. There’s lots of blood being put on things – splashed here and splashed there, this ear lobe and that toe, this altar and that utensil, etc. Next, I’ll be reading Leviticus which also goes into great detail about sacrifices. It’s not that I’m squeamish about blood, it’s more about the slaughtering of the animals to get the blood that is used in the purification rituals.

I do understand the significance of the Old Testament sacrificial system. The intent was to help people see and understand the value and the importance of following God’s laws and directives. If you didn’t follow the laws that are intended to help you live in God’s ways, well, there would be consequences and it would cost you something. Sometimes something significant! The point wasn’t just to make a ritual so people could get “clean” again through the sacrifice. The real intention was about helping people realize the value of right or righteous living. Thus, experiencing the value and beauty of faithfulness to God.

So, in the midst of my reading about the Old Covenant sacrificial system I also happened to read a bit in Paul’s letter to the Romans in the New Testament. In Romans 12:1, Paul writes to the Jesus followers in Rome, “I encourage you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God. This is your appropriate priestly service.” (CEB) So, what is this type of sacrifice that Paul is referring to?

In the old covenant sacrificial system a sacrifice could only be offered once. The bull, goat, ram, or whatever would be slaughtered, its blood poured out, and then the gift or offering was usually burned. End result, that creature / offering could never be used or offered again. It was sort of a once and done thing. However, Paul is talking about something unique, something very new.

Paul instructs the Christians that if they are going to make an offering to God, make it something that is ongoing, something continual, even something that is life changing. Paul writes, “present your bodies as a living sacrifice.” In other words, this is a sacrifice that can be offered over and over again, even every day. I believe that is exactly the point Paul is trying to make. Every day we have the opportunity to present our bodies and our entire selves to God for God’s purposes.

I wonder how it would affect me, or any of us, if every day I/we took a moment to say, “God, I present my eyes to you. I present my lips and tongue to you. I present my ears to you. I present my mind to you. I present my heart and hands to you. I present my thoughts and attitudes to you. I present my legs and feet to you. Etc.” What a reminder that would be that my life isn’t just about following rules or going through the motions, my life is about serving God. This practice would be a reminder that my entire being is given over to God as an offering saying, “God, use me.”

I once heard a speaker say, “The problem with a living sacrifice is that it keeps crawling off the altar.” This is so true, but the other side of the coin is true as well. A living sacrifice means we have the opportunity to continually place the offering of ourselves before God saying, “Use Me! I am yours!” Today, consider yourself a living sacrifice. How might God use the gift of you today??

Pastor Keith

Pay It Forward! 9-23-2022

Downtown Mitchell First UMC

310 North Rowley, Mitchell, SD 57301

Rev. Keith Nelson, Lead Pastor

keith@downtownfirstumc.com

Pay It Forward!

Tucked away in the early pages of the Old Testament in our Bible is a word from God to Abraham. It’s one sentence long, and those words contain both a promise and a statement from God to Abraham. “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” Genesis 12:2. This is referred to as the call of Abraham. What God is communicating in these words is that Abraham, with God’s blessing and guidance, will become a great nation, meaning Abraham’s descendants will greatly multiply and become a significant presence in the world. That’s the promise.

However, the statement from God, is that Abraham’s blessing isn’t intended for him to keep to himself. No, Abraham is blessed to be a blessing. Meaning that the blessing Abraham receives is something that he is to pass on to others. As followers of Jesus today, many generations after Abraham, we understand that even though this promise and statement wasn’t written to us, it is still a word for us because we are a part of the family of Abraham. Thus, we, too, are blessed to be a blessing. Genesis 12:2 is really the first “Pay it Forward” project in the Bible.

I tell you this bit of ancient history because just a couple days ago I had an experience with an individual that brought this verse to light by helping me understand and experience the power of being a blessing. What happened is that a gentleman stopped by the church seeking some assistance. I wasn’t able to help him in the way that he was initially seeking. But as we talked, I found out he was looking for a bite to eat and a couple other things our church family could help with. We keep some $10 Subway gift cards in the church office to help out in situations like this, for someone needing a meal or two. So, I got two gift cards for him and gave them to the individual and told him that should get him a couple of meals. The gentleman was most appreciative.

As we continued to talk, the gentleman made a comment that this was great that he had two gift cards, because now he could give one away and bless someone else just as he had been blessed. I started to tell him that he didn’t need to give one of the cards away, that they were both intended for him. This way he didn’t have to worry about a meal later in the day or the next day. He would be set for at least two meals. But then I suddenly realized, he was already not worrying about another meal. He was happy to simply have one meal cared for, plus the ability to pass on a blessing. Who was I to take away this individual’s understanding of how he was carrying on the directive from God…to not simply hang on to the blessing, but to pass it on to others. That is what blessed to be a blessing is all about.

There I was thinking I was the one in the role of paying forward the blessing. Yet, this gentleman, who literally had all his possessions in a small backpack, reminded me that blessing others isn’t about the amount of possessions one has…it’s really about the attitude and light in one’s heart. Here I thought I was the one helping or blessing Dennis. Turns out he was helping and blessing me. Thank you, Dennis,…I will bless someone else with the blessing you gave to me.

Serving Together,

Pastor Keith

Connecting with God, Others, and Self! 9-16-22

Downtown Mitchell First UMC

310 North Rowley, Mitchell, SD 57301

Rev. Keith Nelson, Lead Pastor

keith@downtownfirstumc.com

When you stop to think about the course of your day, is there anything that stands out to you? Are there any repeating patterns that make up your life? For many of us there’s the pattern of climbing out of bed, going to work, coming home from work, and then climbing back in bed. Of course, there’s a lot more crammed into the day than what I just described, but for many, work is a big part of the rhythm of our lives.

I guess we all could point out the pattern of eating in our lives. I’m guessing many of us eat roughly three meals a day…and then there’s the snacks and such. Eating is another big part of our day. I’m not even going to go into talking about the pattern in our lives with our smart phones, technology, and social media. Studies are showing this is a much bigger pattern or rhythm than many of us realize or would be willing to admit. So then, what are some of the rhythms of our life?

As one reads through the Gospels, (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) the four books at the beginning of the New Testament that tell the story of Jesus’ life and ministry here on earth, it is interesting to notice the things that Jesus spent time doing. Jesus regularly spends time alone with God, he spends time with his disciples and other people around him, and he spends time alone. That is a consistent rhythm that appears over and over as Jesus walked this earth.

What I find so interesting is that when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, he had a response that started out with what people expected, but then Jesus added a bit of a surprise. The story is told in Matthew 22. Jesus responds by saying the greatest commandment is, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37.) This part was expected and often repeated by the followers of the Jewish faith. But Jesus didn’t stop there. He went on to say, “And a second is like it, combining two commandments into one: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:39) This second part was unexpected and likely caused questions in the hearts and minds of some of the people listening that day so long ago. To be honest, it still causes some questions in the hearts and minds of Jesus followers yet today.

In laying out what the greatest commandment is, in the way he did, I believe Jesus is also setting out a rhythm for following, a rhythm for living, even a rhythm for each day - that of loving God, Others, and Ourselves! And yes, Jesus “new command” that we love one another fits in beautifully with this rhythm of faith. So, an interesting question to ask is this, is there room for this rhythm to be strengthened in my life today?

The past two years have certainly been challenging for us as a world, a nation, a community, and even as a church. The covid-19 pandemic forced us into new ways of behaving. In some cases, it brought about a sense of isolation as people tended to “shelter in place” in order to not be exposed to the virus. Even though it seems that the worst of the virus is behind us, the effects of it continue. Loneliness and depression is at an all-time high in our nation. There is a greater sense of disconnect than has been experienced before. The truth is we all need to build and rebuild connections in our lives.

Jesus gives us a great rhythm for a time such as this. Thus, Connecting with God, Others, and Self is the theme that we will be building on in our Family Ministries area, as well as in our church as a whole in the next year (and years). In the midst of the chaos of the world, in the midst of the despair that many are feeling, in the midst of the uncertainty that seems to threaten us all, one thing we all need is a rhythm to life that helps center us and strengthen us for the journey of faith in this journey of life. We need to strengthen our connections with God, Others, and Self.

It is my hope that all of us in this church family we call Downtown First UMC, will join together on this journey of developing a pattern and rhythm for life that reflects Jesus’ Greatest Commandment…living a life of connection…Connecting with God, Others, and Self!.

Serving Together,

Pastor Keith