Let the Light Shine 01.27.2023

What we allow our eyes to view will certainly affect us.  Yes, the images that we “see” can and will have an impact on the direction of our lives.  This is the message that Jesus is sharing in Matthew 6 when he says, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness.”  Matthew 6:22-23.  I learned the truth and the power of this verse just the other day.

Just recently I have been participating in several Conference events in which I’ve been away from home and staying in a hotel in other communities.  I tend to be an early riser, and one of my habits is that once I’m awake early in the morning, I go find the fitness room and I get on a treadmill and run a couple miles.  So, the other morning I found the fitness room and they had some pretty new and pretty nice treadmills.  These were the kind that have a large screen right in front of the belt on which the person runs, and on that screen are images of places where a person might run.  

The video started out showing running in a forest along a nice running path.  Yes, I could get into this.  Then I was running along a stream with a mountain view up ahead.  I could definitely get into this.  Very enjoyable scenery.  But then suddenly I was running in a narrow canyon and the view I was seeing was making me feel like I needed to duck so I wouldn’t hit my head.  I needed to lean a certain direction because there was an outcropping of rock.  

Then once again, the scenery changed.  Now I was running through the narrow streets of an European city. The view was nice, but there were lots of obstacles.  I was running right beside cars that I was way too close to for my comfort level.  At one point on the video a person intentionally jumped out in front of me and faced the camera like they were going to grab me.  I literally leaned to the side on the treadmill to avoid the person on the screen.  Thank goodness that this treadmill had handrails, because that’s the only thing that kept me from falling off the treadmill.  

What I was seeing on the screen wasn’t real.  It wasn’t a real threat to me.  Yet what my eyes saw and how my brain responded to what I was seeing seemed very real and my body reacted to the “imputs” it was receiving.  The next day when I made my way to the fitness room again, and stepped onto the same treadmill.  This time I made a conscious choice – I wasn’t going to watch the screen in front of me.  Fortunately, by looking straight ahead I could look right over the top of the screen and change the view that my brain was receiving, and my run went just fine.

Sometimes I feel in this journey of life we forget the power of the images that we see.  This is part of the power and influence of social media and the video or “image” world in which we live.  We see things, like other people’s seemingly perfect lives…and we want that too.  We see images of something that stirs up a hunger or desire within (yes, food, sexuality, material items, etc) and suddenly we have a strong appetite within ourselves that is giving us a message to indulge.  These are images and messages that can throw us off the path of following Jesus the way we want and intend to.

But the opposite is also true.  The images that we take in with our eyes can be helpful, encouraging, and even positive influences that help us on our journey.  This is why spending time with God each day is so important.  This is why it is encouraged that followers of Jesus read the Bible regularly.  This is why we build connections with other people and why we have a church family, to be a supportive community that can give positive, helpful, supportive, and even loving “imputs” for our journey.  This is in part why we have worship and why we are encouraged to serve others.  All of this influences the views…or the light that is brought into our lives, as Jesus tells us.  And what we allow into our lives through our eyes, and senses, will indeed influence the direction and the destiny of our lives.

Today, may we seek to allow the light to fill our lives, the light of the world.  Because as John tells us “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.”  John 1:5.  Fill you day with positive and God-worthy images.  It will truly bring light into your life…and the lives of those around you.

Serving Together,

Pastor Keith

Connection 01.20.2023

We’ve been having some internet issues at home for several months now.  Most days our internet connection would work just fine.  But then every now and then we’d get the dreaded words, on our computer or other devices, “No Internet Connection.”  

To remedy the situation, what had to be done was the tried-and-true trick my technologically astute son told me to always try first.  Unplug the device, wait 30 seconds, and then plug it back in.  That’s like an automatic reset.  So, that’s what I would usually do.  I’d unplug our modem and router, and then plug them back in again.  That would usually take care of things and our internet would work fine.  However lately, it seems when a bad day hits, we’d lose the internet connection several times a day.  It was getting to the point that unplugging the devices and plugging them back in again, didn’t seem to be having the desired effect.

So, yesterday I went to our internet providers office.  I told them the problem I was having.  The friendly staff person looked me up on her computer.  Sure enough…I was in the system.  Then she almost chuckled and gasped at the same time.  She said something like, “Well, your modem is rather old. There have been several upgrades since you purchased your current modem.”  I wanted to say… “It’s only 6 ½ years old…that’s how long we’ve been in that house.  6 ½ years isn’t old.”  I didn’t say anything because I could see my son rolling his eyes and whispering to me, “Dad, 6 ½ years is ancient in technology time.”  

What really got me thinking was when the woman helping me indicated, that because of my old equipment, I wasn’t receiving the full benefit of the connection possibilities available to me.  In other words, I was missing out on connection capabilities because of old equipment that I hung on to.  Now, I’m not going to be a person to start rushing out after the latest technology, but this truth did get me thinking about my prayer and spiritual life and how it has changed over the years.

When I was little, I prayed a bedtime prayer, “Now I lay me down to sleep…” But then at some point my prayer life changed.  A new prayer took center stage, The Lord’s Prayer.  Then later on in life my prayer life again shifted as I learned to pray, not memorized prayers, but prayers that centered out of my being, my thoughts and relationship with God.  Then later on my prayer life once again shifted as I learned breath prayers and praying the Psalms or other scriptures.  And it still continues to evolve.  

Prayer represents one of the main ways I, and many of us, stay connected with God.  In my spiritual life, I didn’t stay with the simple bedtime prayer I remember from so long ago.  Not that memorized prayers are bad.  Not at all.  I still use memorized or written prayers.  But I also find that as I discover and use new types of prayer, it only enhances or deepens my connection with God.  Oh, I could still pray “Now I lay me down to sleep…” but if that was the extent of my prayer or spiritual life, it would limit my connection with God. 

Anyway, yesterday I installed a new modem at home, and we are now experiencing some newer capabilities in our internet connection.  Maybe in somewhat of the same way, in our spiritual life or prayer life, sometimes we do need to set aside what is old, because really it is limiting our connection with God.  Let’s keep on learning and growing, and even trying new things to see how doing so increases and deepens our capacity to connect with God.  And certainly, that is something Jesus continually modeled for us, a deepening and growing connection with God.  A good question to ask in this first month of the new year is this, “How will I upgrade or grow deeper in my connection with God this year?”  Give it some thought…and get ready to encounter God in new ways in the coming year.                                                                   Pastor Keith

Pause 01.13.2023

Earlier this week I made a trip to Sioux Falls in the late afternoon.  I needed to make some visits and run some errands, so off I went.  For the most part the roads (I 90) seemed fine, except there were a few places where snow was blowing across the road.  I was taught that whenever snow is blowing across the road, a driver needs to pay more attention to road conditions and slow down.  It’s in those places where snow is blowing across the road that snow can start collecting, be compacted, and turn into ice, thus making slick roadways.

On the drive to Sioux Falls, somewhere around the Emery or Montrose exits, I noticed a truck sitting at an odd angle.  It obviously wasn’t on the road, but in the north ditch.  I just figured it was a leftover vehicle from earlier days when the interstate was icy and lots of vehicles were going in the ditch.  

Anyway, I made it to my destinations without any problem.  I connected with the people I wanted to see.  I had success with all the errands I needed to care for on my list.  I even managed to stop at a restaurant that I’ve wanted to try, Fazoli’s.  (It was good!)  All in all, it was a pretty successful trip. 

By now it was dark and pretty late in the evening, so I pulled out my smartphone to look at the road report and see what Mitchell 911 or the SD Highway Patrol might be reporting about road conditions for my return home.  What I noticed is that over the past several hours there were reports of several vehicles in the ditch or the drivers having lost control on icy roads and the vehicle having rolled.  By the mile markers being reported for these various accidents, that and comments about the Emery Responders being called out again, it made me realize where this was all happening was in the section where I encountered blowing snow.

So, on my trip home, I kept my speed down and when I came to questionable looking road conditions I slowed way down.  Of course, not all the other drivers were doing this.  Most were whizzing on by me.  Fortunately, when I got to the impacted area, there weren’t any flashing lights or vehicles that I could see, in the ditch.  I made it home just fine.  However, the next morning there were lots of entries in Mitchell 911 on Facebook detailing numerous vehicle accidents on I 90 in that very stretch of the road I had traveled.  There were continual please for motorists to “Please Slow Down” and especially to not use cruise control. 

As I reflected on my experience on that stretch of the road the evening before, I was thankful that I didn’t end up in the ditch and in a mess.  I’m guessing in big part it is because I slowed down.  At times slowing down in life is important…even necessary.  If you look at the rhythm of a week, there is supposed to be a rest day, a sabbath.  Check out the 10 commandments.  The point of the sabbath is for humanity to slow down. Simply pressing on at the break-neck pace of our society is not good or healthy for us.  

Years ago, it was estimated that by 2020 we would only be working 20-30 hours a week because of the benefits of technology.  Well, we have the benefits of technology now…but most people are working more hours now than ever.  The point I want to make is that slowing down is essential in life.  If we fail to slow down, to rest and rejuvenate, there will likely come a point that being on cruise control and pressing on will land us in the ditch of life…maybe even on our side or on or top, so to speak.  When God came to the end of the six days of creation, it says that God rested.  If it is good for God to rest, my guess is, it is good for us too.  

As we make our way into the first few weeks of this new year, a good habit for all of us to develop, strengthen, or maintain, is to slow down, take a breath, and take a sabbath.  We all need to rest!  If you’re still not convinced, read Psalm 46 – pay special attention to verse 10.  Yes, let’s each push pause before a pause is pushed upon us. 

Pastor Keith

Puzzled 01.06.2023

During the time I’ve been home due to the New Year’s break and then the storm days, I’ve done something I didn’t think I’d ever do again.  I worked on a puzzle.  Understand, I’ve got nothing against puzzles. It’s just that I haven’t done one in many years.  In fact, the last time I worked on a puzzle was likely when I was in high school and we were all stuck at home because of a blizzard.  Out of that experience I decided I just don’t have the patience for puzzles.  

Then last year I was looking for a gift for Nancy, something she and I could do together some evening, and I found a murder mystery puzzle.  There’s a story you read and then you assemble the puzzle.  The catch is it’s a 1,000-piece puzzle and you don’t know what the picture will look like when assembled.  And did I mention, it’s a 1,000-piece puzzle.  For those of you who know puzzles, this isn’t a “do together some evening” project.  This is a multiple evening/day event.  Which, that in itself, is good.  Togetherness, you know!!

However, working on this puzzle has reminded me of the patience one needs to do puzzles.   It seems puzzles don’t put themselves together and it takes time…lots of time! The other thing I’ve learned is that you’d think with all the pieces to the puzzle right there on the table, it would be easy to put puzzles together.  Yet, each piece is a bit different and unique.  Yet sometimes they all seem to blend together.  You just have to keep trying to fit things together.  

In fact, what I’ve noticed is that the harder I look for a specific piece, the more difficult it becomes to find.  What Nancy and I have both noticed is that after not working on the puzzle for a while, when coming back to it, it seems that a puzzle piece stands out and we are able to fit it into place.  Of course, then we get focused on that section, looking for more pieces…but once again, the desired piece doesn’t seem to be present.

As I think about this puzzle project…that is still ongoing, it reminds me of some truths I need to remember as I approach the year that is before me…before all of us.  Sometimes I try to force all the pieces of the new year into the pattern I want them to be.  I think things should fit together just so…but then get frustrated when they don’t.  Rather, I need to accept the pieces as they are, see each piece for what it is, and then figure out the way that they fit together the best to form the picture that is being created.  

As I think about the year that is before me, I do have some hopes, dreams, and goals that I’m working on and aiming for.  But I’m also trying to be aware that I can’t force the pieces to fit into the place I think they should be or want them to be.  Sometimes the fit isn’t right.  Working on this puzzle has reminded me that sometimes I need to step back, view the bigger picture that is being created, and then see what pieces pop out to me.  Those “pieces” that seem to pop out at me are the places it is likely that God is at work in my life, one way or another.  My hope is that 11 1/2 months from now I’ll be able to look back on the picture of 2023 and see the masterpiece that God and I have created together.  And I’m sure it will look different than I had thought it would. Even then, at the end of 2023, the masterpiece of my life will not be complete (meaning I’ll still be living) because God will still be working on me…and God will still be working on you too!!

May we all see the various puzzle pieces of our lives for the year to come as possibilities and potential for who we are becoming, as God works with us.  Happy New Year, everyone!!!  Keep on working the puzzle of life.

Pastor Keith

Happy New Year! 12.30.2022

How is your “Year in Review” process going?  This is the time of year that it seems everyone is telling of their top 10 to 20 books they’ve read in 2022.  Or they are posting their…

• Favorite 12 pictures they’ve taken in the past year

• Their favorite fun memories of the year

• Their top five travel destinations of the year

• The top five things they’ve learned in 2022

• Their top three life changing moments of 2022

• Their favorite songs or movies of the year

This list could go on and on.  Actually, making these lists is kind of a fun activity.  It is a way of summarizing the year and seeing what all one has done with the 12 months, the 52, weeks, the 365 days, the 8,760 hours, the 525,600 minutes, and the 31,536,000 seconds that we have been given and used in the year 2022.  (Hmmm, I wonder how many minutes/hours I’ve spent writing articles like this or writing sermons?)

So, as you’re making your lists and recalling, hopefully many good memories, I want to ask you another question to consider and respond to.  What are the top three things you had hoped to accomplish in 2022, but didn’t?  Wait…don’t stop reading!!!  Don’t think I’m trying to be a “downer” or a negative person making you focus on the things you didn’t accomplish in the past year.  Please read on…there is a reason I’m asking this question of myself…as well as asking it of you.

The truth is there are several things that I had intended to accomplish but didn’t.  They were even on my list of goals for 2022.  But the truth is several of my goals I didn’t accomplish.  So, the question I’m asking myself is, are these still goals that are worthy of pursuing and goals that I want to accomplish.  If my answer to either of those questions is “No.”  Then it’s probably OK to simply allow those goals to remain in the past and move on.  However, if those goals are still something that are worthy of seeking after and things that I want to accomplish to make myself a better person, then I have another course of action to take…that of resuming the journey of reaching for those goals and achieving them in my life.

You see, there is nothing magical about 12:00 am on January 1.  It’s just a marking point in time.  It is not a boundary marker saying no unaccomplished goals from the past year can move beyond this point.  We would all be in huge trouble if that were the case.  So, I don’t need to feel like a failure for not having achieved them. I simply need to refocus my energy, learn what the obstacles to success were, and set a new course for what I want to learn and accomplish in the days to come.  

A great question I want us all to answer today is this, “What are the 2-3 goals that I/we didn’t achieve in 2022 that I am going to continue reaching for in 2023?  Make that list, set the goals, and then start taking steps to intentionally move in the direction of reaching those goals.  It’s great to have goals, it’s even better to be continually moving toward them, step by step.  May we each keep on learning and growing as human beings, and as followers of Jesus in the year that is before us.  Remember, God is with us on this journey!!!

Pastor Keith

Immanuel 12.23.2022

It’s amazing the interesting thoughts and new insights one can gain when reading the Bible.  It’s a matter of having an open mind, a willingness to look deeper at what one is reading, and an openness to the Spirit to speak into what is being read.  I believe there are so many wonderful truths and insights just waiting to be discovered.  Let me tell you about one of my recent discoveries.

A couple months ago I started reading through the Old Testament during my personal quiet time.  I had been reading strictly in the New Testament for over a year and decided it was time to jump back into the Old Testament once again.  So, I started with Genesis 1 and just kept reading forward. In this reading stretch I’ve been through Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and just a week or so ago I started into Numbers. 

Now, I’ll be honest, the book of numbers doesn’t sound particularly interesting.  It gets its name from the fact that it starts out with a census of the Hebrew people as they prepare to make their way into the wilderness.  In fact, the Hebrew title for this particular book means “In the Desert,” which is actually a more accurate descriptor of the book than “Numbers.”  

The book of Numbers actually tells of the Hebrew people’s journey from Mount Sinai to the plains of Moab after having left the bondage of Egypt behind.  Moses is their leader and much of the first part of the book describes the guidelines of the “Covenant” that the Hebrews are going to be abiding by in this new relationship with God.  A key word in this relationship is the word “Holy” meaning “set apart.”

This idea of being holy is key in the relationship God has with the people because they are still living with the influence of the Egyptian gods from the past 400 years.  Part of what I read just a couple days ago is that it was very clear that only certain people could carry, touch, or even look upon the Ark of the Covenant, the gold covered chest that held certain holy items and was considered the dwelling place of God in their midst.  

Later that same day I read the Christmas Story in Luke 2, as I was preparing for our Advent Study and Christmas Eve services.  Another word jumped out that defines the new covenant and relationship between God and God’s people, us.  That word, Immanuel.  God with us.    

Think about that!  When the Christ child, Immanuel, God With Us, arrived here on earth, his mother and earthly father were common ordinary people.  He was born in a lowly place where animals were kept. And…And…shepherds (very common folk and possibly even unclean, physically and religiously) were INVITED to come look upon (and maybe even touch) the very presence of God.  The arrival of Jesus, the Christ Child, marks a new understanding of who God is and how humanity can relate to God.  We should be awed by God, but we don’t have to be terrified of any little misstep, or terrified of God, period!  God is approachable, God is reachable, God is personal, and God is inviting.  

What an incredible gift the babe of Bethlehem is for us today.  The entire Christmas Story reminds us that not just “special” people can be in or serve in the presence of God.  God has come among us!!  The Christ child truly represents a new understanding of who is welcome in God’s presence…we all are!  That is what Immanuel, God with us, is all about – God’s presence…here…now!!  Hallelujah!!!!

Serving Together,

Pastor Keith 

Just Be Kind. 12.16.2022

Have you felt it the last week or two??  You know, that feeling of stress and pressure building within.  There’s too much to do and too little time.  And…it seems like people are doing things just to annoy you!!  Like, they are moving just a little bit slower than usual, just to bug you.   A person is standing right in front of the item you want to pick up at the grocery store and they seem totally unaware that you’re there and won’t step aside to let you get what you need.  Your server got your order wrong just to spite you, you’re sure.  Your boss or a coworker is giving you extra tasks to do just to make your life difficult. It seems like almost everything is frustrating or annoying you!! Yep, that’s the feeling.  

Yes, this is the season when stress levels start rising and the internal pressure builds up because we set our expectations so high.  We want Christmas to be perfect.  After all, looking through the holiday magazines or seeing other people’s posts on social media…it would certainly seem that everyone else’s Christmas is going smoothly, if not perfectly.  But the truth is, magazine pictures are usually staged, and quite often social media posts rarely tell the whole story. 

So, back to my original question, have you been feeling stressed?  Feeling a bit irritable?  Are you just a little bit short-tempered?  Yeah, I’ve had my moments too!!  ‘Tis the season, as they say.

Just recently I read a post of someone I follow on Facebook, he’s a fellow United Methodist pastor, and he said that he had been in a post office just recently and saw firsthand how rude and downright mean some people were being to the postal staff concerning situations totally beyond their control.  He said it was saddening to see people treating other human beings in this manner…especially in this season.  This fellow pastor in his post challenged his readers that over the next few weeks, the days leading up to Christmas, that we would all go the extra mile to be kind, encouraging, pleasant, and to even express gratitude toward those who are trying to serve or help us with our own holiday plans and preparations.  

Well, just yesterday I got my chance to accept that challenge and live it out.  I found myself in the post office here in Mitchell.  Because of the winter storm there were very few people in the post office.  A clerk was at one window helping another customer.  Another clerk was working at a task at a desk.  She looked like it had already been a long day…and it was only 10:30 in the morning.  She greeted me and I greeted her back.  

As she got up to help me, she asked how my day was going.  I told her my day was going great!  I had very little snow to deal with, helped a neighbor get unstuck, had a good vehicle for this kind of weather, and I made it to the post office.  Life is Good!! Then I asked how her day was going.  She gave me one of those…so-so gestures and glances.  I asked if she was dealing with truck issues, staff not able to get in, and dealing with your own snow to get here?  She indicated the snow wasn’t that big a deal, but the other stuff was quite true, and add to it the Christmas rush.  

She and I talked for a bit as she helped me process my packages to mail.  We laughed about some things and generally had a cheery conversation.  I don’t know about her, but I sure felt in higher spirits than when I had walked in.  Yes, it was still storming outside, but the truth is, my life is filled with much goodness that God wants me to share with others.  

Today, as this winter storm winds down, people are going to realize Christmas is just a week away!  ACKKKK!  How about we each do what we can to bring more laughter and cheer into this week before Christmas.  Let’s leave the irritation and stress behind.  We’ll never be perfectly ready for Christmas...and that’s OK.  After all, Jesus didn’t come into a perfect world, he came into an imperfect and broken world to show us that even in the brokenness and imperfectness that surrounds us…that God is with us. Yes, the Light has come into the world…and the darkness didn’t, and cannot nor will not, overcome it.  Today, spread some love and cheer!! There truly is much good news to share!!

Serving Together,

Pastor Keith

Simply Wait 12.9.2022

“It was the best of times…It was the worst of times…”  I feel like I understand those famous words of Charles Dickens “Tale of Two Cities,” more and more as I age.  Really, these days in which we are living are the best of times.  And yet, they are the worst of times too.

These are the best of times in so many ways.  Medical breakthroughs are continually being made.  Treatments for diseases, illnesses, and conditions are commonplace that just a generation or two ago were unthinkable. In recent years we’ve heard of certain diseases being eradicated.  Detection and diagnosis of disease and physical ailments can now be made earlier when many of the conditions are more treatable.  We now know that certain human behaviors can have a significant impact on health and disease, thus we are more responsible for our own well-being.

The technological abilities that we have today in our world are phenomenal.  To think that the car that I drive and the phone that I carry with me has more computing power than did the space craft that landed on the moon in 1969.  Speaking of my cell phone, it is amazing to think that I carry a device that allows me to connect with someone in real time, on the other side of the earth.  And I can connect with multiple family members at the same time, even though they are spread out across the USA.  Plus, I was able to use my cell phone to make sure I was remembering correctly that the USA first landed on the moon in 1969.  We did.  Actually, we landed twice on the moon in 1969.  The first in July and the second in November.  

Yet, these are also the worst of times.  Health care costs are so incredibly high that there are some in our country who simply cannot afford the treatment that would cure them.  Many of us couldn’t afford the treatments if it wasn’t for insurance.  The device in my pocket, my cell phone, though it revolutionized our ability to connect with people all around the world…yet it has also led to greater isolation and even disconnect between people and families.  We’re too busy looking at our hand/phone rather than looking outward at another person.  Plus, the wonders of Google Search has added to our impatience of having to wait a minute or two…or ten for information, or situations, that we want now.

I am mindful that it seems that the seasons of Advent and Lent are both not particularly popular or observed as they used to be in the church.  Both seasons are about waiting for something exciting to happen.  Years ago, Advent was viewed as a more somber season.  Lent still is.  I’m not suggesting that we need to go back to the days of Advent being a time of somber reflection, not at all.  But it is true as a society, we want to rush through Advent and simply jump right into all the joy, music, goodies, and gifts of Christmas with out pausing to prepare our minds and very beings for the season of Christmas and what it really represents for those of us who are Jesus followers.  Besides the instant popcorn and cocoa, our society also tends to want instant faith.  

Well, I’m here to tell you, I have the answer to faith and a connection with God in three steps.  Yes, you heard me right…THREE STEPS!!!  Step #1 – Keep on Praying for God’s presence to be known in our lives, in our community, and in our world.  Step #2 – Keep living faithfully for God and God’s Kingdom.  Step #3 – Keep trusting God with the outcomes.  Now, I didn’t say three EASY steps.  I thought about it, but I knew that wouldn’t be true.  This all takes time…this all takes waiting

So much of the spiritual journey with God is about patience, trusting, and faithfulness.  Great words that do reflect the season of Advent.  How about we each put the phone down for just a moment or two…or three or four each day and simply wait on God or wait with God in this season of waiting we call Advent.

Serving Together,

Pastor Keith

The Gift of Silence 12.2.2022

One of my Strengthsfinder Key Characteristics is that I am a Learner.  What this means is that I tend to go through my day and the world, seeking to gain new information, seeking to learn what I can.  This is why I tend to be reading multiple books at the same time.  There is so much to learn.  It is because of this quality I find one of Susan Robb’s statements in her book, “The Angels of Christmas,” so intriguing.  What she said is that maybe the muteness that Zechariah received from the angel Gabriel was not so much a punishment for disbelief, as it is often portrayed, but rather was a gift in which Zechariah would be able to gain new insight, new understanding, a new perspective on God.  This was truly a new and mind opening thought for me.  Sometimes there is just too much noise in our lives. 

When I lived in the Chicago area I was amazed at the amount of noise present in the world around me; traffic, sirens, airliners on approach to O Hare International Airport, trains, etc.  Even at night there was a lot more noise than what I was used to.  Of course, people from the area would always say, “You’ll get used to it.”  And I did…but I wasn’t sure I wanted to get used to it.  I valued the quiet of nights on the farm. 

Another memory of mine from my Chicago days is that of taking my youth group canoeing down a river in rural Missouri.  These were kids that had rarely been outside the Chicago Metropolitan area.  Some of them were rather frightened by the lack of noise (the sheer quietness of the night) and by the absolute darkness of the night.  

Our society of today has become much like some of those kids in my youth group from years back.  We fill our days and even our nights with noise.  Yes, even nights!  How many of us sleep with a white noise machine?  I do.  Sometimes we use noise, like the TV, radio, or some other device, as a companion so we don’t feel alone.  Sometimes we use noise, our own noise (as in talking) to make ourselves feel important or in control of a situation.  Sometimes we use noise as a distraction, so we don’t have to deal with what is really important, what needs to be dealt with in the world around us, or what needs to be dealt with within our own soul.

One could say that Zechariah’s talking/noise identified an area in his life and faith where he simply needed to be quiet in order to listen and to allow God to work.  So, Gabriel gave him a gift - gift of silence.  This was a gift of not feeling the need to explain things to others, or maybe even himself.  It was a gift of not having to keep up the priestly pretense and appear to have all the answers about God and faith. (Yeah, sometimes we pastors fall into that trap.)  It was the ultimate gift of Psalm 46:10, where God says to the Psalmist, “be still (or cease striving) and know that I am God.”  Out of that entire Psalm, where the writer and the worshipers are giving praise to God and proclaiming God’s mighty deeds, verse 10 is the one verse in which God speaks to the people.  God doesn’t remind the people of the miracles God has performed or the ways God has helped them.  The word God speaks is simply, “Be still and know that I am God.  I will be exalted in the nations.  I will be exalted on the earth.”   Be Still…Be silent…Be with me…God!

Today, on our Advent journey, I believe I need Zechariah’s gift, that of silence.  I’ve been trying to practice quietness a little bit each day this week.  What is the gift that you need during this Advent season?  What gift do you need to receive from Gabriel or God, so that you might better sense, hear, and see that God is at work in our world…in our community …and even in our lives?  May we each be open to the Spirit of God presenting us with whatever gift we need in these days of preparation, even the gift of silence.

Serving Together,

Pastor Keith

Happy New Year 11.25.2022

Happy New Year everyone!!!  You might think I’m a month and a week early, but the truth is, I’m just a few days early with this New Year's greeting.  How can that be, you’re thinking??  No, I’m not speaking of ringing in 2023 quite yet.  The new year that I’m speaking of is that of the church year or the liturgical calendar.  You see, this Sunday, which is just a couple of days away, is the first Sunday of Advent, and Advent marks the beginning of the church year that many Christian churches follow.  So again, Happy New Year!!!

Accompanying New Year celebrations, there are often hopes, thoughts, and sometimes even resolutions of how one would like the new year to be different than the previous year.  Since the new year I’m speaking of is more faith or spiritual related, the question for each of us to consider is, what would you like to be different about your spiritual life, your faith journey, for the year to come?  Once you’ve answered this question and know what you would like to be different about your life for the coming year, the next step is then establish a plan or a strategy that will help you live into the new patterns, behaviors, or attitudes that you would like to embrace in the new year! Yes, this is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak.

So, maybe you’d like to read the Bible more. That is certainly a noble desire, since as Christians we do consider the Bible to be God’s Word for our lives even today.  There are many good Bible reading plans available, even ones that have you read through the entire Bible in one year.  But there are many great plans out there, such as reading one chapter from the Old Testament and the New Testament each day.  Or, just read one chapter and then write about what you read and your thoughts about it.  The main idea, though, is to simply decide on a plan that works for you and stick with it.  Make it a priority.

Maybe you’d like to spend more time in prayer.  Again, that too is a worthy focus for a new year.  A good way to do this is to set an alarm on your watch or your smartphone for once, twice, three times a day, and use the alarm as a reminder to spend a minute or two talking to God and listening for God's voice in your life.  Or another option would be to join or form a group that focuses on spiritual disciples and learn and grow together with others about strengthening your prayer life.  

Another thought might be that you want to live into Jesus’ new command to “Love one another” more.  One of the most effective ways to become more “loving” is by serving and helping others.  Our church has multiple serving opportunities, as does our community with many fine non-profit organizations focusing on making our community and people’s lives better.

These are just a few examples of ways to grow in your spiritual life in the coming new year. The spiritual practice you wish to strengthen might be different than what I’ve mentioned above, but the principle is the same.  Set the goal and then start moving in the direction of making the new practice, pattern, or behavior a more consistent part of your life.  And then of course, celebrate the wins when you find your life being shaped in the new positive and desired direction.  

Yes, Advent is the beginning of a journey.  But not just a journey of preparing for the Christ Child, it’s really a journey of living, step by step, more fully into God’s Kingdom here on earth today!  So, Happy New Year everyone.  Let’s make it a great year of growing together in God’s Grace, Hope, and Love!

Serving Together,

Pastor Keith