Outdo Others! 07.26.2024

Downtown Mitchell First UMC

310 North Rowley, Mitchell, SD 57301

Rev. Keith Nelson, Pastor

keith@downtownfirstumc.com

So, here we are at the beginning of another Summer Olympic Games. Of course, the Olympic Games is the gathering of athletes from all around the world, every four years, in which they compete for the prized gold medal in that particular sport. There are such events as track and field, cycling, gymnastics, swimming, fencing, wrestling, basketball, volleyball, and many others. This year they’ve even added a few new sports, such as breakdancing, surfing, skateboarding, and a few others.

What these events all have in common is that the athletes compete to outdo one another. The desire is to come out on top, to show how one is the best, or simply to take home the gold. Of course, they realize they can’t all take home the gold, but that would be the secret dream of each athlete, to some way, somehow outdo the other competitors and take home the gold.

I remember what it was like to compete. When I was in high school and competing in track, there was the rush of the games, the hopefulness of winning, the thrill of competing against other athletes. At White Lake we had some good teams in those years. We set records and won our share of gold medals. Yet, there were other times that I simply had to marvel at the gifts and abilities of other competitors as they broke records and took home the gold. It did challenge me at times to train harder and to consider what I needed to do to up my game, so to speak. May we all be praying for a safe, friendly, and uniting Olympic Games.

Unfortunately, this idea of “outdoing one another” isn’t just confined to the area of sports and such contests. Sometimes we see it in the work environment and it is certainly apparent in politics these days. We see it in the realm of social media and people seeking to outdo others in the number of likes or the outrageous stunts they can post. We see it in the various forms of news media in our day. There is just something about the competitive spirit within us.

But how about in our faith? How about in living out being a follower of Jesus? The Apostle Paul does give us some direction in this. The sporting games were big in Paul’s day. In several of his letters he uses imagery from the sports world; running the race, buffeting or training his body, etc.

In fact, I wonder if “The Games” were underway or coming up when Paul wrote something in his letter to the church at Rome – the New Testament book we call Romans. In Romans 12:10 Paul writes, “…love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.” Paul is writing about the true marks of living out the Christian Faith. This complete section is Romans 12:9-21. Take a moment to look that up and read it. Paul packs a lot into those few verses. But some of what he says is; “Let love be genuine; hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Bless those who persecute you, rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with others, don’t be arrogant, live peaceably with all, don’t repay evil for evil, etc. This is the list that we are supposed to outdo one another in.

What if the political candidates running for office this year strove to outdo the other in showing honor to the other? How would it change our society if we truly turned away from evil and held fast to what is good? What if we all let go of arrogance and took on a spirit of humbleness? What if we chose to feed and care for our enemies instead of plotting our revenge? I know, I know, I can hear people saying, “But that isn’t how our world works!” But I think Paul, and even Jesus would reply, “But what if it did?”

So where does this all begin? It begins in each of our lives and figuring out how best we can “outdo” others in living out God’s Kingdom Values in our lives and in our world today. The athletes at the Olympic Games would say it took years of training and dedication to become the competitors they are today. In our faith journey, we too can say it takes years of training and dedication to become the Jesus followers that live into Paul’s words. But it all begins with that simple decision to go for the gold. May we all be in training for the gold, the prize that Paul speaks of…living into and living out the Kingdom of God!

Pastor Keith

Play Nice! 07.19.2024

Downtown Mitchell First UMC

310 North Rowley, Mitchell, SD 57301

Rev. Keith Nelson, Pastor

keith@downtownfirstumc.com

This week I did something that I hadn’t expected to be doing at the beginning of 2024…I went back to school. For those of you interested, I am now an official Tiger. I am a student, or scholar as they put it, in the Practical Church Leadership Certificate program offered through Dakota Wesleyan University. I’ll admit I’m a bit nervous about it, after all, it has been 38 years since I graduated from seminary and was last in the halls of “academia” as they say. A LOT has changed in those 38 years, mainly the use of computers, technology, and the virtual classroom. But I’m also excited and believe this year of applied learning will be good for me.

So, as I was preparing to head off to the classroom at DWU, my staff and I were laughing and joking about my “first day of school!” Someone asked me if I had gotten a new outfit for the first day? Did I have my new pencils and notebooks? I’ll have to check and see what is available from Carol H and the Love Feast giveaway. With my briefcase in hand, as I headed out the door, another staff person hollered out, “Play Nice!!” “Yes Mom!” I answered…and again, there was more laughter.

I did survive my first day of school, and the second, and the third. But you know that parting word of advice came back to me throughout the day and my “school” experience. Play nice! That seems like such an obvious principle to live by, and yet in our world today…it doesn’t.

I believe we were all shocked this past week by the attempted assassination of Former President Trump; now Presidential Candidate Donald Trump. This action only highlights the anger, vitriol, and the willingness for people not to play nice and the growing attitude that violence seems to be an acceptable means of expressing one’s opinion or stating one’s belief. IT ISN’T!!!

I did a little research and discovered there have been 14 assassination attempts on sitting US Presidents or Presidential Candidates since the beginning of our nation. Seven of those assassination attempts (half) have taken place in my lifetime…since 1960. As we’ve listened to the political discussion and debate over the past number of years, the use of words has become more and more contentious, degrading, and even downright mean. Social media has certainly not helped matters any, where people can say whatever they want and hide behind screen names without having to realize the consequences of their words or actions.

It strikes me that maybe we all need someone in our lives reminding us, before we head out for the day, before we pick up our phone, before we hit send on that email, before we click on our social media account, before we start interacting with other people, before we say the sharp or critical word that so easily comes to mind, to play nice.

I think of the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians that we have in our Bible. In chapter 5 verse 11 Paul writes, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Paul was writing words of instruction to this very young church to help them mature and not be so divisive or mistaken on certain issues of faith. This is a theme that is repeated a number of times throughout the New Testament, that we are to build up one another…and not tear down. These words and this theme would serve us well in our current day and age. Today, and every day, hear these words ringing in your ears and in your heart, “Play Nice!!” or Paul’s message in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “encourage and build one another up…” This is a message that our world…that all humanity, desperately needs to hear and reclaim!

Pastor Keith

Obstacles 07.12.2024

The goal of being a Christian is that of learning from and following Jesus more and more closely as one makes their way through the journey of life.  To follow Jesus more closely means that we have to get close to Jesus…to listen to him, to see him, to allow his words and love to flow over and into our lives.  There are all sorts of different ways to achieve this goal, but this is truly what discipleship is about.  

But here’s the challenge in it all…it seems like there are always obstacles that get in the way of getting close to Jesus.  Or at least I should say, that is the reality in my life and my faith journey.  It seems there are constantly obstacles that I must deal with that strive to keep me from drawing near to Jesus.  These obstacles are such things as busyness, lousy attitude, distractions, judgementalism, pride, lack of commitment, over scheduling, sin, and this is just the short list of my personal list of things that keep me from getting close to Jesus.  How about you?  What would be on your list of obstacles that keep you from getting close to Jesus?  

There’s a great story in the Bible found in Luke 19.  It’s the story of someone who wasn’t yet a Jesus follower, but this individual was wanting to see Jesus and get a bit closer to him.  I believe he was actually wanting to be a Jesus follower but didn’t know what to do to become one.  However, this individual was not very popular in the community.  In fact, he was downright despised because of his profession.  He was the tax man.  For this reason, people intentionally kept him away from Jesus.  The tax man was rather short in stature and couldn’t see over the crowd lining the street.  He likely tried to push through the crowd to get up front for better viewing, but again, because of who he was, the townspeople wouldn’t let him through.  Obviously, there was a clear and significant obstacle in his way of getting to Jesus.  And unfortunately, it was people that were the greatest obstacles.  (There’s a sermon in that for another day!)

This individual, whom I’m guessing most of you have heard of.  His name is Zacchaeus, he got creative and ran ahead of the crowd, further down the road that Jesus would likely be traveling.  Then he climbed a tree beside the road so that he would be able to see Jesus when he walked by. The plan worked, Jesus passed that way and even saw Zacchaeus up in the tree and invited him to come down.  Not only that, Jesus invited himself over for dinner at Zacchaeus’ home, to which Zacchaeus readily agreed.  And this was the beginning of a significant change of focus for Zacchaeus’ life.  

What made it possible for Zacchaeus to see Jesus was the fact that he didn’t let the obstacles defeat him.  He got creative and decided the greater goal of seeing Jesus was more important than anything else.  He just had to work around the obstacle that was getting in his way and Zacchaeus had the commitment and drive to make it happen.  

This is a great lesson for us all, to not be defeated by the obstacles in life that keep us from Jesus.  There is always a creative way to deal with that which blocks us from Jesus and as Zacchaeus would certainly tell us, it is certainly worth the effort to overcome the obstacle and make the effort to get close to Jesus in order to experience the presence and love that Jesus offers to all, especially those wanting to get close.  So, what is your obstacle??  Next question…what are you going to do this week to get around that obstacle?  Jesus is willing and waiting to reward your effort to draw near.

Pastor Keith

The Power of Water 06.28.2024

This past week we have seen what the power of water can do.  Social Media has been full of images that are absolutely amazing, breathtaking, and even horrifying.  We’ve seen pictures of the Sioux Falls falls, in which there is so much water going over the falls that you can’t really see them. It just looks like wild rushing water.  There were pictures of culverts sticking out of roadways, forced up and out by all the water.  We’ve seen pictures of roads that have been washed away, leaving large gaps or trenches where pavement used to be.

We’ve seen pictures of dam structures coming to a point of near collapse or that water has simply made its own path around the dam.  We’ve seen pictures of cars swept off the road when someone ventured too far into the rising flood waters.

Probably the most horrendous images I’ve seen are from a video on Facebook that showed the devastation in North Sioux City.  Dan and Juanita Grewing used to live in that area and traveled many of those roads daily.  The video shows homes swept away, the landscape totally changed, even a railroad bridge has been damaged and moved by the force of the water.  Roads and streets are totally gone.  20–30-foot ravines have replaced the roads, yards, and homes in some areas of that community.  Watching that video made me think of my own involvement in the Minot, North Dakota Flood about 15 years ago.  It is truly heartbreaking to witness such devastation.  Seeing those pictures is a reminder of the incredible power of water.

Yet, I also have another image of the power of water in my mind today.  Yesterday, Thursday, I attended the funeral of Rev. Rodney Gist, a fellow United Methodist pastor and colleague.  Rod was such a joy filled, love filled human being who faithfully served churches across the Dakotas, he championed the UM Camping Ministry, and he was also a voice for justice and healing in a broken world.  In fact, at the funeral there were several people who spoke about how Rev. Rod had touched and changed their lives because of his love and radiant smile.  

The reason Rod would say he was filled with joy and hope was because of the love of God and the power of the waters of his baptism, which regularly reminded him that he was a child of God and that he was baptized into a life of love and service.  

Mother Teresa would be another person who would likely say that it was the power of the waters of her baptism that caused her to do what she did – living a life of selflessness caring for those who no one else wanted to care for on the streets of Calcutta.  And there are so many others…  People of faith who would say that, in part, it is the waters of their baptism that has influenced and shaped their lives. I would be one of them and maybe so would you.  You see, as United Methodists we believe that our baptism isn’t just about saving us “from” something, rather it is about realizing we are saved “for” something…a life of service, a life of ministry, a life of seeing the world as our parish.

We often focus on the destructive power of water, and there is good reason for that.  Today, I’m going to focus on the positive impact water can have in a person’s life, mainly the waters of baptism that calls us to a life lived beyond ourselves.  Thank you, Rev. Gist, Uncle Walter, Mom, Dad, Alan Olson, and so many others for bearing witness to God’s love and the power of the baptismal waters in each of your lives.  All of you have had a powerful impact on my life…and on so many others.  May we all live out the power of the baptismal waters in our life and in our faith!!  Our world really needs to experience that kind of power and love!!

Pastor Keith

Rain...06.21.2024

WOW!!! Was that a gully washer or what??!!  You can use whatever term or phrase you are familiar with, but yesterday’s rainstorm was definitely one for the books…and it was certainly more than just a sprinkle that settles the dust, so to speak.  As many of you know Nancy and I have been gone for about a week.  We got home yesterday mid afternoon and drove in rain pretty much the entire way home from the Badlands.  There was already 2.8 inches of rain in our rain gauge yesterday afternoon.  (Yep, I have one of those fancy KELO-Land rain gauges.)  Then, this morning there was another 5.3 inches in the gauge.  So, that totals up to just over 8 inches of rain.  We had street flooding in front of our house and had standing water about 2/3 of the way up our driveway.  However, I am fortunate in that we only have a couple spots in our basement where the carpet got a little wet.  I’m glad we got home when we did.  

But thinking about all this rain has me thinking about a passage in the Bible that speaks of another type of rain that our world needs…the rain of righteousness.  Isaiah 45:8 speaks of the heavens raining down righteousness.  Righteousness is about being holy or living according to the values of God’s Presence and Kingdom.  Certainly, that is something our world desperately needs, for more people…in fact, for all of creation to be living according to God’s Kingdom Values.  

Isaiah 45 is written by the prophet Isaiah.  He is giving hope to Jerusalem and the people of Israel who are living in exile.  God is communicating with the people saying that even though times are difficult, God is still God.  God is still in control and good days are coming.  

In fact, Isaiah 45 tells of how God is going to use King Cyrus, a gentile king, to do God’s work.  So, it isn’t just people of faith that God can work through.  God is able to use whoever and whatever God wants to to accomplish God’s work.  Part of what God see’s happening through King Cyrus’ rule in the region is that it will have a direct impact on God’s presence in the land.  That is what will cause the presence of God to rain down on the land once again, and because of that, God’s Kingdom values, or righteousness, will water or nourish the earth…and therefore the desire is that God’s righteousness will spring up and grow because of God’s influence raining down on the people.  

Today, as we deal with the rain that has come…and prepare for more rain in our forecast, may we find ways to allow God’s rain (physical) and God’s reign (spiritual and eternal), to become more and more of a reality in our lives and in our world.

Pastor Keith

We Are Not Alone 06.14.2024

As I write this article, I am aware that in just a matter of hours a family will gather, along with many others from the community, to celebrate their young daughter’s much-too-short life and then bury her body.  There is much grieving taking place in the community because of a tragic car crash that took place just over a week ago.  

In another part of our community there is a family grieving because their 10-year-old son will never be at their table again.  His life, too, was cut short by a tragic accident.  They, too, are grieving and hurting because of their loss and a life that ended too soon.

These are the two “big” incidents that have captured our community’s attention and hearts here in recent weeks.  But I also know there are other families that are grieving and/or hurting for other reasons.  In fact, I know that these two incidents have impacted other families in our community because these events have been a reminder of the families own tragic events that have taken their own child away from them too soon and they understand all too well the pain the families I’ve mentioned above are living with.  

My heart hurts for all these families.  All our hearts break for these and all the families involved in these tragic situations.  If there is anything good that comes out of such horrible situations, it is seeing people come together to weep, hurt, support, and care for one another.  In moments like those described above, suddenly our petty political, religious, opinion differences fall away, and we are simply able to be together as a community caring for one another.  This is as it should be.  

There is a story in the Bible that came to mind just the other day, after the news of the most recent death began to spread around the community.  The outpouring of love, care, and emotion on social media, for the family involved, was large and beautiful. It made me think of the story in John 11 of the death of Lazarus.  

Jesus had received word that his good friend, Lazarus was very sick and in fact dying.  Jesus didn’t make it to Bethany in time and Lazarus had already died and been buried by the time Jesus arrived.  Mary and Martha, Lazarus’s sisters, were heartbroken and grieving.  Jesus asks to be taken to the tomb where Lazarus has been buried.  Once there, Jesus is filled with emotion and the story simply says, “Jesus wept.” John 11:35. Jesus’ raw emotion came out. 

But then there is an interesting sentence.  I’ve read it many times but didn’t really notice it until now.  It says, “But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” John 11:37.   That is a very honest question.  In fact, that’s what I like about the Bible, it is filled with honest statements like that.  I’m sure there are many people today who quietly in their hearts are asking that very question.  “Couldn’t Jesus, who healed so many, have kept this young girl, this young boy, from dying?” As Christians we believe the answer to that question is “Yes!”  But Jesus did not intervene here, as he did in the Lazarus story, and bring healing and restore life.  And this is why we ask the “Why?” questions.  Why did these tragic accidents happen?  Why did these beautiful young people have to die?  There is no good answer.  

I appreciate and greatly understand the raw honesty of those very honest and real questions people ask at times like this.  I ask them myself!  I have been asked those questions throughout the course of my ministry and I still don’t have an answer.  The only words that bring me comfort in times like this are the two words that come in John 11:35, “Jesus wept.”  Those words don’t give any sort of magical answer, but they do tell us that Jesus understands the pain and hurt and grief, and even anger that we feel in moments like this.  

To all who are hurting and grieving in our community, the best words I can give you in moments like this are the two words that describe Jesus as he stood at a grave grieving… “Jesus wept.”  Jesus understands the pain we feel in our darkest moments.  Jesus understands and weeps with us.  In some ways, that is what any of us want in the moments of tragedy and loss in our lives.  Somewhere in the back corners of our minds, we know, or at least recognize, that at times, tragedy does happen.  We don’t like it, we don’t want it to touch our families, but we know it happens.  But what we all want to know is that in those deepest moments of pain in our lives, we want to know that we aren’t standing alone in our grief and weeping…that someone who loves and cares for us is there with us.  This story answers that question.  We aren’t alone.  There are always friends and family that grieve with us in those moments of pain, but this story also tells us that in the midst of our searching questions and in the midst of our brokenness, and even anger, we are never alone.  Jesus is with us.  Jesus weeps with us.  Jesus understands!

Pastor Keith

Heritage Tour 05.31.2024

Yesterday I did a little bit of a heritage tour.  I traveled to three different places in the region and each place held special reasons and memories for why I was there.  Those memories have helped to shape me into the person that I am today.

Actually, this heritage tour started a week ago by my mom and I carrying on an annual tradition.  For the past 4-5 years on the Thursday or Friday before Memorial Day, mom and I load up flowers in one of our cars and head out to visit area cemeteries to place flowers on the graves of various family members.  We usually start out at the Underwood Cemetery, north of White Lake.  That’s where my dad is buried.  Then we go to the Ebenezer Cemetery out in the country northwest of Corsica.  That is the site of the church that mom grew up in and was married in. The original building burned, and the second church structure was moved away years ago.  But the cemetery remains and that’s where Grandpa and Grandma Isakson (mom’s parents) and other relatives from her side of the family are buried.  And finally, there is a stop at the Corsica Cemetery on the east side of Corsica, where mom’s sister is buried along with several other close family members.  

Some cemeteries have a time limit of how long flowers can be on graves, so usually about a week after the flowers are placed, someone picks them up.  This year I had the honor of doing so.  I kind of went in the reverse order of what we usually do.  I headed to the Corsica Cemetery first.  There I thought of Aunt Reva, Mom’s sister, who died just months after I was born.  Mom tells of how Aunt Reva got to hold infant me, and then several weeks later she died from what was then called Juvenile Diabetes, which had plagued Aunt Reva most of her life.  

I also took the flowers from Uncle Ed and Aunt Joyce’s grave, remembering how last August I helped carry Aunt Joyce’s casket to its final resting place.  She and Uncle Ed were such faith-filled people.  When they said they were praying for you…you knew they were praying for you.  I also took the flowers we had placed on Cousin Darwin’s grave.  Darwin was Uncle Ed and Aunt Joyce’s son, who was a couple years older than me.  Darwin was severely injured in a car accident in the early 80’s and was a quadriplegic for the rest of his life until his death in 2005.  I was asked to officiate at the funeral.  Darwin taught me about how even in tragedy God is present and it also taught me about how fragile life can be.

The stop at the Ebenezer Cemetery brought me to Grandpa and Grandma Isakson.  Grandma Isakson I never knew.  She also died when I was an infant.  But Grandpa Isakson I remember quite well.  He too was a man of strong faith.  I got Grandpa’s grey felt hat after he died.  There was a time or two when I wore that hat that Mom said she could see her dad in me.  Lots of other relatives are buried there.  They too left a legacy of faith.

The final stop at the Underwood Cemetery took me to the church I grew up in.  That’s where various Sunday School teachers poured into me.  That’s where I was baptized, confirmed, received communion for the first time, lit the candles, collected the offering, shared with them about my giving my life to Christ, the people of that church voted to approve me as a candidate for ministry, and that is even where I did my very first children’s sermon (I hyperventilated – seriously!).  The Underwood Church building still stands, though the church closed long ago.  The building is slowly deteriorating but the memories are rock solid.  

After looking at the building I entered the cemetery and removed the flowers from my dad’s grave, thanking him for life, the values he taught me, the fun, and some not so fun memories I look back on, all which helped shape me.  I thanked him for the quiet and gentle man of faith that he was and how he supported my decision to go into ministry and not come back to the farm.  I took the flowers from Grandpa and Grandma Nelson’s grave, giving thanks for their faithful witness and their loving presence.  I stood there at Uncle Walter and Aunt Janet’s graves, thinking of their presence and influence on my life.  There was Cousin David’s grave, as well as other family and neighbors’ graves.  I had the sense of being surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.  

It was a Holy Moment…it was a Holy trip.  There have been so many stops along my journey of faith and many people that have influenced me in my faith along the way, but that journey on Thursday afternoon helped me reconnect with my heritage.  It helped me recognize that faith is not an individual journey…there truly is a great cloud of faithful witnesses that nurture, support, encourage, teach, and that bring faith to life.  Maybe someday my kids or grandchildren will take their own heritage tour and stand at my grave and recognize that in God’s love we are still (and always will be) connected!

Pastor Keith

Life Lessons 05.24.2024

Quite often we hear about the dangers of technology and the ills of everyone (an exaggeration) carrying a smartphone.  However, yesterday I experienced technology at its best and how a smartphone actually was able to build a bridge and be beneficial.  

This is Memorial Day weekend, which used to be called Decoration Day, a time when families would “decorate” the graves of family members.  Mom and I have the tradition of going out to the area cemeteries in the Corsica and White Lake areas, and putting flowers on various family members' graves.  Yesterday was the day to make our annual trek.  

We needed to pick up some new flowers, so on the way out of town we stopped at Walmart to make a couple purchases.  Usually, such seasonal items are right out front, but not this time.  So, mom and I are walking aisles looking for flowers and not having much luck.  I saw a gentleman with the tell-tale blue vest, and I approached him to ask for assistance.  “Do you know where I can find flowers for decorating graves?” I asked the man.  He turned toward me and said, “Ahhhh….no English.”  Then he motioned for me to wait a moment.  

I thought maybe he was going to look for someone else to help me, but instead he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.  He made a few swipes looking for the app that he wanted.  Then he poked the appropriate icon and held it up to me.  I noticed it said “translator” on the phone.  I understood what he was doing.  So, I said “Flowers.”  The app did its magic and the staff person looked at his phone and said, “Ah yes.”  And looked very confident.  He motioned for me to follow him.

About that same time another blue vested individual came along.  I thought, why not ask this individual.  I’ll be honest, I wasn’t completely convinced the first gentleman knew what I was looking for.  Which, that first gentleman was already making his way down the aisle in a very confident manner.  The second employee I asked just looked at me for a moment and said, “I have no idea, man.”  And that was that!

So, I turned and started following the first man I talked to.  He was now standing at the head of another aisle and was pointing.  As I got closer, a big smile crossed his face, as he continued pointing down the secondary aisle.  I looked, and sure enough, there were the flowers we were looking for.  I gave him a thumbs up, indicating that was exactly what we were looking for.  He looked pleased to have helped.  And I said one of the few Spanish words that I know.  “Gracias!”  The employee’s smile got a little bit bigger, he nodded his head, and then headed back to where he had been working, before I had asked for his assistance.  

And there it was…the power of connection through the use of technology.  A smartphone was able to build a bridge between the two of us and though our conversation was very limited and not particularly deep, still I believe there was more that was communicated between the two of us than the simple understanding of the word “flowers.”  

The lesson for me in that moment, or my hope and prayer, as I left Walmart yesterday, “May I be as creative, thoughtful, and helpful the next time I am having trouble communicating with someone who asks something of me, as this Walmart employee was in helping me.”  There are lots of loud voices in our world today making demands and forceful statements.  Most often, I believe it is the softer voices and the smiles, and a little creative ingenuity, that are the most helpful, and in the long run, get the most done.  

Pastor Keith

Day of Pentecost 05.17.2024

This is a very special weekend, one that many have been looking forward to for quite some time.  It’s graduation weekend for the Mitchell High School Seniors.  Our seniors have been dreaming of and planning for this weekend for months…maybe even years, because the big event of this weekend, graduation, is seen as a stepping out of what has been and stepping into something new.  So, yes, this weekend is a big deal!!

Graduations are an important moment in life.  Sometimes they help the participant recognize that something new is about to begin…or at the very least graduation events give the message that something is changing.  This is why we see Eighth Grade Graduations, Kindergarten Graduations, Preschool Graduations.  And sometimes the graduations that we experience don’t involve a cap and a gown…but they are still significant moments where those involved recognize that something is changing and that a new beginning is happening.

Such as, this weekend is the recognition of another graduation of sorts, that really isn’t recognized as a graduation, but I believe it is.  You see, this is Pentecost Sunday.  Yes, Pentecost Sunday is seen, in a sense, as the birthday of the church.  It is the moment that Jesus told the disciples to wait for in Jerusalem. (Acts 1:4) Pentecost is when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and empowered them and changed the direction of their ministry…forever!  

You see, up to this point, the disciples were the students of Rabbi Jesus.  But once the Advocate, the Counselor, the Holy Spirit was given to them at Pentecost, they became more than just students.  As Acts 1:8 says, they became “witnesses.”  Matthew 28:18-20 tells us they also became baptizers, disciple makers, and teachers.  All of this is a part of the new beginning, the new role that the disciples have as Jesus’ representatives in the world.

Pentecost was and is a powerful day to celebrate because it truly became the graduation day for the disciples.  Through their Pentecost experience, they knew things were different…things were changing and moving in a new direction.  You see, graduations often have a way of pushing a student out of what is known and comfortable into something that is new and, in many ways, unfamiliar, such as college, or graduate school, or even full-time employment.  Pentecost, all those years ago, empowered the disciples to stop laying low in Jerusalem, and instead it pushed them out into the community, and ultimately, the world, to be Jesus’ witnesses of God’s Good News.  

So, on this graduation weekend, it is fitting that we also celebrate Pentecost.  And maybe we need to take a moment to consider where and how the Holy Spirit, which is still active and present in our world, is impacting each of our lives.  How might the Holy Spirit be seeking to press us into a moment of change and maybe even new direction, all for the sake of God’s Kingdom becoming more real here on earth.  

It’s true, Pentecost usually doesn’t involve a cap and gown.  However, Pentecost does involve tongues of fire resting upon all those who were gathered with the disciples.  That fire or presence of the Holy Spirit pushed the disciples and believers out of that room and into the community, living out the message and the love of Jesus to all who would listen.  

It is my hope that Pentecost Sunday can be a Graduation Sunday for our church and for all in the Christian Faith.  May we all experience the movement of God in our midst…and especially within us.  And may God’s Holy Spirit move us out of what is comfortable into the unknown of living out the message and power of Jesus.

Pastor Keith

New Beginnings 05.10.2024

What does it mean to “commence?”  According to the online dictionaries I consulted, the word commence means to begin, as in to begin an action or an activity.  OK, that makes sense.   So then why do I always think of commencement as an ending not a beginning?  

This weekend MTC and DWU will have their commencement ceremonies and next weekend is Mitchell HS commencement.  Plus, all the communities in the area are having their commencement ceremonies over the next couple of weekends too.  I’ve been through three commencement ceremonies in my life, high school, college, and seminary and each time it was the final official event I had with each of those communities of learning. The classes were finished, the testing and evaluating completed.  So, why does “commencement” seem to mark endings but “commence” is about beginnings?

So, I dug deeper into the word commencement and discovered that the intended focus of the commencement ceremony is on the conferring or giving of a degree to an individual.  What that means is that the ceremony is about starting a new reality about the individual receiving the degree.  In a sense it is saying, “You are a different person now.” “You have new knowledge and skills to use as you live your life.” In that sense, commencement is a beginning.  One crosses the stage, receives their diploma and degree, and then steps into the world with the skills, training, and education for a new beginning in life.  

Yes, commencement can mark endings, the end of attending classes at a certain institution.  It’s the end of certain professor/student relationships.  It’s the end of certain friendships as people head off in their different directions for their next chapter in life’s ongoing journey.  

However, the real intention of commencement, I now realize, is that of beginnings.  It is the beginning of a new direction or phase in life.  It is the beginning of using one’s education and skills in a new way.  It is a beginning with certain doors being opened or at least available to the person because of the training and education that has been received.  But there is one other way that I believe the commencement ceremonies mark a “beginning” point in life.  It marks the beginning of a time of continued learning and growth. 

There are two moments that have been a part of “commencements” in my life that have shaped me.  The first was at my high school graduation. There was a specific award given out to one male and one female student in the graduating class.  It was called the “I Dare You…” award.  It was an award that recognized the potential in a student to make a difference in the world.  I received that award.  I was shocked.  I never saw myself as a world changer…but could I??!!  Someone seemed to think I had the potential.  

The second moment that has shaped me was a part of an unofficial commencement ceremony.  I had just completed my Private Pilot check ride with an official FAA examiner.  Once back on the ground the instructor took my logbook and signed it, he also gave me a piece of paper that said I had passed and that I was now a certified private pilot.  That was a special moment.  But what really struck me was as he handed me all those documents he said, “This is your license to keep on learning.”  He was saying, you’ve accomplished something great, but don’t think you know everything you need to know.   There is so much more to learn.  Keep on learning!  Keep on growing!

So, to all you seniors and others who are experiencing commencements, I know you’re thinking it’s time to put the books and learning behind you.  You’re done with that!!  OK…maybe set the books aside for a week or two.  But realize, this isn’t an ending…it’s a beginning.  Yes, you have accomplished something great…but there is so much more to learn.  Keep on learning!  Keep on growing!  Good words for all of us no matter our age.    

Pastor Keith