EDITOR'S NOTE: In October 2017 I began a new venture as a synodically authorized minister at Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. The ride over the past 2.5 years has been an amazing journey of learning, growing and a deepening of my theological mind. Here is the first sermon that I ever preached at FLC. It took place on Thanksgiving Eve, Nov. 21, 2017.
Trust God, Seek the Joy & Stay Humble …
We should never preach about ourselves. But tonight I am.
Ever have one of those weeks where God is talkin’ at you, but you just don’t seem to be listening. Well, this was one of those weeks. For some time now, there’s been a sermon rattling around inside my head, trying to get out. … You ever get that feeling, like a marble is rolling around one of those wooden box mazes in your head. You hear sliding from one side to the other, and then back again, and then, oops, the marble hits a dead end. You ever get that?
Well, that’s what this sermon has been like for a while now. Just rattling around in here, trying to come. … You know, God’s patiently, waiting for me to get my mind out of my own way, so that he can get this sermon to pour out.
Well, this time, after I finally stopped wrestling with him, I finally listened. … I figured, you know, I put off his call to seminary for more than 20 years, I better give him this one!
So, this little rap all begins with a conversation I had with a seminary friend. Well, it wasn’t a conversation, per se, as much as it was a chat. … We minister folk chat a lot, and I’ve turned to Kim quite a bit during the past few months as she went through a very similar situation as a SAM in her church. While she has become the pastor there, she spent the first four years as their SAM. … So she knows a little bit about what I’m going through, and is a tremendously supportive confidante.
Well, during one of the homework chats last week, I turned to her and expressed my concerns about how I was doing here. I mentioned to her that we had the Israelson funeral coming up and that it was an important run of events this week. … I shared with her that while I’m having a blast, there are times that I am terrified of screwing up. … I don’t know if you know this, but you are an intimidating group to be in front of!
And so Kim asked me what I’m afraid of
Friday:
-- Funeral: … Trust God, right. And for the most part I believe it went smoothly.
-- Bingo & brats … Seek the joy! … And it was awesome! Wholeheartedly endorse that we do it again!
Sunday:
-- Another sermon, the baptism, the blessing of our Legion members: … Trust God!
-- Leon … Stay humble!
Monday:
-- Siri texting me that she was home … Seek the Joy!
-- Carter sat down after driver’s ed and asked how my day was. … Seek the Joy!
Tuesday:
-- The work email story … Stay humble!
-- Darius visit … Seek the Joy
-- Conversation with Steve … Trust God!
-- What’s it like to be a rock star? Shelley’s question … Seek the Joy!
Wednesday:
-- Standing in the shower, the pieces of the sermon came together … Trust God!
-- Later, that day, Shelley texts and I received a $400 scholarship out of the blue from Grace Lutheran Church in ADA … Trust God again!
And that is the anatomy of a pastor’s week.
So what’s the central message of this week? Why would I offer this up on Thanksgiving eve? … It’s because I want to thank you, for bringing my family into this journey with you, for being so gracious to allow me to spread my wings and for me to just express my gratitude at how wonderful life is. … What I’ve learned in this past week is that there are a million reasons that things might not work out, or a million distractions each week that are going to try to pull us away from losing sight of what’s important and a million more times that we need to be reminded to be humble in the eyes of the Lord.
And so, on this Thanksgiving Eve I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving, and I share with you that this year I am grateful for the lessons I learned this week: Trust God, Seek the Joy & Stay Humble. … And so I invite you this coming week to do the same. Trust God, Seek the Joy & Stay Humble. Amen!
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