SOTP-Newsletter Archives - Shepherd of the Prairie

A Note

From Pastor Mark

I remember during the time of 9/11 that our church’s attendance at Faith Lutheran in Washington, IL, increased for several weeks.

When additional national threats to our country did not materialize, attendance sank to normal numbers.

Why did this happen? It’s probably not unusual.

Don’t we all flock to God in time of trouble, asking for release from our fear, sickness, or any crisis that befalls us?

Psalm 46:1 says that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. So we reach for God daily.

But, human as we are, we often return to our own devices when the crisis has passed. Why don’t we continue to lean on the everlasting arms of God for continued comfort and guidance (every day)?

This reminds me of my own childhood, when I ran (or snuck) into my mom and dad’s bedroom during the night for comfort from the boogie man, from the “something” hiding under my bed or in my closet, or from a loud crash of thunder. Then, in the morning, it was back to good old daylight and safety. I was fine “on my own” until bedtime, or another crisis.

When we’re worried or sick, when we lose our income, home or loved ones, our minds and hearts are busy sending out prayers. We pray despite our weakness. We feel God’s power because we know that God cares. God listens, walks with us, and comforts us. None of us are immune to periods of weakness, sickness or distress.

But we expect Jesus to come again. He is with us now, and will come again to complete the work of restoration, to bring light to the world.

God’s power encourages us to rejoice in hope, and to share this hope with others. Jesus’ promise can help us to stand steadfast in times of hardship, sickness or any disaster that befalls us.

Jesus proclaims that, while life will not be easy, he has overcome the world with light. As we put God first in our thoughts, minds and souls, we have hope every day.

I’ll see you in worship!

Pastor Mark

email Pastor Mark: pastormark@sotpmail.com

A Note

From Pastor Ryan

As you know, we’ve been exploring the power of words this year. Starting with the word we received on the back of a paper star sometime in the first part of the year and continuing through our Lenten journey with The Difficult Words of Jesus, we have been wrestling with our words, growing into them, listening for God’s voice to teach us something or for the Holy Spirit to guide us through them.

While I’ve been carrying the word from my star with me (which is youth), another word has crept into my life this year and taken hold. That word is curiosity.

We are living in a culture and society that seems to be more concerned with certainty and being right rather than keeping an open mind and approaching things with a desire to learn or an openness to be changed. All around us—in our families, in the public square, in politics, and in religion/faith—we can see people who have drawn lines in the sand, planted their flag in one camp or another (you choose the metaphor). They become certain of something and close their hearts and minds to anything that might push back against the line they’ve drawn or the flag they’ve planted.

The antidote to this, I believe, is curiosity. Imagine how different our world would look if everyone approached everything with curiosity rather than certainty. Imagine if we approached all people, belief systems, cultures, history, science, and yes, Scripture, God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and faith/religion with curiosity instead of assuming we’ve got it all already figured out. How different would all our interactions be? Think of how we could better connect with others, especially others who are different or believe differently from us, if we interact with them with a sense of wonder.

Imagine how Scripture could come alive in our hearts, minds, and souls if we approached every verse with a sense of curiosity rather than certainty. As a pastor, I have many conversations with people who hold a very rigid, certain view of Scripture. The fact is, Scripture is so ancient, so complex, so rich, and translated so many ways that we fool ourselves if we think we could ever be definitively certain of the meaning of each verse. No matter how scholarly someone becomes, how well-versed in Biblical studies, there always comes a point when knowledge gives way to interpretation.

None of us was able to walk with Moses or Abraham. None of us was able to walk with Jesus and witness his ministry firsthand (not even any of the New Testament writers). We must, instead, rely on the spoken and written accounts of who did, and interpret their interpretations of what they saw. This is where the beauty of curiosity opens up. The Scriptures are living documents, speaking in new ways to new people in new times and new places. God finds ways to speak people of every time and place through the Words that have stood the test of time, and when we approach them with curiosity, we find new ways of hearing God’s voice, new ways of experiencing Jesus’ calling, and new ways of feeling the presence of the Hoy Spirit.

Here is my challenge for you. There is a difference between embedded theology (the faith/assumptions we carry with us simply because it was taught to us by our parents/grandparents or by Sunday School teachers—the kind of faith we’ve carried since childhood and never wrestled with) and deliberative theology (the kind of faith/understanding we develop through reflection and learning, always giving deep consideration to new/unexpected/unusual/uncomfortable information). Think about any assumptions you have/are making about God, Jesus, and Scripture. What assumptions do you tend to make about faith/religion? What assumptions do you make about your neighbor or a stranger?

How could you further shift your life to approach everything with curiosity? In what ways may God be trying to open your heart or mind to something new?

May you be blessed with a spirit of curiosity and wonder, and may the love of God go with you today and always,

Pastor Ryan

email Pastor Ryan at pastorryan@sotpmail.com

Pastor Ryan

Email Pastor Ryan: pastorryan@sotpmail.com

Ministry Musing

By Donna Kelly

Life today seems so full of anger, mistrust, and anxiety. Our country has become extremely polarized; we seem to be developing into a people who draw lines in the sand between “us” and “them” and refuse to welcome others who see things differently than we do. But even more concerning, we sometimes forget to love like Jesus has called us to. In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a story of how when we feed the hungry, give a drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, care for the sick or visit the prisoner, we are doing it to him, and when we refuse, we are also refusing him.

But sometimes we let feat overwhelm us and allow power, security, control and self-sufficiency to become our principal values and believe that our way or point of view is not only the best way, but the only way.

So how do we wipe out those lines in the sand, or our idea that those who hold a different opinion or value system are enemies? How can we mend broken hearts and lives and learn to live in harmony again? Well, in Matthew 5 Jesus challenges us, “I’m

telling you to love your enemies…Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your trues selves, your God-given selves…You’re kingdom subjects.

Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” (The Message)

This prayer of St. Francis of Assisi calls us to live as Jesus taught:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me bring love.

Where there is offence, let me bring pardon.

Where there is discord, let me bring union.

Where there is error, let me bring truth.

Where there is doubt, let me bring faith.

Where there is despair, let me bring hope.

Where there is darkness, let me bring your light.

Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.

O Master, let me not seek as much to be consoled as to console,