Pastor Ponderings
Baptism is God's "yes" to us.
On November 4, 1962, the Reverend Theodore Bunt, presided at the Sunday Service at St. Marks Lutheran church in East Toledo. It was a cold day by all reports. A large baby (only 3 months old) was baptized, and my life was changed forever. My parents and sponsors were there. My grandparents were there. Most importantly, Jesus was there as another broken human was claimed by God and washed in the waters of the Holy font. I do not remember that day…
Stewardship and our Baptism
The congregation is sitting silently in anticipation, their eyes on Pastor as he take the baby into his arms or places his hands on the child’s or adult’s head and says their name…
Now Hiring!
Drive through any town and you'll see signs that say, "NOW HIRING! APPLY WITHIN!" My first response typically is, "Already got a job, thanks!" The truth is that in addition to the ministry work I do within the Church, I also have another job that is of longer duration and much wider scope. It's the job of stewardship and it comes with being whose I am. And it's a job I share with each one of you.
Stewardship
The term “stewardship” evokes all kinds of responses in people. Many people think that when a congregation undergoes a stewardship program that the congregation is looking for members to increase their family’s offering to God. Financial response is a good component of stewardship. Disciples explore and discover new ways of understanding the world and, in this case, our individual relationship with Jesus.
Favorite Christmas Hymn
One of my favorite Christmas hymns is not in the “top ten” although it comes with huge credentials. It’s a poem written by the gifted 19th century poet, Christina Rosetti, with musician by the great Scandinavian composer, Gustav Hoist. Something about how the tune and words come together to evoke the reality of this world and how we, as God’s people, respond to it is so beautiful. It’s the ending words that impact me most, especially as the Christmas holidays turn into a new year, come as we know it will…with
Joy
Emmanuel God is with us. We remember and celebrate God’s coming to us this month. Christmas is a time of great joy and excitement. The promises of God are kept. The Messiah comes to heal the brokeness of the world. Everything is made new in Jesus. We are made new everyday through the gift of our baptism. Joined to the Baby of Bethlehem, we are commissioned by God to share the Good News that the old of of looking at the world has changed. The change comes in the greatest Christmas gift of all time, Jesus who is the Christ!
Joy is something that is hard to quantify sometimes…