Dear Messiah congregation,
In my devotion time this morning, I focused on this verse:

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12

Each day is precious. Each day is a gift, reminding me that God still has confidence in the world. Each day is an occasion to live into a greater understanding that I am part of God’s plan. When too often I’m wishing God is part of my plan. Psalm 90 is a prayer of deliverance from national adversity.

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Dear Messiah Congregation,
Let me share a little of what I heard in my devotion time this morning. From a book on leadership: God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible – what a pity that we plan only the things we can do by ourselves. And from a book on discipleship: While we might think we know everything that might be the answer to our prayers, perhaps we have to ask to see the answer rather than assuming we know it. And here’s what I heard as I prayed: Steve, you often think you know what is best for you and how God could answer your prayers, but maybe you have missed what God could do by not making yourself available to what God wants to do through you. What God has in store exceeds your ability to comprehend.

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Dear Messiah Congregation,
If you have been following the news, last weekend a tragic accident took the lives of several young people north of the Twin Cities. On Monday morning, the newspaper carried the headline “Why God, Why?” Although this was a quote that came from someone who knew one of the deceased, as I read the article, I hoped that somewhere the question would be answered. It was not. The next morning, the accident was still front page news, and this day the headline included the words, “no answers.” To my disappointment, the article that day also did not attempt to provide an answer. In the community where these young people lived, there may be persons who are providing hope. But for those who turn to the newspaper each morning, there was no hope. How would you respond? What answer would you offer to the question, “Why God, why?” What would you say to those who say there are no answers and there is no hope? News reporting has moved on to other stories. We cannot look to the newspaper or other media outlets for answers. But we are the church. We are the people of hope. We live on Easter time! How would you respond? (read below for my answer)

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Dear Messiah Congregation,
My favorite flower is the daffodil. I planted a lot of them in our backyard, and every year I eagerly await their arrival. Yesterday, a half dozen were already in full bloom. I have not experienced that in the month of March since we lived in Tennessee! I was so excited that this morning I watched the sun rise while sitting beside the daffodils. Then I read the devotion for today from the devotional 24 Hours that Changed the World. It is Day 39. The gospel of Mark tells us that when Jesus took his final breath, the curtain in the Temple was torn in two. There would be nothing that would separate us from God, not even death itself. Could it be just coincidental that I was seeing daffodils today? The words of the hymn came to mind: “It is as though the whole creation cried Alleluia.” The older I get, the more I realize there may be no such thing as coincidences.

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Dear Messiah Congregation,
If you are following the “40 Days of Reflection” during this season, today is day 26. I found the prayer at the ending of this morning’s reading to be particularly meaning and share it with you in case you have not seen it.

Lord, I wish to live as a subject in your kingdom. Reign in my life. May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. May your words and your life be the defining truth of my life. Amen.

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Dear Messiah congregation,
Last Sunday, I was invited to return and preach at a church where I served for eight years in the 1990s. It is that church’s fiftieth anniversary year and all former pastors have been asked to return and preach. I had a great time though last Sunday was a little strange for me. My ministry in that church had not been defined by preaching but by ministry with children and youth. I met a few of the kids who now have children of their own! It reminded me how quickly time passes. A generation is really very brief. We have opportunities every day to be persons of influence for Jesus Christ, and we can take that for granted, thinking if we don’t take advantage of today’s opportunity, there is always tomorrow. But last Sunday, I saw people I had not seen in twelve years and in every encounter, I remembered something or they remembered something about how I or they have influenced each other’s life for the better.

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Dear Messiah Congregation,
Last Wednesday evening, we began the season of Lent in worship with more than 200 persons attending. Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays (the Sundays are seen as little Easters that point us toward Easter Sunday). Lent is a word that means spring. It is a preparation for the new life available as a result of the resurrection. Historically, Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by converts and then became a time of repentance for all Christians. It was also a time when those who had separated themselves from the church returned.

Some Christian traditions use this season as a time to give up something in order to honor the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross. Others encourage believers to add a discipline or practice in order to draw closer to Christ. The point is that this season is an opportunity to take our faith more seriously through prayer, self-examination, and scripture. Let’s not miss out on what God can do in and through us when we make ourselves available.

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Dear Messiah Congregation,
A week ago today, our mission team returned from Kenya. It had been nine years since I had participated in a mission trip. I will not wait another nine years. There are many things one cannot truly understand about a third world country until one spends time there and listens to the hearts of people who live there. One afternoon, I had a conversation with a local pastor and his wife. They invited me to their home. We tried to describe daily life in each of our countries. But how would you describe our homes to someone who does not understand a furnace, has not seen an ice cube, and sees no reason in a refrigerator which they will never be able to afford? I learned a lot about daily life in Kenya, but there is much I do not understand and much I cannot even begin to describe in a way that you will be able to understand my experience. All I can say is you must have the experience.

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Dear Messiah Congregation,
We head to the airport later this morning, but I want to share a few things with you before I go. Leaving on any trip has frantic moments of getting everything done and getting everything together. This trip is no different, except that I am feeling excitement, nervousness, and deep gratitude. Never in our lives did Amanda and I think we would make a trip of this kind. This is an opportunity, and how God will use us and this experience may be the most exciting part of what’s to come.

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Merry Christmas! I've just come indoors from clearing my driveway. I'll admit there was more snow than I thought there would be. In all the hype about the storm, it is sometimes hard to know. If forecasters are right, there is more to come.

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