Notes from Pastor Renstrom |
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On this page, you can read selected Grace Notes articles from Pastor Tim Renstrom from past months and study them in closer detail. Enjoy!
August 2019
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me.” (The words of Jesus, Matthew 25:35-36.)
This is going to be old ‘news’ for some of you. Others may think, “I sort of remember hearing something about that?” Still, for others, this will be brand new. So let’s try to get everyone up to date so that we are all in ministry together at the same time!
Way back, early last spring, St. Stephen’s members will remember that we listened to a presentation by New Pathways Interim Executive Director, Mary Ann E.R. Westlund, after one of our worship services. Following the presentation, questions were asked and answered.
Prior to that meeting, the St. Stephen’s leadership had been praying about an opportunity to partner in ministry with New Pathways, and had also met with Mary and representatives from other area churches who were already in partnership.
Following the conversation after the worship service, four (4) members indicated an interest in facilitating St. Stephen’s ministry. With that interest indicated, the Council, believing that it is God’s will that we serve, encouraged the group to ‘go ahead’ and signed a contract with New Pathways.
Which brings us to the good Lutheran question… “What does this mean?”
If you have internet access, I encourage you to research www.newpathwaysmn.com. But, to give you a brief idea from their website…
New Pathways’ mission is to build a stronger community by providing shelter and support services to homeless families with children. Supporting families is a team effort, which is why our Path to Home shelter chose a model that relies on hundreds of local volunteers. Our hope is to connect families with people and resources that will help them to be successful long term. We want to see families thrive, as opposed to just survive. This includes meals, a safe, warm place to sleep, and skills and resources necessary to find and maintain housing.
St. Stephen’s ministry is to provide two weeks of hospitality for up to five families from our five county area—one week at a time. Our first week is September 22-29, 2019. Our Sunday School and youth rooms will be transformed into temporary bedrooms, the fellowship area will be their common area. They will arrive at about 5:00 p.m. and leave about 7:30 a.m. each day, Sunday through Sunday. We have the privilege of serving dinner to them and providing breakfast ‘fixins’.
The above information is just a brief overview of the ministry. We have scheduled a ‘training session’ for August 25—come for food at 5:00 p.m. and training from 5:30-8:00. This is for everyone to attend, whether you believe God has called you actively to serve in the ministry or if you are a casual bystander. It is important for you to know what God is doing through your congregation.
By now our St. John’s brothers and sisters have stopped reading, thinking this is just information for St. Stephen’s. That would be a wrong conclusion! The committee is planning to ask St. John’s to participate in significant ways—to be volunteer hosts for a night, to provide dinner(s), to donate needed bedding and other supplies…you can begin to get the drift! St. John’s members are very much encouraged to attend the meal and training on August 25!
Matthew 25 (above) puts it in perspective for us. Jesus expects us to be physically concerned about the needs of those he has placed around us. Our savior even goes so far as to claim that if we aren’t willing to help, that we may not have saving faith! What an opportunity Jesus is giving us to examine our faith and live it in his name!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me.” (The words of Jesus, Matthew 25:35-36.)
This is going to be old ‘news’ for some of you. Others may think, “I sort of remember hearing something about that?” Still, for others, this will be brand new. So let’s try to get everyone up to date so that we are all in ministry together at the same time!
Way back, early last spring, St. Stephen’s members will remember that we listened to a presentation by New Pathways Interim Executive Director, Mary Ann E.R. Westlund, after one of our worship services. Following the presentation, questions were asked and answered.
Prior to that meeting, the St. Stephen’s leadership had been praying about an opportunity to partner in ministry with New Pathways, and had also met with Mary and representatives from other area churches who were already in partnership.
Following the conversation after the worship service, four (4) members indicated an interest in facilitating St. Stephen’s ministry. With that interest indicated, the Council, believing that it is God’s will that we serve, encouraged the group to ‘go ahead’ and signed a contract with New Pathways.
Which brings us to the good Lutheran question… “What does this mean?”
If you have internet access, I encourage you to research www.newpathwaysmn.com. But, to give you a brief idea from their website…
New Pathways’ mission is to build a stronger community by providing shelter and support services to homeless families with children. Supporting families is a team effort, which is why our Path to Home shelter chose a model that relies on hundreds of local volunteers. Our hope is to connect families with people and resources that will help them to be successful long term. We want to see families thrive, as opposed to just survive. This includes meals, a safe, warm place to sleep, and skills and resources necessary to find and maintain housing.
St. Stephen’s ministry is to provide two weeks of hospitality for up to five families from our five county area—one week at a time. Our first week is September 22-29, 2019. Our Sunday School and youth rooms will be transformed into temporary bedrooms, the fellowship area will be their common area. They will arrive at about 5:00 p.m. and leave about 7:30 a.m. each day, Sunday through Sunday. We have the privilege of serving dinner to them and providing breakfast ‘fixins’.
The above information is just a brief overview of the ministry. We have scheduled a ‘training session’ for August 25—come for food at 5:00 p.m. and training from 5:30-8:00. This is for everyone to attend, whether you believe God has called you actively to serve in the ministry or if you are a casual bystander. It is important for you to know what God is doing through your congregation.
By now our St. John’s brothers and sisters have stopped reading, thinking this is just information for St. Stephen’s. That would be a wrong conclusion! The committee is planning to ask St. John’s to participate in significant ways—to be volunteer hosts for a night, to provide dinner(s), to donate needed bedding and other supplies…you can begin to get the drift! St. John’s members are very much encouraged to attend the meal and training on August 25!
Matthew 25 (above) puts it in perspective for us. Jesus expects us to be physically concerned about the needs of those he has placed around us. Our savior even goes so far as to claim that if we aren’t willing to help, that we may not have saving faith! What an opportunity Jesus is giving us to examine our faith and live it in his name!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
July 2019
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Please be praying for Amanda, Chloe, Elissa, Jacob, Jordan and Montgomery. They, along with Renè and I, are your representatives at the LCMS National Youth Gathering in Minneapolis, July 11-15. They will be rubbing elbows with another 20,000 (a conservative guess) young LCMS members to worship, to grow in the knowledge of their faith, to grow in faith and to witness to their faith as they experience their Christian culture in a way most of them have never really thought about.
Even though this Gathering is closer to us than any that I have known about in recent history and, therefore, it should seem easier to prepare for...I’m discovering it’s actually harder to prepare for! Because we’re not going to some ‘exotic’ place like Orlando, or New Orleans, or San Antonio, or Denver...We’re just going to Minneapolis...it seems hard to get any excitement generated (I’m the same way!) when you’re just driving down the road an hour! It’s hard to believe that it’s going to be special!
But it will be as special for each of our young people as God makes it special and as they allow it. In addition to praying that we would be safe and well, please pray that we will be open to hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ; please pray that we can positively respond to everything that is happening around us; please pray that we can be a strong witness for the hope we have in the salvation we have been give by God in Jesus; and please pray that our faith finds new promises of God to cling to! And please pray now and often!
I’m hoping, after we get back, that I’ll be able to convince these 6 young Christian members of our congregations to give us some feedback on what God used this Gathering to teach them! Please encourage them!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim Renstrom
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Please be praying for Amanda, Chloe, Elissa, Jacob, Jordan and Montgomery. They, along with Renè and I, are your representatives at the LCMS National Youth Gathering in Minneapolis, July 11-15. They will be rubbing elbows with another 20,000 (a conservative guess) young LCMS members to worship, to grow in the knowledge of their faith, to grow in faith and to witness to their faith as they experience their Christian culture in a way most of them have never really thought about.
Even though this Gathering is closer to us than any that I have known about in recent history and, therefore, it should seem easier to prepare for...I’m discovering it’s actually harder to prepare for! Because we’re not going to some ‘exotic’ place like Orlando, or New Orleans, or San Antonio, or Denver...We’re just going to Minneapolis...it seems hard to get any excitement generated (I’m the same way!) when you’re just driving down the road an hour! It’s hard to believe that it’s going to be special!
But it will be as special for each of our young people as God makes it special and as they allow it. In addition to praying that we would be safe and well, please pray that we will be open to hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ; please pray that we can positively respond to everything that is happening around us; please pray that we can be a strong witness for the hope we have in the salvation we have been give by God in Jesus; and please pray that our faith finds new promises of God to cling to! And please pray now and often!
I’m hoping, after we get back, that I’ll be able to convince these 6 young Christian members of our congregations to give us some feedback on what God used this Gathering to teach them! Please encourage them!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim Renstrom
June 2019
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
This is a fun time of the year to be pastor. Easter Sunday has been celebrated, but we’re still in the season of Easter; Pentecost Sunday is coming; Trinity Sunday (when we can sing “Holy, Holy, Holy”!) follows the next Sunday; and, then, we often celebrate Confirmation Sunday within this sequence; and plus all the other little things which we do as Easter winds down and Summer approaches! It’s just a fun time of the year to be a pastor!
And then there is another of my favorite things this time of the year: having some opportunities to preach on the Revelation readings which are often assigned during this season. (Actually, I struggle, because I also enjoy preaching on the Acts readings!) I especially enjoyed preaching on Revelation 7 a few weeks ago. Here God reminds us that He has all of this world’s problems and woes well in hand: “Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
That is the answer, isn’t it? We might be the ones with cancer in our family. It is such a devastating attack of the world on our sinful flesh. We hurt for the loved one who suffers…and we hurt because we have to watch the suffering. We pray for relief, hoping that God is a loving God, wondering how a loving God…well, you know the rest of that statement. And it always seems like such a sudden attack! It enters our perfectly organized and orchestrated plan to live our lives and DOESN’T FIT! But it’s not a surprise to God. He’s been preparing us to be faithful through this devastation long before it came upon us…and calls us to repeat, “Salvation belongs to our God.”
The same is true for heart disease, accidents, Alzheimer’s, old age and the ten thousands other maladies that strike at us every day! Not to speak of the homeless or loss of jobs, the family squabbles, the divorces, the run-aways…And deaths… These all interrupt our life plans. They all are so…inconvenient. It seems like God is against us at every turn. Why God?!
But it is not God who is attacking us. He is no longer at war with us. He has declared peace—despite our on-going struggles. It is the world, our sinful flesh and Satan who are attacking us. And God continues to defend us, protect us and prepare us against those attacks.
We are saved by grace (free gift) through faith (believing) in the Easter message of Jesus—his sinless life given as a sacrifice on the cross to pay for the sins of the world; his resurrection a guarantee of his defeat of our enemies: world, flesh and Satan. And, because he desires all to come to faith and have salvation, he walks with us as we live in this world so that others will have a chance to believe that salvation is for them as well (“if he can do it, well, maybe I can too?!).
I’ve got a coaster on my desk which sums things nicely. (Someone gave it to me, thinking that I needed it—lest you think I’ve got this all figured out!) “Take a deep breath, God’s got this.” That’s the whole of the message of John’s Revelation—no matter what you see around you, no matter how devastating and scary, take a deep breath, God’s got this. He’s not surprised. He’s planned for all this—and you are in his plan. Take a deep breath. You’re in good hands. Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
This is a fun time of the year to be pastor. Easter Sunday has been celebrated, but we’re still in the season of Easter; Pentecost Sunday is coming; Trinity Sunday (when we can sing “Holy, Holy, Holy”!) follows the next Sunday; and, then, we often celebrate Confirmation Sunday within this sequence; and plus all the other little things which we do as Easter winds down and Summer approaches! It’s just a fun time of the year to be a pastor!
And then there is another of my favorite things this time of the year: having some opportunities to preach on the Revelation readings which are often assigned during this season. (Actually, I struggle, because I also enjoy preaching on the Acts readings!) I especially enjoyed preaching on Revelation 7 a few weeks ago. Here God reminds us that He has all of this world’s problems and woes well in hand: “Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
That is the answer, isn’t it? We might be the ones with cancer in our family. It is such a devastating attack of the world on our sinful flesh. We hurt for the loved one who suffers…and we hurt because we have to watch the suffering. We pray for relief, hoping that God is a loving God, wondering how a loving God…well, you know the rest of that statement. And it always seems like such a sudden attack! It enters our perfectly organized and orchestrated plan to live our lives and DOESN’T FIT! But it’s not a surprise to God. He’s been preparing us to be faithful through this devastation long before it came upon us…and calls us to repeat, “Salvation belongs to our God.”
The same is true for heart disease, accidents, Alzheimer’s, old age and the ten thousands other maladies that strike at us every day! Not to speak of the homeless or loss of jobs, the family squabbles, the divorces, the run-aways…And deaths… These all interrupt our life plans. They all are so…inconvenient. It seems like God is against us at every turn. Why God?!
But it is not God who is attacking us. He is no longer at war with us. He has declared peace—despite our on-going struggles. It is the world, our sinful flesh and Satan who are attacking us. And God continues to defend us, protect us and prepare us against those attacks.
We are saved by grace (free gift) through faith (believing) in the Easter message of Jesus—his sinless life given as a sacrifice on the cross to pay for the sins of the world; his resurrection a guarantee of his defeat of our enemies: world, flesh and Satan. And, because he desires all to come to faith and have salvation, he walks with us as we live in this world so that others will have a chance to believe that salvation is for them as well (“if he can do it, well, maybe I can too?!).
I’ve got a coaster on my desk which sums things nicely. (Someone gave it to me, thinking that I needed it—lest you think I’ve got this all figured out!) “Take a deep breath, God’s got this.” That’s the whole of the message of John’s Revelation—no matter what you see around you, no matter how devastating and scary, take a deep breath, God’s got this. He’s not surprised. He’s planned for all this—and you are in his plan. Take a deep breath. You’re in good hands. Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
May 2019
If Easter Were Not True
Matthew 28:1-10
It’s true, Christ rose. Two facts stand undeniable in the Easter message: On the third day the tomb was empty, and Jesus was seen alive.
This is the crowning evidence of His Messiahship and His eternal Sonship. When Jesus was challenged by the opposition to perform one master miracle and give them one indisputable sign by which they were to know that He is before Abraham, then Jesus said He would give them the sign of the Prophet Jonah. Again Jesus challenged them: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
The sign of Jonah is fulfilled. As Jonah was in the belly of the fish and came forth alive, so Jesus was in the tomb unto the third day and then was seen alive. “Behold My hands and My feet that it is I Myself; handle Me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have” (Luke 24:39).
Friend and foe alike say that He rose. The women, unsuspecting, came to anoint Jesus early on Sunday morning for His final entombment, to hear to their utter amazement: “He is not here, for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
Read Matthew 28:1-10
What difference does it make that Jesus rose? All the difference in the world! If Christ is not risen, then we are still unforgiven sinners, then we must face a condemning judgment, then heaven is closed forever to us, then we have no hope as we stand at open graves, then we are the most miserable creatures on the earth. Truly it were better then that we had never been born.
The Easter victory brings to us life and heaven, joy and peace, certainty and security.
Sin cannot condemn us, for we are justified by faith, which holds fast to the eternal truth that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all our transgressions.
Death has lost its deadening grip on us, and we can pass through its dark valley with Christ at our side. Death is man’s greatest foe. Death stopped Alexander, stopped Caesar, stopped thousands of others, but death did not stop Jesus. He rose, He ascended, and He lives. Because he lives, I too shall live. In my flesh shall I see God. In me is indestructible life by faith in Christ, my living Savior.
A new life is given me even now. We have been quickened together with Christ. We are reborn creatures by the power of the Holy Spirit. Forgiven, we are transformed into the children of light. Sinners by nature, we are saints by grace. We can resist evil. We have a new and hopeful outlook. We have protection. No one can pluck us out of the Savior’s hand.
We have a lively hope. This expectation does not center around earthly, material things. All of these will fall out of our trembling, feeble hands when death knocks at our door. It is certain we shall carry nothing out. But my redeemed and saved soul shall see glory that no sorrow can lessen, no death can shorten, Easter makes heaven my home, where there shall be no more separation, no more crying, no more death
Easter is the brightest spot on the horizon of life. Each year we celebrate the greatest victory in history when we sing our Easter hallelujahs. We need not despair. We need not perish. We believers shall behold Christ in glory.
And so shall we be forever with the Lord—all because He died and rose again.
In Easter joy,
Pastor Renstrom
From The Devotional Bible
Vol. I Matthew and Mark pp. 236-238
If Easter Were Not True
Matthew 28:1-10
It’s true, Christ rose. Two facts stand undeniable in the Easter message: On the third day the tomb was empty, and Jesus was seen alive.
This is the crowning evidence of His Messiahship and His eternal Sonship. When Jesus was challenged by the opposition to perform one master miracle and give them one indisputable sign by which they were to know that He is before Abraham, then Jesus said He would give them the sign of the Prophet Jonah. Again Jesus challenged them: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
The sign of Jonah is fulfilled. As Jonah was in the belly of the fish and came forth alive, so Jesus was in the tomb unto the third day and then was seen alive. “Behold My hands and My feet that it is I Myself; handle Me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have” (Luke 24:39).
Friend and foe alike say that He rose. The women, unsuspecting, came to anoint Jesus early on Sunday morning for His final entombment, to hear to their utter amazement: “He is not here, for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
Read Matthew 28:1-10
What difference does it make that Jesus rose? All the difference in the world! If Christ is not risen, then we are still unforgiven sinners, then we must face a condemning judgment, then heaven is closed forever to us, then we have no hope as we stand at open graves, then we are the most miserable creatures on the earth. Truly it were better then that we had never been born.
The Easter victory brings to us life and heaven, joy and peace, certainty and security.
Sin cannot condemn us, for we are justified by faith, which holds fast to the eternal truth that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all our transgressions.
Death has lost its deadening grip on us, and we can pass through its dark valley with Christ at our side. Death is man’s greatest foe. Death stopped Alexander, stopped Caesar, stopped thousands of others, but death did not stop Jesus. He rose, He ascended, and He lives. Because he lives, I too shall live. In my flesh shall I see God. In me is indestructible life by faith in Christ, my living Savior.
A new life is given me even now. We have been quickened together with Christ. We are reborn creatures by the power of the Holy Spirit. Forgiven, we are transformed into the children of light. Sinners by nature, we are saints by grace. We can resist evil. We have a new and hopeful outlook. We have protection. No one can pluck us out of the Savior’s hand.
We have a lively hope. This expectation does not center around earthly, material things. All of these will fall out of our trembling, feeble hands when death knocks at our door. It is certain we shall carry nothing out. But my redeemed and saved soul shall see glory that no sorrow can lessen, no death can shorten, Easter makes heaven my home, where there shall be no more separation, no more crying, no more death
Easter is the brightest spot on the horizon of life. Each year we celebrate the greatest victory in history when we sing our Easter hallelujahs. We need not despair. We need not perish. We believers shall behold Christ in glory.
And so shall we be forever with the Lord—all because He died and rose again.
In Easter joy,
Pastor Renstrom
From The Devotional Bible
Vol. I Matthew and Mark pp. 236-238
April 2019
I found this interesting and informative…I hope you do as well. Dr. Paul Raabe was a professor of mine in seminary. (I shortened some paragraphs for space constraints.) Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
Posted 20 days ago by Paul Raabe in Blog, Feature 1241
Strong on Doctrinal Topics But Weak on the Books of the Bible
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) is strong on doctrinal topics but weak on the books of the Bible. After teaching at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis for 35 years I’ve come to that conclusion. In the Synod those trained theologically can typically articulate our orthodox doctrinal position and can work with Lutheran concepts. They can explain, for example, the differences between deus revelatus and deus absconditus. But they can’t tell you the first thing about Haggai or Chronicles or 1 John. The situation is not a case of false doctrine. It’s just weird.
The theological debates that take place in Synod typically deal with Luther and Luther’s theological position. We debate Luther… After a while I want to respond: “What does the Bible teach? You know, the Bible, that book collecting dust on the bookshelf.” By listening to our debates one would get the impression that we are a Society for Luther Studies.
I have taught the books of the Bible to laypeople for decades, and I can speak from personal experience. Our laypeople typically do not know the books of the Bible. I remember once when I taught a series on the Minor Prophets. A solid Missouri Synod Lutheran layman, about 85 years old, sat in the front row every week. At the end of the series he told me that his pastors had faithfully taught him Lutheran doctrine many times over, but no pastor had ever taught him the Minor Prophets. I wondered to myself, “How can this be, a solid, life-long Lutheran was never taught all the books of the Bible?”
Occasionally I visit other churches to hear a variety of pastors preach. Sometimes I am thrilled to hear a solid, textual sermon. But I am surprised how often I hear topical sermons without a specific text in a specific book of the Bible. The sermons are doctrinally sound. I am not hearing LCMS preachers preach false doctrine. But often there is no functioning biblical text from a biblical book in the pulpit.
It seems to me that in the Missouri Synod the 66 books of the Bible take a backseat. Yet, we need to remind ourselves of the obvious. First and foremost, the Bible is a collection of books, not a collection of favorite verses or doctrinal topics but a library of books. And each book needs to be treated as a book, read in a holistic way by attending to how it flows from the opening verse to the closing verse. That is simply respecting the shape of the inspired Scriptures themselves. The Sacred Scriptures come to us in the form of books.
If Martin Luther were here today, my hunch is that he would agree. After all, he wanted the people to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Scriptures themselves and not only learn summary statements of what the entire Bible teaches. That is why he translated the Scriptures into the language of the people. That is why he preached and lectured through books of the Bible.
The books of the Bible are primary literature, while summaries of their doctrinal teaching are secondary literature. Yes, people have to be taught what all of Scripture teaches… But that…should not overshadow or eclipse the biblical books themselves. The written Word of God comes in the shape of books, and we should honor and love that shape and teach the Word according to that shape…
Our motto of sola scriptura sets up the expectation that our churches and ministers actually theologize that way, that in these churches the pastor is all about the Ministry of the Word, not “social justice” or “inclusivity” or feel-good psychology, but the Ministry of the Word (Acts 6). That requires devotion to both the orthodox [doctrine] and the books of the Bible.
I found this interesting and informative…I hope you do as well. Dr. Paul Raabe was a professor of mine in seminary. (I shortened some paragraphs for space constraints.) Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
Posted 20 days ago by Paul Raabe in Blog, Feature 1241
Strong on Doctrinal Topics But Weak on the Books of the Bible
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) is strong on doctrinal topics but weak on the books of the Bible. After teaching at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis for 35 years I’ve come to that conclusion. In the Synod those trained theologically can typically articulate our orthodox doctrinal position and can work with Lutheran concepts. They can explain, for example, the differences between deus revelatus and deus absconditus. But they can’t tell you the first thing about Haggai or Chronicles or 1 John. The situation is not a case of false doctrine. It’s just weird.
The theological debates that take place in Synod typically deal with Luther and Luther’s theological position. We debate Luther… After a while I want to respond: “What does the Bible teach? You know, the Bible, that book collecting dust on the bookshelf.” By listening to our debates one would get the impression that we are a Society for Luther Studies.
I have taught the books of the Bible to laypeople for decades, and I can speak from personal experience. Our laypeople typically do not know the books of the Bible. I remember once when I taught a series on the Minor Prophets. A solid Missouri Synod Lutheran layman, about 85 years old, sat in the front row every week. At the end of the series he told me that his pastors had faithfully taught him Lutheran doctrine many times over, but no pastor had ever taught him the Minor Prophets. I wondered to myself, “How can this be, a solid, life-long Lutheran was never taught all the books of the Bible?”
Occasionally I visit other churches to hear a variety of pastors preach. Sometimes I am thrilled to hear a solid, textual sermon. But I am surprised how often I hear topical sermons without a specific text in a specific book of the Bible. The sermons are doctrinally sound. I am not hearing LCMS preachers preach false doctrine. But often there is no functioning biblical text from a biblical book in the pulpit.
It seems to me that in the Missouri Synod the 66 books of the Bible take a backseat. Yet, we need to remind ourselves of the obvious. First and foremost, the Bible is a collection of books, not a collection of favorite verses or doctrinal topics but a library of books. And each book needs to be treated as a book, read in a holistic way by attending to how it flows from the opening verse to the closing verse. That is simply respecting the shape of the inspired Scriptures themselves. The Sacred Scriptures come to us in the form of books.
If Martin Luther were here today, my hunch is that he would agree. After all, he wanted the people to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Scriptures themselves and not only learn summary statements of what the entire Bible teaches. That is why he translated the Scriptures into the language of the people. That is why he preached and lectured through books of the Bible.
The books of the Bible are primary literature, while summaries of their doctrinal teaching are secondary literature. Yes, people have to be taught what all of Scripture teaches… But that…should not overshadow or eclipse the biblical books themselves. The written Word of God comes in the shape of books, and we should honor and love that shape and teach the Word according to that shape…
Our motto of sola scriptura sets up the expectation that our churches and ministers actually theologize that way, that in these churches the pastor is all about the Ministry of the Word, not “social justice” or “inclusivity” or feel-good psychology, but the Ministry of the Word (Acts 6). That requires devotion to both the orthodox [doctrine] and the books of the Bible.
March 2019
White as Snow
“Come, let us settle this,” says the Lord. Though your sins are scarlet they will be as white as snow; though they are crimson red, they will be like wool. (Isaiah 1:19 CSB)
I was desperately trying to find some way to tie this article with the snowmobiling trip from which my friend and I just returned home. I was not being particularly successful…I couldn’t find the term ‘snowmobile’ in the Bible! Long days following winding trails in the Minnesota north country, burning up gas, sitting at the restaurant or in the hotel lobby in the evening telling stories—none of it seemed to relate to an article to share with you. Even coming home to another 8+ inches of snow in the yard didn’t seem to bring up any ideas. Yes…it’s all part of God’s great gift of creation and his continuing sustaining power in and over the universe…but…
Then, finally, God got through my slow, cob-webby thought processes.
Snow. But not just snow. “Though your sins are scarlet they will as white as snow…” All this snow I’ve been playing on, all this snow that we have been fussing about as we have to move it out of our driveways and parking lots, all this snow that we have been have to worry about as we drive…all this snow is a reminder to us of God’s greatest gift to us! The forgiveness and removal of all our sins! Our free ticket to abundant and eternal life!
Jesus’ birth (Christmas), life (Epiphany), suffering (Lent), death (Good Friday) and resurrection (Easter) are all summed up--in a simple snow fall. Our sins are bright red. They show up like a flashing LED sign. But the Lord said, “Come, let us settle this.” We are guilty—like we say, no one is perfect! But that little statement doesn’t excuse us; it confirms our guilt and justifies our eternal punishment. Again, but the Lord said, “Come, let us settle this.”
As it says in Isaiah 1:15b-17: “Your hands are covered with blood. Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from my sight. Stop doing evil. Learn to do what is good. Pursue justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause.” (CSB) But our every inclination is evil, from the time we are born (Genesis 8:21). We cannot wash ourselves.
But the Lord said, “Come, let us settle this.” And the triune God sent the Son, the only Son, to do what we cannot do. He fulfills the instructions of Isaiah—the instructions of the whole Word of God, because he is the Word of God. And He offers himself as our substitute, our sacrifice, and satisfies the perfection of our perfect creation by our perfect God.
Now our sins are as white as snow…no longer red…no longer seen…gone as far as the east is from the west. We are forgiven, given grace and given faith to trust that grace so that we may be brought home to home in heaven. Thanks be to God we can live life in that sure and certain knowledge!
Perhaps…just perhaps…you will try to join me in a change of heart? Instead of ‘cursing’ the snow of this ‘record-breaking’ February 2019, we can see it as a symbol that God uses to remind of his great love for us in Christ Jesus!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
White as Snow
“Come, let us settle this,” says the Lord. Though your sins are scarlet they will be as white as snow; though they are crimson red, they will be like wool. (Isaiah 1:19 CSB)
I was desperately trying to find some way to tie this article with the snowmobiling trip from which my friend and I just returned home. I was not being particularly successful…I couldn’t find the term ‘snowmobile’ in the Bible! Long days following winding trails in the Minnesota north country, burning up gas, sitting at the restaurant or in the hotel lobby in the evening telling stories—none of it seemed to relate to an article to share with you. Even coming home to another 8+ inches of snow in the yard didn’t seem to bring up any ideas. Yes…it’s all part of God’s great gift of creation and his continuing sustaining power in and over the universe…but…
Then, finally, God got through my slow, cob-webby thought processes.
Snow. But not just snow. “Though your sins are scarlet they will as white as snow…” All this snow I’ve been playing on, all this snow that we have been fussing about as we have to move it out of our driveways and parking lots, all this snow that we have been have to worry about as we drive…all this snow is a reminder to us of God’s greatest gift to us! The forgiveness and removal of all our sins! Our free ticket to abundant and eternal life!
Jesus’ birth (Christmas), life (Epiphany), suffering (Lent), death (Good Friday) and resurrection (Easter) are all summed up--in a simple snow fall. Our sins are bright red. They show up like a flashing LED sign. But the Lord said, “Come, let us settle this.” We are guilty—like we say, no one is perfect! But that little statement doesn’t excuse us; it confirms our guilt and justifies our eternal punishment. Again, but the Lord said, “Come, let us settle this.”
As it says in Isaiah 1:15b-17: “Your hands are covered with blood. Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from my sight. Stop doing evil. Learn to do what is good. Pursue justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause.” (CSB) But our every inclination is evil, from the time we are born (Genesis 8:21). We cannot wash ourselves.
But the Lord said, “Come, let us settle this.” And the triune God sent the Son, the only Son, to do what we cannot do. He fulfills the instructions of Isaiah—the instructions of the whole Word of God, because he is the Word of God. And He offers himself as our substitute, our sacrifice, and satisfies the perfection of our perfect creation by our perfect God.
Now our sins are as white as snow…no longer red…no longer seen…gone as far as the east is from the west. We are forgiven, given grace and given faith to trust that grace so that we may be brought home to home in heaven. Thanks be to God we can live life in that sure and certain knowledge!
Perhaps…just perhaps…you will try to join me in a change of heart? Instead of ‘cursing’ the snow of this ‘record-breaking’ February 2019, we can see it as a symbol that God uses to remind of his great love for us in Christ Jesus!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
February 2019
Doxology?
Doxology? What does this mean? Over the past few months the word has been tossed about around our congregations as a title to some workshop or conference that pastor was, and then pastor and some lay leaders were going to. But what does this mean?
Doxology. My Merriam Webster 9th New Collegiate Dictionary has, perhaps, the simplest definition: “a usually liturgical expression of praise to God.” The Lutheran Service Book defines doxology in its glossary as, “Words of praise addressed to the triune God. Hymns that conclude with a doxological stanza are so indicated with a r.” The Lutheran Cyclopedia explains it as, “[A s]tately and exultant hymn of praise addressed to the Triune God or to a single person of the Godhead…” It, and my A Dictionary of Liturgical Terms, identify two liturgical pieces common to many of us as Lutherans, the Gloria Patri and the Gloria in Excelsis, and the ending of the Lord’s Prayer, as examples of doxology.
But how does that help us to understand the conference to which pastor and our lay leaders went? Did they just sit around and sing hymns and pray the Lord’s Prayer? If you ask the lay leaders that went, I’m guessing that they’d say that it sometimes felt like that! After all, we had how many worship services in 48 hours?
Doxology: The Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care and Counsel. That’s the official name of the RSO (Recognized Service Organization) headed up by Dr. Senkbeil, Dr. Yahnke, and Dr. Flemming designed to offer training, support and encouragement to pastors and congregations as we respond to God’s service to be in service to him.
God’s service? God sent his only begotten son to live, suffer, die on a cross, rise from the grave, ascend into heaven and rule over all creation to pay for the sins of the whole world and forgive the sins give eternal life to those who do not reject his outreached hand and believe in Jesus.
Our service? In response to his Holy Spirit, we believe in Jesus and work in his kingdom to be his hands and feet, ears and mouth, to proclaim his forgiveness and life that others will come to the same faith through the same work of the Holy Spirit.
So where’s the doxology? The hymn of praise? When pastor and congregation work together in God pleasing ways, it is a hymn of praise to our Triune God! When they do not, it is a song of great sorrow. Bringing pastors and lay leaders together to learn from God to help them be a positive witness of God’s grace assists in ‘writing’ that doxology. That’s what these conferences are about.
A group of five of us went to Racine, WI, last weekend. (Imagine riding 6+ hours each way in a pickup with pastor!) It was a weekend filled with hard work and lots of conversations. I encourage each of you to talk to Brian Moreau, Carol Werlein, Kay Christensen and Steve Baker. Buy them a cup of coffee (they all drink it—some even drink the ‘froo-froo’ stuff!). Get your money’s worth in learning what they learned. I don’t know the specifics of what the lay leaders heard and said…only what they have chosen to share with me to this point. But, then, they don’t know all that the pastors discussed, either—not because it is secret, but because there is only so much that the human brain can absorb at any given time! But, if by God’s grace, what comes out of our time together brings glory to God through our ministry together in our congregations and builds faith in the faithful and brings faith to the faithless…that is an awesome Doxology!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
Doxology?
Doxology? What does this mean? Over the past few months the word has been tossed about around our congregations as a title to some workshop or conference that pastor was, and then pastor and some lay leaders were going to. But what does this mean?
Doxology. My Merriam Webster 9th New Collegiate Dictionary has, perhaps, the simplest definition: “a usually liturgical expression of praise to God.” The Lutheran Service Book defines doxology in its glossary as, “Words of praise addressed to the triune God. Hymns that conclude with a doxological stanza are so indicated with a r.” The Lutheran Cyclopedia explains it as, “[A s]tately and exultant hymn of praise addressed to the Triune God or to a single person of the Godhead…” It, and my A Dictionary of Liturgical Terms, identify two liturgical pieces common to many of us as Lutherans, the Gloria Patri and the Gloria in Excelsis, and the ending of the Lord’s Prayer, as examples of doxology.
But how does that help us to understand the conference to which pastor and our lay leaders went? Did they just sit around and sing hymns and pray the Lord’s Prayer? If you ask the lay leaders that went, I’m guessing that they’d say that it sometimes felt like that! After all, we had how many worship services in 48 hours?
Doxology: The Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care and Counsel. That’s the official name of the RSO (Recognized Service Organization) headed up by Dr. Senkbeil, Dr. Yahnke, and Dr. Flemming designed to offer training, support and encouragement to pastors and congregations as we respond to God’s service to be in service to him.
God’s service? God sent his only begotten son to live, suffer, die on a cross, rise from the grave, ascend into heaven and rule over all creation to pay for the sins of the whole world and forgive the sins give eternal life to those who do not reject his outreached hand and believe in Jesus.
Our service? In response to his Holy Spirit, we believe in Jesus and work in his kingdom to be his hands and feet, ears and mouth, to proclaim his forgiveness and life that others will come to the same faith through the same work of the Holy Spirit.
So where’s the doxology? The hymn of praise? When pastor and congregation work together in God pleasing ways, it is a hymn of praise to our Triune God! When they do not, it is a song of great sorrow. Bringing pastors and lay leaders together to learn from God to help them be a positive witness of God’s grace assists in ‘writing’ that doxology. That’s what these conferences are about.
A group of five of us went to Racine, WI, last weekend. (Imagine riding 6+ hours each way in a pickup with pastor!) It was a weekend filled with hard work and lots of conversations. I encourage each of you to talk to Brian Moreau, Carol Werlein, Kay Christensen and Steve Baker. Buy them a cup of coffee (they all drink it—some even drink the ‘froo-froo’ stuff!). Get your money’s worth in learning what they learned. I don’t know the specifics of what the lay leaders heard and said…only what they have chosen to share with me to this point. But, then, they don’t know all that the pastors discussed, either—not because it is secret, but because there is only so much that the human brain can absorb at any given time! But, if by God’s grace, what comes out of our time together brings glory to God through our ministry together in our congregations and builds faith in the faithful and brings faith to the faithless…that is an awesome Doxology!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
January 2018
I’ve always found this story interesting, but I haven’t heard it in awhile…So I thought I’d share it with all again this Christmas 2018. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14 ESV).—To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12 ESV). Merry Christmas! Blessed Epiphany! Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
The Man and the Birds
Author Unknown
As told by Paul Harvey
The man I’m going to tell you about was not a scrooge, he was a kind decent, mostly good man. Generous to his family and upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn’t believe in all of that incarnation stuff that the churches proclaim at Christmas time. It just didn’t make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn’t swallow the Jesus story, about God coming to Earth as a man.
He told his wife, “I’m truly sorry to distress you, but I’m not going with you to church this Christmas Eve.” He said he would feel like a hypocrite and that he would much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. So he stayed and they went to the midnight service.
Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then he went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper. Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound. Then another … and then another. At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against the living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate he found a flock of birds huddled outside miserably in the snow. They’d been caught in the storm and in a desperate search for shelter they had tried to fly through his large landscape window. That is what had been making the sound.
Well, he couldn’t let the poor creatures just lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter. All he would have to do is to direct the birds into the shelter.
Quickly, he put on a coat and galoshes and he tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light so the birds would know the way in. But the birds did not come in. So, he figured that food would entice them. He hurried back to the house and fetched some bread crumbs. He sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail of bread crumbs to the yellow-lighted wide open doorway of the stable. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs. The birds continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them but could not. He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around and waving his arms. Instead, they scattered in every direction … every direction except into the warm lighted barn.
And that’s when he realized they were afraid of him. “To them,” he reasoned, “I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me. That I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them.” But how? Any move he made tended to frighten them and confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him.
He thought to himself, “If only I could be a bird and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to safe warm … to the safe warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see … and hear … and understand.”
At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind. And he stood there listening to the bells, Adeste Fidelis, listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas.
And he sank to his knees in the snow.
***
I’ve always found this story interesting, but I haven’t heard it in awhile…So I thought I’d share it with all again this Christmas 2018. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14 ESV).—To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12 ESV). Merry Christmas! Blessed Epiphany! Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
The Man and the Birds
Author Unknown
As told by Paul Harvey
The man I’m going to tell you about was not a scrooge, he was a kind decent, mostly good man. Generous to his family and upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn’t believe in all of that incarnation stuff that the churches proclaim at Christmas time. It just didn’t make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn’t swallow the Jesus story, about God coming to Earth as a man.
He told his wife, “I’m truly sorry to distress you, but I’m not going with you to church this Christmas Eve.” He said he would feel like a hypocrite and that he would much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. So he stayed and they went to the midnight service.
Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then he went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper. Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound. Then another … and then another. At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against the living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate he found a flock of birds huddled outside miserably in the snow. They’d been caught in the storm and in a desperate search for shelter they had tried to fly through his large landscape window. That is what had been making the sound.
Well, he couldn’t let the poor creatures just lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter. All he would have to do is to direct the birds into the shelter.
Quickly, he put on a coat and galoshes and he tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light so the birds would know the way in. But the birds did not come in. So, he figured that food would entice them. He hurried back to the house and fetched some bread crumbs. He sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail of bread crumbs to the yellow-lighted wide open doorway of the stable. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs. The birds continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them but could not. He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around and waving his arms. Instead, they scattered in every direction … every direction except into the warm lighted barn.
And that’s when he realized they were afraid of him. “To them,” he reasoned, “I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me. That I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them.” But how? Any move he made tended to frighten them and confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him.
He thought to himself, “If only I could be a bird and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to safe warm … to the safe warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see … and hear … and understand.”
At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind. And he stood there listening to the bells, Adeste Fidelis, listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas.
And he sank to his knees in the snow.
***
December 2018
Why Worry?
It’s panic time! It’s nearly the end of the work week when the secretary wants an article for the newsletter! I must get this done so that she can then do her work efficiently! I get a bit down on myself when I make other people’s jobs more difficult because I wasn’t paying attention to the calendar…
Sound at all familiar to your life? Perhaps you’re the secretary waiting for someone else to do their job? Perhaps you’re having to wait for weather or other factors beyond your control to do important things? Or maybe it’s health problems, aging problems, family problems, financial problems…? This time of the year (Thanksgiving, Christmas) seems to magnify everything that’s moving with difficulty.
The following is from 49 Worship Stories for Children, by Theodore W. Schroeder, CPH © 1957, St. Louis, page 111ff. It is based on Mark 4:35-41.
That day when evening came, he [Jesus] said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" (NIV)
A young man was once flying a training plane over the Gulf of Mexico. It was beautiful flying there among the clouds over the quiet, blue water. But suddenly the engine began to miss. It stopped 5,000 feet above the gulf.
The shore was too far away for the man to try to glide his plane in. He was forced to bail out. He jumped, pulled the parachute ring, and slowly floated down to the water.
But it was not nearly so smooth as it looked higher up. The gulf was rolling and swelling with waves. The man hit the water. He quickly got rid of his parachute before it pulled him under. He managed, too, to get out of his heavy flying suit and boots.
Then he started to swim to shore, which was a long, long way off. He was never a good swimmer, and it was terrible fighting those waves. He seemed to get nowhere. He became exhausted and panicky as he shouted for help.
After half an hour he felt he had to give up. He would sink quickly and get it over with. “This is it. This is my end,” he thought desperately. He pictured in his mind his young wife and baby, and sobbed.
He stopped thrashing in the water and let his legs drop in what he thought would be his last moment. But suddenly his feet touched the bottom. He found he could stand up with his chin out of the water. He was on a log sand bar that stretched out far from the shoreline, as many do in the Gulf of Mexico.
All the time that he had been struggling the ground was only a little way below him, and he could have been standing up. He needed only to wade into shore.
Many of us are like this man. We go through life struggling and straining, worrying and being afraid, when we do not need to at all. We need only to trust and rely in God to take care of us. The Bible says: “Underneath are His everlasting arms.”
God loves us. Jesus loved us so much that He died for us on the cross. He will take care of us. Why do we worry and why are we afraid?
I know that you children worry, too, not only we grownups. You are often afraid of the dark, afraid in a storm, afraid of an accident, afraid of getting hurt.
Some of you worry about Mother or Dad or yourselves getting sick. You worry about your school work. You worry about getting left out. Many things.
But Jesus says: “Don’t ever worry. God takes care of the flowers. He will take care of you. Just trust and believe.”
_______________________________
Wise words to children—of all ages! I find, in that list of things children might fear at the end of Pastor Schroeder’s story, things that every adult also struggles with…darkness, storms, accidents, getting hurt, loved ones getting sick, our work—and even the FoMO (Fear of Missing Out—it’s so common there’s modern ‘slang’ for it!). Still, the one who died and rose for us to bring us close to him is the one who calms the storms of our lives. “Be still,” Jesus says. And it is still.
Why Worry?
It’s panic time! It’s nearly the end of the work week when the secretary wants an article for the newsletter! I must get this done so that she can then do her work efficiently! I get a bit down on myself when I make other people’s jobs more difficult because I wasn’t paying attention to the calendar…
Sound at all familiar to your life? Perhaps you’re the secretary waiting for someone else to do their job? Perhaps you’re having to wait for weather or other factors beyond your control to do important things? Or maybe it’s health problems, aging problems, family problems, financial problems…? This time of the year (Thanksgiving, Christmas) seems to magnify everything that’s moving with difficulty.
The following is from 49 Worship Stories for Children, by Theodore W. Schroeder, CPH © 1957, St. Louis, page 111ff. It is based on Mark 4:35-41.
That day when evening came, he [Jesus] said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" (NIV)
A young man was once flying a training plane over the Gulf of Mexico. It was beautiful flying there among the clouds over the quiet, blue water. But suddenly the engine began to miss. It stopped 5,000 feet above the gulf.
The shore was too far away for the man to try to glide his plane in. He was forced to bail out. He jumped, pulled the parachute ring, and slowly floated down to the water.
But it was not nearly so smooth as it looked higher up. The gulf was rolling and swelling with waves. The man hit the water. He quickly got rid of his parachute before it pulled him under. He managed, too, to get out of his heavy flying suit and boots.
Then he started to swim to shore, which was a long, long way off. He was never a good swimmer, and it was terrible fighting those waves. He seemed to get nowhere. He became exhausted and panicky as he shouted for help.
After half an hour he felt he had to give up. He would sink quickly and get it over with. “This is it. This is my end,” he thought desperately. He pictured in his mind his young wife and baby, and sobbed.
He stopped thrashing in the water and let his legs drop in what he thought would be his last moment. But suddenly his feet touched the bottom. He found he could stand up with his chin out of the water. He was on a log sand bar that stretched out far from the shoreline, as many do in the Gulf of Mexico.
All the time that he had been struggling the ground was only a little way below him, and he could have been standing up. He needed only to wade into shore.
Many of us are like this man. We go through life struggling and straining, worrying and being afraid, when we do not need to at all. We need only to trust and rely in God to take care of us. The Bible says: “Underneath are His everlasting arms.”
God loves us. Jesus loved us so much that He died for us on the cross. He will take care of us. Why do we worry and why are we afraid?
I know that you children worry, too, not only we grownups. You are often afraid of the dark, afraid in a storm, afraid of an accident, afraid of getting hurt.
Some of you worry about Mother or Dad or yourselves getting sick. You worry about your school work. You worry about getting left out. Many things.
But Jesus says: “Don’t ever worry. God takes care of the flowers. He will take care of you. Just trust and believe.”
_______________________________
Wise words to children—of all ages! I find, in that list of things children might fear at the end of Pastor Schroeder’s story, things that every adult also struggles with…darkness, storms, accidents, getting hurt, loved ones getting sick, our work—and even the FoMO (Fear of Missing Out—it’s so common there’s modern ‘slang’ for it!). Still, the one who died and rose for us to bring us close to him is the one who calms the storms of our lives. “Be still,” Jesus says. And it is still.
November 2018
Paradoxical Living
In my old Webster’s dictionary, ‘paradox’ is defined as “a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true.” St. Paul struggled to explain the paradox a Christian finds her/himself in with these words from Romans 7:15-24 (NIV):
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do-- this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?
Pastor Jeff Lee, MN North District Mission and Ministry Facilitator identified these paradoxes in his monthly e-newsletter:
The paradox of our time in history is that
We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; Wider freeways, but narrower view points;
We spend more, but have less; We buy more, but enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families; More conveniences, but less time;
We have more degrees, but less sense; More knowledge but less judgment;
More experts, but more problems; More medicine, but less wellness.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; We've added years to life, not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back,
But have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul;
We've split the atom, but not our prejudice.
We have higher incomes, but lower morals; We've become long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are the times of tall men, and short character; Steep profits, and shallow relationships.
These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare;
More leisure, but less fun; More food, but less nutrition.
These are days of two incomes, but more divorce; Of fancier houses, but broken homes.
Pastor Lee continues: “According to Snopes, the actual author is Dr. Bob Moorehead, who was a pastor. A man whose life should have been centered on bringing the love of Christ to those around him. But, Dr. Bob Moorehead turned out to be a pastor that was a sexual molester of male members in his congregation. He quickly resigned when 17 allegations of abuse surfaced in 1997. I guess it is just one more item to chalk up to the ‘paradox’.”
In the 1500’s, Martin Luther struggled with the same questions. He became convinced that the Bible holds two truths about us simultaneously: We are saint and sinner at the same time. Saint, because we are saved by Jesus. Sinner, because, even though we have been saved, our sinful nature still leads us to sin.
So what’s the answer? Verse 25 of our reading above gives it to us: “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.” We are turned to our deliverer and accept his deliverance from this paradoxical life. He is our only hope. And he has come down to rescue us.
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
Paradoxical Living
In my old Webster’s dictionary, ‘paradox’ is defined as “a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true.” St. Paul struggled to explain the paradox a Christian finds her/himself in with these words from Romans 7:15-24 (NIV):
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do-- this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?
Pastor Jeff Lee, MN North District Mission and Ministry Facilitator identified these paradoxes in his monthly e-newsletter:
The paradox of our time in history is that
We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; Wider freeways, but narrower view points;
We spend more, but have less; We buy more, but enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families; More conveniences, but less time;
We have more degrees, but less sense; More knowledge but less judgment;
More experts, but more problems; More medicine, but less wellness.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; We've added years to life, not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back,
But have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul;
We've split the atom, but not our prejudice.
We have higher incomes, but lower morals; We've become long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are the times of tall men, and short character; Steep profits, and shallow relationships.
These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare;
More leisure, but less fun; More food, but less nutrition.
These are days of two incomes, but more divorce; Of fancier houses, but broken homes.
Pastor Lee continues: “According to Snopes, the actual author is Dr. Bob Moorehead, who was a pastor. A man whose life should have been centered on bringing the love of Christ to those around him. But, Dr. Bob Moorehead turned out to be a pastor that was a sexual molester of male members in his congregation. He quickly resigned when 17 allegations of abuse surfaced in 1997. I guess it is just one more item to chalk up to the ‘paradox’.”
In the 1500’s, Martin Luther struggled with the same questions. He became convinced that the Bible holds two truths about us simultaneously: We are saint and sinner at the same time. Saint, because we are saved by Jesus. Sinner, because, even though we have been saved, our sinful nature still leads us to sin.
So what’s the answer? Verse 25 of our reading above gives it to us: “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.” We are turned to our deliverer and accept his deliverance from this paradoxical life. He is our only hope. And he has come down to rescue us.
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
October 2018
The following article is from an LCMS Publication called ‘Reaching Rural America for Christ’ and was written by Pastor Todd Kollbaum.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
Intentionality, Consistency, Relationships
Angie and I recently had the privilege of presenting at this year’s National Youth Workers Conference in Minneapolis. From that presentation, I pulled out three helpful words that might provide some guidance in many aspects of our various ministries.
The first word is “intentionality”: Too often we simply float along and hope things work out for the best. However, this is pretty much a recipe for failure, or at least disappointment. Instead, let us prayerfully consider the path that God has laid out for us and then be intentional about moving along that path in our ministries. When there are road bumps and hiccups along the way, having a mindset of intentionality allows us to weather those without derailing the whole process. Now, intentionality doesn’t mean bullheadedness but simply that we are being deliberate and purposeful in what we are planning and doing.
The second word is “consistency”: In ministry, we often look for the warm body who won’t say “no” when asked to serve in one capacity or another. While this might seem to fulfill our obligations, it is not a good way to do ministry. In order for anything to have a lasting impact, it is important for there to be consistency, both of program and people. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t change or even that a person should cease doing a particular job. What it does mean is that we don’t serve until it isn’t convenient or until “our turn” has been completed, we serve until the Lord calls us to serve in a different way. (Notice we continue to serve.) In this way, we provide consistency for those among whom we serve as well as consistency in what we are doing. Consistency also involves “consistent” evaluation of what, why and how we are doing things. It is with this type of consistency that we can best serve the Lord and His church.
The final word is “relationships”: In rural and small-town settings, it sometimes seems a bit crazy to worry about creating relationships since often our congregations and communities are made up of family and folks we have known our whole lives. However, the relationships I’m talking about here go beyond those kind of surface level relationships we often find. What we’re talking about here is loving our neighbor enough to develop relationships that allow us to share in their lives. To celebrate with them in their joys and help them in their times of trouble. Especially, we are talking about relationships which foster honest conversations about our faith, their faith and how God’s grace is the most important thing we have! May God bless you in all of your ministry endeavors!
Pastor Todd Kollbaum
The following article is from an LCMS Publication called ‘Reaching Rural America for Christ’ and was written by Pastor Todd Kollbaum.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
Intentionality, Consistency, Relationships
Angie and I recently had the privilege of presenting at this year’s National Youth Workers Conference in Minneapolis. From that presentation, I pulled out three helpful words that might provide some guidance in many aspects of our various ministries.
The first word is “intentionality”: Too often we simply float along and hope things work out for the best. However, this is pretty much a recipe for failure, or at least disappointment. Instead, let us prayerfully consider the path that God has laid out for us and then be intentional about moving along that path in our ministries. When there are road bumps and hiccups along the way, having a mindset of intentionality allows us to weather those without derailing the whole process. Now, intentionality doesn’t mean bullheadedness but simply that we are being deliberate and purposeful in what we are planning and doing.
The second word is “consistency”: In ministry, we often look for the warm body who won’t say “no” when asked to serve in one capacity or another. While this might seem to fulfill our obligations, it is not a good way to do ministry. In order for anything to have a lasting impact, it is important for there to be consistency, both of program and people. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t change or even that a person should cease doing a particular job. What it does mean is that we don’t serve until it isn’t convenient or until “our turn” has been completed, we serve until the Lord calls us to serve in a different way. (Notice we continue to serve.) In this way, we provide consistency for those among whom we serve as well as consistency in what we are doing. Consistency also involves “consistent” evaluation of what, why and how we are doing things. It is with this type of consistency that we can best serve the Lord and His church.
The final word is “relationships”: In rural and small-town settings, it sometimes seems a bit crazy to worry about creating relationships since often our congregations and communities are made up of family and folks we have known our whole lives. However, the relationships I’m talking about here go beyond those kind of surface level relationships we often find. What we’re talking about here is loving our neighbor enough to develop relationships that allow us to share in their lives. To celebrate with them in their joys and help them in their times of trouble. Especially, we are talking about relationships which foster honest conversations about our faith, their faith and how God’s grace is the most important thing we have! May God bless you in all of your ministry endeavors!
Pastor Todd Kollbaum
September 2018
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ!
They’re sending me aw-a-y! Actually, you’re sending me aw-a-y! Which, of course, begs the question, to where, what, when and why?
Let me give you some back story. This past summer some of the LWMLers from our congregations went to the MN North District LWML convention and while they were there, they heard a presentation on a program called Doxology. Excited about what they heard and concerned for the welfare of their pastor (me), some of them came back and strongly urged the Elders and Council of St. John’s to send me away to participate in the program. The St. John’s Elders and Council consulted with the St. Stephen’s Elders and Council and they have encouraged me and provided funds for me to attend a Doxology program in Racine, Wisconsin, September 17-20, 2018. (So that’s the ‘when’ and ‘where’!)
So what did these LWMLers hear? As best as I can ascertain, they heard that many pastors experience depression and other mental illness challenges from being in the office to which God has called them and that a program called Doxology offered help to keep these challenges ‘at bay’. Hearing these things and wanting to support their pastor, some of them took action and have made it possible for me (and a lay leader from the church, sometime in the future, and Char, sometime in the future) to participate in this program. (So that’s the ‘why’!)
But what is Doxology? To answer this and other questions you may have, I pulled this information off from the Doxology website, https://www.doxology.us/more-congregation-guide/. Doxology is:
How will it benefit our congregation?
How does it assist our church leaders?
So there you have it. You have the ‘where, what, when and how’ of your sending me aw-a-y! I thank you for this opportunity, and I look forward to what God will work through it as we walk together in his service.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ!
They’re sending me aw-a-y! Actually, you’re sending me aw-a-y! Which, of course, begs the question, to where, what, when and why?
Let me give you some back story. This past summer some of the LWMLers from our congregations went to the MN North District LWML convention and while they were there, they heard a presentation on a program called Doxology. Excited about what they heard and concerned for the welfare of their pastor (me), some of them came back and strongly urged the Elders and Council of St. John’s to send me away to participate in the program. The St. John’s Elders and Council consulted with the St. Stephen’s Elders and Council and they have encouraged me and provided funds for me to attend a Doxology program in Racine, Wisconsin, September 17-20, 2018. (So that’s the ‘when’ and ‘where’!)
So what did these LWMLers hear? As best as I can ascertain, they heard that many pastors experience depression and other mental illness challenges from being in the office to which God has called them and that a program called Doxology offered help to keep these challenges ‘at bay’. Hearing these things and wanting to support their pastor, some of them took action and have made it possible for me (and a lay leader from the church, sometime in the future, and Char, sometime in the future) to participate in this program. (So that’s the ‘why’!)
But what is Doxology? To answer this and other questions you may have, I pulled this information off from the Doxology website, https://www.doxology.us/more-congregation-guide/. Doxology is:
- A comprehensive experience of advanced pastoral training offers new skills for pastors to provide transformational spiritual care.
- Ten days of intensive instruction and peer learning spread over three conference retreats.
- Up to five hours of individual consultation and mentoring to enrich pastors’ personal and professional growth.
How will it benefit our congregation?
- Skilled pastors are effective pastors.
- Congregations benefit as pastors are better equipped to provide care for struggling people.
- Congregations experience greater unity and an increased desire to care for one another.
- Lay leaders and pastors review together how Christ grows His Church on earth.
How does it assist our church leaders?
- Dedicated laity are vital for a vibrant parish.
- Your lay leaders are invited to join your pastor for a weekend of instruction, conversation, and problem-solving.
- DOXOLOGY deepens partnerships between leaders and pastor in service to our Lord and His church.
So there you have it. You have the ‘where, what, when and how’ of your sending me aw-a-y! I thank you for this opportunity, and I look forward to what God will work through it as we walk together in his service.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom