Notes from Pastor Renstrom
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 2017
Living in Conflict
Conflict seems to have become a normal way of life. At least that’s the way it appears as we look at life around us! Nations seem in constant conflict with each other: If it isn’t North Korea this week, it’s France or Venezuela or some other country that either has offended us. Or we have offended them! And it’s not just nation vs. nation! Politicians seem to have ‘cornered the market’ on conflict! When was the last time you noticed the men and women we have elected to lead do anything except scrap like 3 year-olds over the same ‘favorite’ toy? Nor do we need to look that far away; neighbors, families, husbands and wives also all seem to have fallen into the pattern of constant conflict. So, is it normal? Is it really new?
Yes, it’s normal. No, it’s not new. Ever since Eve and Adam ate that fateful fruit in the Garden of Eden and brought sin into our world, we’ve had conflict. The first brothers, Cain and Abel had conflict that led to the first murder, not long after the Creation of all things. It’s not new, and yet it seems that it’s the ‘new’ normal.
The ‘new’ normal: it’s not what we were created to be…and it’s not the condition God desires us to be in. But it’s who we are and what we do. Still, St. Paul tells us, “Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace” (2 Corinthians 13:11 ESV). We are to care for each other and figure out how to solve our disagreements without being disagreeable. But how do we do that in a world that increasingly makes its living with ‘shock-jocks’?
The first rule in resolving conflict is that all sides have to want to resolve the conflict. Sounds simple enough. But it’s not as simple as it sounds! I have to want to resolve the conflict more than I want to hang onto my position—and all parties involved have to want this. And this is where negotiating resolution to conflict usually fails: one or more parties do not see a benefit to stop ‘warring’.
And how do we get to this attitude? For the secular world there is a cost/benefit ratio that needs to be struck. For the Christian in faith, it should come by our new spiritual nature. The Christian has been called by the Good News that Jesus has “broken down the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14) between God and man by His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave. We are no longer at war with God, because God has declared peace between us and Him on account of the work of Jesus. So we no longer have a reason to be at war…with God or with each other. How do we get this attitude? It is given to us through the Word. It is given to us through the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We receive it by grace, through faith, when God forgives our sins in confession and absolution. All of these are fancy ways of saying that those who believe in Jesus get this attitude as a gift from God.
So why is there still conflict between Christians? Because we reject God’s work. We remain selfish and self-centered. It’s wrong. It’s sinful. And again, the solution is the cross of Jesus! Always!
Rev. Tim J. Renstrom
Living in Conflict
Conflict seems to have become a normal way of life. At least that’s the way it appears as we look at life around us! Nations seem in constant conflict with each other: If it isn’t North Korea this week, it’s France or Venezuela or some other country that either has offended us. Or we have offended them! And it’s not just nation vs. nation! Politicians seem to have ‘cornered the market’ on conflict! When was the last time you noticed the men and women we have elected to lead do anything except scrap like 3 year-olds over the same ‘favorite’ toy? Nor do we need to look that far away; neighbors, families, husbands and wives also all seem to have fallen into the pattern of constant conflict. So, is it normal? Is it really new?
Yes, it’s normal. No, it’s not new. Ever since Eve and Adam ate that fateful fruit in the Garden of Eden and brought sin into our world, we’ve had conflict. The first brothers, Cain and Abel had conflict that led to the first murder, not long after the Creation of all things. It’s not new, and yet it seems that it’s the ‘new’ normal.
The ‘new’ normal: it’s not what we were created to be…and it’s not the condition God desires us to be in. But it’s who we are and what we do. Still, St. Paul tells us, “Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace” (2 Corinthians 13:11 ESV). We are to care for each other and figure out how to solve our disagreements without being disagreeable. But how do we do that in a world that increasingly makes its living with ‘shock-jocks’?
The first rule in resolving conflict is that all sides have to want to resolve the conflict. Sounds simple enough. But it’s not as simple as it sounds! I have to want to resolve the conflict more than I want to hang onto my position—and all parties involved have to want this. And this is where negotiating resolution to conflict usually fails: one or more parties do not see a benefit to stop ‘warring’.
And how do we get to this attitude? For the secular world there is a cost/benefit ratio that needs to be struck. For the Christian in faith, it should come by our new spiritual nature. The Christian has been called by the Good News that Jesus has “broken down the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14) between God and man by His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave. We are no longer at war with God, because God has declared peace between us and Him on account of the work of Jesus. So we no longer have a reason to be at war…with God or with each other. How do we get this attitude? It is given to us through the Word. It is given to us through the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We receive it by grace, through faith, when God forgives our sins in confession and absolution. All of these are fancy ways of saying that those who believe in Jesus get this attitude as a gift from God.
So why is there still conflict between Christians? Because we reject God’s work. We remain selfish and self-centered. It’s wrong. It’s sinful. And again, the solution is the cross of Jesus! Always!
Rev. Tim J. Renstrom
July 2017
Again…something I found very interesting. This is from Pastor Greg Finke’s blog. Some of us have or are working through his training on how to be an everyday missionary…May God bless your study. Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
My Small Part of God's Great Big Mission
Greg Finke
June 12, 2017
"What difference can I make?"
As I talk with people across the country, I find that one of the biggest reasons people shrink back from getting up and getting started with joining Jesus on his mission is that the mission itself seems overwhelming.
And it is.
After all, the mission of God is global in its scope. It is by definition massive. It includes every person in every community in every nation. As I write this, there are approximately 7.2 billion people spread out over 57.3 million square miles on the face of the earth. How in the world can our small lives make a difference when the mission of God is so enormous?
Well, hold on there. Before we give up, let’s do some math. You see, while there are 7.2 billion people on the face of the earth, 2.2 billion of them are baptized Christians. That leaves 5 billion unbaptized people. Still overwhelming, right? But if we do the math, do you know how many unbaptized people there are per Christian on earth? Not millions or thousands or even dozens. There are two.
Five billion unbaptized people divided by 2.2 billion baptized people is roughly two people each. Millions or thousands or even dozens would be overwhelming. Two is not. Two is doable. Looks like Jesus’ overwhelming mission isn’t so overwhelming after all. All that needs to happen is for each of us to take up our very small part of his great big mission.
You see, the scope of God’s mission is, indeed, global. It is as massive and expansive as the earth and everyone in it. But the focus of God’s mission is radically local and radically personal. We don’t start with the whole earth. We start with our nearest unbaptized neighbor or friend. We can’t win the world for Christ until we meet our neighbor who needs Christ. So, what’s their name? What’s their story? As simple as it sounds, getting to know and offering friendship to one or two of them is how we engage the massive, global mission of God. And if each of the 2.2 billion Christians on the face of the earth took up their small part? Wow…
Imagine 2.2 billion Christians taking the next year and starting to get to know and offer friendship to one or two of the unbaptized people nearby? What if we stopped being overwhelmed by the 4,999,999,998 unbaptized people who we don’t know and started to invest in the one or two who are already nearby? The magazine “Christianity Today” recently reported that in the U.S. 20% of unchristian people don’t know even one Christian personally. Is it because no Christians live nearby or work alongside them? Is it because no Christians hang out at the same coffeehouses or brew houses? Is it because no Christians work out at the same gym or have kids in the same school? Hmm….
But this could change. And easily.
What if all the people in church worshipping Jesus this Sunday went home and did the one thing Jesus gave us to do? What if all the people in church worshipping Jesus this Sunday went home and started loving their neighbor? Not the nations, not the city, not thousands or hundreds, just the few already nearby.
By the way, mission is much easier and a lot more fun when we get to know our neighbor’s name and a little of their story. Fred Rogers, from “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood,” used to say, “It’s hard not to like someone once you know their story.” Are you tempted to dislike your neighbor, judge your neighbor, or avoid your neighbor because they are so… whatever you disapprove of? Then draw deeply from the grace God offers you, and invite that neighbor over for a meal. During your time together, have the goal of getting to know a little of their story. Then replace your neighbor in the story with yourself. What would you be like if you had grown up in the environment they had? What would you be like if you had been caught in the consequences of one or two of your bad choices like they had? What would you be like if what had happened to them had happened to you? And if you had ended up “that way,” wouldn’t it be a blessing from God to have a neighbor nearby who treated you with the kind of love you didn’t deserve but needed so badly? Wouldn’t it be a blessing from God to have a neighbor who took time to get to know you and really listen to you? Wouldn’t it be a blessing to have a neighbor nearby who wasn’t repelled and judgmental like a Pharisee but patient and redemptive like Jesus?
This is who we are. This is what we do. We aren’t given the job of fixing our neighbor or saving our neighbor. Our job is much simpler. We are to love our neighbor, as the Father has already loved us. This is our small part of His great big mission.
If 2.2 billion of us each took up our very small part, his great big mission would come to pass.
Again…something I found very interesting. This is from Pastor Greg Finke’s blog. Some of us have or are working through his training on how to be an everyday missionary…May God bless your study. Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
My Small Part of God's Great Big Mission
Greg Finke
June 12, 2017
"What difference can I make?"
As I talk with people across the country, I find that one of the biggest reasons people shrink back from getting up and getting started with joining Jesus on his mission is that the mission itself seems overwhelming.
And it is.
After all, the mission of God is global in its scope. It is by definition massive. It includes every person in every community in every nation. As I write this, there are approximately 7.2 billion people spread out over 57.3 million square miles on the face of the earth. How in the world can our small lives make a difference when the mission of God is so enormous?
Well, hold on there. Before we give up, let’s do some math. You see, while there are 7.2 billion people on the face of the earth, 2.2 billion of them are baptized Christians. That leaves 5 billion unbaptized people. Still overwhelming, right? But if we do the math, do you know how many unbaptized people there are per Christian on earth? Not millions or thousands or even dozens. There are two.
Five billion unbaptized people divided by 2.2 billion baptized people is roughly two people each. Millions or thousands or even dozens would be overwhelming. Two is not. Two is doable. Looks like Jesus’ overwhelming mission isn’t so overwhelming after all. All that needs to happen is for each of us to take up our very small part of his great big mission.
You see, the scope of God’s mission is, indeed, global. It is as massive and expansive as the earth and everyone in it. But the focus of God’s mission is radically local and radically personal. We don’t start with the whole earth. We start with our nearest unbaptized neighbor or friend. We can’t win the world for Christ until we meet our neighbor who needs Christ. So, what’s their name? What’s their story? As simple as it sounds, getting to know and offering friendship to one or two of them is how we engage the massive, global mission of God. And if each of the 2.2 billion Christians on the face of the earth took up their small part? Wow…
Imagine 2.2 billion Christians taking the next year and starting to get to know and offer friendship to one or two of the unbaptized people nearby? What if we stopped being overwhelmed by the 4,999,999,998 unbaptized people who we don’t know and started to invest in the one or two who are already nearby? The magazine “Christianity Today” recently reported that in the U.S. 20% of unchristian people don’t know even one Christian personally. Is it because no Christians live nearby or work alongside them? Is it because no Christians hang out at the same coffeehouses or brew houses? Is it because no Christians work out at the same gym or have kids in the same school? Hmm….
But this could change. And easily.
What if all the people in church worshipping Jesus this Sunday went home and did the one thing Jesus gave us to do? What if all the people in church worshipping Jesus this Sunday went home and started loving their neighbor? Not the nations, not the city, not thousands or hundreds, just the few already nearby.
By the way, mission is much easier and a lot more fun when we get to know our neighbor’s name and a little of their story. Fred Rogers, from “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood,” used to say, “It’s hard not to like someone once you know their story.” Are you tempted to dislike your neighbor, judge your neighbor, or avoid your neighbor because they are so… whatever you disapprove of? Then draw deeply from the grace God offers you, and invite that neighbor over for a meal. During your time together, have the goal of getting to know a little of their story. Then replace your neighbor in the story with yourself. What would you be like if you had grown up in the environment they had? What would you be like if you had been caught in the consequences of one or two of your bad choices like they had? What would you be like if what had happened to them had happened to you? And if you had ended up “that way,” wouldn’t it be a blessing from God to have a neighbor nearby who treated you with the kind of love you didn’t deserve but needed so badly? Wouldn’t it be a blessing from God to have a neighbor who took time to get to know you and really listen to you? Wouldn’t it be a blessing to have a neighbor nearby who wasn’t repelled and judgmental like a Pharisee but patient and redemptive like Jesus?
This is who we are. This is what we do. We aren’t given the job of fixing our neighbor or saving our neighbor. Our job is much simpler. We are to love our neighbor, as the Father has already loved us. This is our small part of His great big mission.
If 2.2 billion of us each took up our very small part, his great big mission would come to pass.
JUNE 2017
I found this interesting...I hope you do also. Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
On the Reformation’s 500th anniversary, remembering Martin Luther’s contribution to literacy
May 15, 2017 8.53pm EDT
By Richard Gunderman, Chancellor's Professor of Medicine, Liberal Arts, and Philanthropy, Indiana University
This year marks the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s famous 95 Theses, which helped spark the founding of the Reformation and the division of Christianity into Protestantism and Catholicism.
The 95 Theses critiqued the church’s sale of indulgences, which Luther regarded as a form of corruption. By Luther’s time, indulgences had evolved into payments that were said to reduce punishment for sins. Luther believed that such practices only interfered with genuine repentance and discouraged people from giving to the poor. One of Luther’s most important theological contributions was the “priesthood of all believers,” which implied that clerics possessed no more dignity than ordinary people.
Less known is the crucial role Luther played in making the case for ordinary people to read often and well. Unlike the papacy and its defenders, who were producing their writings in Latin, Luther reached out to Germans in their mother tongue, substantially enhancing the accessibility of his written ideas.
In my teaching of philanthropy, Luther’s promotion of literacy is one of the historic events I often discuss with my students.
Early years
Born in Germany in 1483, Luther followed the wishes of his father to study law. Once, while caught in a terrible thunderstorm, he vowed that if he were saved, he would become a monk.
Indeed, Luther later joined the austere Augustinian order, and became both a priest and a doctor of theology. Later he developed objections to many church practices. He protested the promotion of indulgences, the buying and selling of clerical privileges, and the accumulation of substantial wealth by the church while peasants barely survived. Legend has it that on Oct. 31, 1517, Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, the town where he was based.
He was branded an outlaw for refusing to recant his teachings. In 1521, Pope Leo X excommunicated Luther from the Roman Church. His patron, Frederick of Saxony, saved Luther from further reprisal and had him taken in secret to a castle, where he remained for two years.
It was during that time that Luther produced an immensely influential translation of the New Testament into German.
Impact of Luther’s writing
Gutenberg’s earlier introduction of the printing press in 1439 made possible the rapid dissemination of Luther’s works throughout much of Europe, and their impact was staggering.
Luther’s collected works run to 55 volumes. It is estimated that between 1520 and 1526, some 1,700 editions of Luther’s works were printed. Of the six to seven million pamphlets printed during this time, more than a quarter were Luther’s works, many of which played a vital role in propelling the reformation forward.
Thanks to Luther’s translation of the Bible, it became possible for German-speaking people to stop relying on church authorities and instead read the Bible for themselves.
Luther argued that ordinary people were not only capable of interpreting the scriptures for themselves, but that in doing so they stood the best chance of hearing God’s word. He wrote,
“Let the man who would hear God speak read Holy Scripture.”
Luther’s Bible helped form a common German dialect. Prior to Luther, people from different regions of present-day Germany often experienced great difficulty understanding one another. Luther’s Bible translation promoted a single German vernacular, helping to bring people together around a common tongue.
Expanding literacy
This view, combined with the wide availability of scripture, shifted responsibility for scriptural interpretation from clerics to the laity. Luther wanted ordinary people to assume more responsibility for reading the Bible.
In promoting his point of view, Luther helped to provide one of the most effective arguments for universal literacy in the history of Western civilization.
At a time when most people worked in farming, reading was not necessary to maintain a livelihood. But Luther wanted to remove the language barrier so that everyone could read the Bible “without hindrance.” His rationale for wanting people both to learn to read and to read regularly was, from his point of view, among the most powerful imaginable – that reading it for themselves would bring them closer to God.
For much of Luther’s life, his remarkable output in theological treatises was exceeded only by his Bible commentaries. He believed that nothing could substitute for direct and ongoing encounters with scripture, which he both advocated for and helped to shape through his detailed commentaries.
Reading to interpret truth
Luther had many reasons to favor the dissemination of learning. He was a university professor. His 95 Theses were intended as an academic disputation. His teaching and scholarship played a crucial role in the development of his theology. Finally, he recognized the crucial role students would play in carrying his movement forward.
So powerfully did Luther’s influence reverberate down through the ages that, during a visit to Germany in 1934, Rev. Michael King Sr. chose to change both his and his son’s name to Martin Luther King. MLK Jr., namesake of the great German reformer, would make full use of the power of free speech in catalyzing the American civil rights movement.
In posting his 95 Theses, Luther was encouraging a vigorous exchange of ideas. The best community is not the one that suppresses dissent but one that challenges ideas it finds objectionable through rigorous argumentation. It is largely for this reason that the founders of the United States took so seriously freedom of religion, free association and the protection of a free press.
Luther trusted ordinary people to discern the truth. All they needed was the opportunity to interpret what they read for themselves.
Copyright © 2010–2017, The Conversation US, Inc.
I found this interesting...I hope you do also. Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
On the Reformation’s 500th anniversary, remembering Martin Luther’s contribution to literacy
May 15, 2017 8.53pm EDT
By Richard Gunderman, Chancellor's Professor of Medicine, Liberal Arts, and Philanthropy, Indiana University
This year marks the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s famous 95 Theses, which helped spark the founding of the Reformation and the division of Christianity into Protestantism and Catholicism.
The 95 Theses critiqued the church’s sale of indulgences, which Luther regarded as a form of corruption. By Luther’s time, indulgences had evolved into payments that were said to reduce punishment for sins. Luther believed that such practices only interfered with genuine repentance and discouraged people from giving to the poor. One of Luther’s most important theological contributions was the “priesthood of all believers,” which implied that clerics possessed no more dignity than ordinary people.
Less known is the crucial role Luther played in making the case for ordinary people to read often and well. Unlike the papacy and its defenders, who were producing their writings in Latin, Luther reached out to Germans in their mother tongue, substantially enhancing the accessibility of his written ideas.
In my teaching of philanthropy, Luther’s promotion of literacy is one of the historic events I often discuss with my students.
Early years
Born in Germany in 1483, Luther followed the wishes of his father to study law. Once, while caught in a terrible thunderstorm, he vowed that if he were saved, he would become a monk.
Indeed, Luther later joined the austere Augustinian order, and became both a priest and a doctor of theology. Later he developed objections to many church practices. He protested the promotion of indulgences, the buying and selling of clerical privileges, and the accumulation of substantial wealth by the church while peasants barely survived. Legend has it that on Oct. 31, 1517, Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, the town where he was based.
He was branded an outlaw for refusing to recant his teachings. In 1521, Pope Leo X excommunicated Luther from the Roman Church. His patron, Frederick of Saxony, saved Luther from further reprisal and had him taken in secret to a castle, where he remained for two years.
It was during that time that Luther produced an immensely influential translation of the New Testament into German.
Impact of Luther’s writing
Gutenberg’s earlier introduction of the printing press in 1439 made possible the rapid dissemination of Luther’s works throughout much of Europe, and their impact was staggering.
Luther’s collected works run to 55 volumes. It is estimated that between 1520 and 1526, some 1,700 editions of Luther’s works were printed. Of the six to seven million pamphlets printed during this time, more than a quarter were Luther’s works, many of which played a vital role in propelling the reformation forward.
Thanks to Luther’s translation of the Bible, it became possible for German-speaking people to stop relying on church authorities and instead read the Bible for themselves.
Luther argued that ordinary people were not only capable of interpreting the scriptures for themselves, but that in doing so they stood the best chance of hearing God’s word. He wrote,
“Let the man who would hear God speak read Holy Scripture.”
Luther’s Bible helped form a common German dialect. Prior to Luther, people from different regions of present-day Germany often experienced great difficulty understanding one another. Luther’s Bible translation promoted a single German vernacular, helping to bring people together around a common tongue.
Expanding literacy
This view, combined with the wide availability of scripture, shifted responsibility for scriptural interpretation from clerics to the laity. Luther wanted ordinary people to assume more responsibility for reading the Bible.
In promoting his point of view, Luther helped to provide one of the most effective arguments for universal literacy in the history of Western civilization.
At a time when most people worked in farming, reading was not necessary to maintain a livelihood. But Luther wanted to remove the language barrier so that everyone could read the Bible “without hindrance.” His rationale for wanting people both to learn to read and to read regularly was, from his point of view, among the most powerful imaginable – that reading it for themselves would bring them closer to God.
For much of Luther’s life, his remarkable output in theological treatises was exceeded only by his Bible commentaries. He believed that nothing could substitute for direct and ongoing encounters with scripture, which he both advocated for and helped to shape through his detailed commentaries.
Reading to interpret truth
Luther had many reasons to favor the dissemination of learning. He was a university professor. His 95 Theses were intended as an academic disputation. His teaching and scholarship played a crucial role in the development of his theology. Finally, he recognized the crucial role students would play in carrying his movement forward.
So powerfully did Luther’s influence reverberate down through the ages that, during a visit to Germany in 1934, Rev. Michael King Sr. chose to change both his and his son’s name to Martin Luther King. MLK Jr., namesake of the great German reformer, would make full use of the power of free speech in catalyzing the American civil rights movement.
In posting his 95 Theses, Luther was encouraging a vigorous exchange of ideas. The best community is not the one that suppresses dissent but one that challenges ideas it finds objectionable through rigorous argumentation. It is largely for this reason that the founders of the United States took so seriously freedom of religion, free association and the protection of a free press.
Luther trusted ordinary people to discern the truth. All they needed was the opportunity to interpret what they read for themselves.
Copyright © 2010–2017, The Conversation US, Inc.
May 2017
Questions?
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed…(1 Corinthians 15:51 ESV)
Several years ago, when I was involved with our Synod’s Rural/Small Town ministry, I attended a workshop at which Rev. Jock Ficken presented a session on his book: Change: Learning to Lead It and Living to Tell About It. And, yes, it is an interesting book with an intriguing title; after all, just how many Lutherans does it take to change a light bulb?
I’m not sure that Pastor Ficken presented anything radically new that I hadn’t acquired either through other studies, or my own trial and error practice. After all, when you are someone, like myself, who embraces change, you are going to make your share of mistakes…and hopefully learn from some of them! But he does present in a way that engages the reader/listener…and his book sitting in my library reminded me of some questions he encourages congregational members to ask of themselves. I was thinking of them as I am considering how God wants me to shepherd His sheep in our new multi-congregation ministry.
Here they are:
How do you answer these questions? I’m interested in knowing. If you want to answer anonymously, just drop a note by one of the offices…or in our mailbox at either church. But I’m really interested in hearing from you personally. Stop by the office and (if I have time) visit with me, or make an appointment (less chance of wasting your time!). Or I can take you out to coffee…Or you can invite me to our home…Whatever you choose, I’d like to hear what your prayerful consideration has led you to say!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
Questions?
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed…(1 Corinthians 15:51 ESV)
Several years ago, when I was involved with our Synod’s Rural/Small Town ministry, I attended a workshop at which Rev. Jock Ficken presented a session on his book: Change: Learning to Lead It and Living to Tell About It. And, yes, it is an interesting book with an intriguing title; after all, just how many Lutherans does it take to change a light bulb?
I’m not sure that Pastor Ficken presented anything radically new that I hadn’t acquired either through other studies, or my own trial and error practice. After all, when you are someone, like myself, who embraces change, you are going to make your share of mistakes…and hopefully learn from some of them! But he does present in a way that engages the reader/listener…and his book sitting in my library reminded me of some questions he encourages congregational members to ask of themselves. I was thinking of them as I am considering how God wants me to shepherd His sheep in our new multi-congregation ministry.
Here they are:
- Over the years, what has been most special to you in your church?
- What do you think the next big challenge is for us in our ministry?
- What do you think God has planned for our ministry in the future?
- What do you think we need to improve as we move toward the next decade?
- What is your dream for your church? For this ministry?
- What should we be doing five years from now that we are not doing today? Three years from now? Two years from now?
How do you answer these questions? I’m interested in knowing. If you want to answer anonymously, just drop a note by one of the offices…or in our mailbox at either church. But I’m really interested in hearing from you personally. Stop by the office and (if I have time) visit with me, or make an appointment (less chance of wasting your time!). Or I can take you out to coffee…Or you can invite me to our home…Whatever you choose, I’d like to hear what your prayerful consideration has led you to say!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
April 2017
New…But Not New
“Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.” (1 John 2:7-8 ESV)
There’s something new going on in our congregations that is not really new. Most who read this are already aware that St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church, Braham, and St. John’s Lutheran Church, Rush City, have entered into a new multi-congregation ministry agreement as of March 1, 2017. As I said, this is a new phase of our ministry in this area.
But it’s also not new. Many of the long-time members of each of our congregations remember the time when our two congregations shared a pastor and a ministry 30+ years ago. So it’s new…but it’s not new!
As we continue to engage in God’s mission field around us, the cooperation our two congregations are entering into is not new. We’ve done this before as a dual parish—reaching out into our communities with God’s message of salvation through faith, by grace, because of Jesus’ sacrifice to pay for our sins and give us forgiveness from sin, death and hell. We’ve also been doing this as a Circuit of the LCMS, as we have shared prayers and resources through our various circuit opportunities. And again, as a part of the District and a part of the national LCMS we have been cooperating in this mission field. So this cooperation is not new.
But what may be new…again…is the closeness of the cooperation. There are also some new ‘players’ on our ministry teams as we, through the leadership of the Holy Spirit, strive to expand God’s ministry through our locations into our communities. I tend to look at this as a business owner would look at things when she/he would expand her/his business into a new community—St. John’s is expanding our share of God’s ministry into Braham…St. Stephen’s is expanding our share of God’s ministry into Rush City. What an opportunity to share resources and ideas and opportunities! And to do so not just at arms’ length as we did through our cooperation as a Circuit, etc., but walking/running side-by-side as God leads us to reach out with the Gospel!
I am not much of a runner and have not been a great proponent of exercise (I’m working at changing that!)…but I have run enough (and exercised enough) to know that the encouragement of a partner is invaluable! When one begins to fade, the other can give accountability and encouragement to the other! The same thing is true in ministry partnerships. Paul describes the Christian life as a race…and in this closeness we have in partnership, when one runner gets tired, the other can encourage the exhausted partner to greater effort to finish the race and not grow weary and stop.
Let’s turn our attention back to the verse at the beginning of this article. We have a new and old component to our 100+ year old ministry. And we do so under and with the commandment given us by Jesus that St. John is describing. The commandment was old…and yet new! Love one another…love your brother…do not love the world…love as God has first loved you.
We know God’s love for us: God, in Jesus, laid down his life for us while we were still sinners (to steal some of St. Paul’s words!). In response to God’s love in us, as faith works in us so that we know our forgiveness, faith also works in us to lay down our lives for the sinners around us. Some of the sinners around us are in our communities. Some of the sinners around us are in our congregations. Wherever they are found, we are called to love them. This is not easy. It was not easy for God to give the life of his one and only Son. It is not easy for us to leave our sinful selfishness and love—to utterly selflessly care about—others who irritate us, much less those whom we do not like at all!
But this is what we were saved to do. And this is what it is going to take—from our earthly point of view—as we enter into this new/old phase of God’s ministry. Of ourselves, we cannot do this. But with God, all things are possible! God continually drives us to repentance, forgives all our sins, and sets us to work in his kingdom. In his name and by his grace, we can do all things.
New…But Not New
“Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.” (1 John 2:7-8 ESV)
There’s something new going on in our congregations that is not really new. Most who read this are already aware that St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church, Braham, and St. John’s Lutheran Church, Rush City, have entered into a new multi-congregation ministry agreement as of March 1, 2017. As I said, this is a new phase of our ministry in this area.
But it’s also not new. Many of the long-time members of each of our congregations remember the time when our two congregations shared a pastor and a ministry 30+ years ago. So it’s new…but it’s not new!
As we continue to engage in God’s mission field around us, the cooperation our two congregations are entering into is not new. We’ve done this before as a dual parish—reaching out into our communities with God’s message of salvation through faith, by grace, because of Jesus’ sacrifice to pay for our sins and give us forgiveness from sin, death and hell. We’ve also been doing this as a Circuit of the LCMS, as we have shared prayers and resources through our various circuit opportunities. And again, as a part of the District and a part of the national LCMS we have been cooperating in this mission field. So this cooperation is not new.
But what may be new…again…is the closeness of the cooperation. There are also some new ‘players’ on our ministry teams as we, through the leadership of the Holy Spirit, strive to expand God’s ministry through our locations into our communities. I tend to look at this as a business owner would look at things when she/he would expand her/his business into a new community—St. John’s is expanding our share of God’s ministry into Braham…St. Stephen’s is expanding our share of God’s ministry into Rush City. What an opportunity to share resources and ideas and opportunities! And to do so not just at arms’ length as we did through our cooperation as a Circuit, etc., but walking/running side-by-side as God leads us to reach out with the Gospel!
I am not much of a runner and have not been a great proponent of exercise (I’m working at changing that!)…but I have run enough (and exercised enough) to know that the encouragement of a partner is invaluable! When one begins to fade, the other can give accountability and encouragement to the other! The same thing is true in ministry partnerships. Paul describes the Christian life as a race…and in this closeness we have in partnership, when one runner gets tired, the other can encourage the exhausted partner to greater effort to finish the race and not grow weary and stop.
Let’s turn our attention back to the verse at the beginning of this article. We have a new and old component to our 100+ year old ministry. And we do so under and with the commandment given us by Jesus that St. John is describing. The commandment was old…and yet new! Love one another…love your brother…do not love the world…love as God has first loved you.
We know God’s love for us: God, in Jesus, laid down his life for us while we were still sinners (to steal some of St. Paul’s words!). In response to God’s love in us, as faith works in us so that we know our forgiveness, faith also works in us to lay down our lives for the sinners around us. Some of the sinners around us are in our communities. Some of the sinners around us are in our congregations. Wherever they are found, we are called to love them. This is not easy. It was not easy for God to give the life of his one and only Son. It is not easy for us to leave our sinful selfishness and love—to utterly selflessly care about—others who irritate us, much less those whom we do not like at all!
But this is what we were saved to do. And this is what it is going to take—from our earthly point of view—as we enter into this new/old phase of God’s ministry. Of ourselves, we cannot do this. But with God, all things are possible! God continually drives us to repentance, forgives all our sins, and sets us to work in his kingdom. In his name and by his grace, we can do all things.
February 2017
Pastor’s article
It was one of those!
I was just listening to a story told by one of our members…and the sentence came out, “It was a pig, or a sheep, or a goat. It was one of those!” The two of us who were listening burst out laughing…you had to be there…after all, as good kids who grew up on farms we knew that there are big differences between a pig…or a sheep…or a goat! You don’t mix those up! Whoever tried to get wool from a pig?!
About now you are wondering what this has to do with an article from a pastor! Let me try to explain.
Many in the world try not to see the differences between the religions of the world (by religions I mean the various world religions, i.e. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, etc., not the various Christian denominations—that would be an article for another time). They say it really doesn’t matter, as long as you believe what you believe sincerely. After all, they are all religions, aren’t they?
That’s like saying there are really no differences between a pig, a sheep or a goat! After all, they all have cloven hooves. But, have you ever tried to get a pork chop from a goat? Or milk a pig? Think about it…if you don’t know you look it up from reliable sources, and you will learn that there are even differences between various goats! You can actually get wool from certain goats! Just because you don’t know the differences, or don’t believe the differences, doesn’t mean they don’t exist…and doesn’t mean they don’t matter.
The differences between religions also matter. They are the difference between eternal damnation and hell, and eternal life in heaven. Every religion will have a code of ethics—the difference between right and wrong. It is one of the basic definitions of ‘religion’. And, when you break the rules and do what is wrong, there is some punishment—even in those religions which teach that there is no god.
Another question religion tries to answer is, how do you get to live the ‘good life’? After all, if you break the rules, you get punished…so how do you get rewarded? Nearly every religion teaches that you must try to do more good than bad. If you do more good than bad, then good things will happen to you.
But there is a problem. In these religions you never know when you’ve done enough good to get the really good rewards.
There is one religion that is different. It is Christianity. It teaches that we have all sinned and broken God’s rules and deserve hell (which most other religions teach). Then it goes a different direction than the manmade religions; it continues and teaches that we cannot please God with any of our good works (which can make us feel like we are left without hope!). Yet, we are not lost! God has given to us the solution to having the ‘good life’. As a gift to us, he sent his Son, Jesus, to pay the eternal penalty for our sins and brokenness; and he sent his Holy Spirit to bring us to faith in his promise of forgiveness in his Son’s name. By grace, through faith, because of Jesus, we have the really good rewards now and throughout eternity.
This is really different. It is no longer up to me, it is up to God. I simply receive the gifts of a good Father. I can reject the gifts and live in eternal damnation—after all, God never forces anyone to believe in him—or I can receive them by faith. My works count for nothing, but still I want to do good, because God has been so good to me—and it’s good for me.
Differences matter. It matters to the pig…to the sheep…and to the goat! And it matters to us. The only thing manmade religions can offer is uncertain ‘hope’ in the failures of man. But in Christianity, through faith in the Triune God and the work of Jesus Christ we have abundant life now and eternal life in heaven.
Pastor’s article
It was one of those!
I was just listening to a story told by one of our members…and the sentence came out, “It was a pig, or a sheep, or a goat. It was one of those!” The two of us who were listening burst out laughing…you had to be there…after all, as good kids who grew up on farms we knew that there are big differences between a pig…or a sheep…or a goat! You don’t mix those up! Whoever tried to get wool from a pig?!
About now you are wondering what this has to do with an article from a pastor! Let me try to explain.
Many in the world try not to see the differences between the religions of the world (by religions I mean the various world religions, i.e. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, etc., not the various Christian denominations—that would be an article for another time). They say it really doesn’t matter, as long as you believe what you believe sincerely. After all, they are all religions, aren’t they?
That’s like saying there are really no differences between a pig, a sheep or a goat! After all, they all have cloven hooves. But, have you ever tried to get a pork chop from a goat? Or milk a pig? Think about it…if you don’t know you look it up from reliable sources, and you will learn that there are even differences between various goats! You can actually get wool from certain goats! Just because you don’t know the differences, or don’t believe the differences, doesn’t mean they don’t exist…and doesn’t mean they don’t matter.
The differences between religions also matter. They are the difference between eternal damnation and hell, and eternal life in heaven. Every religion will have a code of ethics—the difference between right and wrong. It is one of the basic definitions of ‘religion’. And, when you break the rules and do what is wrong, there is some punishment—even in those religions which teach that there is no god.
Another question religion tries to answer is, how do you get to live the ‘good life’? After all, if you break the rules, you get punished…so how do you get rewarded? Nearly every religion teaches that you must try to do more good than bad. If you do more good than bad, then good things will happen to you.
But there is a problem. In these religions you never know when you’ve done enough good to get the really good rewards.
There is one religion that is different. It is Christianity. It teaches that we have all sinned and broken God’s rules and deserve hell (which most other religions teach). Then it goes a different direction than the manmade religions; it continues and teaches that we cannot please God with any of our good works (which can make us feel like we are left without hope!). Yet, we are not lost! God has given to us the solution to having the ‘good life’. As a gift to us, he sent his Son, Jesus, to pay the eternal penalty for our sins and brokenness; and he sent his Holy Spirit to bring us to faith in his promise of forgiveness in his Son’s name. By grace, through faith, because of Jesus, we have the really good rewards now and throughout eternity.
This is really different. It is no longer up to me, it is up to God. I simply receive the gifts of a good Father. I can reject the gifts and live in eternal damnation—after all, God never forces anyone to believe in him—or I can receive them by faith. My works count for nothing, but still I want to do good, because God has been so good to me—and it’s good for me.
Differences matter. It matters to the pig…to the sheep…and to the goat! And it matters to us. The only thing manmade religions can offer is uncertain ‘hope’ in the failures of man. But in Christianity, through faith in the Triune God and the work of Jesus Christ we have abundant life now and eternal life in heaven.
January 2017
“Pastor, I think too many people confuse free grace with free church.” Or so I remember the quote from the wise older gentleman I was visiting with. It was something like that! The conversation was taking place around a table a short time after the congregation had announced her annual budget.
He went on, “Salvation is free. The forgiveness of our sins is free. Grace is free. This is given to us because of the work of Jesus Christ. This is what Christianity is about. But church is not free. It costs money to keep a building up. It costs money to have a pastor. It costs money to do the mission of the church. This is not free. Grace is free. Church is not.”
I wish we could have talked more. But his wife came and it was time to go. But he is right. We are saved freely by grace through faith because of the work of Jesus. And we do often confuse ‘free grace’ with ‘free church’. And I think we pastors sometimes add to the confusion because we fail to talk about the importance of ‘church’ when we’re always pushing the importance of ‘grace and salvation.’
Why is ‘church’ important? Inspired by God, the writer to the Hebrews thought it was important enough to write, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (10:24-25 ESV). Church is important because God says so. Church is important because we need to be stirred up to love (it’s very easy to become bitter toward people without others encouraging us to love). Church is important because we need to be stirred up to good works—works for others because of Christ’s love for us (if the works are not in response to Christ’s love, they are not good works, no matter how much ‘good’ they may do). Church is important because we need to meet together.
Meeting together is where we share our burdens and help carry others through difficult times. I know it’s contrary to American culture to think we need help. We’re supposed to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps! At least that’s what the ‘dime westerns’ I love to read profess! Strong individualism rules the day. And there is a powerful message of personal accountability throughout Scripture—for our sins and our lives. But from the very beginning there is also a strong message of community:
It’s not because God needs our money or anything that is ‘ours.’ He doesn’t. He is the creator and owner of all things. We are only stewards. But he chooses to let us participate because it is good for us—as long as we don’t confuse our participation in the church (after receiving free forgiveness) with thinking that we deserve forgiveness (because we participate in the church). I know that statement might be confusing—it has confused much of Christianity into thinking they can earn forgiveness (they/we can’t!). Simply: we work because God says so and it’s good for us, not because we gain anything by working.
Participating in the work of the church costs our time, our talent, and, yes, our money. (Or what we think of as ‘ours’.) Someone has once said that we are likely to show our faith by what we invest in. What do you invest in? Cars? Boats? Houses? Community committees? Family? Job? Travel? Church?
I don’t have faith in church, either. But I do have faith in God. He has given forgiveness of all my sins through the work of his Son, Jesus, by grace, through faith. For that it is my duty to give him praise, thanks and prayer—and my investment, by his grace.
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
“Pastor, I think too many people confuse free grace with free church.” Or so I remember the quote from the wise older gentleman I was visiting with. It was something like that! The conversation was taking place around a table a short time after the congregation had announced her annual budget.
He went on, “Salvation is free. The forgiveness of our sins is free. Grace is free. This is given to us because of the work of Jesus Christ. This is what Christianity is about. But church is not free. It costs money to keep a building up. It costs money to have a pastor. It costs money to do the mission of the church. This is not free. Grace is free. Church is not.”
I wish we could have talked more. But his wife came and it was time to go. But he is right. We are saved freely by grace through faith because of the work of Jesus. And we do often confuse ‘free grace’ with ‘free church’. And I think we pastors sometimes add to the confusion because we fail to talk about the importance of ‘church’ when we’re always pushing the importance of ‘grace and salvation.’
Why is ‘church’ important? Inspired by God, the writer to the Hebrews thought it was important enough to write, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (10:24-25 ESV). Church is important because God says so. Church is important because we need to be stirred up to love (it’s very easy to become bitter toward people without others encouraging us to love). Church is important because we need to be stirred up to good works—works for others because of Christ’s love for us (if the works are not in response to Christ’s love, they are not good works, no matter how much ‘good’ they may do). Church is important because we need to meet together.
Meeting together is where we share our burdens and help carry others through difficult times. I know it’s contrary to American culture to think we need help. We’re supposed to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps! At least that’s what the ‘dime westerns’ I love to read profess! Strong individualism rules the day. And there is a powerful message of personal accountability throughout Scripture—for our sins and our lives. But from the very beginning there is also a strong message of community:
- No suitable helper was found for Adam until God created Eve.
- Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord, but 8 were saved from the flood in the Ark.
- David, in God’s power, stood alone against Goliath, but had his company of men as he waited for his time to become king of Israel.
- Jesus called 12 to be Apostles.
- Jesus sent out the 12—and the 72—in groups of two to proclaim his message of repentance and God’s kingdom.
- The Lord’s Supper that we celebrate is often called—‘Communion’—not only giving forgiveness of sins, salvation, eternal life, and faith, but also teaching the community that we have in common because of Christ’s meal.
- The Apostles continued to go out in groups and gather others together in larger groups after the ascension of Jesus, following Jesus’ example, as they continued to proclaim Christ’s kingdom—as we see in Acts and the letters in the New Testament.
It’s not because God needs our money or anything that is ‘ours.’ He doesn’t. He is the creator and owner of all things. We are only stewards. But he chooses to let us participate because it is good for us—as long as we don’t confuse our participation in the church (after receiving free forgiveness) with thinking that we deserve forgiveness (because we participate in the church). I know that statement might be confusing—it has confused much of Christianity into thinking they can earn forgiveness (they/we can’t!). Simply: we work because God says so and it’s good for us, not because we gain anything by working.
Participating in the work of the church costs our time, our talent, and, yes, our money. (Or what we think of as ‘ours’.) Someone has once said that we are likely to show our faith by what we invest in. What do you invest in? Cars? Boats? Houses? Community committees? Family? Job? Travel? Church?
I don’t have faith in church, either. But I do have faith in God. He has given forgiveness of all my sins through the work of his Son, Jesus, by grace, through faith. For that it is my duty to give him praise, thanks and prayer—and my investment, by his grace.
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
November 2016
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
On February 18, 1546, a 62 year old man died. Nothing unusual about that event. Men and women are born every day. Men and women die every day. For 1546, 62 years was a ripe, old age.
He had a scrap of paper in his pocket. On it he had written, “No one can think that he has tasted the Holy Scriptures thoroughly until he has ruled over the churches with the prophets for a hundred years. This is true. We are all beggars.”
We are all beggars.
So thought Dr. Martin Luther. And so he taught. And so he lived. During the next 12 months much will be made, much will be said, much will be celebrated around the 500th anniversary of a Reformation started by a “beggar.” A large denomination of Christianity bears a name (Lutheran) giving honor to the Biblical teaching of a man who, as a boy, grew up in the Roman Catholic Church of his day. He saw the false teachings—the heresies—of the leaders of that church and was compelled by God through the Holy Scriptures to confront those false teachings and, finally, to reform those teachings.
His reformation did not just affect the church. Dr. Luther was involved in society, government, education and every aspect of living. He did not believe God—and faith—and the church—and religion—stopped when you left church on Sunday morning. God and faith and church and religion are to permeate every part of our lives. And he lived that way. But as a beggar.
Not as a beggar on a street corner, but as a beggar before God. He lived and taught what the Bible proclaims: We have all sinned and fallen short of the expectations of our Creator God. He created us to serve each other and to serve him in thought, word and deed. But we remained focused and concerned about ‘me’. And we fight and claw and damage each other. And we fight and claw at God. And in doing so we sin and deserve only death and damnation.
Still God loves us. Even while we were enemies against God, he sent his son to reconcile himself to us so that we can be reconciled to each other. The reconciliation cost God’s Son, Jesus, his life through death on a cross. He was buried in a tomb. But he who was sinless could not stay dead. Even though he had taken upon himself the weight of all of our sins and the weight of all of the sins of the entire creation, he who was and is perfect could not stay dead. He rose from the dead, alive again.
And, still, God loves us! Even though we killed the Son, the one through whom all things were made, he offers us the forgiveness of our sins through his blood and the faith to believe and trust that even though we don’t deserve any grace or any mercy and deserve nothing but death, he gives us life—eternal life—abundant life.
So we are beggars—unable to live or love by ourselves—but, through the constant love of our giving creator God (Triune: Father, Son and Holy Spirit) we have life and love—by grace, through faith, because of the work of the Son. This truth is truth that is made known to us only through God’s Word, the Bible. This is the truth Dr. Luther recognized in the Bible. This is the truth he taught that turned the world upside down in the 16th century. This is the truth that made him an outlaw against the Roman Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Emperor, even to the day of his death.
This is the Reformation that God started when Dr. Luther nailed his 95 arguments (Theses) on the castle church door at Wittenberg on October 31, 1517. And, in looking back at the event during this next year, we want to give thanks and praise to God for the work he has done through Dr. Luther and the Reformation Church these last 500 years. Watch for more things to come—I know that we are planning at least to watch the 2003 Luther movie sometime—so that we can better understand the gift God has given us in understanding our faith.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
On February 18, 1546, a 62 year old man died. Nothing unusual about that event. Men and women are born every day. Men and women die every day. For 1546, 62 years was a ripe, old age.
He had a scrap of paper in his pocket. On it he had written, “No one can think that he has tasted the Holy Scriptures thoroughly until he has ruled over the churches with the prophets for a hundred years. This is true. We are all beggars.”
We are all beggars.
So thought Dr. Martin Luther. And so he taught. And so he lived. During the next 12 months much will be made, much will be said, much will be celebrated around the 500th anniversary of a Reformation started by a “beggar.” A large denomination of Christianity bears a name (Lutheran) giving honor to the Biblical teaching of a man who, as a boy, grew up in the Roman Catholic Church of his day. He saw the false teachings—the heresies—of the leaders of that church and was compelled by God through the Holy Scriptures to confront those false teachings and, finally, to reform those teachings.
His reformation did not just affect the church. Dr. Luther was involved in society, government, education and every aspect of living. He did not believe God—and faith—and the church—and religion—stopped when you left church on Sunday morning. God and faith and church and religion are to permeate every part of our lives. And he lived that way. But as a beggar.
Not as a beggar on a street corner, but as a beggar before God. He lived and taught what the Bible proclaims: We have all sinned and fallen short of the expectations of our Creator God. He created us to serve each other and to serve him in thought, word and deed. But we remained focused and concerned about ‘me’. And we fight and claw and damage each other. And we fight and claw at God. And in doing so we sin and deserve only death and damnation.
Still God loves us. Even while we were enemies against God, he sent his son to reconcile himself to us so that we can be reconciled to each other. The reconciliation cost God’s Son, Jesus, his life through death on a cross. He was buried in a tomb. But he who was sinless could not stay dead. Even though he had taken upon himself the weight of all of our sins and the weight of all of the sins of the entire creation, he who was and is perfect could not stay dead. He rose from the dead, alive again.
And, still, God loves us! Even though we killed the Son, the one through whom all things were made, he offers us the forgiveness of our sins through his blood and the faith to believe and trust that even though we don’t deserve any grace or any mercy and deserve nothing but death, he gives us life—eternal life—abundant life.
So we are beggars—unable to live or love by ourselves—but, through the constant love of our giving creator God (Triune: Father, Son and Holy Spirit) we have life and love—by grace, through faith, because of the work of the Son. This truth is truth that is made known to us only through God’s Word, the Bible. This is the truth Dr. Luther recognized in the Bible. This is the truth he taught that turned the world upside down in the 16th century. This is the truth that made him an outlaw against the Roman Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Emperor, even to the day of his death.
This is the Reformation that God started when Dr. Luther nailed his 95 arguments (Theses) on the castle church door at Wittenberg on October 31, 1517. And, in looking back at the event during this next year, we want to give thanks and praise to God for the work he has done through Dr. Luther and the Reformation Church these last 500 years. Watch for more things to come—I know that we are planning at least to watch the 2003 Luther movie sometime—so that we can better understand the gift God has given us in understanding our faith.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
October 2016
In looking for an idea for this month’s newsletters, I came across this devotion. It is from Thrive: Devotions for Students, Concordia Publishing House, © 2009 CPH, St. Louis. The entire devotion book is written by teenagers for teens—and there are some really good insights as one reads them. This devotion is authored by Abby Newman. Its title is “The Perfect Plan.”
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV).
Do you ever feel like you are out of control and nothing is going as you planned? Well, in this verse, God lets us know that He has a plan for us, and He will not let us down. Sometimes we do not know what we should be doing in life. If we move to a new school or a new state or country, when tragic events happen, or when things seem to be spinning out of control, God lets us know that He has a plan for us. And He never fails. As it says in Jeremiah, these plans are to “prosper” us and “not to harm” us (NIV). God would never do anything to harm us. Even if bad things happen and we wonder why God lets them happen, it is not because He wants to hurt us. We almost never know why bad things happen, but we do know that God promises to cause good to come out of these things. You can trust the Lord and have faith in Him. Just put everything into His hands and let it go, knowing He will take care of it.
It also says in this verse that His plans are to give us “hope and a future” (NIV). God knows our needs and our wants, and He will surely provide. Our future is in His hands. What better person could you have picked for the job? We simply need to remember that we do not have to worry because God is in control of all things.
Wise words from a young person. Sort of reminds me of Paul’s words to Timothy: “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12 ESV). We older believers can learn from the younger, even as the younger can also receive from us older the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
In looking for an idea for this month’s newsletters, I came across this devotion. It is from Thrive: Devotions for Students, Concordia Publishing House, © 2009 CPH, St. Louis. The entire devotion book is written by teenagers for teens—and there are some really good insights as one reads them. This devotion is authored by Abby Newman. Its title is “The Perfect Plan.”
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV).
Do you ever feel like you are out of control and nothing is going as you planned? Well, in this verse, God lets us know that He has a plan for us, and He will not let us down. Sometimes we do not know what we should be doing in life. If we move to a new school or a new state or country, when tragic events happen, or when things seem to be spinning out of control, God lets us know that He has a plan for us. And He never fails. As it says in Jeremiah, these plans are to “prosper” us and “not to harm” us (NIV). God would never do anything to harm us. Even if bad things happen and we wonder why God lets them happen, it is not because He wants to hurt us. We almost never know why bad things happen, but we do know that God promises to cause good to come out of these things. You can trust the Lord and have faith in Him. Just put everything into His hands and let it go, knowing He will take care of it.
It also says in this verse that His plans are to give us “hope and a future” (NIV). God knows our needs and our wants, and He will surely provide. Our future is in His hands. What better person could you have picked for the job? We simply need to remember that we do not have to worry because God is in control of all things.
Wise words from a young person. Sort of reminds me of Paul’s words to Timothy: “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12 ESV). We older believers can learn from the younger, even as the younger can also receive from us older the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
September 2016
Church!
“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:18-19 ESV)
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reading the first volume of The Emigrants, by Vilhelm Moberg. It’s not been an easy read for me (for a comparison, over the same length of time I recently read all of the Sherlock Holmes works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—considerably more to read). It is the story—Moberg calls it a documentary novel—about the Swedish emigration to Minnesota in the 1850s from a geographical location very close to my ancestors’ home. It is a slow read for me, because I get too invested in the lives of the characters—I get too ‘close’ and it gets too ‘real’ and I need to back away for awhile.
There are a number of situations that draw me in and raise my ire…and cause me to start arguing with the book...but the one that is relative to this article is the church situation in Sweden in which the emigrants that Moberg follows find themselves. As portrayed in the book, the Church of Sweden (good Lutheran) did much to contribute to the many problems of the society of that day. It was so focused on piety—my definition is ‘doing the right things right’—that it became quite legalistic and heavy handed in dealing with the members of the church. Much was made of the teachings in the 4th Commandment to be a good son or daughter, to be a good citizen of the country, and to properly obey what Luther calls ‘other authorities’ in his explanation: policemen, pastors, etc. So much so that those in authority were misusing those who were under their authority, including those in leadership in the local church.
Which led these believing, forgiven members of the Body of Christ to abandon, not only their farms and businesses and families, but also their church. The Church withheld the Gospel—not in accord with the Office of the Keys as Jesus gives it to the Church in Matthew, but as an evil tool to try to keep people compliant. It didn’t work. If Moberg’s portrayal of the 19th century Church is anywhere close to accurate, it may be one of the contributors to the extremely small influence the Christian Church has in Sweden in the 21st century.
Which brings this home to us. We need to examine our own Church practices from time to time. Are they in accord with Jesus as the head of his body? Have our attitudes, our practices, has our piety—or the other extreme, our rationality—driven some of the members of the body of Christ out of our Church—perhaps by not even letting them in?
Jesus ate with sinners. He hung out with sinners. He fed sinners. He seemed to genuinely love sinners—while urging them to and bringing them to repentance and forgiveness. We are all part of the group of sinners that Jesus likes to be around! Don’t get me wrong, He doesn’t like being around our sin. That’s what He died to remove. That’s what He forgives. That’s what changes in us. But He doesn’t wait until we get good enough to be around to draw us close…He draws us close and cleans us.
And He sent His Spirit to bring us to faith. As we grow in our faith in the Triune God, we are shown our sin, more and more, and how, in Jesus’ work, we are fully forgiven. We are driven to want to change and invite others into that change, also. We are saved—and sent—into a world that needs to hear the promise of forgiveness in Jesus.
Our congregations are not clubs where you get ‘good enough’ to belong. Our congregations are a part of the body of Christ that is always inviting those back who have fallen away, and inviting those who don’t yet know Jesus to be a part with us. We are sinners. We are forgiven in Jesus!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
Church!
“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:18-19 ESV)
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reading the first volume of The Emigrants, by Vilhelm Moberg. It’s not been an easy read for me (for a comparison, over the same length of time I recently read all of the Sherlock Holmes works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—considerably more to read). It is the story—Moberg calls it a documentary novel—about the Swedish emigration to Minnesota in the 1850s from a geographical location very close to my ancestors’ home. It is a slow read for me, because I get too invested in the lives of the characters—I get too ‘close’ and it gets too ‘real’ and I need to back away for awhile.
There are a number of situations that draw me in and raise my ire…and cause me to start arguing with the book...but the one that is relative to this article is the church situation in Sweden in which the emigrants that Moberg follows find themselves. As portrayed in the book, the Church of Sweden (good Lutheran) did much to contribute to the many problems of the society of that day. It was so focused on piety—my definition is ‘doing the right things right’—that it became quite legalistic and heavy handed in dealing with the members of the church. Much was made of the teachings in the 4th Commandment to be a good son or daughter, to be a good citizen of the country, and to properly obey what Luther calls ‘other authorities’ in his explanation: policemen, pastors, etc. So much so that those in authority were misusing those who were under their authority, including those in leadership in the local church.
Which led these believing, forgiven members of the Body of Christ to abandon, not only their farms and businesses and families, but also their church. The Church withheld the Gospel—not in accord with the Office of the Keys as Jesus gives it to the Church in Matthew, but as an evil tool to try to keep people compliant. It didn’t work. If Moberg’s portrayal of the 19th century Church is anywhere close to accurate, it may be one of the contributors to the extremely small influence the Christian Church has in Sweden in the 21st century.
Which brings this home to us. We need to examine our own Church practices from time to time. Are they in accord with Jesus as the head of his body? Have our attitudes, our practices, has our piety—or the other extreme, our rationality—driven some of the members of the body of Christ out of our Church—perhaps by not even letting them in?
Jesus ate with sinners. He hung out with sinners. He fed sinners. He seemed to genuinely love sinners—while urging them to and bringing them to repentance and forgiveness. We are all part of the group of sinners that Jesus likes to be around! Don’t get me wrong, He doesn’t like being around our sin. That’s what He died to remove. That’s what He forgives. That’s what changes in us. But He doesn’t wait until we get good enough to be around to draw us close…He draws us close and cleans us.
And He sent His Spirit to bring us to faith. As we grow in our faith in the Triune God, we are shown our sin, more and more, and how, in Jesus’ work, we are fully forgiven. We are driven to want to change and invite others into that change, also. We are saved—and sent—into a world that needs to hear the promise of forgiveness in Jesus.
Our congregations are not clubs where you get ‘good enough’ to belong. Our congregations are a part of the body of Christ that is always inviting those back who have fallen away, and inviting those who don’t yet know Jesus to be a part with us. We are sinners. We are forgiven in Jesus!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
August 2016
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). So God proclaims through his servant Solomon. With this letter I am introducing myself to the members of St. John’s, Rush City, and also notifying the membership of St. Stephen’s, Braham, of a small change in our ministry. St. John’s has said ‘farewell’ to Pastor Beck who has served them faithfully for several years. Pastor Beck has taken a Call to Frazee, MN, and they have asked me to serve the vacancy as they faithfully follow God’s leadership to learn who their new pastor will be.
To that end, St. John’s will change her Sunday worship time to 8:45 a.m. St. Stephen’s will change her Sunday worship time to 10:15 a.m. St. Stephen’s will have Bible Study at 9:00 a.m. St. John’s still has to work out her Bible Study schedule.
Back to God’s Word in Ecclesiastes…Solomon is writing about finding purpose in life. As we all recall he’s the third king of ancient Israel, after Saul and David. Following King David must have been hard! David was a most beloved king—and is still recognized as the greatest king of Israel, and a man after God’s own heart. But Solomon also started out well. He began by asking God for wisdom to rule His people, a request which God granted. And out of that wisdom God has gifted us with many of his thoughts in Proverbs, Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs) and Ecclesiastes.
So, to what conclusion was Solomon led? “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Eccl. 12:13-14). Life happens. Change happens. Turn to God. He is life. He never changes. In Proverbs Solomon tells us that “the beginning of knowledge/wisdom is the fear of the Lord” (1:7, 9:10 etal.).
Scripturally speaking, the “fear of the Lord” is to know that the Triune God is the only true God who has created us and all things; to see in the reflection of his Word that we have missed the mark of right living by sinning against him and each other in our self-centered selfishness; that because of that sin we deserve nothing good but only bad, only death, only eternal damnation in hell—but in his great ‘agape’ love (other-focused, other-centered love) for us, he has redeemed us (purchased us) from sin, death and the devil with the holy and precious blood of Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, God himself, in order to give us life—abundant life, eternal life—here on this mortal earth and forever in heaven when he takes us there. This he gives us ‘by grace, through faith, because of his death on the cross and resurrection from the grave’, having paid the full price of our sinfulness.
We have change in our two congregations—some minor, some major. There are seasons for that. But God’s love for us never changes. His promise of salvation never changes. In time of change we can and do look to the cross of Jesus to lead us in his will.
I look forward to following God’s leading as all of us, together in our unique ways, work in his mission field as his ambassadors, sharing the promise of the forgiveness of all our sins in Jesus to people that he is already preparing for his message through us!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). So God proclaims through his servant Solomon. With this letter I am introducing myself to the members of St. John’s, Rush City, and also notifying the membership of St. Stephen’s, Braham, of a small change in our ministry. St. John’s has said ‘farewell’ to Pastor Beck who has served them faithfully for several years. Pastor Beck has taken a Call to Frazee, MN, and they have asked me to serve the vacancy as they faithfully follow God’s leadership to learn who their new pastor will be.
To that end, St. John’s will change her Sunday worship time to 8:45 a.m. St. Stephen’s will change her Sunday worship time to 10:15 a.m. St. Stephen’s will have Bible Study at 9:00 a.m. St. John’s still has to work out her Bible Study schedule.
Back to God’s Word in Ecclesiastes…Solomon is writing about finding purpose in life. As we all recall he’s the third king of ancient Israel, after Saul and David. Following King David must have been hard! David was a most beloved king—and is still recognized as the greatest king of Israel, and a man after God’s own heart. But Solomon also started out well. He began by asking God for wisdom to rule His people, a request which God granted. And out of that wisdom God has gifted us with many of his thoughts in Proverbs, Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs) and Ecclesiastes.
So, to what conclusion was Solomon led? “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Eccl. 12:13-14). Life happens. Change happens. Turn to God. He is life. He never changes. In Proverbs Solomon tells us that “the beginning of knowledge/wisdom is the fear of the Lord” (1:7, 9:10 etal.).
Scripturally speaking, the “fear of the Lord” is to know that the Triune God is the only true God who has created us and all things; to see in the reflection of his Word that we have missed the mark of right living by sinning against him and each other in our self-centered selfishness; that because of that sin we deserve nothing good but only bad, only death, only eternal damnation in hell—but in his great ‘agape’ love (other-focused, other-centered love) for us, he has redeemed us (purchased us) from sin, death and the devil with the holy and precious blood of Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, God himself, in order to give us life—abundant life, eternal life—here on this mortal earth and forever in heaven when he takes us there. This he gives us ‘by grace, through faith, because of his death on the cross and resurrection from the grave’, having paid the full price of our sinfulness.
We have change in our two congregations—some minor, some major. There are seasons for that. But God’s love for us never changes. His promise of salvation never changes. In time of change we can and do look to the cross of Jesus to lead us in his will.
I look forward to following God’s leading as all of us, together in our unique ways, work in his mission field as his ambassadors, sharing the promise of the forgiveness of all our sins in Jesus to people that he is already preparing for his message through us!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Tim J. Renstrom
