Most of you know I am a voting member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s (our church body) churchwide assembly. We gathered in Phoenix, AZ for this important work.

The “national church” does its business every three years in an assembly format. In between those three years, the ELCA church council acts on behalf the entire church. I am honored to serve on our ELCA church council (until this Saturday).

This is an important assembly as we tackle the issues of the day and elect a new bishop.

The ELCA has 65 synods (regions, areas, districts). Each synod elects a bishop to oversee that area. Our synod, The Grand Canyon Synod is led by Bishop Deborah Hutterer.  However, there is also a national bishop, and they are known as the presiding bishop.

Like the synod bishops, the presiding bishop is elected for a six-year term. This year, our current presiding bishop, Bishop Elizabeth Eaton is retiring. Therefore, this churchwide assembly took up the work of electing a new presiding bishop.

On Wednesday, this voting body elected the synodical bishop of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod. His name is Bishop Elect Yehiel Curry. I know him and our church is in good hands. I am excited for our future.

Also we passed an important memorial about the atrocities of Indian boarding schools. This resolution calls for (779-7 vote) the church to observe the National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools annually, develop educational programs and materials surrounding the history and ELCA’s complicity with Indian boarding schools, and provide ongoing recognition and support for the continued work to locate all known records regarding the ELCA predecessor churches’ involvement with Indian boarding and day schools, among other actions.

We are working on lots of other things too. It is important to take stands on important issues of the day. Hopefully by Saturday I will have more to report.

And yes, we have been worshipping too. We are keeping Jesus at the center of this assembly.

I am tired, but I am renewed, blessed and excited to see that Jesus is still working on us, in us and through us (as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America).

God bless you,
Pr. Ben

I love Isaiah chapter 55. Yes the whole chapter. God, through Isaiah, talks about a variety of topics. If you have 10 minutes, I encourage you to open your Bible and read Isaiah 55. Read it slowly and absorb what God wants to share with you.

In this article, I want to share one part of this chapter with you…

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11

I find this deeply meaningful on several levels.

First, God describes the “water cycle” long before anyone scientifically named it. Of course, God knows what the “water cycle” is because the Lord created everything. I love the fact that God pointed it out in the Bible!

God tells us that his words are like the water cycle, they nourish us like the rain nourishes crops. That is why we should want to read the Bible. God wants to promote and cultivate faith growth in our being! One of the ways that can be accomplished is through hearing what God wants to share with us.

Even Saint Paul reiterates this when he wrote to the church in Rome.

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17

Faith is received when it is conveyed through the word and more specifically words of Christ.

The Bible is God’s gift to us so that we might understand God’s will for ourselves and the world. It is the same words, spoken or read that create faith (trust) in us through the work of the Holy Spirit.

I know some people find the Bible “boring” but I certainly do not! I look forward to sharing with you what I discovered in the Bible every weekend I get to preach!

But wait there is more…

God says in Isaiah 55 (see above) that God’s word will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

The Word and words of God are not passive. They don’t just sit there hoping someone trips over them. God’s Word is sent to us through others, and even through circumstances that cause an individual to open the Bible, a devotional or even attend worship for the first time!

God not only has plans for us but for his Word!

I feel loved and cared for by Jesus when I realize how much he is doing to draw us close!

God bless,
Pr. Ben

If you go to CLC, you know my life has been a little stressful and heartbreaking the last two weeks. In 6 weeks, we will move my father from Wisconsin to Nevada to live with us. That also presents some challenges since our current home (a condo) won’t accommodate us comfortably or practically since it is smaller, and we live on the second floor.

I don’t write this for sympathy or pity. I am sharing this, so you have a little context for what I am about to write.

Although, I am emotionally tired, and I can’t change the situation at hand, and I know that Jesus has walked with our family and will continue to do so throughout the rest of my life. I hope you know that Jesus is walking with you too.

I also know that the events of the two weeks can’t be undone or changed, nor does it make life easier moving forward, but I do know that Jesus will always guide us. As always, I am going to focus on Jesus more than using needless energy on what I can’t change.

I am reminded about how little control we have in life. All I can I do is be faithful. I will trust that Jesus will see me and my family through.

When I was talking about this with my wife Rachel, she said, “I’m just trying to go along for the ride and be a good passenger…take care of others and let God do the rest.”

Jesus is our pilot, at most we are flight attendants taking care of others in this life. At no point should a flight attendant think they should fly the plane of life… let Jesus do that.

All in all, this is what I will continue to do…

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

When life gets bumpy (and there is turbulence out there) I will just trust God and he will eventually find smooth air.

God bless,
Pr. Ben

If you grew up in the church you learned about the shepherd boy David taking on the Philistine giant Goliath in Sunday School. That is where I first heard the story.

There are some things we can learn from that story and apply to our lives today.

David was the only one brave enough to face Goliath in a winner takes all fight between the army of Israel and the army of the Philistines.

When David volunteered to fight Goliath, King Saul tried to outfit David with armor and weapons to give him a fighting chance.

 “I cannot go in these,” David said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. 1Samuel 17:39-40

David realized he couldn’t be someone else. He couldn’t become a soldier simply by putting on armor and strapping a sword to his belt. So he took them off and took his slingshot with him into battle.

Lesson 1: Be yourself.

You can’t be anyone else.  When you try to copy someone for any reason, that never works as well as being yourself. David knew that going into battle with weapons and armor he never used before would only be a disadvantage to him. David stayed true to himself and so should you.

Lesson 2: Be prepared.

Notice what David does after he gets rid of the armor. He goes and retrieves 5 stones from the stream to use in his slingshot. He didn’t take just one! He is prepared for what is to come. It is always better to over prepared than under prepared. When facing any situation, it is good to plan for contingencies.

David then enters the battle field and Goliath thinks this a big joke. The army of Israel sends the smallest guy to fight the Philistine’s biggest guy?

Goliath taunts David and tries intimidate him. What was David’s response?

All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:46–47

David doesn’t respond with threats and name calling!

Lesson 3: Be Faithful.

In any interaction, good or bad, respond in faith. David did. He told Goliath and both armies that are watching this unfold that this battle is not between two men. This battle belongs to God.

Do we trust God with our struggles?

Lesson 4: Be Connected. (We are never alone.)

David knew this even if everyone else (including the King of Israel) didn’t! Even in our hardest moments and struggles God is with us and our battles are also God’s battles.

If you know the story, David defeats Goliath. Let me ask you, do you know how David achieved victory?

The answer is clear: David was himself, David was prepared and David was faithful!

All of those things are available to us today!

God bless,
Pr. Ben