This is the season of graduations. Yes, people do graduate from various institutions at different times of the year but early June is when the vast of majority of people (young and old) graduate from schools.

A week ago today (Thursday) I picked up Carl’s high school diploma from his school. I have now looked at it several times and I am proud of him. Earlier this week at Bethel School we had both 5^th grade graduation and pre-school promotion. Pre-school promotion isn’t exactly graduation but they are moving up in the world!

For those graduating, it is an exciting time. This is the time graduates celebrate a big accomplishment but also a time to look forward to something new. For some it is more school and for those who are older a time to find a new job, career and vocation.

Do you remember how you felt when you graduated from high school, college, or graduate school? I remember how excited I was to finish seminary and move to Las Vegas, NV to serve at Community Lutheran Church. I thought I knew it all and I was going to a dynamic church. Truth be told it was and still is a dynamic church, however I quickly learned I did not know everything. However it was an exciting time in my life!

Education of all types is important. I am reminded of Proverbs 18:15 that says, “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.” At any age of life we have things to learn. There may not be a graduation day for many of us, but we still have stuff to learn.

I read a lot. Sometimes it is audio books in the car and on the treadmill, sometimes it is an e-book and sometimes it is a book with paper pages! I enjoy learning something new about God, and the universe He created.

I encourage you to be a life-long learner. Don’t be stagnant or rely only on your experience. There is much to discover. But let us also encourage the younger people in our sphere of influence to find something they love and learn all they can about it. Passion is the key to self-study—even for us!

Before I end, I want to pray for all the graduates!

Heavenly Father,

I lift up to you everyone who is graduating from some level of school this year. We especially lift up our 5^th grade graduates from Bethel School: Laurel, Esther, Riku, Mila and Elliot. May all graduates find a passion in a field of study so that they may share that knowledge with the rest of the world one day. We also ask that you inspire us to be life-long learners as well. Help us to dig deeper into your Word and learn more about you and the world around us.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

Summer is upon us! It may not be technically summer until June 21^st, but the unofficial beginning of summer (at least for me) begins when the kids get out of school at the beginning of June.

What is your plan for the summer? Are you going anywhere? Does your routine change? Or. . . is summer the same for you as the rest of the year except you do everything in short sleeves?

Regardless of what your plans (or non-plans) are for the summer months, I want to encourage you to continue to pray (or start praying) on a regular basis. Prayer is important to every well-grounded Christian. Talking with God frequently reminds us that we are under “His jurisdiction and power.” Taking the time to connect with God allows us to bring our concerns, joys and troubles to the One who can actually do something about them!

There is a great story in John Maxwell’s book; Partners in Prayer:

“In the summer of 1876, grasshoppers nearly destroyed the crops in Minnesota. So in the spring of 1877, farmers were worried. They believed that the dreadful plague would once again visit them and again destroy the rich wheat crop, bringing ruin to thousands of people.

The situation was so serious that Governor John S. Pillsbury proclaimed April 26 as a day of prayer and fasting He urged every man, woman and child to ask God to prevent the terrible scourge. On that April day all schools, shops, stores and offices were closed. There was a reverent, quite hush over all the state.

The next day dawned bright and clear. Temperature soared to what they ordinary were in midsummer, which was very unusual for April. Minnesotans were devastated as they discovered billions of grasshopper larvae wiggling to life. For 3 days the unusual heat persisted, and the larvae hatched. It appeared that it wouldn’t be long before they started feeding and destroying the crops.

On the fourth day, however the temperature suddenly dropped, and that night frost, covered the entire state. Result – it killed every one of those creeping, crawling pests as surely as if poison or fire had been used, It went down in the history of Minnesota as the day God answered the prayers of the people.”

That is an awesome story! But understand, it was NOT the first and certainly was NOT the last time that Almighty God answered the prayers of his people.

Whatever you are going to do this summer, include prayer. The simple act of prayer can change you first and foremost and the world around you.

https://vimeo.com/129489153

Great video by Bishop Wayne Miller of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the ELCA. He has some great insights regarding the future of the church.

In the Lutheran Church—Pentecost kind of seems like a minor holiday. It is not as important as Easter or Christmas, but it should be remembered. It is more on the lines of Epiphany or Reformation Sunday. (If you have no idea what I am talking about, just read on. . .) I am not saying Pentecost isn’t important so much as we treat it like a second tier church holiday.

For the record, I think we should really celebrate AND believe in the promise given at Pentecost. God gives the Holy Spirit to earliest believers and they did some pretty amazing things. Not only were miracles performed but also more importantly (I believe) those earliest Church members experienced a boldness to go tell others about Jesus.

None of this happened under their own power. God gave the Holy Spirit to spur them into a wildly abundant life! It is nothing they could have ever planned for or even imagined, but God knew.

Even when Jesus was preparing to die, he said this, “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor (the Holy Spirit) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” John 16:7 Can you imagine? Jesus is telling the disciples that it is good for him to go away so the Holy Spirit can come. I doubt they felt that way at the time but we all can see what happened when the Holy Spirit was given. There was a divine power that inspired people risk everything to tell others about Jesus.

What does this mean for us? This is not a “what a great story from the past to think about” moment. THIS PROMISE IS FOR US AS WELL! We as followers of Jesus are given the Holy Spirit. The question becomes this: Will we ask for a greater portion of the Spirit or just muddle through?

Life is a struggle, more for some, less for others. There is no doubt about that. Who are we living for? Only you can answer that. God already knows. I have learned that living for myself doesn’t really work out most of the time… ok, all the time. I want what God wants for me. I don’t want to muddle through life. I want God to shine through me and use me for His purposes. I want more of the Holy Spirit so that I can be bold for Jesus.

Pentecost Sunday is the reminder that we too can have that same power to live an abundant life… completely surrendered to Jesus.

I have always been intrigued by the dedication of missionaries of the 19^th century. When they left their home for another country it usually meant they were never coming back.

That reminds me of the conversation between a chicken and a pig:

The Chicken says: “Hey Pig, I was thinking we should open a restaurant!”

Pig replies: “Hmmm… maybe, what would we call it?”

The Chicken responds: “How about ‘ham-n-eggs’?”

The Pig thinks for a moment and says: “No thanks. I’d be committed, but you’d only be involved.”

Missionaries were not just involved in ministry they were completely committed!

I just recently read about Ludwig Nommensen who was a German born Lutheran missionary. He traveled to Sumatra to begin mission work with a tribe of people.

The village chief welcomed Ludwig and said, “You have 2 years to learn our customs and convince us you have a message worth hearing.” After 2 years, the tribal leader asked the missionary how Christianity differs from the moral rules and traditions of the tribe.

“We already know what is right,” the chief explained. “We too have laws that say we must not steal, or take our neighbor’s wives, or tell lies.”

The missionary replied, “That’s true. But my God supplies the power needed to keep those laws.”

This startled the chief. “Can you really teach my people to live better?”

“No, I can’t,” responded Ludwig. “But if they receive Jesus Christ, God will give them the strength to do what is right.”

The chief invited him to stay another 6 months, during which Ludwig preached the gospel and taught villagers how the Holy Spirit works in the lives of Christians.

“You can stay as long as you want,” the chief finally announced. “Your religion is better than ours, for your God walks with men and gives them strength to do the things He asks.”

Believe it or not, we are in a “post-Christian” society. What does that mean? We are not the dominant religion that we once were in the United States. Many people mourn and lament that the Church has a lot less influence today than it did 30 years ago.

However, I don’t see that as a bad thing at all. Why? Because it forces us to evaluate everything we do as a church and the same situation calls every Christian to assess what they truly believe. (Or at least it should.)

Although Jesus promises us that “the gates of Hades will not overcome” the Church, he does not guarantee that individual churches will always remain open. Many churches are closing their doors because they are not willing to see that the world is changing quickly and our methods must change to meet the needs of a broken world. (Notice: I did NOT say that our message changes.)

So what does that have to do with Ludwig Nommensen? We are missionaries in our own neighborhoods and community. We can no longer assume the people around us share the same trust in God. We don’t need to go to the ends of the earth to share Jesus with people.

The tribal chief gives us some GREAT advice. Get to know people first. Get to know what they value and what is important to them BEFORE sharing the love of God. Why is that important? Pr. John Maxwell said it this way, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Maybe you never thought of yourself as a missionary before but maybe you should. Exciting things happen when you trust God to be His spokesperson. . . but only after you have spent time getting to know someone first.

Pr. Ben

Are you as busy as I am? I think a lot of you are. If you are not working, then you are working around the house. When God commanded that we take a “Sabbath day of rest” it was meant for us. God knows us better than we know ourselves. God wants us to take a break at least once a week because it is good for us.

I found another article kqed.org that expresses this better than I can. . .

Lost Weekends

By Richard Swerdlow

“Have a nice weekend,” the checkout clerk said on a Friday afternoon.

Her casual comment got me thinking about my weekend plans: laundry, clean the garage, deal with the piled-up mail, car oil change. Return library books, wash windows, put out the recycling, get a ladder and change that burned out light bulb. Gym, fix the leaky faucet, bank, haircut. Not to mention answering the 200 emails in my inbox, picking up the dry cleaning.

So, much as I’d like to follow her advice, I’m just too busy to have a nice weekend.

And I’m not the only one. Everyone I know crams too much into their weekends. Between a full-time job and a part-time life, weekends end up filled with errands there’s no other time for. But even so-called recreational activities are high-pressure. Binge watch all those TV shows I need to catch up on, work up a sweat at the gym, plow through the ginormous Sunday New York Times, make a dent in my Netflix queue. Honestly, it’s a statement about our culture that running in a marathon can be considered a leisure-time activity. Weekends are so tiring, I’m beginning to feel relieved when Monday rolls around.

When did weekends become the new weekdays?

That clerk’s comment has me realizing what I’m forgetting to add to my ever-expanding, never-checked-off, must-get-done-this-weekend list: relax.

So, this weekend, for once, I might just blow off both the laundry and the laundry list of errands. And I’ve decided it’s OK to let that bulb stay burned out a little longer, if it prevents me from burning out. I am letting go of my need to schedule every last scrap of time, that nagging feeling if I’m not squeezing something out of every single second, I’m wasting my precious weekend.

I picked up an item at the store that Friday that wasn’t on my shopping list — but it was something I needed. The realization I’m allowed to rest.

A little down time isn’t a waste of a weekend — it’s what weekends are for. After all, even God rested on the seventh day.

So, this weekend, I’m following the advice of the check-out clerk. I’m going to have a nice weekend. I feel more relaxed already.

Have a nice weekend.

With a Perspective, I’m Richard Swerdlow.

Richard Swerdlow works for the San Francisco Unified School District.

That is sound advice, not only from Richard Swedlow but also from God. On Monday, Rachel and I went to Point Reyes. It was the first “Sabbath day” that I have had since moving. No dishes, no projects, no taxes. Just a day off. It was very relaxing. . . the way God intended days off to be. Try it sometime!

God bless,

Pr. Ben

“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all people.

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead!”   1 Corinthians 15:17-20

Paul of Tarsus wrote those words to a church he “planted” in Corinth. He wrote this letter to people he knew and worried about…a lot. However, these words are important for us too.

Without the resurrection, we are following a dead teacher. There is no forgiveness and we are to be the most pitied people on the planet. Why? Because we would be professing our trust in a long dead human.

For those of us who were not there to witness the resurrection, it is a leap of faith! But let me tell you if you take that leap. . . I promise Jesus will be there to catch you.

As we remember Jesus’ steps from entering the city on Palm Sunday… to the upper room for Passover…onto the cross and tomb… and finally at the empty tomb; I pray that you experience the love of God more fiercely than you ever have in your life this Easter.

God bless you,

Pr. Ben

I stumbled across this article by Pr. Rick Warren of Saddleback Church. This is a wonderful approach to team ministry.  The picture is my own addition.

8 Values of TEAMWORK That Keep a Church Healthy

By Rick Warren

The success of your ministry depends largely on developing a strong team with a deep sense of team spirit. I’ve witnessed the incredible power of a unified team to create growth and have counseled many churches who weren’t growing because their team members worked as individuals and not as a team.

A team spirit is never accidental; it is always intentional. Teamwork is built on three factors:

• a compelling purpose,
• crystal clear communication,
• and a code of commonly held values.

At Saddleback Church, we express the eight values of teamwork in a simple acrostic, T.E.A.M.W.O.R.K.:

T – Trust

Trust among your team is the emotional glue that binds them together; it’s essential to producing true confidence in each other. There are three factors that create trust within a team:

1. Consistency – People will trust you if, time after time, they see you responding in a consistent and reasonable manner. You also need to be readable, in the sense that they need to know where you are coming from in your decisions and responses.
2. Loyalty – Defend members of your team when they’re criticized and then check the facts later in private, always assuming the best until there is concrete evidence to the contrary.
3. Delegation – When you delegate to your team the power to make decisions, you’re essentially telling them: “I trust you!” People trust leaders who trust them.

E – Economy of Energy

Even a thoroughbred horse can’t run at a full gait all the time. The quickest way to burn-out a team is to never let them relax. The book of Proverbs teaches: “A relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life.” (Proverbs 14:30, LB) If you want the people on your team to last, they must have some down time.

Here are some ways you can promote an economy of energy within your team:

• Anticipate and compensate for personal and family energy drains, such as illnesses and new babies. Your team has a life outside of their area of ministry.
• Allow people to work at different energy levels on different days. Some days, everyone must work fast and energetic. Other days, it is important to slow the pace a bit. In the long term, slow and steady always outlasts the fast and furious.
• Plan your year in energy cycles. At Saddleback, we always build in rest periods for consolidation between major growth campaigns and initiatives.
• Allow flexibility in schedules when possible.
• Make the work fun!

A – Affirmation

Everybody is hungry for affirmation. When they don’t get it, they get cranky. It’s amazing how a smile and a simple word of encouragement can change a team member’s entire day. Four practical ways you can affirm your team would be:

1. valuing their ideas
2. appreciating their uniqueness
3. commending their efforts
4. praising their loyalty

M – Management of Mistakes

The Bible teaches: “Even though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again.” (Proverbs 24:16, NIV) I love that saying because it points out that even righteous people make mistakes and stumble occasionally. Mistakes are not failures, because you’re never a failure until you give up. Mistakes teach us what doesn’t work. If you’re not making any mistakes, it means you’re playing it safe and not trying anything new. I tell my staff that I want every one of them making at least one new mistake a week – as long as it isn’t the same old one! Mistakes are how we learn and get better.

W – Weekly Staff Meetings

For years, I asked my team to bring me a brief weekly report on a small 3-by-5 card. This kept the reports short and to the point. Then those cards became our weekly meeting agenda. Today we use email. Here are the four things you want to know as a leader:

• “I’ve made progress in ______________________________________”
• “I’m having difficulty with ___________________________________”
• “I need a decision from you on ________________________________”
• “I’m thankful for ___________________________________________”

O – Open Communication

Open communication is the cornerstone of great teamwork. Proverbs 13:17 (LB) says “Reliable communication permits progress.” There are three common barriers to great communication:

1. Presumption – How many problems have been caused by the phrase “But I assumed…”? Here are some fatal assumptions: assuming that there’s only one way to see a problem; assuming that everyone else feels just like you; assuming that someone will never change (they do); assuming that you can know someone else’s motives (you can’t).
2. Impatience ruins open communication because we are more interested in what we are going to say than listening to what others say. Impatience causes you to jump to conclusions.
3. Pride – When you think you know it all, you are resistant to feedback, and you become defensive instead of really listening to others and learning.

R – Recognition and Reward

The more credit you give to others, the more you develop team spirit. It’s that simple. The Bible says, “Give honor and respect to all those to whom it is due.” (Romans 13:7, LB)

K – Keep on Learning

All leaders are learners. The moment you stop learning, you stop being a leader. As I consult with churches, I’ve seen that growing churches require growing leaders.

Another proverb says “The intelligent man is always open to new ideas. In fact, he looks for them.” (Proverbs 18:15, LB) Do you do that? Do you encourage your team members to keep on growing, developing, and learning? At Saddleback, our staff is constantly reading books and listening to tapes to sharpen their skills and develop their character.

If you practice these eight T.E.A.M.W.O.R.K. values with your team, you’ll experience a new level of teamwork in your church that will take your ministry to new heights.

A “sign” like this often freaks people out because we have been trained to tell people what our “religion” is when asked by others. However, Christianity is different. It is not a religion (a set of religious rules), Christianity is a relationship with Christ. Lent (for us mainline protestant types) is a time to reflect on our relationship with the one who gave his life as a sacrifice for sin so that we may be: 1) forgiven, 2) see the consequence of sin, 3) know that God takes sin quite seriously and 4) experience the extent of God’s love.

When Jesus rises on Easter morning and appears to the disciples, he doesn’t proclaim to his disciples, “OK, I cleaned the slate of sin this one time. From now on, be good and follow the rules of our new religion.”

Jesus died knowing we need lots and lots of forgiveness throughout our life. He knows we aren’t very good at being good. Jesus isn’t just a dispenser of forgiveness or even a cosmic law enforcement officer. Jesus became one of us so that we can know Him and love Him the way God knows and loves us. Religion can get in the way of relationship if we start to values rules over loving God and others.

Christianity isn’t about following our own rules (and advice). It is about knowing and following the One who brings hope to hopeless situations. By the way, Jesus is good at that. He brought divine hope on Easter morning when everyone who knew Jesus felt the hopelessness of His death.