I enjoyed reading the Harry Potter saga of books many years ago. They are not evil, nor are about how to perform witchcraft. This story is primarily about the struggle of good versus evil.

Weaved within this story is the primary importance of the power of love.

At one point, the wise old professor Dumbledore is speaking with an evil wizard by the name of Voldemort who wants to rule the world with an “iron fist.”

This is a part of that conversation:

Voldemort: “But nothing I have seen in the world has supported your pronouncements that love is more powerful than my kind of magic, Dumbledore.”

Dumbledore: “Perhaps you have been looking in the wrong places.” 

It was love that protected the hero, Harry Potter in these stories and not magic.

Of course, there is no magic in the real world, but there is love. These fictional books point to a real-life truth: love is most powerful force on the planet.

The problem with love is this: We don’t believe love is the most powerful thing in the universe.

Love changes hearts. Hate hardens them.

Love forgives and offers a new way forward. Hate brings resentment.

Love inspires. Hate digs in.

It is the power of love that Jesus forgave the world through his death. It is the power of love that offers us the gift of eternal life.

Love has the power to change everything within the human sphere.

Of course, there is limited power in hate and violence but the power of love is infinite if we would only tap into the source of love: Jesus.

Hate has a shelf life, love never goes bad or has an expiration date. How do I know this? Jesus’ death and resurrection still provides life giving forgiveness and wholeness 2000 years later. 

Love will grow the more we share it with others. It is not finite or containable. 

Unfortunately, some will never see powerful potential of love. Instead, they will revert to hate, violence and manipulation to get what they want. There may be short term gain but to what end?

Jesus reminds of something that is so important that I don’t want you to miss it.

Jesus said, “What good will it be for a person if they gain the whole world, yet forfeits their soul? Or what can a person give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:16

Love is moving us towards something better. It is moving us towards a life that will never end with Jesus and our church family. A place of perfect peace and joy.

Don’t hesitate to show some love today! You might change someone’s life!

God bless,
Pr. Ben

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:4

No, that does not contradict the earlier words of Saint Paul when he wrote, “

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders… 1Thessalonians 4:11-12

The “interests of others” is not about being nosy or digging around for the latest gossip about someone you know. The Philippians verse reminds us to care for those around us. 

One of the signs of a strong church is how we ALL care for each other. Not just the pastors. Are you checking on those who need a little extra love in their lives right now?

Off and on we have talked about the importance of knowing and establishing a friendship with at least 10 people at church. We refer to this as your “Community 10.” Why is this important? We know that it is easy to make worship a “spectator sport.” We come and watch everything that is happening up front (like a show) and then go home. Eventually that gets old. 

We are wired for community. We crave to be known and acknowledged and cared for by other people. It is in our genes! We want others to care about us even if we won’t admit it! 

However, the old adage is true, “You get out of life what you’re willing to put in.” We can’t expect others to do all the work of relationship building. It is up to each of us to invest ourselves in getting to know and care for others at church. If you are willing to do that, you might make a lifelong friend! Correctio: you might make an eternal friend! The only thing we take with us to heaven are the relationships we forge in this life.

This past Sunday, 23 people officially joined the church and now call Community Lutheran Church home. These people need you! They need to know we are in this together! Find one or all twenty-three and make a new friend!

I’ve come to realize that of all the varied experiences I have been blessed with in this life, it is the people who I have shared these experiences with that matter most.  

At the end of the day and the end of our lives, only thing that matters are the relationships we invested in. 

God bless,
Pr. Ben

Sometimes we forget that “winning in life” is NOT the goal of a Christian.

By any tangible human measure, Jesus did not win. He was crucified and he died. That is definitely not winning. On that day, Pilate won, the Sanhedrin won and the chief priests won.

Jesus certainly accomplished his mission of gifting forgiveness and salvation to many, but it was not a “win” in any way humanity marks success.

Even after the resurrection, Jesus gathered his disciples and they asked him this question, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” Acts 1:6

You know what they were asking don’t you? “When are you going to show the world that you are King?” Or more simply, “When are you going to win?”

Instead, he ascended into heaven.

Even the disciples wanted Jesus to be in charge of Israel- if not the world. They wanted him to wrest control of Israel away from the chief priests and the Roman occupiers. The disciples wanted an earthly, human-defined win. 

Life as a Christian isn’t about winning. It’s just not. 

Billionaire Malcolm Forbes once said, ““He who dies with the most toys wins.” Nope. He who dies with most toys still dies. 

We are taught from an early age that “winning is the only thing.” We are taught to compete in school… who is the smartest? 

We want our candidates to win at every election no matter the cost. 

We want more things so that others see that we are successful (winning). 

It goes on and on. Like I said, we forget that “winning in life” is not the goal of a Christian.

Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a person to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Mark 8:34-36

It is time to let the mindset of winning go. Jesus offers us something better. He offers us a friendship that satisfies our soul. Jesus offers us contentment. 

Paul reminds of this truth when he wrote to Timothy. But godliness with contentment is great gain. 1Timothy 6:6

Winning is NOT everything, Christ is.

God bless you,
Pr. Ben

This past week, a friend shared the reflection below written by Luke Holmes who I do not know. It was thought provoking…

Through years of practice and hard work, I have learned to spot a garage sale sign at great distances. Driving through OKC my eye caught a big one – not only was it a going out of business sign, it was at a church. 

I wandered around the building some, and noticed it had all the problems older buildings have. Dated decor, lots of stairs, and it was probably difficult to direct people in the maze of hallways. One table, tucked away in the back, had a picture of the congregation taken a few years prior. The church shared little demographically with the high school you could see out the window. 

I talked to a few of the ladies working the sale. The church was closing down because they didn’t have the money to pay the bills, the building was too much to take care of, and the just couldn’t keep membership up. Tears filled their eyes as they spoke of closing down the church, and how hard it had been. 

It was sobering to walk through this church as it was closing. The stuff – junk some would say – that filled the tables represented hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of items. The chairs and tables that were for sale once sat in classrooms that were filled with children hearing the Gospel, with adults studying the bible, and with youth learning about Jesus. But now? The hallways were dead, the classrooms were silent, and the nursery was stripped of everything that could be sold. The tables were piled high with decorations for all the holidays, telephones, file cabinets, office supplies, kids toys, and craft supplies.

This is what is left over when a church closes. Stuff. Stuff once was used for ministry was now being picked over and sold for pennies on the dollar. People sacrificed to buy these things, to provide the church with what it needed to survive and do ministry. But what the church needs most is people, not things.

The people who populated the halls were long gone, but the stuff remained. At an estate sale, a person’s life is on display – what they spent their money on, where they went, what they took pictures of to preserve the memory. This church sale felt the same way. You could see the nursery items and kids’ tables and communion sets. They had everything that a person might say you need to have in order to have church.

They had all the stuff. But they had no people. There’s nothing wrong with buildings or chairs or stuff. They are simply tools used to bring glory to God through the fulfillment of the Great Commission.

But none of those things are needed to take the gospel to the nations. Your church doesn’t need your money or your stuff. Your church needs you. Not just to go on Sunday mornings, but the church needs you to be changed by the gospel and in turn share it with others. Make the decision not just to go to church, but to be changed by the gospel. Churches meet in buildings big and small full of stuff, but none of that matters. What matters is the gospel, changing people, and in turn changing the world through the cross.

It is sad to see a church close. It is equally true that the church building is a tool for ministry but not the ministry itself. Let us remain focused on the one who established the Church for our benefit: Jesus our King.

Sharing Jesus’ love is the main thing we do.

God bless you,
Pr. Ben