Pastor Jim’s Blog | Trinity Lutheran Church

Standing on the Shoulders

Sep 9, 2023 | Pastor Jim's Blog

Today’s Word From Pastor Jim…

Who said we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us?

Sir Isaac Newton, the famous English Scientist, was by all accounts a genius. Born in 1642, Newton was a visionary genius who helped lead the Scientific Revolution and launch a period of human enlightenment. Newton was a mathematician, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author. His work on the laws of motion and universal gravitation were groundbreaking scientific advancements. Very few in human history have left a mark greater than Sir Isaac Newton.

Newton was a genius and yet he understood very clearly that his achievement did not happen in isolation. “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Newton was not literally standing on the shoulders of giants. He simply recognized that his ideas didn’t come from him alone. His greatest work relied heavily on the ideas of those who came before him.

Mitch Albom is a New York Times bestselling author. He has written a dozen or more books including a great read, “Tuesdays with Morrie.” If you have not read it, I would recommend it. Albom writes these words: ”We move through places every day that would never have been if not for those who came before us. Our workplaces, where we spend so much time–we often think they began with our arrival. That’s not true.”

We have been moving through a season of funerals and now we are approaching Trinity Lutheran Church’s 70^th Anniversary. As I sit at the feet of the dying, officiate at their funerals, and walk the halls of our beloved church, I am reminded that we occupy the space that others have sacrificed to give us. We are standing in line, taking our turn, doing our duty, stewards entrusted with the legacy of those who have gone before us.

Just days after Labor Day, just weeks from Veteran’s Day, I pause to consider all that has been given to me. I eat from trees I did not plant, I attended schools that I did not build, I drive on roads paved by the sweat of others, I fly in planes constructed by my neighbors and fueled by an oil infrastructure mostly hidden from my sight. Left to my own devices, I would not have crossed the Oregon Trail, I could not hunt or harvest enough food to stay alive. Everything I have and everything I am, is a testament to those known and unknown who have labored before me.

There are no self-made women or men. We are indebted to the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker, to our parents and grandparents, to those living today, and to those whose names have been long chiseled in stone.

My response is to say thank you and to work diligently to leave a better world to our children and grandchildren.

”Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and get gain”; whereas you do not know about tomorrow. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” James 4:13-14

Every day is a gift. Everything we have and experience is a gift, we arrive and depart with nothing. Give thanks and take your place in the line of those who have gone before.

One beggar telling another beggar where to find bread, I am your

Pastor Jim

[email protected]

Born on Second Base

Sep 1, 2023 | Pastor Jim's Blog

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…

The Mariners are fighting for a playoff spot. Many of us are old enough to remember the Mariners “refuse to lose” season in 1995. Making a remarkable playoff run and then beating the Yankees seemed like a miracle. In that final Yankee game Edgar Martinez hit a walk off double, driving in Ken Griffey with the winning run, securing the series and sending the State of Washington into a frenzy. That game marked the first time that our little girls got to eat dinner in front of the television. It is a memory that our family will never forget.

Where were you born? I was born in DeKalb, Illinois. Where were you born? My real question is not about geography, it is not about location but about your starting place in the journey of life. In baseball terminology I am asking, “What base were you born on?” The question has to do with the birth lottery. I was talking with a man this summer who made millions of dollars as an analyst on Wall Street. He mentioned someone he worked with who was very proud of his position and wealth. My friend commented that this man had started life on third base, born into wealth, privilege and seemingly endless opportunities. He was born on third base and was still there, 90 feet from home, living the high life but having made very little actual progress.

The conversation really got me thinking. What base was I born on, and where am I now? Progress is somewhat subjective, it could be measured in a variety of ways, and money is certainly not the most important variable. What base was I born on? My family lived in a rather pedestrian home on the wrong side of the tracks. We had enough, but there was nothing extravagant about our existence. On occasion we would travel somewhere, always by car, and, if necessary, we would stay at the common man’s Marriott: the Travelodge. My mother was the first in our family, and only one in her generation to go to college, she attended the state university in DeKalb so she could save money by living at home.

What base was I born on? Well, I was born in a land of freedom and relative safety. I had many opportunities to work, play little league baseball, fish in the Kishwaukee River and take part in a small church where everyone knew my name. I was born into a loving, if sometimes dysfunctional family, I never doubted for a minute that I was loved by my parents, grandparents, and extended family. Taking all of that into consideration, I would say that I was born on second base, halfway home, a head start on most of the world’s population.

I visited the Tiny Houses last week, I spent time with residents, and I marveled at how Coyla Shephard’s vision has changed lives. I talked with a young woman who was going to school full time, working full time, and paying her own bills. She was doing all of this with no car, and no support from family. Her attitude amazed me, she was thankful and gracious. She said, “This little house is a dream come true for me, I am so happy.”

What base was she born on? What base were you born on? Some in our world are not born on base at all, they are in the on-deck circle or in the dugout waiting for their chance to get in the game. Life is not fair; we know that the good die young, some children are born addicted to drugs, the sins of the parents are visited on the third and fourth generations that follow. Life is not fair, everyone does not have an equal chance. You don’t really think that your intelligence and work ethic would have allowed you to live in your house, while spending the winters in the desert, if you had been born in Somalia or Haiti, do you?

Most of us won the birth lottery, most started life on second or third base, there is nothing to be ashamed of here. And being human, we have all had our share of difficulties and challenges, but it is easier to overcome those hurdles when you are on second base.

We won the birth lottery. Recognizing this reality, naming the blessings that we inherited, and acknowledging the opportunities that have been given to us, could change our attitude. This change in attitude might help cure us of our self-righteousness. A change in attitude might in turn inform our generosity. The truth is, there is really no such thing as a self-made woman or man. We stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us.

What base were you born on?

We have been richly blessed, but in God’s equation we are never blessed in isolation, we are Blessed to be a Blessing to others.

Good luck Mariners and happy Labor Day Weekend to you!

One beggar telling another beggar where to find bread, I am your

Pastor Jim
[email protected]

Afflict the Comfortable

Aug 26, 2023 | Pastor Jim's Blog

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…

“I will rejoice and be glad in your gracious love, for you see my affliction and take note that my soul is distressed.” Psalm 31:7

More than a hundred years ago, Finley Peter Dunne coined a phrase that was meant to epitomize the role of newspapers in society. With the help of a fictional character named Mr. Dooley, Dunne said that journalism was given the charge to “Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” It became a clarion call for journalists everywhere. Soon many preachers, pastors and theologians adopted the phrase and assumed that this was a guiding principle for their teachings.

I must admit that I too have used this term when preaching. I believe that our faith should challenge us, provoke good works, move us outside of our comfort zone, inspire us to charity, and give us pause to consider the blessings in our lives. Jesus never met anyone and said, “Stay where you are.” Christianity, the Good News of Jesus, the grace of God frees us to live and to love differently. Everything we do is in response to God’s gifts and God’s grace.

I have come to believe that my calling as a pastor is to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. But there is a very important nuance that must be noted, a reality that should inform my ministry and yours. In nearly 40 years of ministry, 40 years of living with the people of God, 40 years of intensely personal conversations and confessions, 40 years of joy and sorrow, 40 years at deathbeds and weddings, over those 40 years I have YET TO MEET even a single person who is comfortable. I have yet to meet even a single person who has managed to skate through life without being afflicted by disease, or betrayal, or depression, or the ravages of aging or the reality of living in dysfunctional families.

It is my calling as a pastor to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. And if I ever meet a person who by some miracle is truly comfortable, then perhaps I will feel inspired to bring affliction their way. Based on my experience, I don’t think that person exists.

In my lifetime I have ministered to the very wealthy and the very poor, and I can say without hesitation that neither are truly comfortable. Comfort among humans is mostly an illusion. There are problems unique to the poor. The rich have different challenges, and the middle class encounters a wide range of maladies. The rich and the poor lose sleep worrying about their security, their marriages, and their children. The rich and famous college basketball coach Jim Valvano, when fighting cancer said, there are no celebrities when waiting in line for chemotherapy. People of every land, race and time have arrived in this world and departed this world in pretty much the same fashion. There are a lot of things that money can buy, but there is no cure for being human. We are frail, we are insecure, we are fearful children, never more than a moment away from tragedy.

I have come to believe that it is my calling as a pastor to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. But in all honesty, I don’t expect that I will ever meet a person who is comfortable. So, I guess that I am going to give up on afflicting anyone and recognize that everyone I meet could use a dose of grace and the benefit of the doubt.

I think the Apostle Paul has concisely captured our calling as followers of Jesus: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.”

One beggar telling another beggar where to find bread, I am

Insecure Pastor Jim

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Most People are Good!

Aug 19, 2023 | Pastor Jim's Blog

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…

The brief order for confession and forgiveness that many of us grew up with began with this statement:

“Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone.”

I guess I believe that, at least I believe some of it; the part about God being merciful. Of course, we all miss the mark on occasion. We do have thoughts, words and deeds that are regrettable. A little self-reflection is a good thing. Confessing what we already know, trusting a merciful God to forgive us is also a good thing. We all benefit from hearing words of forgiveness and by extending that forgiveness to others.

But from my life experience, I have come to believe that most people are good. They have issues, we all have issues, but most people are good. Remember, anything over 50% counts as most, and I think that the number is much higher, perhaps as high as 95%.

I was off island a few weeks ago, that means that I was dressed in civilian clothes and totally anonymous. At the grocery store, where the lines were long, I stood patiently with one item waiting to check out. A woman with a full grocery cart in front of me in line said, “Please go before me.” It was a little thing, it was a random and uncalled for act of kindness and it won’t make the evening news, but it was uniquely human and it was appreciated.

The next day, Felicia and I decided to go for a bike ride. My lovely wife is a disciplined athlete. She swims, runs, bikes, and practices yoga. I am not so inclined. I drive a golf cart and one of my rules for life is, “don’t run unless you are being chased.” It is rare that you find me on a bike, but the weather was lovely, and the ride was going well. The bike path was relatively flat and I was keeping up with Felicia. Then without warning, my chain came off. I messed with it for a bit, used theological language inappropriately and looked on my phone for the location of the nearest bike rental. Several miles from home now, I was happy to find that I was only a mile away from a bike shop. So off I walked, pushing my chainless bike until I arrived at the destination.

Looking distressed with black grease on my hands, I was greeted by a chiseled 30 something man with a tank top shirt and more than a few tattoos. He did this and then he did that, and like magic the next thing you know the chain was back on, and I was ready for the road. He had no interest in being paid, “it is what we do for each other,” he said. We shook hands and I said, “you my friend are a Good Samaritan.”

Each day, like you, I encounter a wide range of people and I am telling you that most people are good. Most people just want to provide for their families, to live in peace, to obey the laws of the land, to love and be loved in return. Now of course, there are some who are carrying such heavy loads that they cannot manage a smile. We are all products of our raising, and some have had it pretty tough, and it shows. But I believe that deep down if they are given a chance, that they too will prove to be good people.

Most people are good, but good people doing ordinary things is not very newsworthy. Bad news and bad behavior garner ratings. Hearing bad news leads us to believe that things are bad, and people are bad. And the church has been guilty in adding a load of guilt and shame to simple humans struggling to survive.

“Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone.”

God is merciful, we all make mistakes, and we are forgiven, called to live and love with grateful hearts. “Sinful and unclean?” I am not buying that part anymore. Humans have complicated lives and relationships. We all carry wounds and regrets. But most people are good.

Most people are good, can you prove me right this week? Can you be a Good Samaritan this week? Can you love intentionally and randomly? Can you show the world the love of Jesus by being loving yourself? Can you receive forgiveness and extend forgiveness? Can you celebrate the fact that you and your neighbors were created in the image of God?

I believe in you. I have seen you in action. I believe that most people are good.

Thanks for sharing the journey with me.

I am your,

Pastor Jim

[email protected]

Miracles happen- this was not one!

Aug 12, 2023 | Pastor Jim's Blog

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…

We are followers of Jesus Christ. We are the disciples of Jesus today. Jesus sent his disciples forth into a broken world, a world populated by broken people, and he told them to expect miracles. “With God all things are possible.” The three-year ministry of Jesus was marked by grace filled tender moments, radical teachings, and a multitude of miracles. When Jesus was around, miracles happened. Diseases disappeared, food multiplied, sight was restored, the dead were raised, and storms were calmed by the sound of his voice. I believe miracles still happen; I have on rare occasions experienced something for which there was no logical explanation short of a miracle.

On July 23^rd, the Rev. Lisa Kipp visited Trinity Lutheran Church on a Sunday morning. She told us of the good work of Lutheran World Relief and thanked us for partnering with them, serving our neighbors in a time of need. At home in the USA or around the world Lutheran World Relief is present giving out quilts, working with other relief agencies, offering food and shelter to those devastated by war, drought, or disaster. The people of TLC gave $2000 that week to LWR and another $2000 to ELCA World Hunger. This expression of generosity was not a miracle, it was our standard operating procedure. We give money twelve months a year to 40 or more local and international charities. Blessed to be a Blessing!

But then four days later a FedEx packet arrived at our church offices, it was from a brokerage company, inside the envelope was a check for $50,000. The check came to us from one of our members, but the gift was anonymous. The check was made out to TLC, but the donor designated the money to support the work of Lutheran World Relief. The simple note read, “Made some money in the stock market. Just passing it along. Just like a river if money does not keep flowing it becomes a cesspool.” The same day that the check was received in our offices, Lutheran World Relief received the $50,000 gift online.

I think it important at this point to clearly understand what happened here. This was not a miracle; this was not an unexplained or supernatural occurrence. This is the way that it is supposed to be among the followers of Jesus. We are blessed, but we are never blessed in isolation, we are blessed in order that we might be a blessing to others. This anonymous donor was joyfully and generously living into the calling of Christian discipleship. This is exactly as God intended it to be. This is God’s way of caring for those who will never be able to care for themselves.

This was not a miracle, it was not a miracle at all, it happens everyday in every community. It happens every week here at your church. Most of the checks we receive are for $50 or perhaps $1000, occasionally, there are windfall gifts or estate bequests. The amount given is not nearly as important as the grateful attitude of the giver. Giving out of fear is not Christian giving. Giving to “get out of jail free” is not consistent with the teachings of Jesus. We give not because we expect something in return, rather we give back because we recognize that we have already received so much from God and others. We are stewards; stewards of creation, stewards of our money, stewards of our homes, stewards of our Required Minimum Distribution’s, stewards of our bodies. In the previous sentence the word “our” is misleading, because in fact, nothing is “ours”, at least not permanently. We arrive on the earth naked, helpless and without possessions and we will leave the world in the same state.

In our world there will always be a percentage of the population that are rich, and Jesus reminded us that “the poor will be with you always.” Some people will not be able to overcome the hand that they were dealt in life—some are born into poverty, some are mere pawns oppressed by corrupt governments, still others have physical or psychological disadvantages. Life is inherently unfair; opportunity is not equally distributed. In any accounting of the 8 billion people on earth, we are among the richest. You may not feel rich, but in fact you are. You may not feel privileged but in fact, you are among the most privileged in human history. How does one respond to the abundance of blessings that have come our way? Our anonymous donor showed us the way.

Blessed to be a Blessing! Living a life of gratitude!

See you in church tomorrow morning.

Pastor Jim

Looking to Fall

Jul 27, 2023 | Pastor Jim's Blog

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…

I know that it is still July, and we have many long days of summer left but soon it will be back to school time, football season and time to resume our Fall schedule. After much prayerful deliberation, we have decided to return to our pre-pandemic Sunday morning schedule.

8:00 Morning Worship
9:00 Festive Coffee Hour
9:30 Morning Worship
9:30 Sunday Forum in the Fireside Room featuring a variety of interesting topics. Join the Forum for Biblical studies, theological conversations and a look at the intersection of our faith with contemporary 21st century life.
9:30 Sunday School for children Preschool to Fifth grade.
10:00 Festive Coffee Hour
11:00 Late Morning Worship
12:00 Festive Coffee Hour

Sundays Mornings at TLC will be a high energy four hours with opportunities for all to deepen their faith, grow together as a community and sing our praises to our God.

This is a major commitment of time and energy for your Church Staff. We are dedicated to serving you and we believe that we can best serve the community by offering a more flexible schedule.

With the additional service there will be a need for more volunteers to assist us in providing extravagant TLC hospitality. We will need more ushers, greeters, coffee servers, and readers. This is an exciting and wonderful time to be the church together. This fall you can join our staff in committing your time and energy to the ministry that we share.

The Fall Schedule of 3 Sunday services will begin on September 17th. On Sunday September 10th, there will be services at 8 and 10 am, and a Rally Day Sunday School Kick Off at 10 am.

104732 Then the young and old will gather to enjoy an afternoon with our TLC family and friends at the M Bar C Ranch in Freeland for an all-church picnic. TLC will provide drinks, ice cream, burgers and hot dogs and you are invited to bring a salad or side to share. There will be games, horse rides and music. Plan to arrive between 12:30 and 1 pm, lunch will be served at 1 pm.