May 18, 2024 | Pastor Jim's Blog
Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…
2700 years ago, Hezekiah was the King of Israel. The masterpiece of his Kingdom was the Holy City of Jerusalem, the City of David. Built at the top of Mount Zion in the Judaean hills, Jerusalem had one primary water source: the Gihon Spring. King Hezekiah understood that this made Jerusalem vulnerable to invading armies. 2400 years before the founding of the United States, King Hezekiah challenged his engineers to solve the problem by carving a tunnel through the bedrock under the City of David. The S shaped tunnel would span 1,750 feet bringing the water of the Gihon into the city. The water tunnel helped Jerusalem survive the siege of the Assyrian army in 701 BCE. The Bible made mention of this engineering marvel on more than one occasion.
“This same Hezekiah closed the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them down to the west side of the city of David. Hezekiah prospered in all his works.” 2 Chronicles 32:30
Over the past 30 years I have taken groups to Israel. We visit the City of David which is now just outside the walls of the old city. If our schedule cooperates, our pilgrims are given the opportunity to walk through the ancient water tunnel. It is an Indiana Jones experience that most groups and most pilgrims do not experience. After a considerable descent below the City of David, the entrance to the tunnel draws near. The sound of running water echoes through the bedrock and then it is time to wade into the darkness. There are no lights in the water tunnel, total darkness will accompany you on the journey unless you bring a flashlight. The water runs ankle to knee deep. The walls are moist, still bearing the marks of the chisels that formed the tunnel. The ceiling above you ranges from about 5’ to 15’. Once you step into the tunnel there is no going back, the 30 minute journey only goes one way. Finally, one sees light at the end of the tunnel, and you emerge into the sun-drenched Pool of Siloam. It is an adventure that few embark on and is impossible to forget.
Reflecting on Hezekiah’s water tunnel this week, it seems to offer a metaphor for our lives. How often we commit to a journey of faith toward an end that cannot be seen. How often we set out into waters descending into the darkness of the unknown. Couples step into marriage making promises for life. Parents rejoice at the birth of children, not realizing just how long and twisting the tunnel ahead will be. We chart a course of treatment for cancer, unsure if there will be light at the end of the tunnel. We come face to face with our own mortality and we wonder what waits for us on the other side of death.
Hezekiah’s water tunnel and life only move in one direction, there is no going back, there is no return to the beginning or to days whose stories have already been written. Knee deep in running water, darkness surrounding us, we have never been in this tunnel, we don’t know what is around the next curve, but we move on toward the promised light. We have faith in ancient engineers who plotted the course. We have faith in a God that we cannot see, in a God whose existence cannot be proven. We find comfort in the presence of wet footed wanderers who share the pathway. One step at a time, always moving forward, beholding the beauty of even the darkness, knowing that we have been gifted with this moment, we believe that we too will one day arrive and bathe in the warmth of the sun.
One beggar telling another where to find bread, I am your
Pastor Jim
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May 11, 2024 | Pastor Jim's Blog
Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…
“For you yourself created my inmost parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:12
I had never met her before that traumatic day in the hospital. I had never met her as the winter of 1959 grew old and the decade of the 1950’s marched toward the history books. I had never met her, though her voice was familiar. I had never met her; her facial expressions were unrecognizable to me. She held me close, it felt good, I was comforted by the touch of her skin, there was an unexplained security to be found in her arms, in the arms of a stranger. Helpless, unable to care for myself, I had no choice but to rely on this stranger, my very life in her hands.
52 years later her mind and body racked by Parkinson’s I sat with her at the Oak Crest nursing home in the town where she was born. We exchanged tender words, she was mostly helpless, unable to care for herself, my hand gave her comfort. As the visit neared an end, I kissed her cheek and said, “We are going to leave now Mom.” She said, “Do you want me to come with you?” “No Mom you are fine here.” She smiled and said, “I will be coming home later.” Three weeks later she came home, she returned to the one who had knit her together in her mother’s womb in the Springtime of 1930.
“For you yourself created my inmost parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”
What does it mean that your first experience in this world finds you utterly helpless and totally reliant on another person? What does it mean that someone who does not know you, puts her life on the line for you? What does it mean that someone who does not know you, someone who cannot recognize your face, loves you upon arrival? We do nothing to earn or deserve the love that we receive as we emerge from the darkness of the womb.
I suspect that we carry too much fear and anxiety about our ultimate demise. Did we experience dread as our time in the womb was approaching the birthing hour? Death looms as an ominous, unescapable enemy, it stalks and haunts us. Even when life in this world has lost its luster, even when our world has become small and burdensome, still the unknown journey to the other side troubles us. Could it be that we give death too much power, and in the granting of that power we unknowingly diminish the quality of our lives?
I had never met her before that traumatic day in the hospital. I had never met her, I had never met my father, the doctor who ushered me into this world was unknown to me, the nurse who bathed me I would never see again. I was helpless, unable to live on my own, I had no choice but to trust in something outside of myself. I had no choice but to trust in the one who knit me together in my mother’s womb. It is OK my friends; it will all be OK. Like every generation before us and yet to come, we will cross over safe into the hands of our mother God. Do not be afraid, for you are loved, you are forgiven, and you will never be alone.
Before I had taken a breath, she had put her life on the line for me. Thanks Mom! I will see you on the other side.
One beggar telling another where to find bread, I am your
Pastor Jim
If you would like to email Pastor Jim direct please send a note to: [email protected]
May 8, 2024 | Pastor Jim's Blog
Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…
“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy.” Philippians 1:3
I would like to personally invite you to worship on Memorial Day Weekend, May 26th. This will be the first Sunday using our traditional summer schedule with worship services at 8:00 am and 10:00 am. It will be a day of great celebration as we welcome the Summer of 2024 and give thanks for the many blessings that God has bestowed upon us. It will be a day to remember those who lost their lives in the defense of freedom. The Trinity Choir will be singing for a final time before taking a much-earned break over the Summer. This will also be the last time that the Choir will sing under the direction of our Minister of Music Karl Olsen.
Karl began directing the choir as a volunteer in the early 1990’s. In September of 1998 he took a Sabbatical from the Coupeville Schools to work three quarter time at Trinity Lutheran Church. Karl would complete the Sabbatical, but he would never return to the Coupeville Schools. We have been blessed beyond measure by the musical offerings and tender perspectives that Karl has so generously shared with us. He is a most talented musician, songwriter, storyteller, and performer. He has the gift of encouragement, the ability to bring out the very best in all of us, to come alongside people with varied skill sets and to assist them in song, dance, and musical recitals. Beyond that, Karl is a wonderful person with a pastoral heart, he cares, and it shows. On Sunday, May 26th we will be honoring Karl for his 30 plus years of service directing the choir. I would invite you to help us fill the sanctuary that day in appreciation to God and to Karl. There will be a festive coffee hour that morning and a basket for cards on the welcome table in the narthex.
Please note that Karl is retiring from directing the choir, but he is not retiring from Trinity Lutheran Church. He will continue to lead worship, singing on Sunday mornings and at funerals. We are saying “THANKS” not goodbye. We have been for some time in the process of identifying a new TLC Choir Director. We will also be hiring a new Choir Accompanist as Sheila will no longer be serving in that role. Sheila will continue her work as our Bell Choir Director, Organist, and worship accompanist. We thank Sheila for her good and faithful service to the choir and to the church. We have much to be thankful for as we move forward in faith to the next chapter in the history of Trinity Lutheran Church.
I so hope to see you on May 26th at 8:00 am or 10:00 am.
One beggar telling another where to find bread, I am your
Pastor Jim
If you would like to email Pastor Jim direct please send a note to: [email protected]
May 4, 2024 | Pastor Jim's Blog
Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…
“Golf is not a game of perfect.” Bob Rotella
I grew up on the golf course. In the first decade of my golfing life, golf was about competition. Competition against myself and competition against other players. There are no defensive players in golf, there is no one in your way, preventing you from hitting your best shot or playing your best game. Golf is a profound mental exercise. Arnold Palmer once said, “Golf is a game of inches. The most important are the six inches between your ears.” Golf is a mental game that rewards those who practice. Nothing can take the place of muscle memory; muscle memory can only be developed with repetition. Consequently, golfers spend long hours hitting balls on a practice range, practicing a variety of shots, and practicing putts from varied distances. Golfing great Gary Player said, “The more I practice the luckier I get.”
In the fall of 1978, I found myself on a NCAA Division 1 golf team, walking the fairways of some of the best golf courses in the world and competing against outstanding college amateurs. Physically all was good, mentally I was done. I had lost the desire to compete. The competition was no longer fun. The errant shots brought me more angst than the good shots brought joy. When the game ceased to be a game, a good walk turned into a good walk spoiled. At that point pretty much all competition was removed from my life. I enjoy playing Candyland with my grandkids now, but then again, I am not trying to win.
Competition was over, but practice continued. Soon my life would be consumed with religious practice. Repetitive rituals of liturgies, weddings, funerals, prayers, and preaching. Somewhere along the line I realized that I was not alone in my practice; my doctor was in family practice, my lawyer was in legal practice, my dentist had a dental practice, my account was in an accounting practice and every Wednesday night the choir practiced. Most everyone was practicing something. From sports to marriage, from parenting to professional endeavors, everyone was practicing. Practice implies occasional failure on the road to improved results. When life is consumed in the pursuit of perfection or in competition which creates winners and losers, then inevitably imperfect humans like us will be given over to despair or frustration. Soon this earthly journey, a gift from God, becomes a graceless slog. Like golf, a good walk spoiled. Life is not about mastery, there is not a single thing in life that I have mastered. Perhaps life is just about practicing, practicing every day. Practicing kindness, practicing forgiveness, practicing tolerance, practicing the piano, practicing yoga, practicing prayer, practicing generosity, never expecting perfection.
Practice not perfection. A few weeks ago, I pulled off an accomplishment rare to seasoned preachers. Karl was there, he can attest to this considerable feat. On a joyful Sunday morning, I achieved a trifecta of joke telling failures by including three jokes that fell flat in a single sermon. To my credit I kept practicing and experienced similar results at all three services. Had it been golf I might have thrown a club, had it been a competition I would have lost, but I was just practicing life, and a friendly crowd of parishioners gave me love after the sermon.
Golf is not a game of perfect. Don’t expect perfect my friends, cut yourself a break, enjoy the journey and keep practicing.
One beggar telling another where to find bread, I am your
Pastor Jim
If you would like to email Pastor Jim direct please send a note to: [email protected]
Apr 27, 2024 | Pastor Jim's Blog
Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…
“Lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” I Corinthians 15.
I sat with her in the sanctuary before the service started. She was tired, weak, and worn. Her quality of life was diminished by aging and grief; she missed her departed husband. We exchanged some tender words and a memory or two. Then she said, “Pastor Jim, what you do know about heaven?” With great confidence and without hesitation I said, “nothing.” She looked at me quizzically and somewhat concerned, “Nothing? Nothing at all?” “Not really. The Bible has very little to say about heaven. The life after this one is shrouded in mystery. To be honest, I know nothing.” I would not say that she was comforted by my ignorance.
Our conversation continued, “Let’s imagine that you and I were twins in our mother’s womb right now, getting ready to leave that world for the next. And you asked me what waited for us on the other side of that birth canal. Floating in the darkness of this micro-universe would I have the knowledge or words to describe the magnificent creation of planet Earth? To be very honest, I have no idea what heaven will be like, but I am ok with that. I can trust God for that one. I can trust the God who gave me the gift of life in this wonderful world, to usher me safely home to the next. We have nothing to fear from God, we have nothing to fear from death, it is a part of the journey but not the end of story.”
“So, you know nothing Pastor?” “On my own? No. The Bible tells us that our transition to the heaven will be instantaneous, in the twinkling of an eye. Jesus told the thief on the cross ‘today you will be with me in paradise.’ The Bible assures us that in heaven there will be ‘no more pain, no more tears.’ Is that enough? Is that enough to allow us to rest safe in the arms of a good and gracious God? We must learn to just trust God on this.”
Two days later, a man sat in my office. He was very much alive, but just two years earlier after a massive heart attack, he was very much dead. For 15 minutes he was dead, no pulse, no heartbeat. He spoke of that experience, that 15 minutes deep in the valley of the shadow of death saying, “Pastor Jim, it was all ok. I am happy to be alive, but I have no fear of death.”
Can we trust God on this?
I am no expert, I am simply one beggar, telling another beggar where to find bread. I am your
Pastor Jim
If you would like to email Pastor Jim direct please send a note to: [email protected]
Apr 20, 2024 | Pastor Jim's Blog
Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…
“I am the way, the truth and the life.” Jesus
Wherever we find truth we have found a revelation of God. If that “truth” is found in science, it is of no threat to us. If that “truth” is found in philosophy or some other religious tradition or practice, it is in no way a threat to us. There is no truth apart from God. The truth may not always be comforting or pleasant, but to quote Jesus; “the truth will set you free.”
In Congress, July 4, 1776
“The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America….. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
It occurs to me that self-evident truths do not need to be spoken or written. They are, after all, by definition, self-evident. Self-evident truths do not need a day in court, they have no need to be proven. Self-evident truths are not to be debated or voted on. Truth is not dependent upon public opinion. Something is either true or it is not. Self-evident truths do not need to be spoken or written, and yet our founding fathers thought it prudent to include self-evident truths in our Declaration of Independence.
The inclusion of these words bears witness to a broken human history and the flawed nature of the fledgling American experiment. Certainly, our founding father’s own life experience had taught them that this truth was not self-evident at all. How could this truth be self-evident in a nation where 1/5th of the population was enslaved, where 1/3rd of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were themselves slave owners?
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” 248 years later, slavery is universally condemned. Civilized people from every nation recognize the evils of this immoral and illegal institution. The civil rights movement and the suffrage movement have changed our country. Women now own property, they have the right to vote, and they hold public office. Progress has been made. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” Having said that, the “self-evident truth” that all men and women are created equal, is clearly not self-evident to a large portion of our population. 248 years later, the words written in the Declaration of Independence still need to be spoken and taught. If we are to be on the right side of history, we must stand against racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and any movement that attempts to persecute minorities or restrict the “unalienable rights” of our neighbors.
The dream of our founding fathers continues to unfold. May the words at the base of the Statue of Liberty remind us from whence we come and lead us forward to a more loving and just future.
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” Emma Lazarus
For 248 years we have been tested, today we are tested still. May God light our pathway, may love go forward from our church, may the truth one day be self-evident that we may be set free.
One beggar, telling another beggar where to find bread, I am your
Pastor Jim
Contact Pastor Jim if you have questions at [email protected]
