The Pastoral Grind

(Originally written for The Baldwin Bulletin: Pastor's Column December 20, 2023) Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her n

 (Originally written for The Baldwin Bulletin: Pastor's Column November 8, 2023)  “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him...Then the LORD became jealous for his land and had pity on his people. The LORD answered and said to his people, “Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations…You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else. And my peop

 (Originally written for The Baldwin Bulletin: Pastor's Column September 27, 2023) …According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time…Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. ( 1 Peter 1:3-5, 8-9) Over the last month, I’ve been preaching about rewards. For all who repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ, there is the promise of salvation and eternal life (Mark 1:15; Acts 2:37-39; 3:17-21). It’s a reward in the sense that it is not fully received until the completion of this life, it’s only for some, and it is an i

(Originally written for The Baldwin Bulletin: Pastor's Column August 16, 2023) Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes…Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly. Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. ( Proverbs 26:4-5, 11-12) “Back to school, back to school, to prove to dad that I’m not a fool...” Any time I hear the words reminding us of what happens around this time of year for many children, I can’t help but also hear those words from the ’90s Adam Sandler film, “Billy Madison.” Whether you’ve seen it or not, I’m not giving my personal support or recommendation to the movie, but those sing-song words as Billy waits for the school bus are locked in my memory. Already this month, teachers have been preparing their classrooms and teaching curriculum as well as going through development. Some student

(Originally written for The Baldwin Bulletin: Pastor's Column July 5, 2023) Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6) When I was a kid, I played baseball, basketball, and soccer in my hometown’s rec league. If I wanted to play, my parents would sign me up. If I decided I didn’t like the sport or didn’t want to play anymore, they made me finish the season (except for my final year of Little League baseball when I got sick of riding the bench and completely lost interest). Fast forward to this summer and my wife and I enrolled our two oldest children in softball and t-ball for their first summer team sports. My interest in baseball has continued as a fan of the White Sox. My kids have shown interest in the sport over the last year, helped by having friends who are playing. We were gone during the first week of practices, so I wanted to practice some with them at home before their first nights and when we have time as

 (Originally written for The Baldwin Bulletin: Pastor's Column May 17, 2023) “…And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning; from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image…” (Genesis 9:5-6) Four Wisconsin law enforcement officers have been killed in 2023. According to Officer DownMemorial Page as of May 8, there have been 39 Line of Duty deaths in the U.S.A. this year. Not all those have been the result of violence against officers, but more than half have been. I’m writing this just days after St. Croix County Sheriff Deputy Kaitie Leising was killed. On the same day, eight people were killed and seven injured by a shooter at a mall in Allen, Texas. A month ago, another two of Wisconsin’s four officers killed were Chetek Police Officer Emily Breidenbach and Cameron Police Officer Hunter Scheel. A month and

(Originally written for The Baldwin Bulletin: Pastor's Column March 29, 2023) “‘…I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked…Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me…He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” (Revelation 3:14-22) I recently completed a sermon series through the letters or sermons to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3. If it’s been a while since you’ve heard those preached or read them for yourself, there is some weighty material in these. Varying from 4 to 12 verses in length, each begins with a description

I rarely use this blog to talk about elections ( yes, that's intentional). Occasionally, I'll refer to court cases, justice, and respect for authority and government. I also tend to address things that readers from anywhere can connect with. This post breaks the mold, though.  I'm going to talk about an election and this is primarily for Wisconsinites.   So, back to the title — Yes, there is! This coming Tuesday, February 21, 2023, Wisconsin has an election. In terms of the number of things on the ballot, it’s minimal—it’s one item, at least in my location. In terms of the outcome, it’s significant. This one race is the primary election for a vacant justice seat on the state Supreme Court. In Wisconsin, the Supreme Court justices are not appointed, they are elected to a 10-year term by the citizens of Wisconsin. For Tuesday’s election, voters are asked to vote for one of four judges and the top two vote-getters will go on the ballot of the April general election. Probably

  (Orange: Final camp on east side of Jordan River. Black: Jericho, the first city Israelites defeated west of Jordan River.) (Originally written for The Baldwin Bulletin: Pastor's Column February 8, 2023) When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight’”…“…This may be a sign among you. When you children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever”…“For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan fo