Songs that take you back

Psalm 101:1 I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music.

The car I drive is old enough that it has a CD player, of which I often take advantage. But I usually listen to the radio when I’m driving these days. Sometimes it’s Talk Radio, but often it’s the satellite radio. I like that fact that I can choose channels based upon a certain genre or a particular era.

Those of you who have satellite radio probably also know that you can select a rather large number of favorite artists and a large number of favorite songs. The radio will then let you know when they’re coming on. I take advantage of this feature, too.

Songs have an ability to take us back. By that, I mean they can trigger memories of certain people. They can trigger memories of certain experiences. When Styx is playing I think of high school and college years, as well as attending their concert one snowy evening, the night before Thanksgiving. (If I had been my parents, I wouldn’t have let me go. It was snowing that hard!). With ABBA or Boston, it’s more junior high as well as trips with the family – ABBA was welcome, but Boston sometimes got the 8-track removed from the player and thrown into the back seat.

With our entry into the season of Advent, we have moved into “The half-year of our Lord”; the season of holidays based on the life of Christ Jesus (e.g. Advent leading to Christmas/the Nativity of our Lord and Epiphany, Lent leading to Easter and Pentecost). I certainly am not disparaging the wonderful songs and hymns we use in worship during the Sundays after Pentecost – they are plenteous and meaningful. But the songs in this half year tend to bring back more memories for me.

Advent hymns bring reminiscences of evening worship services and sitting around the Christmas tree at night, it being the only light in the room while music played on the stereo. Lent also reminds me of worship services. Easter’s memories are of singing in the balcony with the choir my mother led, standing next to Luke and Don (guys who helped teach me to sing the bass line), playing the trumpet with the Groth brothers while Frosty Ferstenau played trombone, and serving the Easter breakfast for the congregation, which we the youth provided.

God bless your singing and memories as we move closer to celebrating the birth of our Savior, Christ Jesus. God bless, as well, those who continue to make music that warms our hearts and stirs our souls.

Baptism's wondrous gift

A fellow pastor’s father-in-law wrote this devotional thought. It was shared in the Lutheran Forum Letter of November, 2020.

The author was ruminating on his baptism, a gift given in accord with our Lord’s Great Commission in Matthew 28:19, “…baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

In my own Christian life, these words, which were spoken over me at the time of my baptism, are among the most reassuring words of Holy Scripture. In this sacramental act, during which I also received my own name, I was made a member of the family of God in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. I was marked with the cross of Christ FOREVER!! In moments of discouragement, temptations, and even in the face of apparent failure, I can remind myself as Martin Luther did in his tines of deepest distress: “I am baptized!” From the God who gave me this great gift, I hear the eternal words of assurance, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. … You are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you.” Help me, dear Father, to remember that I do not walk alone today, but that I may begin and close this day and every day in the assurance that through baptism I am beloved, and that he who gave me my baptism also promised at the same time that he would be with me to the end of the age. In His name I pray! Amen.

Back at it!

2020 11 23

I’m sorry to have been away so long. It’s high time to contribute to the blog on our website and I’m going to make a concerted effort to have something worth pondering each Monday.

As we approach the Day of National Thanksgiving I wanted to share some of the things for which I’m thankful this year. I’m certainly in the same boat with you that this year has challenged us to be thankful! But then, again, when we consider Thanksgiving our thoughts have often gone to the pilgrims, who had barely survived the winter in the New Word. We also remember that it was established as a consistent holiday in the United States by President Lincoln, who presided over the Civil War.

In writing this I pray that no one feels pressured to participate in anything that causes anxiety during this pandemic. I just want to emphasize that I’m thankful that we have been able to resume corporate worship.

At the same time, I’m thankful that we’ve been able to provide things to help our brothers and sisters worship online. Initially it was pre-recorded. Now, we’ve been able to live-stream each of our Sunday morning offerings.

With all that in mind, I’m thankful for Scott and Katie, who have shepherded this online presence. Thanks, too, to Johanna for sending out the links and, via post, the sermon and outlines. Thanks to Jen and Jeff for their work in children’s messages.

Switching focus just a bit, I’m thankful for the diligence of the Call Committee. We’ve been working to call an associate pastor and we will continue to keep that effort in our prayers.

Lastly, but certainly one of the items for which I’m most thankful, I’ll bring up Jami. I’m thankful for her presence in my life: her support; her balance; her work; and her humor!

Along with her, I need to mention the technology that has allowed our family to be interacting through this pandemic. It’s good not simply to hear each other but also to see each other.

Oh, and I’m thankful that my mother and father, Jami and I have been kept through our bouts with the coronavirus.

Thank you for all this, Lord, and for our everlasting life in you. Amen.