Bound Together in Christ

Bound Together in Christ…

Did you ever stop to think about how God continually prays for us that we might be one and that we too should pray for the same thing.

I was reminded that when we are gathered together, it is a holy thing.  It is holy because only through the power of Christ and the work of the Spirit, is gathering people together in love possible.  On our own we will gather for self-interest, for free food, for making a good impression.  Only Christ can make the gathering of two or more together express Christian love.

It is also holy because when we are bound together in Christ, we participate in God’s life.  Abiding in community means we each hear a responsibility for the well being and work of the community.  We all have been given gifts, we all have the power to love and forgive, and we all share in the goals and mission of the community.

Responsibility, accountability, stability; these are the marks of being bound together in Christ.  Love, forgiveness, repentance, and building up one another; these are the signs of His presence among us.

Blessings to you,

Pastor Nord

Easter 2013 For the disciples their life was over when Jesus died. I am sure that they were crushed and numb. They stayed in the supper room in fear and without a leader not sure what their next move was. "Get out of town" sounded like a good idea. So the risen Christ has to go out and find them and then demonstrated in a rather practical way that he has not left them and he will provdie them all that they need. Need for what? Fishing, yes for people. And the risen Christ is still doing that today. Not just in our weekly gatherings but in the world. But you did not see him? Maybe we need to make it a regular habit to "recline with Jesus." Spend time with God in prayer or thought. Prepare you minds and eyes to see Christ in the world around you. Then roll up your sleeves and ask "what is it I need to do,to bring in the kingdom?

Do I really what to be a Christian I am so tired of well intentioned groups who use the word Christian and give the rest of us a bad name. From anti gay to carrying guns to church these folks use the title "Christian "and make it synonym for hate and prejudice. No wonder lots of young people who were raised in the church have decided not to be part of these "anti" groups. Meanwhile we "the silent majority" live out the values of compassion and diversity lived by the Prince of Peace. I am proud that through Lutheran World Relief and Lutheran Social Services stand with the "lost, least and lonely." The problem is that folks like to me need to stand up and say to these supposed spokemen for Christ..."I do not agree there is another interpetation." As a Christ follower I need to understand that when I say "i love Jesus" I must also accept all of his friends.

Longing for a break in this world

Some days are hard. Some days are full of stress and anxiety and fear that you long to get away. The problem is that we can't always run away to an all inclusive resort. Vacation and "mental health days" are great but we can't stay there forever.
The Book of Revelation is an authentic taste of what will be. It is a promise that in the end, God wins.      Life may be hard now and unfair. But in the end, God will win. And we get paradise.
I do not think that paradise is a place like Jerusalem but a state of mind, of course that is another whole blog.  But for now let us be content with this.
"All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved." The end will much like the beginning. The God who shaped Eden out of the chaos of our world will shape it into some thing new.  Come Lord Jesus come.

It is amazing to me how I can ask any question and find an answer within seconds on a search engine on my computer. I was surprised to find out that the #1 question asked is "Where is the safest place to stand outside in a thunderstorm?" Jesus liked to ask questions of his disciples like "who do people say that I am?" But really he was far more concerend about their own personal answer. "who do you say that I am?" Friend, teacher, compassionate leader are all good but Peter hits it right on the head.. You are the Christ! He is God in the flesh, he is the king of my life. He is my savior. Of you may have enough common sense to not be caught outside in a thunderstorm but what does your life say about who Jesus is to you? Your answer may be the best thing you do all day.

When life feels like it's on a roll. Sometimes you may feel like life is a big gamble. Like the outcome of your life is resting on how the dice roll for you. If they roll right, you get "lucky". If they roll badly, your life goes down the tubes. It does seem that certain times in our life the stars are in align and there are lots of blessings. Then just when your relax everything seems to fall apart. Others may call this luck. But I don't. That's life and in everything, good or bad I see another hand at work, God. In the past few months my reading of THE STORY I realize that I need to remmeber the UPPER STORY, God will. The Book of Esther is a dramatic portrayl of this. God seems to be silent as his people suffer but then there is Queen Esther standing up to the King and the reversal of fortune of Mordeci. Whew! God was doing some major stuff. There are days you may think God is not around or even cares. But as you read the book of Esther it reminds us that God is active, often behind the scenes, working things out for "the good of those who love him." Romans 8.28 He has put you right where you are, right now, so you can make a difference. You can say the words someone needs to hear. You can be the example someone needs to see. You can help someone find freedom from sin. So let others roll the dice and you let God take care fo the rest.

More to the story

As we read through The Story we meet lots of people like ourselves, maybe some who are even worse. David is one of those people. His little affair with Bathsheba may have not been caught on tape but it was seen by God. When the prophet Nathan says "you're the man" he had a choice, deny, run away or confess. He could have made excuses or blame Bathsheba but instead he chose the better and healthier choice. "I have sinned against the Lord." 2 Samuel 12.13.
And God did with David's sin what he will do with yours or mine. He put it away. Psalm 103: 12-13.
You can so what David did today. Whatever you did on the first week of April you can stop right now and admit you have not only hurt yourself and maybe someone else plus offended God. Isn't that the apporiate thing to do on Holy Week?
And then let another shepherd from Bethlehem forgive it. That's better than any other choice you could make.