For the next several weeks, our posts will reflect on the book Joining Jesus on His Mission by Greg Finke.  The premise of this book is to alter the way we see our lives as followers of Jesus; it invites us to think about what it means to be everyday missionaries. This book is being read and discussed by our church council; it is a very helpful and practical.  I invite you to read it along with us. We have extra copies available in the narthex or you can find it easily via Amazon.  The reality is that, in a remarkably short amount of time, the United States has become one of the largest mission fields on the planet.  No longer do we have to think of foreign lands when we consider those who are not Christian. We certainly do not need to travel to inner cities or go overseas.  Truth be told, the odds are very good that right now, wherever you live or work, there are an abundance of people who are not connected to Jesus at all. So, what does this mean? It means we heed the words of Jesus when He says, “Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”  Or to borrow the phraseology of the book, it is time for us to join Jesus on His mission to redeem and restore human lives to the kingdom of the Father.  Or more simply put, to seek and save those who are lost. 
 
Thus, we take our cue from Jesus.  Two thousand years ago, He exchanged His heavenly throne room for a dirty stable. The Word became flesh. He made His dwelling among us. Our home became His. He took up residence. This is what we mean when we talk about incarnational ministry; Jesus moved into our neighborhood. Like Jesus, we see the mission field in our neighborhoods—among the people we consistently see where we live, work, and play. Again, we need not travel far to find ourselves in a potential place to share Jesus. You and I are regularly within reach of the same people. For instance, some of us have access to recreation leagues, yoga classes or craft beer clubs. Some of us are band parents or soccer moms, or we routinely wait with other dads as our daughters finish up dance classes. Some of us volunteer with community groups or social service agencies. We have weekly coffee gatherings with the same neighbors or longtime friends. Some of us are at country clubs, community centers, and gyms.  You get the point. We are already in the mission field. We are always standing in a harvest ripe for the picking.
 
We know that Jesus is already out there in our “neighborhoods” doing the heavy lifting of ripening people for their next step towards His Father’s redemption. So every morning, as we head out for a new day of adventure with Jesus, we can ask ourselves these simples questions: What is Jesus up to? Who are these people around me? How can I serve them? And what are they almost ready for?
 
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17)
 
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

Anyone who has lived for much time at all knows that in life storms will surely come.  Jesus warned as much, “In this world, you will have trouble…” Sometimes, seemingly out of nowhere, we are faced with an unexpected job loss, a grim diagnosis, the painful passing of a loved one, or the sorrow of goodbyes. Like the disciples caught in the storm on the Sea of Galilee, we can feel overwhelmed by these trials, as if our boat were sinking.
 
Following Jesus does not insulate us from life’s storms, but we can take comfort from knowing that God promises to hold us fast through them. After all, immediately after He warns us of the troubles of this world, Jesus brings a message of comfort by making it clear that He alone enables us to overcome whatever rocky waves and battering winds come our way. He can calm our hearts, and He may even quiet the very storms themselves.
 
When storms come, we are often tempted to doubt God. The disciples questioned Jesus even though they had seen His miracles firsthand. They looked Jesus in the eye, and they shared meals with Him every day—but when the storm arose, they took to panic stations of unbelief as if they’d forgotten who He was or what He was capable of doing: A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling … And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” (Mark 4:37-39)
 
Don’t we often find ourselves there too? As soon as the turbulence hits—as soon as life’s winds and waves rise—our doubts and weaknesses burst forth, and we forget who it is who dwells within us and what He is capable of doing. God does not prevent storms from coming. But He is a God who is both present through them and sovereign over them. God promises to be with us always. Through the storms of life, He will be our anchor. And the best way to test the strength of an anchor is to endure a storm.  Jesus not only stayed with the disciples during the storm, but He displayed His power by calming it. As God, He had created the very sea itself. Why would the sea ever be a problem for Him? For us, too, even circumstances that seem hopeless and insurmountable unfold exactly as He has planned. When difficulties, fear, and pain persist, we can trust Him to give us a peace that “surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) and bring us through any storm to a place of calm, whether it arrives in this life or only beyond the final tempest of death.
 
The question, then, is not “Will storms come in my life?” They surely will. Rather, we must ask, “When the storms come, will I believe that Jesus Christ is able to deal with them—and will I let Him do that?” He can lift the clouds of doubt fogging our minds. He can mend broken hearts. He can soothe our longings for love. He can revive weary spirits. He can calm anxious souls. When you see Jesus as the Creator of the universe, the one who calmed the sea, and the one in whom everything holds together, then you too can experience the calming of the storm. Similarly, Proverbs calls us to build our lives on wisdom and righteousness—that is, having a right relationship with God. When we do that, we will be securely anchored and able to endure the storms of life. With God as our foundation, we can stand firm, trusting that our destiny is safe in his hands. 

“When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.” (Proverbs 10:25)
                                                   
Devotion adapted from Alistair Begg Devotion, 1-22-2024.

This season our youngest is playing for a new, club baseball team.  He’s excited, especially since he gets to go back for a week-long summer tournament in Cooperstown.  All of our “once-in-a-lifetime” sales pitches that we espoused during our fundraising efforts last year turns out to be a bit of an unintentional fallacy.  Oops!  The truth is, having a summer birthday enables him to play again with kids in his grade this year.  He gets a second chance to go back.  Unfortunately, things don’t always turn out like that for us.  Usually, the once-in-a-lifetime family vacations or job opportunities are just that.  You can’t let them go by, because rarely do you get a second chance to go or do it again.
 
Thankfully, this recipe for regret is not evident in our dealings with God.  The Bible is full of people who got a second chance. God is the God of second chances—and hundredth and thousandth chances!  Abraham, who is called the father of faith, pretended his wife was his sister because he didn’t have faith that God would protect him. Moses murdered someone. Jonah ran from his assignment. Rahab worked as a prostitute. David committed adultery and had the woman’s husband put to death. And yet every one of these people are in God’s “hall of fame” in Hebrews 11.
 
If you had to be perfect to receive God’s grace, no one would stand a chance!  Job got some of the best advice for recovering what has been lost in your life and returning to God’s original plan for you: “Put your heart right, Job. Reach out to God. Put away evil and wrong from your home. Then face the world again, firm and courageous. Then all your troubles will fade from your memory, like floods that are past and remembered no more. Your life will be brighter than sunshine at noon, and life’s darkest hours will shine like the dawn. You will live secure and full of hope; God will protect you and give you rest” (Job 11:13-18 GNT).
 
What an amazing promise! When we repent of our mistakes, God always offers another chance.  Of course, we hear that most weeks in our liturgy:  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) This is a testimony to how patient, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love our God is.  God NEVER gives up on you!  Jesus is God’s lifeline of grace, redemption and hope. In Christ and because of Him, our God loves to give second chances. He is indeed the God of a second chance. We are each so incredibly loved by our Heavenly Father.  


h/t to inspiration provided in devotional by Rick Warren, somewhere out on the web.

Yesterday, I was sitting in a NJ District meeting for pastors, talking about being “above reproach.”  This word in Greek carries a meaning of being blameless or above criticism in the sense of not being able to be accused of any wrongdoing by anyone. To simplify it... it means we miss the mark, failure to achieve the desired goal or outcome.  Perhaps the translation that captures best the etymology of the word is “unassailable,” with means “not capable of being seized successfully.”  This word is used in the Bible (cf. 1 Timothy 3) to teach that the life and behaviors of church leaders [pastors] are to have strong expectations.  As preachers, we are to be held to a higher moral standard. Integrity of life and behavior are, of course, critical for all Christians. But this is especially necessary of those in the pastoral office.  Every aspect of our lives is to model the doctrine we proclaim. We must walk the talk. Practice what we preach. Lead by example. Live what we believe. Pastors—in what we preach/teach and in how we live—cannot become a stumbling block to those inside or outside the church. 

No pressure.
Yikes!  
 
Of course, no pastor is perfect. Not even me. I know it’s hard to believe. You’re undoubtedly shocked by this.  But alas, it is true. Even I have more than my share of warts and flaws. The Apostle Paul may have already coined the moniker of being the “chief of sinners,” but I am certainly not too far behind.  That’s the reality of humankind. And it is the reality of every person who serves as pastor or leader in the church.  Not one of us is perfect. No matter the façade we front or the persona we polish, we are each deeply flawed. No amount of sugar-coating or cover-up can hind that reality. Scripture is painfully clear on this. Most bluntly in Romans 3:23:  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Deep down, and with a quick glance in the mirror, we know this to be true. We have our shortcomings. We cave to our temptations. We have hurt others, intentionally or not. Sinners.  Each and every one of us. No exceptions. We have our many sins—in thought, word, and deeds.
 
This is why we continue to celebrate the long-anticipated, quickly-gone holiday of Christmas. We need Jesus. We need His forgiveness. We are desperate for grace. The festive decorations may be coming down, but the profound truth of this message still echoes—“She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:21)  No matter how far removed we are from December 25th, we rejoice in the timeless Christmas Gospel.  That the God of the universe, the Creator of the world, humbled Himself to step down from the heavens and redeem all those entrapped in sin and overwhelmed by evil.  Flawed though we are, our God continues to dwell with us, live within us, and transforms our hearts and minds (cf. Rom. 12:2).  The gift of Jesus saves us from our sins. We are only “above approach” when we stand behind our Savior, when we allow Him to cleanse us from our sins (cf. 1 John 1:7).
 
Happy New Year!  
 

• “The most important resolution you can make as another year approaches is this: to open your heart and life to Jesus Christ, and commit your life to Him. Don’t waste your time on resolutions that don’t ultimately matter; resolve instead to live for Christ.” (Billy Graham)

 

• “I wish, my brothers and sisters, that during this new year you may live nearer to Christ than you have ever done before. Depend upon it, it is when we think much of Christ that we think little of ourselves, little of our troubles, and little of the doubts and fears that surround us.” (Charles Spurgeon)

 

• “Of all persons the Christian should be best prepared for whatever the New Year brings. He has dealt with life at its source. In Christ he has disposed of a thousand enemies that other men must face alone and unprepared. He can face his tomorrow cheerful and unafraid because yesterday he turned his feet into the ways of peace and today, he lives in God. The man who has made God his dwelling place will always have a safe habitation.” (A.W. Tozer)

We Christians hold a great festival during the winter solstice, the shortest days of the year. We call this wintertime festival "Christmas," meaning the "feast of Christ." It takes several weeks to prepare and several weeks to celebrate.  The weeks of preparation are called Advent—the season of growing darkness before the solstice.  In contrast, the commercial "holiday season" begins in November and then comes to a crashing halt on December 25. Advertisers have no use for Advent or Christmastime except when it comes to stealing all the religious symbols of these seasons - the tree, the greens, the lights, the music - to sell their wares. 
 
We Christians own Advent and Christmastime. The symbols of these seasons are our property, not just an advertiser's gimmick. If we want to keep them as part of Christianity, we're going to have to wrestle them back, probably with a good fight. And it's worth a fight. We need Advent. We need a time before Christmas to encounter the darkness, to slip slowly into winter, instead of immediately masking it with tinsel. We need a season of hunger and silence to make us eager for our coming festival, instead of "holiday" parties and concerts and all the other distractions that can rob Advent from us. For without Advent, we stop being what we are: a people who are waiting. We need the gospel's terrifying announcement of the end of time. We need the prophets' consolations and threats. We learn who we are in the uneasy raving of John the Baptist and in the gentle strength of the Virgin Mary.
 
We also need Christmastime. We need a festival that runs beyond a single day, beyond a single week. We need time to tell about the journey of the magi, about the embrace of old Simeon, about the leaping Jordan and that glorious voice thundering what we yearn to hear: You are my beloved child!  In the many days of Christmastime we shout loud and clear that Jesus Christ is born. The reign of God is here among us, in our own flesh and blood. That's why our tradition beckons us to gather around the star-topped tree of life, and tinsel our homes in silver and gold, and spread our tables with the fruitful bounty of the harvest. The marvels of Christmas are not just pretty decorations. They are signs of God's reign, signs of a life that conquers death, of "the light shining on in the darkness, a darkness that did not overcome it" (John 1:5).
 
Of course, Advent cannot exist if we jump the gun on Christmas. And Christmastime cannot exist if we are already tired of it by December 25. These two seasons are a package deal: One demands the other. Only after the silence of Advent can the carols of Christmastime spring. Only after Advent's darkness can a single star give such cheer. Only after Advent's terror can an angel be heard, once again, telling us to fear not. Year after year, we so genuinely need these seasons as a rehearsal for heaven.
​
This festival of the winter solstice - this "feast of Christ" - does more than lead us from one year to another. In the power of Christ, Advent and Christmastime lead us from time into eternity.
 
("Welcome Yule" by Peter Mazar, Copyright 1989, Archdiocese of Chicago)

It didn’t make the cut for last week’s sermon, but I’ve been thinking about our epistle reading from Hebrews a bit this week. This reading gives preachers the chance to correct flimsy cliches like, “The Church is not a building, but a people;” “Don’t go to church, be the Church;” “My faith is not about rituals, but a personal relationship with Jesus.” Though these lines may have a sniff of truth in them, such sentiments fail to grasp the rich and profound importance of God’s sheep gathering as one body around His Word and altar to be served by their Good Shepherd Himself. After all, if gathering for worship is not foundational for what it means to “be the Church,” why does the Holy Spirit admonish us to, “Stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near?” (Heb. 10:25)

Despite the nonsense spewed forth by online memes and virtual, uninformed theologians, the scriptures depict the Church as “people gathering” for preaching, praying, sacrament, and service (Acts 2:42-47). The imagery of a worship service in scripture is not one of consumers being entertained, but of God’s people being gathered around the Throne of the Lamb, joining the heavenly chorus of saints and angels to sing God’s praise and receive Christ’s benefits (see Revelation 4-7). The church is not a manmade religious institution. It is the very place God instituted and promises to dwell with and bless His people. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that you cannot “be the Church” unless you go to church. Going to church, after all, is more about what Christ does for us than it is about what we do, do not do, or even are. To be the Church is nothing else than to be sheep fed and nourished by the Good Shepherd. The life of faith depends on Christ feeding us with His Word and Sacraments. We are completely passive. We purely receive. We are uplifted, instructed, and equipped. Church is where our Lord beautifully, intimately, and profoundly distributes the forgiveness won on the cross to His sinners-turned-saints in the sanctuary.
 
To be fair, I empathize with the temptations. Believe me… more than you probably know.   Don your PJ’s, grab a bowl of Cap’n Crunch, sit on your couch, and do church via a screen. Or sleep in.  Or go golfing instead? Church attendance is not exclusively about numbers, hitting an arbitrary ‘100’ mark and patting ourselves on the back. It is about taking advantage of this incredible invitation from our Creator, to meet with and be fed by Him directly.  We are not to “neglect this gathering” because it is within the Body where Christ, who paid the full atonement price with His blood, reigns and distributes His gifts which sustain us into life everlasting. Good stuff. Pretty big deal. Gathering before the Altar of God, with our brothers and sisters, is the very work of God to sustain us into life everlasting. That is why we go to church.
 
"When church becomes optional to you, it will become unnecessary to your children.” (unknown)
 
Devotion taken from and adapted from Bob Hiller at 1517.org. 

​Today, I share this post with you. It is from an author (a fellow pastor) that I frequently read and very much respect. It is a bit longer, maybe all of 3 minutes.  But it is well worth the read—especially as we inch ever closer to Election Day next Tuesday.  It was originally published back in January of 2021.  However, these words continue to be relevant to God’s people.  It is not meant to rebuke or condemn anyone. It is not meant to minimize or ignore any important issue.  It is not meant to make little of any situation our country finds itself in.  However, it is meant to help you (and me) keep things in proper order. Keep things in perspective. Consider and thank God for your place in His eternal Kingdom.  Your identity through baptism in Christ is far more definitive than what political party you belong to.  Forget not the utmost important commandment: “Thou shall have no other Gods.”  Our Small Catechism reminds us that “a god is something that people look to for good and refuge in times of need.”  God doesn’t want us looking in empty places or to empty people. This includes elected officials and established governments.  The Lord alone works for our good. He alone is our refuge. Not a government. Not a country. Not a politician. “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.” (Psalm 146:3). 
 
One of the best quotes of the election season right here: “If you're discarding a lifelong friendship because somebody votes for the other team, then you've made a terrible, terrible mistake and you should do something different… Don't cast aside family members and lifelong friendships. Politics is not worth it.”  Wise words. Perspective.  I won’t say who said it because you might dismiss it if I did.
 
+++++++
 
Hold on Loosely to Your Politics (authored by Chad Bird)

I will hold with a white-knuckled grip of love to my family and my close friends. You come after them, you’re gonna have to deal with me. Chances are, when the dust has settled, I will have said and done some things in my zeal that went too far, but I will never regret being in their corner.

They are gifts too precious to let go.

I have wrapped my hands around the Scriptures, the creeds and confessions of the church, the faith which boldly proclaims, “Jesus is Lord.” I have sworn, before God and men, that I will suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it. Mock me. Threaten me. Spit in my face. I’m not changing.

The gifts of Christ are of too eternal an importance to let go.

There are some things in life worth losing your life over. These are the same things that make life worth living in the first place. Soldiers die for their brothers in arms. Police officers die upholding law and order. Martyrs die for the faith they confess.

Good. It is good they understand that some things are too precious, too important, to let go. And if clinging to them means dying with them still in your grip, then I will stand and applaud you as a fellow human being worthy of honor and emulation.  I pray that if I am ever in such a situation, I too would rather have my blood spilled for the truth than remain in this world as a coward or apostate.

A Clownish Martyrdom

Only a fool, however, clings with hellish fury to things that are opinions, preferences, or predilections.

Would we not shake our head in disgust at a man who shoots another man over a disagreement regarding football? Would we not think two men mad idiots who brawl because they belong to different philosophical schools? Would we not mock people who sever relationships because they can’t agree on a carnivore, vegetarian, or vegan diet?

Do we have our likes? Well and good. That’s our prerogative.
Do we have our personal preferences? Fine. We can disagree and still get along.
Do we have strong personal preferences or convictions? Okay. Let’s listen to each other. Maybe I will convince you to reconsider or maybe you’ll convince me. In the end, we can still be friends, even if we disagree.

But none of these opinions or preferences are worth dying over. To give our lives for them would be a clownish martyrdom.

Belonging in this category is that sphere of life called the political.

Want to do yourself, your family, your friends, and the world a good deed? Hold on loosely to your politics. Don’t drop it. Don’t toss it aside. Don’t privatize it. But, above all, don’t hold on to your politics as if your life, your soul, and your salvation depend on it.

They don’t. However, if you elevate politics above all other things, your soul will indeed suffer, for you will have bowed the knee before the most laughably unworthy faux deity I can imagine.

Politics is a godawful idol that will suck all of life and love out of you and replace it with nothing but bitterness and hate.

Under Pontius Pilate

If you are a follower of Jesus, as I am, then you probably know that the only explicit political statement in our ecumenical creeds is when we confess that Jesus was crucified “under Pontius Pilate.”

Those three words, “under Pontius Pilate,” have often given me pause. Christianity began when the Roman procurator of Judea, within his full legal rights, had the founder of our faith publicly and horrifically executed to make a political statement.

It seems to me that this fact alone ought to make us inordinately cautious about ever getting too cozy with a political party or candidate, much less heralding them as God’s gift to humanity.

Crosses and national flags are a toxic combination.

Let the church corporate, and we who are individually members of the body of Christ, remember that when Jesus was about to take his seat as King of kings and rule over all creation, he left us some fairly straightforward instructions about what our mission should be.

​We are to make disciples of all nations by:
1. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
2. Teaching them to observe all things that Christ has commanded us.

Those are good things to hold onto with all our might and main. Those are matters of eternal importance. They are worth living for and dying for. They are worth spreading with zeal and truth and love, beyond national, cultural, political, and ideological borders, to the uttermost ends of the earth.

Hold on tightly to what matters, to what makes life rich and full and resplendent with divine beauty and grace.

Hold on loosely to everything else.

​This past Sunday, was Pastor Appreciation Sunday. Thank you to those who organized a special fellowship hour, and to all of you who gave a card or sent well-wishes. It was a wonderful surprise. Through different outlets, I will consistently see or hear pastors griping about the lack of support or the amount of flack they receive at their church. They will grumble about conflict and dissension between them and their members. I feel bad for them. Their frustrations are valid. Yet, I’m grateful that I have nothing to add to their venting.  To that end, I want you all to know how much I appreciate the people of our congregation. I’m grateful to serve and serve alongside you all. This is a place, that for the past four years, has shown nothing but love and support to me and my family.  Equally as important, we have a church that is engaged with one another. We worship together. We study together. We pray together. We serve together. We fellowship together.  Obviously, we are far from perfect, but I pray that King of Kings continues to be an incredible blessing to all. 
 
I’m not sure what the origins of Pastor Appreciation are. But in a world of National Donut, National Pasta, or National Feral Cat Day (Yes, that’s a real thing. And it’s today, by the way…), why not a day for clergy?  I know this sounds self-serving, but it does feel nice to be appreciated. This is true, no matter what your profession is.  Of course we don’t necessarily seek out such affirmations; and unfortunately not every profession gets a recognized spot on the calendar.  Nevertheless, it is nice to be noticed for your work and efforts.  Whatever it might be. We all need a little encouragement from time to time. 
 
Perhaps an overlooked, or unknown, New Testament figure is Barnabas.  Acts 4:36 tells of a Levite man named Joseph, who the apostles called Barnabas. Barnabas means son of encouragement.  He was a great encourager. Shortly after Saul’s conversion to Christianity, Paul (formerly Saul) began preaching the name of Jesus. He came to Jerusalem where he attempted to join the disciples, but knowing Paul’s history of persecuting Christians, they were understandably afraid of him. They didn’t believe that he truly was a disciple. But, the son of encouragement steps in. Barnabas immediately went to Paul’s defense, personally bringing him before the disciples and sharing with them the details of Paul’s conversion and his preaching of the Word in Damascus thereafter. Barnabas, as a trusted brother in the Lord, was able to bridge the gap and alleviate the disciples' fear of this once-ruthless man. The truth he shared about Paul encouraged the disciples enough that Paul then became one of their own— able to join them in preaching the name of Jesus in Jerusalem (see Acts 9:20-28). Barnabas’s encouragement cleared the confusion and promoted an atmosphere of peace amongst everyone involved.
 
Later, in the earliest times after Pentecost, the early church was facing severe persecution and many believers scattered. When Barnabas, a respected leader of the church in Jerusalem, eventually met these new believers, he was thrilled to witness all that God had been doing in the lives of both Jews and Gentiles. That’s when he offered those new believers some powerful words of encouragement that still ring true for the 21st century Jesus follower. Barnabas encouraged them to keep their eyes on God and to walk in His will, no matter the cost or difficulties along the way (cf. Acts 11: 22-23). 
 
What if you were a Barnabas to someone this week?  In our world today, you are bound to come across a friend or coworker needing a little (or a lot of) encouragement.  Natural disasters, current events, political division,  relational stressors, or financial pressures continue to pile up.  Stress is mounting. Burdens are crushing. Loneliness is looming. Despair is inevitable. So many people are in desperate need of hope.  They need to know that they are not alone. They need to know that they are appreciated, that they are noticed and loved.  People need people like Barnabas, who will stand with them, advocate for them, give them wise counsel.  People need people to encourage them in the hope and promises of the Lord.  The biblical word for encouragement literally means to “call to one’s side.” The picture is that of one person who comes alongside others and encourages them to accomplish a task or finish a race.  Whose side is God calling you to?  As the old adage suggests… be an encourager, this world already has enough critics.
 
“Leave everyone you meet better than you found them. Become an encourager of potential versus a destroyer of confidence.” (Robin Sharma)
“We can improve our relationships with others by leaps and bounds if we become encouragers instead of critics.” (Joyce Meyer)
“Everyone has the potential to become an encourager. You don't have to be rich. You don't have to be a genius. You don't have to have it all together. All you have to do is care about people and initiate.” (John C. Maxwell)

We love going out to eat.  Most people do. Afterall, who wants to menu plan and cook when you can have someone else do that for you!?  My wife and I looking for and trying new restaurants. Searching to find the best dive bar for chicken wings or a hole-in-the-wall place with the best burgers.  If we could, we would eat out most days of the week.  This is especially true now in this busy fall season—as we are chauffeuring and shuttling kids all over the place for cross country meets, field hockey practices, and football games.  As our parental uber responsibilities take us all around the northern part of the state, it is especially seductive to look at the local restaurants.  Even more so when we can have them Door Dash a meal right to the sidelines of whatever field we are at!  (Man are we a spoiled nation!)  Unfortunately, we can’t afford to do this.  The funds only go so far.  The gift cards eventually run out. Eating via Door Dash is not sustainable; and truth be told it is probably not very healthy either.
 
As we were driving home last night, from a late-night football game in Rockaway, my stomach was grumbling like crazy.  My sone and me were hungry.  I drove past a number of restaurants that looked good. I thought to myself as we passed each one, “If only I had a gift card for that place right now.  Or a rich uncle…”  That would definitely solve the problem. I wouldn’t hesitate to stop.  It is always nice when someone else pays the bill. When a gift is given so that you can enjoy a tasty meal.  You can sit back, relax, and order all sorts of things from cocktails to appetizers to desserts, not worrying about what it will cost in the end. If only…
 
This is the beautiful story of the Gospel. 
A gift given. A debt paid. A problem solved.
​Even a meal provided. 
 
Every Sunday morning, we are invited to come out and dine at the table of our Lord where we are reminded that He has paid the ultimate price for us.  He has covered all the expenses. “This is my body, given for you.” “This is my true blood, shed for you.” With these grace-giving words, God satisfies a need that no other food can placate and a hunger that no restaurant fulfil.  Jesus fits the bill. All of it. For each of us.  He is far greater than a rich uncle; He is our redeemer and deliverer.  This is good news indeed. This mysterious meal is the means by which God delivers the healing fruits of His Gospel into the hearts and lives of all who kneel at the altar. This is where heaven and earth collide each week in a sacramental meal that points us to our eternal place at God’s heavenly banquet table. This meal puts an end to the grumbling of the soul, so that we can rejoice in the priceless meals of paradise. 
 
Forget the unhealthy fast-food; this is powerful, salvific faith-food. 
The restaurants will have to wait.
You can Door Dash another day.
Welcome to the Lord’s Table. 
Come, eat, and be satisfied! 
 
Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst… I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:35, 51)