Last Friday, I drove my car over to my father’s garage to change the brakes. Four years since purchasing it, I still had my original brakes on. Not too shabby. They were overdue for a change.  The twists and turns of Sussex County roads and the stop-and-go of Route 80 traffic are far more taxing on car brakes then the straight, flat roads of the Midwest.  Upon closer inspection, my pads were much lower than I thought. Not dangerous or deadly, yet… but well on their way. They would have been screeching and squealing in no time.
 
For most people, the fall season really starts to speed up our schedules. Relaxing days of summer are gone. No more lazy days. No more vacations. The lakes and beaches are nearly closed for the summer.  Back to reality. No more sleeping in. Time to set the too-early alarm clock again.  Back to commitments and obligations. We are once again bound to schedules and timelines beyond our control. School starts. Work meetings resume. Business travels are booked. Even our church calendar, as you’ll notice below, ramps up again. Fast paced. Our family calendar is once again quickly filling up with a color-coded array of school commitments, practice and game times, orthodontist appointments, and so much more.
 
I know my family is not alone. Living in northern New Jersey, we are no strangers to the “Go, Go, Go” mindset that is ever so prevalent in the upper northeast. All gas, no brakes. It is an unavoidable demarcation to living in this part of the country. Sadly, most people wear this rat-race mentality as a badge of honor; they see it as a good thing. Something to be proud of, a way to get ahead.  However, like the beaches along the Jersey coastline all of last week, allow me to raise the bright red caution flags!  There is a better way, a more balanced and healthier approach.  It would do us well to slow down and check our spiritual brake pads, or more aptly spiritual break pads.  We ought to make sure we take time to rest, time to be with the Lord, time to worship, time to pray.  Yeah, I get it… “Football practices, doctor appointments, visiting family, blah, blah, blah.”  As enjoyable as these things may be, these are merely excuses and distractions that the devil successfully uses to sidetrack and confuse us.  It takes our eyes off Jesus because we are so obsessed with keeping up with ways and expectations of this world. Before too long, we feel overwhelmed and overburdened.  We are careening down the highway of life, and we can’t stop.  Have to keep up. Have to “go, go, go” and we have no time to slow down. 
 
Listen up my friends… take heed, lest we crash and burn. Pull into our Heavenly Father’s garage. Sit down in His sanctuary. Turn off the proverbial car for an hour.  Let our graciously patient God check the pads, rotors, and everything else that’s going on under your hood.  Give Him a few minutes to work on you a bit. Let Him replace what needs replacing with His comfort and strength.  In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”  What a beautiful invitation, and a much need prescription to prevent us from screeching and squealing our way through our chaotic calendars and our tumultuous timelines.
 
Slow down.
​Rest. Brake. Break.
 
Lay off the gas and allow God to recharge you in these weekly (daily) moments when life exhausts you.
 
 “To be fully alive, you need time with God to recharge.” (Craig Groeschel)
 
“He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:29-31)

Last week, our family intended to get away for a mini-vacation. Now that the youth gathering is over and our baseball season has finally ended, we wanted to get away for some family time during the small window before fall activities start up. Head north up to Maine where we have yet to go. We’ve heard so many good things. Unfortunately, and for a variety of different reasons, our plans never really came together. Acadia State Park will have to wait for now.  Bummer. Such is life. The best laid plans…
 
My family is certainly not the first to have our plans derailed by circumstances beyond our control. We are not the first to not take the vacation. We are not unique in having plans never come to fruition. Not the first, and definitely not the last.  We’ve all been there plenty of times before. Plans crumble, intentions fall apart.    The Old Testament reading for this coming Sunday is from the prophet Isaiah.  In this reading, we are reminded that in a world of trouble and unrest, idolatry and best-laid plans there is only one steady solution. The ways of this world may lead to disappointment and death, but the Lord provides the way out.

The verses prior to this reading paint a terrible picture of judgement against those who reject and mock the Lord; but we are then reminded that God provides a way of escape for those who trust in Him. He promises that while the many plans and efforts of men will be consumed by fire; those that remain faithful will worship the Lord forever. “And they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them,” the Lord declares (66:18).  Even hundreds of years before His arrival, the prophet Isaiah anticipated the sign. Jesus is that sign. In Jesus, the ultimate plan of redemption and salvation comes to fruition.  This plan is none other than God’s Himself and cannot be foiled. It cannot crumble or fall apart. What a beautiful, permanent vacation awaits us in the remade heavens and earth of our God!
 
“The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, but the words of the pure are pleasant to Him.” (Proverbs 15:26)

Earlier this week, I read an article that said only 25% of U.S. adults report having a clear sense of personal purpose which they can easily articulate. It’s a sadly high, and yet unsurprising number.  Peel back the rat race and the vanity of vanities—the thirst for money and fame (as Dave so eloquently shared with us this past Sunday)—and Christian and non-Christian people alike are asking the haunting questions like: “What is my purpose? Why am I here? What is the point?”
 
If people cannot easily articulate their purpose, they settle for lesser things… like throwing themselves into the daily rush of “keeping up” with tasks and deadlines. Without a greater sense of purpose, they substitute activity for accomplishment. And the fruit of all their efforts is often only exhaustion, frustration, and anxiety. Sound familiar?  Not surprisingly, most churches struggle with the same question of purpose/mission. A congregation who cannot easily articulate their purpose will also settle for lesser things… like throwing themselves into the weekly rush of “keeping up” with services and programs. Without a greater sense of purpose, congregations substitute activity for accomplishment. Without thought or foresight, they keep doing the things “we’ve always done.”  They may be busy, but they may just be going through the motions. And the fruit of all their efforts is often only exhaustion, frustration, and anxiety.  And, worse, the surrounding community or even the members within are left untransformed by the congregation.
 
The Good News is that because of Jesus’ death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins, your individual purpose, as well as our congregation’s purpose is clear (and easily articulated). We are loved and forgiven by the Father through Jesus, and then commissioned to go find people who similarly need His love and forgiveness, too.  Spoiler alert… that’s ALL people.  Over the past many months, church leadership has sought to clarify our purpose.  We shared this at our Voter’s Meeting back in June. Taking our cue from the abundant and prescriptive pages of holy scripture, this is how we phrased the purpose and identity of our church.  As redeemed children and grateful servants of the King of kings, we actively and intentionally strive to be… connecting people to a lifelong relationship with Jesus and a faith that rejoices in His promise of eternal life—by making Him known wherever we live, work, and play.  This is who we are as a church. This is our purpose. Every idea we have, every effort we make, every group we organize, or every project we start should be about this very thing.  This is why we are here!  This is why we do what we do.
 
The early Christian priest and historian, Jerome (who lived around 400 A.D. and translated the Bible into Latin), tells a powerful story about the elderly Apostle John. In his commentary on Galatians, he wrote: “The blessed John the Evangelist lived in Ephesus until extreme old age. His disciples would carry him to church but he could not muster the voice to speak many words. During individual gatherings he usually said nothing but, ‘Little children, love one another.’ The disciples and brothers in attendance, because they always heard the same words, finally said, ‘Teacher, why do you always say this?’ He replied with a line worthy of John, ‘Because it is the Lord’s commandment and if it alone is kept, it is sufficient.’”  John’s purpose was known, simple and clear.  Ours is as well!  What does it mean to be part of King of Kings Lutheran Church?  Connecting people to Jesus—where we live, work, and play!
 
“You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense.” (Rick Warren)
“When you realize God's purpose for your life isn't just about you, He will use you in a mighty way.” (Tony Robbins)

As you should know, in mid-July, we will be taking a group down to New Orleans for this summer’s LCMS National Youth Gathering.  This is going to be an incredible trip for all who attend—a spiritual mountaintop experience. We will join with about 20,000 of our closest Lutheran friends, from all over the country and other parts of the world. Please keep us in your prayers.  We will have a total of 35 people in our group, from 8 different LCMS churches in the area (15 from KOK). Our congregation is leading the charge, organizing the trip.  As you might imagine, it can be a bit overwhelming and stressful to plan a trip for 35 people.  For the last several weeks these efforts have amped up. Flight changes. Airport Shuttles.  Budgets and Payments. Dinner reservations. Daily excursions. Hotel room assignments. Trip Itineraries. Packing Lists… etc., etc.  After months and years of planning and preparation, we are in the homestretch.  Only 35 days to go!  In no time at all, we will be headed with our fingers crossed to Newark Airport, hoping for the best.  The excitement boosts for sure; but the anxiety does also. Have I packed everything? What did I forget? Do I have Real ID?  Do I have anything taken care of? How bad will the delays be at Newark?
 
Anyone who has ever planned a trip, or a vacation, knows this stress.  It doesn’t matter if you have a group of 35 people, a small family of 4, or your road tripping solo.  Vacations are supposed to be a relaxing event. No one would spend the time and money associated with such an adventure thinking it would be more stressful to experience than their day-to-day lives. Yet studies have unsurprisingly shown that trip planning is the most stressful aspect of the vacation, followed by travel to the destination.  No matter the size of your group or the destination of your choosing, you do whatever you can to make sure you have every detail correct. Fill out the paperwork. Cross the ‘t’s’ and dot the ‘i’s.’  Make sure every part of your trip is thought about and planned for.  No surprises or uncertainties. 
 
How wonderful it is then, that our journey towards heaven involves no such work or effort on our part. No need to plan for heaven. No arrangements to make. No financial burden hanging over our head. It’s already done. All of it. Taken care of and paid for by our Savior.  In John 14:2-3, we hear Jesus say, “In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”  Jesus promises His followers that, no matter the troubles or burdens of this world, our final place of rest is with Him.  In the gates of heaven, we can put up our feet and have no concerns or worries.  All of the travel arrangements—all the planning and timing and details—have been taken care of. They are already worked out. We have nothing to fear. No need for worry.  No need hidden payments.  Jesus has purchased our place by His blood. He has secured the destination and sealed our travel documents through the waters of our baptism.  No stress. Thank you, Jesus! 

I’ve been taking quite a bit of flak at home lately.  As coach of my daughter’s softball team, I get to nominate girls from our Sparta team for the league “All-Star” team.  It’s not like Little League. This is a single game, a non-consequential exhibition event.  As has been my custom for the past several years, I always nominate the 8th graders—so they have the chance to play in one last game. That’s what I did again this year.  All four of them. My daughter included.  Come to find out, after the invites were extended, I was only allowed to nominate three girls. No exceptions. No wiggle room. No grace from the softball powers that be, even though the game is only played for fun.

Now what do I do? How do I rescind an invitation? Which girls draws the short straw?  “Sweetie pie, I need to talk to you…” Thus, the bummer part of being the coach’s daughter. The other three girls will play; she will watch with me from the bleachers (although I did promise her ice-cream).  She, from the start, has been understanding and gracious about it.  She gets it. She expected it once she heard about the 3-player limit. It stinks, but she gets it. She really has been great about it.  Truth be told, she would be my first choice. (Shhh… don’t tell her I said this.) This is not a case of coaching nepotism. All season, she has been the best (and only) pitcher for our team, played her position extremely well defensively, and has been a consistent, solid offensive threat from the 4 or 5 spot.  I’ve told her repeatedly, that regardless of who plays on the field during the All-Star game this Saturday, she is unequivocally an All-Star.  She knows it. Our team knows it. Yet, she will not play.  And make no mistake, she still gives me a hard time about it. Lots of grief.

Busting my chops. Frequently. And I deserve it. 😉
 
It's good to be positively affirmed. It’s necessary. Especially in a world that breeds and spews nonstop negativity, it is uplifting and encouraging when you are built up and appreciated. Whether it’s a gold sticker in preschool or a promotion in the workplace, it feels good to celebrated when we are doing something right. When we are working hard. When we are doing good. When we are putting in the time. When we are showing up.  It fills our emotional and mental gas tanks—whether on the softball field or elsewhere—to be recognized!  To this end, I would like to recognize YOU, our KoK members, for being proverbial all-stars.  How?

1. At the start of the year, I challenged each person/family in the church to be present in worship at least twice a month.  This wasn’t about achieving some arbitrary number for worship attendance, but consistently engaging our church families in the life and ministry of our congregation.  A great many of our families have met this challenge. You’ve showed up.  Yes, our average weekly attendance has ticked up, ever so slightly, but most importantly we are seeing each other more frequently.  Relationships deepen, excitement grows, ideas form.  Of course, there is still plenty of room in the pews for other lapsed families, new families, friends and visitors! If you or your family haven’t quite hit that twice/month mark yet, don’t stop trying. This weekend is a great time to start!  I know it can be especially challenging/tempting to stay home in the summer months; but we want you here. We need you here. Our church is better when all are here, when we are together. We are a stronger church and can make a more noticeable impact when we are a community who worships together, encourages and cares for each other, and prays for one another.  If you have noticed a friend or church member who has been missing, reach out to them! Mail them a card. Give them a call. Shoot them a text. Send them an email. Let them know they are loved and missed.  
   
   
2. Back in January, we also asked you, our all-star KoK members, to continue to be faithful in your financial giving. This is being done.  Thank you. Many of you continue your generous offerings to our church from 2024, some have even increased their giving a bit.  As you may recall, last year was the first time in many years that our church budget finished in the black. We’d like to make this a recurring trend.  Unanticipated expenses are always coming up as we take care of our aging facilities. Necessary future projects and improvements are on the horizon. Additionally, and as you all know personally, other “monthly” bills and weekly purchases continue to see price increases. Your faithful generosity gives us the flexibility to meet our needs and think of ways to be a blessing to others. Thank you for your continued contributions to our church!
    
3. To add to this, and as way of a reminder, our upcoming voter’s meeting is on June 29th for the purpose of electing new church officers.  We are looking for people to serve in a variety of different capacities on both our church council (president, vice-presidents, youth group director, treasurer, fellowship, Christian Education, property chair).  We also have to open positions on our endowment committee.  Please consider how you, or others, might be able to use their God-given gifts and time to serve our church.  If you have questions about any of these, please contact me.

 
Thank you KoK “All-Stars” for being faithful to God’s church in this place!
 
“Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing.” 2 Thessalonians 1:3 (NLT)

I like to have a clean car.   My family would probably suggest that I’m a little obsessed about it. I will wash my car and vacuum it pretty much weekly from early spring to late fall.  My neighbors undoubtedly shake their heads at me when they see me outside washing and detailing it… yet again.  Quirky though it may be, I don’t like the dirt on the outside or the clutter on the inside.  And with baseball and softball seasons now back in full force, there is always infield dirt, artificial turf pieces, or the occasional fast-food wrapper to be found.  And so… I vacuum, I wash, I wipe down, and I make shine.  As a matter of fact, this past Saturday morning I was literally washing my car in the rain so that I could pull it into the garage and apply its first coat of wax for the season.  
 
That being said, this is also the time of the year where I will occasionally wonder if it is worth it.  Moments following any wash, after a few minutes sitting in the church parking lot or my driveway at home, the inevitable and unavoidable light dusting of pollen shows up.  Within a short time, my car turns from “Radiant Red” to “Pollen Powder Yellow.”  And no matter how fast I go down the highway, that dust doesn’t go anywhere!  These are definitely the early days of nicer weather when I wonder if I should just let the dirt, the grime, and the filth buildup and stay on my car until pollen season comes to a close.
 
Part of the Gospel reading for this coming Sunday is the risen Jesus restoring the disciple Peter, after having denied Him three times prior to His death.  Peter is dirty, more accurately, sinful.  His self-preserving denials were only a few days behind him. Guilt and regret was just as stuck to Peter as that pollen coats to my CRV.  Peter had sinned often and repeatedly in the past, and in spite of Jesus’ reinstatement of sorts in this post-resurrection encounter, he will most definitely be sinning again in the future. Can you imagine if Jesus had the same mindset that I have towards my car… Should I even bother? Should I forgive him, he’s just going to screw up again? I know I just cleansed him, but give him a few minutes and the damning stain of selfishness will cover him again shortly. Is this really worth it? Why should I continue to forgive those that can’t keep the dust of sin away?
 
Thanks be to God, Jesus does NOT treat Peter in this way. Jesus does NOT treat any of us this way.  We are no different from Peter. Although we confess our sins and promise to do better, our best laid plans and intentions will not come to fruition.  But Jesus never gives up on us. He never stops showing up to wash us and make us new again.  You might even say, with His love and compassion, Jesus is obsessed about us.  His amazing love will never stop pursing us, to cleanses us and make us whiter than snow! (cf. Psalm 51:7) Over and over the soot and blemish of sin engulfs us; but over and over again, Jesus pours out His mercy. He does not give up. With nail scarred hands, He scrubs us clean!
 
“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” (1 John 1:9)

Blessed Holy Week!
 
There are times when watching sports, that a gruesome injury will take place on the field. Occasionally, and if I’m lucky, I may not have seen the injury initially happen. However, the broadcasts will inevitably show the replay repeatedly. Knees getting bent in the wrong direction. Ankles rolling over. Bones snapped in half. Fingers and shoulders dislocated. Just typing these words make me grimace.  When these replays are shown, I don’t watch. Turn my head and close my eyes. It’s enough to see that the player is pain and surrounded by medical staff; I’ll watch as they’re being attended to or being taken out on a cart. But I don’t need to watch the injury happen, over and over again, zoomed in from different cameras and distinct angles. No thank you. I don’t want to see it. It’s gross. It makes me squeamish. It makes me uncomfortable. I’ll tune back in when the football game resumes; but while the injury replays are cycling, I’ll use that time to get a snack or use the bathroom.
 
I think that many Christians take this approach to Holy Week—whether intentionally or not. We love the Hosannas of Palm Sunday. We can’t wait for the Alleluias to return on Easter.  But Maundy Thursday, and especially Good Friday, are too cringe-worthy. It’s all about death and despair, sorrow and sacrifice.  The tone is dreary. The hymns are monotonous. The mood is bleak. The atmosphere is misery. The services are dark and depressing. We know that Jesus was beaten, crucified, and died. But we’d rather not hear about it again. No need for a replay. Too bloody. Too gory. No need to look at the cross. Ouch. Yuck. No thanks. We don’t need to see it. We’ll avoid the pain and be content with the pleasure that Easter morning brings. We’ll wait patiently and contently until the lilies and white paraments of this coming Sunday arrive.   
 
I understand this mindset. But it’s not a good one. It's like eating a sandwich without the meat and cheese. There's no sustenance or filling. We dare not skip the cross. We can't gloss over the suffering. We dare not take it for granted. We dare not overlook it, or worse yet, look away completely. If you go from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, and skip the days in between, you’re fast-forwarding past the events that give Easter all its meaning and power. In Hebrews 12:2 we read, “For the joy set before Jesus, He endured the cross…”  The joy set before Him was you and me. The joy set before Him was our freedom from sin. The joy set before Him was making it possible for us to become children of God.  And the Cross was the ONLY WAY to make those things happen. This is true. Uncomfortable though it may be to look at. Repetitive though the story has become. Each year, we must pause at the doorstep of Easter, and stare at the blood soaked cross of our Savior.  Why? So we can appreciate anew the sacrifice made on our behalf—on that gruesome, gross, old-rugged cross. The Apostle Paul writes, “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”  The “power of God” which brings us salvation… that certainly sounds important to me. Certainly, worth slowing down for. Worthy of our worship-filled time and attention!  One author wrote, “Without Holy Week, you miss the mocking, the betrayal, the crucifixion itself. We miss out on the passion. We miss out on those few days that were the most trying time in the life of Jesus and his disciples. Their lives were thrown into chaos. People need to know how great God’s love was, personified in those final days of Jesus’ life.”
 
The only path to the hope and joy of Easter is through the struggle of Holy Week—uncomfortably depressing though it may be.  After all, if Jesus goes through the agony and inconvenience of the cross… is it really too much for us not shortcut around the “valley of the shadow of death.” We have to go through it. It’s the only way out. Without Good Friday, the true meaning of Easter cannot begin to be grasped: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again!

“Holy Week is a privileged time when we are called to draw near to Jesus: friendship with him is shown in times of difficulty.” (Pope Francis)

Many of us have made the Lenten journey so many times that it can become routine. No matter how familiar, however, Christ's passion, our repentance, and God's forgiveness never grow stale. Lent isn't simply a season. It's the Christian life in microcosm. It's a time to be renewed in faith, hope, and love as we see God's promises fulfilled, the door to heaven swung open, and grace on full display.  Lent is a season of repentance, but repentance is a continuous part of the Christian life. When Lutherans gather for the Divine Service, they stand accused. We hear who we are, the baptized, as God's name is spoken over us, but then we confess our unworthiness. We tell God that we've sadly come once again as we first came to him as sinners. And we know what sinners deserve. The wages of sin is death, and so we declare a verdict upon ourselves when we confess. We deserve to die now and in eternity.
 
Repentance, however, doesn't end with sorrow. God speaks a word through his pastors, and it's not a divine "It's ok," and it doesn't come with a wink and a nod, but with the sign of God's mercy traced with fingers. God speaks a costly word. God speaks an absolution. He does this because we don't stand alone before him when we confess in faith. We stand with one who has become our brother, our advocate, and our friend. God's messenger declare us not guilty on account of what we observe this Lent: what took place at the end of the road to Holy Week. We are innocent for Christ's sake – not our own – and so those fit for death receive life. 
 
As we’ve heard from Luke these Sunday mornings in Lent, he peppers us with warnings from Jesus about readiness and encouragement against anxiety. Jesus spoke to those who should have welcomed his coming and known what it meant. We also are those who should welcome his coming and know what it means. Do we, though? Have we been calm where we should be calm and ready for that for which we should be ready?  Jesus tells us to enter by the narrow door in Luke 13:22-30. He explains that many will claim to know him only to be shut out. They will use their mouths but not their hearts. They will know him as an idea but not as a friend. They will be like those in a crowd in a packed stadium, heading out after the game. They won't see the doors, but they will go with the flow of traffic, assuming that will lead them where they hope to go. That must not be us, however. We are called to fix our eyes on the narrow door, on Christ. This often means swimming against the current, even against our very selves. 
 
Historically, Lent is a season of fasting, of giving things up. In Lent, we are reminded of what Jesus gave up for us: his very life. And yet we are also reminded of what he didn't give up: you and me. Like a mother hen, he spread wide his wings in love on the cross. We do well, then, to hear Jesus' warnings and remember his promises this Lent. We do well to be ready and yet calm because while the end approaches. For we believers of Jesus, the end brings only a new beginning, one already settled. He who opened his arms for us hasn't closed them, so draw near to him now where he has promised to be, in Word and sacrament, and draw near to him then when he calls you to his eternal kingdom. Find refuge in his wings, spread wide to take hold of you.
 
“He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” (Psalm 91:4, NLT)
 
“For you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” (Psalm 63:7-8, NLT)
 
 
H/T:  Devotion by Wade Johnston, 03/19/25 on 1517.org.