Hearth and Home Advent

Is it possible we could be preparing for the arrival of the savior? Many of us have a tendency to wait until the last moment to unpack the Advent season decorations. I know without an ounce of reservation that procrastination is not a season in our calendars, but in our minds. So how might we change that? I’m not proposing new ideas, but new actions. (And I pray that my wife never reads this article and holds me to the things I am proposing.)

I’m imagining a room-by-room approach to Advent. Let’s start with my favorite room in the house: the kitchen. I don’t need to say why it’s my favorite room in our home…(food). Yes, I am a foodie and I make no apologies about that. What I suggest is that because food is such an important necessity for all of us, we should see how we can help support the many organizations that help people with food insecurity. We have a long relationship with organizations like CHUM and Lutheran World Relief. Set aside a donation to support these organizations. If you don’t know how, visit their websites (chumduluth.org and lwr.org) or just ask. I will direct your gift to the correct people in charge.

Advent Living Room

What does an Advent living room look like? Probably has food in it, right? Don’t let me digress here. Yes, it has food of course, but it has people in it. Conversations and shared time together; that is so special. I suggest opening your home to friends and family or even someone who is going through a difficult time. Share conversations, a croissant, a donut, a chocolate chip cookie…you get my meaning. Open a place in your Advent to get together with people.

Advent Dining Room

Then there’s the dining room. I know what you’re thinking, I want you to find more time for food, right? (Well maybe, but that’s not where I am going here. Surprise!) Often at night when our “night owl” kids seem to be at their best, we find time for board games. This involves finding a place to play which usually lands us at the dining room table. As crazy as life is, as stressful as each day can become, a competitive game of Pig Mannia, Five Straight, or Farkle always produces a few good laughs. What possibilities could inviting a few friends over for a game night offer? In this season of Advent, connections are what tell the story best. Anticipation and seizing the moment are good Advent disciplines to develop. So find some friends and play a few games.

Advent…Bedroom?

That last room is the frightening one: the bedroom. I’m sure I am going to hear about this one, but here goes. I don’t think Joan and I are alone here, but we often listen to the news right before we go to sleep. Probably not the best way to close out the day. Far too often the news of what is going on in our world and the Northland are not great sleep-producing stories. So I would suggest first: turn the news off. Maybe even the TV all together. 

Then make a list of those you love or are concerned about. And pray. Prayer can be many things at this moment, formal or informal. It can be a soft conversation lying there together before your heavenly father and telling God what you feel and are concerned about. Tell God your hopes and dreams for those you love and those around our world whom you know are going through difficult times. This Advent can be a time to reignite your faith and prayer life. Enjoy the season and make it work to draw you closer to God, and to those you live your life with.

This is my Advent suggestion for this year: May God bless us, prepare us for the greatest gift ever given to humankind. This article comes early; it might take some getting used to before implementing. Consider trying it out this November and then just continue in December. I know I am never early on these things, so this is a new approach.

Good luck, and as always, God Bless!

Pastor Jeff

Autumn Apples

Psalm 17:8 Guard me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.

This is the time of year when change is everywhere. From the leaves on the hill sides of Spirit Mountain to the apples on the trees in my orchard, change is all around us. Some of these changes are welcomed by a casual observer. What’s not to like in the reds, oranges, and yellows of the leaves on the trees. Even given that we realize these leaves and all the fall beauty is soon to be swept by the wind and blown about on the ground, we still are awed by the wonder of this time of year.

Another of those wonders is just the abundance of apples I have been seeing everywhere. For a while, I thought that it was just my apple trees. Their branches seemed bowed in glorious praise to the God of creation. So many apples that many of the branches could not even sustain the weight of them. SO many, that I have been afraid that I could not use them all or even give them all away. Not to worry though, because the birds and deer are benefitting from this abundance and they also bow in praise to the God of creation and the gifts given with such gracious numbers. Red and ripe and filled with sweet energy. Apples that remind me that I am not the only apple of God’s eye.

Psalmist also shares another wonder that continues to surprise me each and every day. I am not certain how I want to hear these words.

“Hide me in the shadow of your wings.” Why do I need to hide? What would cause me to feel the need to hide? Seems everyday a new threat of freedom is being challenged in our country. Not just a few obscure rights or freedoms but freedom its self seems to be at stake lately. But does this mean that I need to hide? Should I hide? Or is the psalmist merely suggesting that when confronting hard times, we need to find our words knowing that God is with us. God’s holy wings have long been an image of God’s divine power and protection. We should not give up on turning to God for a path that leads to wholeness and hope.

Autumn may be a time to prepare for the coming of winter; then again, it may just be the time to let our colors shine. To be sweet grace and courage in the face of hard times to come. Time to savor the abundance of goodness given to us by a loving creator and to share that abundance with all God’s creatures. I want you, my reader, to know that you matter to me.

Together we are joined in this colorful world that bows us in absolute awe and praise of a God whose love has been given in such abundance that we over flow in thanksgiving. Soon I will be harvesting the apples and I cannot wait to share them with you! Please let me know if you need any for pie or jelly or apple sauce, I will be happy to share.

Fall Into Thanksgiving

It’s the end of August and already it is getting a bit chilly in the morning. Not cold, but a reminder that Fall is closing in and things are about ready to change. The leaves are changing, breezes are cooler in the evening. I love Fall, yet with those changes comes a more demanding schedule. Confirmation Orientation, Sunday School, liturgy changes, and a host of other activities make for a full Fall.

There are some moments to truly look forward to. I’m particularly interested in Thanksgiving, and not just for the food. (Ok, maybe for the food.) Thanksgiving is a great community event and this year will be even more so. We have a Parish worship service and new friends to share time with. This is the heart of what we are about. Could it be that God has awakened something in us we could not see? Both congregations were struggling financially and that tends to take center stage in all matters. But what if God gives us a chance to rewrite our story? What if we’re given the chance to see what was once our main concern has given way to a new story? A story about joint ministry and the outreach we can now offer to our ministry partners.

We often fall into things that we hadn’t planned for, not aware of the potential for growth for these opportunities. Take the picnic this month: The laughter and food were contagious. The music with members from both congregations was wonderful. Celebrating Holy Communion together felt good. (Dare I say, “right?”) Like going to a sporting event and bumping into a distant cousin. You know each other but just haven’t had a chance to get to know each other and suddenly the opportunity is right there in this strange place. So, this is our strange place and we are embracing it.

Fall into Thanksgiving is this moment. We didn’t know to be thankful, but now we are. Thankful for this new Parish. Thankful that we did not perish but have new life. So thank you, God, for the joy of this fall. The ”Fall into Thanksgiving,” the cool breezes and new life. It is the breezes we recognize as your spirit moving in us and calling us to give thanks for your mercy endured forever.

Peace be with you all!

Pastor Jeffrey Holter

Picnic Worship

Picnic Worship

How Changing a Few Details Can Bring Others to Light

For some reason these two words seem to go together. There is nothing quite so fun as singing a few great camp songs and then eating a slice of watermelon. This combination in more than likely fully imbedded in our long-term memories as one of the “fun” times in our lives.

I was just a young boy the first time I attended family camp. My parents and my sisters would go to camp and sing songs that were considered camp songs which basically meant that they were not hymns we sang in church on Sunday mornings. The camp preachers were the same pastors we often saw at Sunday worship only now they we wearing T shirts and cargo shorts. It was a bit confusing actually because you weren’t quite sure how to address them. Do you call them by their first name, or “Sir,” or “Pastor”? It didn’t matter because, at that age, I was running, jumping, and having a good time with my friends.

The other thing I enjoyed at camp was the lake. Seems like we always attended a camp where water was a very important attraction. I would swim with my friends and throw lily pads at my sisters or girls that bugged me. Of course, at that time in my life, all girls bugged me. So everyone was fair game. We played softball and, my favorite, Dodgeball. It seems I had a gift for both throwing and catching the dodgeball and that made camp I wonderful place to spend time with my friends and family.

Maybe I haven’t presented this picnic and worship world fully yet because, as fun as it was, it was also the place where I heard about the love of Jesus at a time when my heart was young and open. It was at camp that the story of Jesus and the love of God began to take ahold of my heart. It was “picnic worship” that spoke the story in a tone that made my heart yearn to hear more. I have much to be thankful for, but I love the fact that my parents gave me and my sisters experiences like that to build a relationship with Jesus. I am grateful for their wise examples.

So, I call you, all you wise people, to come and worship at the picnic coming up on August 13, 6 p.m., Rice Lake Park. There will be singing, stories, and of course, watermelon. YUM! There will be coffee and conversation, and there will be the story we love about a man whom God sent into our world to share God’s love with us. Can there be any better reason for being there?

Blessings, my friends, on your summer fun.

See you soon!

In Christ,

Pastor Jeff Holter

A Calling for Community

A Calling for Community

by Rose M. Fife, Music Director/Communications

Just over a year ago, Family of God Lutheran Church and Kenwood Lutheran Church, both in Duluth, MN, voted to become a two-point parish, with Pastor Jeff Holter presiding over both. We’ve heard the stories about how he grew up in Brazil and his past congregations, but I wanted to know more.

Lives Forever Changed

When Pastor Jeff was 8 years old, his family moved to Brazil to support his parents’ desire to become missionary pastors. There they spent the next decade, with the exception of one year's furlough. 

“My father came to his [pastoral] call from the death of my sister.” Hit by a car at the age of five, the death of their third daughter forever changed the family’s trajectory. After processing the loss for a time, his parents held a family meeting, asking their four children how they would feel about moving to Brazil to become missionaries. “I think we would have stayed if we hadn’t said OK, but we all agreed.”

Life in Brazil was understandably very different from their surroundings in South Dakota, but Pastor loved it. “The sense of community is deep in Brazil.” The first year the family studied at a language school to learn Portuguese and then he and his younger sister were sent to a two-room boarding school for children of missionaries while his two older sisters were sent to another school several hours away. “We all went home for Christmas and summer break, but it was a two and a half day journey to collect us, so we couldn’t do it a lot.” Eventually the family voted to stay together so his older sisters devoted themselves to his and his younger sister’s education for a year. 

After ten years in Brazil, Pastor and his family came back to the U.S. where he finished high school and enrolled in college at Concordia Moorhead to study sociology and psychology. “I wanted to know what God has been preparing for me all this time.” His years of playing soccer in Brazil had strengthened his athletic abilities and he earned a spot on the college football team as a kicker. Eventually he was invited to try out for the Minnesota Vikings. “I was not in perfect shape after three months of summer classes, so it didn’t go well.” He did not make the team, but was invited to try out next summer. It was then that he knew his path was elsewhere.

“I told them, ‘I want to thank you for the opportunity, but I know what I’m supposed to be doing. I know God is calling me into ministry.’ So, no, I didn’t go back and try out. I wanted to continue on this path, knowing that if God wanted something else for me, He would close that door.”

The Call to Ministry

But doors just kept opening. “My call didn’t come traditionally. I had always worked alongside my dad. I led Bible studies and went on retreats from a young age.” His first call was Maple Lake Lutheran Parish in Crookston, MN, a three-point parish, working with three very different congregations. He stayed there for two and a half years before moving to Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Proctor, MN where he stayed for 25 years. His third call was from Kenwood Lutheran Church, where he has been since 2012.

Growing up in Brazil taught him the importance of community. “What I do and the way I do it is the way God called me to do it. I enjoy people. I enjoy being in relationship with people. I invest heavily in those things and the people. This has been my calling since the very beginning: to share the good news that God loves you.”

A Two-Point Pastor

How does Pastor Jeff feel about working with two churches in a post-COVID era? “Serving both congregations is an honor. We may see ourselves in survival mode, but I accompanied my father to home churches, those gathered in a barn or in a living room on a rural farm. I remember singing without an accompanist and competing with the pigs and chickens. What matters is sharing the gospel of grace and the relationships of care and love that that message brings.”

He is also concerned about how busy the world encourages us to be. “I see us struggling with the multitude of activities and things that are clamoring for our attention, time, and sense of self. The move to deepen our relationships with the church is a difficult one. The church is not perfect and struggles to be authentic and a safe place for everyone. Being authentic requires us to confess often, to seek forgiveness and to ask that God would guide us through the Holy Spirit. That is my hope, that is my prayer.

Family

A family man at his core, Pastor met his wonderful wife, Joan during his freshman year of college. They married in the summer between their junior and senior years and went on to have four boys who themselves had children.

“Can I say one more thing?” he asks me, a look of contented Joy on his face. “I love being a Grandpa.” Grandfather to six teenagers ranging in age from 16 to 13, Jeff and Joan’s home is the center. “We all live within 5 mi of each other. My home is the hub. And I love it.”

I’ve Seen Fire and I’ve Seen Rain

As young people growing up in any age, music always seems to play an an important part in expressing whatever is happening in the world at that time. It was no different for me. One of those artists was James Taylor. His music always told stories about life and the words to his songs seemed to reflect my world, my joys, my concerns.

With everything going on lately…fires, floods, people and animals trying to escape the danger…it only makes his words seem closer to home. “I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain.” Seems like a song written for our time.

Fires and Floods

Our world is changing quickly. The environment we deal with is much more subject to the extreme weather we now face. Fires are raging up here in the Northland. Homes close to us have been destroyed. The good news is no one has lost their life. We want to lift everyone affected up in prayer. 

There’s more to this song though than just the opening line. “I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end.” We live in one of the most picturesque cities in America. As fickle as the weather can be here, we still enjoy great summer weather, ideal for walking the beaches on Park Point or Brighton Beach. We are aware these are precious times; our summers are short and our winters are long. And, as we approach June, we imagine these sunny days will never end.

Truthfully, it is the isolation of the long winters that makes us appreciate the summer days. As the song reminds us. “I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend.” One of the reasons that I am drawn to church is that I find people who care about me. It’s a community of believers and people who value the gathering of friends, a listening ear to share stories with, and even grieve with. Our church families are healthy places for us to grow up in and grow old in. I am ever grateful to be a part of your lives and I believe that I can be a good person for you to share your life with.

Don’t Be a Stranger

Summer is the time that we all seem to take some time off. Not necessarily from church, but to explore the world around us. I have heard of some people going on vacations here or there. But… come the fall, I expect to see everyone again. “But I always thought I’d see you again.” I love hearing about your summers and all the activities we collectively are doing: home repairs, painting the house, going on a canoe trip, or just basking in the sun. Then, as the summer comes to a close, I start looking forward to the familiar faces, football season, and fall soccer with the grandkids. I am always happiest when I see you all again.

Please continue to worship as often as you can. Support your church and have a few barbeque suppers in the evenings. Stay healthy and engaged and be a friend to all. God knows who we are and what we need, and we need each other.

I see you!

Blessings and Peace,

Pastor Jeff

Breath of God

Acts 5:27-32

Psalm 118: 14-29

Revelation 1: 4-8

John 20: 19-31

The backdrop to this story is that it immediately follows Jesus’ resurrection. I guess that always seems to “up the ante” on this story, and in addition to that, there is the added pressure of being under lock-and-key out of fear of religious retaliation. With that, the words of greeting by Jesus seem so out of place: “Peace be with you!”  I guess that is why I cannot seem to overlook the exclamation mark, and once again, we find the exclamation mark in the second greeting.  Strange how when things seem desperate, we are not always so clear in our minds about what to do and how we are to react. This may be true of other Biblical stories as well as day-to-day experiences and life in general.

Now as if these greetings have not disrupted our sense of balance or our illusion of control, Jesus, for some reason, thinks sending us into the world is a good thing. Jesus is “sending” us into the world to pronounce a message of forgiveness or (hold your breath) a word that holds forgiveness back. Intrigue barely covers the scandal of that message.  Then, the second shoe falls as Thomas, with an open admission, confesses that unless some pretty definite proof is provided, he for one is not going to believe in a resurrected Christ.  The intrigue is that, of course, Thomas is known as Didymus or “the twin.”  Forgive me if “I” seem to be interpreting that as a reference to my own faith here.  At times, I seem to be his twin-doubting brother with a skepticism that can defy reason, and it seems even more pronounced when I cannot see and touch and use my senses to evaluate the truth of something.  Trust me. I “get” Thomas. 

At the heart of this text, though, is what Jesus does to bring about change in the story.  Jesus pronounces his intentions for us—that he is sending us into the world, and then he follows that with a spirit-filled breathing on us. Some follow up is maybe helpful here because I cannot help but see a connection between this story and the creation story.  We all know that story well and probably already connect that story with our EcoFaith concerns. God created a “good” earth and created humankind in his image; in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.  And, it was good!  The intrigue for me always lies in the language surrounding the creation of Adam—first because Adam’s name means “Earth,” and second because God breathed into Adam the breath of life.  God breathed not just the physical life of being a human being (a great gift in itself), but also the gift of living in the spirit life of God.  It’s remembering that the word for breath and the word for spirit are the same word in the Hebrew language. Living in the spirit life of our creator is to breathe life into this earth and to be His messengers. Gods’ message is a message of forgiveness and also a message of protection for the world. 

At a funeral, I often share a story with the family that I once heard about where God’s name originated.  Again, it is a part of the creation narrative. God formed Adam from the dust of the earth and then breathed into the dust the breath of life.  If one says “Yahweh” as one breathes in, it reminds them that God’s name is on our lips with our first breath and even as we take our last. It is surprising how deeply that connects with people to their creator as they say their final good-byes to their loved ones.  I actually ask them to breathe in with me as we share that moment of mutual grief. God is at the center of all living things.  Taking care of the earth is from the beginning and to the end our constant calling and concern.  Caring for people and caring for the earth go hand in hand.

Now as we look to the other three texts for this Sunday, we notice many ways that this story gets deepened and repeated. From Psalm 150 verse 6: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”

Just look at all the ways praise is offered to God in this Psalm.  God breathes life into all things, and we lift that up as evidence concerning a truth about Yahweh, the one who breathes life into us and the one whose spirit is alive and life for us. We may doubt this at times, but with each breath we take, faith is renewed, and the calling to go and share the good news is filling our spirit with the spirit of the resurrected Christ.  And, a new day begins.  To that end, may we breathe deeply with the breath and message God has given us to proclaim.  He is risen, he is risen indeed!

Melting Snow

As much as I love the onset of spring, I am not so infatuated with the mess of melting snow

during this time of year. Our home is nestled at the base of a hill that is a part of a bluestone formation. Which means that all the rain and melting snow trickles down to our block foundation. Almost every spring we fight the good fight with groundwater infiltration. It’s not fun, but it’s not impossible either. It’s always good to get active as early as possible to get the snow away from the foundation and to make sure to direct the run off towards the culverts or alley.

There is something else that is not so fun during early spring: when the snow begins to melt and all the trash and discarded items left in the streets are now exposed. Oh, they are still frozen in the ice so you can’t move them, but you can definitely see them. A mitten here, a sled there. The best part? We live next to Proctor High School so we seem to attract all the homework and assignment sheets abandoned by the students. Then again, the truly messiest offenders live with us: our dogs. Yes, I said dogs (plural). We have three of these cuddly pooches. We call them pets which sounds more domesticated than it really is.  I mean, they think they are domesticated but my backyard begs to differ. Melting snow is both a sign of spring and warmer weather and a sign of the total chaos that I now need to clean up.

Having grown up first in South Dakota where my grandfather and relatives farmed, I grew up with dust on my boots and mud under my fingernails. I love the smell of the earth. When my father accepted a call to the mission field in Brazil,  I was delighted. We lived in a city but the rural members that he served were mostly people living off the land, which allowed me to have a horse and to travel around the city and countryside on horseback. It was an amazing way to grow up.

As the snow melts in the spring, I can smell the decaying leaves of fall and the growing grass of spring. When I get up in the morning, I am a bit anxious to start raking my yard. I want to pick up the leaves and debris. I want to start planting flowers and my garden. I want to trim the bushes so that they will bloom more fully in the summer. Most of all, I want to be doing something. I want to shake off the laziness of winter’s imposed hibernation and stretch my arms and legs and lungs, and breathe in the emerging life and activity of spring.

I hope you were not expecting some deeply theological diatribe. If you were, I’m sorry! What I have to offer is an invitation to join the human race. To struggle against defeatism and the inevitable lethargy that seems to be engulfing our country and world. When we give in to that winter doldrum, all we see is a debris field. But if we pay attention, the winter melt gives way to picking up the debris, and raking the discarded papers, and even mucking out the backyard from doggie doo. 

Yes, we are a resilient people. God has made us that way so that we can be light in the world, the sunlight when the cold winters get too long. We are people of grace with faith enough to share the good news. Winter comes, but so does the promise of new life in Christ. 

So, join me, and let us melt the snow of despair and proclaim a new day is dawning. YES, a new day is dawning!

Blessings, Pastor Jeff

The Right Idea Will Fly

Like many young people of my era, the idea of flight has always intrigued

me. The story of the Wright Brothers and the “Kitty Hawk” fed my thirst for

adventure and allowed me to dream dreams that seemed unobtainable, and yet

possible.

When I turned 10, my grandfather gifted me with a horse. Our family was

living in Brazil at the time, and that gift opened up so many doors for me. My

father was a busy pastor serving multiple congregations in a pretty rural town in

the southernmost state in South America. My mother was trying to keep her

family dressed, fed and happy. Which worked out well for me, since I was given a

lot of freedom.

I used to walk to the farm where my horse was kept. The farm

belonged to the Yost family who were a German speaking family who attended

the Lutheran church my father was serving. They were simple people but with a

hard-working disposition. They were also kind and caring, and generous to a

fault. My horse had all the apples and pears that a horse could eat since they

grew all sorts of fruit in their abundant orchard.

The Yost farm was on the edge of town, and just beyond the fence lay an

open field that served as the municipal airport. Sounds pretty impressive but the

planes that landed on the grass runway were just single engine planes with no

more than two or three passengers on board. But it at least it had the iconic wind

sock in its bright orange color to let the pilots know which way the wind was

blowing. The point is that I could go catch my horse and ride to the top of the field

and exit the gate at the top of the field and watch the small planes taking off and

come in for landings.

In my mind, as a young boy, they could be going anywhere

or coming back from anywhere and they were taking me with them. I think only a

small propeller plane has the power to capture our imaginations like that.

This Lenten season we are going to be exploring the ways that God’s

presence is made known to us. Like wind in one’s face or like a bird returning to

northern forests we sense God’s presence more than we realize. Sitting on my

horse, I could sense when it was frightened or when it’s muscles were tense in

anticipation of flight. What does God reveal about God’s self in the gospels?

Which of our senses are awakened when the Crucifixion story unfolds right there

before us?

What “right idea will fly” to give us an innovative new perspective about

the grace of God that will transform us in some deep way and leave us incapable

of being silent? This may be the moment when your life will be open to the spirit,

when the God you hear, see, touch, taste and smell will find you ready and willing

to Pass it on.

Hey, lets us go flying together. OK? Come and be a part of our Lenten

journey. Enclosed is the schedule for this coming season of flying and innovation

here at the “Bridge of Faith” Parish. Dream some dreams with me, and feel the

wind of the spirits breath as we journey together to the cross but then to the

wonder of the empty tomb.

Flying and Set Free,

Pastor Jeffrey Holter

An Interesting Road Trip

A few years ago I was searching for a snow blower. The one I had been using kept breaking down. I was also sharing it with my son who lived a few miles away. This meant every time he needed the snow blower, we had to load it into a trailer, haul it to his place, then turn around and bring it back to our house. Point being– this was a constant, labor-intensive process, and I was determined to change that. So I searched the internet for a (new to me) snow blower.

If there is one thing I love, it’s a road trip with my wife to look at used machinery. As luck would have it, I found what looked like a good Husqvarna snowblower about 40 miles away. It was already about 4 p.m., but the owner said he would be home and we were welcome to take a look at it. Pulling into the yard where the snowblower was located, the owner came out and started the machine. Unfortunately, it was a bit more used than I wanted and ran a bit rough, so I thanked him and we left.

The autumn clouds overhead warned of wind and rain, and it was darker than when we’d first started. After driving for a few miles, the wind started up and the rain began to come down. A few more miles later, it started to pour. I mean POUR! Cats, dogs, and the whole zoo of rain-producing creatures kind of POURING. At one point, we hydroplaned and I could not see the white lines on the pavement. I pulled over to a side road and slowed the car to a stop. 

A few minutes later, the rain slowed. The clouds floated by. The wind stopped howling. And a few remaining rays of the evening sunset greeted us. We drove the rest of the way home treasuring this view.

Moving Through the Story of Jesus

On Sunday, January 12, we celebrated the Baptism of Our Lord. We have moved along in this story of Jesus. First, it is the miracle of Jesus’ birth, and then the flight into Egypt to escape King Herod. Then we witnessed Jesus as a 12-year-old boy visiting the temple and being questioned by the chief priests and temple leaders. This feels like the calm before the storms already brewing as we approach the Lenten and Easter seasons.

Maybe we should consider taking a moment to pull over. We may need to stop and consider what we are seeing. Or even what we cannot see. At times, the road signs seem to disappear all together. Sometimes the lines needed to keep ourselves on a safe path may be blurred by the pouring rain. That pouring rain being a world going too fast, pouring down on us with such force that we become blinded by fear and leery of taking another step forward.

First, Take a Breath

I believe that our world is exhausted. It is not only frightening to drive in a rainstorm, it is exhausting. Let me suggest something for this month. First, take a breath. Second, allow time for the heaviest part of the storm to pass. No one expects us to drive when we cannot see two feet in front of ourselves. That is dangerous for us and may put others in danger as well. Give yourself time to prepare for the difficult part of the journey. Keep your eyes on Jesus because he is both our destination and our guide. Finally, be open to sharing the ride with someone you love, someone you trust. A friend, a neighbor, or in my case almost always my wife. 

Blessings on journey as we approach the Lenten season, and be kind!

Blessings In Christ,

Pastor Jeffrey Holter