They’re back!  School is starting up again which I suppose means summer is drawing to a close.  That’s okay, because it means the time to get away on vacation is also coming to an end.  You can’t take serious vacation time with the kids in school.  The kids are back!

This past Sunday, we had the blessing of the school backpacks at the beginning of each worship celebration.  At the first service, there were a fair number who came forward for the blessing.  However, at the second service there were a lot more kids of all ages who came up for the blessing.  Admittedly, the number of kids was no where near the total that will be at church once Sunday school starts in September.  Yet, this Sunday there were enough to make it noisy in the back before the worship started.  It was neat!

I like kids in church  —  big kids/ little kids, old kids/young kids.  I’m in total agreement with our Lord who welcomed the children to come to Him.  Kids in worship don’t rattle me.  I can always talk a little louder.    Besides, the way I try to move around in front of the church seems to keep their attention, at least to some degree.  Nope, kids in church are a blessing and don’t bother me.  Well, over the years, there were three kids that did bother me  —  a little  —  MINE.  The only kids I really ever took notice of when they were noisy or moving around in the pew during church were my own.  I suppose it’s the father in me.

When such activity occurred, Karen would take one of the children (the offending one) out to the narthex, apply some appropriate instructional pressure, and then return back to their seats in church with a child in a much quieter state.  Oh, by the way, the other two were always very well behaved and quiet during this time of Mom’s brief absence for two very sound reasons.  First, Mom would return more than willing to dispense further instruction if necessary.  Second, Dad, who was preaching in front, aimed a frequent, steely gaze in their direction.  No, kids, even mine, in church never bothered me.   Actually, I think that’s where they belong with their parents.  In truth, their absence for the worship experience is what really bothers me.

Unfortunately, far too many of our modern parents with children prefer not to have their children in worship with them.  Better to ship them off to the  nursery or have Sunday school classes going on at the same time as worship so the kids can have something to do.  That’s sad.  Worshiping as a family IS something to do with our children  —  a very good something.

It used to be that parents considered regular worship as showing up to God’s house with the children for   services every week.  Today, according to polls  taken by several Christian polling groups, regular worship is reduced to once a month and that preferably without children.  I don’t understand.

For a generation and in a time in our culture where we go to extremes in seeking to keep children safe and secure, stimulated and enriched, this attitude to worship seems a contradiction.  The whole idea of treating  children like they a little adults to be reasoned with logically or allowing them to completely control the situation like they are in charge just seems wrong.  But then, I’m old FASHIONED. 

Children are not adults and they aren’t in control because they haven’t earned that right.  Children need to be educated and encouraged by the things we teach them and by the things we show them through our own example.  As parents, we need to show our children that worshiping as a family is important because it builds relationships  —  with God and within the family. 

As people who worship and are graced  —  YES, I SAID GRACED  —  by the presence of children, we need to make such families feel welcomed and not be disturbed, much less annoyed, with a little noise by their  worshiping presence.  As a pastor, we need to develop a style that is more appealing and relaxed to young   families so they feel comfortable in the worship experience.  Worship is supposed to be a joy for all, not a pain we must endure.

Teaching children the importance of worship takes our showing them it’s importance to us as parents and adults.  Simply, when we come to engage in worship we teach our children it’s important, when we don’t    engage, we still teach a lesson, but a totally opposite one.  It’s one of the reasons I make it a point to teach  confirmation to our youth because it’s a vital part of being a pastor.  I want them to know me and feel comfortable around me so they can trust me.

Jesus had to reprimand His disciples when they tried to prevent the children from coming to Him.  It was the wrong thing to do.  Hence, He told them, “Let the children come to me, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”  Well, I might not go so far as to reprimand parents for not showing their children the importance of worshiping as a family, but I’m not afraid to tell them it’s flat out WRONG.  It is wrong!
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We welcome whole families, especially children, to the celebration of worship.  If you’re not going to church as a family, then I encourage you to find a church you can go to this Sunday and worship our God who wants nothing but the best for us  —  HIS CHILDREN.
And those are my thoughts.  God bless.
Pastor Lee
 
 
 

 

When I watch just a little bit of news, I encounter a treasure trove of topics to reflect on.  Personally, I watch FOX, not that they don’t have a bias in reporting the news, they do  —  definitely conservative  —  which is where I lean; but, I like that they are honest about it.  I’ve noticed other networks claim to be unbiased, but it’s a claim that has no basis in truth or reality.  That said, you might not be aware of some of these stories if you watch only the other networks.  I have seen the elimination of drinking straws because they are apparently evil, the city of Austin, Texas considering a name change because historically Stephen F. Austin owned slaves, and then there’s the 43% of millennials who quit their jobs after two years so they can experience life at a more leisurely pace because of the unfair and demanding expectations in the work place requiring they actually show up for work on time (designated by the employer) and put in a full day.  How unfair.

In a similar vein, I have noticed we are having more difficulty with applying words like “DEDICATION”, “PERSONAL REPSONSIBILITY”,  “ACCOUNTABILITY” and “INTEGRITY” to the living of our lives.  Such words used to be important, and not just as words, but as the ways we related to the people around us.

Maybe that’s why when I came across an interesting and revealing statistic I made a connection with some real concerns I was addressing at a gathering of Christians last weekend.  According to reliable data, 90% of ALL Christian churches (regardless of denomination) have memberships of 350 people or less.  Yet, a little over 50% of ALL Christians hold membership in large, “mega” churches.  Why is that the case, one might ask?

I think it’s because in a large church it is easier to be a Christian without the weight of being dedicated to service in furthering God’s purposes in the world.  In addition, it’s easier to avoid holding oneself to personal responsibility for the things we do in our relationships to God and one another and accepting accountability for our actions before God.  Allow me to express myself more simply.  In bigger churches with large numbers of fellow members, we can keep our anonymity.  Someone else will do the work we should be doing and are commanded to do by God in His name.

Look, too many churches, large and small, have members and not disciples.  Members show up to church on Sunday morning (or when for convenience sake worship is held) pick up their “I am a Christian” name tag, find their seat, listen to the service and the preacher reminding them of God’s love and how we are all going to heaven, put their check in the plate (if finances allow) and, when the  service is done (as if service in God’s name is ever done) head for the door making sure to put back their “I am a Christian” name tag so it’s ready for the next time they come (which might not be for weeks).  Crossing the threshold as they exit into the real world, they again resume planning on how they will serve those worldly demands and desires. Disciples, on the other hand, come to worship to be recharged so they can go back into the world proclaiming, living and witnessing to the good news of Jesus Christ and the salvation He makes real to those who truly believe in Him with an active faith.

Now, I admit, I’m being somewhat flippant in my defining of “members”, but only a little bit.  Christians, disciples not members, whose faith is real hold words like dedication,  personal responsibility, accountability and integrity to be measures of their faith in action.  It is what they do.  My fear is that we
 have created a generation, and maybe several, that want God on their terms and not God’s.  Dedication to God must be convenient to our schedule, personal responsibility isn’t important because it’s the other guy’s fault anyway, no one is accountable for their own actions since there are always                extenuating circumstances, and integrity is too costly to worry about.

Being a Christian disciple demands hard work and surrender to God’s will. It requires our involvement now, not at some time of our making.  Serving God is not always convenient, but it is always rewarding.  I realize I might be generalizing the attitude of millennials.  After all, 43% isn’t all of them, but it sure is a big number, big enough to be concerned about.  Nor do we know what kind of impact those attitudes will have on the generations to learn from and follow them.  I do know this, when defining an active member of the church equals coming to church once a month when it fits the schedule as   opposed to every week, there’s a problem and I don’t think it’s with God.
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And those are my thoughts.  God bless.
Pastor Lee
 


 

I have just had the opportunity to see my wife’s job at home and I know beyond ANY shadow of a doubt, with absolute confidence, I DON’T WANT IT!  I’m not capable.  Oh, it’s not the actual tasks themselves, they’re not all THAT complicated.  Well, some of them are.

• I’ll never be able to load a dishwasher like she can.  What I think is full is, in reality, half empty when she gets done really filling it.
• I haven’t tackled the clothes washer and dryer yet, but I know I’ll have to or start going “commando” (not my preference).  I am well aware that I will need extensive coaching or I’ll simply destroy clothes, which would not be my first choice.

No, it’s the patience of Job that Karen has for our girls  —  that is  —  our two golden retrievers: Jessie (the seasoned, well-mannered old girl) and Molly (the year old energized, crazy puppy).  Like kids, they never stop making demands, especially Molly, who thinks she is in charge OF EVERYTHING.  I swear, Molly has to have a bladder problem or a prostate (which I thought   females didn’t possess) because she needs to or wants to go more than I do and I’m at that age (according to TV commercials) where that’s an issue.  Personally, I think it’s just to run around, bark at any sound, chase the birds, entertain a squirrel, and come back in to get a treat for protecting the house.

First, they (Molly) wakes us (now me) up before the sun rises for trip number one.  After Jessie gets her turn, Molly wants round two.  Then it’s breakfast time (which they demand, especially Molly, since she must       recharge her energy), followed by — you guessed it  — another trip outside for both.  This is all pretty much before the sun is completely up.  This goes on all day long until it’s bedtime.

How does Karen get anything done?  In truth, the repetitiveness of doing the same stuff over and over again is what kills me.  You really never, ever get it done.  Look, guys like to tackle one job or task at a time, get it done, and move on to the next project.  How Karen does it, how any women does it, staggers the imagination.  I don’t have that kind of patience and I won’t even begin to discuss the frustration level.  The fear that tears at my heart is I will have at least two months this.  Karen’s knee surgery isn’t until the beginning of September  (a month away) with about six weeks for recovery to follow.  So there’s the stuff to do at home (regular maintenance), the things Karen needs (T.L.C.), then the girls with all their demands, and somewhere in there the needs that come from being the pastor.  I feel overwhelmed and it’s only been one week of this.

How does God put up with us?  Like my idiot puppy, we keep doing the same things (like sin  —  the same sins) over and over again.  The Lord’s frustration level must be astronomical, but He continues to love us and work with us. Talk about patience!  I’m sure glad it’s God in charge and not me.  I’d have turned us (including me) into little dust piles a long time ago.

Maybe I can have a little more patience with the girls.  I suspect, they must be frustrated with me and the way I do things because I’m not Karen, who has the patience to put up with their antics (as well as my own) and still love us, care for us, and be patient with us.

Have we got an awesome God or what?
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And those are my thoughts.  God bless.
Pastor Lee
 

Pastor Lee Harder from St. Paul Lutheran of Bulverde coming to you with another Blog for our first week in August and I don’t know where to start.

When I watch just a little bit of news, I encounter a treasure trove of topics to reflect on.  Personally, I watch FOX, not that they don’t have a bias in reporting the news, they do  —  definitely conservative  —  which is where I lean; but, I like that they are honest about it.  I’ve noticed other networks claim to be unbiased, but it’s a claim that has no basis in truth or reality.  That said, you might not be aware of some of these stories if you watch only the other networks.  I have seen the elimination of drinking straws because they are apparently evil, the city of Austin, Texas considering a name change because historically Stephen F. Austin owned slaves, and then there’s the 43% of millennials who quit their jobs after two years so they can experience life at a more leisurely pace because of the unfair and demanding expectations in the work place requiring they actually show up for work on time (designated by the employer) and put in a full day.  How unfair.

In a similar vein, I have noticed we are having more difficulty with applying words like “DEDICATION”, “PERSONAL REPSONSIBILITY”,  “ACCOUNTABILITY” and “INTEGRITY” to the living of our lives.  Such words used to be important, and not just as words, but as the ways we related to the people around us.
Maybe that’s why when I came across an interesting and revealing statistic I made a connection with some real concerns I was addressing at a gathering of Christians last weekend.  According to reliable data, 90% of ALL Christian churches (regardless of denomination) have memberships of 350 people or less.  Yet, a little over 50% of ALL Christians hold membership in large, “mega” churches.  Why is that the case, one might ask?

I think it’s because in a large church it is easier to be a Christian without the weight of being dedicated  to  service in furthering God’s purposes in the world.  In addition, it’s easier to avoid holding oneself to personal responsibility for the things we do in our relationships to God and one another and accepting accountability for our actions before God.  Allow me to express myself more simply.  In bigger churches with large numbers of fellow members, we can keep our anonymity.  Someone else will do the work we should be doing and are commanded to do by God in His name.

Look, too many churches, large and small, have members and not disciples.   Members show up to church on Sunday morning (or when for convenience sake worship is held) pick up their “I am a Christian” name tag, find their seat, listen to the service and the preacher reminding them of God’s love and how we are all going to heaven, put their check in the plate (if finances allow) and, when the  service is done (as if service in God’s name is ever done) head for the door making sure to put back their “I am a Christian” name tag so it’s ready for the next time they come (which might not be for weeks).  Crossing the threshold as they exit into the real world, they again resume planning on how they will serve those worldly demands and desires. Disciples, on the other hand, come to worship to be recharged so they can go back into the world proclaiming, living and witnessing to the good news of Jesus Christ and the salvation He makes real to those who truly believe in Him with an active faith.

Now, I admit, I’m being somewhat flippant in my defining of “members”, but only a little bit.  Christians,   disciples not members, whose faith is real hold words like dedication,  personal responsibility, accountability and integrity to be measures of their faith in action.  It is what they do.  My fear is that we  have created a  generation, and maybe several, that want God on their terms and not God’s.  Dedication to God must be convenient to our schedule, personal responsibility isn’t important because it’s the other guy’s fault anyway, no one is accountable for their own actions since there are always extenuating circumstances, and integrity is too costly to worry about.

We have created a generation, and maybe several, that want God on their terms and not God’s.  Dedication to God must be convenient to our schedule, personal responsibility isn’t important because it’s the other guy’s fault anyway, no one is accountable for their own actions since there are always extenuating circumstances, and  integrity is too costly to worry about.

Being a Christian disciple demands hard work and surrender to God’s will. It requires our involvement now, not at some time of our making.  Serving God is not always convenient, but it is always rewarding.  I realize I might be generalizing the attitude of millennials.  After all, 43% isn’t all of them, but it sure is a big number, big enough to be concerned about.  Nor do we know what kind of impact those attitudes will have on the   generations to learn from and follow them.  I do know this, when defining an active member of the church equals coming to church once a month when it fits the schedule as   opposed to every week, there’s a problem and I don’t think it’s with God.
​
And those are my thoughts.  God bless.
Pastor Lee