With the end of the school year approaching, tis the season for year-end concerts and final projects. The future America’s Got Talent talents are perfecting their harmonies. The would-be scientists are testing their variations of the great Coke and Mentos experiment.

And tomorrow’s artists are creating…something.

I was never much of an artist. Or a scientist. Or a carpenter, IT specialist, power hitter…you get the idea. My life’s work consisted of a clay ashtray I made for my dad in elementary school, and it looked like an elementary school project. (The fact that, 40 years later, he developed lung cancer is between me and my therapist).

I have tremendous respect, bordering on amazement, for those real artists who bring stunning beauty to a blank canvas, or a lump of clay. Multiply that admiration exponentially when I’m at the school art fair and see some of that early genius on display. Such creativity is truly a gift, a living reflection of the Creator.

Such gifts – all gifts, really – originate in the heart of God. His creative genius is on display for all to see, and then He reveals His heart when He opens the heavenly vault of grace, revealing His power, presence and peace right here for us, and in us. This is Who He is and how He is, loving so completely and unconditionally every single child He creates so much, He steps into our daily lives, picking up the broken pieces of our failed projects and putting them back together again.

He doesn’t let our weakness and selfishness end the relationship He established with us. He gives us Himself when He gives us Jesus, the Righteous One who becomes sin for us so that we become righteous ones. He talks to us daily, feeds us at our tables and at His, and reminds us of the perfect path of life He has prepared for us, encouraging us to stay on it.

He gives us life, in body, heart and mind. He is our life. And we are His masterpiece, created and recreated in Christ Jesus as the potter shapes and reshapes the clay, a truly Divine art project that He proudly and joyfully presents for all to see.

But for some, that’s not good enough. They think they can do better. They like to take His handiwork and smash it or trash it, believing that their vision of what should be far surpasses that of Almighty God. In their distorted view, He even made some mistakes they have to fix, totally ignoring, if not rejecting or even replacing, the Creator with the creature.

Yet they still want to acknowledge the obvious, that He’s still out there, needing their help and awaiting their clever revisions to His work. He’ll be so delighted when He sees how they cut off pieces here and added enhancements there! Of course, they’ll hit the dumpster with the projects they didn’t want, because it really isn’t art until they decide it is.

And they think He’s fine with all that. He won’t mind if they play God. To them, that’s better than dealing with the real One. Just to be sure, they’ll come up with catchy slogans to gloss over His slogans, things like “My body, my choice,” rather than His Word that says, “You are not your own; you were bought at a price,” or “You shall not murder.” They’ll be sure to pepper their conversations with talk about “love,” when really they’re glorifying lust.

God saw it coming. He knew people would lose all sensitivity to His way, His will and His Word, and give themselves over to sensuality: if it feels good it must be good, and if it makes you happy, it must make God happy. The further they get from His creative blueprint, the further they descend into darkness and depression, with a continual lust for more. Their gratification is in how many people they can take with them.

Ultimately, those who try to remake God’s artistry and rewrite His literary perfection are actually trying to remove Him completely from the art fair, and replace Him with their golden calf and their profane pornography. They crave the affection and attention that comes with the blue ribbon they give themselves, congratulating themselves for beating God.

We have a politician in Texas trying to recreate God in his own warped image, claiming seminarian status while spouting satanic sewage like “God is non-binary.” Such blasphemy will get him a cell in Hades. Neither first nor last.

We have a president who depicts himself in messianic images, coming dangerously close to a level of self-idolatry that would separate him from the One who spared his life in Pennsylvania. Again, not the first.

We also have an overabundance of media personalities, pundits, celebrities and preachers who like to tell audiences what Jesus is and who Jesus says, when clearly they have no idea who Jesus is and what Jesus says. That they’re heading toward Hell doesn’t mean you have to follow them.

Author John Saul wrote a horror novel in 1983 called, “The God Project.” The premise is that genetic engineering experiments have led to children mysteriously dying, one after another, in a small town that has no idea the cause or the cure. It seems as if an entire over-enrolled school of would-be sculptors and novelists are working on a sequel, a God Project of their own. No matter what the product, it will still be horror.

As for me and my house, this is what the Lord says, He who created you, O Jacob and Steve and Debbie and… and… and… He who formed you, O Israel and Erin and Ryan and Andy and Saylor and… and… and… “Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine.

When you pass through flood waters and raging rivers, I will be with you. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned. I will not let the flames consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One, your Savior. Because you are precious in my sight, and I love you, I will give Someone for you, Someone who will take your place when death would destroy you.

It is by My grace you have been saved, through My gift of faith to you. This is not your doing; it’s Mine. You are My masterpiece, whom I created in Christ Jesus for good works.”

​Not your works. His. And forget the ashtray.

The Badgers choked. They’ll never get past the first round. And how many second-half leads can the Packers blow? The Brewers will never be able to spend like the Dodgers, so it will always end in disappointment.
There’s more to life.

I hate winter. I hate snow. I hate shoveling the plow pile at the end of the driveway. Which means I hate the plow driver who put it there. I hate how people don’t know how to drive in winter weather. Or any other time, really. And I hate having to leave early or get there late because of stupid snow.
There’s more to life.

The service is so stinking slow. Whatever happened to the “fast” in fast food? They’ll probably screw up my order, again. These kids they’re hiring sure need to learn how to do a job right, the first time. And I’ll bet this penny shortage – rounding up or down my change is a scam.
There’s more to life.

More construction. More orange barrels. More detours. Can’t they work any faster? Now we’ve got more traffic back-ups, and some idiot on their cellphone will cause an accident. Then I have to sit here at a dead stop.
There’s more to life.

I don’t like it when they change everything. I want what I want, when I want it, where I want it. They change the aisles in the grocery store. They change the channel the games are on. Then they take the good shows off and put on this garbage. They change the menu, the procedure, the coverage, the price. And you can take that freaking time change and flush it down the toilet.
There’s more to life.

Dad, they’re taking me to the hospital.
Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

The company is downsizing. We have to let you go.
Nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I want a divorce.
The Lord says, “Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you.”

We’ve had to put her on hospice.
I am the Resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though she dies.

My son has been deployed.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

I have the test results. I’m sorry. It is cancer. Stage 4.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

It’s over. He’s gone. We’ll call the funeral home.
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but will have eternal life.

Well done, good and faithful servant! Welcome home!
In My Father’s House are many rooms. I am preparing a place for you. And I will come and take you to be with Me… I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.

It is finished! And with that Jesus breathed His last.
There really is more to Life.

By the time I retire (or the Buffalo Bills win a Super Bowl, whichever comes first), we in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod will have a serious problem. At that point, an estimated 45% of LCMS congregations will be without a pastor.

We already have several hundred sister congregations trying to carry out their ministry without a called shepherd. But the anticipated retirements and other exits from the Pastoral Office will not even come close to replacement numbers. Not enough young men entering, too many old men leaving. (Aside: God’s Word speaks against ordination of women, so that’s a non-starter in the LCMS. Don’t shoot the messenger.)

Plenty of wise, intelligent, faithful people are discussing all sorts of options to address the impending crisis. Pastor Zach Zehnder (RedLetterLiving on YouTube) has produced some outstanding podcasts that lend a peaceful, conciliatory tone to a difficult topic. Certainly some large-scale decisions will need to be made on the synodical level.

But what about us back here in Greenville? What can we do to help? I’m glad you asked.

We are already seeing the impact of the pastor shortage right in our own backyard. Alleluia Lutheran Church near Wrightstown has been without a pastor for a year, and the decline in attendance they’ve experienced has left them without the ability to afford a full-time pastor on their own.

The leaders at Alleluia reached out to us at SHLC to discuss the possibilities of sharing ministry. At this point, these are only discussions. Such an endeavor has several different possible formats to it, and each raises a boatload of questions. Any partnership in ministry would take the approval of each congregation, with a clear understanding of the relationship and a solid written agreement. We’re not there yet.

I am intrigued by these conversations largely because the Holy Spirit is leading us where we’ve always said we would go: into the mission field, wherever that mission field is. When we called a third pastor to SHLC, we did so with the understanding that some smaller churches around us may be trying to do without even one, and so it is incumbent upon us to be willing to help our neighbors, however God equips us to do so. A couple leaders from another nearby congregation had also reached out to us, but their church family has decided to proceed with the Call process on their own.

I think we can help these congregations. I also think we can help future congregations.

We have an abundance of faithful and joyful boys and girls in our Church Family who I believe have the gifts needed to serve the Lord in ministry. The shortage in our LCMS extends well beyond the pastor numbers: we’re hurting for Directors of Christian Education (like Jessica Tibben), Directors of Church Music (like Nathan Johnson) and pretty much every other churchwork field as well.

I believe it’s time for us to open a new mission field: The Future. Specifically, the Church’s Future.

I am asking our congregation, in addition to committing ourselves to our shared Discipleship Pathway and to establish a new Capital Campaign to fuel our next phase of expansion at SHLC, to adopt a mission emphasis on Church Worker Recruitment and Support. This involves identifying and encouraging young people (all the way down to Sunday School) to consider and pray about dedicating their lives to serving and sharing Jesus. The LCMS is producing a wide range of materials to help congregations do just that.

This also means building up our Church Worker Scholarship Fund (an extension of our Endowment). The educational requirements for church work fields are extensive and expensive, and too many current church work rookies are coming out of school with massive debt. Let’s not let money dissuade a child of God from embarking on this journey.

I keep referencing kids. We should also be aware that the majority of current seminary students in the LCMS are second-career, so this is not just child’s play.

Not everyone can do this. Scripture describes a wide variety of gifts that God gives to His Called servants. We will affirm those Biblical lists, and then align them with the potential people gifts we have right here in front of us. We will encourage and support and cheer them on.

And pray. Oh yes, pray. Did I mention we will pray?

I would like to see us identify and support 10 new church work students, including three new potential pastors, over the next 10 years. Or until the Bills win the Super Bowl, whichever comes first.
​
Our Church needs help. I really think we can help.

Don’t ever name your dog Jesus. You’ll never be able to train him.

Jesus isn’t here to perform tricks for you. He’s not your pet. He’s not going on Penn & Teller to fool them with His magicianship. He’s not your hired hand, and He’s not your grandmother baking your favorite cookies or treating you to McDonald’s because you’ve been such good boys and girls.

Aside: I miss the days when McDonald’s was a treat, rather than a way of life. Stupid McRibs.

So many people think the only reason to have the Lord of Life is so you can use Him to lord your own life. That’s not anywhere written in the contract (or covenant, to use the more Biblical term). Certainly Jesus opens the vault of heaven to pour out mercy upon mercy and grace upon grace for everyone who calls on Him as Savior. Savior – not sucker.

Jesus crafts this whole faith relationship with you to grace you with His presence, to remove your toughest stains, and to reboot you with a daily restart that is filled beyond capacity with His righteous plan for your life. Not yours. Never underestimate your ability to mess things up. (Romans 3:9-20)

When you try to steer things your own way, you crash and burn. The Jesus Way navigates you through the curves and hills and icy roads of this life, all the way to His Father’s House on Salvation Avenue. Admit it: you’re a terrible driver.

But a lot of us don’t admit it. Who hasn’t had a couple accidents? Or a ticket or two (the light was yellow, sir.). We excuse our failures as misfortune and our incidents as accidents when we know, deep down in places we don’t talk about at parties, we want a Savior. We need a Savior. (1 John 1:8-9)

You’re not enjoying this, are you? It gets worse.

The most dangerous approach to faith in Jesus is the misconception that somehow I can get what I want from Him, if I find the right formula or figure out His price. Everyone’s got a price, right? Obviously few people actually say that, even in their own minds. But it’s the Garden Temptation all over again, to go for what looks good to me and maybe take over God’s place at the top. I just need Jesus to go along with it.

Where I see this mindset quite abundantly today is in our societal wranglings and political warfare. If we have any acquaintance with Jesus at all, we figure we can win if we train Him to be one of us. We co-opt Jesus to win our arguments.

It’s attempted kidnapping. And Jesus hates it.

Jesus is not a Republican. He’s not a Democrat. He’s not woke, and He’s not based. He’s not an illegal alien or political refugee. He’s not MAGA, and He’s definitely not pro-LGBTQetc. Jesus is not your political pawn, period, full stop.

And in one paragraph, I ticked everyone off. Good.

Jesus would never get elected because of the radical change He demands and inspires, but that’s irrelevant because He’s not up for a vote anyway. He’s not running for anything because He’s already King of Kings and Lord of Lords (which doesn’t help the No Kings crowd). You don’t choose Jesus; He chooses you. (John 15:16)

When He does, He takes the whole you, not just the façade you put up every day for public viewing. His Word of grace and truth cuts you to the heart. He’s the world’s foremost heart surgeon. You need a transplant; He gives you His own.

Jesus transforms you. He takes out your trash, repairs all your damage, and gives you a makeover inside and out. When He moves into your newly renovated soul, He brings out the righteousness in you that He planted the first day in your baptism. He opens the eyes of your heart to see the riches of His glorious grace and His incomparably great power. You experience a deep love that is so high and wide that it defies description. You start looking and sounding and living like Him. It's the beginning of a beautiful friendship. And lordship.

Make no mistake: Jesus cares about the moral issues you and I debate and hate over. His Word is the only source of perfect wisdom on these things, because it’s His. His Word is the one standard upon which all moral questions are measured. He defines sin and the consequences thereof, and He’s not open to negotiation or reinterpretation. He also details the One Way to forgiveness, life and salvation, and it goes completely and exclusively through Him. There are two religions: His, and the wrong one. Don’t try to mess with that.

So you and I are not permitted to end the life of another human being, even and especially unborn ones, nor do we help or encourage others to do so. (Matthew 18:6) We are not free to have sex with whoever turns us on. We do not despise those who are different or have less, and we do not cross over to the other side of the street when someone in front of us lies bloody and beaten. Whatever we do to the least of these, we do to Jesus. Whatever we do for them, we do for Jesus. (Matthew 25:31-46) We do it all in the name of Jesus, which is Jesus doing it all through us. Failure is not an option.

Following Jesus is a full-time life. It may cause you to lose friends, or family members. He predicted that. It’s because He demands full obedience, even as He offers full salvation. Some people don’t like that. They don’t want to change. So they try to change us. Or Him.
​
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. You can live with that.

From my sermon at the District Pastors Conference:

I went to see Millie in the hospital. At her age, with her heart condition and everything else going bad, I knew it wouldn’t be good. Her family was deeply concerned.

When I walked into her hospital room, quite a few people were already there. A couple nurses were working on IV tubes and monitors. Her family was there, talking with one of the doctors from the surgical team.

Millie was lying flat on her back in the hospital bed, eyes closed, mouth hanging open slightly. I had seen that look all too many times. I sensed it wouldn’t be much longer.

The conversation between the doctor and her kids was on possible procedures. He was explaining the risks of not doing surgery and just medicating, or going ahead with surgery, but with her condition, it would most likely trigger a “terminal event,” at which time, he told her family, “We’d need to know what you want to do.”

From behind him, eyes still closed, Millie raised her right arm straight up in the air, and in a remarkably firm voice said, “Do not resuscitate!” (The DNR bracelet was on her right wrist; she was making sure we all saw that.)

The doctor turned to her and said, “Oh, you heard all that.” He reassured her that they would do everything in keeping with her wishes.

When he left the room, I pulled up a chair next to her bed, and she opened her eyes a bit to look at me, and we talked. She told me she had her funeral all planned, what songs she wanted, the Bible verses I should share. She knew herself it wouldn’t be much longer. She said, “If this is how the Lord wants to take me out, I’m ready to go!”

A couple days later, He did just that. Millie got out of the hospital and out of rehab and out of her heart condition and out of every failing organ and cell of this life and Jesus brought her home to paradise. By God’s amazing grace she had taken the next step into Resurrection.

I truly understand and fully support those who sign on to Do Not Resuscitate orders. I find in that prayerful and faith-filled decision a reflection of the Apostle Paul when he says, “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.” (Philippians 1:23). Paul had just said, “For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” We Christians get that. We embrace it. We much prefer Resurrection to resuscitation.

The primary difference between the two is that to be resuscitated, you are still alive. You may look or seem dead, but you’re not there yet. Your living body just needs someone to restart the life processes, so you can continue living.

Not so with Resurrection. There you have to die first. You are most certainly dead. Dead dead. And the only One who can change that is the One who invented Resurrection in the first place. Resuscitate is medical; Resurrect is miracle.

God doesn’t explain the inner workings of Resurrection. He does not provide every detail of the process, nor the end product. We just know that we cross over from death to life. Paul, who I believe treats Resurrection as the fun part of faith, as he expresses so much wonder and joy about it, reflects that mysterious anticipation in Philippians 3:10-11:

That I may know Christ and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible (the NIV says “somehow”) I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

If our only hope is for this life in the physical world, then we have no hope at all, only pity. But Jesus inspires in us a real hope through faith in His Resurrection power, that when we have emerged from struggle and suffering, we will stand triumphantly next to Him in His Kingdom of Glory. We just need Him to take us from Point A to Point B.

Millie chose 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 for her funeral:

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

The groaning is real. We cannot ignore or erase the genuine pain and suffering that life on this side of eternity inevitably brings. Jesus gets that. In Matthew 27:46, the crucified Christ cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He’s quoting from Psalm 22:1, which goes on to say, “Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?” But God did hear Him, just as He heard Millie, and He hears us. He saves us. Sometimes by resuscitating. All times by Resurrecting.

But before you get Resurrected, you get Crucified. With Christ. That’s the first step toward Resurrection, taken when the Holy Spirit baptized you into Christ and onto His cross. That’s what grace does. It saves us through Christ, with Christ and in Christ. We get what He’s having.

Paul mentioned that what is mortal may be “swallowed up” by life. He uses that metaphor in 1 Corinthians 15:51-56:

51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Victory has a big mouth, and the Gospel has a huge appetite. Death has been swallowed up. Defeated. Destroyed. The fight is over, the battle won. Jesus didn’t say, “Let’s get it started.” He said, “It is finished!” Bring on the Resurrection!

I’ve been asked that if I were able to start my own congregation and name it anything I wanted, what would I choose? I’ve given that some thought. I can’t go with “St. Stephen’s,” because that would seem a bit arrogant. I considered “Lord of Life,” but then I feared that once we started using the initials, no one would take us seriously.

I’ve always liked “Celebration,” but the good folks in Appleton serving with Pastor Rex Rinne already took that one.

I really enjoy what Pastor Bob Selle and our brothers and sisters in Wrightstown came up with in 2005 when they started their mission church. They named it “Alleluia,” with the explanation, “We are an Easter people, and Alleluia is our song.” I love that! It’s got a lot of Resurrection to it.

So, Easter people, knowing that Christ has won the victory for us, and that we don’t need resuscitation nearly as much as we need Resurrection, say it with me:

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

And Happy Easter, Millie! Amen.

Nothing.

If that were the case, I’d consider it a successful Sabbatical. I would have thus been rested, restored and recharged. But alas, I did a lot of things, sprinkled in with plenty of nothing.

I had three goals for my hiatus from May thru July: 

1. Get healthier, mentally and physically. 
   
2. Organize my sports cards for potential sale. 
3. Start writing a book. 

I actually had a rough start in May, particularly for Goal #1. I have been battling migraines since the beginning of the year, with each one getting progressively worse. I was prescribed a med that should stop the migraine once the symptoms start, and the next time, it worked.

Then in the beginning of May, right after I started my Sabbatical, I got another one that blew right through the med. The severe symptoms lasted over 10 hours. Welcome to your time off, Kline! This triggered a series of tests, including a brain MRI. Fortunately – using my daughter’s poke at her old man – there was nothing there. My doctor said finding the cause of migraines “is like chasing ghosts.” We haven’t caught one yet.

The conclusion was that this was most likely related to stress and anxiety. I was prescribed stronger meds for the next occurrence of symptoms. Praise the Lord, I have not had a reoccurrence in the last 3+ months. Apparently, the down time has actually worked, at least for now.

Toward that end, I’ve gotten in quite a bit more golf during this time off. I’m not a good golfer, but I can honestly say, after playing a couple times a week this summer, I’m still not a good golfer. I’ve also gone to see several T-Rats and Brewer games, which is always fun until they lose.

As for Goal #2, I failed to appreciate what a massive project getting all my cards organized and inventoried would be. I estimate that I have about 100,000 cards. To sort them, put them in numerical order and catalog the total for each card was tedious on steroids. Not only that, most of my cards are pre-1990, so I’d see a favorite player I hadn’t thought about in years and get lost in the stats on the card, or remembering when the Bills almost won the Super Bowl. That’s not healthy.

I got through about 10,000 cards. I’ll work on the rest on my days off and should be done right before Jesus comes again. Or the Bills win the Super Bowl, whichever comes first.

Goal #3 was the most intriguing experience during this extended retreat. Before I get to that, I should share that Debbie and I got to travel more than we usually do. We spent a long weekend in Door County and another in Eagle River.

Then, in June, I spent two weeks at the hunting cabin up north. I had planned this for over a year, that most of my time there would be on my own (Deb came up on the weekends – we saw a couple moose!). Part of my rationale was that I needed some time and space to totally decompress. If you know me you know that I am just a little bit extroverted and can be a rather social person. But if I am going to get my head (and heart) on straight and get healthy, I would need some alone time.

This actually scared me going in. I’ve never taken two weeks off from everything and everyone. I didn’t know if I could handle that. If I couldn’t, then I might as well had back home and get back to work, carrying the same bad habits and unhealthy processes with me.

That’s when I caught the devil trying to trap me. I was doing the same thing I always used to do: pressuring myself to be Superman or Superfail, all based on my own ability to do it all myself, to save myself. And Jesus stepped in.

I wanted this time alone, not only to rest and relax, but to explore this book idea I’ve had for over 10 years now. And that’s what I did. What we did, actually. Jesus became a tangible part of the creative process, in a sense.

Without giving away too much, a significant part of the premise is conversations with Jesus. I had immersed myself in the relevant sections of Scripture that would inspire the creative aspects of those conversations. Prayer and meditation have been essential disciplines along the way.

As I worked my storyboard and started making notes for each main point, I was crafting the lines I would have coming from Jesus. I was getting rather excited about the direction this was going, even if I had to stop and backspace or highlight and delete a few times.

At one particular moment, Jesus stopped me dead in my tracks. I thought I had produced a wonderfully poignant line for Him to say. And the impression that burst into my mind was: “I would never say that.” Of course, He was right.

Now we Lutherans don’t get into special revelation, where the Voice speaks to us apart from His Word. And this was not that. We do hold to inspiration from the Spirit in our thoughts and words, which is what I’d been counting on for the whole project. This was different. It was more.

I realized right then and there that Jesus was with me. I’ve always know that. We all know that. But at that exact second in time, I could say now I Know. He was reminding and reinforcing in such a way that the self-imposed pressure dispersed, and the joy of Knowing Jesus exploded.

I got about as far with writing the book as I did with the baseball cards. But now I am thoroughly and joy-fully committed to going the distance, and not in another 10 years.

Something my wife told me, as I was starting to feel the usual stress I manufacture, this time about accomplishing the Three Goals, really hit home. She said, “So what if you don’t actually finish each one? Who’s going to rip on you for that? The point is you’re trying to be healthy.” I now realize, even if she didn’t know it, that that was Jesus talking again.

Many of you don’t know Debbie much. She prefers to stay off stage. The two greatest accomplishments of my Sabbatical was spending more time with Jesus, and more time with Deb. No evening meetings to go to. More travel together. We went down to Atlanta in July to see the newlyweds, and then spent five days in Hilton Head in 100 degree heat. We both became people of color. We jumped in the waves. We saw a couple alligators! It was glorious.
​
I learned that Jesus time comes first, and Debbie time second. Pastor time is now a distant third.

Is it a vacation? A leave of absence? What?
The answer is yes. Kinda.

The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and the North Wisconsin District have been strongly encouraging church workers (especially pastors) and congregations to embrace the use of sabbaticals to help relieve the pressure and anxiety that builds up over time in the pursuit of saving souls. That’s how pastors see it: a daily battle for life and death. After a while, it wears you down.

The foundation of sabbatical comes from God’s Word itself. From the North Wisconsin District website: The word “sabbatical” is derived from the Biblical idea of “Sabbath.” God himself sets the pattern for Sabbath in Genesis 2:1-4a and would later command the people Israel (Exodus 20:8-11) to set aside 1/7th of their time for rest and renewal.

The first thought that a lot of lay people have – that I joke about all the time – is, “Rest and renewal from what? They only work one day a week!” The truth is, according to my Call Documents, I actually have only one day OFF per week. That’s standard for church workers in the LCMS.

That’s the nature of the business. It’s what I signed up for. We work weekends and holidays: all of them. The other days of the week fill up rather fast, with sermons to prepare, confirmation and Bible classes, meetings, visits, more meetings, theological reading and research, time in prayer and the Word, calls/texts/emails from members and others, and meetings. That’s ministry, and I absolutely love it! But without proper self care, it becomes a genuine strain on me, and on my family.

The hard part for me is that “time off” thing. When I go home at night, ministry comes with me, in my heart, on my mind. My day off on Friday sometimes isn’t. I’m getting better at vacation, but I still think too much about ministry – the next sermon, someone who’s hurting, future plans and such - and I am now forbidden to look at my phone when we’re gone. Mentally and spiritually, I struggle to find the off switch. That, plus a tiny bit of aging, is affecting my physical health as well.

The District guidelines on Sabbatical address this: Workers in the church need to recreate and restore what has been worn down by day-to-day encounters with reality. Nourishing one’s body, mind and spirit and regaining perspective requires a change of pace and place—a pilgrimage. Jesus provides us a good example to follow. He actively nourished his whole person, body, mind and spirit—in prayer, in teaching, in travel, in time alone, in rest and in the caring for people. By his example, the apostles who walked and worked with him learned from him and benefited as well. Jesus told his disciples in Mark 6:31: “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

That is what sabbatical is about—an extended pilgrimage away from the “normal” activities of life as we know it in the exercising of the roles, functions and responsibilities or our vocations and into others which restore, renew, rebuild, and rejuvenate the whole person, body, mind and spirit. It is a significant change of life and living for an extended period of time that ultimately benefits the person, his/her family and the ministry of call.

A couple pastor friends of mine, likewise serving in large, dynamic congregations, ended up taking emergency Sabbaticals, due to the excessive stress and burnout. One is still working to regain his equilibrium. The other came back to his church and announced his resignation, because he couldn’t be what they needed him to be anymore.

There’s a lot of that going around among pastors. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research released a foundational report last year about the health of America’s churches and the leaders that serve them. The survey’s title, “I’m Exhausted All the Time,” will resonate with anyone in soul business. The report documents the growing number of American clergy who are burned out and have considered leaving either their current congregation — 44% — or the profession itself — more than half (53%). This has reached epidemic levels in American Christianity. And I don’t want it to happen to me.

I am doing what I was born to do, what I love to do. I truly cannot imagine doing anything else, and I have no idea what I would even be qualified to do. I’m also doing it in a place I love, with the Family of God that I love.

Again, the main reason so many pastors get stressed out is that we are on the front lines, in the trenches, for the spiritual battle of life and death for every soul entrusted to us. That’s our reality. We try not to overthink that, but it is still what drives us, and sometimes drives us over the edge.

That’s why our Administrative Board adopted a Sabbatical policy years ago, and affirmed again last year. The policy says, “The purpose of the Sabbatical is to provide time for our pastors to gain perspective on ministry by stepping out of it for a specified length of time. Sabbatical leave is a part of the ministry of this congregation, and the planning and implementation of the Sabbatical are part of our pastor’s job to maintain his professional skills and his spiritual growth.”

The Admin Board and I started this conversation three years ago, in response to Synod and District encouragement. Together we formulated the plan and affirmed the dates. My Sabbatical starts May 1, and I return August 4. During that time, my goals are:

1. Work on self care – mental and physical;
2. Organize and inventory my sports card collection (Anyone looking to buy? Have I got a deal for you!);
3. Explore a book idea I’ve had for the last 10 years.

Deb and I will also be doing some traveling as we celebrate our 35th Anniversary in June, plus a trip to see the newlyweds in Georgia in July. I envision some golfing and fishing may also creep onto the calendar.

This means I won’t be taking calls or texts or messages involving church or ministry. I have to break away completely for these three months. I’ll also be visiting other churches for worship. In case of catastrophe or serious emergency, the church staff will know how to find me.

What I won’t be doing is looking for another Call. Synod guidelines forbid it, and I don’t want one anyway. This is where God put me, where He wants me, and where I want to be. You’re stuck with me.
​
See you in August.

If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins (1 Corinthians 15:17). Dead man (or woman) walking. Close the churches, and the rest of the universe, too. What would be the point? If Christ is still dead, then so is everyone and everything else.

But He’s not dead. Not anymore. Sure, He died on the cross – and that was a real live death. He didn’t fake it or hold his breath for a long time or magically pull a switcheroo with Judas or someone. He bled out. He breathed His last. He said, “It is finished,” and He gave up His spirit. That’s a death, folks.

When Jesus died, He took death and the devil down with Him. But when He rose, death and the devil didn’t. The devil still prowls, but he’s been de-fanged. Since death holds no power over the child of God, Satan really has nothing left.

Which is why his whole strategy is to get you away from Christ. Without Jesus, you bring death back into the equation. I’m not referring simply to physical death: that’s the wages of sin. God, however, has far more in mind when He talks about death and life. The devil knows this, but he doesn’t want you to know it. He wants you afraid of death, and afraid of God. So much so that you’ll start moving in the other direction whenever Jesus comes around.

The initial reaction to Christ’s resurrection was a mix of shock and awe. We wouldn’t expect any different. Nobody expects the Resurrection nor the Spanish Inquisition. That first Resurrection Day was stunning beyond human description, even though Jesus called His shot ahead of time.

But there He was. Here He is. Calling Mary by name, and then she bear hugs Him. Saying “Peace” to cowering disciples who at that moment had no peace. Bringing Peter back. Clearing Thomas’ cobwebs. Showing the disciples and over 500 other people – even the death merchant SaulPaul – that He who was dead is now very much alive.

Other people in the Bible had been brought back to life, like Jesus’ friend Lazarus, for instance. But then they died again. Jesus never did. He died once, to pay the price in full for every sin of every sinner ever. Then He brought it back: life.

That’s when Peter stopped crying. Mary stopped running. Thomas stopped doubting. John stopped hiding. And, eventually, Paul stopped killing. That’s what Resurrection does to people. It not only stops the bleeding, it stops the dying.

The thing about Easter, though, is that we would be making a grave mistake (you like that?) to confine Resurrection to one day. The disciples realized that this was THE game changer, not only in life, but in faith and in church. They spent 40 days listening to the undead Messiah explain why.

The early church realized that the Lord of the Sabbath let go of the leash on laws and regulations, so when they realized they still needed to agree on a day to show up for worship, they settled on Sunday – the day of Resurrection. That means every Sunday is Easter, not just the first one after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox.

The name Easter actually didn’t come around until centuries later, when the Resurrection Gospel reached English-speaking lands. It seems to have originated from a German word for “dawn,” as in the sun coming up in the east. The early church still referred to Resurrection as Pascha, the Greek word for Passover, which was the Old Testament festival that Jesus crashed. (Oh, and neither Easter nor Christmas have pagan origins, even if some secular customs do; that’s just Satan trying to divide and conquer again).

What it all comes down to is that Jesus is here, right now, with you and in you. You don’t have to wait for heaven. Your eternal life starts the moment Jesus raises you up out of sin and darkness and death, and you live every day as your own personal Easter, in forgiveness, light and life.

Jesus is calling you by name. He’s chasing away your fears and removing the clouds of doubt. He dries your tears and heals your heart. Only a living Savior can do all that.

The added bonus to Resurrection is that we’re not the first ones to get it. The believers before us got it, held it, lived it and took it all the way to the Father’s House. If you want to see them, you have to see Jesus. You have to see Easter.
​
Easter is everything.

I’m not going to lose 30 pounds sitting on the couch. I need to lose the weight. I want to lose the weight. I’ve lost weight before, so I know it can be done. The challenge is turning the wanting into doing.

A lot of us face a similar challenge in our spiritual lives. We’d like to do something, and we know we should be doing more things for Christ, but we’ve gotten a little too comfortable on the couch. We need some motivation. And God has a way of giving it, even if He’s got to tip the couch to get us up. He’s very persistent when it comes to His Kingdom.

And here it is: Christians who act on their faith by serving and sharing Jesus save lives. Especially those closest to us. Faith is always a hand-me-down. Or hand-me-over.

Toward that end, we’ve adopted a goal for everyone in our Church Family for 2025: Try One New Thing. We actually have three components to this goal:

1. Try one new thing;
   
2. Invite one new friend;
3. Meet one new person.

 
Here’s how it works, along with the why and how. 
 
Try one new thing.  This means getting involved in some aspect of faith life that you haven’t done before, or haven’t tried in a long time. This is where I use the V word: volunteer! As a matter of fact, you do have the time and the energy, if you ask God to manage your time and your energy.

It can be a one-time activity, or a longer-term commitment. You and the Lord choose.

Why? We have over 200 ways to try new things at SHLC, mainly because we have about over 2000 people who might need a little help here and there. By trying one new thing, you serve the Lord (personal blessing) while you share the Lord (community blessing). God reaches us…

How? First, pray. Then listen. We will be sharing with you the ways you can connect with whatever ministry, project or event the Lord is drawing you to. You can also ask any staff person and we’ll help you figure it out. 
 
Invite one new friend.  I believe we have a really good thing going here, as reflected in the comments of members new and old, as well as visitors and neighbors. The Holy Spirit has blessed us beyond measure, and He designs every blessing for His Church to be shared.

Why?  Recent surveys show that the vast majority of people who don’t go to church would go if a friend invited them. We also know from multiple studies that our current culture craves belonging, to a place and, more importantly, to a group of people. Acts 1:6 says, “You also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.” If you care about someone, open the door. …with the love that reaches others.

How?  First pray. Then, personal contact. Talk. Phone call. Text. Email. However you communicate with the people close to you. Pick a Sunday or an event (Night of Hope, God’s Deer Camp, etc.) that works for them, and plan to meet them here, or even pick them up if they need a ride.
 
Meet one new person. We have over 1800 members of the family here, and nobody knows everyone by name, including me. We also have first-time visitors every weekend, at almost every service. The field is ripe for the harvest.

I know you introverts are cringing already, almost as much as when I make you stand up and shake hands. But this is the simplest act of evangelism any Christian can take: smile and say hello, and call someone by name.

Why?  It comes back to the belonging. With so many people in one place, some folks may not feel like they belong, and then they drift away. But a Church Family that makes it feel like Home tends to find people not only coming, but staying.

How?  First, pray. Ask God to put someone new on your path today. Then, wear a nametag. Make it a point to find someone you don’t know. Introduce yourself with, “I don’t believe we’ve met…” (NEVER ask if they’re a visitor; who cares?!). Better still, join a group or an event you haven’t been a part of before. The ultimate? Go to a different service once!
​
So first, pray. Then try it. See how it goes. You’ve got nothing to lose.