Our Awesome God

This morning for my devotional reading I spent time reading and praying Psalm 76. This psalm writer boldly proclaims, "Great is our God; more magnificent than the everlasting mountains....You indeed are awesome!"

What experiences have you had where you simply stopped and were overwhelmed by God's creative power and love? Maybe it was simply the smile and bright eyes of a child, or the morning sunrise, or, in the Minnesota today, spring bursting out all over the place.

When we are tempted to think everything is about us our human needs, we are reminded of how great and loving our God is through the message of so many psalms.

God reminded Job by asking him a long series of questions toward the end of the book of Job (i.e. where were you when I spun out this incredible creation?)

What do you think will remind you of God's incredible love for us in Jesus Christ? Pray with your eyes wide open and it will be flashed right before your eyes and heart.

Standing in the awesome light of God's love,

Pr. Durk Peterson

New Life in Baptism

I was privileged be part of a service at Discover Church this last Saturday night at which 20 people were baptized. Several children, youth, and adults were baptized in Christ by full immersion in a large tank of water in the sanctuary. This was a first for me in 20 years of ministry.

The expressions on the faces of the baptized as they emerged from the water simply amazed me . Huge smiles broke the water streaming off their faces as we applauded and prayed and gave our praise to God.

This service was grounded in the gospel of Jesus Christ- emphasizing that baptism is what God does to us and for us. God washes us clean of our sin as we are baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Another impressive aspect of this service for me came with the wide age range. In my ministry experience I've baptized hundreds of infants and only a handful of adults and youth.

As others have noted, youth and adult baptisms truly are a sign of the church's mission and growth. Rather than evangelism by procreation, evangelism occurs in reaching the unchurched and those who have never been connected to the church.

Praise God for the newly baptized!
-Pr. Durk

Jesus and Children

Just this last Sunday a young girl ran up to me with a smile on her face wildly waving a small poster in the air. "Pastor Durk," she shouted, "look what I made!" She slowed for a few seconds to lift the poster right in front of my eyes. It was a picture of Jesus hanging on the cross and a bright sun painted in the upper right corner. She was so proud of her painting and so excited.

How excited or enthused are we as we complete our Lenten journey to the cross and get ready to celebrate the resurrection? I don't know about you, but every year I sense that things come crashing together during this week. The joy of the resurrection is already bursting with Easter planning and yet, the solemn time of Holy Week is just ahead.

May God bless you as you see Jesus on the cross and the bright sun of the resurrection coming soon!
Peace,
Pr. Durk