Stretching and Learning!

What are you learning these days?  In what ways are you growing?  How is your life and faith improving or going deeper these days? 

With children back in school they are suddenly immersed in learning- reading, discovering, having new worlds opened up to them, writing, etc.
 

As an adult, what are you immersing yourself in to help you grow?

Personally, I find myself growing every day as I talk with my parishioners and others in the community.  In asking questions and in conversation I learn more about faith and life.

In addition, I try to spend time reading throughout the week.  Reading scripture, a novel, and magazines keeps me fresh and growing.  Online blogs and news web sites help keep me current on the events of our day.

Learning something new can be delightful and disturbing.  I say “disturbing” because learning something new can disrupt or change our life. 

My hope and prayer for you this day is that God will disturb you and stretch you through the power of his Word.  My our Lord open new worlds to you and new ways of seeing in this incredibly complex and fascinating world.

Joy in the Journey!

Pastor Durk Peterson

  

The Positive Effects of Thankfulness

When my children were younger and were going over to a friends to play the first thing we did was to remind them to say “please and thank-you.”    My wife and I were committed to training them up in that basic etiquette. We also wanted to foster what has been termed an “attitude of gratitude.” 

An article I came across the other day reminded me not only of this etiquette, but the positive effects of being thankful.  The article addressed the need to cultivate a practice of gratitude.

How often each day do you pause, think about and articulate your words of thanks?  What is your practice of being grateful?

Here are some suggestions I want to share with you today:

+Begin your day with thanks- thank God for the gift of your life, your loved ones, friends, co-workers, church friends, etc.  Thank God for taking care of you and your family. 
+ Throughout your day look for opportunities to express your thanks, whether running errands, shopping for groceries,  or the bank teller for handling your bank transaction effectively.
+ At the end of the day pick out three or four things that happened during the day for which you are thankful.  Bring to mind the people God placed you among and what an impact they had on your life.

Have you ever noticed that the happiest people around you and in this world are those who are most thankful.  Those who are most kind and filled with joy often have gratefulness to God flowing through their hearts.

In my prayer at this moment I am asking our Lord to bless you with a huge heart of thankfulness- a heart that will pump the life-giving blood of thankfulness through your life and our world.
Peace,
Pastor Durk Peterson

Shopping and the Journey of Faith

I’ve always had a weakness when it comes to buying books. Just ask my wife about the 853 volumes taking up space in our house!   Whether it is an ebook, or a new or used book I am also tempted to purchase. On occasion I will use the library, but prefer to buy and own books.

What are those items you love to shop for these days?  Maybe for you it is clothes, shoes, hats, cars, household items, yard equipment, hunting or fishing equipment, or something else.  We live in a consumer driven culture. Our economy thrives or struggles based on purchasing.

When it comes to our faith journey and being part of Alleluia! Lutheran Church we may also find ourselves shopping for certain things.  We might be tempted to shop around and, in a sense, purchase religious services.  A youth or family ministry program, an enriching worship experience, a summer youth program, or any aspect of church that might meet a need.

So, here is a challenge for us on the journey. Is your first question, “What can I give? How can I serve? What can I contribute to my community of faith?”  These are radically different questions from these:  “What can get?” or “How can you meet my needs?” 

Now, don’t get me wrong. Being part of a faith community has benefits: love, fellowship, learning, and service.  We benefit in so many ways from giving our time, talent, and resources in service to our Lord, Jesus Christ.

May you be led by the Spirit in your life of giving, serving, and offering yourself as Christ to others.

-Pastor Durk Peterson

Food, Glorious Food!

When your family sits down for a meal together what kind of prayer of thanks do you share?  My family says the traditional, familiar prayer of “Come, Lord, Jesus, be our guest and let these gifts to us be blessed.”   At Bible Camp a common prayer sung out by campers to the tune of “Superman” is “Thank you, for giving us food!” These simple prayers remind my family that Jesus is with us and that God is providing for our physical needs with the food before us.

Food- it is necessary for our physical existence, for nutrition, and for energy to live. We’ve have easy access to nutritional and caloric information these days.  There are diet “apps” downloadable to your smart phone for tracking your caloric intake on an hour by hour and day by day basis.

As a disciple of Christ I view food as a gift from God- a gift by which my Lord provides for my physical needs. There is a psalm that I’ve read and preach over the years.  “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.” –Psalm 145:15

If you and your family prayer together at the table prior to meals, I would encourage you to try out a new prayer- print it out on a card or share it aloud until everyone learns it.  By trying out a new prayer, your awareness of and appreciation for food may deepen and grow richer.

Food- it is glorious. And, it is a gift from God!’’

Joy in the Journey,

Pastor Durk K. Peterson, Alleluia! Lutheran Church. St. Michael.

The Calling of Teachers

Over the years with children in school I’ve always found myself amazed and thankful to God for teachers.  Teachers shape our children, teach them, inspire them, and lead them along the way of developing as human beings.

I recall a church member named Donna who would be the first to say that her teaching job is a calling-a calling from God.  She says that over her career she has always sensed that God gifted her for teaching and that God is at work through her in her teaching.

If you can hear through the political cacophony of budgets, union issues, media coverage of incidents, etc. surrounding the field of teaching and schools, you can hear teachers who exude enthusiasm for their calling as teachers of our children. 

My sister who teaches  2^nd grade in the Kenyon-Wanamingo school system  finds each year and make-up of each class a new opportunities to touch lives, and mold lives with knowledge and skills. 

“Thank you for your teaching!” is a comment we could all make to the teachers around us.  Teaching is, after all, a calling or vocation from God to show our children the way into this amazing world our Lord has created for us.

Rev. Durk Peterson

Maple Grove, MN

An Incredible Story of Giving

This morning I finished reading a book that tells the story of Sam Stone’s generosity at Christmas in 1933.  In early December of that year Sam placed an ad in the local paper in Canton, Ohio.  The ad announced that anyone who wrote a letter describing their tough circumstances would receive a check for $5.00 in the mail.  Hundreds of letters were written and Sam wrote and sent checks to 75 families.  In return people sent thank you letters expressing their gratitude.

Ted Gup, Sam’s grandson, came across a collection of these letters from people in Canton, Ohio. These letters described their dire circumstances such as the children not having shoes, enough food, and difficulty of finding work.   Gup tracked down the relatives of those who wrote the letters and interviewed them to learn about their experience during the Depresssion. Gup wrote the book  A Secret Gift that contains the letters and background on each family.

This book tells an incredible story of generosity shown by Sam Stone during the hardest of times. 

Over the last couple years I’ve learned about loving and generous acts of assistance taking place behind the scenes for families are going through transitions. Help with children, food assistance, prayer, and support is being given by members of Alleluia!,  other churches in the community along with other community members.  

I am so thankful to God for all the love and generosity being given to those in need in our communities.  My hope is that God’s Spirit will continue to move and open the hearts of those who are able to make a difference in the lives of those in need.

Peace,
Pr. Durk

Sweating and Challenged?

So, how often are you working out these days? Are you working out at home or at a workout center of some kind? Has your doctor told you to lose some weight, to get your cholesterol under control, to lower your blood pressure, and to just get in shape?

About 4-5 times each week I work out by lifting weights, walking, stretching, and swimming laps. I try to eat a healthy diet along with my family. For the last seven years I have committed myself to a healthy lifestyle. This is not easy to keep going- some days are easier than others to be motiviated, while on many days I have to reach down deep to work out.

Our bodies are gift from God. In celebrating this gift from God we are called to take the best care possible of our bodies. This may involve sweat. It may involve challenging yourself.

Our Lord is well aware of the challenge to care for our bodies. He is also aware that we may suffer in our bodies at some point in our lives. Cancer, injury, and other diseases inflict out bodies with pain and discomfort.

My wife and I have a famly friend who developed Parkinson's disease at at age 40. She is trying her best ot manage the disease. After several years, unfortunately, the disease manages her. She will be going on disablity due to the disease. Her body and overall health is proving to be a huge challenge.

One day in Christ she will receive a new body- a heavenly body, spiritual body, or resurrection body. One day all in Christ will receive their new body.

In the meantime, while we love and serve, we are called to "steward" or take care of the body that our Lord has given to us.

"For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb, I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made!" -Psalm 139:13.

As you sweat and and challenge yourself, thank God for the gift of your body.

Peace,
Pastor Durk K. Peterson

2012- A Time To Refocus?

I cant’ help myself- I am hopelessly addicted to New Year’s resolutions.  At the beginning of every year since I find myself obsessing about what I will do new and/or differently this year.   Last year, I committed myself to working with swimming or biking  5 days each week.   On the days or week I missed, the wave of guilt and failure hit me  hard, even as I celebrated my commitment to this goal.

So, this year, I’ve decided to refocus or renew an aspect of my discipleship in Christ.  As a pastor I spend time each week preparing sermons and Bible studies, but not as much time as I would like reading the Bible devotionally. So, 2012 is the year I plan to allow more time each day for personal reading of the Bible and prayer time.  This may not impress you and you may be thinking, “Well, duh, of course, you should be doing this. You are a pastor, right?” 

What about you?  What would you like to refocus your life on this year?  It might be your marriage- being more intentional about spending quality time with your spouse.  It might be a friendship- you’ve always shared that you would like to get together more often, but just haven’t found the time.  Or, it might be parenting your child(ren) or teens- you are refocusing on your style of parenting or adjusting your parenting as your child develops.

How about renewing your life of discipleship?  Is there some aspect of your walk with Christ that you would like to renew in 2012?  Maybe it’s more time praying- quietly alone or even on the fly as your day unfolds.  Maybe it’s reading your Bible or joining a Bible study.  Or, maybe it’s worshipping more often. Or, you would like to get  involved in a special service project.

Refocus or Renew?  May our Lord be with you and work through you in mighty ways this 2012. Oh, before I forget, don’t feel guilty if you fall short.  Celebrate what uou accomplish! And, remember the love and patience of our Lord.

Pastor Durk Peterson

Alleluia! Lutheran Church, St. Michael