Pastor Pete's Notes

A solitary place

2012-02-02T22:03:00.000-06:00

Today while I worked Sunday's sermon, something about Jesus' activity caught my attention.

The text is Mark 1:29-39, from the early days of Jesus' ministry. Some powerful miracles attracted a lot of attention and it sounds as if Jesus worked late into the night healing the sick and driving out demons. The next morning, "while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." (Mark 1:35)

It's not what we might expect from Jesus--this was the beginning of his ministry. He needed to meet people! Make connections! Network!

It's a glimpse into a truth of Jesus that we don't think about all that often: He was a genuine man with human needs for rest at that same time that he was true God. While he knew that people needed him, he also needed to make connections with his Father through prayer.

Our time and culture celebrates the go getter attitude, the early bird that catches the worm. And yet so often as I read the gospel I see Jesus pulling away from a busy schedule for a time of rest and prayer. It makes me wonder who I follow and how I pattern my work day.

Just a thought on a Thursday night when I probably should be in bed.

Proud Dad

2012-01-28T15:13:00.000-06:00

Going viral is a good thing, right?

Two years ago our oldest daughter Liana returned from a semester in Kenya with an idea. She and two other students found a small school in the village of Longonot that needed help so they started the Longonot Education Initiative in the hope that they could raise a few hundred dollars for repairs and improvements. Donations quickly exceeded the original need and LEI now supports nutrition, clean water and medical projects in the area.

Over the last couple of days LEI went viral. One of the co-founders, currently in Kenya, met a man named Omari who had been attacked while defending the Faraja orphanage from bandits. He challenged readers of Reddit to contribute US $2000 so that the orphanage could finish the fence it needed to protect itself. The money poured in--$75,000 the last I heard. You can read the story at the Huffington Post, among other places.

Great job Liana and LEI!

Liana will graduate from the University of Minnesota this spring.

If you'd like to contribute to the Faraja orphanage or to any of LEI's humanitarian projects, you can do that through their website: Longonot Education Initiative.

Thanks for reading, and for letting me be a proud Dad!

Christmas weekend

2011-12-23T22:00:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas Pilgrims!

The weekend promises some special opportunities for worship here at Pilgrim.

Saturday is Christmas Eve and we have services at 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm. A lot of planning and organization has gone into these services (remember "Christmas in July when we first started talking about them?). There will be special music by adults and children, and the congregation will join in some favorite Christmas hymns and carols. Christmas treats will be served after the 3:00 service.

Sunday is Christmas Day and we'll have one worship service at 9:30 am. This will also be a special service of songs and Scripture. My message will be based on Hebrews 1:1-3—Jesus is God's message of love to the world.

Since it's the last Sunday of the month we'll also celebrate the Lord's Supper in the 9:30 service. That might sound a little out of the ordinary, but think about it: the Christmas is the story of Christ come into the flesh. The Lord's Supper is another reminder that Christ came into flesh to offer himself as the ultimate sacrifice for us. It fits!

We will NOT have SON worship on Sunday evening, but we'll be back at it on New Year's Day!

Enjoy the holiday, pilgrims! Jesus is the reason for the season!

Peace,

Pastor Pete

Wednesday 14 December

2011-12-14T20:51:00.000-06:00

Greetings Pilgrims!

It's an exciting time of year isn't it? As I write this I look out my window and see . . . Rain! Will we have a green Christmas? Whatever the color, the joy of the season doesn't depend on unpredictable things like the weather, but on the solid promises of God and his love.

Mrs. Johnson and our Pilgrim students have been working hard on the Christmas concert and are ready to bless you with their efforts! Thursday evening at 6:00 in the gym. There's nothing like seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child, so come on out and join with our Pilgrim students in the praise of our newborn King!

On Sunday we end the Advent season with some special music by Nancy Schauff on the French horn, vocals by Sing4Joy and Arthur Wessels on the organ. I'll finish our sermon series with "Come Lord Jesus, with Power" based on 1 John 4:17-21

SON worship will be at 6:00 p.m. Sunday in the gym. Wrap up the weekend and start the week with music and word centered around the theme: "Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All"

See you on Thursday!

Peace,

Pastor Pete

Sunday December 4: Coming Attractions

2011-12-02T10:51:00.000-06:00

Greetings Pilgrims!

I hope you're all enjoying a productive week. I look forward to seeing you this weekend.

On Saturday morning at 11:00 we'll have the funeral for our departed sister Laurie Gunderson. As you've probably heard, the Lord called Laurie home on November 23 after a brief illness. Please keep her husband Bob in your prayers this week.

Sunday is the second in Advent. Special music will be provided by the Cantabile Singers. It's been a while since we've heard from Cantabile, so we're in for a real treat once again. If you've heard them perform before, you know what I mean. If you haven't—don't miss this Sunday; it will be a performance you won't soon forget. To God alone the glory!

We will gather a door offering to support the ministry of the Cantabile Singers.

I'll continue a series of messages from 1 John 4. This time we look at verses 7-12 with the theme "Come Lord Jesus . . . With love." Some call John "the apostle of love" and this chapter of his letter teaches us that love motivates and defines God. His love motivates us.

This week I had a conversation with a Muslim friend who told me that the fear of God is the most important motivator in his life. He said he's afraid of what God can do to him if he doesn't do the right thing. What a blessing we have, brothers and sisters, to know God's faithful, forgiving, empowering love!

On Sunday we'll continue our Bible study entitled "Speaking the Truth in Love to Muslims." This will be lesson 2: Muslim beliefs and practices.

As always, we'll wrap up the weekend with the SON service at 6:00 p.m. Sunday in the gym. As we move into December our theme is "Christmas—traditions." Stick around after worship for pizza and fellowship! A great way to launch your week!

See you this weekend!

"What you have done for the least of these brothers of mine you've done for me."

2011-12-01T22:19:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we were visited by a couple of representatives from St. Croix Lutheran High School. I knew they were coming, I knew why they were coming, but I was still surprised.

They came to deliver about 1500 pounds of food for our food shelf. The Thursday morning girls' Bible study organized the different homerooms into a competition to see who could collect the most food for our ministry to the hungry people of south Minneapolis.

Like many urban congregations, Pilgrim maintains a small food shelf to help people who need it. Over the past couple of years it's seen more and more use. It's one small way that we can share the love of Christ with our community.

Many thanks to the students of St. Croix and the Thursday morning girls' Bible study!

"I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink . . . I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

--Jesus (Matthew 25: 35-37)

2011-11-28T13:02:00.000-06:00

It's an exciting time of year as we transition from the Thanksgiving holiday to the beginning of Advent and prepare for Christmas.

Last Sunday at 8:30 and 10:30 we heard special music with harpist Elaine Stindt. Some of you know Elaine, although it's been several years since she's played at Pilgrim. There's something very special about the music of the harp and Elaine is a real master of the instrument. I promise you'll enjoy it!

A few weeks ago we were saddened by the loss of Elaine's husband Dick. My family became friends with Dick and Elaine while we lived in Andover in the 1990's. Dick was as fine a Christian man as you'd ever want to know—dedicated, hardworking and loving in all things. Many grieve the loss even while we rejoice that he has now accomplished the goal that Christ won for him.

During Advent I'll be preaching through 1 John chapter 4. The theme will be "Come Lord Jesus" and the four Sunday look like this:

With truth 1 John 4:1-6 November 27

With love 1 John 4:7-12 December 4

With life 1 John 4: 13-16 December 11

With power 1 John 4:17-19 December 18

This blog needs a name

2011-10-31T17:28:00.000-05:00

Sure, "Pastor Pete's notes" says it, but there has to be a catchier name for this thing. The Greek philosopher Epictetus wrote, "The beginning of learning is the investigation of names."
Or consider one of the first tasks that God gave to Adam in Eden: naming all the animals.
Or the many times in Scripture that God gave or changed a name: Abram became Abraham, Sarai became Sarah, Jacob became Israel. And don't forget that the angel told Joseph to name the child "Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
So names are important. I came up with a few possibilities:

The battle belongs to the Lord
I love the way the SON band plays it on Sunday evenings and the optimistic feel of the refrain. As I pondered the line as a blog title I thought there must be quite a few blogs by that name out there. A quick google search confirmed the hunch.

Not all who wander are lost
Probably my favorite Tolkien quote, it fairly describes the way my mind works. But, as with the last one, not unique. The first blog I saw with that title had a photo of the author barefoot on the back of a water buffalo. I can't touch that.

Pastor wtf
Suggested to me by a media consultant friend. And then I'd post on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Get it? "Think of the searches that would turn up your blog," he says. "You'd show up in places where not many pastor or church blogs get read." I have to admit the outreach potential appeals to me here. But do I want to have to blog three days in a row every week?

Grace and the art of wood chopping
This one came to me while I was chopping wood and thinking of the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig. I don't see many connections between grace and wood chopping, except that I do some of my best thinking while chopping wood. See the note above on how my mind works. And I expect that some of Pirsig's thoughts on arete (excellence) will find their way into this blog.

At this point, I will take the approach that I've heard from some new parents. They just had to let the child grow for a bit before they could think of a suitable name. I'm going to let this child wander a bit. If you have names to suggest I'd love to hear them. Come and wander with me. In God's grace we're never lost.