Trees – This Life

The New Year Winds

Bring In the Blues

Sunday, November 30, 2025

And All Will Wake in the Love and Light

Of Christ,

Like Children Filled With Expectation of

Impossible Things,

for These Impossible Times.

Jeremiah 31:34

No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

Matthew 21:15-16

But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became angry and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,
‘Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies
you have prepared praise for yourself’?”

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

As another New Church Year begins, the wind blows and the colour blue for Advent arrives. The blue of waiting and boredom, the blue of royalty, the blue of despondency, the blue of deep yearning, the blue of hope, the blue of clear skies, the blue of the water into which we are baptized. These are the blues of Advent, four Sundays of preparing, as sombre as our other season of preparation, Lent. Just as Lent is more than giving up things, so Advent is more than waiting for the celebrations to begin.

These are the days (once again and always) to acknowledge

that in our baptisms

God has equipped us to know the Lord, for our sins are forgiven.

And we are freed to share God’s good things with everyone, especially those in need, and to sing God’s praises

unending.

Choose

Where You Will Dwell Today

Saturday, November 29, 2025

In Wickedness, or Servitude?

Finding Our Way Through the Thick Woods of Life.

Psalm 84:10

For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness.

Luke 2:49

He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

Every day we make choices

again and again

whether we will dwell in wicked places of comfort and privilege,

in servitude to others, answering Christ’s call,

to be blessings to others

at great cost.

Pastor Schmitke shared this story from decades ago:

“On a typical spring Sunday afternoon in downtown Vancouver, a bit cool under cloudy skies, a group of pastors and lay people gathered to discuss how better to lead their congregations in doing more of what Christ calls us to do. Serving my internship in a nearby congregation, I stood with a group meeting outside on the lawn while other groups met inside the church.

“Then a street person, jacket-less and a little rough around the edges, stepped up onto the lawn. He needed help finding the local second hand shop where he hoped to get a jacket. Multiple responses from the group made clear that this shop was closed on Sundays and there was no other second hand shop open within even a half day’s walking distance.

“Surprising us all, a young pastor, who was about the same size as the street person, stepped forward, emptied his jacket pockets and handed over his good leather jacket to the man, asked him if he needed anything else, and pointed him to the local soup kitchen for a hot meal.”

Surely this is living in the Light of Christ, eh?

It is fine to talk the talk

but Jesus calls us to walk the walk.

How do we choose again this day?

The Benefits

Of True Devotion

Saturday, November 1, 2025

Shameless Living

Like Firewood,

God’s Word Fuels Our Lives

And Saves Us From

the Dark Cold Of Sin.

Psalm 119:6

Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.

Luke 8:15

But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

The world demands great things from us, mostly that we make sense of a senseless stream of dishonesty, brutality, betrayals, and greed.

There is no sense to be made of them, other than that they are senseless, driven by corrupted hearts and minds.

Fixing our hearts and minds on God’s Word and Commandments will guide us to live with some sense of right and wrong. Hearing God’s Word, and holding fast to it with open, good, and honest hearts and minds will lead us into great difficulties, out of which God sometimes brings us, after enduring great trials, to enjoy peace, calm, and a bit of prosperity.

Rarely God will deliver us without any shame going down on us.

But we will always fail to follow God’s Word and Commandments. We can only hang our heads in shame. What then?

What will save us when hearing God’s Word and Commandments is impossible to translate into perfectly, honestly, willingly following and keeping God’s Word and Commandments?

Only God’s good grace, as always, can come to our rescue.

So we pray, give us good and honest hearts, and lives that hear and keep God’s Word.

But more we pray, God forgive us, renew us, and free us from our inevitable shame, so that we might live beyond the stream of dishonesty, brutality, betrayals, and greed, in which even we are caught up in. Help us live your Word.

Reformation

Celebrations of History

Sunday, October 26, 2025

Challenges for Today

The Spirit Wends Its Way Into Every Moment, Every Life.

Sometimes we can even see it

between the trees in the sunlight.

Proverbs 3:27

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.

James 2:2-4

For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

Do good!

Seek no honour!

Be humble!

All well and good.

But …

It’s not the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It’s not what brings us closer to God.

First: God acts and saves us through Jesus’ sacrifice, forgiving our sins (each moment we breathe – and sin, since that’s who we are- miserable sinners all. Well we are actually really good at sinning!)

And then …

Well then we GET (not must) … We GET to work to do good for all people and all creation.

We get to seek no honour! We get to be humble!

We get to live with wide horizons, open hearts, engaged minds, and active hands, always doing Christ’ work here today.

And that takes reform every day, moving from the status quo so dripping with sin as it always is, and moving towards being Grace saved, Grace living, Grace giving.

Coming Up Short In Life?

Look!

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Even Zacchaeus Is Invited to the Feast!

Success Is Not Finding the Right Path and Reaching the End.

It is Loving Everyone Along the Way, No Matter How Far We Get.

Psalm 10:17

O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek; you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear.

Luke 19:5-6

When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

We measure life

in money

in power

in popularity

in relative privileges and comforts

in things of this world,

– ignoring those who come up short.

…

And so many must come up short.

…

God has always given special attention to those measured as coming up short:

the meek

the widows

the orphans

the slaves

the servants

the handicapped

the ill,

– which pretty much leaves no one out, except those that insist on staying out.

Jesus reaches down where we think people don’t even count, and invites us all to come to the feast of knowing Jesus at home, and in the feast of life (purchased with his death.)

…

For God measures life

in empathy

in forgiveness

in helping

in serving

in love

in joy

and in hope,

– and in seeing everyone as they are.

…

and the Holy Spirit makes sure no one comes up too short for God to notice!

Even, Especially, Now

God’s Goodness

Monday, October 6, 2025

Hearing, Seeing, Trusting

Life Without Trust

Life With Trust

Psalm 27:13

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

James 5:15

The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

It’s all good and fine to live life waiting for life after death, dismissing how miserable life is here for oneself, or how miserable it is for others, while oneself enjoys comforts and privileges unimagined even 100 years ago.

Well, that’s not good or fine, really.

Our lives are more determined by what we hear, see, and trust than the actual things we experience. The same mundane and boring or dire and desperate circumstances can be experienced completely differently by different people, usually depending most (not considering various vulnerabilities due to health and age) on their value-reality framework, which they live with each day.

If one hears the autumn winds blow, and does not take the time to actually see beauty of the yellow leaves against the deep blue skies, the marvels of the waters reflecting the wisps and billows of clouds, and the freedom from bugs the cool temperatures provide, how can one trust that even as winter approaches one’s preparations for the darkest and deepest of cold days will be enough?

If one hears the words upon words spoken, presented, and drilled into the fabric of our lives these days, and does not take the time to also hear the Words recorded by the saints through the ages of God’s love for us, and then to see the wonders the Word has brought to all peoples of all times, how can one trust that in the darkest and coldest of days to come God will walk with us?

The wonders of God’s love for us are not reserved for only after death. These wonders spring up and blow about each day around us. Today we can see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Today we can trust that prayers help those who are ill, and that God already pours forgiveness to all people, hoping we will hear it in God’s Word, see it in lives past and present, and learn to trust it today, and in each day to come.

Wonders to hear, see, and trust abound.

Is He The One?

The One To Save Us

Saturday, July 5, 2025

From Ourselves?

Right there.

He was yelling right there at the top of his lungs,

“What’s Wrong?!

Everything!”

Lamentations 1:20

See, O Lord, how distressed I am; my stomach churns, my heart is wrung within me, because I have been very rebellious. In the street the sword bereaves; in the house it is like death.

John 4:29

The woman said: Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

We make so much trouble for ourselves, giving us cause for so many lamentations, and agreements with the passage from Lamentations.

We wait with great expectation worn weary into apathy for the One who can save us from everything.

It is so easy to scream or resign or fight, because our world economy sings only one tune: that of powerful greed.

Greed feeds us selfishness, insatiable hungers, and a callous disregard for all creation. As greed permeates everything around us, it is difficult to sing the songs of God’s Kingdom. Each day we need new images to jostle our hearts, minds, and imaginations to recognize God at work around us, and in us, and through us for others. We need to be reminded that Jesus is our song each day on this wonder-filled journey. Otherwise, drowned in greed-fed-fears, we only ramp up the heart-and-mind-stopping panic around us.

How can we find freedom from greed? How can we find a blessed tomorrow from today?

Encountering a man ranting and raving loudly in the woods where people come to camp for free, I asked, “What’s the problem?” The guy stopped a second before screaming, “Everything!”

What is your Everything? At the checkout till they keep asking: “Is that everything?” with a wink, I respond “No, the universe is a big place and I can’t afford everything. I’ll just take these few things, thank you.”

…

Our times are as tumultuous as any. It’s difficult to tell who is or will be a threat. Southern neighbours are now irrational and unpredictable. Last year’s extreme weather keeps becoming this year’s norm. Wildfires wipe out homes, communities, and livelihoods, and disrupt even more lives with deadly smoke, planting time-bombs in our lungs and blood. It’s difficult to tell what is safe, what is sure to be lost, and where one can take even a short rest from the tumult. We do know that our future, like a wild rapids, is going to be more difficult, dangerous, and full of surprises from new directions.

Yet God knew all this would be so in our times, as God has known about every time in the past, and knows about every time to come. God created us with the only real security for life in this universe: God’s own assurance that, come what may, God is with us through it all. And God sent God’s own Son to save us from our own sins and the evil that permeates the world. Each day God calls us to allow ourselves to be dandled in safety on God’s lap in this New Creation. Each day the Holy Spirit sends us out to share the wonders of God’s steadfast love with all who need it. And in the end, God will call us home, to sing our thanks again, for we are home, home with the saints in light, home at last, home at last.

And that is our Everything.

Pounding, Knocking

Wakey Wakey

Monday, June 23, 2025

It’s The Rain!

There’s a Long Road Ahead,

Just for Today!

Psalm 145:9

The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.

Romans 8:21

… the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

So you thought you could sleep in because no one really depends on you today?

Or just because you were going to get away with it again?

Not so fast.

Whether it’s the co-worker,

the boss,

the clients,

the neighbours,

or even just the weather

or (watch out for this one!)

Maybe it’s the Holy Spirit,

Someone is counting on you getting on the road, getting to the destination, the goal for today and getting done what needs getting done,

and if there’s nothing pressing, then to get around to that ever growing backlog of things that ought to be done sooner than later,

and now it’s later

enough.

So Hit the Road Jack!

Swing into action.

Rain or Shine.

Honesty and Kindness

Always need some doing in many a creative ways

for those least deserving,

and for the regulars

that count on your love

or at least God’s love

which you are supposed to be the agent of.

…

the most honest and most kind thing is to yell again

GET YOUR BUTT MOVING

before it’s too late,

and things go into the can real quick.

Honest and kind because then

… well then, it’s a whole other kind of mess you need to clean up.

knock

the rain is pounding

on your roof.

Come out, come out wherever you are

and start

reflecting the light given you at baptism.

Small task it is not!

Just know that God is good to you, no matter what, look at nature around you, as God sets it free from us, and it reflects the goodness God created it to be.

…

(What!?

Just some motivational words, since I slept in after staying up late.

What are you looking at? You’ve done it, too!)

Searching??

Or Following

Sunday, June 22, 2025

The Guide Already There!

Seeing

The Wonders, Truth, Hope, Guide, Joy

Right

In Front Of Us

And All Around Us.

Exodus 13:21

The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night.

John 5:39

You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

So often we realize we ourselves or others spend our time and energy searching, searching, searching for

searching for truth,

searching for guidance,

searching for love,

searching for joy,

searching for God!

Then someone points us to the scriptures that show God has been with us all along, guiding us onward, like fire at night and clouds by day, showing us truth, loving us completely and unconditionally, giving us innumerable causes for joy, being right there with us

through it all.

By Grace alone the Holy Spirit enables us to have clear minds, open hearts, and active hands, always leaning on God.

Each day

clear minds

open hearts

active hands

always leaning on God

A Soft Answer

Oh, that they would answer softly

Monday, June 16, 2025

And help the world avoid WW III!

Hard Metal, Soft Wood,

At Peace

…

for now.

Proverbs 15:1

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

2 Timothy 1:13

Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

bombing

drone strikes

missiles

destruction

and

death

…

Is there no way to resolve these things without so much livid hatred and harsh words

…

followed by destruction?

…

of course there is!

But there is a cost

to answering softly.

…

Practice it in daily life and then maybe

we are in a position to critique, advise, and save those with the power

turn the world to war

yet again.