Kittson County Veterans Memorial Dedication Prayers

VETERANS MEMORIAL DEDICATION – INVOCATION

Pastor Gary L. Halverson

June 14, 2015 Lake Bronson, Kittson County, Minnesota

 

Almighty and eternal God, we gather today along the banks of a river which drains most of our county in its three branches.  We are here to dedicate a memorial to the veterans from Kittson County who have served our nation in times of crisis and of calm.  We are reminded of the hymn that says, “time like an ever-rolling stream, bears all its sons away; they fly forgotten as a dream dies at the opening day.”  Today we gather along this stream determined that these veterans shall not be forgotten by us who have benefited from their service and their sacrifice.  As long as this monument stands, they will be remembered.

          We begin this ceremony today by acknowledging, again quoting the hymn, “Before the hills in order stood, or earth received her frame, from everlasting thou art God, to endless years the same.”  Amid all the changes of this life, we know that you are the one constant source of hope and healing in this world.  As these veterans called upon you for help during their years of military service, we call upon you today.   As they sought your presence and your power to sustain them when the dark clouds of war were on the horizon, we seek your presence, your power, and your peace on this beautiful day in this peaceful setting.

          We ask you to bless this memorial, bless this dedication ceremony, and bless this land that we call home.  AMEN.

VETERANS MEMORIAL DEDICATION – BENEDICTION

Pastor Gary L. Halverson

June 14, 2015 Lake Bronson, Kittson County, Minnesota

 

Almighty and eternal God, as we conclude these ceremonies, we once again call upon you to inspire us to remember those who have served our nation in the Armed Forces.  It is their service, their sacrifice, and their dedication to God and country that makes this a sacred place.  We pledge to remember them and honor them by re-dedicating ourselves to the principles upon which this Republic was founded: one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all.

          And we ask you to guide us and our political leaders to the best ways to care for our wounded veterans today, and the best ways to care for the widows and orphans of our veterans.  We know that our duty to our them does not end with the conclusion of their military service.  And we know that we must honor them with more than words spoken or carved in stone.

          And so as we go from this place today, guide us as we strive to make this nation worthy of their service and sacrifice.  On this Flag Day we pray that the star spangled banner that Betsy Ross first stitched, that Francis Scott Key saw flying over Baltimore some 200 years ago, and that flies over this memorial will always wave over the land of the free and the home of the brave.  AMEN.

 

Final Sunday Sermon at First Lutheran Church

Pastor Halverson's FINAL SERMON at First Lutheran Church on June 7, 2015

          In this final Sunday sermon after 25 years of preaching from this pulpit, I’d like to review the basics of my understanding of ministry in this parish.

          In 1^st Corinthians 2:1 St. Paul wrote:  “When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words of wisdom.  For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  And I was with you in weakness and in much fear and trembling….that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

          Pastoral ministry is all about preaching the Word of God and administering the sacraments so that people come to believe and are strengthened in their faith.  The Word of God is all about the mercy and love of God conveyed to the believer in word and sacrament.  So under girding everything else any of us do as pastors is this basic charge: to preach Christ crucified and risen.  Sometimes it may not be so evident as we get caught up in other things, but there is the foundation.  Let me repeat part of that scripture again:  “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

          St. Paul returned to this theme in the 15^th chapter of 1^st Corinthians when he wrote in verse 3, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures….”   25 years ago, when I began to preach what was of first importance and what I received through baptism, confirmation, and my education at the seminary.  Today it is still of first importance.  It will always be of first importance.

          There are times when I can readily identify with Paul’s confession, “I was with you in fear and much weakness and trembling…”  Early in my yeas here, one dear member of our congregation, now long gone home to the Lord, told me that I seemed quite timid much of time.  And I have had to own that all of my life.  I have never lived up to my own image of the pastor as a big, dominating, charismatic, dynamic, gregarious, energetic figure in the community.  After entering the ministry and getting to know many pastors, I learned that no pastor fits that bill.   So I have learned to hold on to what Paul wrote a few verses later, in 1^st Corinthians 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.”

          The head of the congregation is not the pastor.  It is Jesus Christ.  If you read our constitution it says that Christ is the head of this church.  Most important of all is that Christ be preached so that people may come to believe and continue to believe.

          A second emphasis of my ministry has been to be fully Lutheran.  My letter of call back in 1990 specifically spelled out that I lead worship using traditional Lutheran worship resources and that I increase cooperation with the synod and the newly formed ELCA.  I have tried to do that throughout the years.  Before my ordination I had to sign my allegiance to Luther’s Catechism and the Augsburg Confession just like the Reformers did back in 1530, and when coming here to this place I was pleased to make our Lutheran identity a key characteristic of our life together.  There are plenty of other opportunities in this area to join a generic Protestant congregation, or a Catholic one, or a Pentecostal one.  Our purpose in this community is to be a clearly Lutheran parish.  My appreciation of liturgical worship and traditional preaching from the pulpit have only increased over the years.

          I do appreciate other forms of worship, too, form time to time.  I enjoyed working on baccalaureate this year at the school and smiled when our local priest took the microphone and paced back and forth right in front of the graduates through his whole sermon.  I was on the stage and could see some of the graduates lean back as if to say, “whoa, there back off brother, er I mean father.”  But we are traditional Lutherans in this parish.  We use the catechism in confirmation.  We use the liturgy in worship.  We are heirs of the Reformation in preaching.

          Two things are worth noting here.  We bought the new Lutheran hymnal at the discounted pre-publication price and began using it in its entirety as soon as it was published in 2006.  We were the first parish in our area to do this.  And then when the 2009 ELCA churchwide assembly made a controversial decision, that controversy did not disrupt things here in this parish.  We know that we do not like everything in any hymnal, and we know that we do not agree with every action of our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we stick with them and still work with them.

          And that leads me to a third emphasis during my years here: working together with our brothers and sisters in Christ in other denominations.  All 40 years of my ministry I have been a regular member of the local ministerial association.  Sometimes it isn’t easy to cooperate with others; at other times it is a great joy; but it is always important, in my opinion.  More than half of my years here I have been an officer in our little ministerial association.  I have preached at some community service or another in every church in this town except the Catholic, and even there I was invited to speak at a funeral visitation once.  I alone represented our local ministerial association at the dedication of St. Edward’s Catholic Church in Karlstad back in 1997.  Sorry if that sounds like bragging, but it was important to me.  At the same time as we fully embrace our own Lutheran heritage, we still work with and appreciate our brothers and sisters in Christ in other churches.  As Paul says in Ephesians 4:5 there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all.”

           One of the best things our local ministerial has done in recent years is to sponsor the annual Karlstad Area Choir in its annual Palm Sunday cantata.  Ruth and I have supported this whole heartedly every year.  It is so great to blend all our voices in one song of praise and together in song tell the story of the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The First Lutheran Choir is the core of the area choir, but the area choir is truly an ecumenical group.  We deserved the coverage The Grand Forks Herald gave us a few years back for our work together.

          Music is one of the great strengths of this parish, and has been one of the great joys of life here for Ruth and me.  Some of you may remember that on the afternoon of June 3, 1990 (you surely remember that day!) I said in my installation response that I was eager to join the choir that was sitting in the old choir loft.  Through all the years, the choir has been a source of inspiration for us, singing at times of great joy and times of intense sorrow.  Martin Luther famously said, “Next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise.  The gift of language combined with the gift of song was given to man that he should proclaim the Word of God through Music.”  We have been blessed with great music in this parish starting with our organists, Kirstin Olson and Jackie Anderson, our choir, and our many soloists.  By the way, Kirstin played the organ at my installation service and is at the organ today.  She has probably heard more of my sermons than any person other than Ruth, and still manages to pay attention.  It has been good.

          Let me say that about the whole of our 25 years in this parish.  It has been good.  There have been ups and downs, as there always are.  I have made plenty of mistakes, but the people here have been gracious and understanding, generally willing to forgive and move on.  That’s the way it is in a family.  Over the last few weeks I have been recalling so many missed opportunities when I held back from something or did not reach out to someone.  Regrets are probably normal at this time, but they cannot be allowed to overshadow all that is good.  Thank you all for your kindness, your love, your support, your patience, and your understanding over these 25 years.

          In today’s gospel reading Mary and some others came from Nazareth to investigate what Jesus was doing.  Jesus loved his mother and all his other relatives, but he chose this occasion to emphasize another family – the family of God.  When he was told they were waiting outside to see him, he asked, “Who are my mother and brothers?”  And then he answered his own question.  Looking out at the people gathered around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!  Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

 

          It in that sense that Ruth and I regard all of you as our brothers and sisters in Christ, and though this particular pastoral ministry is ending, we

North Star News 05-28-2015

In the first chapter of the Book of Acts there is an account of the first pastoral transition in the history of the Christian church.  The chapter begins with the ascension of Jesus into heaven after giving his disciples the commission to be his “witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)  Then comes a listing of the members of the group: the eleven remaining apostles as well as “the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers” all of whom “with one accord devoted themselves to prayer.” (Acts 1:14)  Left unstated is the obvious vacancy in the group that had once been called “the twelve” but now were only eleven.  Judas was no more.

            Then comes verse 15 where Peter takes a leadership role in the choosing of a successor to Judas.  The first thing he does is develop a job description.  “One of the men who accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us, one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.”  (Acts 1:21)  In those early days it was important that that an apostle have a full understanding of all that Jesus said and did, and it is just as important for any pastor today.

            The beauty of this passage is that they immediately came up with two candidates.  Where they had been looking for one good man to replace Judas, God provided two.  Joseph and Matthias were both equally qualified to become apostles.  Both would have fit the bill.  This is the great generosity of our God in providing more for us than we ask or think.  Here in the vital time of the first generation of Christians, God provided two good candidates.  Now in the 21^st century, God is still providing good men and women to lead his people and preach the saving gospel of Jesus Christ.  When one dies or resigns or (God forbid) turns away, God will provide another.

            Then the whole company of them prayed for divine guidance in choosing which man was to become the new 12^th apostle.  In their prayer they said, “Lord, who knows the hearts of all men, show us which one of these two you have chosen.” (Acts 1:24).  Earlier the scripture says they were devoting themselves to prayer about many things as they waited for the promised coming of the Holy Spirit, but here they specifically prayed for divine guidance in a very practical matter.  Immediately God provided the guidance they sought.  They used the ancient practice of casting lots (the urim and thummin of Exodus 28:30) to make the decision, and the lot fell to Matthias so that, as the scripture so simply says, “he was enrolled with the eleven apostles” (Acts 1:26)  The ministry would go on.  Soon all twelve of them would be his witnesses not only in Jerusalem but “in Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth” after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which is described in chapter two of the Book of Acts.

            In generation after generation God has provided Christian leaders for his people through a process in which the people discern the qualities needed, find suitable candidates, pray, and then choose.  No one casts lots anymore, although some have argued that when you get down to two very good candidates it would work as well today as any other method.  Today elections are the norm.  But the most important step in the process is prayer.  When the people pray, God will answer, and the ministry will continue.

            To God be the glory.  Amen.

Pastor Gary Halverson

Karlstad Memorial Day Service

MEMORIAL DAY 2015

Invocation

Almighty and eternal God, we gather today to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our county and its ideals of liberty and justice for all.  As we remember those men and women who fought and died for us, we know that our freedom has not been granted to us by any human authority, and we believe that “all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator by certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” as the Declaration of Independence says.  And so we begin today by acknowledging that you are the “Author of Liberty: even as we remember those who have defended our liberty in the heat of battle.

          We come before you today remembering as well that you are a God who rules over all the nations.  Even as we pray for our own country and speak of our love for our own native land, we know that you judge all the nations with equity, caring for people on every continent, and desiring peace and respect in the community of nations.  You are lord of all.

          Nevertheless, today we are gathered to honor our own.  We remember with grateful hearts those who fought for us over the 239 years of our independence, whose mortal remains rest in our local cemeteries, in our national cemeteries, in cemeteries overseas, and sometimes in places unknown.  Make us truly grateful for what they have given in defense of our land and of liberty, and determined that “government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth” as President Lincoln said at the dedication of a battlefield cemetery in 1863.  Amen.

 

MEMORIAL DAY 2015

Benediction

Almighty and eternal God, as we conclude these ceremonies, we pray that the sacrifices made in defense of liberty will not be in vain.  Grant that we will dedicate ourselves to the defense of freedom in our day, and that we will build a nation where the rights and freedom of all people will be respected and the rule of law will be upheld for every individual, no matter who they are.  May we leave this place dedicated to the defense of liberty and the equal protection under the law.

          Today as we remember those who experienced the curse of war, grant us the blessings of peace, as we recall the scripture that says, “blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”   We want to be sons and daughters of God who enjoy your blessings here on this earth and forever in heaven.

          As we face the future, we pray for those who rule over us in government, that you will grant them wisdom, strength, and courage as they make and administer the laws.  We pray for our president and congress, for our governor and legislature, including our own state representative who is with us today, our mayor and city council, and all the members of the judiciary.  May their work create a brighter future for all of us.

          And finally, bless all of us, O Lord, on this day of solemn remembrance, and on every day of the year.   AMEN.

         

North Star News 05-21-2015

As we prepare for Memorial Day this coming Monday many of us will be paying a visit to a beautiful, tranquil cemetery to decorate the graves of our loved ones.  The Eidsvold Cemetery along a quiet country road (when the gravel trucks are not running) is one of those beautiful places I will visit.  There is a lovely calm in remembering the lives of those whose names are now etched in stone.  They rest in peace.

            Memorial Day originated in the aftermath of the Civil War when large cemeteries were placed next to the battlefields.  One of the greatest speeches in American history, President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, was delivered at the dedication of one such cemetery.  These cemeteries were often far from the places the soldiers had called home, so few relatives and friends could easily visit.  It fell to those living nearby to honor the dead with decorations and visits.  Thus began the observance of an annual Memorial Day.

            Today Memorial Day is observed by all Americans, military and civilian, and is a time for people to remember their loved ones with visits and decoration of their graves.  But when visiting these quiet places it is good to remember that the origin of the holiday really began with the din of battle, the roar of cannons, and the desperate cries of the wounded and dying.  The noise of battle preceded the tranquility of those country cemeteries, and the stench of death preceded the fragrance of lilacs in bloom at the end of May.  Memorial Day is a time to be reminded of the horrors of war and to rededicate ourselves to the benefits of peace.

            In every case when America entered a war there was an expectation of a quick victory, except for World War II which everyone knew would be a long, hard fight.  In almost every case the war was longer, the battle harder, and the casualties higher than expected.  This has happened time and again, and yet each new generation seems to forget this unchanging truth: once a war begins it spins out of the control of those who began it.

            The injunction to “seek peace and pursue it” in 1^st Peter 3:11 applies not only to interpersonal relations but to international relations as well.  This Memorial Day as we enjoy peaceful visits to quiet cemeteries, and as we remember the lives of those who have left this earthly coil, let us pray for peace on earth and do what we can as citizens and as voters to realize the vision of Isaiah 2:4 when

they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.

Pastor Gary Halverson

North Star News 05-14-2015

Saturday, May 16, is Armed Forces Day.  Since 1950 the third Saturday in May has been designated to honor those who are currently serving in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, or Coast Guard.  Those who wear the uniform of one of the branches of the military perform a valuable service in protecting the nation.  When they put on the uniform they are expected to act with integrity, honesty, loyalty, and bravery.  One of the reasons for the use of military uniforms is to instill in an instinctive way the sense that this uniform calls those who wear it to act in an honorable way.

            In Ephesians 6:11 St. Paul encourages all Christians, civilian or military, to “put on the whole armor of God.”  And then starting in verse 14 he uses the uniform of an ordinary soldier of his day to describe how Christians in every age should equip themselves.  He writes “Stand therefore, having girded your loins with the truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”

            This image spoke well to the people of his day, whether in Ephesus or elsewhere, for Roman soldiers were everywhere in his world.  Among the ways the faith spread from one country to the next in those early years was that a soldier was posted to Judea, for instance, was baptized there and then transferred to Gaul where he witnessed to another soldier who was then baptized and transferred to Albion, and so on.  Every day these Christian soldiers put on a military uniform, and as they did so were reminded of the Christian virtues of truth, righteousness, faith, and peace as well as the Roman virtues of bravery, integrity, and obedience.  They may have noticed that the only offensive weapon on Paul’s list is the sword, which represents the Word of God, but even then its purpose is to give life.  Hebrews 4:12 says, “the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joint and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  When the Word of God touches the heart there is life and salvation.  As Paul said in Romans 10:9 “if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

            May you proudly wear the uniform that Paul describes, being saved because the Word of God has touched your heart so that you confess Jesus Christ as Lord with your lips and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead.  And may you be equipped with truth, righteousness, faith, and above all, peace.

Pastor Gary Halverson

North Star News 05-07-2015

The day this meditation is published in the newspaper is the National Day of Prayer.  The National Day of Prayer is always the first Thursday in May and is a day set aside for all people of faith to pray for the nation and its inhabitants in their many needs.  The focus, however, tends to be on national leaders, the nation’s military, and the current challenges facing the nation.  If you are reading this on the day of publication I encourage you to take some time to pray for the nation in whatever way you are led to do.  If you are reading this at a later date please know that any day is a good day to pray for our country.

            In II Timothy 2:1 St. Paul wrote, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way.”  It has always been a part of the church’s ministry to pray for those who hold authority in the land, whether that be a president of the country or a local official.  It is not just for those “who are in high positions” for whom we pray, but for all who have a part in making and enforcing the laws of the land and protecting our people from harm.  That being said, those who are in high positions make decisions that affect millions of people.  This spring the nation is observing the 40^th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and the fall of Saigon which surely teaches us that bad decisions by those in high positions can have devastating consequences for those of us in more lowly positions.  So let us pray for those who have great authority that they act with wisdom.

            Much of what happens in this country is the result of countless small decisions made by ordinary citizens.  The recent riots in Baltimore were not the result of anything anyone in high authority did, but what some ordinary people did.  St. Paul asks that prayer be made for all men, including those often unemployed young men who take to the streets in violent protest.  Pray that they find better ways to air their grievances and more productive ways to life their lives.  Don’t forget the little guy.  America was founded on the principle that “all men are created equal.”  Every voice is important.  Every person has their part to play in the life of the nation.  So let us pray for everyone in this land that they all lead “a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way.”

             The theme of this year’s National Day of Prayer is “Lord, Hear Our Cry” based on the theme verse from I Kings 8:28, “Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.”  You can be confident that when you pray to the God of heaven, he will hear the prayer you offer.  This assurance is found in James 5:16, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”  So let us pray today.

Pastor Gary Halverson