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

Newsletter May 2015

On the last day of May I will complete 25 years as pastor of the First Eidsvold Lutheran Parish.  My ministry here began on June 1, 1990 followed by an installation service in the afternoon of June 3, 1990 at First Lutheran Church.  None of us knew then how long this ministry would last in light of the serious challenges in this parish at the time.  Then on my second Sunday here (June 10, 1990) First Lutheran Church voted to go ahead with a major addition and remodeling project to be finished in time for the 75^th anniversary of the congregation during my second June here (1991).  We accomplished this and celebrated both the dedication of the addition/remodeling and the anniversary with a banquet and program on Saturday night at the school and a communion service on Sunday morning at church with several former pastors and many former members participating.  It was a great weekend.

Now, 25 years later, I will conclude my active ministry in this parish at the end of May and officially resign as pastor effective on June 30.  This was a hard decision for me to make.  In the Lutheran Church the call to serve as a pastor in a parish ends only with the death or the resignation of the pastor.  There are no terms of office and certainly no term limits.  No bishop or other official determines when, where, and how long a pastor serves, although the bishop may give advice.  It is up to the pastor and the congregation, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to determine when a change of pastor is in order.

Sometimes a call ends when the pastor has another congregation calling for pastoral services, but even then it can take some time and a lot of prayer to discern God’s will in the matter.  In Acts 16 St. Paul endured a time of discernment about his ministry.  As he and Silas (and Luke, presumably) traveled they attempted to go to Bithynia but “the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.” (v.7)  And then “a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing beseeching him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’  And when he had seen the vision immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” (vv.9-10)

Today a pastor may have that same sense of being needed more urgently somewhere else (Macedonia).  And many a pastor can testify to the experience of feeling the need to go someplace else (“Bithynia”) and not being able to do so.  The question then is, “what does God want?”

At other times there is a sense that the time has come to bring a pastor’s ministry to a close in a particular place.  That is my situation.  For quite some time I have pondered the question, “how will it all end?”  This year several things converged that led me to conclude that now is the time.  As I noted, I am completing 25 years of service here.  I turned 65 years old earlier in the year.  Soon I will complete 40 years of preaching, teaching, and administering the holy sacraments.  It’s not just the nice round numbers, but a sense that this is a good time to move on.

Next year First Lutheran Church will celebrate the centennial of the organization of the congregation (November 12, 1916).  I believe the congregation will benefit from a new pastor with new energy and perhaps with a fresh vision as it moves into its second century.  Eidsvold celebrated its centennial back in 1986 and is currently seeking to know what its role in the life of the church and the parish is.  The shape of congregational life is changing in remote rural areas such as ours.  At one time this was a five point parish (Eidsvold, First, Zion, Pelan, and Hegland). It may be that we are headed back to that kind of configuration again.

Pastors are not the only ones who seek the leading of God’s Spirit in deciding what to do.  This parish will enter into a period of discernment about where it is now, what it hopes to be, and what pastor might serve that purpose.  That is what lies ahead in the next few months.  This can be an anxious time for the congregation, as it is for me personally as I enter retirement, but we should look at this as a time when the Lord is leading us to something new.  As Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow…..” (Matthew 6:34)  And remember his last words on “the mount to which [he] had directed [the disciples]….. ‘and lo I am with you always even to the close of the age.’” (Matthew 28:16&20)

I view the next few months with excitement and a bit of apprehension.  I am retiring from full-time ministry but expect to do some kind of ministry part-time after taking the summer months off to visit family in Minneapolis, Chicago, and Wisconsin.  I hope that this parish, too, will be excited and not too anxious about what the future may hold.  As one old saint repeatedly said to me some 30 years ago: “the future is as bright as the promises of God.”     

Pastor Gary Halverson

Newsletter - April 2015

This is the fourth in a series of columns about family faith practices.  The first was about table graces, the second about daily devotions, and the third about weekly worship.

Last September our parish participated in the “God’s Work; Our Hands” day of service for the first time with many other Lutheran congregations.  We helped clean up around Karlstad including varnishing outdoor city benches and cleaning up around the moose in Moose Park.  This event was billed as one for all ages, and the intent was that families would work together as well as congregation members working together.  Much of the literature from the ELCA showed pictures of young people in bright yellow t-shirts working along side their parents and even their grandparents.  I hope that this parish continues to participate in the annual “God’s Work: Our Hands” day of service in the fall, even though I found out how badly out of shape I was (or how old I’ve become) when trying to move those rocks at the base of the moose.

One of the family faith practices I would commend to you is the practice of helping others together as a family.  Whether it is in a formal nation-wide program like “God’s Work; Our Hands” or it is simply doing something for a neighbor without any fanfare or organization, one of the things we can teach the next generation is the value of helping others by doing something together as a family.  There are always people in need around us if we will but open our eyes and see.  So many times we are segregated by age.  It is good to see several generations working together, passing on the values of faith and service from one generation to another.

In Matthew 25 Jesus gives us a picture of the Great Judgment scene.  As the people are all gathered before him, he commends the people at his right hand by saying, “I was hungry and you fed me.  I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.  I was poorly clad and you clothed me.  I was sick and you visited, and I was in prison and you came to me.  I was a stranger and you welcomed me”  The people respond, “when was that?”  And Jesus says to them, “as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.”  Service to others is to be a hallmark of the Christian believer and one of the “good works” that the believer does in response to the love and mercy of God in saving that believer by grace through faith.  Salvation is the gift of God.  Doing good for others is our gift to our neighbor and ultimately to God.

In Luke 3 there is the story of the ministry of John the Baptist.  As people came to him repenting of their sins and seeking baptism, they asked him “what should we do?”  To the multitude he said, “if you have two coats share with him who has none, and likewise with your food.”  People can learn to do good for others by reading stories in the Bible and listening to preaching based on the Bible, but they also learn by doing when they work together with others in the family.

This coming month our youth are taking the lead in participating in another service project.  “Feed My Starving Children” is an organization out of Minneapolis that has grown greatly in the last 20 years in feeding the hungry in many parts of the world.  Once a year they come to Grand Forks for a weekend in which people of all ages can get together to help pack food packets to be delivered to many places in the world.  Several of our neighboring congregations have participated before, and now on April 11 our parish will too.  Teams of 7 are set up to produce each packet of food, and there is a job suitable for any age.  Church youth groups sign up for a work shift, as do Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops from the area, and sometimes, according to the literature, some families come just as a family, working together on a simple service project.  This is an inspiring thought: Mom and Dad and the kids working together to feed the hungry.

Many service organizations across the land are reporting a decrease in the number of volunteers.  In the good old days (the 1950s, right?) there were many age and gender specific service organizations flourishing.  Maybe it is time for people to mix it up and get the young and old working together to be of help to those in need.  Maybe families should try to do something together as a family for the neighbor next door or for the neighbor across the world.  No one is too young to help someone else, and no one is ever too old to be of service.

So the fourth family faith practice I would commend to you is working together to be of service to the neighbor in need.

My Kittson County Lent 2015 handout

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Theme: “What difference do we make?”  Looking at ecumenical and global partnerships

Color: White (Praying for believers across the world as they respond to God’s overflowing grace in Christ Jesus) 

Scripture: Acts 1:8   “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Caring Conversation:  Discuss with one another how you have been a witness to the love of God in Christ Jesus in four areas: at home (Jerusalem), in your congregation or parish (Judea), with other denominations (Samaria), and across the globe (the ends of the earth).  Discuss ways we can be better witnesses in each of these four areas.

Reflection

On this day (March 25) when Lutherans in Kittson County are gathering for Lenten services four visitors from the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church of India are beginning a brief visit to our synod.  The AELC is the companion synod to our Northwestern Minnesota Synod.  Over the years there have been a couple of visits by members of our synod to them in the southeastern part of India and several visits by members of the AELC to us in the northwestern part of our state, including one in which the leader of the women’s group from that overcrowded country asked “where are all the people?” while riding in a car on a lonely road here in the far north.

Our settings are very different, and yet whenever we visit with one another we also witness to the love of God in Christ Jesus and the common mission we share.  The mission work in their part of the world is older than the mission work in our part of the world so we have as much to learn from them as they do from us.  And, as our state becomes more multi-cultural with each passing year, we can learn much from them about how to be faithful and effective witnesses to Christ among Moslems, Hindus, and others.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, you have created a big, wide, wonderful world filled with people of a multitude of races, languages, and religions.  Grant that we may be faithful to our calling to witness for Jesus at home and to the ends of the earth.  Show us how to respect the people and views of our ecumenical partners on this continent and our global partners in the gospel.  We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. 

The AELC delegation includes Prof. Anitha Pranuthi Pinapati, Mrs. Asha Kiran Kollabathula, Pastor Sunitha Mortha (ELCA Churchwide staff), Dr. Deva Raju Patta, and Pastor Nelson Francis Wesley Junipe.  Photo from the NWMN Synod facebook page.

written by Pastor Gary Halverson for the 2015 Kittson County Lenten services.

Each Lutheran pastor in the county produced one handout.

Newsletter March 2015

This is the third in a series of columns about family faith practices.  The first was about prayer at meals.  The second was about daily devotions.  This one is about worshipping together.

A mother asked a pastor how she could motivate her son to come to Sunday school.  He would soon be the age for confirmation classes, and she wanted him confirmed.  It is a hard thing to deal with a child who does not have any concern for the life of the spirit whether that child is 3, 13 or 30.  But the only thing the pastor could think to say to the woman was “model the kind of life you want your child to live.”  In this case, neither the mother nor the father of the child showed any enthusiasm for the worship of God or the study of God’s Word so the pastor did not say out loud what the pastor was thinking to say.  The pastor should have said, “if you want your son to go to church, start going to church with him with a glad and cheerful heart.”

Several studies have shown that children whose mothers are active in the life of the church are somewhat likely to follow in their mother’s footsteps.  Children whose fathers are active in the church are more likely to be active church members when they grow up.  And children whose mother and father worship together with them each Sunday are most likely to share the same faith in God and the same active church life as their parents.  The biggest influence on the life of a child is what the parents do.  This is more important than what the parents say or what the parents desire.

When I was younger there was a common saying: “the family that prays together stays together.”  At the time I first heard this saying I understood it to mean the family that prays together in church each Sunday is more likely to stay together.  I am sure this was influenced by the pictures that often accompanied this saying.   They were pictures of a picture-perfect family sitting in a pew with hands folded and heads bowed in prayer.  It is true that families that worship together have a slightly better statistical chance of avoiding a family breakup.

So the third family faith practice I would commend to you this year is the habit of worshipping together in a house of worship each week.  It will bring you all closer together as well as closer to the Lord.

There are no guarantees, of course.  As much as parents may wish to mold the lives of their children, or grandparents influence their grandchildren, or brothers and sisters have a positive impact on their siblings, each person is a unique individual, and each person must make his or her own commitment to the Lord.  Many a fine Christian parent has been like the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15) watching a child wander off to the far country.  Many a tear has been shed over the apparent complete lack of spiritual life in a relative.  But that does not negate the need to be the best positive influence possible in those situations or the power of living the life you would like someone else to live.

The third commandment (Exodus 20) is “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.”   One of their defining characteristics of the people of Israel was to be the observance of the Sabbath.  In the Catechism (Part 1, #3), Luther said about this commandment, “We are to fear and love God so that we do not neglect his Word and the preaching of it, but regard it as holy and gladly hear and learn it.”  Luther stayed away from a legalistic interpretation of the commandment and centered his understanding of it on the Word of God.  And he even went so far as to say that a Christian should “gladly” hear and learn it.  Perhaps he was thinking of Psalm 122 which begins “I was glad when they said to me, ‘let us go to the house of the Lord.’”  Luther himself expressed great joy in preaching the Word of God and singing God’s praise in the congregation.  He would not have us think that it is merely a duty to attend weekly worship services, but it is a joy and a delight to be together with the family in the house of the Lord.

I might add personally, now that my children are grown and scattered, that it is a great joy for me when all of us are together in one pew singing the praises of our Lord and listening to the Word of God.  It warms my heart every time.  And I believe it brings us closer together.

So the third family faith practice I would commend to you is the practice of worshipping God together

Newsletter February 2015

This is the second in a series of columns about family faith practices.  Last month was about table graces.  This month is about daily devotions.

When Martin Luther wrote the Small Catechism in the winter of 1528-1529 he focused primarily on the five chief parts: the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostles’ Creed, and the two sacraments.  They were first published as posters to be used in the home or in school.  But when the catechism was published in booklet form, several things were added including Part VII “Morning and Evening Prayer.”  After writing theological explanations Luther knew that faith is as much a matter of the heart as of the head, and of practice as learning, so he added both morning and evening prayer and prayers before and after eating a meal.

In both the morning and the evening Luther suggested making the sign of the cross as the invocation is said.  He suggested kneeling or standing as the Apostles’ Creed is recited and the Lord’s Prayer is prayed.  Then he suggested a prayer for each time adapted from ones used for centuries in Latin speaking Europe, especially in monasteries.  After that he suggested singing a hymn because Luther loved to sing (he was a tenor) or “whatever your devotion may suggest.”  Finally, he concluded each devotional time with good advice.  In the morning he said “you should go to your work joyfully” and in the evening he said “then quickly lie down and sleep in peace.”

In the 21^st century few will be this formal in their devotions, but the practice of daily devotions is an excellent one that draws one closer to God.  In our parish we provide several choices of quarterly booklets with short daily devotions.  They can be expanded with a longer Bible reading, by following a prayer suggestion, or by other things, or they can be read in just a few minutes.  Our parish provides

• “Christ in Our Home” from Augsburg/ Fortress publishers (ELCA)
• “Portals of Prayer” from Concordia publishers (LCMS)
• “Spark” with activities for families with young children connected to our Sunday School curriculum.

Of course, there are many other devotionals that people use including books with 365 daily devotions and a variety of online devotions that can be accessed or received daily.  There are so many that it is hard to keep up with them all.  One person loves a particular devotional that comes by email daily and is rather disappointed in me that I don’t read it daily as she does.  I am so pleased that she shares her daily devotion with me, even if I choose other resources for my own life.

The daily devotion for Monday, January 26, in “Christ in Our Home” had a comment that reflected Luther’s twin concerns for daily piety as well as sound doctrine (the heart as well as the head).  The writer, Nancy Raabe of Wisconsin, wrote, “Many of us rely on books to get to know God.  Books are instructive, but only through prayer – the cultivation of a relationship with God – do we grow in faith.”  How right she is!

Lent is a time of the year when many people intensify their devotional life or some pious practice.  These forty days have a long history of encouraging such things.  Sometimes people will try a new devotional practice or set aside a new time of the day to spend with Jesus.  This is all good.  One of the things that has come before me in recent years is the practice of silence before the Lord.  I have known verses like “be still and know that I am God,” (Psalm 46) and “for God alone I wait in silence, for my hope is from him” (Psalm 62) but only recently have neighboring pastors spoken of the idea of sitting in total silence for a while as one part of worship or as a devotion or to prepare to pray.  And then in the 40 ways of “Keeping a Holy Lent” from Denver there is #5 “take 5 minutes of silence at noon.”  The purpose of silence is to clear your mind so you may hear God speak.

Whatever your current practice and no matter what form of devotion suits you best, I encourage you to have some form of regular devotion.  It might be early in the morning, at midday, or in the evening.  It may be with others or it may be all alone.  It may be daily or on some other schedule. It may utilize the devotionals our parish provides or something else.  You will be blessed in doing it.

Newsletter January 2015

In 2015 I am going to write a series of columns on family faith practices to re-enforce what you may be doing, encourage you to begin doing, or encourage you to return to doing again.

A family sits down to eat dinner.  The final dish is placed on the table.  What’s next?  “Let’s eat”?  “Everybody dig in”?  “Hmmm…that looks good”?  Traditionally, Christians have paused at this point to give thanks to God with a brief prayer.  In recent years it appears that this custom has declined because fewer and fewer families sit down calmly around a table in the dining room for the evening meal on a regular basis.  But “saying grace” is a commendable custom whether a family is gathered around the supper table, a couple is eating at the kitchen counter, or someone is dining alone.  It is good to pause daily and give thanks to God for his wonderful provision.

In later editions of the Small Catechism Martin Luther added a section called “Table Blessings.”  It is printed at the back of most, but not all, copies of Luther’s Small Catechism and in the back of the red hymnal we use, “Evangelical Lutheran Worship.”  Luther did not write anything new in his instructions for families, for what he wrote was what had been used for centuries by Christians in Europe.  Undoubtedly this form of table prayer was used daily in the Augustinian monastery when he was a monk there.  Now he is commending a short form of it for use in ordinary homes across the land.  Here’s the English translation in our hymnal:

The children and the members of the household are to come devoutly to the table, fold their hands, and recite:  “The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord, and you give them their food in due season.  You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living creature.”  Then they are to recite the Lord’s Prayer and the following prayer:  “Lord God, heavenly Father, bless us and these your gifts, which we receive from your bountiful goodness, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.”

The recitation is from Psalm145:15-16.  The prayer is an ancient one which was used across Europe in its Latin form for centuries: “Benedict, Domine, nos et haec dona tua.....”   Luther proposed it be used in German in Germany, English in England, and so on.  It is a simple yet great table prayer, and one that I often use when asked to pray over a meal in public, except that I omit the Lord’s Prayer.  As Lutheran Christians we would do well to follow Luther’s Small Catechism.

Luther also touched on this subject in his explanation of the Lord’s Prayer in the Catechism.  When he came to the petition “Give us this day our daily bread” he explained “God gives daily bread even without our prayer to all people though sinful, but we ask in this prayer that he would help us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanks.”  One of the best ways to remind ourselves of this truth and to receive our daily bread with thanks is to bow our heads, close our eyes, and say a prayer before we take one bite of our meal.

There are many other fine prayers in the rich tradition of saying a table blessing.  In our churches we most often sing or say together: “Be present at our table Lord; be here and everywhere adored; these mercies bless and grant that we may strengthened for thy service be.  Amen.”  There is an alternate ending that says “grant that we may feast in paradise with thee.  Amen.” But the first ending seems most appropriate over daily bread for the strength to do daily tasks.

A popular prayer is “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let these gifts to us be blest.  Amen.” This both invites Jesus to be present with us (Jesus said, “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I.”) and acknowledges that this food is a gift from God.  A number of years ago the ELCA World Hunger Appeal suggested this modified form of the prayer, “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let these gifts to us be blessed.  Blessed be God, who is our Bread; may all the world be clothed and fed.  Amen.”  This reminds us of our obligation to share God’s gifts freely.

There are many other good prayers that can be used before each meal, some of which are very simple for use by families with young children.  But saying a table prayer is not a childish thing to do.  It is a Christian thing to do, and one that I would commend to you.  Every day at least at one meal if not at all three, say a prayer of thanks to God, even if it is over your take-out order of Combo #1 (my favorite) from the McDonald’s drive through.

Pastor Gary Halverson