About Nate Preisinger

Rev. Nathaniel Preisinger (he/him/his) earned his Bachelor’s Degree at St. Olaf College and received his Master of Divinity and a Certificate in Theological Education for Emerging Ministries at Wartburg Seminary. Pastor Nate previously served as a Mission Developer for Organic Faith, worked at United Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia as Director of Admissions, and as the pastor at Parkside Lutheran Church in Buffalo, NY and Reformation Lutheran Church in Philadelphia, PA. Nate is married to Amanda and they have three children, Evelyn (12), Solomon (10), and Miriam (6). Together they have fun creating and playing board games, watching movies, hiking around Colorado and doing science experiments. Additionally, Nate enjoys listening to music, running on the High Line Canal, going to the library, reading multiple books at the same time, yoga, and basketball.

“Control”

“Control” by Pastor Nate

My friend told me a story the other day about the worst experience he ever had participating in a Secret Santa gift exchange.  Just like with all Secret Santa gift exchanges, each person in my friend’s class put their name on a piece of paper and tossed it into a hat.  Then, one by one, they drew names to find out whom they would secretly be buying gifts for.

Apparently, in order to help people out, all the participants were asked to also write on the piece of paper a few items that they might like to receive, or some of their interests, this way Secret Santas had information to help them in their shopping.

When my friend drew a piece of paper from the hat he was shocked to discover that the only suggestion the individual offered; the only thing written on the piece of paper beside the boy’s name was “gift cards”.

Now don’t get me wrong– gift cards can be a wonderful present– but something about putting “gift cards” down as the only thing on your Christmas list strikes me as the epitome of needing to be in control.   I do not believe for a second that this person’s only interest is gift cards– they put down “gift cards” because they wanted to be in control because they didn’t trust their Secret Santa to actually buy them anything worthwhile.

We see this longing for control in our lives of faith as well.  We want to prove that God exists.  We want the church to cater to our preferences in music and style of worship. We want God to be an active presence in our lives… but only when it is convenient for us.

I think if we are really honest with ourselves we have to admit that, at times, we aren’t really that interested in knowing God or growing closer to God. Rather, what we really want is to be gods– we want to be in control.

“The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.” – John 1:43

Here is the hard truth: living a life of Christian faith ultimately means relinquishing our need for control.  Jesus calls us to leave our normal lives behind and discover a new way of life in him.  When we try and control everything, when we try and play the role that only God can fill, we will always fail.

But when we let go of our need for that all-encompassing control and we simply follow Jesus and let God be God that’s when we discover peace and hope and life abundant.

May we be released from our need for control and learn to follow Jesus into a new way of life.  Amen. 

“Control”2023-01-19T09:19:55-07:00

“All Saints Day”

“All Saints Day” by Pastor Nate

This Sunday is All Saints Day, and while it’s not the Old Testament this year, oftentimes on All Saints Sunday we will read Isaiah 25:6-9. Here’s an excerpt:

“6 On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
the best of meats and the finest of wines.
– Isaiah 25:6

I’ll be honest, I don’t really like banquets. I remember the first banquet I ever went to, a friend spent the entire evening explaining the many and various banquet rules.  I couldn’t just eat each bite with a different fork (there were 3 to choose from!), no each fork had a special job to do: one was for salad, one for the main course, and one for dessert.  Now, what’s the fun in that?  And all rules about forks were only a part of the story!

The thing about banquets is that it’s all about the show.  Everything has a special rule and your progress through the banquet is as if it’s an elaborate performance.  In my experience, I was so worried about following the rules that I never really enjoyed the food, the company, and the celebration itself. To me, a banquet ruins a good thing with all its regulations.

And you know what, I don’t think that this just happens at banquets.  There seems to be a natural human tendency to take something great and turn it into a burden.  Financial security becomes greed, love becomes lust, marriage becomes adultery, and politicians become extremists.  Again and again, we take blessings and turn them into something destructive or painful. We’ve become blind to the Good News that is being offered to us day after day.

Here are a few more verses from that Isaiah passage:

“7 On this mountain he will destroy
the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
8     God will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.”   – Isaiah 25:7-8

All Saints Day is a celebration in the church calendar where we remember our loved ones who have passed.  It’s a day meant to celebrate the promise God has made to remove people’s disgrace, wipe away their tears, and swallow up death forever.  It’s a day of promises and blessings and yet, the pain of having lost a loved one can quickly turn this day into a burden.

And please don’t hear me wrong on this point.  It is a natural process to grieve, it is right to mourn the loss of someone you hold dear, and it is healthy and more than appropriate to weep over the loss, but it isn’t healthy to remain there.

Christ has lifted the shroud that enfolds us all.  Death has been swallowed up forever.

May we rejoice in the promise of the resurrection and learn to embrace all the blessings that Christ extends to us each and every day. Amen. 

“All Saints Day”2022-11-09T11:24:50-07:00

Theology of the Cross

“Theology of the Cross” by Pastor Nate

Sometimes people will ask me, what’s the Lutheran Church about?   It’s often hard to distinguish between one Christian denomination and another and that’s because there are a lot of theological similarities with only a few subtle differences.

But still, I feel like I have to have an answer to this question.   So, when I am asked for a unique understanding of Lutheran views I’ll mention The Theology of the Cross.

The truth is, Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, the United Church of Christ, and probably other Christian denominations would all be fine with the Theology of the Cross, but I think Lutherans really get to claim it because it stems from the writings of Martin Luther.

The general idea is this—we know what God is like most clearly through what Jesus did on the Cross.   In other words, when we are suffering, when we confront death in all its ugliness, when we feel lonely or forsaken, that is actually the moment when God is near.  On the cross, Jesus revealed that God’s power is shown through sacrifice and weakness.

Some Christian denominations will say that Jesus’ death was his way of suffering for us.  But a Lutheran would put a little twist on this and say that Jesus suffers with us.  It’s a powerful reframing and I think a deeply comforting thought; that our moments of fear and pain and struggle are in fact the places where God has promised to show up.

Theology of the Cross2023-01-19T10:13:48-07:00

What’s In Your Hands?

“What’s In Your Hands?” by Pastor Nate

There’s this great moment in the Bible when Moses speaks with God for the first time.  Moses is out in the wilderness shepherding sheep when he notices a bush that is burning in the wilderness, but it is not being consumed by the fire.  So, Moses goes over to investigate, and then God starts speaking to Moses from out of this burning bush.

During their conversation, God tells Moses to free the Israelites who are in Egypt.  But even though this entire conversation is taking place via a burning bush, Moses is very apprehensive and unsure.  He has all sorts of questions and excuses for God and at one point he literally says, “God, please send someone else.”

At one point in the conversation, Moses says to God, “What if the Israelites don’t believe that you sent me?”  This is the first of a long line of doubts that Moses is going to raise, but God’s response to this is so powerful.  God says to Moses, “What’s in your hands?”

God answers Moses’ question with a question, and in so doing he’s guiding Moses to see what God could see all along.   Because in Moses’ hand was, of course, a shepherd’s staff.  Moses had been out in the wilderness shepherding his sheep, and now God was asking Moses to shepherd the lost Israelite sheep out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and to the Promise Land.

This entire story is a powerful reminder to us that when God calls, it’s because God sees something important within us.  We may have doubts and questions, but God has already placed in our hands all that we need.

So, what’s in your hands?  What gifts or skills do you have that could be used in a new way for the sake of God’s mission?

What’s In Your Hands?2023-01-19T10:06:05-07:00

Peace That Passes All Understanding

“Peace That Passes All Understanding” by Pastor Nate

Take a look at the photo above.  What jumps out to you?  What captures your imagination?  What do you think this painting is?

What if I told you this painting was an Icon of the Trinity?  You see it a little differently now, don’t you.

Notice, how they are all sitting together, and yet the focus, the center of the painting is right in the middle as if you are supposed to sit there with them?

This image that we see is supposed to depict the Father, Son, and Spirit all sitting together and yet the central focus seems to be on the space where we can fit in at their table.

Here’s what I’m getting at.  There is a fancy term that people use when talking about the Trinity it’s called “perichoresis”.  You’ll notice in the painting that the Father appears to be looking at the Spirit, the Son seems to be looking at the Father, and then the Spirit seems to be looking at the empty space at the table.  The idea behind “Perichoresis” is that the Father, Son, and Spirit all exist in this loving community,  they are three and yet they are still one being, one God.   This love they have for each other flows between all three figures, the Father, Son, and Spirit literally is a community of love.   And this love they share moves between them, as the Father looks to the Son and the Son looks to the Spirit, the love flows back and forth both giving and receiving.

But notice that in this painting, the figure of the Holy Spirit is looking at the empty spot.  This is the same spot that is in the center of the painting, the space that you might feel invited to sit at.

That’s because this is God’s hope for us: that we might know and feel and be a part of God’s community of love.

Our topic of conversation last week was Peace, and what greater peace is there than to understand that God is love, that God exists as a community of love, and that God wants you to feel and become a part of God’s love?

That’s what some might call “the peace that surpasses all understanding”.  Whatever you call it, I hope we don’t just go in peace, I hope we can stay in this peace.

Peace That Passes All Understanding2023-01-19T10:02:24-07:00

Weakness is the Point

“Weakness is the Point” by Pastor Nate

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, a day when we hear, “you are dust and to dust you shall return.” This phrase reminds us of our mortality, our fragility, and our weakness. For many people weakness is something to avoid at all costs. However, Christians throughout the world gather on Ash Wednesday to smudge their foreheads with ashes because, for Christians, weakness is the point. Let me explain…

During my 2nd semester of my Sophomore year of college I took two English courses.  One course was called “Fiction Down Under” and it focused on literature from Australia and New Zealand.  The other course was called, “African-American and Multicultural Literature” and it focused on American literature from different cultural perspectives.

Here’s the trouble with taking these two courses at the same time: they were both literature courses– which means I was required to read an entire novel each week… for each course.

By the second week of the semester I realized that I was in big trouble. There was no way that I would be able to read two novels, every week, while also keeping up with my other courses, my extra-curricular activities, and, most importantly, my blossoming social life.

But then, an amazing thing happened– a miracle really — somewhere during the third week of the semester I learned how to speed read.

Okay, that’s a lie, but for some reason I convinced myself that I was able to speed read.  I convinced myself that speed reading was just a decision I had to make– all I needed to do was move my eyes quickly across the page.

And this friends, is what we call a big problem. Because, when you convince yourself that you can speed read, when you actually have no clue how to speed read, all that means is that you end up skimming everything.

That’s all I was really doing with those novels I had to read– I was skimming through them, and as a result, I was missing extremely important plot points.  As you can guess, my grades suffered as a result of my “speed reading”.

I think this type of thinking is one of the most difficult aspects of being human.  Maybe you haven’t ever convinced yourself that you could speed read, but maybe you have lied to yourself in other ways.  We have this tendency as humans to pretend like we have it all figured out, we can handle whatever life throws our way, we don’t need help or a change— we got this.

When say all these things and tell ourselves all of these lies because we are afraid of our weaknesses. We come up with all sorts of clever ways to convince ourselves that everything is fine…

But, one of the most incredible and unique aspects of our Christian beliefs is that we don’t have to have it all figured out.  As Christians, we confess that our faith is not about what we do, rather it is about what God does for us.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”  2 Corinthians 12:9

In this portion of his second letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul explains that God doesn’t work through our strength and power.   Rather, through and in our weaknesses, God is at work.

We don’t have to pretend! We don’t have to be strong! We don’t have to keep it together! Weakness is the point!

At the times of our greatest need we can admit our faults and weaknesses and learn to trust that God’s grace is sufficient. Rather than “gutting it out” or “pulling up our bootstraps” rather than lying to ourselves about what we can actually handle, God reminds us that it’s okay to be weak. Furthermore, when everything seems to be falling apart, that’s when God promises to be strong for us.

May we learn to trust in God’s grace and rest in God’s power always, especially when we feel weak.  Amen.

Weakness is the Point2023-01-19T09:47:33-07:00

Created for Community

“Created for Community” by Pastor Nate

I’m guessing that if you look back at your life your best memories and your most joyful moments were times when you were surrounded by people you love.  It is certainly possible to feel joyful and fulfilled when you are alone, but the presence of others has a way of turning up the volume.

Speaking of turning up the volume, have you ever noticed the cycle of eerily similar boy bands that pop up every ten years?  In the late 1980s, there was a wildly popular musical group of five young men called New Kids on the Block. About 10 years later, N’Sync, a group of five young men, achieved similar popularity.  Ten years after that, One Direction burst onto the scene.

These groups (and there are many others) actually use a formula for their music.  They all are groups of 4-5 individuals because scientists have found that when a group of people sings in 4 part or 5-part harmony, it lights up the brain in a different way.  Something within us is deeply drawn to the sound of 5-part harmony.

It’s as if there is something within us that is naturally drawn to the community.  In the book of Genesis, God actually makes this point very clear.  After creating Adam, the first human, God says, “it is not good for man to be alone…”

We were hard-wired to be in community with others.   It’s not easy to be in a community with others, but there’s no denying that it is an essential piece of how God created us.  This is why we practice faith together with others.  We can’t possibly perfectly believe on our own.  We need the support and the faith of others to hold us up and inspire us.  As my friend likes to say, “Faith is made whole in community.”

Created for Community2023-01-19T09:57:55-07:00

Improvisation

“Improvisation” by Pastor Nate

One of my favorite things in the entire world is a sports movie.  Particularly, a sports movie that is geared toward a younger audience.  If I was to make a list of my favorite movies of all time there is no doubt that films like The Sandlot, Mighty Ducks, and Space Jam would make the list.  What I really love about these sports movies is that even though they are about different sports, even though they are set at different times and in different parts of the universe, they still manage to all follow a very similar narrative arc.  Here’s how it works:

First, we are introduced to some generic sports team.  It doesn’t matter, basketball, baseball, football, softball, hockey, soccer, team whatever.  What we learn is that this sports team is really bad at their sport!  They lose all the time and don’t really seem to understand the simplest aspects of the game!  But then, they are suddenly given some reason to play well.  They need to win lots of games or something bad will happen.  But it’s hopeless!  They are so bad at sport!  And then, there’s some new coach who has come to town that’s going to take this hopeless, rag-tag sports team to the championship.   And so the coach walks into the first practice and sees the players running into each other, dropping the ball, missing shots, scoring on the wrong goal — the coach sees for the first time just how terrible this team really is and then — and this is the most important moment — and then the coach takes a deep breath and says with the utmost confidence, “I can work with this.”

I believe, that this is how God sees us.  No matter what mess we get ourselves into, no matter what mistakes we make, no matter how unfaithful and undeserving we might be, God looks at our time and again and God takes a deep breath and says, “I can work with this.”

We are going to make mistakes.  We won’t be perfect, we will mess up, and time and time again we will make decisions that are hurtful and harmful and destructive to ourselves and others.  But in the infinite goodness of God, in the infinite creativity of our Creator, in the infinite Holiness of the Holy Spirit, God will see these mistakes and God will take a deep breath and say, “I can work with this.”

Improvisation2023-01-19T09:54:17-07:00

Thankfulness, Misplaced

“Thankfulness, Misplaced” by Pastor Nate

When I was 4 years old I lived on a dead-end street with all retired families.  However, there was a boy, let’s call him Joey, who would come to visit his grandparents from time to time.  He was about five years older than me, but since I was the only boy on the street, he was more than willing to play when he came to visit.  Needless to say, I looked up to Joey and did nearly anything he asked me to do without thinking twice about it.

One day, Joey was sitting on his porch while his grandma was picking weeds in her garden.  I walked over and said hello.  Joey said to me, “my grandma is being really nice to me today, we should go get her something to say thanks.”  As usual, I followed along without question.  We walked down the street until Joey noticed a house with an Easter egg display on their front lawn.  He told me that we should take several of those eggs and give them to his grandmother.  Once again, I followed along without questioning.  Shortly after we had walked away from that house, our hands filled with eggs, a woman from down the street, who had witnessed the entire event, began yelling at us.  Joey and I started to run, but the women eventually caught us and then informed my mother, and Joey’s grandmother, of our thievery.

Here’s why I’m sharing this story with you today:  I think there are a lot of times when we as humans want to show God our thanks but we don’t always find the best ways to do this. Often times we try and show our thanks to God by going out and trying to convert all our friends, or by calling out the evil that we see in other people’s lives.  Sometimes in our efforts to try and “win people for Jesus,” we end up doing more harm to the Christian movement than good.

I think the strangest thing about Joey, me, and the Easter eggs, is that Joey thought stealing eggs for his grandmother was a good way to show his appreciation (and I followed along!).  Wouldn’t his grandmother have figured out very quickly that these were stolen eggs?  Wouldn’t it have made more sense for Joey to just help his grandmother in the garden?

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

We can make our faith so complicated when really it’s quite simple.  Joey and I wanted to show his grandmother that we were thankful.  This is a good thing.  In the same way, we want to show God that we are thankful.  But we don’t need to overthink this!   What God desires more than anything else is to act with mercy and justice and humility. Living our life like that is the best way to tell God, “Thanks”.

May we learn to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.  Amen.

Thankfulness, Misplaced2023-01-19T09:50:53-07:00

“God, Our Parent”

“God, Our Parent” by Pastor Nate

When I think about my parents, one of the things I remember is all the curfews and rules they established. They were always telling my sisters and me how to behave in public and giving us rules to obey and responsibilities around the house.

And a long, long time ago, God talked to a guy named Moses and gave him a similar list of rules called the Ten Commandments.  Now, Christians will often think about these Ten Commandments as a list of ten rules that must be followed if we are going to make God happy. It’s similar to the ways that we all probably understood the rules our parents established when we were younger; “I’ve got to do my chores, otherwise Dad is going to be mad.”

But as we grow older we begin to see that our parents didn’t just establish rules randomly— the rules they set were meant to teach us responsibility and honesty and work ethic. The rules our parents established were helping to guide us toward maturity. A parent doesn’t make rules just because they can; they set rules so that we will mature; so that we will be safe; so that we can have a better life.

I think that’s what The Ten Commandments are about. The Commandments weren’t just made up as some sort of test by God to see if we would really listen and obey. The Commandments are a gift from God, they were given so that we might live our lives in the best ways possible– the way God intended for us to live.

Now that I am a father, I understand why my parents established all those rules for me growing up.  They loved me and wanted to keep me safe, and they wanted to see me grow up into a mature adult who could take care of himself.  And in the same way, God has given us the Ten Commandments, because God loves us and wants to provide us with guidelines that will help us live a more full and complete life.

“You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today.”  Deuteronomy 11:27

God does not give us a reward when we follow the Commandments, rather, the Commandments themselves are the reward. The Commandments are a blessing from God that guides us into living our lives in the way God intends.

When we make God our first priority (First Commandment), and we honor and respect God’s name (Second Commandment), we take time to rest (Third Commandment), and we Honor our parents (Fourth Commandment), and we refrain from murdering, committing adultery, stealing, lying, and coveting (Commandments 5-10), our lives are simply better.

May we discover the wisdom of God’s Commandments, and allow God to move us into fuller, more complete lives.  Amen. 

“God, Our Parent”2022-11-09T13:44:00-07:00

“God Forgives, Don’t Forget”

“God Forgives, Don’t Forget” by Pastor Nate

My entire life I have been taught that sin meant missing the mark.  God has some sort of standard that we are supposed to live up to, and when we fail to live up to that standard– when we miss the mark it’s called sin.  Just like an archer shooting an arrow at a target and missing the bull eyes, when we sin (I was taught) we have missed the mark in our lives, and at that moment we separate ourselves from God.

Recently, I heard of an alternate definition to sin, one that I think is actually much more helpful. Apparently, some people speak about sin as forgetfulness.  Sin is a moment in time when you fail to remember who God is and how God created you to live.

18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
– 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

As a Christian, I believe that the grace of God is even bigger than my sin, even bigger than the ways that I miss the mark.  And I also believe as the above passage says, that God will not count our sins against us.   Rather, God’s freely given love and grace come to us time and again, even when we forget.

If we are only focused on the ways that we miss the mark of perfection then we will quickly drown in feelings of guilt and shame. But what if, when we mess up, instead of beating ourselves up for missing the mark we simply prayed, “Dear God, I’m sorry, I forgot.”?

When God created the heavens and the earth God paused every day and looked at what had been created and called it “Good”. I am convinced that this label applies to you and me as well.   Yes, we are far from perfect, but despite our imperfections, God still calls us good.

And we need to remember this truth day after day. Whatever we’ve been through, whatever mistakes we have made, however imperfect our walk of faith has been the truth remains that when we confess our sin and turn back towards God, God forgives us and declares us good.

 

May we learn to forgive ourselves as freely as God forgives us.  Amen. 

“God Forgives, Don’t Forget”2022-11-09T13:40:47-07:00

“Go in Peace, Serve the Lord…”

“Go in Peace, Serve the Lord…” by Pastor Nate

A while back I was at a Pastors’ Conference.  I’m not a big fan of Pastors’ Conferences.  I won’t go into details, but let’s just say that I’m still recovering, only now do I feel stable enough to talk about it.  But there is one story from the event that I think showcases a lot of my frustrations with Pastors’ Conferences in general.

All the pastors gathered together each day for worship — a good idea.  But a funny thing happened.  The worship service ended with the Worship Leader joyfully proclaiming: “Go in Peace Serve the Lord!”  and all the Pastors responded back with gusto, “Thanks be to God!”

And then, immediately after we had all proclaimed our thanks to God, one of the event leaders shouted, “But not yet! We have some announcements and housekeeping items to take care of.”

And I realized at that moment, that this was a perfect example of my frustrations with the church, and in particular, Pastor Conferences.   Let me explain…

11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat, and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”  (Mark 2:11-12)

When Jesus heals this man he is so very simple with his commands.  It’s not some big elaborate magic trick, it is a miracle of healing and all Jesus says is “Take your mat and go”.

I have a hunch that our lives of faith aren’t meant to be big and elaborate productions.  I have a hunch that all we really need to be told is, “Go.”

We say things all the time like “Go in Peace Serve the Lord”, but then, how often do we add a “But not yet!”? At Pastor Conferences, we spend all day talking about ideas of what Pastors might one day, possibly do, but we don’t spend any time actually going out into the world and serving God’s mission.

When I hear about the depressing statistics of church membership, I know that the church is in need of healing.   When I hear about all the ways that people have been wronged and abused by the church, I know that the church is in need of healing. And when I go to Pastor Conferences where I’m told to “Go in Peace, Serve the Lord… But not yet!” I know that the church is in need of healing.

And I’ve got to think, that if Jesus came back tomorrow and healed the church, he’d say the same thing he said to the man who could not walk:  “Take up your mat and go”.

Healing is so often found in outward action; in looking beyond ourselves; in looking beyond mere ideas and actually living into the gifts that God has first given to us.

We are called to go in peace and serve the Lord… right now.

May we be brave enough to simply go and may we find healing and peace in serving the Lord, right now. Amen.

“Go in Peace, Serve the Lord…”2022-11-09T13:38:29-07:00

“Even Though We Don’t Deserve It”

“Even Though We Don’t Deserve It” by Pastor Nate

A while back, I was at an informal gathering for local Lutheran pastors to simply get together and get to know each other a little better. And you should know that a funny thing happens when Pastors get together. It doesn’t necessarily happen right away, but, inevitably we will end up discussing the theological implications of different movies, books, video games, current events, and whatever else has caught our attention.

And sure enough, last Thursday, I overheard a group of pastors talking about the theological differences that exist when you compare the Harry Potter books to the film adaptations.  I know, I know, fascinating stuff…

But hear me out, one colleague brought up a great point about a major difference between the final film and the final book.   First, a little background, at one point in the very first Harry Potter book the Headmaster of Hogwarts (a school for young witches and wizards) says to Harry, “help will always be given at Hogwarts for those who ask for it.”

However, in the final Harry Potter film (and this doesn’t happen in the books) Dumbledore is again talking to Harry and he references his conversation with Harry saying, “I think I would amend my statement a bit, help is always given at Hogwarts to those who deserve it.”

And here friends, is what we would call the theological rub– is help given to those who ask for it? Or is it just given to those who deserve it? And what if we apply this logic to our relationship with God? Does God give help to those who need it? or just to those who deserve it?

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast.“  Ephesians 2:8-9

The scriptures are clear: God’s grace is something freely given to us. The promises of God, the love and presence and support and help from God come to us not because we have done enough to deserve it, not even because we have asked for it, but simply because our loving God has freely given it to us.

May we know that our God loves us always, even if we don’t deserve it.  Amen.

“Even Though We Don’t Deserve It”2022-11-09T11:42:12-07:00

“Emotions”

“Emotions” by Pastor Nate

Many years ago, I led a gathering for a group of young adults that focused specifically on the idea of humor as a Spiritual Practice. Our discussion mainly centered around how humor is so absent in the church.  Sure, pastors occasionally throw in a joke at the beginning of their sermon, but generally speaking things, that happen at church are so… serious.

Why is that?

Certainly, there is a lot about our faith that needs to be taken
seriously; a lot about our faith that is no joking matter.   But I
don’t think this means that all signs of humor need to be altogether extracted from the church. In the same vein, I don’t believe that all our other emotions should be removed from our life of faith.   All emotions are holy gifts from God that speak to something real about us as individuals.  Emotions are part of who we are and when we hide or repress these emotions we aren’t truly being ourselves.  When our faith is not free to embrace all
of our emotions, we are holding something back in our relationship with God.

“Your declarations of love last no longer
than morning mist and predawn dew.
That’s why I use prophets to shake you to attention,
why my words cut you to the quick:
To wake you up to my judgment
blazing like light.
I’m after love that lasts, not more religion.
I want you to know God, not go to more prayer meetings.” — Hosea 6:5-6 (MSG)

I love this passage from Hosea because it calls out the problem we so often face as people of faith.  We quickly forget that our faith is about building a relationship with God, not about getting everything exactly right. Growing up I thought church was all about following the rules perfectly:  no talking in church, memorizing all the prayers, standing at the right time, singing the hymns with gusto… etc.

But over the years I’ve learned that what God wants most of all is to be in a relationship with us. A real, authentic relationship where we share all of ourselves with God.  Sometimes this means talking with God about our joy, and sometimes it means sharing our humor, and sometimes it means sharing our sorrow, our despair, or our even our anger.

All of our emotions are holy and precious to God because our emotions are part of what makes us uniquely us, and that’s
what God desires more than anything else.

May we continue to build a relationship with God that encompasses all of us; emotions and all.  Amen.

“Emotions”2022-11-09T11:38:55-07:00

“Confessing Our Faith, Confessing Our Sin”

“Confessing Our Faith, Confessing Our Sin” by Pastor Nate

I was at a church service a while ago and it came time for the community to recite the Apostles’ Creed.  The individual leading worship was supposed to say, “we now confess our faith, using the words of the Apostles’ Creed” but he misspoke and said, “We now confess our sins, using the words of the Apostles’ Creed”.

We usually recite the Apostles’ Creed in church as a means of stating who we are and what we are all about as Christians.  The creeds of the Church are meant to succinctly articulate what God is like and what we as Christians stand for.

And yet, does the way we live our lives actually reflect these beliefs that we confess every Sunday?

It all makes me think… maybe we really are confessing our sins when we recite the Creed together

Think about it…

The Apostles’ Creed begins with this statement: “I believe in One God, the Father, the Almighty…” and yet don’t we all serve other gods from time to time?  Don’t we all have a tendency to worship the gods of wealth, status, control, and self?

From there the creed articulates a belief in Jesus’ death, resurrection, and victory over death. But do we actually live like people who believe this? Aren’t we all terrified of losing a loved one or the thought of our own death?

Then, the creed concludes with statements about the Holy Spirit, and the “holy catholic church” (note: the term “catholic” here means “united” or “unified”), and yet don’t we all seem to constantly be pointing our fingers at “other Christians” whose practice of faith we view as less viable then ours?

There are a lot of other statements in the Apostles’ Creed that seem to be in conflict with our practice of faith. In a lot of ways, when we confess the Apostles’ Creed, I think we really are confessing our sins.

But here is the thing, the Creed represents an ideal, an ideal set of beliefs that we will never be able to perfectly live out on our own.

That’s why, when we confess the Creed during our Sunday worship service, we say the words together.  We need the support of one another if we are ever going to live out these beliefs.

And not only that but notice also that when we confess the Apostles’ Creed in a church it’s said like a prayer.  When we get to the end of the Creed we all say together “Amen” because we are asking God for help in living out these ideal beliefs.

I know some people don’t really like having the Creed as a part of the worship service, but for me, its one of my favorite parts because it reminds me of the ways that I could do better but more importantly, it reminds me that as a community and with God’s help, we will do better.

May we support one another and may we cling to the support of God as we live out our Christian faith each and every day.  Amen.  

“Confessing Our Faith, Confessing Our Sin”2022-11-09T11:34:31-07:00

“Chipping Away”

“Chipping Away” By Pastor Nate

No doubt, you’ve seen the famous sculpture of King David created by the artist Michelangelo.  Just in case you haven’t here’s a picture:

http://www.accademia.org/explore-museum/artworks/michelangelos-david/

It’s widely considered to be one of the most remarkable sculptures ever.  Even today, 500 years after it was first sculpted, it is still considered a masterpiece with no equal.  Legend has it that after the work was completed in 1504 many people would ask Michelangelo, “how in the world did you ever do this?”

And Michelangelo would say something like, “Oh, it wasn’t all that difficult. I ran across this huge stone in the quarry. And I saw David in it. So, I had the stone brought back to my studio, and month after month, I very carefully—chipped away everything that wasn’t David.”

I like to think that it is the same way with our relationship with God.  I’ve heard it said that Genesis 1:27 is one of the most important verses in the bible, and it speaks to this idea from Michelangelo, it reads,

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

The implications of this verse are huge.  Much like Michelangelo and his statue of King David, God has created us in God’s image and is slowly chipping away at all that isn’t truly us.

We all lump a variety of different things into our being.  We try to be popular, we try and fit in, we try and like the things we are supposed to like, and often times it leaves us totally confused about who we are and what we’re supposed to be doing with this life.  But this wasn’t God’s intent!  We are created in the image of God! And that means that God desires us to discover the people that we were truly created to be.

By building a relationship with God we allow God to chip away at all the stuff that is not a part of our true being.

Pastor and author Rob Bell puts it this way: “Your job is the relentless pursuit of who God made you to be.”

God has a purpose and identity for each and every one of us and it might take some chipping away, but through God’s love and grace, we can all begin to discover the image of God that lives within ourselves and one another.

May we pursue our true being, and allow God to chip away at everything else that gets in the way. Amen. 

“Chipping Away”2022-11-09T11:32:06-07:00

“Changes”

“Changes” by Pastor Nate

A few years back, Facebook, that enormous social media website, went through some aesthetic changes. Different icons and menus were shuffled around, graphics were updated, items were deleted or changed, and everyone was upset about it.

At that time Facebook had around 250 Million users and about 249 million of the users were outraged by these adjustments. Within hours people were expressing their dissatisfaction with the changes and they were calling for “everything to go back to the way it used to be.”

What is it about change that is so difficult for us to grasp?  Why do we get so upset when Facebook changes its layout, or when they change the time of our favorite TV show, or when they change the menu at a restaurant?

“Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.  Instead, fix your attention on God.  You’ll be changed from the inside out.” — Romans 12:2  taken from The Message paraphrase. 

In this portion of his letter to the Romans, Paul is inviting members of the church in Rome to understand their faith as something that calls them to a different way of life than that of the Roman culture.  Paul invites them to fix their thoughts on God and to be transformed by that relationship.

The reality is that we all need to change.  None of us are completely perfect, finished individuals.  We all have work to do and areas to grow.  And that’s what God desires from us more than anything else: God wants nothing more than to be invited into our lives so that we might be changed from the inside out.

Obviously, change upsets us because it upsets our equilibrium.  It disturbs our well-worn routines and expectations.  But maybe there’s more than that.

Maybe we get so upset when things change around us because it’s an indirect reminder that we haven’t changed– we have yet to embrace the transformation that God offers us.  As difficult as change can be, I believe we could all do well to at least consider the ways that God might be at work in the midst of changes. Perhaps the change that we are so upset or afraid of is exactly the type of transformation that we’ve needed all along.

Dear God, may we open ourselves to your transforming love and learn to trust you through the changes. Amen.

“Changes”2022-11-09T11:28:34-07:00

“All Things New”

“All Things New” by Pastor Nate

Labor Day has always marked the end of summer for me.  I know that the season of Summer actually extends for another 3 weeks or so, but Labor Day has always served as that announcement of summer’s end and school’s beginning.

Even now, as an adult, Labor Day still has that finality attached to it.  As September begins so do a host of programs at the church; new things are beginning, and while all of this fall activity isn’t nearly as relaxing as summer, there is definitely something exciting about the new season that Labor Day ushers in.

Since my days in Elementary School, the beginning of the academic year always created this type of excitement within me too.  Part of it was finally getting to wear my new shoes but an even bigger part was simply the chance to start something new.  The new school year always seemed to bring that opportunity to re-invent myself– the chance to get things right this time around– the chance to start over.

I don’t think we live our lives with that type of first-day-of-school-excitement too often.  Obviously, it’s hard to get excited about each and every new day, but isn’t this idea of starting over and new beginnings at the heart of God’s message?

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17

As Christians, our hope is found in Christ’s promises to make all things new.  This isn’t just a new beginning tomorrow, or after Labor Day, this is a promise that God is not yet finished with you or me or Creation as a whole; in Christ, sins are forgiven, diseases are healed, suffering is ended, and new life begins.

What would it mean for us to actually believe this promise?  So often, I am filled with real despair– I see all the ways the churches are alienating others or all the ways our political system is pitting neighbors against each other or all the ways that violence, injustice, and suffering are rampant.   I see all of these things and wonder how long this will all go on.

But on my good days, I remember and cling to the hope that Christ is making all things new.  I cling to the hope that God is not yet finished with this world, and that the power of the resurrection is still at work, slowly but surely bringing new life and a new creation.


May we live in the excitement and hope of God’s promised new creation.  Amen.  

“All Things New”2022-11-09T11:19:07-07:00

“Academics and Faith”

“Academics and Faith” by Pastor Nate

It is that time of year when most college students are cramming for exams and submitting final papers. I remember secretly enjoying this final push at the end of a semester. There was something deeply satisfying about having such a clear purpose and putting so much work and energy into my academics.

As good as reading and writing and learning can be, I do remember a time during my Sophomore year of college when my faith was extremely shaken by the content of my academic pursuits.

I was a religion major in college and so my studies focused on all sorts of interesting ideas about the Bible and theology and religion in general.

As I read works by Rudolf Bultmann, Albert Schweitzer, Friedrich Schleiermacher, William Hegel, Immanuel Kant, and many other old dead German guys (and even some who weren’t German or dead), I began to feel as if my personal faith life was being attacked from all sides.  What was I possibly supposed to believe?  Here are people 10,000 times smarter than I’ll ever be, committing their lives to study religion, reconstructing the historical Jesus, redefining what it means to pray from a theological standpoint etc. etc.  And here I am, reading all of this stuff, struggling with what to make of it all.

But then a mentor pointed out a short little Bible verse that actually helped me hold all of these ideas AND my faith together:

“The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living.” (Hebrews 11:1 taken from The Message)

I had a sort of revelation after reading this passage.  I thought about some of the great figures in the Bible, and I realized something: Moses, Joshua, Abraham, the Disciples, Paul, John the Baptist, none of these guys ever thought their way to God.  God came to them, and they faithfully responded.

I might not know much, but I do know that no matter how hard I try to think and reason and research, I will never be able to grasp God.  God is infinite and so far beyond my comprehension.  Through my life experiences God has been revealed to me again and again, God has come to me in worship through song and sermon, bread and wine.

The academic stuff can enrich my life, but my relationship with God is about far more than academics.   It is my faith, not my brain (thanks be to God) that matters.  Life is worth living not because I’ve figured everything out, but because God extends grace to me again and again and again.

Gracious God, may we all be enriched by our academic pursuits, but may we ultimately find faith and purpose in your love and grace.   Amen. 

“Academics and Faith”2022-11-09T11:15:50-07:00

“A Future with Hope”

“A Future with Hope” by Pastor Nate

This week my oldest daughter Evelyn turns 11! I can’t believe that she has been a part of my life for eleven years already!

As I was going through some files this week I came across a devotional I wrote 11 years ago as my wife and I were waiting to welcome Evelyn into the world. The reflections and themes of this particular reflection seemed relevant given all that’s taking place in the world these days, so I offer it to you as the devotion this week:

I don’t know if you knew this, and I hope I’m not spoiling the surprise but… my wife is pregnant!  Very pregnant in fact.  And with each passing day, the two of us grow more and more excited to welcome our first child into the world.

We’ve decided not to find out the gender of the child beforehand and so there is even more anticipation– will we soon have a son or daughter? When will the child finally say goodbye to the womb and hello to the world? What will he/she look like? Is there more to parenting than not getting sleep? (Side note: The only parenting advice anyone has given me to this point is “get some sleep while you can”)

As each day passes and we move closer and closer to answering these questions the anticipation, excitement, anxiety, and love for this entire event grows.

But in the midst of all the wonder of becoming a father, life still goes on around me.  And there seems to be far less joy and excitement and love growing elsewhere in the world.   Close friends are dealing with incredible pain, congregation members are confronted with daunting circumstances, wars are being fought, hate is being spread, and sorrow as a whole is perpetuated.  Parallel to all my excitement for the future runs all this agony and longing for hope.

“All around us, we observe a pregnant creation.  The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs.  But it’s not only around us; it’s within us.  The Spirit of God is arousing us within.  We’re also feeling the birth pangs.  These sterile and barren bodies of ours are hearing for full deliverance.  That is why waiting does not diminish us any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother.  We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us.  But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.” – Romans 8:22-25 taken from The Message

How are we to hold together the tension of the future?  How do we make sense of the simultaneous longing for an end to pain and the anticipation of the new birth?  How do we understand a world filled with death and yet filled with new life?

We rest and wait in the Spirit.  And in the tension of waiting, the Spirit is present with us, suffering and celebrating alongside us, pulling us into God’s future where there is boundless hope.

May the tension of our present reality be filled with the comfort and patience of the Holy Spirit.  And may we all discover God’s hope-filled future. Amen.

“A Future with Hope”2022-11-09T11:04:45-07:00
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