Saint Matthew's

After helping shovel out Saint Matthew’s for the upteenth time this winter, I think we, as a congregation, should have some serious discussion about moving the church to Florida for the winter.

Think about it — no more shoveling; no more high winter utility bills; no more worrying about plowing around the cars in the church parking lot; no more aching backs after cleaning off the church steps; no more ice melt. Instead, church can be held on the beach, just like our Lord Jesus Christ did when He preached to the masses from a boat.

For four months a year, we could embark on the blessed work of proclaiming Jesus to the masses tanning themselves on the beaches of south Florida. “Jesus Christ died for you. Join us as we receive Him and respond in prayer and praise. And don’t forget your sunscreen.”

As a congregation, we can fan out throughout the state, especially around Tampa and Port St. Lucie (where the Yankees and Mets have their respective spring training facilities) and raise Gospel awareness and our voices as we cheer on our local baseball clubs.

And as we get close to Easter time, we can celebrate Palm Sunday with really fresh palm branches in our final beach service as we return to New Milford during Holy Week.

By then, God-willing, the snow will have stopped and temperatures would be around 45-50.

Are you with me????

I will be interviewed later on “Studio A” this afternoon on KFUO-AM (the radio ministry of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, located at kfuoam.org). Host Roland Lettner and I will talk about the recent Pew Research poll that found many millennials (those 18-29 year olds) aren’t very “religious.”

You will have to listen online at kfuoam.org and click on the “Listen Live” link.

OK. Been a lot lax when it has come to updating regarding the Lenten Verse Challenge. You would think that with all the time I have not watching the US Hockey team in the Olympics, updates would just fly out.

For today:

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

John 3:3

More than a decade ago, I had an ugly issue with gallbladder stones. Several times over the course of a month in the springtime of 1996 I found myself bent over writhing in a stabbing pain just above my stomach. I had trouble gasping for breath during these attacks that, for the grace of God, only lasted a minute or two. Doctors said some tiny sand-like gravel was passing through my gallbladder and the only way to truly eliminate the pain would be to pop the little organ and live life without one.

Of course, I wasn’t interested in surgery, no matter how minor they considered it.

The doctor said that I could try and prevent future attacks by changing my diet. His suggestion was to become a vegan. He almost had me until he explained that I also had to give up coffee.

The surgery started looking good.

Instead, I thanked the doctor, paid my bill, and went back to work. Fellow co-workers suggested other remedies to prevent these types of attacks, including drinking more green tea. That one sounded good so I added it to my diet. From that point on, I had one additional gallbladder attack several years ago. Otherwise, no issues with stones, gravel, or sand floating through my gallbladder or liver.

However, late last night my kidney decided to get in on the stone act. Sitting at home around 11:20pm, I decided to go to bed. Putting my pad and pen down on the table in my bedroom, I stood up to prepare for sleepy time.

I took one step and felt a sharp pain stabbing me on my right side. Initially, I thought it was my appendix. Fearing that it was bursting, I painfully got dressed, slipped on two different loafers (thankfully, they were both black), and drove myself to the hospital. The pain was somewhat pulsating, ebbing several times on my six-mile journey. There was a moment while at a red light I thought the pain had eased up enough where I could go home and deal with the pain issue today, Tuesday. Ignoring the “go home” advice of my male ego, I continued on the drive to wellness. When I arrived at the hospital, I had one of those double-over-and-cry attacks.

After a few tests, the doctor said that I a couple of tiny sand-like stones in my right kidney. She said they looked tiny enough whereby I could just wait and pass them the natural way, which would be slightly painful. As she said those revelatory words, I buckled down again in pain and this time, the pain spread to my urinary tract. Suffice to say, it was ugly. Thankfully, the tiny sand-like particles exited my body.

The doctor suggested a reduction in calcium intake for a couple of days.

I’m a little worn out from not sleeping. I have a healthy list of office work to do before heading out to a town event at 2:30pm. Then, I’ll be back home.

Christians are being killed in Iraq for being Christian.

Radical Muslims are moving to eradicate the tiny Christian population. I guess the cross scares the heck out of the armies of hate. Keep the Iraqi Christians in your prayers.

For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

Romans 3:28

Why is it that a growing number of 18-30 year olds, known as millennials, have a negative view of organized religion? A recent survey released by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life shows that least 25 percent of 18-30 year olds do not have ties to a specific religion. They don’t go to church or pray. Religion is not important to them and their lives. Instead, they view themselves as “agnostic,” “atheist,”or “not affiliated.”

As a pastor, to hear that a quarter of “just out of high school, just out of college, just starting their lives” young people don’t have any connection to God is disconcerting. It saddens me that so many 18-30 year olds are ignoring their God who loves them beyond any measure. For a brief moment, while that 25 percent number is staggering, we have to take a step back realize a few things:

1. Seventy-five percent of 18-30 year old people do have some kind of religious affiliation;

2. People of my Generation X generation fell into a 19 percent non-religious number; the current millennials show a six percentage point increase that should be concerning many church goers; and

3. Could it be that the church is the problem?

This is an issue that every pastor has dealt with or is dealing with today. Here at Saint Matthew’s, we have a number of millennials who don’t attend church regularly. I don’t know if they read the bible on their spare time or even spend some time during the day in prayer, but if they are like those in this survey, they don’t do any of it. I’ve tried to gauge why these young people do not come to church regularly or reach out for God, but I don’t have any answers.

Personally, I believe it all falls under the banner, “A Victim of Culture and Society.” People live in the real world and they are challenged daily by issues and ideals that go against God. It is just easier for most people to reject God than to stand up for their faith.

While in my office this morning, I’ve been listening to Gus Lloyd, the host of “Seize the Day” on The Catholic Channel on Sirius XM and in the 9am hour, he’s been discussing this topic. One gentleman who falls into that 18-30 year old category called in and basically laid down his law – the church has nothing for him. Lloyd correctly surmised that this man had suffered some hurt at the hand of the church and tried to make a critical point – one that I totally agree with:

Sometimes God’s people stink.

Speaking of Lutheran churches specifically, they are run by older and established members and nearly none of them are willing to give anyone younger than 30 a chance at anything. There will be times of real conflict where the younger person will just leave the church altogether. It the old “It’s my church. I’ve been here longer” mentality.

This falls in line with my tired old line, “The problem with the Christian Church is Christians.”

When I have time later on today, I will expand on this point a bit.

Day 1 of my “No Television” Lenten discipline challenge came and went without a hitch. Even this morning, things are going fine. I have definitely replaced television watching with copious amounts of radio listening while also vastly increasing my time and effort into my writing. I’ve always believed that the first couple of days will be easy regarding foregoing television. It will be days 3, 4, and 5 where I may start pulling out my hair.

On Day 1, over at my personal blog, I wrote about my changed morning routine that included National Public Radio.

Today, Day 2, after checking my phone for overnight messages, I penned a lengthy post on my changed feelings regarding my iPhone, Apple, and AT&T.

I’m headed back over to church. On this beautiful, but cold and windy, Thursday our church schedule includes the start of preparations for our Samaritans who will serve dinner at the Walk In shelter in Hackensack tomorrow. We were told to expect upwards of 150 people, making our God-pleasing task more blessed. Additionally, tonight at 5:30 we’ll be setting up for our Chinese New Year’s Dinner scheduled for Saturday night. On my schedule, I have to finalize my weekend sermon structure (essentially, I will be outlining my sermon that I will flesh out tomorrow morning), clean up my church office, attend the New Milford Senior Advisory Meeting at 1:30, and respond to someone who sent me a text message at 3am.

Cooking, preparing, texting, and sitting in a meeting — my Thursday schedule.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

Matthew 22:37

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!

Psalm 103:1

I was on the telephone this morning discussing my little “no TV for Lent” denial I am embarking on starting Wednesday. Of course, the person I was talking with wasn’t too keen on denial and instead viewed Lent as a time to give back. I don’t deny that giving back is important, but isn’t the giving back something that we should do all year, not just during Lent? And is giving back a deeper personal reflection rather than a spiritual one? To me, the days of Lent are more spiritually penitential. Lenten discipline through denial provides an opportunity to accomplish this goal.

On those lines, I thought of something that we can do here at the blog to further our knowledge of the Word of God during Lent:

A Daily Bible Memory Verse.

Yes, each day during Lent (including Sundays since I am not one of those who adhere to the “Sundays in Lent are a free day” mantra that some people follow), I will post a bible verse that you should challenge yourself to memorize.

For example, let’s take a verse we all should know: John 3:16 — “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” You spend a little time memorizing the verse and reading in your own bibles what is happening before and after this daily verse. Each day, you’ll get another verse. By Easter Vigil (Saturday April 3rd) you’ll have a lengthy list of bible verses that you’ve memorized, but more importantly, you’ll learn the context of the verse.

Sounds fun, huh?

This is a good exercise for Christians of all ages. Everyone can take part in our Lenten Memory Verse Challenge.

Check bad tomorrow for the verse for Day One.

“…for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” — Genesis 3:19

As we begin to hone our mental and spiritual facets in preparation for the start of Lent tomorrow with Ash Wednesday, our Lenten disciplines come into focus. Many of us will enter this season by “denying” ourselves a luxury that we love in an attempt to direct our minds towards the very Christian reality that we are in need of a Savior. Denial is a spiritual test as much as it is a physical one. When we discuss sin, it is in its very core doing what God tells us that we should not do. The Lenten discipline, where we “give up” something we love in favor of something good, shows in its very human form the hardship of sin.

Lenten denials take untold numbers of forms. I know of a number of people who are challenging themselves to eat better and exercise more; others are stopping smoking, drinking soda, or yes, even eating dessert.

I’ve taken up the discipline of no television. Of course, this will not be an easy. Yet, my time will be filled with more important disciplines – reading,studying, and meditating on the Word of God; beginning writing projects I’ve put off for years; and reorganizing my life, somewhat.

Yes, it is a challenging Lenten discipline, to say to the least. But every time I yearn to watch some Olympic sport or the New York Rangers as they fight for a playoff spot, the reality of temptation will stare me in the face.

But that is for tomorrow.

Today is commonly known as Fat Tuesday, a time when Christians are supposed to prepare themselves for these disciplines by gorging themselves on whatever they are going to deny themselves during Lent. I’ve never been a fan of Fat Tuesday. It just seems like a dopey way to prepare for Lent by overindulging in everything. For example, if someone is giving up smoking for Lent, then does that mean that they are supposed to smoke a carton of cigarettes today? On the other hand, if someone is giving up fast food, then does it mean they have to gorge themselves on Big Macs and Whoppers today?

Fat Tuesday – one glimmering example of sinfulness.

By the way, I am not going to overindulge myself by sitting in front of the television today, far from it. My schedule is full, though not packed. I’ll be in and out of the office – both home and church offices, mind you – all day.

Our Wednesday Divine service followed by Bible class is canceled this evening. Today’s snowstorm is the culprit.

Just wondering, dear members and friends of Saint Matthew’s: Do I spend an inordinate amount of time blogging?

I don’t think so.