Saint Matthew's

This is a weekend of quick notes:

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“I feel like I am running in place.”

I hear so many people say it when their lives are just overflowing with stuff to do. There are times when it appears as though you are hiking up a tall mountain with 60-lbs of gear strapped to your back and chain a ball is tied around your ankle. To do lists become your enemy while you try to tick just one item off the list. In the end, it really does feel like you are running in place.

That was my week.

It was not overly busy or stressful time. Oh, there was that head cold I battled, but overall, it just seemed like I was not accomplishing anything. In fact, a lot of what I wanted to get done this week kept being pushed off until later and later in the week in the hope that I would find some time – any time – to tackle those to do’s and check them off. But this didn’t happen. Yes, I promised a congregational letter and yes, it is coming, though it will be sent this coming week. My visits were canceled for a couple of days because of my head cold, so those will be completed this week. And yes, planning for Holy Week got pushed off my calendar this week. Of course, that will be added to next week.

I’ve always wondered if Jesus had one of these types of weeks where He was just walking in place. How would our Lord deal with a growing list that needed to get done? My guess — First, He would probably pray and then, second, He would begin to do the work He needed to get done, all with a glorious joy in His heart.

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Last week in my Pastor’s Note, I took up a lot of space to deal with the issue of the violation of your privacy by a couple people in our neighborhood. As Christians, the life of balance in which we live — while sinners, we’re saints — is an ultimate challenge. There was probably a time when we all wanted to strike out against those who violated our privacy or erected some rather ugly signs against our church, but we didn’t because while we had those sinful impulses, our faith took over and kept us from acting. Instead, our faith pushed us to pray for our enemies. That is as wonderful an example of what is means to live life as Christ would like us to live as we can imagine.

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On our church website, I have  (at least for a good chunk of Lent) uploaded a daily verse of the day. The “Lenten Verse Challenge” is a small way that you use can increase your knowledge of Holy Scripture. Please take a look at it.

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Just a reminder: please review our Holy Week schedule that is found this week here in our SMM section. Yes, we will have services each morning at 7:15, each noontime, and evening at 7:oo. If you have just a little time, please join me for some time of prayer and reflection on God’s Word.

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With all of the heavy rain hitting our area today, we can all be thankful that it isn’t snow. Just imagine how much of that white stuff we would be getting if it was cold enough…

I felt it yesterday morning and I probably looked terrible. But I struggled onward and upward yesterday. That is, until around 2pm when my festering head cold won the day. I was beaten.

This morning, I woke up feeling ugly, but at least my throat isn’t scratchy.

I will be heading over to the office to complete a number of little projects. Hopefully, my head will clear up a bit today.

I must confess … I went to bed late last night, or early this morning, take your pick of verbiage. Crawling into bed at 1:30am is never a good thing when your schedule begins at 7:00am. Last night, I wasn’t drinking or even out with friends. Instead, I spent time at home with someone and we ended up talking for a long time.  By the time I placed my head on my pillow, I laughed to myself that my usual 3:30 – 4am wake up would be really, really bad today.

Thankfully, my body kept me sleeping until 6:30. My brain also gave me a rather weird dream — a couple of people from my old vicarage church played a starring role. When the time came for my body to awaken from sleepy land, I had an immediate fright when I stared at the digital clock across the room — those red, blaring numbers shocked me to get going.

It is really a rarity to wake up so late during the week. Since my day begins at 7:15am with Morning Prayer in church, those red numbers zapped me and caused me to rush around the house like a chicken with its head cut off. Rushing to the kitchen to make coffee. Speeding into the bathroom for a shower. Bouncing off the wall to get dressed, turn on the radio so I have some semblance of what is happening in the world, flipping through the delivered morning newspapers, and figuring out why people send unimportant text messages at 4am. By 7:11am, coffee in hand, I ran into church ready for Morning Prayer (read through John 6; tomorrow is John 7). I rushed not because of the overwhelming crowd that assembles each morning, but because this set time relaxes my spirit and gets me in touch with the Lord. Following the service, I headed back home.

I should admit, my morning newspaper reading is relegated to three newspapers — the New York Post, the New York Daily News, and the Wall Street Journal. Usually later on in the morning I pick up The Record, the local newspaper that seems to have less and less local news is in it everyday. The papers weren’t very exciting this morning, minus the crazy story on the front cover of the New York Post where a woman defended giving her breast milk to her chef husband to make desserts. Following this rather stomach-churning story, I made breakfast (I didn’t use milk), I came to church and started cleaning off my desk and bookshelf.

Tonight I will be up in Mahwah at Holy Cross Lutheran Church at 6:00pm for midweek Lenten Services. It should be a good night. Due to this evening’s church service, I did have to turn down some primo tickets with parking to tonight’s Rangers-Devils scrum at The Rock in Newark. Not that I didn’t try to give them away, first, to a real Devils’ fan who didn’t return my message then, second, to someone who I know is diehard Rangers fan, but they didn’t have time.

Oh, well.

Going off to finish a letter, fix up my calendar, and then head out on a visit at 11.

This evening at 6:30pm, I will be interviewed by Roland Lettner, host of “Studio A” on the Missouri Synod’s radio ministry KFUO-AM. The topic — why do we make disciples?

This is a fabulous issue, especially in light of the slowly dwindling membership of our Synodical body and of all mainline Christian denominations.

Of course, the most important reason we go out and make disciples is because that’s what Jesus tells us to do! In Matthew 28, right before ascending to heaven, Jesus lovingly instructs His disciples that their one mission was to go and baptize all nations in the name of the Triune God.

And that mission to “Go and baptize all nations,” was not just a temporary instruction to a group of 11 people. It was a most faithful and incredibly powerful expression of the love of God that all believers are to take part in always! In baptism, the Holy Spirit opens a heart and mind to believe, trust, and have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, that alone in this faith salvation is yours.

What a great and powerful feeling it is to know that by telling the Gospel to someone, they, too, can become faithful members of the family of God! By the power of the Holy Spirit and through the expression of the Gospel in your life, God works miracles by building faith in the hearts of unbelievers.

Yet, our mission to make disciples is not just to those who don’t have faith. It is a mission to enliven the faith of those who have “let it slide.” How many people do you know consider regular church attendance to be Easter Sunday and Christmas Eve? Or what about those who have, for one reason or another, think that church is not important since they already believe and don’t need to sit in a church on Sunday morning singing dirges and listening to a pastor drone on for 20 minutes?

The mission heart of the Christian is to make disciples and to reach out to those who are disciples but have let their discipleship slide. It is a daily act of a loving church by all members no matter their age, no matter their lots in life.

It should be a fun interview.

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.

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.

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.

“…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.

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

I don’t think so.

I remember in my pre-pastor life, Tuesdays were practically the longest day in the week. For some odd reason, I always found myself aching for time to go by a little faster on Tuesdays. My Mondays were always good work days since it really was a terrific day to prepare for the week. Interviews, writing assignments, copious research projects, et.al, all could be meticulously planned out on a Monday morning. By around noon on Monday, my week was neatly laid out in Outlook, including what seemed like an endless “to do” list.

Yet, come Tuesday when my calendar was in full-bloom, it always seemed like it took forever to accomplish anything. Back then, I tried waking up earlier to try and tackle projects, but that never worked. No matter the various getting-things-done strategies I used to help me get through my Tuesdays, it always felt like time was ticking slowly away. Ugh.

Fast forward to today and my life as a clergyman and things are different. In theory, my Mondays are days off where I don’t spend any time preparing for the week. No studying. No writing, No church telephone calls. Oh, that is “in theory.” Recently, I have been trying my best to turn off the Monday work clock (to some success, I must say).

Therefore, my prep-day has now become Tuesday. It is no longer a day that drags. Instead, it is a day that flies. For instance, this morning, I accomplished a number of things:

1. I prepared my weekly schedule (meetings, visits, lunch dates, etc.) and to do list.

2. I made a number of telephone calls to set up home visits this week.

3. This coming weekend’s worship services have been finalized.

4. I started outlining my sermon study for the week.

5. I actually started writing this post (a miracle after being away for more than a week)

I couldn’t believe when I stared at my computer’s clock that I had already worked 3 and half hours (started at around 6:30am; I checked the clock at 10:00am). My week is planned, some work is already done, and now I get to go home and get another cup of coffee.

Yes, I am in the church office. This afternoon, I will be working from home (easier to study in the home office where my books, both physical and electronic, are available).

I haven’t written about personal stuff here at the Pastor’s Blog in many, many months, relieving the stress of some who felt that the pastor (meaning me), shouldn’t write about “certain topics” on the church website. Of course, I started a personal journal blog at reviovine.com where these possibly inappropriate posts could go.

In my opinion, most of these questionable posts weren’t all that questionable, but I relented and moved all my opinionated pieces off the church website.

This morning, I got to thinking (one of the dangers of waking up too early) — there is more to me than what happens in the LCMS and the church proper. I am a lot more than just a guy who sits down at night reading Luther’s writings. Why should I leave this part of my “pastor’s life” out of a daily discussion of church?

In my mind, the central reason of creating this blog on the church website was to provide insight into my life, which includes a lot of things, not just pastoral stuff. While I do write about theology and the issues facing the church on this blog, all of which are my opinions grounded in faith and theological understanding, why can’t I express deeper non-theological ideas and opinions here?

After wrestling with this issue today, I’ve decided to lift my ban on personal stuff here at the Pastor’s Blog. Yes, I will use my personal journal at reviovine.com for much of my writing, but I will cross-post some of the personal stuff.

Last night around 7, I walked into the house, went upstairs to the bedroom, changed my clothes, and crashed. Sitting in that old recliner never felt so good (OK, maybe back some years when I bought it).

During the course of any pastoral ministry, there is most assuredly a “long stretch” that tests any clergy person. It just so happened that my stretch came during a rather busy time in the church calendar – Christmas through Epiphany 1. And yesterday following our memorial service for Rev. Jack Wangerin, I hoped that this stretch has come to an end. While being taxed physically, having the opportunity to share the grace of God in Jesus Christ with so many emboldened me spiritually during this period.

Yet, I was tired last night. Watching the final moments of the Green Bay Packers – Arizona Cardinals playoff game, I realized that I haven’t really watched a complete football game in a long time, not that this bothered me at all. Last night, I was a little surprised as I watched the Cards give up what was considered a rather comfortable lead and being forced to go to overtime, and being stunned as they stole a victory after a terrific defensive play. But that is what makes sports so fun.

Now to shake out the cobwebs (and probably clean them out of the corners in the house) and get ready for what I hope to be a normal week…whatever normal entails, that is.

Getting up early on a Sunday morning is a blessing, especially today. Today we celebrate the Advent season with our annual Festival of Lessons and Carols Divine Service. Our choral friends from Saint Paul’s in Closter will join us for this wonderful time of hearing the Word and responding in song, all of which is wrapped up in a nice bow as we receive the Supper of Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of sins.

A wonderful Sunday is on tap at Saint Matthew’s!

This morning, our joint choirs will practice beginning at 8:30, and since I am singing, I have to be there. Somehow, I have to skip out on part of the practice in order to help with our Sunday School Christmas program practice. And in between both, I have to meet with a member in my office (don’t worry, this is not a bad meeting). At 10am, our Divine Service kicks off. It is surely a busy morning on my docket.

(For the rest of this article, please click over to my personal blog)

Happy cold Friday!

Just wanted to announce that I am taking most of the afternoon off. I have been burning the candle at both ends these last couple of weeks. I need a tiny bit of time to unwind and recharge.

Someone asked me why it seems that I never go on vacation. I said it doesn’t seem that way, it is a reality. Since July 2006, I haven’t taken any time off. Everyone tells me the great benefits of taking time to recharge those batteries so when lots of work comes along, I’ll be able to tackle it.

I tend to view my “batteries” more like my iPhone battery. Everyday, as this wonderful piece of technology zaps battery power rather quickly, it needs recharging. An hour or so does the trick for at least five, six hours. Right now, I am very similar. Give me a couple of hours of downtime, I’ll be fine.

But I’ve been putting off this downtime for a while. So, this afternoon, from around 3pm on, I am officially off the clock.