Devotion 10.23.18

Anyone playing Monday Morning Quarterback today?

Every Monday leaves fans considering the moves their coach made and second guessing what could have been.  I know I heard many continue to question the moves of Jason Garrett as the Cowboys watched the clock run down.  Or maybe you were just complaining about the decisions of the Ref.  Regardless, we love to second guess don’t we…

What about God… Have you ever second guessed God . . . ?

I know I have.  There have been times when I wouldn’t have admitted it (and in some very hard times when I would) that I wondered- God why would you allow this to happen.  It doesn’t make any sense.  Everyone would have been happier if….

Job was trying to figure out why everything was going wrong in his life when he decided to 2^nd guess God, and the conversation didn’t go well.  The reality is that while there may be things that go wrong in our lives, and things that God doesn’t even like, but in the end we don’t have any place to 2^nd guess God.  He is God and we’re not.  And as Isaiah 55 reminds us, “his ways are not our ways and as the heavens are higher than the earth so are his ways higher than our ways and his thoughts than our thoughts.”  

Consider some of your current struggles.  Rather than staying frustrated. Rather than staying mad.  Rather than focusing on “whys” that we may never have an answer to (remember, Job never got answers to his why), remember that God’s ways are not only higher, but they’re also better and work all things to our good in the end.  His ways end up with us receiving grace and life eternal!

Blessings!

Dan Borkenhagen

Associate Pastor

Hope Lutheran Church & School

Devotion 10.3.18

This fall we’re examining our faith through the lens of football.  If you have any favorite football teams, themes, moments, etc, send them to me and we’ll work them into the series. 

Two Announcements:

1.       We’re going to have a Men’s Ministry Fellowship and Planning meeting Tuesday, Oct. 9^th from 6:30-8:15.  “Happy Hour” from 6:30-7:30 and business at 7:30.  We’re going to enjoy the hospitality of the Baldner Home. Bring a beverage to share.

2.       Another Chance to Serve- One of our members, Terry Nielsen, has to make a move to Seattle to live closer to her daughter after a series of health issues.  She needs a couple of men to help Saturday at 9 am.  Please contact us to let us know you can help!

So now Dez Bryant is hinting that he’d like to come back to the Cowboys.  What do you think about that?

Should a team take a player back, especially after some rather divisive moments?

They say politics makes strange bedfellows. Sometimes sports does as well.  Players have certainly returned to teams before.  And the Mavericks actually welcomed Deandre Jordan to the team this year after the infamous free agency rejection a few years ago.

What does this look like within the church?

Sometimes people walk away from a church too.  Sometimes they simply become less involved.  In other cases, they get mad and start going to other churches, or quit going to church altogether.  What do we do in these cases?  Do we go after them?  Do we let them be?  How do we feel about people who leave our “team”?

There’s certainly a place for boundaries in relationships, even in churches, but one of the themes that resonates throughout the Scriptures, and especially in the parables of Jesus, is the theme of welcoming and pursuing God’s children.  Think about the Lost Sheep or the Prodigal Son.  Maybe you’re at church and you notice you haven’t seen someone in a while.   Could God be putting it on your heart to bring them back to the “team”?  Say a prayer, reach out, and let them know you were thinking of them recently and missed them.  We can be a church that welcomes the newcomer as well as those who are missing.

Blessings!

Dan Borkenhagen

Associate Pastor

Hope Lutheran Church & School

Devotion 10.2.18

This fall we’re examining our faith through the lens of football.  If you have any favorite football teams, themes, moments, etc, send them to me and we’ll work them into the series. 

Two Announcements:

1.       We’re going to have a Men’s Ministry Fellowship and Planning meeting Tuesday, Oct. 9^th from 6:30-8:15.  “Happy Hour” from 6:30-7:30 and business at 7:30.  We’re going to enjoy the hospitality of the Baldner Home. Bring a beverage to share.

2.       Another Chance to Serve- One of our members, Terry Nielsen, has to make a move to Seattle to live closer to her daughter after a series of health issues.  She needs a couple of men to help Saturday at 9 am.  Please contact us to let us know you can help!

One of the most glorious moments of my youth football career happened at practice.

That may sound strange but it’s true.  Kids would remind me of that event the next couple of years.  We were doing a standard blocking drill where the coach was holding a blocking dummy.  Everyone was standing in a line in front of him and they would run up to him and give him a good block and then return to the back of the line.  Our coach was a large guy.  He must have close to 300 pounds and he had that impressive coach presence.  My turn came and 7^th grade Dan (not much over 100 lbs) came up to him and hit the dummy with everything I had. . . . 

And the coach fell backwards onto the ground!  There was an audible gasp.  I ran towards the back of the line and turned when I heard, “Borkenhagen!!!”

I was nervous.  Coach was standing up again and staring at me.  Then he turned towards the rest of the players and said, “That boys is how you do it.  That’s how you practice.  Good job Borkenhagen.”

After the shock wore off, I felt a glow of pride.  The point was that I’d practiced the way you also played the game.  With everything you’ve got.  Because if you practice the right way, not 50%, not 75%, but 100%, then that will impact what happens when the game is on.

We know that of football, but do we ever think of faith in that way . . . ?

Martin Luther talked about 3 parts to the faith life.  Oratio, Meditatio, and Tentatio.  Oratio basically means prayer/worship.  Meditatio essentially means meditation/devotions.  Tentatio means testing.  The idea was simple.  We form ourselves during our prayer/worship life and in our study of Scripture.  And if we really soak up everything God has for us in these elements, then when the testing comes in life, we will have the strength for whatever we face. 

It makes me think of Ephesians 6 where Paul says to put on the whole armor of God, including prayer and Scripture, so that you can take your stand against the Devil.  If we “practice” hard and push ourselves in worship, prayer, and Scripture, then we’ll be ready for whatever hits the Devil and the world send our way and we’ll be able to “hit back”.  Maybe we’ll even knock them back on their butts sometime!  So let this devotion be one element of your practice today, but find more opportunities as well.

Blessings!

Dan Borkenhagen

Associate Pastor

Hope Lutheran Church & School