Guten Rutsch!

Last week everyone was wishing us a “Frohe Weinnachten.”  But this week with Christmas past and the New Year coming we have been hearing new German greeting.   People have been saying,  “guten rutsch. “ Others have said it in English, wishing that I would have a “good slide into the new year.”    I didn’t know what that meant so I "googled" it.  What I found is that it can mean “Have a good start to the new year.”  In other words, I guess, this greeting can mean “may you slide easily into the new year.”   However I found another explanation that I like even better.  To wish some a “guten rutsch” is to wish them a “good journey in the new year.”

That got me to thinking about our journey this past year.  There were many expected stops along the way.  When 2014 started I knew we would be completing and dedicating the new community  Life Center at Lamb of God. I knew that 2014 would see the birth of 2 new grandchildren – Kellan to Jon and Dora… John Wayne to Bethany and Jason.  I was pretty sure that sometime during the year we would journey to Colorado for our annual vacation. 

But there were also a lot of things I didn't know when 2014 started.  I didn’t know that we would be expecting not just two but in fact three grandchildren.  The third will be born tomorrow to Ben and Anna.  I didn’t know that Steven would spend three months in Germany on an internship.   I really didn’t know that by the end of the year Linda and I would be living in Germany.  I was expecting to be going out every day in the warm sunshine of Texas, to be getting in my pickup to head to Lamb of God.  I didn’t know I would be bundling up like this every day to go out in the snow for the 2 mile walk and ride to Trinity in Frankfurt.   

But that’s the wonderful when you walk your journey through this life following Jesus.  I imagine that when Jesus came to those fishermen by the sea of Galilee and said, “Come, Follow Me!” that they had no idea where this journey would take them.    They didn't know they would see the blind receive their sight, the lame be made to walk and the dead raised.  They didn't know that following Jesus would lead them to His crucifixion and then three days later.  They didn't know that following Jesus would make them world travelers…going into all the world to spread the good news that God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.    What did they know?  That they would be following Him and He would be with them all the way.

That’s what we know for sure too.  This past year dedicating the new community life center, going on the mission trip with the Lamb of God youth, greeting and expecting new grandchildren, moving to Germany, starting a ministry anew with the wonderful people of Trinity – in the expected and the unexpected – the one thing we have known for sure… is we were following Jesus and He has been walking with us. 

As we get ready to start our journey through 2015 – with all the expected and unexpected that this new year promises to you and me – we do so answering the call of our Savior Jesus to “Come Follow Me!”  No matter what the journey may hold – easy or hard, sad or joyful – we know it will be a good journey because we follow Him and He walks with us.  So to all of you… Guten Rutsch.”  “Have a good slide into the new year.”

More Than a Candle

John 1:4,5 & 9

"In Him was life and that life was the light of men.

The Light shines in the darkness, 

but the darkness has not understood it...

The true Light that gives light to every man

was coming into the world."

People both here and back in the US keep asking me what is the most difficult adjustment we have had to make since moving to Germany.  Lately my answer has been quite simple – “It’s been hard to get used to all the darkness.”  People here understand exactly what I mean.  In fact they have told me that this is the hardest time of the year to move to Germany.  The weather is mostly cool and cloudy.  On many, many days there is an on again, off again drizzle.  In addition the days are very short right now and the nights are very long.  The sun is barely up at 8 in the morning and its well on its way to setting by 4 p.m. After living all these years in Texas where you have sunshine and blue skies almost every day, this has been hard to get used to.  But I am told, this is simply the way things are in Frankfurt in November and December.

The other day, while sharing this with one of the members at their home, they shared with me something very interesting.  They said, “That’s why candles are so important in Germany.  You’ll notice that we sat down to share cookies and tea, that we also lit a candle.  We always do this.  In this dark time of the year, the light of a candle cheers the spirit.  It brings us warmth and comfort.  Light after all is a symbol of life.”  Wow, I thought, what a great custom… to light a candle on your table in the dead of winter and be reminded that the darkness will not last forever.  The light and new life of spring will return.

Isn’t that what we are getting ready to celebrate on the 24^th and 25^th of December?  Isn’t that exactly what God has done for us?  Only He has lit more than a candle for us!  Listen to the Scriptures.  Some 600 years before our Savior’s birth, Isaiah wrote of that event, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”  John writes of Christ in the first chapter of his Gospel, “In Him was life and that life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not understood it.”   A couple of verses later John would call Jesus “the true light that gives light to every man…” 

We live in a world made dark by our sin – by depression, by hurtful words and deeds, by the grief of death and more.  At this time of the year, when so many are told and expected to be “merry,” the darkness is made even deeper.  After all, we cannot dispel the darkness of sin just because someone tells us “Be Merry!”   That’s why God lit His eternal candle… really more than a candle in that manger in Bethlehem.    In the darkness this week, He invites to gather around that manger…to meet again His son Jesus who is the Light of the world… the Light that brings us forgiveness, hope and life… the Light that death tried to snuff out of the cross… the Light the darkness could not, indeed will not ever put out.

As we were sitting there at that table learning about candles in Germany, Steven added another bit of information.  He said, “Yes, where I stayed in Germany, Pastor Anwand and his family were always lighting a candle at night.  And whenever we moved to a different part of the house, they took the candle with us.”  Lets do that too.  God has given us His light in that manger in Bethlehem.   Where ever we go in life, lets take His light with us so that others may know the hope, the joy, the peace of God’s light given in Jesus.    Merry Christmas to you all!

Where Do You Start When You Pray?

“And Mary Said,

‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

For He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. 

From now on

All generations will call me blessed.”

Luke 1:46-48

To Break Down... to Build and to Plant

I wish I would have taken a picture of this building back in May when I was here for my interview with Trinity.  Back then it was an an ugly empty building that apparently no one could use.  Now as I walk by it everyday on my way to and from Trinity, they are in the slow process of tearing it down - a dirty, time consuming process.  But if this valuable piece of property (it sits on a major road) is going to be useful again... if some new building is going to be built there, then this building has to first be torn down.  Each time I have walked by this building Jeremiah 1:9b-10 has come to mind. These words take place in the context of God calling Jeremiah to be His prophet. Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down,  to destroy and to overthrow,  to build and to plant.” 

Why would God through His word "pluck up and break down, to destroy and overthrow? He would do this in our lives for the same reason they are tearing down this building.  God often has to tear down the old in order to "build and to plant" His new creation in our lives.

This past Sunday we heard again about John the Baptist and His message of "Repentance for the forgiveness of sins."  Think about that - In order to do His work of forgiveness in our lives God has to first do the work of repentance.  He has to show us our sin.  He has to tear down the walls of sin with which we separate ourselves from Him.  Why?  In order that we might be ready for Him to do His wonderful work of forgiving us all our sins for the sake of Jesus!  He tears down the old in order to build and to plant His new life in us. 

As I look at the picture of this building being torn down, I am struck by the fact that it may have been much easier to have just left this building the way it was - an empty eyesore - than it is to do this messy, costly work of tearing down the building.  I am the same way.   I would sometimes like to leave things the way they are... ignore the dirt and ruin in my life that needs to be torn down.  After all when God does this tearing down work in me that's not easy.  Things about myself that I would rather deny or not deal with - hatreds, weaknesses, old grudges, sinful habits, struggles in my relationships - get exposed.  I don't like looking at those things.  I would rather not admit they are true.  My guess is that you are no different.  God's work of tearing down is not fun.  As I once read on a sign in a counselors office - "The truth will make you free but first it will make you miserable."  It just seems so much easier to ignore these truths about us than to go through the struggle of facing them.

That's when we need to remember why God "tears down."  He is eager to "build and to plant" His new life in us.  He works repentance in our hearts because His greatest desire is for us to know and believe in His forgiveness and love.  He sent John the Baptist to "make the rough places plain... He sent John preaching a baptism of repentance to "prepare the way of the Lord."   He sent John to tear down because He was about give the world our Savior - Jesus.  He was about to build and to plant.

I love the season of Advent.  Each year we hear John the Baptist cry, "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is near."  Then a couple of short weeks later comes Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Our homes, our churches are filled with light and song. We sing "Joy to the World" because God planted Himself in our midst, in flesh and blood as a tiny baby in a manger sent to "make all things new."  What a great reminder this season is that our God is one who tears down the old in us because more than anything He desires to make us new in Christ.  

tha

As 

As 

I am 

This 

"Signal Kommt!"  "The Signal is coming."  I pause at this little device every day before I cross the road to catch the UBahn (the commuter train that will take me a mile south to another station and then I walk the next mile from there to Trinity.)  This device promises me that if I just wait, very soon the signal will come.  The little red man on the stoplight will turn green signalling that I can safely cross the street to catch my train.

"Signal Kommt!"  What a reminder of the message of this season of Advent.  The word "advent" signals that someone very important is about to arrive.  For us the message of Advent is "He Comes!"  By that we don't just mean any "He".  We mean Jesus!  Jesus has come!  Jesus comes to us today!  Jesus is coming again!  All of those are what we celebrate and anticipate this month of December.

Last Sunday's readings reminded us of some of the signs of His second coming - troubles on earth and in the heavens...  As Jesus tell us, "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.  So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that He is near, at the very gates."  Mark 13.  The times shout at us "Signal Kommt!   Just Wait, He is coming!"  For all of us as believers that is reason for hope... not matter how hopeless things may seem at work... in our jobs... in our marriages... with our health - we are never without hope.  We know He's coming!  Jesus tells us the signs of His coming are signs for hope "but you, when you see these things beginning to happen, stand up, lift up your heads for your redemption is drawing nigh!"  Luke 21:28

His coming again is reason for hope.  Why?  Because He who is coming, is He who has come.  This season... the advent wreath, the decorations, the songs and Scripture readings are all taking us to one place - to Bethlehem...to His birth... to Christmas.  He came to take our place, to live our life, then die for our sins.  He came to conquer sin and death by His resurrection!  We hope for His second coming because of His first coming.  Advent cries out to us with joy - "Signal Kommt!  He who came is coming!"

But what about today... what about right now?  Is our hope in Christ only for the end of life, only for what He gives us in the world to come? "Signal Kommt!  Jesus who came... Jesus who is coming again... He comes to us even now, even today!"  The signs that signal His presence with us even now are all around us, especially in worship.  In every gathering of God's people Jesus comes for He has promised, "Wherever two or three of you are gathered together in My name, there I am in the midst of you."  Every time we read His word, study His word in Bible Class, hear His word proclaimed in worship, Jesus comes to speak to us.  At every Baptism... in every celebration of Holy Communion - Jesus comes to wash us, to feed us with His body and blood in the bread and wine.

What a great message Advent brings - Get ready to celebrate the fact that Jesus came.  Live each day by faith assured that He has not left you alone.  Jesus comes to you today!  Look forward to tomorrow with hope no matter what's happening because Jesus is coming again!  "Signal Kommt!"

Even the M&Ms Taste Different

Yesterday as I headed into Trinity for my first full day in the office, it hit me just how much of our lives have changed.  It seems as if everything is new.  I was walking and riding a commuter train, not driving my pick up truck.  In fact I have not driven since last Wednesday morning.  We live in an apartment, not a house.  Anytime Molly goes outside, we can't just let her out.  We take her for a walk.  The congregation is new. The town is new.  The country is new.  The continent is new.  The culture is new.  The language is new.  The brands in the stores are new.  The other day I saw M&Ms in the store.  I was so excited to find something familiar from home that I bought a bag.  To my surprise, even the M&Ms tasted different.  (They tasted better!)

With everything so new to me, I have for past couple of days felt very disoriented... flustered... out of sorts...definitely out of my comfort zone.  As I walked along Rev. 21:5 came to mind.  The LORD says, "Behold I am making everything new!"  As I thought about that passage I wondered, "Is this what the new creation will be like?  When God raises us up on the last day is this how we will feel - disoriented?  Will everything be so new that we will feel out of sorts?"

I don't think so.  You see what makes this new experience different from the world to come, is me.  Even though everything around me has changed, I haven't changed.  Everyone tells me that I will change... that living internationally will broaden me in ways I can't even imagine.  But that will take time.  That will be a process.  Right now I haven't changed.  That's why all the newness around me is disorienting.

Two things strike me about that.  Just as Linda and I are going through a process of change as we adjust to living in a new land... so all of us as Christians are going through the same process.  God is changing us... making us ready for the new heaven and new earth He has prepared for us.  Right now He is in the process of making us new.  He is slowly through our lives putting to death our old sinful life, bringing to life a new you and a new me.

Then one day, and this is the second thing, when He is finished He will "make all things new."  The Bible says it will happen in "a moment, in the twinkling of an eye."  If there is any sense of disorientation, it won't be the disorientation of confusion.  It will be the disorientation of wonder... This is will not go away over time.  I think we will spend forever going, "Wow!  Is this cool what God has done!"  For everything will be changed... everything will be new.  You and I will be new - no more sickness... no more crying... no dying... no more sin... no more pain.  And for those of you who like me love chocolate I am betting that even the M&Ms will taste different... taste better!

The LORD has been Gracious and Carried Our Burdens

Meet John Wayne… sometimes known as "The Duke."  Yes we call him the "Duke" because that was the actor's nickname.  But that's really the only part of his name that comes from the actor.  The name John comes from his dad's (Jason's) grandfather.   The name Wayne comes from me - :) 

I love what the two names mean.  John means "Yahweh is gracious" or "the Lord has been gracious."  Wayne has two meanings that are somewhat related - "wagon maker" or "burden bearer."  Put those two names together and this is what I get - "The Lord has been gracious and carried our burdens!"  

John's name both describes what our Lord is like - gracious - and how our Lord has shown that grace - by carrying our burdens.  Grace is "Gods undeserved love for us."   In other words,  God loves us even though we have given Him every reason not to.  He has shown that love by the gift of His Son Jesus who is our burden bearer.  As Isaiah foretold in chapter 53 - "Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him and afflicted.  But He was pierced for our transgressions, and He was crushed of our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him and by His wounds, we are healed."   

This morning as I sat here working on this blog, I listened as Beth (John's mom) was on the phone paying bills.  I heard her mumble, "Paying bills is a never ending task."   That's a truth we have all uttered.  Bills, which are part of life, can be such a burden.  Wouldn't you love it, if some else agreed to pay your bills for you?

John Wayne's name reminds us that our God has done just exactly that - He has paid our eternal bills for us.  The debt we owe because of sin is enormous -  a debt you and I could never hope to repay.  Because of that debt, which is our fault, God has every reason not to love us.  Yet, thank the Lord, our God is a "John Wayne" if you would… one who has loved us in spite of our sin (gracious) and because of His love has paid our debt of sin for us (carried our burdens.)    That's why in Confirmation classes one of the ways in which we teach people the meaning of grace is to teach it as an acronym - God's Riches At Christ's Expense.  God in His underserved love for us forgives all our sins, gives us His Holy Spirit, adopts us a His children, furnishes an eternal home for us in His house (God's Riches).  The cost for all those heavenly riches is the suffering and death of Jesus Christ (At Christ's Expense).

One more thought - the call to be missionaries is for you and me a call to be a "John Wayne" for those God brings across our paths.  We are called to show and tell about God's gracious love to the people we meet.  How?  By our words and our deeds.  I can't help but think of the story of the Good Samaritan in the parable.  Seeing the man on the road - robbed and beaten - the Samaritan sought to bind up his wounds, carried him to an inn and paid for his needs.  He showed God's gracious love to that man by seeking to help him bear his burdens.  That's our mission - to love people the way we have been loved - to help them with life's heavy loads (to be a "John Wayne") so that in our words and deeds they meet our gracious, burden bearing savior - Jesus!

Roaring Like a Lion... My God's Not Dead

"My God's not dead

He's surely alive

He's living on the inside

Roaring like a lion"

 

 

Those words are from the song by "Newsboys" that is the theme song from the movie, "God is Not Dead."  I know it took me a long time... the movie has been out for a while... but I sat last night and watched that movie with Ben, Anna and Linda.  I heard the words "roaring like a lion" and thought immediately of our grandson Dillan, Robert Ralph Braun.  The name "Dillan" after all means "like a lion" and "loyal one."  That's Dillan!  When he's going, he's roaring.  And loyalty?  You should have seen him watch with concern when his daddy's shoulder was hurting. You should see his joy when either his mom or dad comes home.  His name fits!

 

It's also a great description of our God and Savior.  Jesus is a real "Dillan."  He is after all "the lion of the tribe of Judah."  He is loyal - "For no matter how many promises God has made they are all 'yes' in Christ..." (2 Corinthians 2).

 

Let me tell you we have been finding out just how "loyal" and "faithful" our God is.  He has been "roaring like a lion."  We had planned on going to meet our Indonesian Grandson after Christmas but then God changed our plans.  I got worried.  How would we do this?  Yet our God is a "Dillan." He's loyal.  He provided a way to go to Indonesia early - between the end of our time at Lamb of God and the start of our work for the LCMS.    We have to raise 75% of our support for the work in Germany. How would we ever do that?  Yet already $ 43,000 has been given.  He has provided friend after friend to support us... congregation after congregation to welcome our message.  He is a "Dillan."  We would have to sell our home.  Again He was faithful - our house sold in 24 hours.  We hoped to go to Germany by mid-November. That's way too aggressive a plan.  Yet yesterday, with synod permission, we bought our tickets and will leave for Germany on November 12.

 

He has shown us again and again.  Our God is faithful and loyal.  He has been keeping His promises... blessing us with His grace.  He has truly been "roaring like a lion" in our lives. 

 

 

I don't know why any of us worry and fret over the future. Our Savior is "the lion of the tribe of Judah."  He is faithful and loyal.  He is truly a "Dillan."

 



 



One Who Rejoices

She is our first born grandchild.  She is beautiful, loving, full of energy, loves to read, loves to sing and dance and play, loves her mom and dad, loves her little brother, can't wait for her little sister to be born... She is Kyah Braun.  Her first name is derived from a Latin word (with some slight spelling changes).  Kyah means "one who rejoices."  I love this little girl and I love her name.  Since her birth 5 years ago, we have been rejoicing every day.

When I think of Kyah, I think of Paul's words in Philippians 4 - "Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again - rejoice!"  At first when I hear that verse, I think, "That sounds wonderful - to go through life rejoicing.  But how is that possible?  Some days are tough.  Bad things happen in this world - loss of a job, betrayal of a friend, divorce, sickness, death... How can you rejoice always?"

But such thoughts confuse two different things - joy and happiness.  Happiness is related to circumstances.  Whether you are happy or not is often at the mercy of whether today is a good day or a bad day, whether good things or bad things are happening to you.  Who in the world can be happy that a loved one is sick, or a that you have lost your job? 

No those things don't make you happy, but they also can not or at least need not rob you of joy.  Joy or rejoicing is not at the mercy of circumstances. Rejoicing is the fruit of your relationship with God.  Rejoicing flows from the fact that no matter how circumstances change in life... no matter if they go well or poorly, your relationship with God is unchanging.  Your relationship with God is not altered by those circumstances.  Look at Philippians 4.  Right after telling us to rejoice, Paul points us to the source of that joy - "The Lord is near."  He never leaves.  That relationship is absolutely certain - established not by anything we have done, but entirely by what God has done for us in Christ,  As St. Paul wrote in Romans 8 - "If God is for us, who can be against us?  If God did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all how will He not also along with Him freely give us all things?  ...No in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that... nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  That certainty... that faith... that relationship established by God is why although you may not always be happy about your circumstance, in Christ you can always rejoice! 

So "Be a Kyah always!  I will say it again, Be a Kyah!" Be one who rejoices in Christ always!

Powerful Life

      Linda and I are sitting here early in the morning in Indonesia.  We have been visiting Jon (our second oldest son) and his wife Dora.  Really the main purpose of this visit has been to meet our third grandchild - Kellan River Braun.  Kellan is Celtic for "powerful" and "River" represents life because that's rivers do - they bring life.  His  name means "powerful life."
       People ask Jon - Why didn't you give Kellan a Christian name?   Jon rightly answers, "We did."  You see they gave Kellan his name as a reminder of the "powerful life" that is ours in Jesus Christ.  Jesus Himself promised that He came to give us such life - "I came that you may have life and have it to the full!"
      I look at Kellan and he is reminder of that life.  He is a child of both American and Chinese parentage.  As such he is much bigger than the average 3 month old baby you see in Indonesia.  He is a powerful looking three month old.  When people see Jon and Dora together they all want to see Kellan... They are curious what he looks like.  He is a handsome looking child (in this grandfather's opinion).His smile is also full of life.  Get Kellan laughing and it's infectious.
     Seeing Kellan and  our other three grandkids - Kyah, Dillan and John -  I am reminded of what a great gift the new life of children are.  This may be one of the sweetest parts of our lives - seeing our kids have kids.  It's like a new beginning in our family.
     They are also daily reminder of the new life that we have in Christ.  In baptism... Through the forgiveness Christ purchased on the cross, our God gives our lives a new beginning each and every day.  That's a powerful life that sin and death can not snuff out.  Psalm 46 says, " There is a River that makes glad the city of God..."  That would be the River of Life.  The name of that River is Jesus. He is the source of the "powerful life" that lasts forever.

Announcement at Lamb of God

Call Decision

8-10-14

Today we announced to both Lamb of God and Trinity that we believe God is leading us to accept the call to Trinity.  After 13 wonderful years at Lamb of God in Flower Mound, Texas Linda and I believe that now God is calling us to a new part of His vineyard - Trinity Lutheran Church in Frankfurt, Germany.

Lamb of God has been a wonderful congregation.  Our kids have become young men and a young woman in this place.   Three have married and have kids now.  Our youngest is studying at Concordia University Wisconsin and is going to Germany this fall on an internship.  Three of our parents were called home to heaven while we served  here. The people of God at Lamb of God loved us through it all.

Our Lord has done incredible things here during these thirteen years.  LOG has built out the facility.  The youth ministry has doubled and LOG had many young people go into full time ministry in God's kingdom.  The music ministry has  a great variety of ensembles and the congregation is adding a pipe organ.  They have become a congregation of people deeply involved in the Study of God's Word.  The ECM is known for its excellence in education.  LOG has added a vital children's and Care Ministries,  Praise be to The Lord for this place.  Now the congregation looks forward to a new adventure in God's kingdom.

Trinity is a diverse English speaking congregation in an international community.  Many from there who have corresponded with us during this process have called Trinity their "family away from home."  They have a wonderful music ministry, an incredibly gifted staff, a vital children's and youth ministry.  Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for this next phase in God's work.