Hi Friends!

It has been a week after we celebrated God’s Easter peace that we receive through Jesus’ resurrection. How is God continuing to give you peace and restore your soul?

For me, it is driving my in-law’s car from Indiana to California (they’re moving later this spring). So, instead of writing much more, I’m going to share some pictures of how God has reminded me of Jesus’ constant peace in my life - even as He restores my soul with so many good things.

Me and my parents at their new home in Nebraska - a place of constant love, encouragement, and acceptance. It’s the first time we’ve seen each other (in person) since July 2019!

(Sidney)

As I pulled off by Exit 59 in Western Nebraska, I’m thinking about and thanking God for all my friends I’ve made over the years... especially those from Nebraska and Wyoming (you know who you are!).

I didn’t get a picture, but I got to hang with my sister and her family (including their 3-week old son!).

(Wyoming)

I got to pull off and snap this picture near the Wyoming/Utah border. “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19) and “look, I’m doing a new thing” (even in Wyoming and Utah).

I’m in Salt Lake City tonight (as I’m writing this). The solitude and silence of a solo road trip has reminded me of Jesus’ constant and faithful peace and work in my life and in our world. . .  And I can’t wait to share that same constant and faithful peace with you. 

Because that’s how Easter peace works.

God gives His peace to us in Jesus.
We experience Jesus’ Easter peace.
We give that same peace away to others.

I’m curious how God continues to give you peace and restore your soul in these days and weeks after Easter. Send me a note and I’ll respond back after April 18.


Love you!

I recently read a BBC article about why Good Friday is called Good Friday.

I found it interesting that some would say that linguistically, “Good” is a corruption of the word, “God’s” - so it was originally God’s Friday.

I also learned that “the earliest known use of "guode friday" is found in The South English Legendary, a text from around 1290, according to the dictionary. According to the Baltimore Catechism - the standard US Catholic school text from 1885 to the 1960s, Good Friday is good because Christ "showed His great love for man, and purchased for him every blessing".

It's also interesting to me (maybe not to everybody) that both Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions often refer to the entire week between Palm Sunday and Easter as “Holy Week” - hence, “Holy Friday”.

I’m reminded of something I learned in one of my seminary Biblical Interpretation classes: words are just combinations of symbols to communicate meaning.

My point is that whether you call it Good, Holy, God’s, or just “Friday” - the meaning is the same. For Jesus followers, it’s “all the above”. 

With that said - here’s why I think it matters for Easter Sunday…

• Some people may say that Jesus never really died or that his body was switched before the crucifixion and somebody else died.
• Others may say that Jesus’ death on a cross doesn’t matter at all.
• Yet, I personally know some people who believe that Jesus wasn’t God at all.
• If you're like me, I find today more of less a mystery.

And that’s why God’s, Good, and Holy Friday matters to Easter. It’s a mystery. It cannot be explained. It cannot be reasoned.

• Out of pain and suffering comes renewal.
• Out of punishment comes promise.
• Out of thirst comes satisfaction.
• Out of isolation comes family.
• Out of vengeance comes reconciliation.
• Out of separation comes unity.
• Out of doubt comes conviction.
• Out of death comes life.

And Jesus did it all for you. So that however we experience the brokenness of our human experience, the mysteries that make today God’s Friday… a Good Friday… a Holy Friday… matter because to get to the supernatural and mysterious reality of Sunday’s hope, peace, and joy - we must experience the mystery of Friday.

We're all busy.

So, here's one simple way to prepare for the biggest celebration in our Christian faith on earth...

• as He looks you in the eyes when He approaches the Jerusalem gate
• as He smiles at you when He rides through the crowd of palm-waving chanters
• when He drives away those who profit off of those who want to have a relationship with God in the temple
• as He gently teaches you at the Mount of Olives about what it means to love other people like He loves you
• as He invites you to the Upper Room to celebrate the Passover
• as He passes you bread and wine and says, "my body and my blood is given for you"
• as you look at him with confusion wondering, "is it I?"
• as you follow him to Gethsemene and try to stay awake and pray
• as He lovingly glances at you while the guards arrest him and take him away
• when He passes you on his way from place to place and eventually up the hill to be crucified
• as He speaks his last words and breathes his last breath
• as He meets you in the garden and says that My peace is now your peace.

How best can you prepare yourself for Holy Week and Easter when you're busy?

• Sit with Jesus in the noise of your life by always being mindful that Jesus is there with you... always.
• Sit with Jesus in the silence of His story. Carve out a minute or two every hour to think about how life would be different if this part of His story never happened... Scary, isn't it? The good news is that this part of the story very much did happen - and it silences every accusation of sin, every threat of eternal death, and every self-deprecating self-talk and self-worshipping desires.
• Sit with Jesus in His peace that He gives - not as the world gives. Why? Because He stills your heart and calms your anxiety and fear (John 14:17) through the events of this one week.

Yes, come sit with Jesus. You will not be disappointed.

Anyway - while none of us remember this moment, I can say with great certainty (and by looking at my facial expression), I was very thankful for my coat.

Each spring, Our Savior collects coats to give away to kids in our community at our August Back to School Fair. How can something as ordinary as a coat make such a huge difference in the life of a child?

Earlier this week, I caught up with Kristi, our Director of Outreach + Connections and asked her why we are so passionate about coats? Here’s what she shared with me...

Giving away coats started as a partnership! A local community member offered to donate coats and asked us to help distribute them to kids who needed them. We reached out to the Franklin Pierce School District to confirm the need. They responded with a resounding, “yes!”. They were so grateful that we were able to meet this pressing (and very real!) need.

Why are coats so important for kids? Practically, coats are a big ticket item that families put off - especially when they must choose between rent, utilities, and food. So, coats help kids go to school on cold days. Without a coat, kids just won’t go outside - or they’ll layer other clothing just to shiver in the classroom. Coats also help kids feel safe and provide a sense of individual value and worth in something they can call their own. Additionally, providing coats to kids is easier (logistically) than shoes or other clothing because kids can typically wear a coat that is a little big for two years and tend not to be gender or age specific.

How are they distributed? Every August before school starts, families look forward to our Back to School Fair. They arrive early to make sure their children get one before supplies run out. The last few years, supplies were so limited and many children did not receive a coat.

Wow! I learned a lot from Kristi about how important this coat drive is for kids in our community (and their families!). 

The need for kids’ coats in our local community is great - and we anticipate it to be even greater this year as we continue to move through the pandemic and towards post-pandemic recovery.

Will you join me donating a coat or a few bucks for a coat?

We have a goal of receiving 450 coats. Last year, we gave out 450 backpacks filled with school supplies but the supply of winter coats was exhausted long before that. So, our goal is to have a coat for each student. You can check out oslc.com/coatdrive for more information and keep tabs on how we are progressing toward 450 coats by April 18.

And, if you want to learn more about coats or how to join one of our outreach teams, send her an email at kristi@oslc.com.

Hey there friends!

It’s Friday, which means it’s blog day - the day I get to share some encouragement, occasional insights, and the rare deep thought that could leave us all confused. But hey - at least we can be confused together, right?

But seriously, I hope these blog posts inspire you to think and act more like Jesus.

Today, I want to share how play has a lot to do with following Jesus - our discipleship.

I used to think that fun and play was only for kids and that following Jesus as an adult had to be super serious 110% of the time. No time to waste. Don't smile, too much. The obligatory "hi" and "fine" were good enough. I mean, following Jesus was all about digging into deep bible passages and pondering how God really works. Worship had to be scripted and set on a schedule. Prayer time needed to be regimented. And fun? Nope. Fun was at best a distraction and at the worst, evil.

By this point, you might be thinking, "wow, you were super lame". The truth is. . . I was. (Some say I still am!)

A friend pointed the truth out to me... I was a Christian. But, I was not a fun person to be around.

When I think about Jesus, he had to be a fun guy. He was always at parties. He turned water into wine. He was invited to dinner parties at Tax Collectors homes. He always had crowds seeking him out. The gospels tell Jesus’ story as if he was one of the most fun guys to be around. Now, compare Jesus to the Romans or the church leaders of his day who didn’t seem all that fun at all.

Here’s my point - Jesus knows that having fun (or play) is a big part of following Him with other people.

It’s through times of having fun together over a meal, a day outing, a weekend trip, a week at summer camp, a few days on retreat, or a multiple week mission immersion or trip where we both experience the joy of Jesus’ presence being fun and bond with the people God has placed around us to enjoy as we follow Jesus together.

Several years ago, a cousin on my wife, Beth’s side of the family got me interested in the life and writings of John Wesley. Interestingly enough, John Wesley once said, “There is no holiness apart from social holiness.” While some people may think he’s talking about social justice. He’s not. He’s talking about how playing together brings a sense of the divine. When we set aside time to play with others, we actually honor the time God has given us by doing the things Jesus did with His time. Things like eating and laughing with sinners; spending days sailing across lakes with his closest friends; getting away on mountaintops, walking through gardens and valleys, sharing a supper in the upper room, and eating fish and chips on the shore after his resurrection.

So here’s something to think about:

• Who are you having fun, laughing, and playing with these days?
• How is Jesus there changing your heart and the heart of those laughing and playing with you?

Drop me a note and let me know. And in the meantime… keep playing!

Love you guys.

PS: When we see each other again face-to-face, let's share a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy being together. What do you say?

Wow! I don't think I realized how long that story was. . . if you've read this far, I'm curious to know how you might have experienced community at camp by making new friends or deepening existing friendships. Send me a note at pastortim@oslc.com.

Join Beth, the boys, and me at Lutherhaven Family Camp this summer on Lake Coeur d'Alene, July 11-16. Check out www.oslc.com/lutherhaven to learn more and register.

Lent literally means to lengthen.

Growing up, I would practice giving something up during Lent. One year it was soda. The next year it was watching TV. I tried to give up homework - but that didn’t happen. Then, when I was in college, I thought that I would get more attuned to the passion story of Jesus’ death and resurrection by taking on a new habit. One season it was reading my Bible everyday. Another season, I chose to fast and pray every Friday. Needless to say, Lent has been a life-shaping experience for me. In fact, Lent is my absolute favorite time of the year within the Christian rhythm of life (or the liturgical church year, as some of us might have grown up learning).

But, to be honest, Lent was never truly about giving up an indulgence, taking up a holy habit, or just focusing on how doggone sinful I am as a human being. And even though a 2012 Huffington Post article notes that Lent could be about ensuring longer days and easier lives… I’m pretty sure it’s more than that.

Lent is not about lengthening our behaviors (the things we do and don’t do). If it were about lengthening our behavior, we wouldn’t need to repent and confess how, “we have sinned against You (God) in thought, word, and deed by what we have done and by what we have left undone…”. 

Lent is about lengthening Jesus’ behavior for me and my neighbor.
Lent is about Jesus’ ultimate behavior of love that is for me and all people.
And when Lent becomes about that kind of “lengthening”, it changes my life.

For example, Jesus lengthens His love for us when we worship and share communion.

N.T. Wright, the Archbishop of Canterbury writes:

We come into the presence of Almighty God, and to feast at his table, not because we are good people, but because we are forgiven sinners. We come as we come to a doctor, not because we are well but because we are sick. We come, not because we’ve got it all together, but because God’s got it all together and has invited us to join him. We come, not because our hands are full of our own self-importance or self-righteousness, but because they are empty and waiting to receive his love, his body and blood, his own very self.

This is as basic to Christianity as the ball is to football. And, just as you have a rotten game of football if people ignore the ball and simply tackle the opposition, or even the crowd, you have a pretty poor time in church if you forget for a moment that we are here because we don’t deserve to be. And when that truth gets hold of you, and sink s down inside you like a hot drink on a cold day, then the effect on the whole life of the Christian community is quite marvelous. We are all here by grace alone: so we can relax. You don’t have to pretend in the presence of God; no more should you need to pretend in the presence of your fellow Christians. The ground is level at the foot of the cross; the only people who are excluded from the party are those who exclude themselves, by supposing they don’t need the cross, don’t need God’s forgiveness, don’t need the free love of Jesus, in the first place (N.T. Wright, For All God’s Worth: True Worship and the Calling of the Church, p. 79-80).

May Jesus’ forgiveness that covers the full length of our sin.
May Jesus' Spirit constantly remind you whose and who you are.
May Jesus’ words of healing cure your body, minds, and spirits.
May Jesus’ invitation into what He is doing in the lives of other people give you deep meaning and purpose.
May Jesus’ nail-pierced hands fill your empty hands with His love, His body, His blood, and everything He has to offer you... so you can share it with others.

And may Jesus lengthen His love that flows through your thoughts, words, and actions into the lives of your neighbors, family, and friends this Lent.

Let’s begin our journey with Jesus that is full of questions, reflection, repentance, and the joy of grace at one of our Four Identical Ash Wednesday Worship Services on February 17. You can choose to reserve a seat at our Tacoma Campus at 12:00pm, 5:00pm, & 7:00pm or gather at our Online Campus at 7:00pm.

Love you!

I’ve been thinking about how love, ashes, presidents, and Jesus all go together. Afterall, over the three weeks, we’ll be celebrating Valentine's Day, Ash Wednesday, and President’s Day.

Love
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:10)

Ashes
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to grant to those who mourn in Zion--
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.
They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations. (Isaiah 61:1-4)

Presidents
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. (Psalm 20:7)

Jesus
"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8)

Let’s go learn what these verses mean this month.

Love you!