Loving the Fox Valley

***Lord of Life begins new worship times at 8:30 and 10am this weekend! Sunday School is during the 10am worship.***

People can be real difficult sometimes. They can really offend us and tick us off. They never seem to do what we want them to do. They are stubborn and always so selfish. They don't listen and are so opinionated. They don't care. They don't know what they are talking about. They are misguided and ill-informed. They quickly pass judgment. They are rude. They get angry. They are so superficial. All they think about is themselves. They are so easily offended. They like to complain a lot.

Have you ever had these feelings towards other people? If we are honest with ourselves, we would probably say yes.

I once heard a joke that ministry would be really great if it was not for all the people. But people is what it is all about. God has called us to unconditionally love people - even when they don't love us back, even when we don't agree with us, even when they would seek to undermine us or even hurt us.

Think about how God loves people. There are thousands of reasons why God should have given up on us long time ago. But he continues to love us. Although people ignore him, reject him, disobey him, curse his name, blaspheme him, and even crucify him - he still continues to love them with a bigger love than we can even imagine. God has a big heart for the people of the world and the people of our community. John 3:16 says, "God so love the world." Did you hear that? "He so love the world, that he gave his only Son."

In short, God loves all (difficult) people. He calls us to do the same. Jesus says, the greatest commandment is to love God, but the second is to love our neighbor as ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-38). You cannot love God without loving people.

Yes, it is a hard job to love people. Love is not convenient. It can be messy. People have a lot of problems in their lives. It would be a lot easier to just love ourselves and not have to deal with with their broken marriages, financial debt, loneliness, fits of anger, up-side-down priorities, opposing political views, failing health, unruly kids, selfishness, etc. But their is nothing more worthwhile and fulfilling we will ever do than to love our neighbor and the people of our community.

Unfortunately, many churches and Christians love their traditions and themselves more than the people of their community. We easily love those who love us back or have something to give us in return. But Jesus says, "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than the others? Do not even the pagans do that?" Matthew 5:46-47

I pray Lord of Life will be a church that loves God and the people of our community more than we love ourselves or our traditions. I pray that we would love our community as God loves our community and that we could continue to develop a heart for the people around us.

We (the church) have something that no one else in our community can offer to our community. The government can't offer it. Jewel can't offer it. Geneva Commons can't offer it. The local park can't offer it. Delnor Hospital can't offer it. Our community needs Jesus and we are the ones who have Jesus to share.

I pray that when we come to Lord of Life we would come not to be served, but to serve. That our main objective would not be to hear our favorite song sung this morning, not to hear a knock out sermon by Pastor Phil, not to catch up with our friends. Those things are all good. But I pray that our main motivation would be to serve our community by taking part in helping the church to fulfill its mission of sharing Jesus with our community.

Sometimes we talk about serving the church, but it is not really the church that we are serving. It is our community and our world that we are serving through our church.

Readings for next week:

07	Song of Solomon 5:1-8:14 2 Corinthians 9:1-15 Psalm 51:1-19 Proverbs 22:24-25		08	Isaiah 1:1-2:22 2 Corinthians 10:1-18 Psalm 52:1-9 Proverbs 22:26-27
09	Isaiah 3:1-5:30 2 Corinthians 11:1-15 Psalm 53:1-6 Proverbs 22:28-29		10	Isaiah 6:1-7:25 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 Psalm 54:1-7 Proverbs 23:1-3
11	Isaiah 8:1-9:21 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 Psalm 55:1-23 Proverbs 23:4-5		12	Isaiah 10:1-11:16 2 Corinthians 12;11-21 Psalm 56:1-13 Proverbs 23:6-8
13	Isaiah 12:1-14:32 2 Corinthians 13:1-13 Psalm 57:1-11 Proverbs 23:9-11

Update from Louisiana

Here is part of an email received from Deaconess Diana Bonfield at Lutheran Church Charities with an update from the ministries we served on our mission trip to Louisiana last year:

Lutheran Church Charities has been monitoring the most recent storm damage caused by Hurricane Gustav. We are waiting for word concerning what help is needed that is not already being provided. Though we have heard from several involved parties, the fact remains that until the National Guard allows access to the evacuated areas (originally access back to the area was possibly Friday; as of Wednesday morning the word is that they are beginning to allow people to come back to New Orleans), no one knows what kind of damage has been sustained, nor what kind of help will be needed. At the moment, most phone and electricity lines are down. We will be updating our web site as more information becomes available. For now, please keep everyone in your prayers.

Tuesday morning, I was able to talk with Pastor Rich Rudnick, the pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Houma (a former WAU student from Trinity Roselle his home congregation). He had been on vacation in Tennessee when he heard of the mandatory evacuation of Houma, affecting all of the members of his congregation. At the time of the evacuation he had spoken with his secretary who said that all of the members were leaving before the hurricane made land fall. When I talked with Pastor Rich, he was on his way back to Houma to assess what has happened. As a community leader, he will most likely be able to get past the National Guard line. Houma is where a lot of the first responders were staged to go back to New Orleans. So far they were reporting only wind damage.

Wednesday morning I received the most recent update from Pastor Rich. He arrived at Houma and was met by two LCMS Police Chaplains and some of the volunteers that they brought with them. Pastor Rich's home had only minor wind damage and no power. When I talked to Rich they were going to get gas for the generators and start cleaning up the church. The stained glass window of Jesus the Good Shepherd behind the altar was blown out, as well as one of the other windows. The church building sustained mainly wind damage. So far they have not seen any water damage in the church. I asked if Houma had flooded. Neither the west side of town, where Pastor Rich's home and the church are, nor the downtown area were flooded. They are waiting to hear about the east side of town. Because of the power outage, he was told that it may be as long as two weeks before people will be allowed to return home. There is a lot of damage from downed trees and power lines that will need to be cleaned up. Pastor Rich anticipates that once people come back, the church will be receiving requests for help. As that happens, he will keep us informed.

I spoke with Courtney Pellegrin Howell this morning and found that she, too, had been on vacation in Canada visiting her husband Terry's family when they got word of the mandatory evacuation. She heard from her staff that all of the families with which they have been working at Bayou Grace Base Camp in Chauvin, LA have evacuated. Unfortunately, word is that it does not look good for Terrebonne Parish, near Chauvin, as this is the location where the Hurricane came inland. Flooding and wind damage are facing residents in the Bayous. Again, they wait for word from the National Guard as to when they can return home. Courtney will keep LCC updated, as she and her staff will need our help once they return to Bayou Grace.

Tuesday, September 2nd the Southern District officials, the staff of the Southern District's Recovery Assistance Inc. Ministries, and Rev. Glenn Merritt of LCMS Lutheran World Relief and Human Care Services all met at Camp Biloxi to assess the needs of LCMS churches, members, camps, and people of the surrounding communities. Over the next few days, LCC expects to hear this assessment of needs, and how we might be able to help.

One of the blessings with the storms is that many people had a chance to evacuate their homes and stay in a safe place while the storm hit. Another blessing in the midst of the storms is the pulling together of the people of God to assist those in need with the Compassion and Presence of Christ. It is during times like this that the Body of Christ is strengthened in being the Presence of Christ to those in need. LCC works together with LCMS World Relief and Human Care as well as the Southern District of the LCMS. Both have a strong network of people who are in place to assist in the care of the people in need!

Also note that the Returning Hearts Celebration at Angola has been postponed. A new date will soon be announced.

A Sign from Wisconsin

Quote for the Day

"An apology is the superglue of life. It can repair just about anything."

- Lynn Johnson

Hurricane Gustav Touch Points

We are thankful that Hurricane Gustav was not more severe than what it was. It certainly did create widespread damage, but it seems that it was not as bad as it could have been.

I paid some extra special attention to this hurricane as it made landfall in the exact place where we had served last year on our Louisiana Mission Trip. I think about the people on the Bayou we met and served. I think about the servants of God we met at Bayou Grace (see www.bayougrace.org) also the people at Grace Lutheran in Houma. We pray for the recovery efforts in those places and that even in the midst of this trial the Church will be provided the opportunity to share the hope of Jesus.

Medical Mission Trip to Sierra Leone

This is an excerpt from a recent email I received from Lutheran Church Charities. We pray for the work that John and Gary will do in Africa.

On October 18-28, 2008 Dr. Susan Busse, John Peterson and Gary Kessler, both members of Lord of Life Lutheran Church in La Fox, will be joining 7 members from Christ Community Church in St. Charles on a medical missions trip to Bo, Sierra Leone in West Africa. The purpose of the trip is to conduct an initial clinical trial of a new malaria treatment. Pre-trial dispensing of this medication by Dr. Busse has shown great promise at quickly relieving the debilitating, and for children life threatening, effects of this pervasive disease of the tropics.

This initial trial, though smaller in numbers and shorter in duration than later trials, will provide needed data that will hopefully convince larger compassion organizations to finance more extensive trials. The ultimate goal is to make available to the world this inexpensive and easy to administer treatment.

Christ Community Church's contact in Sierra Leone operates many medical clinics. The team intends to base their operations at these clinics and conduct their trials there.

They not only need funds for travel expenses for the three of them, but they also need help obtaining the medical supplies necessary to conduct the trial. They also need your prayers. May this trip be the first step in easing so much suffering around the world.
While they are not working with either Doctors Without Borders or with UNICEF, both organizations have produced videos that show graphically the scope and challenges posed by this disease. The Dr Ho slide show was filmed in Bo, Sierra Leone, exactly where the team is going.

www.doctorswithoutborders.org/photogallery/gallery.cfm?id=2491
www.unicef.org/infobycountry/sierraleone_39463.html

The Devil is in the Technology (Part 1)

Technology is a wonderful thing. I will be the first to admit I love technology. I love to be able to use technology in creative ways to enhance the message that we have been called to proclaim as the Church. I believe that the message of Jesus Christ is relevant for any age, but it is so important that as a Church we adapt the way we communicate the message that it continues to remain relevant.

Technology is not something that is to be feared, but something that is to be embraced. Think of the potentially hundreds, thousands, and millions more we can reach because of the Internet.

More people will probably vote this year for the American Idol than for the American President. Some may say this is sad, and it probably is. But maybe the reason that more people will vote for the American Idol is because it is much easier to do so because of the technology. There is no need to physically go to a polling place on a specific day to cast your vote.

I recently began a Senior Pastor's Coaching Network that is done via a conference call and the Internet. This is training and instruction I am receiving in my office once a month without the cost of travel. Once again, this is a wonderful blessing of technology.

Certainly the Internet and technology save us time and money, but it also costs us time and money - and potentially more. As much as God can use the technology, I am convinced the Devil is in the technology. As Christians we need to be very careful with how we use the technology. There is much temptation in this world, and many a Christian have fallen as a result of the dangers that exist.

More and more, I am recognizing the pitfalls that are out there. I would not recommend abandoning technology, but to develop an awareness and provide ways and means to monitor your habits and usage so that you don't get too close to the fire.

The most obvious danger when it comes to the the Internet and technology is the content of the Internet. Pornography is a huge industry. It brings in more than the NBA, NFL, and MLB combined. This is alarming.

The church is by no means immune from this. 48% of Christian families admit that pornography is a problem in their homes and few churches ever do anything to address the issue.

The Internet has done nothing but to make pornography more readily accessible. It is not only available in the dark alleys, but now on the main street. The reality is that pornography is not going away anytime soon.

But there is help out there. One resource is xxxchurch.com. It is a unique way -using technology - that the church has stepped up to this growing problem. This website is a bit controversial in the church. But the way I see it is that they are working to address the issue. Not everyone may agree with how they are addressing it, but at least they are doing something.

Also available from xxxchurch.com is accountability software that you can use with the help a accountability partner. We can all use accountability in this area and I would encourage you to check it out.

Not only are we impacted by this, but our children are impacted as well. Our children are now exposed at an ever younger age. As parents it is important for us to be proactive rather than reactive. Whether it is filtering or monitor our children's usage we cannot neglect this important role of protecting our children. At the same time we need to talk with our children about the dangers that they understand why we filter and why we monitor.

We need to expose our children to the world in the right settings so that when they are adults and begin to make more decisions on their own, they will have a good head on their shoulders and be able to make the right decision without mom or dad around.

Pornography is not the only way that he devil is in the technology, we will discuss these in upcoming posts.