5:17

5:17AM

I took the screen shot below 

 at Midway Field, Chicago

as my phone alarm went off while

I stood in line at Dunkin Doughnuts

at 5:17 AM.

Yep, a delayed flight caused me 

to miss a connection the night before, 

so I got to stay overnight 

in Chicago and fly out early.

That's why I was standing in line 

at 5:17 AM this morning.

I'm sharing my Dunkin Doughnut story with you
because I'm getting ready to ask you 
make a commitment to set your alarm 
for either 5:17AM or PM 
for the next 30 days.

I think I hear you asking,

"Why should I set my alarm for 5:17?

I'm looking for people in the Southeastern District 

of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod 
(and beyond)

who will band together 

to pray a bold prayer of faith for 
the people living next door to us in our neighborhoods. 

Specifically, I'm asking you to make a commitment 

to pray once a day (5:17AM or PM) 
to the Lord of the Church.
We are praying that 
by our May 2021 District Convention 
our 216 congregations will have the joy of
welcoming 50 new chartered congregations
into our fellowship.  

Why 50?

Through our neighborhood ministry outreach 

we hope to have ministry activity in 

500 new neighborhoods across the SED

over the next three years.

We are praying that 10% 
of the 500 new neighborhood ministries 

will become new church plants. 

But why pray at 5:17?  

It was in I Thessalonians 5:17 

that Paul encouraged the people to:

"pray without ceasing."

Some translations say: "pray continuously."

Here's what he said: 

So set your alarms and join us 

as we pray for 50 new church plants.

At least try it for the next 30 days.  

I'm hope that our Lord Jesus 
receives these prayers so frequently and so continuously 
that He says to His Father,

"It's them again in the SED." 

Welcoming New Southeastern District Team Members

On Monday, August 20, 2018 

the sign on the 

Southeastern District Office door greeted

Mark, Michelle, Taylor, and Kirk 

(Kirk, will arrive next week).

We are giving thanks to God 

for leading each of them to our team.

While this sign welcomes each of them 

to the crew that works inside the SED Office,  

 it's also a welcome to them 

from the entire kingdom team:

216 congregations,

89 schools &

30 missions spread across

SE Pennsylvania, 

Delaware

Maryland

Virginia

Washington DC

North and South Carolina.

After devotions and orientation
SED Staff Members 
took a "walk" to 

"The Magic Wok", 
a Chinese restaurant

just down the street from the District Office.  

There a few of us 

had the opportunity to enjoy lunch together with:

Ms. Michelle Guilfoil,

Business Administrator,

Ms. Taylor Marie Holmes

Data & Special Events Facilitator, &

Rev. Dr. Mark Schroeder

Southern Region Facilitator for Mission Engagement.

Of course, Fortune Cookies were shared

and like it always happens, 

we each read our fortune.

I broke my Chinese Fortune cookie in half 
and read these words: 

Much as I'd like to claim them for myself, 
these words really are all about Jesus. 

Remember what Isaiah foretold about Jesus?
"The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him--

the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

The Spirit of counsel and of power,

The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord."  Isaiah 11:2

As we say good-bye to some very special teammates 
and as God send us new helpers
we recognize how the Lord Jesus,
The Wisdom of Ages
has an amazing plan for each one of us.
He moves us this way and that 
according to His love and His great design.

Then, I remembered this favorite hymn.

Welcome Michelle, Taylor, Mark & Kirk!

Welcome to the SED - Rev. Joshua and Sammy Rusert

 Pilgrim Lutheran Church, Bethesda, MD

opened their arms to welcome

their new pastor:

Pastor Joshua Rusert and Samantha (Sammy) 

Sunday, August 19, 2018.

Pastor and Mrs. Joshua and Sammy Rusert

 Church workers often have unique stories 

of the way in which the Holy Spirit 

whisks them this way and that 

to do His Kingdom work.  

Josh and Sammy have one of those stories, too. 

Sammy got a promotion working 

for Homeland Security 

while still in Wisconsin.

She was recruited to a new position 

in Washington DC.

Josh decided it would get a little lonely 

in Wisconsin without Sammy 

where he was serving as 

Associate Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, 

Mequon, Wisconsin. 

He resigned his call and 

followed Sammy to DC, 

He made himself available for a call 

to serve as a pastor 

somewhere in the Washington DC area.

The Holy Spirit whispered into 

the hearts of the people of 

Pilgrim Lutheran Church and...

they called him as their pastor.  

Pastor Andy Lissy, Pastor Joshua Rusert, Vicar Nils Niemeier

 But there's more to the story.

We already knew something about Joshua Rusert

because we met him a few years back.

Joshua served his vicarage (internship year) 

at Living Savior Lutheran Church,

Fairfax Station, VA.  

His pastoral supervisor, Pastor Andy Lissy, 

preached at the Installation Service today.  

Joshua was Living Savior's first vicar seven years ago.  

Vicar Nils Niemeier has just been placed as their new vicar.

The people of Pilgrim Lutheran Church are 

excited to begin a new era with their new Pastor.

We welcome Pastor Joshua and Sammy Rusert.

Kingdom Lessons - Blessing Our Children

 On Sunday, June 10, 2018, 

I accompanied four LCMS pastors as we

worshiped at this amazing church:  

Tabor Mekane Yesus Church.

Awassa, Ethiopia.

The sanctuary was closed for roof repair.

So worshippers gathered in another space, 

adjacent to an even larger outdoor sanctuary,  

where thousands participated in worship.

On a normal Sunday, 7000 people 

come to worship Jesus in one worship service.

But that's not what amazed me that day . . .

Children praying at Tabor Mekane Yesus Church,
Awassa, Ethiopia
Like many of our churches,
there was a special time for children
who eagerly came running
 to surround their pastor.

Some were sitting, others standing,
and still others splayed out on the floor.

But then something different happened.
Rather than a children's sermon,
the pastor invited the congregation to
bless the children.

I heard the beautiful cacophony of people praying.
Each offering prayers for these little lambs
with their own words and expressions. 
Children who normally would have been 
fidgety and out of control
easily took on their own postures of prayer.  

And I wondered -
what impact the weekly blessing time
might have on the trajectory of a little life.

What might happen to a church
that took time to bless their children?

Blessed in Our Most UnBlessed Moments

A beautiful view of the Sea of Galilee

 on a rolling hillside

possibly the site of 

Jesus' Sermon on the Mount

The Mount of Beatitudes 

A visit to church on All Saint's Day celebration
and it's likely we will hear Jesus' words:
"Blessed are you when. . ." (Matthew 5:1-12)

But whenever I am that one to whom He speaks
finding me when I'm:
poor in my spirit,
hungering and thirsting after righteousness . . .
feeling guilty,
mourning my loss,
feeling a little persecuted
I don't feel too blessed . . . until
I remember

Jesus is standing in front of those unblessed ones.
And just like that . . .
He meets me at the intersection of
my unblessed moment -- and with
Kingly presence and life-changing Word  
He recreates
 baffling badness into
 kingdom blessedness.

And only later I realize:
I've was blessed! 
 

Holy De-Construction

I wonder if, once again God is taking down the walls of the institutional church in order to enable the living stones to fulfill the function for which He put us in place - to present His incarnate Son to a His children waiting for grace alone.

Four hundred ninety-nine years ago (October 31, 1517) a remodeling project began with a hammer and a couple nails when Martin Luther posted 95 statements for dialogue on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany.

The re-modeling had to begin by taking down an old structure not built on the Word of God - but on the traditions and words of man. Such a church is bound to come tumbling down.

"As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him-you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (I Peter 2:4-5).

Paul's Imagine Prayer Ephesians 3:21

Remembering -- The Disciples Sea of Galilee Sunrise Surprise

Standing on the shore, I looked across the water

imagining Jesus on that early morning

 only days after his resurrection

as he watched disappointed disciples
 pull in empty nets yet again.

Calling to them across the water, 

Jesus made them face their fish-less fact:

"Friends, haven't you any fish?"

"No"

"Throw your net on the right side
 of the boat and you will find some."

Finding a net full of fish . . .

now that was far beyond anything
 they could imagine.

But then a few minutes later 

they embraced the new facts of life:

153 large fish filled their nets and

 breakfast with the Risen Christ!

While a full net of fish surely reminded them of 

that other surprise catch three years earlier

Greater yet - They were caught up his resurrection call:

to catch people in the net of Jesus' love.

As I remembered this scene--I remembered 

Paul's imagine prayer:

 a prayer for all our empty net moments

Now to Him who is able to do 

immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,

 according to his power that is at work within us, 

to him be glory the church 
and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, 

forever and ever!  Amen.  (Ephesians 3:20-21)