"Breathe and Live."

"Breathe and Live."

By: Pastor Jack Schneider          

  “[Jesus] spoke to them again and said, `Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so I am  sending you.’ Then He breathed on them[in a powerful, obvious way] and said to them, `Receive the Holy Spirit.”   [John 20:21,22, PJV]

I've always loved this reference! Obviously, the disciples had the Holy Spirit before this time, for they believed Jesus to be the Messiah, and no one can have that faith without the Spirit. Sure, they’d had their struggles, but their confession was real [see John 6], and He readily claimed them as His own.

What’s cool here is that Jesus made a big deal of breathing forcefully onto them, like a person blowing out birthday candles, except this time it’s like someone blowing fire into the candles. “Receive the Spirit,” He said, “in a new and powerful way – to bring life and forgiveness into people’s lives.” Even better, He gave that power, that privilege not just to the disciples but to every believer, with the result that you and I can make a difference of peace and freedom in the lives of the people we touch every day. 

Don’t have your theological diploma from Concordia Seminary? You are still God’s instrument of forgiveness and joy.  Don’t have a PhD. in Clinical Psychology?  You are still able to proclaim peace and acceptance to the depressed and downtrodden.  No MBA?  No problem. By God’s gift of mercy and leadership you are able to share and manage the gifts of God’s people with those less fortunate, coordinating the distribution of blessings.  And it all happens because Jesus breathed on us and said, “You can do it!”

A couple weeks ago I underwent a sleep study to be eligible for a new CPAP machine.  My old one is worn out from guarding against sleep apnea, and it’s time to be replaced. Well, to get a new one, I had to spend a night without my old one…and it was a miserable night of non-sleep. In a controlled environment they make you sleep in one position [not good, with my back], and without the positive air pressure that keeps persons from snoring.  Afterward, it occurred to me that’s what my/our life is like without the Spirit of God – our breath, our being. Without Him, it’s miserable.

In late service we have a song with these words: “This is the air I breathe, Your holy presence Living in me; This is my daily bread, Your very Word Spoken to me. And I’m desperate for You, I’m lost without You. This is the air I breathe.”

Breathe, my brothers and sisters.  Breathe and live.  And while you’re at it, share the life.

- Jack

"Not the End of the Book."

"Not the End of the Book."

By:  Pastor Jack Schneider

“ Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people. ”   [Philemon, v.7, NIV]      

            

Sometimes “Thank You” seems woefully inadequate.

That’s how Carolyn and I feel after the incredible retirement celebration hosted by you, our marvelous St. Paul friends. During and after last weekend’s events, our families and friends from the past 40 years of ministry could not stop talking about your warmth and hospitality.  On top of that, Carolyn and I are blown away by your generosity and prayerful support – but then, it’s the kind of thing we’ve seen again and again in these thirteen years with you here in Plano. Thank you for your love, your friendship and, above all, your partnership in the Kingdom!

So what happens now? Well, we have a new Pastor to install and introduce to ministry in our community, so take a deep breath and prepare for the next chapter.  Pastor Stace Rollefson will be installed March 2 during a 4:00 p.m. service right here at St. Paul by our LC-MS Texas District Area B Vice-President, Rev. Eloy Gonzalez. As Circuit Counselor, I’ll be involved, too, along with as many of our area pastors as can make it.

Pastor R. is looking for a place to live here while his family finishes the school year in Redding [much the same as Carolyn did when I arrived 13 years ago]. Until he arrives, I’m helping out part-time 20-hrs/wk:  in the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, making visits as needed; also preaching on Sundays.

This will continue through January and February. President Hennings has also requested I continue as Circuit Counselor, though that does not affect my time at St. Paul. After Pastor is installed I have already been asked to assist other area congregations with various part-time duties.

To that end, please note: for the first two months of my new pastor’s tenure, Carolyn and I will intentionally give him space so you get to know him. You likely won’t see us in church at St. Paul before Easter, so use that time to greet Pastor, take him to lunch, visit with him and make him as welcome as you have me. Then, when Carolyn and I do return for our once-a-month worship time [remember, I’m Circuit Counselor and also have a daughter/son-in-law who want us to visit with them, too!], we will most happily greet and worship with our wonderful brothers/sisters here.

I look forward to volunteering time in service to our King. Bryan Manges tells me a new Eagle Scout project has two keyhole gardens in the works, and I foresee helpers available for small home repair projects. Dream with me and let’s think of ways we can serve together. After all, this is not the end of the book, but the beginning of a new chapter in Christ!

- Jack

"Cancelling Worship."

"Cancelling Worship."

By:  Pastor Jack Scneider

“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.”  [Ps.95:1-2,NIV]

“Seven days with no worship makes one weak!” That was a favorite saying of an early mentor from our Nebraska pastoral circuit, Rev. Henry Nierman. Any farmer not in church on Sunday could count on a mid-week visit from Henry; there was nothing subtle about his shepherding. I thought of Henry last Sunday morning…

Cancelling worship last weekend with the ice storm was weird for me. I know it was the wise thing to do, and we made that decision [pres, vp and elders] only with prayerful consideration. Still, it has been rare over these 40 years that “my church” has felt God gave us reason to keep the doors closed on Sunday morning. We know any prolonged time away from one another in fellowship and worship does, indeed, make us weak.

So what is one to do when travel, illness, weather or work unavoidably calls?

Once upon a time, there were reasonably sound alternatives available on tv or radio. Not anymore. The only source I will unhesitatingly recommend each week is The Lutheran Hour, broadcast locally out of Irving on 100.7, KWRD at 9:30 each Sunday morning. If you’re traveling you can search your iPhone for a local station to listen to either Pastor Greg Seltz or Pastor Ken Klaus, both of whom are outstanding speakers from the Word. Additionally, Lutheran Hour Ministries website has a great lineup of other resources for you and your family, especially coming up here at Christmas. Check it out -- it’s a lot deeper than “the island of cast away toys,” trust me!

Something else that we tend to forget is the resource spelled Y-O-U. That’s right. Take the time to sit down with one another, the members of your family/marriage, and look up/read the appointed Scripture lessons for the day.  Where do you find those? Right on our Synod website: www.lcms.org. On that home page see the tab marked “resources”? Click it, and then move down and to the left column to “lectionary readings.” This year you’ll see we’re in Series A, and you can download the entire series -- or if you wish, you can always grab one of the old blue LW hymnals from here at church [it will have the readings in the front of it].

Finally, take advantage of your social media skills to connect with other families and host a worship/study time together. What better excuse to sit around in ‘jammies and sweats when the snow is blowing, or while you’re propped up at the end of a business day and there’s just enough time for family devotions before bedtime. FaceTime is a great way to end the day, and even better when it’s in Christ.

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! [Ps.118:24]

- Jack

"Have You Been Listening?"

"Have You Been Listening?"

By: Pastor Jack Schneider

“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  [Matt.6:33,NIV]

Next week we will make important choices in a Call meeting as we look ahead to the next shepherd God has in mind for us.  My final words of counsel for you are to remember that goals are where we’re heading, but values determine why we want to get there. 

In the Church, where we have limited time, personnel and resources, it’s critical we have our Apostolic values in Biblical order and learn to prioritize to higher levels.  In short, we grow up spiritually and back off at a lower level because of the benefit to a higher level.

In practice, this means Level One [personal preference] values are driven simply by our likes and dislikes. You like organ accompaniment; your spouse prefers guitars. You wear a sweater because it’s snuggly. He buys only Fords. I like the way you wear your hair.  Though these values are the most shallow, they often control the everyday decisions of our lives and churches.

Level Two [institutional] values affect decisions we make to live or work more effectively, do things decently and in order, and often deal with organization or structure. They also usually include power or control issues. In the Church this is where we hear “because we’ve always done it this way” or “it will wear out the carpet,” or even “real Lutherans use a hymnal!”

Level Three [identity] values frame us within the larger picture. “Lutheran” Christians stand on the doctrine of justification by faith. Real Presence in communion is more than a statement of what we do, it’s a confession of who we are. Right-to-strike is an identity value for organized labor. What we decide on this level must always be for the sake of Christ’s mission, otherwise our “identity” collapses down to level two with its politics and control games, or even lower to level one and “but I just want…”

And that leaves us with Level Four [Lordship] values, which define and measure who and what we are in Christ’s Great Commission [Mt.28]. What are we willing to die for? If God needs to change us to touch others with his grace, will we let Him? Will we back off on our personal preferences if this will benefit the body of Christ or, better, the unsaved in our neighborhood and community?  This is where we think, say and do everything for Christ’s sake -- and for the sake of the Church [1 Cor.10:31].

For 13 years I’ve taught you these Apostolic Values. Frankly, it would be a pity to discover it went in one ear and out the other.  Have you been listening?  I believe so.  Prove me right, brothers and sisters, and God will bless our search!

- Jack

"Key Things That Block the Church."

"Key Things That Block the Church."

By:  Pastor Jack Schneider

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”  [Prov.27:17,NIV]

At this critical time when we call a new Senior Pastor, it’s so very important to remember the elements that affect our walks in faith, as well as those that block our effectiveness with family, friends and our growth in Christ. That’s right -- there are key things that block the Church, the Body of Christ, from its full impact on an unbelieving world, and they’re not uncommon among us.  Here are three of them:

First is a spiritual self-centeredness where our energies are so inward-driven that we become isolated and concerned only about our own preferences.  The things we do and ministries we support are for our benefit and personal pleasure rather than the Kingdom; it becomes all about us.  The result? Our vision becomes “small, shrunken and ineffectual.”  Scary language to describe ourselves and the Church at large.  Remember, our purpose is to glorify God.

Second, our impact as Christ’s disciples is blocked by the fear of man.  Maybe we’re afraid of change or, being people-pleasers, we’re fear offending others so we struggle to stay vanilla, politically correct and neutral.  Some are afraid of ridicule; better to be quiet and invisible.  Others are afraid of being exposed as hypocrites because talk is cheap and it costs to play the game.  In contrast, Jesus was pointed in His call:  “The time has come.  Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  [Mk.1:15,18] 

Third, and most importantly, we’ll never cut it when we stray from Scripture’s clear teaching.  There is plenty in a Biblical context oriented to culture, ethics and justice [think of sexuality, entitlement, elitism, immigration, citizenship, life issues for both in-utero and geriatric]. You can legislate behavior but not character development.  That development is discipleship, and it happens only when a faithful use of Jesus’ Gospel transforms our hearts and lives.  The question is what the Word says, not whether I think it has changed over the last 2,000 years.

I don’t question there is a presence of holiness, spiritual fruit, loving service and active witness inside many churches today.  But you don’t see it out in the world at large, and this is a concern, for we’ve been called to be salt and light [Mt.5:13] to affect and infect others in Jesus’ name -- “out there.”  Jesus made it clear: when He returns He will be looking not for a holy huddle but for an incredible community – His Church, individually and collectively – actively engaged in embracing others in His name.

That’s the kind of pastor we must be calling. One who will sharpen us in the Word, and who challenges us to sharpen one another in the Spirit.

- Jack