Our Saviour's Lutheran Church

It's a little past 2:00am

What am I doing up at this time of the night?

I was thirsty.  Really, really thirsty.

I came home sick yesterday afternoon.  It hit me all of a sudden; first a little queasiness, followed by nauseousness.  Soon I was suffering the consequences of a full-blown gastrointestinal illness.

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A few weeks ago Our Saviour's received a package in the mail.  The package was addressed to the "Church Librarian/Pastor". 

The address label indicated that the package came from CAIR. 

I had never run across this acronym before and had no idea who had sent us the package.

I opened the box.  Inside was a book.  No surprise there.  But the book wasn't just any book.  It was a copy of the Quran, the Islamic holy book.  

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It is nine o’clock in the morning.   But as I type this it is as dark as night.  It looks like it could begin pouring out any moment.

This morning I am thinking about an ancient phenomenon—one that is known as the Dark Night of the Soul. 

The term “Dark Night of the Soul” comes to us from St. John of the Cross, a sixteenth century Spanish monk and mystic.     

Lutherans have their own version of the Dark Night of the Soul.  It is known as Anfechtungen. 

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People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

A few years ago I brought home an old book from the small library we have at Our Saviours:  The Lutheran Liturgy.  It was written back in 1958 and is a classic about the development of worship in the Church at large, and in the Lutheran church in particular.

There are many aspects to being a pastor that I enjoy.  I enjoy visiting the sick and those who are shut-in.  I enjoy teaching.  I enjoy writing articles for our church newsletter.  But at the top of my list of favorite duties is leading worship. 

Worship is at the heart of the Church's life, and in the life of the Christian.  There is nothing that influences our lives as Christians more than worship. 

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