pastorjohnsthoughts.blogspot.com
Pastor John's Thoughts: Why did I go to the NALC convention?
http://pastorjohnsthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/08/why-did-i-go-to-nalc-convention.html
Ramblings about God, the church and the Church and everything. Friday, August 27, 2010. Why did I go to the NALC convention? Why is Kline here? Some of my friends in LCMC may wonder, as did a couple of my LCMC friends here at the NALC convention (who were here as official "visitors"), why I came to this event. I suppose the answer has different parts. Here's what I really think:. NALC is a great church for those who love Jesus, want to make disciples, love vestments, liturgy and tradition. If you went to...
pastorjohnsthoughts.blogspot.com
Pastor John's Thoughts: Live from the NALC Convening Convention
http://pastorjohnsthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/08/live-from-nalc-convening-convention.html
Ramblings about God, the church and the Church and everything. Friday, August 27, 2010. Live from the NALC Convening Convention. The church's server won't let me go to my blog to post so I've relocated over lunch to send this out. Remarks of Pastor Larry Lindstrom, LCMC Board Chairman. We know what it's like to be accused of tearing the church apart. Leadership of LCMC and NALC have already met together. First meeting was in January in TC. Sees congregations joining both LCMC and NALC. Remarks by Bishop ...
pastorjohnsthoughts.blogspot.com
Pastor John's Thoughts: Jesus, Beds and Serving Our Neighbors
http://pastorjohnsthoughts.blogspot.com/2014/12/jesus-beds-and-serving-our-neighbors.html
Ramblings about God, the church and the Church and everything. Friday, December 5, 2014. Jesus, Beds and Serving Our Neighbors. Two thousand years ago Jesus and his parents had no place to sleep. There was no bed for them. Two thousand years later, the number one request we get for help at Zion is for beds. People arriving in our city may have a roof to sleep under but they don’t have a bed to sleep on. There are entire apartment complexes we visit where almost every apartment has no beds. It’s the...
pastorjohnsthoughts.blogspot.com
Pastor John's Thoughts: Requiem for a Relationship
http://pastorjohnsthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/10/requiem-for-relationship.html
Ramblings about God, the church and the Church and everything. Thursday, October 29, 2009. Requiem for a Relationship. Our congregation voted last Sunday to leave the ELCA. 85.5% of those who voted wanted to go. It should be noted that another congregation in Waukee, IA also voted to leave on the same day and that the week prior, a church in Fontanelle, IA also voted to leave. We aren’t going alone. And I hear they are more to follow. We tried to avoid all of this. We played by all the rules. We are not ...
pastorjohnsthoughts.blogspot.com
Pastor John's Thoughts: Are We Crazy?
http://pastorjohnsthoughts.blogspot.com/2014/03/are-we-crazy_3.html
Ramblings about God, the church and the Church and everything. Monday, March 3, 2014. Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” Mark 3:20. How important is it to you that you be seen by others as normal? Are you willing to cross the line of other people’s perceptions from normal to crazy? It’s crazy to gather more people tog...
pastorjohnsthoughts.blogspot.com
Pastor John's Thoughts: Our Story
http://pastorjohnsthoughts.blogspot.com/2012/01/our-story.html
Ramblings about God, the church and the Church and everything. Friday, January 6, 2012. This story began with a question: “If our church closed, would anyone miss us? We broadened the project to include local businesses and institutions. The pastor went to the local mall. “How can the church bless you? A prayer changed everything. One evening, sitting in the backyard and reading the Bible, our pastor cried out to the Lord in frustration. “What kind of a church do you want us to be? 8221; “Like Luke...
pastorjohnsthoughts.blogspot.com
Pastor John's Thoughts: International Mentorship and Partnership Dreams
http://pastorjohnsthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/09/international-mentorship-and.html
Ramblings about God, the church and the Church and everything. Sunday, September 12, 2010. International Mentorship and Partnership Dreams. It was a pleasure in late August this year to host Pastor Kaspars Simanovics, current lead pastor at Luther’s Church, in Riga, Lativa, my old hometown (http:/ rigasluteradraudze.lv) . He and his wife, Ilze, were guests of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Marion, Iowa, and Zion. Labels: international church partnerships. September 13, 2010 at 8:46 AM. Id be all for pasto...
pastorjohnsthoughts.blogspot.com
Pastor John's Thoughts: Sticks and stones and sermons
http://pastorjohnsthoughts.blogspot.com/2011/03/sticks-and-stones-and-sermons.html
Ramblings about God, the church and the Church and everything. Friday, March 4, 2011. Sticks and stones and sermons. Words Words have meanings. Words have power. Words get inside our heads and make pictures because words mean things. There are no such things as powerless words. All words convey meaning. But all words don’t convey the same meaning to everyone. Because our own interpretation of words are colored by our own experience. How hard it is to communicate! Don’t say bad things about your nei...
pastorjohnsthoughts.blogspot.com
Pastor John's Thoughts: Prayer for Zion Church
http://pastorjohnsthoughts.blogspot.com/2014/02/prayer-for-zion-church.html
Ramblings about God, the church and the Church and everything. Saturday, February 1, 2014. Prayer for Zion Church. Jesus, Lord of the Church, give to the preacher grace to preach your word in truth despite my brokenness. We pray that in everything, you would increase and we would decrease. Restore us, we pray and equip us to better serve you in everything we do and in every situation into which you send us daily. Move us to forgive as we have been forgiven and to be merciful as you have shown us mercy.
pastorjohnsthoughts.blogspot.com
Pastor John's Thoughts: June 2015
http://pastorjohnsthoughts.blogspot.com/2015_06_01_archive.html
Ramblings about God, the church and the Church and everything. Saturday, June 6, 2015. Back to Douglas Terrace. This visit celebrated five years nearly to the day since our first trip to Douglas Terrace, and that trip began a relationship with the people of the complex that essentially changed who we are as Zion Church. Let me share with you how we have been changed. Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Links to this post.
