http://www.gracelutheranedm.ab.ca/index.cfm?i=14038&mid=25&blogid=6143 Check out our new Pastor's Page AdvancedMinistry Christ never gives up...... Two Years Before the Mast is both a reveting story of adventure and an insightful story of life at sea in the ealry nineteenth century. It is the sotry of nineteen-year-old Richard Henry Dana who grew up in a wealthy family in Boston and was enrolled comfortably in Harvard University. One day, Dana abandons his noble life to hire on as a common seaman on a merchant ship of the day. Dana lived with common sailors in common quarters "before the mast" in constrast to officers, who lived in higher class "staterooms" amidships.  Hence the title of the book written by Richard Henry Dana Jr., Two Years Before the Mast. In one incident, Dana describes what he calls "a black day on our calendar."  He writes of having just finished his watch when all hands were summoned on deck by the shrill cry of "All hands ahoy!  Man Overboard!``  A man had fallen from the mast into the sea.  The identity of the man did not matter as Dana and the others dashed to the lifeboats.  What mattered ws that a comrade was in danger of being lost.  Even as each passing moment made the unhappy outcome more obvious - the was man was not to be found - the search went on.  No one wanted to abandon the search.  Dana comments, ``We rowed about for over an hour without hope of doing anything but unwilling to give up on our comrade.` In a fashion this moment provides an illustration of Jesus Christ, Who, in His relentless search for theose who are lost, descends from the comfort and glory of heaven for the sake of sinful mankind.  Jesus lived `before the mast`` among common people.  He touched lepers and ate with sinners.  Jesus never gave up on those - lepers - the woman accused of adultery - tax collectors - who were rejected or given up for lost by society.  He never gives up on us when we are lost in sin. Perhaps most of all - He never gives up on those for whom we pray - even when it seems they have given up on Him and we begin to think that there is no more hope. Pastor Wayne Jensen   http://www.gracelutheranedm.ab.ca/index.cfm?i=14038&mid=25&blogid=6143&comments=31343 31343 Wed, 1 Feb 2012 21:43:00 +0000 Do you ever get tired of waiting – waiting for winter to end (It’s not even actually begun yet!) – waiting for the children to tidy their room – waiting to see a doctor while the sign in his reception room says you’ll be charged for missing an appointment – waiting for Christmas to come?  The latter case of waiting is common among children who see the few weeks before Christmas as being equal to all eternity.  No matter what our age waiting can build one’s patience or test it to its very core.  As we enter Advent, the days of preparation counting down the time until Christmas – the waiting in our lives can tend to increase.  Waiting to find a parking spot at the mall – waiting in line at a department store for the first available cashier – waiting at the post office to send or pick up a parcel – waiting for the big day to arrive all may add to the tension we feel and leave us with less than a “Christmas spirit.” We are not the first of God’s family to wait.  Through the centuries before Jesus was born God’s people waited and waited for the day of the Messiah.  At times they surely wondered just how much longer God would make them wait before He kept His word.  At times that must have seemed like forever. Then, at just the right time, by God’s reckoning, Jesus was born and laid in a manger – hardly a spectacular beginning for the One whom Scripture called the Prince of Peace.  After all that waiting His birth didn’t happen in some palace in Jerusalem - greeted by a fanfare of trumpets – but then there were the angels – though they only appeared to lowly shepherds.  Surely it was a strange start after centuries of waiting for the King of kings and Lord of lords but it was exactly how God intended. Knowing Jesus came long ago we still continue to wait – not just for the celebration of His birth but for that day when He will come again.  Some days we’re not ready for that coming.  We have things to do, places to go, people to see.  We may look forward to heaven but we’re not ready for the trip just yet .  But then there are times and days when we think  it would be so much better than what we have to deal with here. In our waiting let us turn repeatedly to the One who came to bring us life, peace, the One who will come again.  Let us make His birth the center of our celebrations this Christmas and His Word the light that shines on our good days and bad into the new year ahead and through all our days yet to come.  Pastor Larry http://www.gracelutheranedm.ab.ca/index.cfm?i=14038&mid=25&blogid=6143&comments=29611 29611 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:31:00 +0000 Do you remember those old movies that involved a person falling into quicksand?  I remember old movies where some unfortunate individual would accidently get into quicksand.  They would get stuck in what looked like gooey muck on screen even though quick sand is really very fine particles of very dry sand.  When one is caught in quick sand, the more one struggles - the more one tries to get out on their own - the further down you sink.  In the movies the struggle would go on until the person disappeared and only their hat was left on the surface. That's pretty much how it works when we think we are going to find our way in life by our own efforts.  The more we think it's going to be somehting we can do for ourselves, the more elusive solutions in life will be and the ffurther we will find oursleves sinking. In fact, remember how in some of the old western movies, the person did get out of quicksand?  His trusty "pardner" would ride up just in the nick of time and throw him a rope and pull him to safety.  Sometimes he even had to use his horse to provide the muscle with the rope tied to the saddle horn.  Either way, the only way to escape the quicksand was for someone else to come and save him. That is exactly what our Lord Jesus does for us, isn't it?  That is exactly why His love is beyond imagination.  He has come along to rescue us from the quicksand of our rebellion and sin - to save us from the very idea that we can live our lives apart from God or save ourselves. Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome to say, "God shos His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  He lived the perfect life that God looks for in us, but we cannot provide.  He gave His life to pay the price of our sin.  He did it all for us because we could not do it for ouselves.  Truly, "To God be the glory!  Great things He has done!" Pastor Wayne Jensen http://www.gracelutheranedm.ab.ca/index.cfm?i=14038&mid=25&blogid=6143&comments=29057 29057 Tue, 1 Nov 2011 17:15:00 +0000 With Thanksgiving almost here have you thought of anything to complain about?  How about the weather?  The other day I commented to someone what a beautiful day it was.  They agreed and then couldn’t resist adding, “But the wind is really cool.”  I’d missed that.  I’d missed a chance to find fault with the weather and when we have so few opportunities.  I’m sure though if you think for a second you can find something besides the weather to complain about.  What about your job, government spending, or telephone soliciting?  Complaining is so easy.  When all else fails you can even complain about complainers.  We live with complaining every day.  As we do it blinds us to the blessings that are ours, and keeps us from recognizing the One who has given them. Ten lepers approached Jesus and begged for His mercy.  They had nothing to offer Him in payment.  From the scraps they begged for - like street people asking for spare change - they couldn’t possibly have given Him a generous Thanksgiving Day offering.  Disfigured by illness, ostracized and feared by society they never got close enough to Jesus to touch His robe, but He reached out to them and showed them mercy.  We know that mercy.  He has reached out to us in the midst of all our fears and doubts, in spite of our complaining, in the face and fact of our guilt, in the situations that discourage and depress us – the relationships that have failed and hurt us – the sin that haunts us.  He has invited us to come and be healed - filled with His goodness so that we can begin to see life differently – to see each and every moment as a very precious gift from God for which to give thanks.  If you need a new perspective on life with all its challenges speak to someone who lives with chronic pain or faces a terminal illness, speak to someone who has nothing and then take another look at your blessings.  Even more so - remember without God, without His forgiveness in Jesus, without His gift of life now and forever we would be nothing.  For all the material wealth, career success, or good health we may have, without God’s love in Jesus it still only amounts to terminal existence.  Sadly, we seem to treat thanksgiving like a flu shot.  You get it once each fall and you’re done for the year.  The challenge is to put an end to complaining and to live with thanksgiving.  It takes effort and sacrifice.  It requires self-discipline and means praying for the ability to recognize a blessing – big or small – when we see one. It all begins in recognizing God’s grace to you and me.  Like the single leper who – on realizing he was healed – came and fell at Jesus’ feet to give Him thanks.  May we daily recognize our blessings, put an end to our complaining, and offer Him our heartfelt thanks.     Pastor Larry MacKay http://www.gracelutheranedm.ab.ca/index.cfm?i=14038&mid=25&blogid=6143&comments=27581 27581 Sun, 2 Oct 2011 16:46:00 +0000