The Promise of Regret

The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. -Proverbs 16:1

The end of something is always a time for reflection. The end of the school year is a time for celebrating. The student, parent and teacher alike celebrate. But celebration (and the relief of grading being done!) gives way to reflection. The last days or even months on a job can be a time for wrestling. The end of life finally affords the time to analyze decisions we hastily made years ago.

Regret is a common feeling in these moments. Whether it is simply spending another Summer day inside, or looking at an endless forest or stars on precious days away in the mountains, regrets flood the mind; worry works its way in.

Regret is powerful because it forces us to confront the reality that life is a zero-sum game. There is only so much time and we have to spend it somehow. We may question why we didn’t apply ourselves harder. We may question why we didn’t spend more time with our kids or friends and stayed late at the office instead.

Reflection on regret often shapes our behavior going forward. We may experience intense guilt over decisions we made that we knew were wrong - sinful. We may be paralyzed in the face of an uncertain future. Regret causes us to question our decision making abilities. Regret could drive us into intense speculation and cost benefit analysis on how to spend our time. Worse yet is the realization that there might not be more we can do.

The Bible is rich in language about the human heart. The heart is the seat of desire. Humans desire all kinds of things but we may especially desire more time or time for a do over. These plans of the hearts belong to man, Proverbs tells us. Proverbs, one of the wisdom books in the Bible, gives us an additional thought, “the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.” This seems like an unlikely way to the thought, “the plans of the heart belong to man”. Heart and tongue are different body parts. God and man are different. I think the key comes in considering the difference between plans and speech. Plans are full of potential. Speech is occurring in the present. Plans are something we dream up. Sometimes we are called to speak. Sometimes we must simply act in a moment.

Will we have regrets about what we say? Maybe, probably, when we consider the zero-sum nature of time. Nevertheless, the answer is from the LORD. He who made heaven and earth has put you on the earth for this time. The most common question I get is, “pastor, why am I still here?” Often it is an older adult asking the question. But, it is also a question the middle aged person and even the young person asks from time to time. The answer is, “you are still here for the reason that God put you here in the first place: to do His work wherever we are, in accordance with whatever gifts and abilities he has given us.” This work or action might be as simple as a spoken word. It might be spoken to a nurse or a child. It might be the person we go out of our way to see. The beautiful thing about God is that he has eternity and he is merciful. These traits give us the confidence to act. When given endless time and endless goodness, God will not leave our deeds, His plans, unanswered.

May God be with you in all your thoughts and deeds this Summer.

In Jesus Service,

Pastor Kurt

Dear Mt. Calvary Family,

I can remember as a child grocery shopping with my mom. Naturally, I was impressed by the bakery section, the cookie aisle, and the sports drinks. Mom would always say, “is that something we need or something we want?” The point is a staple of personal wisdom. We all have things we need and things we want. 

Things we need include food, water, shelter, transportation, other people, God’s Word and certainly God’s grace. Things we want often have to do with the type of shelter, transportation, or experience we want. Wants are not bad as long as we recognize them as wants.  

God is good. He really is. He provides for his people in his time. In the Old Testament, we read that God brought the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. While in the desert, God provided them with mana, bread from heaven, water, and meat. He provided them with leaders and a livelihood. He showed his mercy to them over and over again despite their sin. He gave them everything they needed. The problem often came when they wanted something that simply wasn't on the agenda or on the menu. They craved the melons they had back in Egypt. God was serving bread and quail that night, again. 

Nevertheless, God is really, really good. God never failed to give his people their needs. The Bible never mentions a single person dying from thirst, hunger or exposure while wandering in a desert comparable to the Sonoran Desert without air conditioning in those 40 years. God’s Word and his unconditional mercy was a constant presence. God also gave them wants beyond their imagination in his time. He brought them to a land with not just melons but one flowing with milk and honey. God never fails to give you your daily bread. God often in his time gives us much more as well.  

Please allow me to share one of my favorite passages with you. Jesus says, 

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

As a congregation God has been good to us. He is meeting our wants and needs. Chiefy, our need for his Word and grace. Note the worship schedule for the week before Easter:  

4/2 Palm Sunday         10am

4/6 Maundy Thursday  7pm

4/7 Good Friday           2pm 

4/9 Easter Sunday       10am

There will also be Easter Breakfast at 8:30am on Easter Sunday. The men of the congregation will make breakfast for our families, ladies, and visitors. Please make plans to attend and bring a friend. If you are interested in helping out please contact Pastor Kurt. 

God has been giving us our wants too. There are three really exciting projects in the works at Mt. Calvary: 

This last week I received the news that we have officially received a grant from an outside source for $42,000 in new livestream equipment, audio equipment, and professional installation. Praise God! If you can’t make it to church you will soon be able to watch church from home. This equipment will also be a powerful evangelism tool. God is good. 

Mt. Calvary will also be receiving a new roof. This roof will go on beginning 4/3 and should wrap up in about a week.

Finally, Mt. Calvary will be meeting with a delegation from Christ Greenfield Lutheran Church in Gilbert, AZ on March 29th. The purpose of this meeting is to acquire the software and marketing tools to use the livestream equipment well, and to discuss a vision for Mt. Calvary. What does Mt. Calvary want to be known for in the community? In an area with many historic churches, why Mt. Calvary? How can we communicate this to future Christians all around? It is going to be an exciting time to scale up evangelism and outreach. 

As always, you can reach me anytime at the contact information below:

In Jesus Service,

Pastor Kurt

425.420.6826.

khellwig@vlhs.org

Family in Christ

The week between Christmas and New Years is one of my favorite weeks of the year. My dad worked as a store manager for Walgreens for most of his life. The weeks before Christmas were his busy time of the year, and our family as a whole rushed from place to place to celebrate like many other families. The week after Christmas always brought quiet, reflection, and much needed family time together. This is now doubly true for my own family since Christmas is still the busy time of year at work. 

The week between Christmas and New Years is that week when, hopefully, those words, “all is calm, all is bright,” are realized. The week brings reflection. Reflection brings feelings of accomplishment or regret based on how the past year has gone. If we were to fast forward to the end of 2023 what would we have regrets about? What might have to happen for us to feel accomplished? What needs to happen for Mt. Calvary to have a satisfying and accomplished 2023?

In my first few months at Mt. Calvary, one refrain I have heard from you is that we have to grow. This is a God pleasing desire. It is one rooted in some regrets and some aspirations for the future. I agree that we need to grow. But, why should we grow? Here’s what I mean: we don’t want to grow just to pay the bills with more ease. We want to grow because God is in the business of saving and transforming people. He wants to restore his world. He wants to restore you. We call this the mission of God. We want to grow because God cares about people. He has called his church to care for people. Hopefully, church is a place for people to receive hope, forgiveness, a hand up, and even tough love from time to time. 

It is understandable to ask, “how are we going to grow?” I am increasingly convinced that we will grow when we are growing. We will transform lives when we ourselves are transformed. Others will be saved when we take the truth that God has saved us and place it at the core of who we are each and every day. God has saved you from others, from oppressive contemporary life, from the devil, from yourself. We will grow when we are authentically and genuinely different. We will grow when people know us as a place that is radically transformed and different. 

This Epiphany season we will be walking through a sermon series called, “The 6 Ps of Mission.” This will explore that question, “Why do we want to grow?” The penitential season of Lent will give us the opportunity to practice the mission more intentionally. Watch for the sermon series, “6 Spiritual Habits Every Christian Should Do.” Additionally, watch for more information about community groups and outside partnerships. 

I hope and pray that the year 2023 is decisive for Mt. Calvary. I would like to close with this analogy. If the church is a car, the Holy Spirit is the engine. He powers the  church. Vision is in the driver’s seat. Vision determines where we are going. Relationships are in the passenger seat. Relationships are vital for the journey. They are the co-pilot informing the vision. The structure and buildings of the church are in the backseat. They are important but they are tools for the vision. This Spring we will attend to the necessary and important work of structure and buildings (there is a new roof coming!), we will continue to grow in relationship and love for one another, but I hope we will by the power of the Holy Spirit arrive at a vision, a direction, for where we are going. This will require some sacrifice of time and commitment. Please make a renewed effort to attend the next few weeks. This is going to be an all hands on deck process. This is God’s church. This is your church.

In Jesus Service,

Pastor Kurt

Our Advent Guest

Christmas is coming, and with Christmas comes the whole Christmas season. Trees, driving the kids or grandkids to the light show, holiday schedules, and, occasionally, long-burning family conflicts. The hopes and fears of the past year all seem to come together every December. However, there is nothing as exciting (or anxiety-inducing) as this possibility: guests.

How do you prepare for guests? I suppose it depends on the guest. Some guests demand the long-delayed deep clean. Other guests warmly want you to deck the halls. They have a keen eye for the latest lights, wreaths, and nic-nacks. Are your guests content with a fridge full of their favorite food? Eggnog? Guests can be easy-going, and I hope yours are! Others require a little work. Still, others we invite out of obligation.

The period of preparation, the season before Christmas Day, is traditionally called Advent. Advent is to Christmas what Lent is to Easter. Advent is all about preparing for the birthday boy - our guest, Jesus. Jesus is coming. How do we prepare? What sort of guest is he? Is Jesus like how my grandpa was, looking for the peppermint schnapps and pumpkin pie? Or is he looking for something more?

The thought of Jesus coming to our homes this Christmas season may generate mixed emotions. There is some part of us - even the confident, church-going part - that is uneasy. What will he think? I am not sure I am ready. What about that one thing from the past year that no one knows about? What if I am not in the mood for Christmas? I am exhausted and not sure I can put on a show for Jesus, or even a Jesus-show for my neighbors. We may drag ourselves to action with words of John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, who said, “prepare the way of the LORD, purge every heart of sin!” Or, we may simply despair. Regardless, Jesus is coming one way or another, December 25th will be here soon.

The incredible thing about Jesus is that this visit is years in the making. Thousands of years in the making. God first promised a savior for all humanity on the open pages of the Bible. This promise was passed down and preserved in one specific family - the family of Israel. Although the promise was passed down, the “house did not get any cleaner,” if you will. God was coming and humanity, instead of preparing, trashed the house and cleaned out the fridge. Yet, with each action of unpreparedness, the visit of Jesus hastened. Jesus comes not to cast judgment on sinners, but to be the host welcoming the lost family of God home.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might live through him.” -John 3:17

Jesus does not come to you to make you get your house in order. He comes to get you off the street. How do we respond to the news? How do we prepare for the guest? One hymn writer wrote a song about this. It’s not exactly Maria Carey, but it does the trick:

O LORD how shall I meet you and welcome you aright?

Your people long to greet you, you are my hope, my heart's delight!

-Paul Gerhardt, LSB 334

Please keep in mind the following:

• We give thanks to Clara’s small group for repainting the hallway. The council will be deciding what to do with the art from the hallway. If you have any opinions, reach out.

• We owe Juan Hernandez a thank you for the job well done repainting the church.

• The church is decorated for visitors this Christmas.

• Thank you to Samantha and the women’s community group. There is a food drive going on at the church right now to restock area food banks for the holiday season. Please bring canned and non-perishable food to church.

• Candlelight Christmas Eve service is at 7pm.

• Christmas Day service is at 10am.

The Telephone Game

Perhaps you remember playing the telephone game as a child. The students sit around in a circle. The teacher says a word to the student. It could be “cat” or “dog,” “television” or “telephone,” “blue” or “green”… and the student repeats the word to the next student. As the word travels around the circle, the word becomes humorously distorted. This game hammers home the old adage, you have two ears and one mouth, for a reason. 

I am in the thick of a listening tour, visiting the members of Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church. I am trying to meet with each person associated with Mt. Calvary, hear why they first attended Mt. Calvary, and what their hopes and dreams are for the church. I want to hear about your gifts and passions. If I have not met with you yet, please know I will be reaching out in the coming week. If we have already met, I am certainly open to meeting again as issues come up. My role is certainly unique and demanding, but you can always reach me at 425.420.6826. To dig up another old adage, “don’t be a stranger.” I want to hear from you. I am always willing to listen to questions, comments, and concerns. 

Several pieces have emerged from the listening tour so far. I am proud to say there will be a women’s community group meeting for the first time beginning on 11/13 at 9am in VLHS classroom 203 (my classroom). The room can easily be reached by elevator.  This community group will be accompanied by the launch of a men’s group and a group for college students and young adults. If you plan to attend one of the groups, do not hesitate to invite your friends to accompany you. Folks who might not be interested in a formal church service often appreciate the chance to just belong in a safe environment. The structure, frequency of meeting and agenda for these groups is intentionally open to the vision of those involved. 

Finally, I would be remiss not to say that it is important that we listen to God’s Word. However, listening to God’s Word can be a bit like the telephone game. On Sundays, we hear about God’s unconditional love. We experience the forgiveness of sins and hear about His great and powerful actions. On Sundays God is there whispering a word in our ears — “love.” The rest of the week brings moments of “getting in”, distortion of this message, and moments of confusion. Sometimes we live the reality that we are sent by God with his love to his world. Other times the world wallops us back. Each Sunday is a chance to be refreshed in hearing those words from God again: “I love you.” See you then to hear that wonderful news.

In Jesus Service,

Pastor Kurt