Newsletter
Why We Fast
If a Christian from the first few centuries of church history visited Mount Calvary, he or she would find many familiar aspects. Communion, the eucharistic, has been central to Christian life since the beginning. The same goes for preaching, scripture reading, music, prayer, and even potlucks! (Originally, called agape or love feasts.) However, one aspect of faith that was central to Christian life for centuries, which has all but disappeared from Christian life in this country, is fasting. Fasting, often talked about but little practiced during Lent, uniquely deepens our dependence on God.
Jesus fasted and expected his disciples to fast too. Famously, Jesus fasted for 40 days. Jesus also said, “when you fast” (Matthew 6:16). The keyword here is when, not if. Likewise, we can see from Acts 13 and 14 that the first Christians fasted before making significant decisions. There is clearly some connection between fasting and a heightened awareness of God.
Like most of you, I did not grow up fasting. On the contrary, I recall thinking of fasting as something the Catholics did. Even they seemed to have watered it down. The Midwest Catholic fish fry is a wonderful, raucous celebration of gluttony that would put a Vegas buffet to shame. On vicarage, a jolly and rotund guest preacher who was known for his frequent trips to the town's doughnut shop humbly began a sermon on fasting, saying, “Clearly I’ve never done this!” I credit this man for having the courage to preach on fasting. Eventually, through his message and the sheer number of references to fasting in scripture, I decided to give it a try. I chose to fast on Ash Wednesday, and I thought I was going to faint after completing school chapel that morning. By the afternoon, I could not stop thinking of food. It seemed like I was just making life hard for myself. Fasting was making me less productive, and the Protestant work ethic in me thought, “Surely God wouldn’t want that!” I tried to stick it out. I still had work to do ahead of the evening service at Mount Calvary and began to pray desperately that God would give the insight needed to lead a quality service, or at the very least, just get me through it. Then it struck me, this was the point. Desperate prayer. Fasting is not a relic from the past, nor is it some magical formula to earn brownie points with God; fasting drives us into prayer.
Fasting is also a practice in self-discipline. Sometimes, we falsely equate Lent fasting with giving up sin. I have heard men say, “I am cutting back on alcohol this Lent, I know I have a problem,” or “I am giving up internet pornography for Lent.” Friends, we should always give up sin! Don’t wait for Lent. The 1st of Luther’s 95 theses was, “When our Lord Christ Jesus said ‘repent’ he willed that the entire Christian life be one of repentance.” To repent means to turn away from sin. It is an urban myth that Luther was somehow lighter on sin than his contemporaries. On the contrary, Luther’s initial concern was that the church needed to repent from both her many sins and her human-made, shortsighted solutions to sin. Only the blood of Jesus can cover our sins. Jesus calls us to repent of sin, receive his grace, resist sin, and repeat this process continuously! We are all called to resist sin. This is the real, game-time performance of being a Christian. Enter fasting. Fasting is a practice for resisting sin. If you can resist food for one day, you can resist that sin that you return to time and time again. Fasting is firing blanks so that when the real fight comes, you’ll be ready.
Our ministry for college-aged guys at Mount Calvary is called Memento, meaning “to remember.” This is a church wide program across the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. One of the things Memento asks us to remember is fasting and other Lenten disciplines. This Lent, our guys, led by Joel, have committed to the following:
· Total fasts on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday
· Skipping a meal on Wednesdays and Fridays
· Giving up all sweets and alcohol during Lent
· Giving up social media for Lent
· Only listening to sacred music and Lutheran influencers during Lent
· Daily devotions
· A scripture reading plan
· Reading a book together
· Working out together as a group three times a week
I am honored to join them in these. I could not be prouder of their commitment and zeal. These guys know they must manage themselves before they can fully take advantage of other opportunities that come their way. I would encourage you to take Lent for the opportunity it is. Yes, if you have not turned away from that favorite sin of gossip, or from the covetous call of online shopping at work, please do. Run away, pass Go, and do not look bad. Also, please apply the principle, “you get out what you put in,” to Lent. If you join our young men in some of these disciplines, you may be pleasantly surprised by the results when harder times come.
There is, of course, a danger in fasting or any other spiritual discipline. In my study on grief, we recently reflected on Luke 18, where Jesus tells this story,
“He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”-Luke 18:9-15
I love this story. It is one of the reasons we named our son Luke. This is the gospel in a paragraph. Notice how the Pharisee said, “I fast twice a week.” Our training comes to nothing if it comes to boasting. Wherever you are in your walk with the Lord, please know that, in our failures, in our sin, in our frustrations, Lent teaches us to pray that simplest prayer, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” And He is.
In Jesus’ Service,
Pastor Kurt
Remember God, Remember His Word
Dear Mount Calvary Lutheran Church,
Did you read the best-selling book in the English language in 2025? No, it wasn’t on the New York Times’ best seller list, but the Bible sold 18 million copies in the United States this last year. This is nearly 9 times the number of the next best-selling book, Sunrise Reaping by Susan Collins. Bible sales were up 20% year over year, outpacing previous years. Generationally, Gen Z led all generations in Bible purchases. The most popular translation was the English Standard Version. The good book remains a great read.
Yet, the Bible is often bought, rarely read, and less understood. Christianity Today reports that less than half of self-identified Christians in the United States have read more than a few chapters on their own. The Bible itself says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16) How sad it is when God’s own Word for our lives collects dust as a paperweight, shelf ornament, or mere heirloom? Well intentioned Christians often cite ignorance of the Bible as a barrier to study. Who wants to miscommunicate with God? Enter the ancient Christian tradition of group Bible study.
Bible study is our preparation for the challenges of modern life. The Psalmist juxtaposes the Bible with self-help literature when he says, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). Additionally, we hear Solomon say, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the holy one is insight” (Proverbs 9:10). In a world overwhelmed by the noise of social media, podcasts, and literature, the call to study the Bible is a call to return to the source, a call to return to a certain simplicity. Prominent 20th-century Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer called the Bible the “church’s book”. Now this may seem obvious, as most church pews have a Bible in them, but he meant that the Bible owns the church, not the other way around. The Bible tells us who we are, who God is, and what God has done for us. The Bible tells us how to live, how to be wise, and how to act justly. We sit as students under the Bible, not as academics trying to exegete every last word. A good Bible study is less about us studying the Bible and more about the Bible studying us.
Last year, I asked the people of Mount Calvary to renew the habit of attending worship every Sunday. The sabbath is an invitation to rest, worship, and experience a little bit of heaven during the week. You have risen to the challenge. My ask this year is, would you please consider making Bible study an indispensable part of your routine? As we return from the holiday season, we are proud to offer not one, or two, but three Bible studies on Sunday morning. If you cannot attend Sunday morning, would you consider a private Bible study routine? Perhaps enlist a friend, church member, or me as an accountability partner to help you in that discipline? If you would like to attend a group Bible study, but the Sunday times do not work for you, I would be happy to even recommend a Bible study at another church. We simply want everyone in the Word this year. Our theme is: Remember God, Remember God’s Word.
I think I know what you're thinking: you don’t have the time. I have these thoughts all the time: “I am afraid that if I commit to a private reading of the Bible in the morning and even enlist an accountability partner, I may be late to work if I am not careful.” Maybe you’re thinking, “I want to go home after church and watch the Seahawks beat the Cardinals again.” Finally, perhaps you’ve said, “I want to spend time with family on Sunday (who can argue with that), and Bible Study at church pushes that time back an hour.” My friends, we have the time. The average American spends 5 hours a day watching TV, scrolling social media, or actively looking at media online. These time chunks don’t come all at once. 15 minutes of Facebook here, a YouTube video on lunch break there, a news article in line at the doctor’s office, and an extra episode of your favorite show at the end of the day. Worse still, all this media is entertainment and is often designed to provoke you to anger, fear, and sadness, with only the occasional feel-good story as a reprieve. Bible study, like exercise, dinner with family, or talking with a friend, is true leisure and makes us more human. Can you take an hour out of the approximately 35 hours a week we spend looking at media online to intentionally study God’s Word?
Bible Study includes the following benefits:
· Community. Bible study is a great opportunity to get to know other people at church beyond simply saying hi and bye in passing.
· Learning with leaders. In addition to time with other people, Bible study provides an opportunity to spend time with our wonderful leaders and ask questions.
· Personal growth. Bible study clearly connects you with the story of your salvation. Because we are made to be in a relationship with God, Bible study also gives several natural benefits currently in high demand in the secular world, such as reduced stress and greater self-awareness.
For this next season of ministry, we are pleased to offer the following Bible Study opportunities:
· Morning Joe. Please consider joining Joe Richter in the church lounge as he walks through the story of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. This will be a great study for people of all experience and ages, but may be especially helpful for adults who could use a refresher on the Bible as a whole.
· Memento. Pastor Kurt will lead this group of men committed to prayer, accountability, and spiritual discipline. Group members will commit themselves to fasting and other ancient Christian practices during Lent. Memento is part of a new, grassroots men’s ministry initiative taking off in other Lutheran churches. More information can be found here. memento70.com
· Summit Sisters. Clara Hellwig will lead this group of young women meeting outside in the courtyard. Please consider joining us for prayer, encouragement, and fellowship.
As you consider how best to remember God and His Word this year, I want to remember the end. At my internship congregation in the medium-sized town of St. Charles, MO, there was a woman named Beaulah. Beaulah was 104 years old in 2020, a Cherokee originally from Oklahoma, and she lived in a 2-bedroom stilted home on the edge of the Missouri River. Beaulah was a character, and she was known for a couple of things: smoking several packs a day and having nearly the entire Bible memorized. As the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing and the backdrop to many conversations, she often talked about how she remembered the Spanish Flu epidemic as a small child in 1919! She remembered so much even as her health failed. When I visited, I would read from scripture, saying, for example, that I was going to read from 1 Corinthians 15. She would say, “I remember this” and recite the passage from memory. Beaulah is one of those people I look up to. When God writes the final pages of our earthly life, I want to recite scripture from memory. I feel pretty confident that I won’t remember or care to remember what was on the front page of the newspaper on January 2nd. I certainly won’t care about my Candy Crush score or the reel from my high school acquaintance, with whom I haven’t spoken in 10 years. I will care, as a human being and as God’s son, that I remember Him, knowing He has always looked over me. Join me in making 2026 the year we Remember God and Remember His Word.
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.