Do You Hear What I’m Saying?

I looked forward to chapel when I was a student at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. Unlike being a normal church-goer who hears the same preacher every week, we would hear a dozen or so different preachers over the course of a semester.

But one type of preacher we never heard was a student preacher. I don’t know if it wasn’t allowed or that we just had some wise students during my time at seminary. I know I didn’t ever desire to preach for seminary chapel. In fact, fifteen years later, I don’t desire to go back and preach at seminary chapel. Getting up in front of two dozen theologians and three hundred theologians-in-training and preaching a sermon gives me the willies just to think about it.

My fear is that I wouldn’t be heard. Or that I wouldn’t be listened to. My fear is that I would be judged. That the professors would be sitting there thinking “who does this guy think he is?” and the students would be sitting there thinking “I can do better than that.” I suspect that they would both be correct to think this.

The closest I got to this blood-chilling position was being the liturgist for a seminary chapel during my last year of seminary. I wore my white alb and stood at the lectern leading the office of Morning prayer and reading the appointed Scripture lessons.

After chapel, I was sitting in a class-room waiting for my church history class to begin when the professor came up to me. He half-smiled and said, pointing to my shoes, “We noticed.”

I had made the critical error – to him at least – of wearing brown pants and brown shoes under my alb.

Of all thing things about chapel that one should listen to and notice, my wearing  brown instead of black was what this man noticed.

That was 16 years ago. It still sticks with me today.

When I get up to proclaim God’s Word, it still runs in the back of my mind, “What do they hear?” “Do they hear what I’m saying?”

If you went to worship this past weekend, did you hear what the preacher said?

Jesus had this problem as well.

²And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? ³ Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. (Mark 6:2-3 ESV)

For me, there are two things I need to keep in mind. One is that I’m human but I can take steps to not distract people when I preach. I can be “clean” (well-groomed, teeth brushed, etc). Two, I can live my life so that won’t be a distraction either.

The problem I have is that I haven’t always lived my life so its not a distraction. That’s why I could never preach in front of my old professors. They know me too well.

Somewhat ironically, though, is that I would have no problem preaching in front of people who know me even better – like my long-time friends. They’ve seen me at my worst as well as at my best. Yet they still love me and they don’t let that distract them from what I preach about.

Because what I preach about is the love of God that He has for us in Christ Jesus. This message of life and love goes so far beyond who I am that people who know me best hear the message instead of getting hung-up on the messenger.

LiveJournal Tags: Ed Blonski,Jesus Christ,God,preaching,Gospel,Mark 6

Leadership from the Biggest Brother

Here’s another excerpt from a book on leadership I’m writing.

Mention “character” in the same context of “a man” and you most likely will get a mental image along the lines of “Homer Simpson,” “Peter Griffin,” “Ray Barone,” or “Charlie Harper.”

In the last 30 years or so, the picture of the American man has been reduced to flatulence jokes, hedonism, being somewhat dim-witted (whether intentional on the part of the guy or not), or as I once heard him referred to, “Stupid Guy.” There seems to be no end to the string of commercials – from American diet beer to glass cleaners – which play on the theme of “Stupid Guy.”

This doesn’t seem to always have been the case. Even on television – men were portrayed in a much more positive light in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

I suspect that these are exaggerations – on both ends of the spectrum – from reality. But I also suspect that there is some truth to the exaggeration. There are some guys out there like this – “Stupid Guy” I mean. I think that the way our country is headed – morally, spiritually, and economically – can all be attributed to more and more “Stupid Guys” influencing our young men and boys.

We need men of character, competence and courage more than ever in today’s world.

Men like Richard Winters – who was known to NOT “fraternize” with the local women while overseas serving in the army, drink alcohol (at all) while on leave, and did everything to a moral code that was based on the Bible.

He did this because he felt that being a man of good character was vital to the survival of himself and the men he led into battle. He didn’t know when he would be going into battle. It could have been at any moment – and often was “at any moment.” At least once he and his men were thrust into battle at a time when they least expected it. When the Nazi forces broke through the Allied lines in the Ardennes forest at Bastogne, Winters and his men were on leave in France. But because he was a man of character, he was ready to go at the moment he was ordered to go.

It is no different today. We must be ready at a moment’s notice to “go into battle.”

For a time, my son suffered from seizures. They could happen anytime – and they did. In the middle of the night, at the beginning of the day, at the end of the day, during school, on holidays like Christmas Day. I had to be ready at a moment’s notice to help him. There is not “time off the clock” for a father.

Because we live in a culture of time clocks, “nine-to-five” and weekends off and vacations, we think there will be times when we can “cut loose” and not be accountable to anyone. It’s “me time” we think.

But people are counting on us to be ready to help and serve and fight for them no matter what the time or day. Being a man of character goes a long way to being prepared to do that.

We also need to be competent. This means we must know what we are doing or are called upon to do. This means training and education. Winters and the men of Easy Co. went through some of the hardest training of any group in the United States Army during World War II. They did close-order drill over and over again, day after day. They ran up and down Mt. Currahee at Camp Teccoa. They assembled and disassembled their M1 rifles to the point that they could do it blindfolded. They trained and trained some more in Georgia, North Carolina, various other Army camps and eventually in England.

They made five jumps out of C-47’s at jump school in order to get their jump-wings and be qualified to be paratroopers. That’s three more jumps than they actually made into combat in World War II. They may not have actually used everything they became competent to do, but they were ready to do so. This is why many of them survived the war, lived to tell about it in books and movies afterward and pass on what they learned to another generation.

Our competence comes from school and self-study in the school of experience. While high school and college usually comes to an end, the school of experience is a life-long area of learning. There is no end to the amount of material available to us to continue our learning. Books, seminars, and the like are there for us to continue to learn and strengthen our leadership skills.

Afraid

I wonder why I’m so afraid of trusting? Is it God’s fault for making me this way? Is it something I did? Is it something I didn’t (or don’t) do?

I’ve read the Bible admonishments to “trust in the Lord.”

But how do I do that? And why am I afraid to do that?

It isn’t as if the Lord God Almighty, creator of the heavens and the earth, hasn’t done anything to earn my trust. (And I’m sure He’s greatly relieved to hear that He has earned my trust! By the way, that’s a little sarcasm on my part. Thank you to Susan Isaacs who taught me that “sarcasm is a viable form of communication".”)

Yes, God has earned my trust. He’s given me a wonderful wife of 19 years, three wonderful sons, a brother, mother, father, grandparents, friends. He’s gifted me to be a teacher and preacher – which I’ve been able to make a decent living with for 15 years. He gave me coffee and a sunrise most mornings that touches my heart in unspeakable (unwritable?) ways.

So why don’t I trust Him in all things?

I mean, I know I’m saved and my sins are forgiven by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I know I’ll spend eternity in the presence of Jesus and in heaven and all that. That isn’t my problem.

My problem is now. What about now? How can I trust God to get me through this month?

Someone will tell me to “just do it.” Heck, I’ve been that someone to other people. You can slap me now.

But, in my defense, there is some truth in that. We just have to do it. I just have to trust that God will provide, will take care of me. I mean, what alternative do I have, really?

I just wish, sometimes, that He would hurry up.

LiveJournal Tags: Ed Blonski,trust,fear,afraid,Jesus Christ,God

Leadership from the Biggest Brother

Here’s an excerpt from a book I’m writing right now. The time is ripe for a book on Leadership in our world. I’m looking at the leadership qualities of a man who led an elite unit of men in the U.S. Army in World War II. My intent is not to glamorize war, far from it. But the horrors of war brought to the forefront qualities of leadership in these men in the 1940’s that our world could use today.

Dick Winters looked to the west as the C-47 headed south and east toward the coast. The sun was setting here. It was still shining back home. It was lunchtime at his parents’ house in Pennsylvania. It was dawn in California. It was quiet back home. But where he was – at Upottery Field in England, it was very busy in the failing light of June 5, 1944.

Winters was the last one on the plane and he would be the last one to jump out. He was part of the first stages of the largest invasion force the world had ever seen. He was scared but he did his best to keep his fear under control. He had been training for nearly two years for this moment. All those runs up Currahee at Camp Teccoa. All the exercises under the leadership of Herbert Sobel, C.O. of Easy Company, Robert Strayer, Battalion Commander and Robert Sink, Regimental Commander made Winters and the men of Easy Company tough, confident, and ready to do what they were called upon to do – nothing less than save the world from the evils of Nazi Germany.

Richard Winters was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and grew up in nearby Ephrata. He graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in 1941 with a degree in business; while in college, Winters painted electrical towers for extra money. There was nothing special about him, at least nothing we would associate with being special. He was just an ordinary man.

Dick Winters enlisted in the Army in the summer of 1941, thinking he would get his one year required duty out of the way and then get on with his life. December 7^th changed all that. After basic training he entered Officer Candidate School and upon graduation and commissioning as a 2nd Lieutenant, he volunteered for paratrooper training. He was made executive officer in Easy Company – the group of men who would forever be known as “The Band of Brothers.”

On D-Day, when the CO of Easy Company – Thomas Meehan’s – plane was shot down and all aboard were killed, Winters became the CO.

Winters was gifted by God with leadership. This would be put to the test throughout France, Holland, and eventually Germany.

Dick Winters would later identify qualities of leadership. It was these qualities that caused the men under his command to follow him into bloody battles that would become vital to bringing victory to the Allies in World War II.

LiveJournal Tags: Ed Blonski,Band of Brothers,Leadership,World War II,D-Day,Easy Co.,Leader

Thy Will Be Done

This four-word phrase from the Lord’s Prayer is the key to all prayers. It takes the focus of our lives off of ourselves and puts it where it belongs – on God (He’s the “Thy” in the phrase).

Sometimes when I pray, I give God my “shopping list.” Ok, I’ll admit it – almost all of the times when I pray, I give God my “shopping list.”

The shopping list usually goes something like this:

Dear God, please keep my family safe. Heal those I love who are sick. Help me financially. Don’t let anything bad happen to me or my family.

And on it goes. I ask God for stuff. Not that there’s anything wrong with that – God wants us to ask for stuff as “dear children asks their dear father” (Luther’s Small Catechism).

I think most people pray like this. We ask God for stuff for our lives. We ask God for the stuff we need – like daily bread. We ask God for the stuff we desire (Psalm 37:4) – like a new iPad.

Lately, however, I’ve been feeling a little selfish praying this way. I hope I don’t hurt the feelings of those I have (and continue to) pray for who need heeling and comfort.

I need to pray more like Jesus, who said “your will be done” (Matthew 26:39-44). Jesus prayed for people and and for stuff, but with the understanding that not everything He was praying for was God’s will for Him.

It may not be God’s will that I have an iPad (but I hope it is, at least someday soon). It may not be God’s will that healing happens. Or it may. I don’t know. But I will pray “your will be done” because I know, and I believe it with all my heart, that God will bring about the very best for me (Jeremiah 29:11).

I’ll still pray for stuff (like that iPad) and for daily bread and for healing for my family and friends that need healing.

But my prayers will end with “Your will be done.”

LiveJournal Tags: Lord's Prayer,Prayer,God's Will,iPad,Small Catechism,Bible,Jesus Christ

Let’s Talk

Where would we be without communication?

I might argue that we’re in this mess (sin) because of a decidedly lack of communication between Adam and Eve.

We need to communicate. With each other and with God.

But there is good communication and bad communication. Could I also add, lazy communication?

Good communication is what God has with us. He communicates clearly His love for us in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Bad communication is what the devil uses against us. He lies, just as he did to Eve, “Did God really say…?”

Today there are so many different ways to talk to other people.

Twitter. Facebook. Myspace. Email. Texting. Instant Messaging.

There really is no reason or excuse not to talk to people. We are more accessible than ever before.

But it is also true that more and more people can hear what we say – even if we never intended to be heard by so many people.

Now, maybe more than ever, it is important to mean what you say and make what you say count!

LiveJournal Tags: communication,Facebook,MySpace,Twitter,God,Jesus Christ

Mowed Down by God

“He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.” – Psalm 72:6

Mowing my yard where I grew up was a chore. We had a pretty big back yard. It would take about 2 hours to mow the whole yard with a push-mower. I would divide the yard up into sections because that seemed to make things go a little faster. I guess it’s the sense of accomplishment that achieves this effect. First I would mow a square section right in back of the house. Then I would get the section adjacent to that all the way back to the property line in the back of the yard. Then I would move to a sort-of square in the back corner. Finally I would get the section next to the garage. As I was cutting this last section, it’s shape reminded me of the state of Nevada.

Every Saturday I would have to mow the grass. Not much has changed. Each week I have to mow the grass at my own house as well. In the early Spring I do a silly thing. I put down lawn fertilizer and the result is that when it rains I end up having to mow the grass twice a week.

In Psalm 72, the “king” is compared to a rain failing on a mown field. Walking in a yard that has been newly mowed and after a rain is an exhilarating experience. A quietness seeps over you. Birds sing softly in the trees as water drips from the leaves. Taking your shoes and socks off, you walking through the wet grass and you can feel the life between your toes.

The “king” of Psalm 72 possibly two kings. First King Solomon. He is noted, in most Bibles, as the author of this Psalm and it is a prayer asking God to bless his reign. The second king could be the “King of kings.” Jesus Christ is seen all over the Old Testament, especially in the Book of Psalms. This Psalm could be outlining some of the attributes of Jesus as Messiah-King.

Jesus is like a shower on a newly mown field. He waters and feeds us with His love and blessings. He sustains us with His life-giving showers as He forgives our sins. He takes care of us. At times we must be “mown” – a rather violent treatment that is beneficial for growth. A lawn that is not regularly mown grows to a certain point but then begins to choke itself. God, in His perfect justice and love, disciplines us – “mows” us. And Jesus in His perfect salvation and love showers us with forgiveness and blessing.

“You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the LORD, have created it.” – Isaiah 45:8

LiveJournal Tags: Jesus Christ,God,mow,grass,Psalms,isaiah 45