from my perspective
St. Paul Lutheran Church
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Welcome!
I welcome your comments regarding our shared ministry at St. Paul.
 If you would rather comment privately please, email me at Prshepherd@westriv.com

"Two are better than one," says Ecclesiastes, 
"because if one falls down, his friend can help him up." 

I deeply desire to bring Christian comfort and the power of prayer to those who are challenged with sickness or circumstances in life. However, in this time of restricted visitation call me and I will attempt to contact them.

Please, assume that if you don’t tell us, we do not know. 
Call me at 301-4956 if surgery or hospital stay is imminent or if a visit could be helpful. 

Pastor Dennis
from my perspective…

    Breaking News, or Headline News, is updated by the hour and minute. The programs are designed to get our attention and to sell advertising. (Big surprise!) On the other hand, the Good News of Jesus Christ was proclaimed and is proclaimed today for an entirely different purpose.

    Mark begins his gospel with “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mk 1:1, ESV) It sounds like Mark is reporting, “Breaking news! Pay attention! Something important has happened!” 


    Matthew begins his gospel, “The book of genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David.” (Mt. 1:1) It sounds like Matthew is introducing a history lesson whereby we might learn something. Don’t get me wrong – I love history because I believe with George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” 


    John begins his gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.” (Jn. 1:1) This is something totally different. John invites us to lay aside our daily concerns and ponder life’s Big Questions concerning God and “The Word of God.” 


    Each year, we might take a measure of our life on Tax Day, an anniversary, or any number of other milestones. Regardless of the circumstances, we go through a process of reflection, evaluation, and decision-making. We might reflect on the Big Questions of Life, like “Who are we? And “How do I fit in with family and society?” or “What positive difference am I making?” 

    I will grant that the most common daily question is, “Am I happy.” But I believe the Bible teaches us that happiness results from how we think of ourselves and our relationship with others. Therefore, John invites us to ponder anew our relationship with the One God of the Holy Scriptures, as opposed to mental or emotional gods of pleasure, wealth or self-importance. 
In the church year, Lent is the season that encourages us to ponder our relationship with the one and only eternal God and one another or who we desire to become. 

    Join us as we explore Jesus’ great encounters with religious rulers, a disrespected woman from a disrespected people and His disciples. In John, Jesus, the Word of God, invites people to question who we are in God’s eyes and who He desires us to become to live a fulfilling life. (e.g. John 10:10)
As John informs us, Jesus, the true Word of God, comes into the world to save us from ourselves and the destructive temptations brought on by the evil lies of the great Satan. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:17, ESV) 

Please join us in our encounter with the Living Word of God, your pastor, Dennis.

from my perspective

The Power of the Resurrection

 by Pastor Dennis on 04/06/13

The power of the resurrection opens the door of hope in eternal life for all those who believe the words of Jesus, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matt. 28:18, NRSV)

            In the days following Christ’s death and resurrection the eleven, closest, chosen disciples, who have sat at the Master’s feet and heard him proclaim that, “…on the third day he would rise from the dead” by the power of the LORD.

Then on Easter morning the women break into their grief with the words, “The tomb is empty, He has risen!” but the disciples thought this idle, silly talk. That same day, two disciples were walking to Emmaus and Jesus walk, talks, and eats with them. Then Jesus appears to the others, except Thomas, “When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.” (Matt.28:17) Thomas seeks proof to believe in the promise of Christ.

            Doubt is that skeptical attitude that constantly needs proof. Doubt left unchecked can eat away at hope until only despair remains. (On the other hand, questions of faith are healthy as Faith seeks to know the Savior better.) Those who live in doubt find that the peace of the LORD is elusive.

Jesus challenges the disciples to live in faith, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid”. (John 14:27 NRSV)

If the disciples of Christ are to live in the power of the resurrection, doubt and fear must be put to death so that in faith, the Peace of the LORD can lighten the heart. 

 “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps. 118:24)

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Hosanna! (Save us) Son of God

 by Pastor Dennis on 03/26/13

Holy Week has been for hundreds of years, a significant time of worship. Some churches read the Passion Narrative which recounts Jesus’ trial, suffering and death on Palm Sunday and rename it Passion Sunday. This initiative resulted because of poor attendance on Good Friday and the thought was, “we need to read the Passion when the most people are in church.”  Worshiping our Lord and Savior and remembering Him is a command of our Lord and an important Holy observance.

            Therefore, we will remember Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem today which is called Palm Sunday, The people spread out their cloaks and palm branches before the new king as he rode humbly on a donkey to honor his way into his new kingdom. The people cried, “Hosanna” which means, “save us.” Ironically, the crowd would turn against Jesus and cry, “Crucify Him!” by the end of the week.

            On Thursday we will remember the Last Supper where Jesus, surrounded by His disciples, His friends who would abandon Him. One would betray Him. One would deny Him three times. However, Our Lord who was innocent would suffer and die for them, so that they, and us, might have life, life eternal.

            On Good Friday we will remember His Passion as we read the drama from Luke’s Gospel account of his betrayal, arrest, trials, suffering and death at the hands of His enemies.

            Please, observe Holy Week by setting aside events that take your mind and heart away from worshiping our Savior and Lord and attend these significant worship opportunities.

 Pastor Dennis

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Allegory of the parable of the fig tree

 by Pastor Dennis on 02/28/13

Jesus has set his face towards Jerusalem where “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” (Luke 9:22, ESV) He takes this time to teach his disciples about living in the Kingdom of God and hypocrisy.

            Some things to notice about the allegory in the parable of the Fig Tree: the fig tree is planted by the man (God) in his vineyard (Israel). It is not wild growth. The LORD expects the vineyard to produce good fruit but this fig tree has not produced fruit for an extended period of time. The fig tree then represents those children of God, particularly in Jerusalem who do not produce the fruit of the Spirit of GOD. The LORD GOD is engaged in a day of redemption, desiring to gather all creation back to Him in peace and harmony. Jesus who is His Christ (the anointed one) is sent to fulfill God’s redemptive plan but as he tells this parable he is not pointing to himself as the ‘vinedresser’.  The vinedresser is one who feeds and cares for the plants in the vineyard and could be any faithful worshipper of the LORD GOD who labors in Israel as a child of God. The manure then is any substance that will encourage and cause the fig tree to produce healthy fruit. In other parables that substance is the Word of God that carries the creative breath of God.

            Now read the parable again and consider: are you the fig tree or the vinedresser? Or both?

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