from my perspective
St. Paul Lutheran Church
Phone 701-794-3166
HomeNewsPastor's PageSermonsWorship Team

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

Who sinned? John 9

 by Pastor Dennis on 03/27/14

Who sinned? The disciples are curious. What might have caused the man to be born blind? The disciples are blinded to God’s grace by a desire to place blame. Jesus doesn’t deny that sin could result in negative consequences. Certainly, people do things that can cause suffering for themselves and their children. Jesus doesn’t deny that the man is a sinner. (“all have sinned fallen short of the Glory of God.” (Romans 3.23) Jesus looked at the situation before Him and realizing that time is short, determined to do something about it.

How the English translation is phrased obscures Jesus’ determination. Sin isn’t the issue blindness is. The NRSV translation above seems to intimate that although sinfulness was not the cause of the blindness but that God’s work might be revealed in Jesus. That God would make a man blind so Jesus could come along and heal him doesn’t make sense. Jesus healed the unrighteous by forgiving sin. (i.e. Matthew 9:2-8) No sin - no need for forgiveness - no healing.

A better way to look at Jesus response is to read the text this way: “Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents. ---- But that the works of God might be displayed in him, we must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Jesus met the man, sinful and blind, where he was and called on the power of God to heal him. The result is that the blind-man-made-well testifies and worships Jesus, who opened his eyes and gave him sight.

Comments (0)     

The Samaritans

 by Pastor Dennis on 03/21/14

The tribes of Israel divided over a dispute concerning true worship and the kingship of Solomon, son of David. Recorded in 1 & 2 Kings, the tribes of the Ephraim and Manasseh (sometimes called Israel) became the Northern kingdom. The Old Testament Prophets refer to the Northern Kingdom as Israel / Ephraim; the New Testament refers to them as Samaritans which in Hebrew is “keepers of the Torah”. The Southern Kingdom (Judah, Benjamin and Simeon) became the southern kingdom called Judah which in Hebrew means “those who praise”. The English New Testament refers to Judeans as “Jews”.

Most of our information about the Samaritans comes from Jewish writers who considered them to be heretics; asserting the Assyrian religions polluted the true faith. Samaritans claim the Judean’s faith was polluted by captivity in Babylon.

The Samaritans hold that Mount Gerizim near Shechem was the primary place of worship and see the first books of the Bible as God’s Word. The Judeans assert Jerusalem in the one holy place of worship and accept books of Torah, History, Poetry and the Prophets as the Word of God.

In Jesus time the Samaritans may have been a very conservative group; evidenced by ‘the Woman at the Well’ coming in the heat of the day being separated from the women who came early in the morning. Modern writers have tried to assert the woman may have been a ‘good woman’ and not shamed by her many marriages but in fact the grace of God in Christ is more profound if we recognize her as a sinner in the eyes of her community much like the tax collectors and harlots that Jesus spends time with and redeems.

It is estimated that there were over 1 million Samaritans in Jesus’ time. They rebelled against the Byzantines between 495- 529 AD and were decimated. Being outlawed, persecuted and the mass conversion to Islam further reduced their population until today there are around 800 practicing Samaritans in Israel.

The primary issue in John’s Gospel is to reveal Jesus as the Christ (the anointed Son of God), Hosanna (the Savior of God) who was sent into the world to save the world (John 3:16; 20:30-31) and Jesus as the Word and Light of the world that was rejected by the world, for the world loved the darkness.” (John 1:4-5; 3:19)  

Comments (0)     

Matthew 5 - The Greatest Sermon

 by Pastor Dennis on 02/14/14

The Sermon on the Mount has been called the greatest sermon every given. Due to the profound wisdom of Jesus’ teaching, it is helpful to ponder each passage and the implications for our life and the life of our community.

            Jesus calls the twelve Disciples to hear and to proclaim the Gospel; the good news of salvation through Christ for the world. (see Matthew 28:20) This will be possible when each Christian lives for Christ’s Community and each Community lives for the Nation and each Nation lives for God’s World.

             Matthew 5:1-12 - Jesus says, “Blessed are you who are poor, mourning, meek, hungry, thirsty…”

a.       See also, Lk 12.32; Rev, 21.4; Psalm 37.11; 42.2-5; Lk 6.35-36; Jn. 3.2; Rm 8.14; Jn. 15.20.

Matthew 5:13-14 – Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth, the light of the world.”

a.       See also, Mk 9.50; Eph. 5.8; Jn. 8.12; Lk 8.16.

Matthew 5:21-37 – Jesus gives practical examples of living in a ‘Blessed Community” and the importance of capturing every thought in Christ Jesus. (II Cor. 10:2-5)

b.      See also, Ex 20:13f; I Jn. 3:15; II Sam. 11.

 Throughout the teaching Jesus names the disciples as “Blessed”, “Salt and light” and challenges them to live up to the names He has given them for the sake of community. Write each passage on a card and look at throughout the day; and record the insights as the Lord reveals to you: one day at a time.

Comments (0)     

Discipleship Mission Gathering / Adopted! / Men's Breakfast

 by Pastor Dennis on 01/27/14

The Discipleship Mission gatherings will begin Sunday, February 9th, 16th, 23rd, and March 2nd after worship. Jesus’ commanded to His disciples to go to the upper room and pray until the Holy Spirit came “clothed with power from on high” then “be my witnesses in Jerusalem…Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” (Luke 24.48; Acts 1.8) Come, grab a cup of coffee and join us in prayer to talk about Christ’s mission through St. Paul in Center, ND and the world.

Men’s Breakfast: Sat., Feb. 15th 8:30-10:00am. Being a ‘stand-up guy’ means standing up in the roles God has created us for. Sometimes the storms of life challenge the courage it takes to stand-up for family and responsibility. How do “stand-up guys” preserver and overcome the challenges? Come and See...invite a friend. 

1st & 3rd Wednesday Worship: come and see…

Feb. 5th: Adopted! A New Attitude. A ship adopts a new attitude (speed and level of assertiveness) to harmonize with the attitude of the sea. Those who accept adoption into God’s household harmonize their attitude to harmonize with the way God looks at the world and God’s people. 

1st & 3rd Wednesday Worship: come and see…

Feb 19th: Adopted! A New Training Schedule. “We play like we train,” God, the coach says. The children of God respond by training in a God’s way for God’s purpose.

 

Comments (0)     

Immanuel: Spirit of God in Baptism

 by Pastor Dennis on 01/13/14

Jesus comes to be baptized for the remission of sins, but he was sinless. John is confused much like Elizabeth is confused when she exclaims, “Why has this happened…that the mother of my Lord comes to me?” (Lk. 1:42) Certainly, Jesus comes as an example of obedience which Jesus does frequently. His actions are in harmony with His preaching. But Jesus is not only a great teacher who lives as a great example. He is the Savior and Redeemer sent by God, who takes all the debt of the world’s sin onto Himself and by His obedient actions, pays the debt so that those who believe in Him might be free from the burden.

            A baptism of repentance is a physical sign of remorse over past words and actions and a sincere plea to turn away from hurtful behavior and trust in the Lord, in the midst of accusation and temptation. John says, “He [meaning the Messiah] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Mt. 3:11)

            A baptism of repentance is an activity by the sinner before the Lord. Baptism by “the Holy Spirit” is an activity of God. The first is a heartfelt desire to change; the second is the activity of a loving God giving the sinner the power to receive a transformed spirit; to become more Christ-like. One has temporal consequences the latter has eternal consequences.

            So, why has the Lord come to us today? To transform our spirit, so that we may become and grow as children of God.

Comments (0)     

« Newer Entries | Main | Older Entries »