Zion Lutheran Church, 2122 Bronson Boulevard, Kalamazoo, MI (2026)

06/22/2026

On my morning walk with Bosco, I noticed a robin, a cardinal, and a bluejay. Each was standing in the street, facing in my direction. They were perfectly spaced about 20 feet from each other. There were no other birds, only those three. They don’t flock, mate, or eat with each other and yet there they were, standing in the same place at the same time. It reminded me of a joke about a rabbi, a priest, and a pastor …

A friend sent a link to a commencement speech by a senior from Harvard. He began his speech by saying, “My life begins with something that could be the start of a joke, and it goes like this. A Christian, a Muslim, and a Jew walk into a bar.” But this time was a little bit different. The Christian married the Muslim, and they had a daughter. That daughter grew up Christian until she met the Jew, converted to Judaism, married the Jew, and had a son. 22 years later, that son is standing here with all of you, graduating from Harvard University.” (Noah Eckstein, 2026)

Why a robin, a cardinal, and a bluejay reminded me of that speech, I don’t know, but it was a fantastic appeal to his graduating class to respect differences. This Jewish young man had a Christian grandfather, a Muslim grandfather, and a Jewish mother. He shared how they each maintained their approach to God, but still found ways to be family. His concern was how our world spends so much time dividing us by differences rather than taking time to understand why others believe what they believe, and how such understanding can bring about conversation. His family is different in many ways but still a family, which is a miracle in and of itself. His appeal was not to surrender beliefs but to understand others so that conversation rather than conflict might keep all relationships more productive.

You have heard that birds of a feather flock together, right? Well, not always! Robins, cardinals, and bluejays don’t flock together but they are still birds and have more in common than what makes them different. I wonder why that is such a tough concept for each of us. If God created us, we are all his children; whether we appreciate that or understand how that can be. We should stand up for what we believe but that shouldn’t prevent us from understanding what others believe and finding ways to keep close. That is not an easy endeavor, and yet if God loves the whole world and everything in it, it seems to behoove us to start with that tenant of faith and work forward from there.

Today a robin, a cardinal, and a blue jay were standing in the street. Was that a fluke? A prophetic message? Or simply a chance occurrence? What a neat visual image that created for me to understand how the love of God can do the impossible, and what might seem impossible to comprehend might indeed be possible. If only we would love as God does … well, you know the rest!

06/20/2026

Robins announce so much in our neighborhood. When it rains, they are after worms. When the lawn has been mowed, they scurry around looking for bugs. A freshly filled birdbath or lawn sprinkler seems to be an invitation for every robin in the neighborhood to show up in our yard. I used to think they were the harbingers of spring but they seem to hang around all year long.

I remember a late winter (or early spring) day, when a cold front surprised everyone, including our robins. There had been some warmer days but suddenly it was winter again, and the robins seemed grounded by the weather. Usually. they disappear for a few days when weather is poor but this front caught even them unaware, as I noticed a small flock of robins, scurrying back and forth on our snow-covered street that two days earlier clean and dry. They usually hunker down in the thickets and trees on our walking path when there is a weather change. But these were literally running, as if in panic mode, on the pavement. I knew they weren’t looking for worms, but was struck by a sight I had never seen before. There must have been a hundred of them running, not in the grass but on the street. Maybe it was only because the road was warmer than the grass. Whatever was up, it was comical watching so many robins running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

Why do I remember that moment? Unless it was simply a visual reminder of how I often feel around similar scenes that play out every day? You know what I mean, don’t you; like when you get comfortable with a routine or “the way things are” and suddenly a storm of life knocks us down like a punch in the gut? How confusing when promises are broken, lies are revealed, or someone we were dependent on is no longer available! So often we must appear to the angels in heaven like a flock of confused robins when we are bewildered by what we didn’t’ expect and start running around, maybe even to the point of panic. That is what we feel like when it is difficult to eat, sleep, or find any peace. We react with confusion when a blast of cold air invades a comfortable life, or lightning flashes and thunder rolls when we were so used to peace and quiet. There are times we are like that flock of robins unaware of what is going on or where to turn. We have all experienced such frantic scurrying around when overwhelmed by the unexpected.

Robins react as only birds can, but we have the ability for more as we understand our access to the loving presence of a God who has worked overtime to make us certain of his care and in revealing his active and loving grace. There was a day in Jesus’ ministry when he went out of his way to make that point. He pointed to a small flock of sparrows and assured the crowd God cared for even the smallest sparrow in that flock and nothing could happen that God was not aware of. Jesus used that word picture to make the more important point of God’s love for us, who are of more value and presence than even the smallest bird.

Each of us has faced something this week or month that affected us the same way as that silly flock of robins dancing in the snow. Whether through rainbows, water crossings, Bethlehem’s manger or Calvary’s empty garden tomb, God has gone to extraordinary lengths to assure us of his active presence and his caring love. This approach is no different than when he stilled a storm for those disciples on the sea, or raised Lazarus from his four-day stay in a tomb. Because you are loved by God, no matter what comes out of the blue, you have the option of allowing God’s peace to overwhelm what is so tempting to overreact to. We always have two choices when storms catch us unaware; we can scurry in circles like robins in the snow or allow God’s incredible, powerful, and true peace to keep us safely in the hands of our God of love.

06/16/2026

What do you think heaven is like? As I kid, I’ll admit to being a little disappointed when a Sunday School teacher insisted that in heaven we would all wear white robes, sing all day long, and have wings. For someone for whom fishing and baseball were a passion, and could only sing two notes, which both were off key, that was not what I was hoping to hear.

Last week, a loved one I have known for much of my life recently asked what I though heaven was. I wasn’t certain if he was looking for a perfect explanation or reassurance, but it make me think about how in the world to give an appropriate answer. Saint John gets us as close as anyone with his vision of heaven, but was limited by language (the curse of Babel) and could only use words at his disposal to describe it. And what words do we have available that are adequate for something as eternal, limitless, and glorious as the presence of the God of creation? Where do we even begin to wonder about what we can’t imagine?

On a trip to Venice, Roxanne and I visited Murano, an island with nothing but glass factories. We experienced the incredible change of sand being melted into glass, attached to a long metal tube, and the breath of a glass blower gave a blob of molten glass a shape. Chemicals could be added to give color to that glass. To me, it brought to mind the image of Genesis where God breathed life into a lump of clay and the miracle of a living being. A glass blower in Murano sparked a connection as he gradually shaped a blob of glass, pushed and twisted it with tongs as he kept breathing into the tube, and suddenly he wound up with an incredible glass horse that seemed as perfect as DaVinci’s incredible statue of a horse. How can we jump from that to even imagine infinite perfection in the presence of God who created an ever-expanding universe, planets and tidal pools, wind and wave and arrived as a baby in a Bethlehem manger?

More and more I envision heaven not so much as a location (in our sense of the word) but being in the infinite, glorious, perfect presence of God in a face-to-face relationship of perfect love and peace that never ends. It will be the culmination of Jesus’ earthly birth day as he surrendered the infinite glory of heaven to be confined in an earthly body. For us it will be like a prisoner exchange, where we escape what limits us to earthly imperfections to be literally blown away by the breath of God’s spirit and united with pure light, unending love, indescribable joy, and a peace that lasts beyond what we can imagine.

Today I visited a gallery and saw something created by a master glass blower that I have no sense of how it could have been done, or have words to even describe it to someone else. If I multiply that by numbers greater than I can understand, and flavor it with the love of a manger and freedom of Easter, it is only the beginning of a tiny clue what is more beautiful, timeless, shapeless, glorious, and purer than anyone can imagine -- perfectly heavenly love, joy, and peace!

06/11/2026

I have a new love in my life and don’t know how to break the news to my wife … except she already knows and I am definitely in the dog house. But I love her more than ever!

Bosco, our beagle, has finally surrendered his aloofness and apprehension in my presence and accepted me into his inner sanctum. It is what Shakespeare referred to as a sea change. Allow me to share what turned the tide or broke the ice dam. Roxanne engineered a retirement party for one of her favorite people who has been helpful to her with township matters. She had the owner of our favorite hockey bar, who caters special events, provide food for the party. Hamburgers were part of the menu and it was set up as a buffet line. I told him he didn’t need to stay, as it was twenty miles south of town, and offered to bring back all his pans and supplies to his establishment that night. There were a few hamburgers left which I threw in a plastic bag and we took home as treats for Bosco.

Rox and I were exhausted and sat down to watch TV. I brought some leftover hamburger pieces in a cereal bowl to the couch, for Bosco to have a snack. For the first time ever he actually came and sat next to me, which I will admit, made Rox a little jealous as he is her dog and loves to snuggle with her. Even when the food was gone, he sat and licked my hands and then fell asleep next to me. While I found that amusing, Rox struggled with seeing her little guy grow up. Since then, when watching TV, Bosco will often come and sit next to me, in case there are burgers bits to be had. I like to think he finally loves me, but know it is just a beagle being conditioned once by his sense of smell. So, as the proverb goes, patience is indeed a virtue. (For a beagle, hamburgers are a good help with patience.)

So often life is like that! It doesn’t take much for a sea change in relationships, and often it is not something planned but a surprise that makes things new. Patience and prayer can be like hamburgers in such cases, with patience being a necessity. It is kind of like the gift of faith. When we surround ourselves in that aroma, God can work through what we can’t and brings to bear what is beyond our efforts to control. If I had only known to try burgers for Bosco, it could have happened sooner. More importantly, the tide has turned. Patience is rewarded more often than we might imagine and has more to do with giving up the need to control and simply let things play out, as they usually will. Patience is integral to faith and allows miracles we never could have expected.

06/08/2026

On a tour of Austria, we came across a wonderful hilltop monastery overlooking the river on which we had been sailing. It challenged my presumption that most monasteries are full of quiet people who have withdrawn from society to spend their time in meditation and prayer. There are some places where that is true, but this monastery had hundreds of acres of vineyards and orchards. Some of the monks took care of the care of the facilities, worked on the crops, and made wine and jams to sell in the community. It was a beautiful facility with a gorgeous sanctuary, an incredible massive ceiling fresco in their living and meeting building, an awesome wine cellar where they gave tours, and sold bottled wine and their own jellies and jams that had become famous in that region. In the courtyard were bleachers for their annual concert series where well-known European musicians helped raise funds for ministry.

The few monks we saw were busy at work, whether as cooks, carpenters, beekeepers, or working in the winery or fields. 90% of the monks who lived in that monastery had full time jobs as teachers, librarians, social workers, farmers, or other service jobs in surrounding villages. They understood worship as how they daily celebrated and shared the love of Jesus. It was both humbling and refreshing to see that what appeared to be a sanctuary from the world was in fact a bustling center of faith whose inhabitants daily went into the world as a way to share their talents and abilities for the sake of their community. What an inspiring reminder of what it means to be part of Christ’s Church.

Jesus never gave instructions to create institutions, structures, rules for church membership, or a sense that some Christians are closer to God than others. Instead, he spent his life sharing the love of God, welcoming all into his fellowship, and reminding his disciples to touch the lives around them with the love of God. We worship God by how we serve others, teaching them by word and deed that we are only seeking to do for each other what Jesus has done for us. That is what it means to be the Church. Jesus never taught his followers to become an institution or an escape from daily living but a gathering of the faithful to be inspired by God’s love and sent as disciples into his world to touch all lives with the good news of his love. He never promised it would be easy, but it is who we are called to be. God doesn’t need us to tell him how great he is, but simply calls us to share the greatness of his love for all by how we live and serve.

06/05/2026

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” As a child I couldn’t define vocation, understand what it took to clothe and feed us, or how important love and the help of others was in shaping who we would become. Those were not concerns for me as it was family, teachers, and friends who always dealt with such issues for me.

Saint Paul confessed his growing into faith came as he realized he had to give up childish thoughts and ways. Life would be so much easier if we could predict each tomorrow and be assured decisions would always work out. (That is the kind of magical thinking that colored our lives as children.) Growing up is better understood as growing into the gifts and tools of our lives of faith. When we face dramatic life changes and surprises we are forced to adjust priorities, schedules, and responsibilities appropriately. Experience has taught us that those who already accept the purpose and value of life and celebrate God’s unique gift in each life, will deal with tomorrow with the same vision that enables how they do everything else in life. It is like learning to ride a bike so that when the training wheels area taken away, we already knew how to ride but never thought about it that way.

When a crisis arises and one is simply used to expecting mom or dad will be around to fix what is broken, it is difficult to know what to do next. On the other hand, if we have gotten used to seeing God’s gifts helping in the normal moments of life, our experience can keep us from paralysis when difficulty rears its ugly head. Growing into faith is getting used to the thankful and responsible integration of faith, hope, and love as God’s gifts to deal with each new moment of life. Knowing whose we are means there is already guidance, assurance of God’s partnership, and the confidence that comes from God’s grace.

Jesus explained that concept in his many parables that contrasted those who either used or buried the gifts they were given. Faith is not for a rainy day, but for every day, so that when the dark storm clouds gather we don’t have to learn a new dance step or find new tools. That doesn’t guarantee life will be as perfect as we would hope, but enables a confidence to living the world cannot share. How warm a feeling it is to already have in hand the well-worn handles of God’s tool set of faith, hope, and love!

06/01/2026

One of our families had an adult son, who spent his entire life at home because of a debilitating genetic flaw. He couldn’t walk or talk, didn’t develop emotionally and physically as most do, and needed help with every daily need. Before he was born his parents were told how difficult their lives would be, which was true as we saw their pain of losing him to an earthly death. Many assumed their son was unaware of his world around him. His parents would beg to differ. Their interaction was special and an inspiration to all who know them. When he was younger, dad would carry him into church. As he got older, he came in a wheelchair. The phrase “special needs” was his birth blessing, and “special love” was the miracle gift from God his parents offered in response.

One church member related a Sunday when she heard loud screeching noises behind her during worship. She wondered why parents weren’t taking better control of their child. She turned to see an imperfect young man, trapped in the body of a child, being held in his father’s arms. She saw the child’s smile and the love of his parents as they hugged and held him close. She shared how embarrassed she was of her first reaction but thankful for the moment as from that day on, this family was a reminder for her of the love that only comes from God. This was faith in action, in their body language, their eyes, and their peace as they sat and loved their son. She said from then on, every noise from this young man was for her like a message from an angel. Such is the miracle of faith.

In his earthly birth and death Jesus embraced our greatest moments of weakness to connect our special needs with heavenly love. He continues to touch our lives with his presence and power which allows us to live with faith, hope, and love despite our personal limitations or weakness. I am humbled by families such as this one when I realize how easily I can get distracted by what I feel is unfair or I have no means to control. God is alive and well on Planet Earth. Each of us has seen such moments of glory and should never fail to thank God for the special ways he surprises us with his presence. More than we often realize we are surrounded by such miracles that can remind us of our own call to wash feet, love the broken, and allow faith to free us for the special need of servant love. Faith understands that God has stooped to our level to lift us to his, embracing and healing every one of our special needs with a love that is greater, never-ending, and contagious for all whom it touches. There are so many daily ways the Christmas angels continue to sing!

05/29/2026

There has been much debate regarding Pope Leo’s statements regarding how people treat each other. Some feel he has no right to comment on what might be considered political or social issues. Those who resent having their parades of selfishness, ego, and control rained on are always quick to find fault with anything having to do with how faith looks in action. And yet, Jesus calls all who truly believe to let His light shine. That leads to an example of one man that has touched me in how in a very simple and quiet way he went about letting Jesus’ light shine in his life. And doing so changed more lives than one might imagine.

One of the most cheerful and loving guys I have ever known died this week. He was a principal, husband, and father, as well as being a shining beacon of Christ’s love in every life he touched. He taught in difficult public school settings. He was a principal of one of those schools, when many with his years in the classroom would have preferred a more lucrative and easier role rather than to continue to spend time in the trenches. One example of his parenting gives a clue as to how he found simple ways to let Christ’s love shine in his life.

When I became his pastor, his three daughters were grown. Two were married and the youngest was in college. He and his wife were always happy, supportive, and loved by all who knew them. (And always will be!) But one action went above and beyond what I had ever even considered for my own children, but showed how he put faith, hope, and love into action. Every week he handwrote a letter to each daughter! I don’t know how or why he started that or how many years it continued but to think of all he had on his plate and he still took time to write loving letters to his children every week blew me away. His wife was responsible for beginning our preschool and served many years as teacher and role model for many of our children. Now that they are reunited in heavenly peace, their earthly ups and downs are over, but their shining example of servant love will never be forgotten. Their daughters have been incredible gifts to their families and everyone they ever touched has grown in our own ways of living because of how he allowed the love of Jesus to shine in practical and daily ways.

You see it is one thing to say are people of faith, but putting those words into concrete action is where the rubber truly meets the road! This gentle man, like a gentle pope and millions of others, understood faith is a verb and not a noun. If anyone in our world finds that offensive it is simply a reminder we have to keep letting Jesus’ light shine, especially for the sake of those who allow (or enjoy) darkness to cloud their living. We must never be afraid to let Jesus’ light shine, as that allows his faith, hope, and love, to touch lives that others might never touch.

05/25/2026

Memorial Day is a holiday remembering military members who have died while serving our country. Most who serve in the military are not looking to die or even to face battle, but in being part of such service commit themselves completely for the sake of others, realizing the cost of such service might be the cause of their own earthly death. It is right to take time to honor the lives of those whose commitment is so great. My father served for a quarter of a century in the military, while I did not serve at all. The commitment he made was not one asked of me. Exempt from the military draft during Vietnam because I was studying for the ministry, I never considered having to give up my life for my country, as he was willing to do. What most like me, who have not served in his way, do not understand is that the commitment of the military is one of surrender to their leadership. As fewer serve in the military there are more and more in leadership who do not understand the sacrifice they were not willing to make but expect others to make because of their decisions. It is a sober reality that one who has not been in such shoes cannot fully understand the price being asked of others.

I raise this issue because it is true. Politics has nothing to do with our pause to remember the sacrifice of others, and should never be the motivation for expecting others to make a sacrifice that leaders have not been willing to make themselves. That is all the more reason to take time to appreciate and honor those whose love for country allows them to follow orders and policies of others who might have no understanding of the depth of what is being asked. As Christians, we have a similar, daily remembrance of a more earth-shaking reality. God embraced our broken world, with all its flaws and imperfections, in service to the entire world. He lovingly and willing paid the ultimate price by sacrificing his life, not for a nation or political expediency, but out of loving surrender to each life he created. Jesus was born knowing he would die in service to billions of lives who caused the pain of conflict, stoked the fires of selfishness and hatred, and were trapped in the consequences of a war between heaven and earth. And yet Christ served willingly, completely, lovingly, and faced death for you and I, even though most of us do not even have a clue of what such a sacrifice entails. That is a perfect love.

My father, like many of his compatriots who served loved his family, his life, and his country. He didn’t always agree with his leaders but his commitment to serve was the price of his commitment to serve. He didn’t die in battle, but died nonetheless and because of his service was honored with full military honors in Arlington National cemetery. One of the symbols of his service, when he was buried, was a riderless horse with boots in the stirrups of the saddle facing backward as a sign of a rider that had served but would ride for his country no more. In our daily memorial remembrance of Jesus’ love a cross is the symbol that reminds us of his service for us. The empty cross proclaims his victory for us is complete and will never need be mounted by him again. For Christians, most of whom will never be asked to pay such a price for the lives of others it should always be a sober reminder of the price of God’s love, and the duty and obligation I have to others for a life given back to me as a gift. A life to be lived not to demand attention or fame but to serve others as I have been served.

Just was we understand the frustration of members of the military who have often been asked to surrender their lives by those who have not made that same commitment, but obey orders because of their commitment, we likewise, as people of faith ought feel a similar obligation of loving service and complete surrender to God’s call for us to follow in his footsteps, knowing he asks with the reality that he has already done even more for us. Memorial Day is special, and needs more attention than it gets, but offers a practical example for people of faith of why it is important to take more time to be thankful for what God has done for us, and decide whether we will respond in kind, or selfishly ignore the completeness of a love that has given everything, even life, for you and for me.

We have gotten better at saying “thank you for your service” to those who serve and should pay even more attention to God’s similar desire to be able to say to each of us, “thank you for your service.” We are, after all, in this together, as he has paid the price to be free from sin and death and free to live in service to each other as he has done even for each of us. When Jesus asked his disciples to “do this in memory of me,” he intended those words to echo daily in our hearts and minds as well. Every moment is to be a memorial to his perfect love.

05/22/2026

I was sitting on our deck, in the early evening, and a cardinal started its call which on this night was two long whistles followed by four or five short ones. After a brief silence, I tried to mimic the whistle. And the cardinal responded. Not knowing what his call meant, I don’t know if it was mocking me or talking to another cardinal. I repeated the call but with only two short following whistles. And the cardinal responded in kind. It was a weird moment as felt we were relating but had no clue what that meant.

But if felt good to have paid attention and taken a moment to remember we are always surrounded by God and his creation. Rather than assume I have all the answers, such moments allow me to watch, look, and listen to the life God places all around me, not only for me to control but for me to see how much greater God’s creation is than simply me. I know that God has changed my life through his sacrificial love, and yet often fail to allow my changed life to remember God is the creator of all that is, and his plan is not for me to usurp but to embrace in thanks to him and service to those around me.

My nature moment with cardinals reminded me of a simple approach to life, as God intended, from a Cherokee parable from centuries in the past. A grandfather was explaining life choices to his grandson, using nature to explain that struggle. He told his grandson we each have two wolves inside us. One is full of jealousy, anger, sorrow, greed, lies, selfishness and the like. The other is full of hope, joy, love, compassion, and faith. The grandson asked his grandfather “which wolf will win?” And his grandfather answered, “the one that you feed.” The fact that dogs are called man’s best friend, and yet are also descended from wolves added to that image for me.

Bosco the beagle, is a gift of God who has given me insights I would never have considered had I not paid more attention to our easy or difficult moments. As Bosco and I tug back and forth on his/my leash, whether he or I am pulling, is a reminder that my wants and needs are not more important than others. There is much God has created which is beyond my control or even understand. Faith is my surrender to God and the willingness to watch, look, and listen for his guidance rather than trying to shape God into my wants and needs. Faith is deciding which part of my nature I will feed. Sitting in the quiet of an evening breeze, watching clouds and listening to birds sing helps me remember what such a surrender feels like. In the same way trying to figure out a stubborn little beagle, that is as much a life from God as me, is a gentle step in the right direction. It’s all about what we choose to feed and what song we wish to sing.

Zion Lutheran Church

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