It was 1977.  Spring of the year.  Finals week.  My senior year at Northwestern College, Watertown, WI.  After every exam, I came back to my dorm room--triumphant.  Another class--finished.  Another exam-aced. 
 
So first, I threw open my 3rd floor, Wartburg Hall dorm windows which faced the center of the campus. Then I marched over to my behemoth stereo receiver: a Sansui 9090 which pumped out 110 watts of pure, pulsing power per channel through my state-of-the-art Bose 901 speakers.  On my cassette recorder (also top-of-the-line). I cued up Handel's Messiah, the Hallelujah Chorus. And then I cranked it.  Max. 
 
All the rafters in our dorm room and Wartburg Hall were dusted.  Seismographs as far away as Rockford, Illinois, registered a 4.2 magnitude event.  And as NWC was blanketed with the glorious majesty of Handel's signature work, I stood.  (It's tradition for the Chorus.)  And I smiled, as I gazed out upon the campus--the sun shining, birds singing (I think--nobody could hear them for a few moments), and I rejoiced.  All was right with the world.
 
I don't remember how many exams took place where I was able to repeat this earth-shattering, rafter-dusting event.  But I do remember the last one.  Once again I was immersed in the grandeur and the glory of the moment, when somewhere--nibbling away at the edges of my consciousness, I thought I heard something.  Or was it someone?  I turned, and there stood Dean Lindemann in my dorm room door.   He was not a happy camper. My rafter-dusting days at NWC came to a screeching halt. 
 
But not my rafter dusting days in life. I write my best sermons, Bible Classes, Meditations, or Wednesday Encouragements when my current surround-sound system is dusting the rafters of my home.  My songs of choice?   It depends on the day and my mood.  Sometimes I cue up the group, IL Divo on YouTube. This quartet sings a version of Amazing Grace, complete with a bagpipe, that makes devils run, and saints of God stand tall.  (In fact, give me a minute.  I'm listening to it right now.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYMLMj-SibU)
 
I weep. I laugh. I sing along with all the power and force I can muster. I am immersed in the moment.  And I rejoice in what my Savior has done for me, and for all of us.  His grace.  Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.  I once was lost, but now am found.  Was blind, but now I see. 
 
Another day I may dust the rafters with "In Christ Alone."   I enjoy an acappella version.  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjiiF83q7G0)   And as he stands in victory, sin's curse has lost its grip on me.  For I am his, and he is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ!  Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me. 
 
Other days, when I look at some of my pictures on the walls, I think of my wife, my parents.  So I dust the rafters with the song, "I Can Only Imagine" by Mercy Me. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_lrrq_opng)
 
I can only imagine, when that day comes, and I find myself standing in the sun.  I can only imagine when all I do is forever worship you… Surrounded by your glory, what will my heart feel?  Will I dance for you, Jesus or in awe of You, be still? Will I stand in Your presence, Or to my knees, will I fall?   Will I sing hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine.
 
And so it goes.  My rafters are dusted.  And my heart and soul, too.  For the Spirit also works through music that is rooted in Scripture.  Dr. Luther once said, "Next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise. The gift of language combined with the gift of song was given to man that he should proclaim the Word of God through Music."
 
And again:  "Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us."
 
I am no Luther, but I sure do enjoy dusting the rafters. Maybe you can do the same this week with some of the links I've shared.
 
And you won't even need a ladder. 
 
Privileged to Serve,
Rev. Glenn Schwanke

Around the turn of the millennium (about 26 years ago), I was involved in a car accident in the driveway of a Post Office in Phoenix. Upon investigation, the insurance company determined that the other driver was completely at fault, which required that her policy pay for damage to both vehicles. Thankful I wouldn’t have to navigate further through such a potential legal & financial mess, I put the incident behind me.
 
Four months later, I received an envelope in the mail. It was addressed to Stephen Lutherland. Lutherland? Is that a theme park? With my last name, could I get free admission to such a place? Imagine! Lutherland!
 
Alas, the letter inside did not bring good tidings. It was from a claims management company demanding payment of $1,156.92. The vehicle I drove the day of the accident was a rental car. Apparently, the rental company was not satisfied with the amount received and sought further assessments covering loss of use, diminution of value, the hiring of staff to type the letter and lick the envelope and stick the stamp in the upper right hand corner of said envelope.
    
Long story short…my insurance company came to my rescue again, said I was not responsible for this claim and promised to handle this issue for me. In short, I should never have even received the letter. Still, this occurrence cost me a few days of uncertainty and stress and extra time to deal with it.
    
Satan operates like this. He knows our weak spots. He knows where we’re most vulnerable to guilt and despair…and he attacks. “You’re guilty. You’re a loser. You’ll pay for what you’ve done. There’s no way God will forgive you.” Which is exactly what we would expect from the father of lies. Martin Luther often spoke of fending off such attacks from Satan:
    
When I go to bed, the Devil is always waiting for me. When he begins to plague me, I give him this answer, “Devil, I must sleep. That’s God’s command: ‘Work by day. Sleep by night.’ So go away.” If that doesn’t work and he brings out a catalog of sins, I say, ‘Yes, old fellow, I know all about it. And I know some more you have overlooked. Here are a few extra. Put them down (too).
 
When he felt especially pressed by Satan, Luther would throw at him 1 John 1:7 – “The blood of Jesus, (God’s) Son, purifies me from all sin.” Not one sin is unforgiven. Christ’s perfect, sinless life and innocent shed blood paid the price for every sin, and his resurrection from the dead exposes Satan’s jabs as lies and untruths.
 
How shall we respond to God’s continued grace to us? Let’s follow Paul’s example and offer enthusiastic praise:
 
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are his judgments
and how untraceable his ways!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his adviser?”
35 “Or who has first given to God
that he will be repaid
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.  (Romans 11:33-36)
 
God’s grace and peace be with you,
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand

I have a Type-A Personality.  I like control.  I like to make plans and stick to my plans.  So, it's often tiny, unexpected complications in the day that frustrate the living daylights out of me, because they muck up my plans.
 
Like last week Wednesday, before the Memorial Day weekend.  I headed over to Trinity for Wednesday Bible Class.  I was towing my trailer, because I had it all planned.  Bible class.  Then a communion visit at 2 PM.  Then tow my trailer over to Wally World to buy some large planters for outside, and 24 bags of topsoil and compost for my raised bed containers.  After that I'd circle around to Ace Hardware and pick up plants and 3 trees.  One apple, one crab apple as a pollinator, and one cherry. 
 
I had it all planned.  Until I looked down at the instrument cluster on my 2013 Chevy Traverse.  A red light I had never seen before screamed at me, "Service Battery Charging System."  And my gauge showing volts?  It had bottomed out.  "Great," I thought.  "I bet my alternator died."
 
I got to church.  I made a few phone calls.  I tried to concentrate during ABC.  Then asked Lyle Luchterhand if he could follow me over to Minocqua Chevrolet where I would drop the car off for service.  He agreed.  I made a few more phone calls and canceled my communion visit for the day.  Then I disconnected my trailer and left that in the church parking lot.  I limped my way over to the dealership parking lot and breathed a sigh of relief when I parked it right next to the service entrance.  In the meantime, I had informed Lyle I was going to visit service first.  Sales second.  Would he wait?  Yes!
 
So that's what I did.  I left my 2013 at the dealership where it waits for an alternator.  And in the sales department?  I test drove the exact 2023 Chevy Traverse I had checked out online over the last few weeks-- quite often.  I had planned to look at it after Memorial Day when I wasn't so busy.  But after a test drive, the deal was done.  Lyle gave me a ride back to church to pick up my trailer.  Oops!  I had forgotten the keys for the hitch lock on my 2013 key ring--which of course was back at the dealership. "Let's not go back.  The traffic is crazy."  So, we pushed the trailer off of the parking lot, between the sheds.  Lyle brought me home.  The new Traverse was delivered Saturday morning last weekend.
 
However, just about every day since then, my plans have--in one way or another--exploded.  Leading to a loaner F-150 with a trailer hitch so I could bring my trailer home (and buy everything I had planned to get on Wednesday).  Then a dead battery in the loaner F-150, which prompted me to think, "You have got to be kidding me!"
 
It takes life's complications to remind me of a very basic truth.  I am not a god.  I am not in control.   The Lord tips my life upside down and shakes it around with complications to teach me. "A person’s heart plans his way, but the LORD makes his steps secure." (Proverbs 16:9) "There are many plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that will prevail."  (Proverbs 19:21) "I know, LORD, that a man’s way is not his own, nor can a man direct his own steps."  (Jeremiah 10:23) 
 
Even though I know all these things, too often my rock-hard German/Norwegian brain forgets.  So, the Lord rearranges my life according to his plans.  And when I get flustered by this?  Anxious?  Through Scripture, the Spirit focuses my attention back on Jesus who says, "For this reason I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. . .Look at the birds of the air.  They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? Which of you can add a single moment to his lifespan by worrying?... So do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” ... Certainly, your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."   (Matthew 6:25-33) 
 
After I worked through my little self-pity party over my ruined planning, I had to smile.  When all was said and done, I got the new car I wanted.  I will get my old one repaired to use a back-up and winter car. 
 
And a moment later, this thought hit me!  That alternator could have died the weekend before, when I took a load of furniture down to my kids who live in Milton, a bedroom community for Janesville.  But the trip went as smooth as silk, down and back.  Was there an angel monitoring the alternator so it died where I would be able to get it into a shop, and at that same dealership buy the very car I had been looking at, plus have a friend patiently wait through the whole process and then give me a ride home? 
 
Our Lord guides our lives in ways we would never dream of--through blown-up plans, disappointments, raging storms, and also His unexpected blessings, pure gifts of grace. 
 
Privileged to Serve,
Rev. Glenn Schwanke

Something to think about as you fire up the grill or head out onto the lake this weekend…
 
It isn’t all about me…or you.
 
Inscribed near the entrance of a cemetery in Okinawa, where many American military personnel are buried, are these words: “We gave our todays in order that you might have your tomorrows.” Memorial Day is a time to remember that the life we are able to enjoy in our country is due to the service and sacrifice of others.
 
It isn’t all about me…or you.
 
Indeed, the earthly resting places of many of these men and women who gave their all are scattered throughout the world: in Valley Forge and Guadalcanal, Gettysburg, Normandy, Iraq, Afghanistan, Arlington. They have perished in battle on land and on sea, and in plane crashes on the other side of the world. When their bodies could be found, these heroes have received for their sacrifices a few square feet of foreign or native soil.
 
It isn’t all about me. This coming weekend reminds me that things don’t always have to “go my way” as I insist on “my rights over anyone else’s.” Memorial Day reminds me to look past the end of my own nose and express concern for others…as has been done for me.
 
Memorial Day is more than an excuse for a three-day weekend, more than the unofficial beginning of summer, more than an excuse to fire up the grill, more than the weekend of the Indianapolis 500. It’s Memorial Day, which means we remember those who died while serving our country. We also do well to remember those who have served and sacrificed and are still living, and we do well to remember those who are still serving on our behalf. And not just remember them but thank them. When we do this, we’re really thanking the God who is the source of every blessing.
 
Truly, it isn’t all about me. Thank you, Lord, for your continued outpouring of undeserved blessings upon our nation. Thank you, Lord for the service and sacrifice of so many others that have helped to keep us free.
 
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22,23 NIV)
 
Grateful with you,
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand

The boxes are all packed.  Cupboards and closets are empty.  Only a few pieces of furniture remain in the house my father-in-law and mother-and-law built in 1982.  The house is a little tattered and worn now, but it was a warm and inviting home for them.  They loved this place that they named "Pinebrook." 

Because Grandma passed away back in February, the house is being emptied, and then it will be professionally cleaned, before going on sale this summer.  Since I live next door, I'm doing most of the work, in bits and pieces, and I take my time to be careful. 

So it happened that I opened a file cabinet I thought was already empty, but I was surprised to find it still filled with pictures.  Others had already checked this cabinet, but no one wants these pictures.  So be it.  I will take them.  Because even though this house is all but empty, it is still filled with memories.  So many memories.

As I glance through the pictures, I see some are of my wife's great-grandparents--from Estonia.  There are pictures of my wife's grandparents.  And high-school pictures of Terry's parents.  Then their wedding pictures, and a picture of her parents taken in the Northwoods just before my father-in-law, Dick, left for the army.  Then the pictures jump ahead to the time I joined the family.  Our wedding pictures.  Then pictures of this now-empty house as it was being built.  Then family gatherings.  There's even one with me in the foreground--being me, the prankster.  Standing on one of Pinebrook's decks in blue coveralls.  I had jammed a pillow inside the front of my coveralls, and another in back.  I was wearing swampers.  I made sure to push out my stomach for added effect.  Terry's family is seated behind, laughing.  (As I ponder this picture, it seems sadly prophetic…but hey, I am losing weight!)

Then come pictures with my daughter, Tori, a newborn.  Then pictures of her when she was still an infant, including the infamous one where we made her wear a goofy-looking cow-suit she was given by her grandparents. Then more pictures over the years of family.  There are lots of pictures of the property I now own, including step-by-step construction of what is now my home, and several outbuildings.  More pictures--of trees planted and gardens attempted.  (Both of my in-laws had black thumbs.)  Of more family gatherings.  Thanksgivings.  Christmas celebrations.  Smiles.  Laughter.  So many memories.

Memories that can't be boxed up and taken to Goodwill or the dump.  Memories that flood my thoughts most days.  Often they bring a smile.  Sometimes a few tears. 

Until there comes the whisper.  A gentle whisper.  Always a gentle whisper, from my gracious Lord.  His whisper varies, depending on the day. But it is His Spirit who tugs out words He had me tuck away in my heart long ago--many during youth confirmation.  Those whispers include…

John 14:1-3 “Do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that you may also be where I am."

As I look around my in-law's empty house, I see all the things I should have fixed.  A trim board here.  A broken light over there.  But not so in heaven.  Never in heaven.  Jesus is the architect, contractor, and skilled craftsman who has already built mansions for all our Christian loved ones who have passed over into eternity!  Mansions that will never wear out.  Never look tattered; never need an upgrade.  And when our time comes, He will do the same for us.  Even better?  Jesus is the financier for our mansions.  He has made payment for them--in advance!  100%. There is nothing left for us to pay.  Our proof?  His cross. (See Romans 6:23, 1 Peter 2:24)

Another whisper:   

Revelation 21:4-5   "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain, because the former things have passed away.” The one who was seated on the throne said to me, “Look, I am making everything new!” He also said, “Write, for these words are trustworthy and true."

Memories now often bring a tear, coupled with the painful thought, "I really miss you."  Or, "I used to could…but now my hip gets cranky, and my back is shot. I feel useless."  Not so in heaven.  Never in heaven.  Instead, there everything will be new--forever new.  The Lord's couples this promise with his divinely stamped guarantee: "These words are trustworthy and true!" 

And then comes this whisper, the one the Spirit tugs out of my heart the most.  

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you do not grieve in the same way as the others, who have no hope. Indeed, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then in the same way we also believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. In fact, we tell you this by the word of the Lord: We who are alive and left until the coming of the Lord will certainly not go on ahead of those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them, to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, encourage one another with these words."
 
I will see all my Christian loved ones again--in heaven.  No more sad good-byes.  No more empty boxes.  No more yellowed pictures.  No more memories.   Rather, we will be together--forever--with our Lord. 
 
Privileged to Serve,
​Rev. Glenn Schwanke

“I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) People tend to use this passage as a motivator to be able to achieve anything and everything they would like to do – like finish that Peloton bike workout or make it through a trip along Highway 51’s detours and downtown Minocqua’s construction without losing one’s patience (especially with summer traffic about to invade our area. 
​
But is that really what Paul means? If I want to play basketball like LeBron James, will Jesus give me the strength to do that? If I want to climb to the top of our church steeple like Spiderman, will Jesus give me the ability to do that? If I want to become debt-free, pain-free, worry-free by noon on Saturday, will Jesus give me the blessing and the strength to get there? He could, but he likely won’t.
 
Consider the context. Paul is in prison. It’s just house arrest, but he doesn’t deserve to be there. It’s unfair. It’s a hardship and a struggle. However, in the verses just before our text, Paul writes: “I rejoice greatly in the Lord now that you have revived your concern for me once again. Actually, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I lack anything; in fact, I have learned to be content in any circumstances in which I find myself.  I know what it is to live in humble circumstances, and I know what it is to have more than enough. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, while being full or hungry, while having plenty or not enough.” (vv. 10-12)
 
Then he writes the familiar words, ““I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” Considering the context, Paul is saying that even though he’s in a challenging situation, he knows that he will get through because Jesus is with him and will give him strength.
 
These words are so meaningful to us as well. When we are sad or feeling down, when we’re enduring grief or pain, when we’re going through difficult and painful situations, we know that we can be content. We know that we will get through. We will endure. Why? Jesus is with us and he gives us strength.
 
Jesus, our Savior, provides everything we need for every time and circumstance in life. He’s already provided forgiveness of sins and life with God through his sacrifice on the cross.  He confirmed these great gifts through his resurrection. He has come to each of us personally and given the gift of faith in order to cling to him and to receive his strength.
 
Where does Jesus’ strength come from? Does it come from looking within myself? Does it come from reading or watching inspirational stories in the news? Does it come from my own will and perseverance? Christ’s strength comes only from his Word and Sacraments. Daily, we can feast on the rich pastures of his Word. Daily, we can remember our Baptism. And in Holy Communion, Jesus offers personal, tangible assurance that I am his and he is mine.
 
Truly, I can do everything through Christ, who strengthens me!
 
A prayer:
Lord Jesus, you are always with me. Thank you for your presence. Thank you for your strength. I am able to endure all things through you. I am able to do everything that matters through the strength you provide in Word and Sacrament. Lord, lead me to come to you, to listen, to eat and drink, and live. Amen.
 
In Christ who gives me strength,
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand

I’ll supply some for you:

• A birthday is just your body’s annual software update—except instead of fixing bugs, it adds new ones.
• Birthdays are weird. One day you’re excited about cake and presents, and the next you’re Googling “is back pain normal at my age?”

• Happy Birthday! Your social media posts about your age are still more exciting than you are in person.
• You’re officially one year closer to senior citizen discounts. Exciting times!
• Cheers to you not aging a day! (We’re all lying, but it’s your birthday so we’ll pretend.)
• Celebrating the anniversary of your first day on earth. What a great day that was for all some of us!
• “Make a wish!” I wish my knees worked better.
• You’re at the age where your back goes out more than you do. 
• Your cake requires a fire extinguisher now.

 
Yep, today is the anniversary of my birthdate, the commemoration of my latest trip around the sun.
Four years ago, dear friends (who happen to be older than me!) shared the cake in the picture, complete with the sarcasm implicit in the icing.
 
How old? I like to say I’m in my prime, and it’s true – in the decade of age known as the 60s (not the 1960s, though that is the decade in which I was born), there are two prime numbers. I’m the first of those two prime 60ish numbers old. Figure it out…
 
Age is just a state of mind, right? 60 is the new 40. 80 is the new 60, etc. The exact date isn’t important, though I do share a birthdate with Willie Nelson, Jerry Seinfeld, and rapper Master P (ironically, a nickname given to me by some young adults at my church in Phoenix).
 
I share my birthdate with a couple of birthday “twins” who are known to me (both at Trinity and in my extended family). I recently learned that a married couple at Trinity has this day as their wedding anniversary. May I just summarize by saying that April is the best month?!
 
What matters is God’s grace. It is constant, relentless, unchanging, overwhelming. Each day is a new day of grace in the Lord! “By the mercies of the Lord we are not consumed, for his compassions do not fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. My soul says, ‘The Lord is my portion. Therefore, I will hope in him.’” (Lamentations 3:22-24) Here’s to another trip around the sun under the watchful eye of the Son, Jesus Christ!
 
In Christ,
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand

Rejoice in the Lord Always!
"Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord."  (Philippians 3:1)
 
 "Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again: Rejoice!"  (Philippians 4:4)
 
Joy!  It bubbles up from the words of Paul's letter to the church at Philippi as if from a clear, mountain-fed spring.  But why?  Paul wrote this letter while under house arrest in Rome.  How did he get there?  Because he had insisted on going back to Jerusalem at the end of his third missionary journey.  And he did that because he took personal responsibility for delivering a special offering that he had helped gather in many of the churches he visited.  The offering's purpose?  To provide aide for fellow Christians in Jerusalem and the area struggling to survive during a severe famine.
 
But Paul had enemies in Jerusalem--all his former buddies from his days as a Pharisee.  Once they saw "Paul Benedict Arnold" back in town, the Jews rioted!  The Roman guard arrested Paul for his own safety.  (Acts 21:30-36)  He was transferred to a Roman jail in Caesarea.  There Paul sat forgotten for two long years, until a new Roman governor came into office:  Festus.  It seems he wanted to clear the books of cases that had fallen through the cracks, so Festus summoned Paul in and asked if Paul would be willing to stand trial in Jerusalem.  Paul's response?  “I am standing before Caesar’s judicial bench, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as also you yourself know very well. If I am guilty and have done something worthy of death, I am not trying to escape death. But if there is nothing to the charges they are making against me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!"  (Acts 25:10-11)
 
So, to Caesar he went. That meant Rome.  Paul's journey there reads like a nightmare.  (Acts 27-28) And when Paul finally got to Rome?  More delays, as Paul waited for a hearing with Caesar.  It was during this arrest that Paul wrote a number of epistles--including the letter to the Philippians.  Time?  About 62 AD.  Some five years after he had been arrested in Jerusalem!  Five years gone!
 
After all that, I'm not sure I would have been quite so ready to put pen to paper and write, "Rejoice!"
 
For that matter, I'm not sure I would have been quite so eager to greet the Philippians with these words.  "I thank my God every time I remember you. Every time I pray for all of you, I always pray with joy, because of your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now."  (Philippians 1:3-5)
 
Why?  Well, it's true that Paul and Silas received a special, direct, God-given call to work in Philippi!  A vision in the night!  "A Macedonian man was standing there, urging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” (Acts 16:9) So Paul and his team set sail immediately and came to Philippi, a leading city in the region and a Roman colony.  So began the first Christian mission work in Europe, as recorded in the Bible.
But it was rough going.  There weren't enough Jews for a synagogue, so Paul started preaching at a place of prayer along the river, outside the city gates.  (Acts 16:13) There he met Lydia a seller of purple, and that led to more mission work inside the city.  Until a slave girl, able to foretell the future because she was possessed by a demon, kept following Paul and shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way to be saved” When she kept doing this for many days, Paul became so annoyed that he turned to the spirit and said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment."  (Acts 16:17-18) What a miracle!  What a blessing!  Except now the slave girl couldn't predict the future anymore, and her owners saw a lucrative revenue stream dry up.  So, they dragged Paul and Silas before the authorities.  Mob mentality took over.  Next thing you know those magistrates had Paul and Silas beaten severely and thrown into the hoosegow.  The inner jail.  Think chains.  Mold.  Stench.  And rats.  Lots of rats.
 
But the Lord miraculously ended that imprisonment with an earthquake, even while Paul and Silas--still in chains--had been singing hymns to God!  They were freed!  They then witnessed to the Jailer and his entire family--who were all baptized.  Come the next morning, the magistrates gave orders for Paul and Silas to get out of Dodge immediately. That's when Paul said, “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now they are releasing us secretly? Absolutely not! Let them come themselves and escort us out!” (Acts 16:37) So the magistrates ate a large dish of steamed-road-kill crow and escorted the two missionaries out of the jail and asked that they leave the city.
 
Now, if it was me, I'm not sure I would be repeating the word "rejoice," if I were the one reminiscing about my first visit to Philippi.   Trumped up charges?  Beaten for doing good?  Thrown into prison to rot?  Yet Paul saw how the Lord works all things for good.  A door for mission work into Europe had been opened!
 
So that brings us back to Paul, writing this epistle, while imprisoned in Rome, some five years after that nasty business with the beating and the inner jail! The Holy Spirit had used the Gospel to build deep ties of love between Paul and the Philippians.  Through the years, they had supported Paul financially.  (Philippians 4:15-16) And when they learned of Paul's imprisonment in Rome, they sent another generous gift to Paul, using a Christian courier named Epaphroditus.  While in Rome, Epaphroditus became so ill that he almost died (Philippians 2:26-27). The Philippians heard about this and were very concerned. Paul decided to send Epaphroditus, who had recovered, back to Philippi. As he traveled, he would carry this inspired letter to the Philippians.
 
I have been thinking about Paul's epistle of joy for two reasons this week. 
 
1)  I am German-Norwegian.  Have I reminded you of that lately?  That means I can look at a beautiful blue sky and spot the lone cloud way of on the horizon.  And immediately my feelings sour.  I go into Eeyore mode.  I need to read Philippians and read it regularly, so God's Spirit refreshes me with true joy!  Easter joy!  News of a Savior who lived for me, died for me, and rose for me!  "Rejoice, and I'll say it again, "Rejoice!" 
 
2)  I am German-Norwegian.  Have I reminded you of that lately?  That means I must always to be in strict, almost-robotic command of my emotions.  Crying?  That's out.  But sometimes the tears come.  Tears of pure joy. Tears that move me to say with Paul, ""I thank my God every time I remember you. Every time I pray for all of you, I always pray with joy, because of your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now."  (Philippians 1:3-5) Since Day One of my call here at Trinity, you have been so kind to me.  So patient.  So willing to overlook the fact that I'm not quite the pastor I once was.  Years, and mileage, have taken a toll.  Yet, you open your homes to me.  Your hearts to me. 
 
And so, I'll say it again, "Rejoice!"
 
Privileged to Serve,
Rev. Glenn Schwanke

April is the month that focuses on two inevitable things: death (defeated by Christ at Easter!) and taxes (due today!). May I share with you a recent experience with a third inevitable thing: Generative artificial intelligence in the form of conversational chat bots like ChatGPT.
 
A presentation at a recent pastors’ conference offered sage advice regarding this tool. It can be useful to research information and for quickly putting together PowerPoint slides. I agree. But, let’s be careful to do our own work when it comes to preparing sermons and Bible studies. Again, I agree.
 
With a busy week on my calendar the week after Easter (usually it’s the week leading up to Easter), I decided to have a little fun. I hosted our pastors’ monthly circuit meeting at Trinity on 4/7 (National Beer Day, if you will recall) and it’s up to the host pastor to provide an opening devotion.
 
For the first time ever, I called up ChatGPT on my laptop and entered: “Write a brief Easter devotion in the style of a TV preacher who is a living advertisement for teeth whitening.” OK, I actually used the guy’s name; his initials are J.O.
 
Here’s what ChatGPT produced: This Easter, remember God is in the business of rolling stones away. That same power that rolled the stone away is working in your life right now. What looked permanent, what seemed sealed, what felt too heavy to move—God has already gone ahead of you.
 
You may be facing something today that feels like it’s never going to change. But don’t lose heart. God is a God of resurrection. He specializes in bringing dead things back to life—dreams, relationships, purpose.
 
Not a word about Christ rising from the dead. Later, there would be a mention of an empty tomb, but no explanation as to what that means in terms of Christ conquering sin, death, Satan, and hell!
 
So, to amp up the fun, I entered the same prompt as above and then asked ChatGPT to blend in some Rolling Stones lyrics (look again at the very first line in the “fake” devotion”). What the AI tool generated was pretty lame, so I dressed it up. Below is the rest of the mashup that ChatGPT and I put together in the style of J.O. combined with Rolling Stones lyrics:
 
Maybe life’s been throwing you some curveballs, and you’re thinking, “Man, I tried, but I still can’t get no satisfaction.”  I mean, it’s really bad - I can't get no satisfaction. I can't get no satisfaction. 'Cause I try, and I try, and I try, and I try I can't get no, I can't get no. But here’s the good news:  God is saying, “Get up. This is your resurrection season.” You might not have gotten what you wanted the way you expected—but trust this: you just might find, you get what you need.
 
Lurking in the shadows of work like this is another character. “Please allow me to introduce myself I'm a man of wealth and taste I've been around for a long, long year Stole many a man's soul an faith…Pleased to meet you Hope you guess my name, oh yeah But what's confusin' you Is just the nature of my game…Just call me Lucifer 'Cause I'm in need of some restraint.”
 
Enough of that! So, for safety let’s just go back to the sugar and saccharine of the tooth-whitened TV preacher. Or not. Perhaps Dylan? Bob Dylan – “How does it feel? How does it feel To be on your own With no direction home A complete unknown Like a rolling stone?”
 
Thank God for the simple, powerful, unchanging, uneditable truth of the resurrection! It is impossible to improve upon this greatest news of all. “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,  and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.  After that he appeared to over five hundred brothers at the same time, most of whom are still alive, but some have fallen asleep…” (1 Corinthians 15:3-6) (More appearances are listed)
 
“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then it also follows that those who fell asleep in Christ perished. If our hope in Christ applies only to this life, we are the most pitiful people of all. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep…” (1 Corinthians 15:17-20)
 
“Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Corinthians 15:54b-57)
 
He lives!
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand

Easter Sunday!  It's a highlight of the year for Christians!  Our sanctuaries are full. The brass is playing.  Choirs sing.  The organist blows all the dust out of the pipes.  Easter Lilies add a splash of color and scent, and the "He is Risen" greetings come early and often.  It is a mountaintop moment!  But as we move into the middle of this week, the flowers are starting to wilt, the candy is gone, and in many of our churches, the pews this coming Sunday will look a lot emptier.  Some even refer to it as "Low Sunday." 
 
It’s tempting to think the Easter story ended when the stone rolled away. We treat Easter like a grand finale, but for the first disciples, the Sunday after Easter was where the rubber met the road.
 
In John 20:19-29, we read the account of two of Jesus' resurrection appearances to his disciples.  The first took place on Easter Sunday, "behind locked doors."  Then came a second appearance one week after the resurrection. The disciples were still behind "locked doors."  All of them had seen the Lord on Easter Sunday, except for Thomas who missed that first Easter Sunday service.   And even though the other disciples kept telling Thomas, "We have seen the Lord," Doubting Thomas responded, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, and put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe." 
 
Which led to that first Sunday after Easter, when attendance in the locked room actually increased--by one.  Our Savior miraculously appeared once more in the locked room.  "Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Take your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue to doubt, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
 
In that moment, Thomas uttered the confession that needs to be yours and mine.  “My Lord and my God!”
 
This tells us something vital: Easter is more than a one-day event.  The miracle of Jesus' resurrection isn't only for the masses gathered together to sing his praise on Easter Sunday.  It's also for the individual in the locked room a week later.
 
Jesus concluded that Sunday-after-Easter encounter with a blessing meant specifically for us: “Blessed are they who have not seen, yet believe.”  (See also 1 Peter 1:8, 2 Corinthians 5:7, and Hebrews 11:1)
 
If you feel the "Easter high" fading today—if the house is quiet, the work is piling up, or your faith feels a little more like Thomas’s than Mary Magdalene’s—remember that Jesus is not merely a holiday deity. He is the Lord of the "week after." He is just as present in a half-empty church or a quiet cubicle as he is in a packed cathedral.
 
The stone stayed rolled away. The tomb stayed empty.  And the Spirit still uses Word and Sacrament to move us to shout, "My Lord and my God!"  Let’s not leave the Easter miracle behind with the Easter baskets. Let’s carry the reality of the Risen Christ into the ordinary moments of our week.
 
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You that the victory of Easter doesn’t have an expiration date. When the crowds thin and the noise of the world grows loud again, remind us that you are still standing in our midst, breathing the peace of sins forgiven into our lives. We confess that we often live as if the story ended on Easter Sunday. Instead, give us the eyes of faith to recognize your presence in our work, our homes, and our struggles. Help us to live every day in the light of the Resurrection. In the name of the Risen Christ, Amen.
 
Privileged to Serve,
​Rev. Glenn Schwanke