I rest my hand lightly on my wife’s, because it hurts her too much when I hold it.   From her lift chair, she looks at me through sunken eyes and forces a smile.   She whispers, “I want to grow old with you.”  I return her smile as warmly as I can.  I pat her hand and whisper, “Me, too.”  But inside I am thinking, “Lord, how can that work?  How much longer can we go on like this?”  Only days later, she was home in heaven.
 
That was May, 2018, over 8 years ago.  Yet the memory haunts me at times.  Why?  Keep reading.   
 
I rush to the hospital, because a member in intensive care has been asking for me.  When I arrive, his nurse tells me, “I’ve never seen him like this.  He ordered everyone else out of the room--staff, even family. It’s his pastor, and only his pastor that he wants.”   I peek through the glass into the room, wondering if it’s safe.  Inside a nurse helps my friend into a recliner beside the bed.  
 
I wait a minute.  Then I enter, pull up a chair, and sit.  My brother in Christ forces a smile past the pain shooting through him.  He thanks me for coming. 
 
We visit for a moment, until it all comes crashing out!  Wave after wave.  Heart-ache.  Anger.  Guilt.  Regret.  How he couldn’t take it anymore!  How badly he treated the nurses and his family.  How he just wanted to be all alone.  “I don’t know what came over me!” 
 
I do.  My dear friend buckled under the relentless pressure of a long-term chronic illness.  And his sin haunted him.
 
What did I tell him?  The same thing he told me so often in Bible class or home visits. First I shared this verse.  “I, yes I, am he. I blot out your rebellious deeds for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”  (Isaiah 43:25)  Then I repeated the same explanation he had shared so many times with me. 
 
“Sometimes a sin comes crashing into our conscience and knocks us to our knees.  Satan uses the memory to drown us in guilt and despair.   Helpless, hopeless, we cry out to our Heavenly Father. “How could I hurt you and others like this?  How could I fail so completely?  Have mercy on me!”  
 
Our Father’s response?  “You say a sin is bothering you?  I don’t remember any.  Let me double-check your record.  No, I don’t see so much as a single blemish.  How can I?  I’ve cast all your sins into the depths of the sea and as far away as the east is from the west.  (Micah 7:19, Psalm 103:12)  I’ve blotted out every last one of your failures – fully, totally, completely --in the blood of my son.  (John 19:30)  Now, my child, it’s time for you to forget.”
 
My dear friend listens.  A twinkle comes back into his eye. Relief is written all over his face.  We visit a few minutes more.  We pray.  Then I leave, so he can eat his supper and rest. That’s the last time the two of us talked.   Just a day later he was home in heaven.
 
In the few weeks since I was diagnosed with cancer, I've been flooded with so many memories.  Of family. Friends.  Ministry.  Of others who have walked on far more difficult paths.  And for whatever reason, I've been remembering my member, my friend—his pain, his fear, and his guilt.  And at times I am still haunted over what happened more than 8 years ago with my wife.
 
But then comes this comfort washing over my soul.  My Father doesn’t remember.  Neither does yours.  
 
Privileged to serve in Christ,
Rev. Glenn Schwanke

I love to read. Always have. Love to read books on my Kindle, via my ears through audiobooks, and I still love the feel of an actual, literal book in my hands and the turning of its actual, literal pages.

• Thanks to these various venues, I’m usually reading two books at a time.
• I love history, biography, fiction of all kinds (especially mysteries, crime novels, and thrillers), and some Christian authors.
• By the end of July, I’d read 85 books.
• Top three non-fiction reads of the year so far:

-The Gales of November by John Bacon (it’s about the Edmund Fitzgerald)
-Medicine River by Mary Pember (it’s about the horrific legacy of Indian boarding schools; the author attended the boarding school on the Bad River Reservation in northern Wisconsin)
-A Scandal in Konigsberg by Christopher Clark (lust – real or imagined?? Lutherans, gossip, accusations of a cult in 19th century Prussia. Oh, my.)

• Best fiction reads of the year so far (how can I possibly decide? I can’t. Here are a few)

-The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)
-The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan
-Go Gentle by Maria Semple
 
Now, about DNF. It’s shorthand for shorthand for “did not finish” — a book. DNFing a book has always been a thing, but attention to this ramped up in March when Goodreads added this as a category on its website.
 
Is it ever OK to start a book, but not finish it because, well, for a variety of reasons: poorly written, doesn’t catch your attention, etc.?
 
I rarely DNF a book, though it has happened. I usually have a pretty good idea of the author’s capabilities and the subject of the book ahead of time, which cuts down on the DNFing.
 
Here’s something to not DNF: your reading and study of God’s holy Word. You don’t need to read it in the original Hebrew and Greek, or grind through two hours of reading every day (be sure to read Leviticus in one sitting!), or publicly post about it online (is there a GoodBookreads?). Just read and study, and meditate often. Daily. This enables the Holy Spirit to work in hearts and minds to comfort, uplift, change, encourage, and teach. Every day.
 
Eventually, the day will come when I simply won’t have the chance to finish anything anymore. Books will go unfinished, tasks unaccomplished, contacts unmade, appointments unmet, words and sentiments left unsaid and unshared. Because the Lord will take me home. One big DNF. And yet, that will be a wonderful day! That day will mean that my journey on earth will in fact be finished and I’ll be home with Jesus. It’s the ultimate finish!
 
Until then…

• “This Book of the Law must never depart from your mouth, and you are to meditate on it day and night, so that you will act faithfully according to everything written in it, because then you will prosper in everything you do, and you will succeed.” (Joshua 1:8)
• Quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, Jesus declared, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)
• “His delight is in the teaching of the Lord, and on his teaching he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:2)

 
Happy, blessed reading!
 
God keep you in his gracious care,
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand

This article's title obliterates all the barriers of proper grammar.  But it's purposeful.  A shameless ploy.  Click-bait to get you to keep reading about the phrase, "You got this."  
 
I buy a new IRON FLASK 40 oz. Co-Pilate insulated travel mug with straw and flip-cap lids (in dark pine). and in the box is a little sticker, "You got this."  For a drink bottle?  Am I a 2-year-old with a sippy cup?
 
I watch Dr. Who, the time-traveler with mythical powers, who always has a companion from earth.  But in recent years, Dr. Who has a pack of companions.  And the screen-writers (a bunch of snowflakes) waste precious minutes of air-time having these companions agonize over what they need to do next.  Until finally comes the moment for action.   But NO!  Even then the screen-writers smash their pudgy thumbs down on the plot pause button again, because now the companions have to waste 1:48 cheering each other on with, "You got this!'     
 
"You got this!"   This phrase is enough to make me cough up a fur-ball.  So I decided to research it.  My research was, as usual, extensive and thorough.  I googled.  It took 2.6 seconds for me to learn the phrase has its roots in sports, where a player would shout, "I got this."   That told his teammates to back off because they were handling the ball or the play.  The player wanted to take over the moment.  Control.
 
By the 1980s and 1990s, coaches borrowed the phrase and changed it to, "You got this."  It became a confidence builder that meant.  "You have the physical capability, skills, and position to win this specific play—now go execute it."
 
Then came the 21st century, pop culture, and social media.  "You got this," exploded on Instagram and Twitter.  So now the Cambridge Dictionary officially recognizes it as a standard American English idiom used widely to express complete faith in someone's ability to succeed.  
 
That brings me back to the grammatically-twisted title for this encouragement.  "I DON'T got this.  But HE does." 
 
I have cancer.  The signs have been there for a while.  PSA counts the last few years that were a bit on the high-side for "someone of my age."  Then a PSA count at the beginning of this year that spiked.  Then another PSA count a few months later, almost the same.  An exam during Holy Week that revealed an enlarged prostrate, and an irregular shape on the left side.  More testing. Then a biopsy on July 22 with Dr. Holley, a surgeon, in Minocqua.  Then a phone call from her on July 29th confirming that cancer had been found.  Then a one-hour consult with Dr. Holley on August 6th to discuss treatment options. 
 
So I say again, "I DON'T got this.  But HE does."   Do I know what treatment option I will take?  Not for sure.  I have a little time to decide.  Do I know how fast this cancer might be growing?  Not for sure, although I heard the surgeon explain, "At your age, it's possible you will die of something else first, instead of the cancer."  To which I responded, "For me to live is Christ. and to die is gain!  I'm a Christian. I don't fear death."  (Philippians 1:21)
 
Do I know how this cancer might affect my day-to-day life?  With taking care of my little Whiskey?   With teasing my daughter and son-in-law?  With daily Facebook-messaging to my baby brudder and family?  With lame, stale jokes that make my friends groan?  More important, with carrying out my call to serve all of you at Trinity?  I'm not sure.  That's why I'm sharing this health update.  To request your prayers, and alert you to the possibility that some treatment options might take me out of the area temporarily and possibly impact the pastoral ministry that I am privileged to serve.  
 
My family has already asked, "Do you plan to retire because of the cancer?"    No.  Unless my health deteriorates and it becomes clear that I am not carrying out God-given pastoral responsibilities to the glory of my Father, and for the good of blood-bought souls. 
 
"I DON'T got this.  But HE does."   I am at peace with this twist in the path of my life, because throughout each day, I see the Scripture passages that serve as rock-solid signs pointing out God's direction for the journey of life.  And not just mine, but yours, too!
 
When we are afraid of the dangers that lay ahead,  our Father points us to the sign that says, "For I am the LORD your God. I am the one who is holding on to your right hand. I am the one who says to you, “Do not fear. I myself am helping you."  (Isaiah 41:13)
 
When we doubt, the Spirit directs the eyes of our faith to see these words, "Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands."  (Isaiah 49:16)  Our name is engraved on our Father's hands in the blood of his Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior!  No sin, no cancer, no attack of satan no matter how savage can wash that blood away. 
 
When we feel overwhelmed and alone, our Savior promises, "I will be with you always."  (Matthew 28:20) 
 
When we worry, St. Paul teaches us.  "Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 4:6-7)
 
When we feel helpless, our Father reassures us, "The name of the LORD is a strong tower. A righteous person runs inside and is protected."   (Proverbs 18:10)   Who can touch us?  What can hurt us? 
 
When we feel ready to crumble into a million pieces, the Spirit picks us up and shouts, "What then will we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all―how will he not also graciously give us all things along with him?. . .No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor rulers, neither things present nor things to come, nor powerful forces, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Romans 8:31-32,37-39.  For more on this precious portion of Scripture, watch the Trinity worship YouTube video from August 9th, 2026, giving special attention to Pastor Luchterhand's sermon!)
 
"I DON'T got this.  But HE does."  Because HE has me.  And HE has you. 
 
Wrapped safely in the loving arms of Jesus, and privileged to serve,
Rev. Glenn Schwanke

How many Lutherans does it take to change a light bulb?
 
The answer – “Change?” 
 
I can demonstrate the perceived “stuck-in-a-rut” caricature of Lutherans even better – “What do you mean change? My great-grandfather donated that light bulb!”
 
And one more…an ode to the current economic times – “Can we afford to change that light bulb?”
 
Lately, I’ve been “obsessed” with a quote from a WELS pastor in the March WELS Connection: “We do things not based on who’s here now…we do things based on who’s not here yet.”
 
Side note: please check with any twenty-somethings in your life to see if I used the word “obsessed” properly. Thanks in advance.
 
We know who attends Trinity. We know the ages, the families, the history, and the summer tourist surge. But are we doing anything as a church/school family for the people we want to reach – namely, everyone who doesn’t attend Trinity?
 
The Apostle Paul never changed a light bulb, but he sure knew how to reach souls. He was dynamic in his approach, adapting himself to people’s situations – never changing the message, but often changing his approach, meeting people right where they were and going from there. He writes, “I have become all things to all people so that I may save at least some.”   (1 Corinthians 9:22b)  
 
All things. All people. With these words, Paul seems to be writing a pretty big check. It might even seem like a blank check, indicating that anything goes in the interest of saving souls. Not quite. “Anything goes” would have meant that he would have been willing to even sacrifice the message of the gospel in order to reach people, that the end would justify the means. Thus the gospel goes away if it gets in the way. But it the means are altered, if the Gospel is changed, altered, or omitted the end/goal of saving souls would not be reached.
 
So Paul’s approach was not anything goes, but whatever it takes. There is a difference. Whatever it took for him to reach people without compromising the message in any way, he did. Whatever he could do to sacrifice his freedoms/rights, to adapt himself to others in order to reach them with Christ, he was willing to do. “Although I am free from all, I enslaved myself to all so that I might gain many more…And I do everything for the sake of the gospel so that I may share in it along with others.” (1 Corinthians 9:19, 23)         
   
God took a “whatever it takes” approach to saving souls, even going so far as to send his own Son to save us.  We must be willing, like Paul/Jesus to do whatever it takes to reach people with the gospel, to win as many as possible. Paul said, “I have become all things to all people so that I may save at least some.” Paul doesn’t mean that there are ways other than the gospel by which people are saved. It’s got the sense of “doing whatever I can do with the Gospel,” as in “I have become all things to all people” so that at least some will be saved.
 
Whatever it takes…from you and from me. Time, talents, treasure, money. Reaching people with the Gospel takes all these things. No sitting on the sidelines for any of us. Go and find and tell what Jesus has done…and continues to do.
 
Peace in Jesus,
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand