Category: Grace

Posted in Grace, Ministry

We’re in this together

Posted on by William Douthwaite
About a week ago, my wife Lisa and I sent out a letter about our upcoming trip to Haiti and how people could support us, both in prayer and financially. As great as a mission trip might sound, there is the sobering reality that you have to pay your own way. You need a flight, ground transportation, food and lodging while you’re there, translators, and you need to bring along medical supplies. Remember, we’re going some place where they basically have nothing, so you have to bring something.

As uncomfortable as raising support for a trip might be, it’s good to remember that many people who can’t or won’t go to various places can be a part of what is happening there through prayer, encouragement, and contributions. If their talents enable them to earn money that can be used for these efforts, that’s their part of the puzzle that makes these medical mission trips happen. What a great reminder that we’re not doing this alone, but we’re the church doing this together. We’re supposed to be dependent on each other, suffer together, rejoice together, worship together, and serve together.

(Having said that, if you’d like a copy of our letter, just respond with an email and I’ll be glad to send one along.)

Posted in Grace, Life

Back to class

Posted on by William Douthwaite

This morning I was reading John 16, and towards the end of the chapter, Jesus’ disciples basically say to him, “Now we understand what you’re talking about. We believe. We trust you.” Jesus replies (my paraphrase), “Oh yeah? We haven’t even gotten to the hard part yet, when you all run away and leave me alone.” In other words, we haven’t even gotten to the main event, the cross and all that would mean. Jesus was teaching them about His departure and the arrival of the Spirit because they would need it later. “In this world, you will have tribulation,” Jesus said, “But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

What I’ve noticed is just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, just when you think you might be able to do this, to be faithful, to follow Christ, something happens and you need to learn to trust him all over again. Illness happens, financial uncertainty happens, conflict happens, disaster happens, and just about anything you can think of. What we learn is good for about a day. Tomorrow there will be another lesson. I once heard someone say that life is like algebra class: there’s always another problem.
Posted in Grace, Ministry

Hoping to catch a glimpse

Posted on by William Douthwaite
In the Treasury of Daily Prayer the other day, August 3, it was the day to remember Joanna, Mary, and Salome, the women who brought spices to Jesus’ tomb very early on the first day of the week, the third day after his death. At first glance, their work doesn’t seem to be anything of great significance. They were just doing what anyone would do for a friend who had died. Yet, they became the first to see the empty tomb and proclaim the resurrection.

The readings and prayers came in a timely fashion, as I have been lately wondering, “Now what?” As our congregation enters into her fall programs it feels like the same old same old. I don’t have any compelling vision to cast before the congregation, just encouragement to keep doing what we’ve been doing. How do you stay motivated when the work becomes routine and unexciting?

Perhaps it is in the routine proclamation of the word and administration of the sacraments that we get a chance to witness the life-giving grace of God. Maybe it is exactly a time like this when I should have my radar on, so that I don’t miss what God is doing among us and in our community.

Casting vision is something I’ve always been told is very important for a leader, but never something I’ve been good at. Each day I hope to catch a glimpse of those lives that God touches and calls into his kingdom by the Gospel.

Posted in Grace, Life, Ministry

My son’s first sermon

Posted on by William Douthwaite

This past Sunday my son Adam preached his first sermon at our church. He just finished his first year of classes at the seminary, so he’s getting some experience in front of a live audience. We’ve been here in Palm Coast for 14 years, so this is basically the church he’s grown up in. I had hoped that preaching in front of friendly faces, who have been supporting and praying for him would make for a positive start. I was right. And I was impressed. I had read his sermon ahead of time and given a few suggestions, and the final product was excellent (check it out here). He was poised, relaxed, confident and well-spoken. All this in a room where the AC and the sound system weren’t working since the power in the neighborhood went out the second he began preaching!

As a parent, I may have been more nervous than he was. I wanted him to have an enjoyable, positive first experience in the pulpit (even though he didn’t actually use the pulpit). I wanted him to be himself, not feel pressured to be like me. I wanted him to relax knowing that God’s work never returns void, always accomplishing what he intends. By the grace of God, all my parent prayers were answered. The only thing is, now I have a hard act to follow this Sunday!

I’ve searched my mind for memories of preaching my first sermon. No luck so far. I know where I was: Messiah Lutheran Church in Wolcottville, IN, my second-year field work congregation. And I believe I have the manuscript of that sermon. And I know I survived the experience. But I fear the memory has faded, and there is no recording. I suspect I didn’t do nearly as well as Adam did, though.

One memory I do have comes from my early years of ministry in Connecticut. I clearly remember Adam, age 4 and his sister, age 3, sitting at the dining room table one day, each with an open Bible and a page filled with scribbling. When I asked what they were doing, they replied, “We’re writing our sermons.” We may even have a photo of that moment.

I hope those present realized they were getting a chance to see the next generation of pastors being prepared by our seminaries. Our professors are doing a great job! But I also hope they see that they play a big part in preparing the next generation of church workers, too. God certainly uses the many years of prayer, encouragement, grace, example, and teaching of a Christian congregation to prepare and send out workers into his harvest fields. It certainly is a privilege — as a parent, a pastor, and a member — to be a part of that process.

Posted in Grace, Life

Five is very good

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Last night my wife, my three children and myself were at supper together for the first time since Christmas. My son’s been at St. Louis at the seminary, my older daughter was in Gainesville graduating from college, and the rest of us were at home doing our thing. My younger daughter’s comment as we said our prayer together before we ate was, “Wow, that was loud!”

What a blessing to have all our voices together again! Until college life pulled us in different directions a few years ago, we had always eaten supper together daily. As our number gradually shrunk, it was sometimes no more than one or two of us praying. In the future, there may not be many “five” nights. We’ll often have less. Eventually we’ll have more when my children have spouses and families of their own.  But for now, five is very good.

Posted in Grace, Ministry

I wish I could teach kids every week

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Taking a break from teaching adults, I taught the kids in Sunday School today. For the summer, rather than having age-grouped classes, the ministries in our church (e.g. prayer shawls, choir, food bank, etc.) are each taking a week to help the children understand that activity and tie it in with a Bible story.

To kick things off, I represented the pastoral ministry of the church. With a wide selection of activities in my arsenal, I waded into the classroom and really had fun today. It’s been a while since I got to teach kids. We looked for lost sheep in the sanctuary, put band-aids on to remind us that pastors visit the sick, read the story from Nehemiah where God’s word was read and explained to the people, came up with worship words that were appropriate for God, and of course, had a snack. The high school class was there to help — a God-send to be sure.

How different each child was (no surprise). One just wanted to run. One just wanted to snack. One couldn’t wait to read from a new Bible he brought along with him. One filled a page with worship words. Another spent the whole time collecting trash. And I think most of them took home the Bible words, “Shepherd the flock of God” (1 Peter 5:2).

Rather than teaching adult classes on Sunday morning, I think I would pay to have the chance to teach children for a year. Even a quarter. I just love teaching kids. Someday, when I’m retired, and attending church, you can count on me to to teach a children’s Sunday School class.

Posted in Grace, Life, Ministry

A week with some guys from the sem

Posted on by William Douthwaite

This past week I’ve had the privilege of spending some time with a couple of first year students from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Originally, my son Adam had planned to spend a week at the beach with three of his classmates. A volcano and tropical storm changed our plans. Adam and his friend John got stranded in Guatemala for an extra week beyond their mission trip, so David and Tyler got the beach house to themselves. We had them over for supper a few night and went out to eat with them twice.

It was a pleasure to spend time with some fresh meat…what I mean is some young bucks…you know, new blood who will be pastors in just a few short years.  Adam is blessed to have some great friends. Our church body is blessed to have some excellent young men preparing for ministry. I was blessed to have a little time with them over the past few days, to laugh, eat, drink, and relax. When I was at the sem some twenty-five plus years ago, the hospitality of so may families was so important to a young single guy trying to prepare for the ministry. I met my wife through one of those families, found work through another, and enjoyed the prayer support of so many others.

If these two men are representative of our seminary graduates, I am very optimistic about the future of our church. They were easy going, faithful, caring, appreciative, and easy to talk to. Good with people, good with theology, good support for my son — great guys in so many ways. I hope they remember my comment that the friends they make at seminary will probably be some of the best they will ever have from now on. The friendships you form and nurture during your seminary days are unique, lasting, and priceless. Rarely will you find anything like that in the parish. These guys are a real answer to my prayers — friends to support, challenge, and encourage my son during his seminary years.

Once in a while I think about the truth that I’m not going to be doing this forever. Someday, one of these guys will be bringing communion to me because I can’t get to church very often. One day they’ll be preaching to me, making sure that I don’t forget about the grace of God, the sacrifice of my Savior, and eternal life. Having met these guys, I now look forward to those days. They’ve definitely got game!

Posted in Grace, Ministry

Inside and out

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I spent a few hours inside and outside of a hospital today. Inside I spent some time with a woman whose husband had a serious stroke and was in critical condition. Outside, I got to visit with one of their daughters who had escaped the ICU, but not the concerns about her father. Moments like these are amazing and powerful ministry moments. How do you face what looks like the end of a loved one’s life? What do you talk about? How do you make good decisions? There are no specific guidelines; every situation is different. Every person, every family approaches it a little differently. I always like to imagine Jesus sitting there with us, listening, caring, hoping that we’ll remember at least some of the things he told us about life and death. While we may feel so helpless in that situation, Jesus has a very good handle on life and death. I am very thankful for both his input and his presence.

Posted in Grace, Life, Ministry

Confirmation

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Today was confirmation day at our church. Those who grew up Lutheran might wonder how I arrived at the last Sunday in April. I do like Palm Sunday, one traditional day for confirmation, but it often falls during spring break so some years that doesn’t work well. I love Pentecost, too, but when Easter is late in April, that sometimes occurs after school is out in Florida, so that can be difficult, too. So I’ve done the first Sunday in May for a long time, except for this year when I feared that my daughter’s college graduation might be that Sunday. So adapting to a multitude of secular conventions, we went for it today.

And it was great. I love teaching middle schoolers, confirmation classes, and the rite of confirmation. If no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3) then days like this are very powerful. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that it’s not so much about what they know, although we cover a lot of material with the Small Catechism. It’s more about who they are. I always pray that emerge from the confirmation experience realizing that they are children of God, who have “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:15). I also pray that they’ve developed a relationship with a pastor and a church, so that no matter what else changes in their lives, they can always go back and find the unchanging, unconditional love of God in Jesus Christ.

Perhaps this is a special event for me because I vividly remember my own confirmation nearly forty years ago. At the time, it seemed like I had arrived. In retrospect, I was just getting started. When I got to the seminary and we began to review Christian doctrine, I realized a lot sounded very familiar to me. My pastor, the late Rev. Donald Sallach, had done an excellent job of teaching me the basics. I only hope that to some extent, I can do the same.