The Only Thing Left

"I am an alien and a stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead." Genesis 23:4

The Only Thing Left
By Rev. William Dohle

My kids are SOO excited! For two weeks now they have been jumping up and down at our house, eagerly awaiting the fateful unwrapping of gifts.

This year we made it terribly frustrating for them too for we set out already most of the gifts they are receiving. Now that they've seen them, their shape, their texture, the way they shake in their hands, they are dying to open them.

Of course I know the novelty will fade. A few short minutes into Christmas and all the mystery will be revealed. And after a few weeks of playing with their toys, they will want more. More games, more things, more stuff. I know they'll want more...because I always want more. One Christmas is never enough. There's always another one just a year away.

So what do you have to hold onto? What will remain? After this Christmas and next Christmas and all the Christmases of your life are past, what will remain of you? What will people remember? What will you have that lasts?

Even the patriarch, Abraham, faced this question as he mourned the death of his wife, Sarah. What does he truly own? Abraham, who has lived, in his own words, as "an alien and a stranger among you" owns no property or land. He has no home to call his own. He doesn't even own a cave to bury his wife in! He owns no property or land in the place he's been living most of his life.

It's only after some negotiating with the Hitties that he purchases the only bit of property he'll own: a burial cave and field for him and his wife Sarah. In that cave, he places Sarah's body. Later, after remarrying and siring six more children, Abraham too is buried there.

But that's not where Abraham's story ends. For Abraham himself carries nothing with him into death but his faith. And it is the faith of Abraham that is remembered by Paul thousands of years later. It is by the faith of Abraham that we call ourselves "children of Abraham" for it is his faith that began everything.

Paul tells us: "Understand then that those who have faith are children of Abraham."(Galatians 3:7).

Abraham's faith lasts through the centuries. Far after his sheep and goats have all died. Far his tents have all gone to dust. Far after everything he owns has disintegrated, Abraham's faith lasts...even to today!

Our legacy is the same way. We too can leave with our children our faith. Everything else we might leave them will fade away with time. But that faith, the faith we have in our God planted in our children, will outlive us. It will be passed, as Abraham's faith was, from generation to generation, throughout the centuries. As the faith we have has been inherited from those who came before us, so too our faith is inherited and shared with those who come after us making that the best Christmas gift we could ever want.

"Come one and all! Enjoy the faith that will outlast all the other toys in your life. Take it, enjoy it, and share it with others. For this is the gift that will truly last forever!"

Heavenly Father, thank you for the faith you have planted in our lives. Make us aware of your precious gift, given to us this Christmas. May we give it to others as you have freely given it to us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

No Way!

"Then God said, 'Take your son, your only son, Issac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.'...When they reached place God had told him about, abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son." Genesis 22:2, 9-10

No Way!
By Rev. William Dohle

My children, like many children I imagine, hate chores! They really despise them. For instance...We tell them one day: "Pick up your room."

And at first they pretend not to hear us.

"Pick up your room."

And they look, questioning, in our direction.

"I said, pick up your room."

And then they say, "Huh?"

"You better pick up your room!"

And then the fit starts! Our oldest throws himself on the ground in a fit. Our middle child continues to ignore us. And our daughter starts crying out for help.

"Pick up your room!"

Finally one or the other slumps into the room. The daughter is still crying for help. The middle is still looking clueless on the floor, but the oldest goes to work, however reluctantly and angrily.

All from one simple command: Clean up your room.

Imagine if that was the response Abraham had when God asked him to do the unthinkable: to kill his son. It would make an excellent comedy!

"Abraham! Take your son and go to the mountain to sacrifice him."
"Huh?" Says Abraham, half-heartedly.
"Take your son."
"You talkin' to me?" Abraham replies.
"Abraham listen!"
"Oh... do I have to!? Didn't I just do it?"
"Abraham! Go! Now!"
"Alright! Alright! I'll go! Just chill out!"

Of course Abraham doesn't do this. Abraham does what God asks him to. He takes the son he loves. He binds him up. And he raises the knife, as if the sacrifice the boy. Then, and only then, does God intervene and tell him to stop, saying, "Now I know that you fear God because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."(vs. 12)

Thankfully God doesn't ask us to sacrifice our children. He's already done the dirty deed for us. He sacrificed his Son on the cross for us. And, unlike Isaac who is spared the knife, Jesus suffers death on the cross for us and in our stead. We needn't obey God in the impossible. Instead, we are called to obey him in the possible tasks around us.

"He has shown you, O Mortal, what is good and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God."(Micah 6:8)

Will we, like our children, make excuses to cover us? Will we put off what God is asking of us to do? Will we say it's just too hard or that we have too many other things to do? Is God going to understand if we have baseball games, football games, basketball games, or some other commitments that we've made? Or might he just be anxious for our answer...and our response?

Will we feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, heal the sick, and visit the imprisoned...or not? What is your answer?

Heavenly Father, you have already done the impossible by sacrificing your Son. You have done what even Abraham wasn't required to do for us. May we set our eyes on the possible deeds around us that all might be done to the glory of your name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Expanded Compassion

"'Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you are living as an alien the same kindness I have shown you.' Abraham said, 'I swear it.'" Genesis 21:23

Expanded Compassion
By Rev. William Dohle

'Tis the season to be generous! Generous to our loved ones. Generous to our churches. Generous to those in need.

As thousands flock to the stores in search of the perfect gift for their loved ones so come those seeking help for those in need. Christmas is notorious for giving and each Christmas season you find thousands of charities asking for help, each with their target audience.

There are the Toys for Tots group...spearheaded by the Marines...out to give kids toys for Christmas.

There's the Salvation Army bell ringers, in front of the stores, ringing bells for the hungry and needy they minister to.

There is, of course, your local food bank who have, I hear, been hit hard by the needs of people searching for something to eat.

We all have our charities we give to and causes that mean something to us. It's part of who we are.

And it's part of what makes this season so great. This season of giving that extends past our individual families into the world around us.

But imagine if that compassion, that giving, had no end. Imagine extending that giving past the 25 days of Christmas and into the rest of the year. Into the rest of our lives. Imagine promising to be generous and faithful to someone, and their children, and their grandchildren, forever!

That's the promise Abraham makes to Abimelech and Phicol, leaders of the Philistines. With Abraham living in their land, these leaders aim to ensure that Abraham will return the blessings they have bestowed on him.

What Abraham does, though, far exceeds their expectations.

"So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech and the two men made a treaty. Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, and Abimelech asked Abraham, "What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?" He replied, "Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness that I dug this well."

Now this act might not make sense to us, but imagine it a more modern way.

Imagine being asked for a shirt...and giving someone a suit.
Imagine being asked for dollar, and being given a hundred dollars.
Imagine asking for a little help...and receiving the promise of help forever.
Imagine committing to giving something...and giving a little more on top of it.

That's the generosity that Abraham has!

And that's the generosity his children (us by faith) are called to have as well. It's a generosity that extends past a single season of giving into a lifetime of generous living. Generosity that isn't just concerned with doing what is right, but going beyond right to doing what is good.

A generosity that, in Jesus words, "Gives to everyone who asks of you."

It's amazing! And crazy! But it can happen! As Abraham shows in his reaction to Abimelech, we too can extend our generosity past the Christmas season and into the rest of our lives by doing just a little more than what is expected of us. We too can respond to the generosity of the Lord, the Eternal God, with generous hearts toward others.

Generous God, you have given us the world! You have given us your Son and we are truly thankful. Make us generous in all things that we might be like your servant, Abraham, going above and beyond all expectations, beyond what is right to doing what is good, through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

He's Their God Too!

"What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there." Genesis 21:17b

He's Their God Too!
By Rev. William Dohle

The older I get the bigger the world seems to be!

Growing up, I sometimes thought the world ended at our block. Now I know that the world extends far past the boundaries of my sight. This world is a massive place! Even now, as you are reading this, there are people asleep in their beds. There are people right now, living their lives, doing good to their neighbor, working, struggling, surviving, eating, breathing, and living. You will never meet most of those people. But they exist!

This world is big! And our God is big! Our God is present with people of all walks of life. People who live in the hot jungles of Africa to people who live in the cold tundra of Canada. From the heights of the Andes to the dry desert of the Sahara. From the cities of New York to the plains of Montana. God is present in every place with believers throughout the world.

And not just with Christian believers either. God is present with those of other faiths too. Our lesson today reminds us that God has special designs for Hagar's son, the forefather of the Muslim faith. Ishmael, the oldest son of Abraham, is banished into the desert and it seems that all is lost. His own mother, Hagar, puts him under the bushes because she can't stand to see him die.

That is, until, God hears the boy crying and intervenes. In a touching exchange, God saves Hagar and her child, promising her "I will make him into a great nation."

Now, we can dismiss this. We can try to exclude people from God's grace. They don't know the truth like we do. But to do so is to ignore his presence in passages like these. These words, spoke to Hagar, are the same words that God spoke to Abraham earlier. "I will make you into a great nation." Do we dismiss this prayer too because Abraham isn't Christian? Why dismiss God's promises here to Ishmael then, just because we disagree on certain points with his descendants?

Whatever our faith is, we mustn't box God in. God is Lord of all the Universe! God has sent his Son, Jesus, to save us. But not just us! The entire universe! God will accomplish this too, not on our terms or by ways that we understand, but by his infinite wisdom and by his grace!

As Paul writes:
Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out!
Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?
Who has ever given to God that God should repay him?
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen! (Romans 11:33-36)

May God open your eyes that you might see the deliverance he has given all people. May you be so touched by God that you are able to discern what he is already doing in the lives of those around you.

Heavenly Father, Mighty God, you have designs that extend far past where my eyes can see. Give me the grace to accept what you give me and the faith to trust you in my life and in the world, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Laughing With Sarah

"God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." Genesis 21:6

Laughing With Sarah
By Rev. William Dohle

Thanksgiving is upon us. The season of giving thanks to God has arrived.

But what a world it has arrived into! Already, for weeks now, we've heard, not of thankfulness for what we have, but of want for what we don't as Christmas sales have arisen earlier this year than they ever did before. The Halloween holiday was quickly followed, not by a quiet time to ponder and give thanks, but by the rush of wanting more as stores throughout the country compete for the coveted Christmas dollars.

On top of all of this, we hear of impending government crises, wild protests throughout the country, the stock market's rollercoaster, and the growing din of political jargon.

Where has the time to give thanks gone? Have we forgotten what we are thankful for? Have we been so consumed being consumers in this world that we've forgotten that it's all gift? Every last bit of it?

Sarah didn't forget that! Not in the slightest. As she gave birth to Issac, a boy named "he laughs" she says, "God has brought me laughter! And now everyone who hears about this will laugh!"

God has brought Sarah laughter...why? Because he has done as he promised. In the verses preceding this we read: "Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised." God fulfilled his promise to Sarah! And now Sarah laughs! Truly laughs with delight for all the joy that God has poured into her life.

What's more is that she sees this joy, not just affecting her, but affecting all who hear about what has happened to her... including us! "Everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." That everyone includes you...and it includes me. We laugh because God has filled Sarah's life with joy. We laugh because God has done what he has promised to do.

For the same reasons we give thanks this thanksgiving as well. Our blessings are not just our blessings. We are blessed by the stories of old.

We are thankful that God fulfilled his promise to Sarah, just as he said, because it reminds us God fulfills his promises to us too!

We are thankful for the deliverance that God brought to his people Israel, for it is the same deliverance he brings to us too.

We are thankful for his love for his servant David, for it reminds us that God can love us too.

We are thankful this thanksgiving, not just for our personal blessings and what God has done for us and our family, but for what God has done for his people of old and for what he continues to do for his people in this place.

We are thankful for people throughout the world who are working for justice and mercy on behalf of God's people.

We are thankful for pastors and teachers, professors and scholars, who challenge us to see God's Word in a different way.

We are thankful for those who work in public service to others, those who sacrifice their own time to help us, and those who are working for God's kingdom in small ways.

We are thankful for them all!

This Thanksgiving, before you run out and join the consumer throng waiting outside the local store, give thanks for all God's blessings. Give thanks for the farmers who have brought your meal to your table. Give thanks for the workers who will be waiting for you in the stores. Give thanks for all the minds behind all the gadgets you buy. For they are all gifts of God. Give thanks...and laugh...for what God has done for Sarah and for what he continues to do for us.

Lord God, may our laughter join Sarah's laughter as we remember and see how you have so richly blessed us. Give us pause this thanksgiving that, despite the noise of commercialism raging around us, we may truly give you thanks, not just for our blessings, but for the blessings you have poured our on all your people, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Uncertain Motives

"But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt." Genesis 19:26

Uncertain Motives
By Rev. William Dohle

There is one question I will never have answered adequately enough. It confronts me daily almost, in every encounter with every person.

That question is: Why?

Why... do people act the way they do?
Why... did they choose this over that?
Why... must you suffer in that way?
Why?

My need to understand the motivations behind behaviors confronts me too in Scripture. For instance, in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah...

Why... did God destroy Sodom again?
Why... didn't Abraham ask for the WHOLE city to be saved?
Why... isn't God merciful in this case?

And most of all...
Why... does Lot's wife look back the way she did?

This last question has always fascinated me. Why DID Lot's wife look back?

Was she disobedient to God's command... as some claim she was.
Did she wish she was back in Sodom with her friends?
Did she just forget?

Why did Lot's wife turn back?

That question we'll never know the answer to. But there is one possible explanation I like. It tells of Lot's two other daughters, both married, who were stuck in Sodom at the time of its destruction. Lot's wife, remembering her other children were suffering in the city, turns back in grief. Her grief is so great that it turns her into one big tear, one large pillar of salt.

I wonder if we, being in her shoes, would have done the same. Would we have pressed our eyes firmly toward the uncertain future that God had for us? Or would we take a glance backward, maybe more than a glance in that general direction, distracting ourselves from the future God has planned and promised with the suffering that was behind us? Would we have the faith to see what we still had or would we focus instead on what we lost?

Ironically, when faced with turning his back on the destruction of others or pressing onward, God himself in Jesus Christ turns back to us. And not only that but Jesus doesn't just turn back to look at our suffering, but enters into the burning city of Lot himself, marking himself with our death, carrying us on his shoulders out through the flames of wrath, to life eternal with him. So that, in Jesus Christ, we are not pillars of salt, turned toward the suffering world, but salt itself, full of the taste and smell of our loving God!

Gracious and merciful God, as you did not leave this suffering world but gave your life up for it, may we too turn back toward the suffering of others, that we, filled with your grace, might give a taste of your mercy and love, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Standing Up...For Others!

"Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" Genesis 18:25b

Standing Up...for Others!
By Rev. William Dohle

I love Dr. Seuss! I love the way he words things and the flow of words that he uses. I love the stories he tells of the ordinary things. And I love how they sound so parabolic!

My favorite story of his is probably The Lorax. In this tale, an old man(the Once-ler) tells the tale to a young man of when his valley was filled with life and trees. Foolishly the Once-ler got so greedy he ended up destroying the valley and chasing off the life that lived there. The story features a curious character called "The Lorax" who speaks to the Once-ler about what he's doing.

"I speak for the trees," The Lorax says. "I speak for the trees 'cause the trees have no tongues.

The Lorax speaks for the trees. He pleads for the trees. He takes their cause upon himself. He suffers for them. He rallies for them. He does the same to all the life in the valley. He knows them all and pleads on their behalf.

The Lorax reminds me of Abraham. Just before Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed, Abraham has a heart to heart talk with God, pleading for mercy on behalf of the people of Sodom.

"Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it...Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?"

Talk about bold! But Abraham gets his way.

"If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place?

But Abraham doesn't stop there. "...what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?"

God relents again. Abraham pressed. Forty? God relents. And how about twenty? God agrees. Finally Abraham makes his final plea.

"May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there." And God gives in all because Abraham spoke out.

Another character too speaks out, only this time for us. Christ Jesus himself stands before God, pleading on our behalf. Much like Abraham did before, he takes our cause upon himself. He pleads our case. He knows our suffering and our weakness. He knows our failings and our shortcomings. He knows us. He's been in our shoes. And he pleads for us before God. He speaks for us.

So...who do you speak for? Who do you plead for? When your prayers are said to God, who are you praying for? Are your prayers centered solely around your family and your own problems? Or is there something more to them? Are there people whose problems touch your heart and your life? Would you be bold enough to stand up before God himself to ask him to grant them mercy and grace?

The Lorax leaves one word behind when he's lifted away. The word "Unless." The Once-ler figures what out what means. "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."

Take a cue from the Lorax...and Abraham...and even Christ Jesus himself. Start caring! Start caring for God's creation. Take just a corner of it to latch onto. Start caring for God's people. You don't need to take the world on your shoulders. Just share the burden. Start caring about what happens in this world. You are the righteous in Christ. You are Abraham's children. Stand up as Abraham did, take their cause as your cause, and truly be Christ to your neighbor.

God of Abraham, make us bold enough to stand up in defense of others. Forgive our stubborn, selfish, judgemental natures. Make us like your servant, Abraham, and your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Impossible List

"Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Genesis 18:14

The Impossible List
By Rev. William Dohle

If you were to make a list of your personal impossiblities, things you know you could never do, what would be on your list?

Maybe you're older and retired, so "having children" would be deemed impossible right now.

Maybe you're on a set income or own a low income, so "owning a jet" would be deemed impossible.

Maybe your body is built like mine so "lifting a thousand pounds" would be on your list.

We all set up that list, one way or another, inside our head. It's how we keep ourselves from getting killed and trying something too hard for us to do. Its how we manage our own expectations. Without such a list, we might try something truly impossible for us and wind up hurt or dead as a result.

But God has no such list. Not anywhere.

In this passage from Genesis we're reminded of this. Here the angel visitors ask Abraham, "Is anything to hard for the Lord." Their question comes after Sarah, listening in on their conversation, starts laughing when they tell Abraham, "I will surely return to you about this time next year and Sarah your wife will have a son."

Sarah is thinking: "That's crazy! And absurd! I'll never have children at my age. I'm just too old!"

But Sarah doesn't realize who is sitting in her midst. She doesn't know that this God, this Lord of heaven and earth, has no such list. Nothing is too hard for God. Nothing is impossible for God. Even opening the womb of an elderly woman like her.

As we keep our list of impossibilities, we mustn't force our list upon God. For God all things are possible. God can create a new creation here on earth. God can raise Jesus Christ bodily from the dead. God can take the ashes and dust that use to be a human being and give them flesh and muscle and bone and life again. God can do it!

God can move mountains in people's lives. God can change hearts and bring people back to faith. God can heal people physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. God can open our eyes and change our vision. God can do all that.

So... is nothing impossible with God? Do you truly believe that? Or are you like Sarah? Sitting beside herself, chuckling at what she heard. Always keeping reservations to what God is capable of inside? Never really coming to a full expression of her faith?

Let us set aside these things. Let us take the faith of Christ Jesus, believing in our hearts that there is nothing impossible for God and for those who believe in his name. May our eyes be open too, that we might see the answers to our prayers staring us in the face, and that we might know, in our heart of hearts, that our Lord cares for us deeply.

Almighty God, source and ground of all of life, give me the faith to trust you fully, knowing that nothing is impossible with you. May my prayers and petitions be spoken in such faith and give me eyes to see when the answers to those prayers come, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Holy Strangers

"Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground." Genesis 18:2

Holy Strangers
By Rev. William Dohle

I was taught, growing up as a kid, to never talk to strangers.

My mother would always say: "If a stranger comes up to you and wants you to go in his car, run the other way. If a stranger talks to you, ignore him. If a stranger gives you a piece of candy, refuse it."

Wise words to be sure.

Sadly in our society, if harm is to come to you it will most likely come through someone you know already or even a close relative. Few crimes are caused by "strangers." It's your family you have to watch out for!

Of course it is wise to be cautious of strangers, especially as children, but as adults, ignoring, avoiding, and being afraid of strangers isn't the best of way to live. For starters, avoiding strangers prevents you from experiencing life in any other way other than the way you are use to. If you were afraid of strangers at school, chances are you'd have no friends. Life requires a little risk.

In Scripture we learn strangers bring something else too. They bring the face of God with them. Ancient people had a rule called the "law of hospitality," which states that one must welcome the guest and show hospitality to the stranger on the off chance that God himself has come to visit.

This very thing happens to Abraham, who is met by three visitors, three strangers. Abraham shows them the hospitality that is their due.

Upon seeing them, Abraham exclaims: "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way..."

But that's not all Abraham does. He instructs Sarah to bake some bread. He heads out to the herds and chooses the best calf for their evening meal. He brings them some food and sets down beside them to eat. He becomes their host, offering up the very best of himself to them.

Abraham doesn't avoid them, ignore them, or exclude them. He doesn't give them what is left over. Instead, Abraham gives them his very best and offers to them all that he has.

Though I hesitate to offer up this plan of service to us today, given the scope of our world's need, the same premise applies all the same. We are surrounded by strangers. And they are precisely the strangers we are called to minister to. There are strangers at the grocery store, at the post office, and all around the city. There are strangers even at work, at school, and on the streets. There are strangers who need just a smile to warm their day or a kind person to take time out to talk to them. There are strangers in more need than we can fulfill, but who could still use an acknowledgment from us. There are strangers you'd appreciate a visit or a card. Anything that might tell them that they are special.

And, like the strangers who visited Abraham that day, God resides amongst strangers amongst us too. In words that echo this story, Jesus tells a parable where the strangers are welcomed, and the righteous are surprised at what they have done!

"I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."

No one expected Jesus would be residing in those strangers. Do we? Do we see the possibility that the strangers we avoid, ignore, and fear might just be our Lord Jesus Christ coming to us as God came to Abraham in these three visitors? Are we ready for such a surprise? That God could be present...here?!

May we join the righteous in surprise and wonder at all the places our Lord meets us each and every day.


God of the wanderer and stranger, you come surprising us with your presence in the faces of ordinary people around us. May we minister to them as we would minister to you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A New Name

"No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations...As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah." Genesis 17:5,15

A New Name
By Rev. William Dohle

One of the joys of parenting happened before our children were even before. Sitting with the possibilities and promises of a new life, my wife and I experienced the joy of naming.

For our first born it was easy. He was named after his two grandfathers. My father being William and Jenny's father being Douglas.

Our middle son, Matthew, got his name almost by accident. We had decided to give him my grandfather's name, Albert, as his middle name, but were torn between Matthew and Timothy for his first name. When we saw him that first morning, though, Matthew made his own name known.

Lynne's name too has quite a history. Our daughter's first name is hyphonated, Lynne-Estelle, a combination of Jenny's middle name and her mother's middle name. Lynne's middle name, Shirley, was Jenny's mother's first name.

Thus our children got the names they carry today.

In the Bible, God doesn't name anyone...until he gets to Abraham. All the animals in the Bible are named by Adam. Even Adam's wife is named by Adam. All the children gather their names from various places, but all are named by their parents.

Then we get to Abram. He named "Abram" by his father. Abram, though, doesn't really fit especially at first when he and his wife, Sarai, are childless. God changes Abram's name, making it even more ridiculous. For Abram's name becomes Abraham, which means "father of many." God changes Sarai's name too. Sarai to Sarah. "A princess" by meaning married to the "Father of many" with only one slave woman's child in their family.

But names mean something...especially for God. God doesn't change names lightly. In fact, in Genesis he changes only three people's names. Abraham...Sarah...and...Jacob(who God calls "Israel") and only after all three of them wrestled with God. This name-change is because of the new covenant between Abraham and God, sealed in circumcision, which binds God to his word and compels God to fulfill the promises he made to Abraham and his family.

Scripture tells us that, not only does God know our name, but he has given us a new name in the waters of baptism. The name of "Child of God." We are born children of the world. In baptism, we are reborn children of God. In the waters of baptism we are adopted into God's family and given a new surname. That name, Child of God, is something we seldom use. Nor do we ever refer to it in public. But it is this name, this part of ourselves, that is forever written in the Lamb's book of Life. It is with this designation, Child of God, that we gain our inheritance among the saints. It is this part of our name that will rise with us on the last day and live with us in God's New Creation.

You are a Child of God, living in the world, even now. And as a Child of God, you have a promise to live out. God has promised you the world. Christ has promised you an inheritance. The Spirit has promised you his presence. Use them! Claim them! Do not forget this hidden part of yourself. Instead be a Christian person out in the world. A Christian worker. A Christian spouse. Be the child of God that you have been named and take your place alongside Abraham and Sarah who believed God and whose faith made them righteous.

Heavenly Father, I am your child. You adopted me, claimed me, and made me your own. I am yours forever. Help me live life, not as a Child of the world, but as your precious Child, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Taking Charge!

"The Lord has kept me from having children. Go to my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her." Genesis 16:2


Taking Charge!
By Rev. William Dohle

Of all the fruit of the spirit(love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control) I think I have the most trouble with...patience!

It's like this. Patience requires you to wait. If you pray for more patience, basically you're praying to wait a little longer. And none of us likes to wait... At least I don't.

Waiting requires you to have faith in the long-term. It's one thing to believe someone for a short-time. But waiting requires you to believe them for the long haul. To hope and trust that what they say will come true, despite the delay.

Sometimes, when we get tired of waiting, we try to take matters into our own hands. We figure "God only helps those who help themselves..." and we forget that the good things in life are worth waiting for. When that happens, only trouble may ensue.

That's what happened to Sarai, Abram's wife. She had been told by her husband that they would have children. God had even made a pact with Abram in the previous chapter, passing a smoking firepot between the pieces of meat, signing, in the ancient way, the covanent and guaranteeing the promise of descendants. "Look up to the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them," God had said. "So shall your offspring be."

Only God hadn't immediately fulfilled his promise. And Sarai and Abram were getting impatient. So Sarai gives her maidservant to Abram...and out comes Ishmael. The first-born of Abram and the son of Hagar, his servant.

But do things get better? Of course not. This wasn't how God intended the promise to be fulfilled. And Sarai gets jealous. And, though God isn't about to abandon this young woman and her son in the desert, as Sarai wishes he would, God has other plans in mind to fulfill his promise to Sarai and Abram.

We too may get impatient waiting on the promises of God. We hear God speaking through Scripture words like: "I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future..." We know that God works things together for good. But we feel lost. Our lives aren't turning out how we think they should.

Maybe we should take the promises of God into our own hands, we think. Maybe we should do something about it. Sure praying is good...but doesn't the Lord help those who help themselves? Doesn't it all depend upon me?

Well it doesn't all depend upon. And, though God works everything together in the end for good, including our attempts to quicken his promises, there is something to be said of waiting too. God always fulfills his promises. God always answers prayer...only not always when and how we think he should. Sarai never imagined she would be the carrier of God's blessing in Issac...just as we never imagine how God will fulfill his promises his us.

So...take heart. God will accomplish his good work in you. There is no doubt about it. Sit tight. Keep the faith. Trust that sometimes prayers might be answered in ways you could never imagine. The end that God has in mind is better than anything you could possibly dream up yourself.

Heavenly Father, your promises to Abram I hear for myself today. Help me trust in your Word. Give me patience to wait. And open my eyes that I might see the ways you are answering my prayer, here and now. Through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

Trusting in the Impossible

"Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." Genesis 15:1b

Trusting in the Impossible
By Rev. William Dohle

The other day my family and I were sitting around the house when the topic of Jesus came up.

Matthew, my middle son, turned to me and said:

"You know, daddy. Jesus didn't really rise from the dead. That was just his spirit."

"No, Matthew," I said. "Jesus did rise from the dead."
"He did?"

"There was no body in the tomb. Just some grave clothes folded up. And a couple angels announcing he had risen."

"So...Jesus is... alive?"

"Yes, Matthew," I said.

After a moment, he got this strange look on his face and then gave me a hug, "I love you."

"I love you too, Matthew."


The problem Matthew(even at his young age)had with Jesus physically rising from the dead is that it is, technically, impossible. There is no way a body could rise from the dead... could it? With everything we know we can't possibly imagine this happening! Could it?

Abram too faced the same situation. God had just told him, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield and your great reward." Looking up to the heavens, Abram is told. "Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them. So shall your offspring be."

Of course Abram knew that this was impossible. His wife and he had long aged past childbearing years. Imagine a typical eighty year old man and woman expecting children. Absurd! It's just not possible!

Only with God it is! With God all things are possible. Childless men and women can bear children. Whole nations can come from two infertile people. Why...with God...even the dead can come physically back to life in a new and perfect way!

Trusting in such things requires faith. "Abram believed the Lord and he credited it to him as righteousness." Abram believed the impossible...and God called him righteous! That's faith! That's trust! Abram said "Yes" to the promises of God, even when those promises were not his to grasp. Abram trusted that God would give him children(somehow). Abram trusted that those children would go on to do great things. That they would inherit the land he was now in. Abram trusted God...and God called him righteous.

Where is trust needed in your life? What promises do you have a hard time hearing? Do you have trouble believing that God is present with you, through good times and bad? Do you have hard time with forgiveness, with seeing that God can and has let go of your past mis-deeds? What "impossible" prayers have you prayed today? What have you declared "impossible" for human reasons?

God has promised us a new heaven and a new earth. Impossible? Maybe for us. But not for God. With God all things are possible. As we wait for that day, we live in the hope of that promise, trusting in the Lord who has declared us righteous because of the faith he has planted in our hearts.

God of Abram, we too have trouble believing in the impossible. Give us faith by your Holy Spirit. Help us see the impossible through the possible here that we might, along with Abram, be declared righteous, in Christ name. Amen.

Breaking Out of the Box

"Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God most high and he blessed Abram..." Genesis 14:18

Breaking Out of the Box
By Rev. William Dohle

We are all creatures of habit.

We hang out with the same folks we always have, forming and nurturing social bonds with very few strangers. We go to the same church we've always gone to and associate with friends with whom we share common interests, beliefs, and morals. We sit in the same pew in church, the same desk at school, the same cubicle at work. Seldom do we even rearrange the furniture in our own home. Seldom do we invite someone new in. It's just... habit!

We seldom venture far outside of our comfort zones. But what if we did? What if we set aside our own comfort and opened ourselves up to the wider world? What if we sat down and discussed politics with someone from another political party? Or religion with someone of a different faith? What might we discover then?

Perhaps we might discover what Abram did. That God is bigger than we can ever imagine.

Abram, after rescuing his nephew, Lot, from those who took him captive is greeted by the king of Salem, Melchizedek. The Bible tells us he was a priest of "God Most High" and he brings out wine and bread for Abram to eat.

Melchizedek is a foreigner, an outsider, and, in all likelihood, a pagan. He should have no knowledge of the God of Abram... should he? He doesn't belong to Abram. He isn't one of God's chosen people... but listen to the blessing he gives and see what you think.

"Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.
And blessed be God Most High who delivered your enemies into your hand."

Melchizedek is written of thousands of years later by the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews who speaks volumes about him.

"Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!"(Hebrews 7:4)

This man, this outsider, was a priest, not because he was born into it, but because of his life. Because he was King of Salam (which means "Peace") and Melchizedek (which means "King of Righteousness"). And this outsider blessed the father of our faith.

So what does this have to do with you??

Well... what if Abram had stayed in his corner of the world, not venturing out, not risking his life for Lot and others? What if Abram had closed his mind to the possibility that God might be worshiped outside his circle? What if Abram had been as much of a creature of habit as you and I are.

God continues to call us outside of our circles, out into the larger world around us. We are called to converse with people different than us, to be open about what we believe and to share that open conversation with them. We are called to risk ourselves for our neighbor, to feed the hungry, quench the thirsty, visit the prisoner, tend the sick. We are called to walk where others dare not trod, to open ourselves up to the Holy Spirit wherever he is! We are called to be friends with Baptists and Jews, to speak with Methodists and Muslims, to associate with Mormons and Catholics. We are called to witness to our faith, to step where few have gone, knowing that the Holy Spirit goes ahead of us. Knowing that God has been there before us. And knowing that, priests like Melchizedek abound throughout the world, ready to bless with us God's blessing.

Lord Jesus, you are our high priest in the order of Melchizedek forever. Your living presence is active and alive in our world. And so we are blessed when we tend to the stranger. Open us up to different opinions and different ways of looking at the world. Help us witness to your life within us, through the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Family Ties

"During the night, Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. He recovered the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and other people." Genesis 14:16

Family Ties
by Rev. William Dohle

Family. We can't live with 'em! We can't live without 'em!

Our lives are based so much around family. We gather with them around special, and not so special, occasions. We count on them to remember things like birthdays and anniversaries. We mourn with them, laugh with them, celebrate and cry with them. They are the ones we share our lives with. And we'd do anything for them!

Even when we disagree with our family and go our separate ways, we still love them. They still mean something to us. And we would give or do anything for them, should they be in trouble.

Family has always been tight. It's tight now...and it certainly was tight at the time of Abram.

In Genesis we read of Abram's family. Himself and his nephew, Lot. Lot and Abram didn't always see eye-to-eye. They had their disagreements. And when their herdsmen couldn't get along, they separated.

"Let's part company," Abram says. "If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left."

Pretty reasonable, it would seem. And so the two separate, Lot going east and Abram going west. Separate...but still not apart.

For when the kings of the land rally against Sodom and Gomorrah and capture Lot, who comes to his rescue? His uncle! Abram comes to rescue Lot! And, though I'm not sure what choice words he had for his nephew, family is family. And, like most of us, we'd do anything to help family.

Our family now, though, doesn't just consist of those we're related to by blood or marriage. It's not limited to those we gather together in our family reunions with. In Christ, we are family with all Christians throughout the world. With the Christians in India we are brothers. With the Christians in Afria, we are sisters and cousins. With the Christians in Asia, we are mothers and fathers. And with all Christians everywhere, we are related in Christ Jesus.

As we extend ourselves out to our blood-and-marriage family, we extend ourselves out to them as well. With the Christians in Japan, we work to rebuild after their devastating earthquake. With the Christians in Asia, we work to supply Bibles so the word of God might be preached from their pulpits. With the Christians in South Peoria, we work for justice and peace for the residents that live just down the street. With all Christians everywhere, we strive for peace and justice so that all our nephews and nieces may be rescued from whatever has taken them captive.

Too often we concentrate our attention on only the family we have by blood or marriage. Brothers and sisters, let this not be true. May we have equal concern with those outside our family as we do for those within. May our eyes be open that we may see how we are all related and interconnected in Christ.

Family God, your servant Abram risked his life to rescue his nephew Lot from the kings that had held him captive. May we risk our lives too, not just for our immediate and extended family, but also for the family we have in you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Perfectly Human

As he was about to enter Egypt, Abram said to his wife, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. Say you are my sister so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you." Genesis 12:12-13

Perfectly Human
By Rev. William Dohle

"Whatever am I going to do with you?!"

I can't count how many times I have heard that said to me (Usually by my wife) or have spoken those words (Usually to my children.) In either case there is a sense of shock. A sense of surprise at the actions taken. A feeling of bewilderment.

Usually these words are said after I or my children have done something that doesn't make sense. (At least to the prevailing wisdom in our household.)

"I can't understand why... you left that spill on the ground, didn't take out all the garbage, only cleaned up a part of your room, etc."

Behind these words too is love. Even as frustration might mount, there is love and faith and trust behind these words. There's a relationship that endures far past whatever mysterious behavior there was. And when the moment has passed, the relationship endures.

These words, and that relationship, are behind this curious story from Genesis. Here, right after Abram has heard the promises of God, Abram goes to Egypt. In Egypt, he tells his wife to say she's his sister. Why? Who really knows. Abram seems to have said it to save his own skin, so Pharoah won't see how beautiful she is and take him as his own.

Who knows what she thought, but Sarai complies...and Pharoah does take her into his household, giving Abram "sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels." Sarai has become one of Pharoah's wives...only that's not the way it's suppose to be. God's planning on blessing Abram's family and his plans include Sarai too and not Pharoah.

So...after an unsightly (and unspeakable) illness, Pharoah calls Abram to account, demanding he tell explain why he called Sarai his sister in the first place. Abram doesn't answer...but instead leaves Egypt with everything he had been given.

So...what was Abram thinking? Why did he do such a thing? Was he really afraid of Pharoah? Was he wanting to pawn off his wife on someone? What was behind his decision to enter Egypt in the first place? There were so many other places to go.

We'll never know the answers to those questions, but we do know this. Even after this stupid move, God doesn't abandon Abram. God doesn't leave! Even this action, the giving of his wife to the king of Egypt, doesn't stop God's plans. God has promised that Abram will be a blessing to all nations...and God means it! There's no turning back on God's word!

How often do we think that something we've done has come between us and God? How often do we walk on eggshells in our lives, worried that something will separate us from God and his love for us? I didn't go to church last Sunday... I didn't give as much as I should...I did some unspeakably stupid thing...

Let me tell you, whatever you do,... it won't separate you from God's love! If God can stick with Abram, a character(we shall see) who is far from perfect. And if this man can be the father of all of our faiths, declared righteous not because of what he did but because of who he trusted, the same can be true for us. Stop worrying! Pharoahs come and Pharoahs go. God's promise remains faithful through it all and he has promised that he will never leave you nor forsake you, no matter what you do.

Holy God, I have walked in Abram's shoes and done things that you might shake your head at. But you have promised to be with me, to love and care for me no matter what. Give me boldness that I might be who you have called me to be, confident that your love will cover all my sins, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

Blessed because...

"...and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Genesis 12:3

Blessed because...
By Rev. William Dohle

How often have you heard the word "blessed" used by others?

At dinner during thanksgiving, "Lord, we are so blessed..."

At a son or daughter's graduation or wedding: "Our family has just been so blessed!"

In conversation with others at church: "I just can't complain. We've just been so blessed!"

We usually think of blessings in terms of material things. To be blessed is to want for nothing, to have a nice home and a good car and a little spending money to travel for vacation. To be blessed is to need for nothing and be able to want for anything. "Blessed" is a material condition. A state of life being filled with good things. People we love. Family we cherish. It is about what we have...

But what if it has nothing to do with what we have... but what we give? What if blessing is about our positive influence in others' life instead of being graced with material things? What if blessings can only be seen from the outside, by others who say "They are such a blessing!" instead of inside?

I think that is what God is getting at here when God says: "I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Abram is blessed, not because he has so much stuff! Not because he has the biggest boat, the coolest toys, the nicest computer, the largest home, or the perfect family. Not at all! In fact, though Abram himself will enjoy physical comforts, Abram's descendants who inherit this promise are going to find themselves poor slaves in a foreign land soon. No, God is speaking not about material comforts but about the positive influence his people will have on the world!

Abram's literal descendants will go on to...
...Lead their people out of Israel.
...Reclaim the land promised by God.
...Hear the Torah, God's way, and follow it.

One day they will...
...Write wisdom to be read around the world.
...Proclaim God's Word to distant lands.
...And give birth to the Messiah, the Son of God.

God has a lot of blessing to bestow. And he intends to use Abram for that purpose.

And we too, children of Abraham through faith, have a job to do here as well. For here, right now, God is wanting to bless the world through us. We are blessed...to be a blessing. And it has to do with more than physical things...

True... We are blessed with resources...ONLY so we can bless others with the same.

But we have also been blessed with other things...

We are blessed with forgiveness...
...so we can forgive.
We have been blessed with peace...
...so we can share that peace with others.
We have been blessed with joy...
...so we can share that joy with others.

The next time you catch yourself thinking you're blessed simply looking at the material, stop and peer around you. The world is waiting at your doorstep. Who could call you a blessing in their lives today?

God of Abraham, bless us as you blessed him. As you promised him and his family blessings, so too bless us that we might become the same to others. Amen.

If Only...

"The Lord said, 'If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.'" Genesis 11:6

If Only...
By Rev. William Dohle

If only... how often have I heard those two words together.

Sometimes they're spoken in sorrow...
"If only I had said I loved him..."

Sometimes in longing...
"If only we had more time..."

Sometimes they're spoken to solve a problem...
"If only we had more workers..."

Or to justify one action or another...
"If only the economy were better..."

Always these words are spoken in the context of regret and under the assumption that, solving this problem, everything would be right. In the church I've heard them like this...

"If only we had more members..."
"If only we had more money..."
"If only we had a different pastor..."

Then... then... then...what??

Then... of course... everything would be better, life would be great, and our problems would fade away.

Unfortunately the "if onlys" never work. Probably because they warp time, making us see the future through the past. Making us regret the past while remaining in the future. Never really seeing that what we have in the present matters!

This all has been common...since the beginning. Since the start when the people cried out together... "If only we build this tower...then we'll reach to the heavens, make a name for ourselves, and not be scattered over the earth."

The people try. They build and build and build... but God intervenes. Seeing their work and their potential he says: "If only they remain united...then nothing will be impossible for them."

What the people fail to see here is their strength. So focused on the future, on the big tower that'll take them to heaven, the never see how their present unity can accomplish anything! They fail to see that the present is fleeting and what they took for granted before will soon be taken away.

God confuses their languages. And their big dream to reach the heavens and gain a name for themselves becomes, just that, a big dream. Nothing more.

We too can fall into their danger, thinking that "if only" this or that happened...then we'll make a name for ourselves, be united, have a great church, live a happy life, finally feel whole, be happily married, do God's work here, and so on.

What we forget in the "if only's" is that God is here ALREADY working the kingdom of God from within us. There is no "if only" there is only now. Now...God is calling us to work. Now... God is gathering his harvest. Now...the kingdom of God is growing. Now!

Look around you. The people sitting across from you at work, intersecting you on the streets, and playing baseball with your children are there for a reason. Your meeting is no accident. They are your mission field. They are your work.

Paul writes: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."(Ephesians 2:10) If God prepared good works in advance for you to do, than God has put those people in your life (and in your way) for a reason! There's a reason you're sitting in that cubicle next to that individual talking on that day about that topic. Your good work with them has been planned beforehand by God. We needn't wait for some tower to be built or some mission to finally take shape. We need only to look around us and see the harvest of God waiting to be gathered right here...now!

Ever Present God, you call us out of the future, back into the present. Help us remember the true gift you've given us is now. Help us to take hold of that time, to use it as you'd have us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Ordinary Signs of Extraordinary Promises

"This the the sign of the covenant I am making between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life." Genesis 9:13-15

Ordinary Signs of Extraordinary Promises
By Rev. William Dohle

I love summer! Really... I do.

I love the sound of the cacadas singing in the trees. I love the frogs croaking along the riverbank. I love the peacefulness you get when you sit down next to a lake, a fishing pole in your hand, just being there with nothing else to do. I just love it!

Nature means something because, for me, I find it pointing to God. When I look out at nature, I see God's fingerprints all over the place. I hear the birds chirping in the trees and I remember...
"Sing to the Lord a new song..."

I see the wind moving through the trees and I remember...

"...the Spirit of God moved over the face of the waters."

I see the storm approach from the west and I'm moved to feel...

"Praise the Lord from the earth...lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding."

All creation can become a sign, pointing to God!

But ever wonder what God thinks? Ever wonder what God feels when He looks upon creation? What are His thoughts? What does nature make God do?

In this well-known section from Genesis, we hear God's thoughts. And they are surprising...

When God looks at the rainbow in the sky...God remembers!

Creation itself, a rainbow in the sky between the clouds, reminds God of his promise. It reminds God that He has promised never to send a flood that will destroy all life. It reminds God that there is to be an end to the storms. That day might follow afterward. And that hope lives on.

This is a powerful powerful reminder.

In the midst of Katrina...God remembers...hope must live on.
In the middle of the storms that destroyed Joplin...God remembers...hope must live on.
And from the darkness of every storm...God remembers...hope must endure.

God's remembrance is our hope for, as we wait through whatever storms that come upon our lives. Be they storms of disease, storms of sin, or literal storms of rain and snow, we know there is a rainbow to come. Our God has not forgotten us and will not abandon us. Creation itself assures us this is true.

Heavenly Father, you have put your bow in the clouds to remind yourself of your promise to us. Give us signs in all of nature that we may remember all that you have done, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Original Repentance

"But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark..."

Original Repentance
By Rev. William Dohle

"I'm sorry...! I'm sorry daddy..."

My daughter cried this with tears streaming down her face the other day as she faced being grounded for hitting her brother.

"But Daddy... I said I was sorry!" she cries from her bedroom as she sits on her bed, grounded.

I don't know where that originated from. Where the whole notion of "being sorry" came from. I could say that it's genetic. My family likes to say they're sorry. I know she's heard these words from me. I could say it's just a part of who we are. But when did we first start saying "I'm sorry..." and when did we first start feeling regret over what we did.

You might be surprised where regret originates from in Scripture. It's not found in any human being. Adam doesn't ever say he's sorry. Nor does Eve. Nor does Cain or any other human being. Surprisingly the first one to say they are sorry... is God!

"God saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil—evil, evil, evil from morning to night. God was sorry that he had made the human race in the first place; it broke his heart. God said, "I'll get rid of my ruined creation, make a clean sweep: people, animals, snakes and bugs, birds—the works. I'm sorry I made them."(Genesis 6:5-7; The Message)

God is the first one to say he's sorry. Sorry for making human beings. Sorry for creation and all the pain its caused him. Sorry to have caused all this mess.

God is sorry for creating such potential for evil and the drive to do nothing but bad. God is sorry for the pain of Abel after Cain's killed him and sorry for the hurt that this caused. God is sorry for the broken families that have emerged on the earth and for all the hurt and pain. God is sorry...

And so God does something about it. He decides to wipe the slate clean and begin anew. He's found Noah and his family, who are faithful, and decides to make the whole thing over again with him.

Of course sin still remains and the world isn't fixed. But that doesn't matter...cause something has changed for God after this whole big flood. God changes his mind about the whole thing. Instead of being sorry for making his creation, God vows to protect it.

God smelled the sweet fragrance and thought to himself, "I'll never again curse the ground because of people. I know they have this bent toward evil from an early age, but I'll never again kill off everything living as I've just done. (Genesis 8:21; The Message).

God changes. God repents. God decides that he loves this creation too much to wipe it all out. Maybe its not as bad as he thought. God repents of what God has done...and so begins the cycle of repentance for the rest of us.

We too, as children of God, walk in God's paths. God repents...and we can too. God changes...and we can too. God has sworn to love, protect, care for, cherish, and nurture this creation. We can too!

God of Repentance, you have shown us how to change our minds and turn to good. Enable us on our journeys to see where we have stumbled, to turn to your good, to return to your presence, and to know the joy of living, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then the Lord said to Cain,"Where is your brother Abel?"
"I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" Genesis 4:9

Our Brothers' Keepers
By Rev. William Dohle

This week my family and I traveled to Springfield, Illinois to visit the infamous Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. It was awesome! Both the museum and the library. The story of Lincoln's life literally came alive for us. It was as though President Lincoln himself was standing in our midst!

Though the Civil War is now over a hundred and fifty years in our past, the same events that shaped Lincoln's life are shaping life today. In Lincolns day the country was divided. The same is true today. In Lincoln's time everyone thought they were on the right side. The same is true today.

And though civil rights have moved forward, we are still preoccupied with the question Cain first asked of God.

"Am I my brother's keeper?"

Am I my brother's keeper... even though he is a black man?
Am I my brother's keeper... even though he is a gray confederate?
Am I my brother's keeper... even though he thinks, acts, and believes completely differently than I do?

That question ran through the civil war and it runs through our life today too.

Am I my brother's keeper... even though he's a Muslim?
Am I my brother's keeper... even though he lives alone?
Am I my brother's keeper... even though he voted democrat? Or republican? Or neither?
Am I my brother's keeper... even though he thinks, acts, and believes completely differently than I do?

The answer from God seems to be the same for us as it was for Cain. YES YOU ARE!! You are your brother's keeper! You should care about what happens to him. You should pray for him, care for him, and love him. You should be compassionate toward him, give of yourself to him, and lay down your life for him, if necessary.

Why? Well... that answer isn't given to Cain... but it's given to us. For we know that we keep our brothers because Christ keeps us. We love our sisters because Christ loves us. And we lay down our lives in service to them...because that's what God did for us.

Heavenly Father, you call us to love and care and pray for our brothers and sisters. Give us strength to put aside our differences and see ourselves as fellow human beings with all, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Deny It? Deny What?

"Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"
The man said, "The woman you put with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it."
Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"
The woman said, "The serpent deceived me and I ate." Genesis 3:11b-13

Deny It? Deny What?
By Rev. William Dohle

"Not me... Not me!"

I can't tell you how often I hear these two words from my children's lips.

Who spilled the milk on the floor and didn't clean it up??
... Not me!

Who didn't pick up his toys?
...Not me!

Who didn't eat everything on their plate?
...Not me!

These words can drive you up the wall. Not only because they're so prevalent in a young family's home but also because they're never true!

Take this common example. I've asked the boys to put their clothes away. I ask...
"Who didn't put their clothes away?" pointing down at a pile beneath my feet. They both say: "Not me!" Which can't possibly be true since I am looking at a pile that someone didn't put away! Then they both give me a run around, pointing fingers at each other, until, at last, one of them admits in tears that he was the culprit and slumps off into the room to put them away.

What both my sons fail to realize is that if they had just admitted it the fault to begin with, the problem would have been solved. The sin would have been forgiven. The clothes put away. Life would have gone on. But because they failed to admit their mistake, the blame continued to be passed over and over again.

That is the situation here in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve have just both eaten of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now two things can happen...

They can admit they ate from the tree. They can tell God the story of how it happened, how it looked so good and they ate. They can admit that they did God wrong...and God can forgive them!

Or...

They can deny it, point fingers at each other, and never admit to each other or God that they did anything wrong. In which case God can't forgive them...for if they didn't do anything wrong there's nothing to forgive!

What is the real sin here? Is it disobeying God's command? Yes...and no. God did tell them not to eat from the tree they just ate from, but their greater sin is the denial that follows. For in their denial comes their lack of repentance. If they had eaten the apple and admitted their mistake, God, who is gracious and merciful and slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, would forgive them! But when they just keep pointing fingers at each other, God can only stand by and watch, as we parents do, as the blame is passed from one person to another to another to another. Nothing can be solved until denial is overcome.

So... how are you like Adam and Eve here? What have you denied? What is God calling you to admit, to repent of, to turn from and be healed? Is there something in your life that you have passed the blame on? Is there some sin that needs to be addressed, needs to be admitted, and needs to be overcome?

My favorite part of this story isn't the temptation narrative, it's what happens after. After God has pronounced judgement and is escorting Adam and Eve into the world, the Bible says, "The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them."(v. 21)

That always speaks to me for, even when I am reluctant to take the blame and admit my wrong, God still watches over me. God still cares for me. And God still loves me. No matter what!

Lord God, we are so much like Adam and Eve, quick to point at other's wrong and slow to take blame ourselves, give us faith in your forgiveness that by your Holy Spirit we may be confident in your love for us, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closer Than You Think

"...the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being." Genesis 2:7

Closer than you think
By Rev. William Dohle

It's been almost twenty years now. Twenty years since I left home. Twenty years since I lived closer than 450 miles away from my parents and siblings.

In that time I've moved to college, to seminary, and into multiple calls. I've lived in California, Colorado, Montana, and Minnesota. And now we're living in Illinois, the farthest east that I've ever lived for any extended period of time.

Distance is a funny thing too for, despite how connected we may feel with the internet and our cell phone services, we still miss feeling close to our family. There's nothing quite like meeting face to face with someone you love. No internet service can ever replace that experience.

Many people might say that God is some distance away from us. As a popular song by Bette Middler said years ago: "God is watching us from a distance."

But the Bible says, quite emphatically, NO! God isn't watching you from a distance! God is here! He's the one who formed you from the ground. He's the one who planted around you that which sustains you. He's the one who breathes into your nostrils the breath of life!

And this God, this crazy God who gets his hands dirty in the dust of this ground. This God doesn't just leave you alone. He never really returns to heaven. Instead this God breathes in you the breath of life each and every day.

Take a breath. Breathe in slowly. Let it out just as slow. That breath was given to you by God who breathes life in you . Like a divine CPR rescuer, our God is continually keeping us alive by his grace and love.

And still he does more. This God surrounds us with good green things. He provides for us animals to care for. A garden called earth to live in. And even helpers(spouses and children) who provide company for us so we are not alone.

Thank God for his continual, eternal, awesome presence among us that never leaves us, never lets go, and never lets any distance come between us in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Creator God, you formed us from the ground with your hands and have been keeping us alive by your breath. May we sense and know your presence among us that we may see that nothing can separate us from your love, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Through New Eyes

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. Genesis 1:31

Through New Eyes
By Rev. William Dohle

They say that familiarity breeds contempt...and they might be right. Often I have noticed the things I am most familiar with are the things I take for granted. Even worse sometimes I have learned that the things that I am most familiar with are the things I hold most in contempt.

Take my home for instance. I grew up in the mountains of Northern Utah, with large peaks surrounding my little house. How often did I stare up at them? How often did I wonder what was happening on them? How often did I appreciate their beauty?

Not often enough.

Now, having moved thousands of miles from them(and being quite a bit older than I was back then), I have found my eyes are open in new ways. True there are no mountains to appreciate here. But there is plenty of green trees. There are lightning bugs like you've never seen before. And new experiences and sights I've never seen. And people. Especially people.

Being a newcomer in this land I've been able to appreciate and truly find the good all around me. And its everywhere! It's in the greeters that so warmly welcome people to the church. It's in the insight and vision congregational leaders as they pave the way into the future. It's in the ushers and the worship band. It's in those who have welcomed us here.

And goodness is found outside the church walls too. I have found goodness in the eyes of a cashier at the grocery store. Found in the hands of a librarian at the local library. And Found in the many faces surrounding us who move in and out of this place.

Today God invites you to find that goodness around you. It's there! Sin can't blot out what God created! He has declared his creation(including humanity) "very good" in the words of Genesis 1. Not just good. Not okay or mediocre. VERY good! That's saying something.

Perhaps we too should look around our world and share God's judgement. Perhaps we should look around us with God's eyes, hearing God's declaration that this world and everything in it is "very good!" God loved this world so much that he sent Jesus to us! His only Son! If this world weren't something special God would have disposed of it a LONG time ago...but He didn't! He loves the world! Even now!

Almighty God, give me Your eyes today that I might see the world and find its goodness. May my judgement on this world be like yours: This world is very good! Thank you for all you have given us, especially Jesus! In His Name. Amen.