Author Archives: John Keller

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About John Keller

I am a retired Lutheran pastor whose intention is to consent to God's gracious presence and actions within.

Holy Place of Peace

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Hiking below Mt. Rainier

This morning I lead a class on prayer and one of the prayer exercises was a guided meditation, based on Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”  One method that has helped me enter into silent meditation is to take an imaginary trip to a favorite place that emotes peace.  Many people (especially during a Minnesota winter) might choose a tropical beach with warm breezes and rhythmic surf.  Or a beautiful garden that is under a brilliant blue sky and filled with fragrant blooms.  I choose the Cowlitz Ridge near Mt. Rainier.

I hiked the ridge once, nearly forty years ago.  The week before I left for my freshman year of college, my friend Marv and I decided on one last hike together.  We picked a three-day trip along the Wonderland trail which circles Mt. Rainier.  At first we climbed the steep switchbacks up out of the dark forested river canyon.  As we near the top of the ridge we stepped out of the dark forest into brilliant sunshine and a spectacular view of Mt. Rainier.  We camped in that meadow for two nights, soaking up the beauty and wonder of that ridge.

Now whenever I want a special time of prayer, I go on an imaginary journey to that same spot.  The only difference is that I take the imaginary trip with Jesus as my guide and friend.  For many reason, I find rest, comfort, strength, hope in visualizing him there with me.  As I meditate a deep abiding peace grows up around me.  I realize that I could imagine Jesus with me in other locations, but that spot has become a very holy spot.

I sometimes wonder if I will ever make the hike back to Cowlitz Ridge.  I might, but it is not essential to my spiritual life.  The essential part remains Jesus who is my guide and source of peace and joy wherever I am.

 Has guided meditation helped you in your spiritual journey?  Where do you find God’s peace?

Ocean Hike

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Ruby Beach

As a teenager I backpacked two portions of the wilderness beaches along the Pacific Ocean.   The beaches were part of the Olympic National Park in Washington state and were the only trails open during the winter season (the high mountain passes were snow-covered).

I use the word “trail” loosely, because most of the route was the beach itself. Hikers simply kept the ocean on  their right or left, depending on whether they were going north or south.  Campsites could be found on the beach itself or inside the neighboring forest.  There were no roads or towns, just forest, ocean and beach.

However beach hiking had its tricky sections.   Steep, rocky headlands would jut out into the ocean.  Theses headland had little or no beach so a hiker had a choice.   Wait for low tide and race around the headland or find a trail that led up and over the headland to the open beach beyond.   I carried a tide table with me when I hiked, so I could know when the low tide would be and plan accordingly.   If I arrived at a headland too early or too late, I had to wait or try to find the bypass trail.  (Sort of like trying to find a portage trail in the BWCA.) 

I often think our spiritual walk with Jesus is like hiking on the beach. There can be long sections were the path is very clear and beautiful, yet wild at the same time.  We simply need to remember to keep the ocean (Jesus) on our left or right.  But then we come to some rocky headland, some struggle or challenge, that blocks the path.   We learn to either stop and look at the tide table, (a sort of prayer time) waiting for the tide to recede.  Or we take our chances in finding the wilderness trail (never easy) that leads up and over.    We may even loses sight of the ocean (Jesus), for a time.    Yet the sound of crashing waves and smell of salt air reminds us that Jesus is close by.

What images of walking with Jesus do you carry in your life?

Light Work

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Shoemaker as Light to the World

Jesus declared, “You are the light of the world. . .  Let your light shine before others so that they can see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14). I am convinced that our light is to shine in our workplaces, however challenging that might be.  The challenge can come in various ways as we seek to love our neighbor through our work.

I have adapted a story (attributed to Martin Luther?) that helps illustrate the idea that our vocation (calling) is to love our neighbor and by doing that we glorify God.  A cobbler was noted for making very good shoes and he had many customers who valued his craftsmanship.  One day the cobbler had a spiritual awakening and decided he needed to make a more overt witness to Jesus.   He determined that he would place a cross on every pair of shoes as a testimony to God.   At first his customers had no strong reaction, they liked his shoes and the cross was okay.  However the cobbler began to spend more and more time on the crosses and less and less time on the shoes themselves.  The quality of the shoes began to suffer and his customers were disappointed   They first came because they needed good shoes; now they had to go elsewhere to find the shoes they needed.

The cobbler loved his neighbor when he made good shoes for them.  When he neglected that calling, his neighbor and his business suffered.  The cobbler had a good intention when he wanted to bear witness to Jesus by attaching crosses to the shoe.   To bear evangelical witness to Jesus is part of our calling as Jesus’ disciples.  We can pray for opportunities to bear witness to Jesus at work.  There are  times and ways to speak to our faith in Jesus, even at our work place.  Yet the very quality of the work we do can be a light to the world.     

We all have gifts and talents that are needed in the world.  By doing that work well we glorify God in heaven.  We make “Light Work.”

How does God’s light shine at your workplace?

God at Work

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God at Work

Today I read Pastor Tim Keller’s comments about serving God in the work place.  Tim is no relative of mine, but I like the way he thinks, especially being a Presbyterian quoting Martin Luther.  You can check his remarks yourself at http://bit.ly/i77xMD.  A key concept for Keller is Luther’s “Priesthood of All Believers.”  Luther was commenting on I Peter 2:9, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood.”

One does not need to be in the church to serve God.  As a pastor I like it when people volunteer and serve in our congregation.  I often give them special recognition and encouragement.  But the congregation is only one place where a Christian can serve God.  God’s work is not limited to congregations, important as they are.  

I serve God as I love my neighbor, which I can do in various ways.  I love to quote Dr. Marc Kolden, “God does not need your good works, but your neighbor does!”  And we love our neighbor through our daily work as a spouse, parent, worker, community leader and citizen.  The home, the office, and the community are as vital to God as the congregation.

For example, if one owns a small manufacturing company that makes machine parts for cars, the owner loves his neighbor in at least two key ways.  The company is helping provide necessary transportation (car parts) as well as providing employment to the workers.  God would want the owner to be fair and equitable with the employees and with the customers.   In this way God is working through the owner.  God does this with farmers, salespersons, artists, nursing aides, and even politicians.  As Luther wrote, these are the “masks God wears” to accomplish God’s task on earth. 

For sure, we live in sinful, broken world, in which people take advantage of each other.  As sinful human being we can turn work into a false god that consumes our lives.  We can make monetary profit the god that rules our lives.    We need God’s grace mediated through Jesus Christ to call us back to the vibrant life.  And the church can be a community that helps us stay faithful to God’s call at work.

How have you loved your neighbor this past week?

Salt of the Earth?

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A Mountain of Salt

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declares, “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt loses it taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot” (Matthew 5:13).  Such a metaphor raises all kinds of questions for me.  Salt seems so ordinary and mundane, something we take for granted.   Yes, it is necessary for making a fine meal, but it is the exotic spices and herbs that get the attention.  Salt brings out other  flavors, but who wants a dish with too much salt?

Years ago, on April 1st, my older sister pulled a practical joke on my siblings by mixing a large quantity of salt into the sugar bowl.  At breakfast, as they spooned sugar on to their cereal, she watched us carefully, saying nothing.  When they took their first bite and then spit it all out, she burst out laughing.   But my mother was not too pleased with the wasted cereal. My sister had to clean up the mess from too much salt. 

When Jesus spoke, salt was used in Jerusalem for temple sacrifices, “You shall not omit from your grain offering the salt of the covenant with your God; with all your offerings you shall offer salt” (Leviticus 2:13).  Could Jesus be inferring that our lives are to be an offering to God, a gift for God to use?  Could we be part of God’s covenant to renew and restore the earth?  Do I enhance God’s flavor in the world?

And just how does salt lose its saltiness?   Perhaps it means that the salt is polluted with impurities and stray matter.   In Exodus 30:35 God instructs the Israelites to make a prayer incense that includes salt, “seasoned with salt, pure and holy.”  I know that my own life at times becomes polluted in ways not pleasing to God.  How will I know when I have lost my saltiness?  Does the community have a role in helping me stay salty?

Jesus’ last phrase about salt being trample under foot makes me smile. In Minnesota there is plenty of salt being spread on roads, bridges, and sidewalks for us to trample upon.   Jesus did not concern his audience with the ice-melting properties of salt, but it is a critical part of our culture. Road salt covers my car after yesterday’s snowstorm, yet I am thankful for its ability to clear road ice. 

What thoughts comes to your mind when Jesus declares, “You are the salt of the earth“?

Celebration of Vibrant Life

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Celebration in the midst of the darkness

What a celebration of talent and joy I experienced  Saturday night at Resurrection’s Variety Show!  I was amazed not only at the wealth of talent displayed, but by the audience participation in the show.   People were clapping, shouting, cheering and affirming all who stood on stage.  It was truly a community celebration of life and joy.  Even the Silent Auction was a  noisy buzz of activity and friendly competition.

It was a creative expression of Epiphany, the light coming in the midst of darkness.  Perhaps I have a touch of Seasonal Affective Disorder (perhaps all Minnesotans have a touch of Seasonal Affective Disorder in January) but I needed a celebration in this snowy winter and the Variety Show provided it.   Joy is a hallmark of Jesus’ followers and I felt that this was a brilliant witness to that joy.  Thank you to all who made the evening vibrate with holy hilarity!

I am also struck that it was a community event in which a large part of the congregation participated.  From children to seniors, from set-up to clean-up,  each person gave to the whole.  As the body of Christ, we each have different gifts and strengths to add to the work of God in the world.   Earlier Saturday morning, a group from Resurrection went to the Disable Veteran Camp on Big Marine Lake to help assemble furniture for new cabins.   Though there was not wild cheering or applause, people experienced God’s joy as they helped others in need.  It was a celebration of service, which is a key part of the vibrant life in Christ.  

 I look forward to seeing how Resurrection Lutheran Church will continue to bear witness to Christ’s power in the world.   Every congregation is called by God to used its gifts, strengths, abilities, and passion to bring God’s light into a dark world.  Every congregation will celebrate and serve in unique ways with its own creative twist.  I am so excited to serve among God’s people here.

What creative ways have you seen congregations live out Christ’s mission?

Stones into Schools Questions

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In my last post I wrote about patience.   A true model of patience is Greg Mortenson and his Central Asia Institute.

Greg Mortenson’s Stones into Schools

Greg Mortenson’s second book, Stones into Schools, will be the subject of  the book club that my wife Carolyn and I are hosting next week.   Greg spent time growing up in Roseville, MN and became a mountain climber.   His first book, Three Cups of Tea, describes how he found his calling building schools in isolated mountain villages of Pakistan.  It is a thrilling adventure story.  In the second book, subtitled Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Greg continues his incredible story of patience and persistence. 

My wife crafted some discussion questions that I encourage you to use for your own reflection as you read Greg’s book.  The questions cover the first 100 pages (which is what we are discussing next week).  Feel free to leave a comment on any question.

  1. Mortenson says, “If you educate a boy, you educate an individual, but if you educate a girl, you educate a community.”  Do you agree or disagree?  Explain
  2. Were you surprised with Mortenson’s comment that religious scholars of Islam have told him that, “Murder and suicide are two of the most unforgivable sins in Islam?”  Why or why not?
  3. Mortenson says that in order to get things done in Pakistan and Afghanistan, “It is essential to listen with humility to what others have to say.”  Is this something that anyone anywhere can do to work for peace?  Why or why not?
  4. Mortenson says that his work demands patience and that “any wise village elder will tell you, anything truly important is worth doing very, very slowly.”  What could we, in our fast-paced American culture, learn from this philosophy?
  5. Does the quotation, “last place first” philosophy (p. 35) of the Central Asia Institute make sense to you?  Why or why not?
  6. How did Mortenson’s upbringing in Tanzania prepare him for his work today?
  7. Reread Sardhar Kahn’s poem on pages 99-100.  What are your thoughts and response?

Patience and beyond

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Pastor John when he could run

 I must confess that I have had trouble keeping up with my running buddies due to my own inactivity.  Over the past several months I have tried a few tentative runs, actually jogs, to see if my hip was better. Each time, the same pain came back and I would stop running and walk. I’ve stretched, I’ve iced, I’ve strengthen, I’ve Ibuprofen, I’ve massaged.  I have prayed.  I have had five appointments with a physical therapist to manipulate the SI joint.  Now I am scheduling an appointment with my doctor to see what options I have.  During this inactivity, several people have told me, “You must be patient.”

I have been hearing that patient word a lot.   As a new pastor in a congregation friends tell me tobe patient as I learn new names, faces, family connections and ministry choices.  At home I am learning to be patient with my siblings as we try to remodel and sell my mother’s home in Washington state.   I know that patience is a part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and it is good virtue to possess.  I just wish that I could be more patient in learning to be patient.   

In my journal, as I wrote about these frustrations, I came to the realization that in the grand scheme of things, a season or two without running is not the end of the world.  I have had other such experiences of inactivity from running injuries and eventually recovered.   In fact, this hiatus may just open me to some new activity of the Holy Spirit.  Like learning to walk in the Spirit of God.  Or cross-country skiing or snow showing or cycling or yoga.

And thanks for your patient listening and prayers for my recovery.

What has been an important lesson in patience for you?

An Ocean of Blessings

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Playing In the Tide Pools of Blessings

This Sunday begins a five-week series of readings from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 and 6.  Jesus begins the teaching with the beatitudes, “Blessed are the __________ for they will _______.”   I wrestle with these blessings since they are rarely ones I seek.  

For example: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. I prefer to be filled with the Spirit, overflowing with passion and energy.  To be empty sounds like a curse to me. Like many, I feel “blessed” when things are going my way and I am content.

Yet perhaps Jesus is calling us to realize that our blessings are not dependant on our circumstances, but always on God’s grace.  I need to recognize my total reliance on God to allow room for the Holy Spirit to work.  If I think I have the power on my own, based on my goodness or performance, then I am lost in my folly. 

As a child I often played in the tide pools along the Pacific Ocean where my family would go camping.  I would carve canals in the sand and manipulate how the water flowed from pool to pool.   I thought I was in charge of the beach, until a real ocean wave crashed down on my construction.   The the Lord of the beach and all creation showed me how poor I was. 

I think we all play on the edge of God’s ocean of blessings.  At times we need to stop thinking that we are in control and allow God’s power, grace and love to overwhelm us.  That can be frightening at first, but healing and joy comes with the blessing.  

How have you felt God’s blessing in your life?

Serenity Prayer

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Serenity in Winter

I have always been a great fan of the Serenity Prayer:

“God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change,
courage to change the things we can,
and wisdom to know the difference.” 

It is used not only at AA meeting, but throughout the church.  The author of the prayer was Reinhold Niebuhr, an American pastor and theologian of the last century.  His original prayer continued

“Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.”

I am one who believes in the power of prayer, but that prayer is not some magic bullet that offers instant results.  Prayer is always based on the ongoing relationship we have with God, and God’s expectations for us.  There are things we are meant to change and we need to discern what they are and our role in the change. Whether at home, at work, or in our congregation, there are attitudes and behaviors that we can change.  Asking for God’s guidance in our relationships and daily life is critical to healthy change.

 Which brings us to those things that we can not change, like the weather.   This winter started early and will probably be around at least two more months.  I know that I can complain about it, but I am asking for serenity to enjoy this day as a gift from God.   I believe there might be some wisdom in that.

How has prayer shaped your life this winter?