Pastor's Ponderings: Old Testament bible study of Psalm 49 (March 5, 2026)

March 5, 2026:  Thursday Bible Study on Psalm 49

Blessings and Peace be with you in this time of our nation's military personnel being in danger due to our government's actions in Iran. Please pray for their safety, and the safety of all people whose lives have been threatened due to where they are living in the Middle East. War, no matter whether we deem it necessary or questionable, is without doubt the outcome of the sin that is present in all people. Our journey during this Lenten season of the church year is even more poignant considering the sinfulness of all people which have once again found our nation involved in military conflict. This morning did not turn out at all the way that I had planned! I been thinking that the registration and plates for our van were soon coming due. Oops! They were due in mid-February. Off to emissions right away today. The van passed with flying colors and very little pollution on the exhaust readings. The registration and plates are now purchased, and I am legal again!

Our Psalm today is number 49, and it is filled with the kind of wisdom and theology from which Jesus drew many of his parables and sayings. Of course, this Psalm is not alone, but I am confident that when you read it, its content will sound very familiar.

This is a song/prayer about the nature of life and death in God's world, and how, all too often, people live feeling and thinking that their possessions, health, exercise, beauty, and more are going to be with them forever. Melody and I have reached the point in our lives where we realize that we have a limited time left in this life, knowing that we will continue to live with generous hearts, working hard to not judge others, (a huge challenge right now for us as Christians who believe war is with us only because of sin and greed in the world) following as best as we can faithfully, the paths to which Jesus calls every one of us to walk in our lives.  However, we certainly do know that there are others who joke about their getting into Christ's heavenly kingdom while they luxuriate in this life, believing that all their wealth will somehow keep them from the final reality which we all must face. I bet that we all know that saying, "You can't take it with you!". This Psalm is a commentary on that kind of thinking, and it challenges those whose lives have been blessed by great wealth, to live lives of generosity. But there is more. This Psalm also calls on the needy to listen, because sometimes they are the ones who place their hope in latching on to their meager possessions, just like the wealthy do with their abundant possessions. And in this Psalm, we are also told that there is no "redemption price" that is ever enough when we are the ones who attempt to earn God's Grace by works. Here it is, all the way in the Psalms, exactly what Paul teaches in the Book of Romans. We are justified by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ, our LORD and SAVIOR. Obviously, the Old Testament refers to Jesus in its prophetic messages, but when we move to the Gospels and the letters of Paul to the new church, we quickly see how Christ becomes the blood sacrifice to pay for the sins and brokenness of the whole of humanity, and even the sin of creation itself.  In Christ, we can understand that the Psalmist had it right! However, the wealthy are truly warned in this Psalm not to become those who would trample on the less fortunate. This Psalm is filled with the veins of righteousness which become enriched, flowing with new life, when it is the living light and life of Christ which fills them to be the bearers of the very bests that God has offered, abundant life, the fullness of forgiveness, and the certain promise of Salvation with our Savior.

God bless you all in your Lenten journeys today and throughout the entire season, which will ultimately bring us to the dawning of God's Love and the empty tomb.

With the Love of Christ, Pastor Kim

Pastor's Ponderings: Monday Bible Study on Acts of the Apostles 13:14-15 (March 2, 2026)

March 2, 2026:  Monday Bible Study on Acts 13:14-15

It is good to be back with you this morning. I hope that you had an opportunity to spend some time over the last four days enjoying the 101st Rodeo, its parade, and the Rodeo Grounds if you are so inclined. At least once we decided to head off to Disney Land over Rodeo. That was a great choice, but it rained! Yesterday we had a wonderful Gospel Music Sunday Worship. Our singers were in great voice, our drummer held us all to a great standard of tempo, and one of our group was absent helping to run a pet adoption day. Thanks to all of them for helping to carry us musically through another Lenten Sunday Worship. I am so thankful to God for their willing hearts and love of Christ. I am not certain that I told you that our member Lisa Kartchner in Hawaii is now cancer free according to her oncologist. She will continue with a precautionary treatment regimen for a short time. Say a prayer of thanksgiving to God for Lisa's great good news. Our Jesse started his new job this morning saying in a text that it is pretty chill. In the next two weeks we will be registering Josiah in the phlebotomy program at Pima Medical. It will be a three-month program that will end with a job placement as well. We are really excited for him as this part of his life now takes shape for his future. I do have to admit that this next step in their lives is one that has taken me some getting used to. It is kind of like sending your 5-year-old off to kindergarten, joy and excitement flavored with some sense of personal loss as their parent. I will miss having them around the house every day.

Today we move to Acts 13:14-15.  Paul and Barnabas have moved on from Pamphylia to Antioch, where they are received by the local synagogue, and its members willingness to hear what these two missionaries from the Christian Church have to say to them.

This doesn't say much about the reality of these few verses, but this journey was not an easy one. Pisidia of Antioch was located on a 36oo foot plateau in the Taurus mountain range, which meant that Paul and Barnabas had to take a treacherous road that had serious ups and downs as they journeyed to Pisidia Antioch. One must imagine that such a journey might be discouraging to many who considered going there, but it certainly did not deter Paul and Barnabas. This road, not unlike the road from Jericho to Jerusalem, was filled with robbers and brigands, as an added kind of danger from opportunists who saw that isolated road as a chance to rob and kill with little danger of being caught. So why did Paul choose to leave Pamphylia, which was located on the coast. On this first journey of Paul, he did not preach the Gospel there! On the surface it seems like there must have been something wrong with the community, some violence or refusal toward Paul and Barnabas, but that is not what happened. Paul did not preach the Gospel there because of his health. The most reasoned, and perhaps the best explanation for this having happened to Paul, is that he had a persistent health issue that really weakened him to the point of not being able to preach and teach there. This "thorn" in Paul's life may well have been that he had contracted Malaria. Malaria presents in its victims debilitating headaches. That would have grounded Paul from completing the work he was about until his symptoms had eased. It also could have been related to the lightning strike that had been so close to Paul on his trip to Damascus to persecute the Christians. We have heard of the lasting health implications of a person who has experienced that too. Later Paul would write a letter to Derbe, Pisidia, Iconium, and Lystra. That letter is one with which you and I are familiar, the Letter to the Galatians. Pamphylia sat on a narrow strip of ocean level land, which, if Paul did have Malaria, might have caused his extreme headaches to multiply due to the high humidity. Perhaps he and Barnabas headed to Pisidia Antioch to try to get relief from the burden of his illness. If you have ever had the misfortune to have severe headaches, you know that finding relief for the pain becomes the number one goal.

Tomorrow, as we continue in the Acts of the Apostles, we will be encountering the only full sermon which we will find in Acts, it is quite lengthy, and we will have a chance to compare it to the important points which Peter's preaching held. May the LORD of heaven and earth, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit surround each of us today, tomorrow, and every day in our future journey with Christ.

With Christ's Love, Pastor Kim

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March 3, 2026:  Tuesday Bible Study on Acts

Dear Bible Study friends. Today both Jesse and I woke up with some early stomach issues. I will not be doing today's study. I am resting to get better for worship tomorrow at Noon. Please keep us both in your prayers today. Pastor Kim

Pastor's Ponderings: Tuesday Bible Study on Acts of the Apostles 13:13 (February 24, 2026)

February 24, 2026:  Tuesday Bible Study on Acts 13:13

Good morning.

I am hopeful that you find this somewhat overly warm weather a pleasant surprise considering the cold and rainy weather we had just a few weeks ago. In our prayers for today I ask that we all pray for the unknown people around us who need prayers for their health, economy, safety, and more. I did announce on Sunday that the Church Council action to order whistles for anyone who would like to be carrying one has been completed. These very loud whistles are available for you in the Narthex if you would like to carry one. When we lived in Chicago for three years most women carried whistles for safety when they were walking around on the South Side of the city. Of course, today, you may choose to have one available for other reasons. You may pick one up in the Narthex at Church.

This week we are heading out to Cheesecake Factory at Tucson Mall for our Faith Foodies group at 11:30 on Friday. Next month we will be going to one of the last Village Inns in Tucson. It is on 22nd Street, just beyond Harrison on the right side of the street. Great Pies! If you're into that kind of thing!

Please continue prayers for Joyce and Larry as they have decided that for their own health and well-being, they will not fight the foreclosure on their new home. This has been a very difficult road for them both, and they truly need our prayer support as they seek greater financial stability in their lives after suffering from identity theft. I will tell you that my cousin who is a few years older than me, living in northeast Georgia, almost became the victim of a scam after the death of her husband. Thankfully, she did not proceed with the bitcoin purchase that she had been targeted to send. Please always be careful. There are many such scams out in the world ready to make people their victims.

This morning you may already have noted that there is only one verse in our study! I know that it hardly seems like enough for a full day’s commentary on the passage. But this is an important passage as several things are revealed in it. You may have noted in your study that Barnabas has seemed to be the leader in this first mission trip for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For the first time it appears that now Paul is the new primary person as he, Barnabas, and John Mark have traveled together. Perhaps a more difficult thing is that John Mark departs from them, I suppose we might say that he deserts this mission, and heads back to Jerusalem. This John Mark may well be the writer of the Gospel. At the time he leaves Paul and Barnabas, he is indeed a young man, whose mother seems to be the home and host for the new Christians in Jerusalem. Apparently, Mark has been involved with this movement for a while with his mother in her home. Remember that this first mission for the Gospel has taken about 3 years to happen, and before it, Paul has continued to be known as Saul. I would suspect then that Mark has a reason to depart from them. Let’s think about this for a couple of minutes. Perhaps Mark left because he was angry about Paul replacing Barnabas as the mission leader. Perhaps Mark was frightened of the journey to Pamphylia by a route that was known to be the most dangerous of any other way one might choose to go. As Mark was so young, maybe he just needed to get back to his family in Jerusalem, or he found the preaching to the gentiles too offensive considering his former Jewish faith. Whatever the reason, Paul had a very difficult time forgiving Mark for having done this. It would not be until quite a bit later, perhaps as much as 20 years, that Paul would find Mark had redeemed himself by his faithfulness in the establishment of the Church in Egypt. It is only then that Paul can recommend Mark's positive reception in other parts of the new Church. There are always reasons for leaving or staying. Pastors know this all too well in their lives as ordained servants of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I departed from my first call because the Sacramental practices there seemed less than appropriate, and they were not going to change. This was a place where I held new member classes two or three times a year bringing in 40 to 50 new members each time. I had a great youth ministry and education program there too. However, too much emphasis for those who might serve as laity in that congregation had to do with seniority. Newer members never had an opportunity to assist at Communion, or in other places in worship either. But it just wasn't my choice, the Spirit had placed it on my heart to make a change, so I filed mobility papers and headed toward Arizona because my internship mentor and teacher had become involved with the Grand Canyon Synod through the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. When I received the call to serve at American 35 years ago, a whole new means of serving the Gospel opened for me, from serving on Synod Council, to being elected to the National Church Council in Chicago, to serving as the Spiritual Director of more than 7 lay renewal weekends, taking our youth to national youth gathering around the country, and more, and one year our evangelism work resulted in more than 40 new members joining our church family.  Now I preach, teach, develop Bible studies each week, direct and play for worship, the Gospel Group, the Bell Choir, while celebrating the joy in Christ that our congregation continues to display and share, American's heart of generosity, compassion, love, concern for other's well-being, and most of all, our love of our LORD Jesus Christ, allowing ourselves to be constantly challenged to grow beyond who we are now, to become who the Lord is shaping us to be in the future.  My 35 years at American seem just like a beginning for what is to come in the final years of my ministry and life for our Savior. Though sometimes there are struggles, these years have been filled with God's Grace. To have been at American for fewer years, and with several years left to serve, I am honored to serve the Gospel in your midst, and any fewer years would have made my ministry for Christ less filled with joy, with work incomplete.

Yes, Paul was angry with Mark for leaving too soon, and it took many years for Paul to forgive Mark for his departure so early in the mission and ministry for the Gospel. Paul tended to be overcome with frustration, sometimes anger, but that did not stop him and Barnabas from continuing their work for Christ, and what Paul did, he did for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Thanks for being with me today. Just one verse huh? God's Word is always filled with His love and Hope for us all.

In Christ's love, Pastor Kim