Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Christians and Contraception
A great hour-long discussion about contraception on the Issues, Etc., radio program. Play below or Listen here.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sermon on the Death of a Baby
Texts: 2 Samuel 12:15b-23; Romans 14:6-9; Matthew 18:1-5,10-11; Mark 10:13-16
Dear friends,
We gather in sadness, mourning the death of this little baby, [n.]. Death is never easy. But there should not be caskets this size. We know death is in this world as a result of sin, and death is always a reminder to us of the fact that this world is not as God first created it. We mourn the loss TO US of the life of this baby, [n.], and yet we know that God is in control, and that this child is in the arms of Jesus.
The readings this afternoon reflect that. The first reading was from the life of King David. David of course is well-known. His battle against Goliath, his rise to Kingship, even his great sins of adultery and murder. Perhaps less well know is the illness that plagued his son, the first son born from Bathsheba. This son was sick and died shortly after birth, longer than baby Caleb—seven days, not seven seconds. And yet, for that boy, seven days was one day too short a time. For it was on the eighth day that their boys were circumcised, a sign of being in the family of God, like our baptism, and on the eighth day they received a name. Instead, that boy died without circumcision or a name. And yet despite that, King David expressed his confidence in eternal life and that eternal life had been given to his son in His words: “I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
In the reading from Mark, Jesus was indignant that his disciples were trying to keep the children from him. “Let the children come to me,” Jesus said. “Do not hinder them; for to such belong the kingdom of God.” To such, meaning NOT, as some people think, that ALL children are saved, or that we need to become like children in general. To whom belongs the kingdom of God? To people who are like the children that are brought to Jesus!
In truth, each of us NEEDS, if we are to be saved, to become like children brought to Jesus. It is in the nature of children to trust their parents. That’s just a fact. Little children trust that their earthly parents will take care of them, feed them, clothe them, and give them what they need. Unfortunately, we as earthly parents aren’t always able to do that for our children. We aren’t always able to give our children what they need. We don’t always know what to say to our children, we aren’t even always able to ensure that our children can live. This should be so, but it is not. And it is a frustrating part of life in this fallen world.
But that is why we are taught, as parents, to give our children what they TRULY need, and that is to bring them to Jesus, to let Christ the good shepherd and God our heavenly Father take care of them. He knows their true needs. He cares for each of His children in ways we cannot. He is the father to the fatherless, the nurturer, the life-giver to those who die physically. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones,” Jesus said, “For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.”
From this passage, we know that even in the womb, our children have angels watching over us, caring for our needs at the command of God the Father.
Just a day or two before this baby’s birth and death, as you sat in the hospital uncertain about the fate of your unborn child, I read that passage from Romans 14: “If we live we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.”
Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection is the key event for each of us. Christ’s death and resurrection is the promise that we, too, will be raised again, raised to eternal life from death, to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.
Christ our Lord, Christ the Good Shepherd, is truly the Good Shepherd of all his children, all those brought to him, and to him we commend this little one, [n.], placing him in the arms of His Good Shepherd.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
We gather in sadness, mourning the death of this little baby, [n.]. Death is never easy. But there should not be caskets this size. We know death is in this world as a result of sin, and death is always a reminder to us of the fact that this world is not as God first created it. We mourn the loss TO US of the life of this baby, [n.], and yet we know that God is in control, and that this child is in the arms of Jesus.
The readings this afternoon reflect that. The first reading was from the life of King David. David of course is well-known. His battle against Goliath, his rise to Kingship, even his great sins of adultery and murder. Perhaps less well know is the illness that plagued his son, the first son born from Bathsheba. This son was sick and died shortly after birth, longer than baby Caleb—seven days, not seven seconds. And yet, for that boy, seven days was one day too short a time. For it was on the eighth day that their boys were circumcised, a sign of being in the family of God, like our baptism, and on the eighth day they received a name. Instead, that boy died without circumcision or a name. And yet despite that, King David expressed his confidence in eternal life and that eternal life had been given to his son in His words: “I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
In the reading from Mark, Jesus was indignant that his disciples were trying to keep the children from him. “Let the children come to me,” Jesus said. “Do not hinder them; for to such belong the kingdom of God.” To such, meaning NOT, as some people think, that ALL children are saved, or that we need to become like children in general. To whom belongs the kingdom of God? To people who are like the children that are brought to Jesus!
In truth, each of us NEEDS, if we are to be saved, to become like children brought to Jesus. It is in the nature of children to trust their parents. That’s just a fact. Little children trust that their earthly parents will take care of them, feed them, clothe them, and give them what they need. Unfortunately, we as earthly parents aren’t always able to do that for our children. We aren’t always able to give our children what they need. We don’t always know what to say to our children, we aren’t even always able to ensure that our children can live. This should be so, but it is not. And it is a frustrating part of life in this fallen world.
But that is why we are taught, as parents, to give our children what they TRULY need, and that is to bring them to Jesus, to let Christ the good shepherd and God our heavenly Father take care of them. He knows their true needs. He cares for each of His children in ways we cannot. He is the father to the fatherless, the nurturer, the life-giver to those who die physically. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones,” Jesus said, “For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.”
From this passage, we know that even in the womb, our children have angels watching over us, caring for our needs at the command of God the Father.
Just a day or two before this baby’s birth and death, as you sat in the hospital uncertain about the fate of your unborn child, I read that passage from Romans 14: “If we live we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.”
Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection is the key event for each of us. Christ’s death and resurrection is the promise that we, too, will be raised again, raised to eternal life from death, to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.
Christ our Lord, Christ the Good Shepherd, is truly the Good Shepherd of all his children, all those brought to him, and to him we commend this little one, [n.], placing him in the arms of His Good Shepherd.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Duluth Clinic Fitness Center vs YMCA
For years, I enjoyed one of the healthy benefits of being a Campus Pastor at UMD--inexpensive access to the gymnasium and fitness center on campus. This was very convenient when we lived right across the street, a little less so once we moved a mile away from campus. I mostly enjoyed using the fitness machines and the sauna, Gayle the aerobic classes. However, about two or three years ago, UMD significantly raised the cost for my category of affiliation with UMD, and Gayle, who to her credit had been keeping up with classes geared for 20 year old students, was getting a little tired of the background music styles used by the instructors. Therefore, we started looking at different fitness options in the community.
The two major facilities are The Duluth Clinic Fitness & Therapy Center and the YMCA. Gayle and I initially settled on the Fitness Center, and have belonged there for over a year. However, we finally gave in to the requests of our children and joined the YMCA when, on February 14, the YMCA had a day where they waived the joiner fee. I thought the readers of this blog might be interested in my evaluation of the two facilities, especially as it relates to our family's needs.
While the two organizations have a significat overlap of the services they provide, there are some different focal points as well. One obvious one is that the YMCA is geared towards families, while the Fitness Center is aimed at serving adults in their fitness needs. (Older children can use the Fitness Center, but mine did not find much of what they wanted to do there.)
Membership costs are similar, with initial joining and monthly membership fees. (The YMCA has rare times where they waive the fee.) You can locate the fees at their web sites above. The YMCA's family membership includes all your children at home, a nice deal for large families. Also, the YMCA has financial assistance for which you can apply that can reduce your costs. This can help a lot.
As to transportation and location, the two facilities are very similar. The Fitness Center is in the Miller Dwan and Duluth Clinic Second Street building in the medical district of Duluth at 2nd Street and 4th Avenue East. The YMCA is right downtown on First Street at 3rd Avenue West. Parking is similar. Street parking at meters are located around the buildings, and you may or may not find a spot close to the building. The Fitness Center has an attached parking ramp that costs $2 per visit. (Early morning and later afternoon visits are 50 cents per hour for Fitness Center members.) The YMCA has arrangements with three ramps nearby (one-half to three blocks away) for two hours of free parking. The closest of these is the Holiday Inn ramp. (There are plans to connect the YMCA to the Holiday Inn ramp by a skywalk soon.) Bus transportation is also similar. The Fitness Center is right on most of the eastern bus routes. The YMCA is a block away from just about every bus line as they go through downtown Duluth.
As far as the upkeep of the facilities go, the Fitness Center is pretty well kept up, though some parts of the facility are showing their age. The YMCA is quite a bit more run down, but will soon be undergoing a $4 million dollar renovation with funds raised separate from membership fees. (I think they are over 75% done with the fundraising.)
The fitness machines and weights I would evaluate as about even between the two facilities. Regarding aerobic classes for adults, the Fitness Center probably gives more options, but there are plenty at the YMCA. Gayle does the classes more, and she hasn't been to any classes at the Y yet. (I should point out that the YMCA DOES have what they call "Adult time" for a couple hours around lunch, and Saturday evening, where kids are not at the facility other than in the Kid's Club.) The Fitness Center has a sauna in the locker rooms. The YMCA's saunas are currently in locker rooms that require an additional monthly charge, but after the renovation, there won't be separate locker rooms and the saunas and steam rooms will be available to everyone.
Both the Fitness Center and the YMCA have pools for use in classes and lap swimming. The YMCA also has a smaller (and warmer) therapy pool that is nice for smaller children. The Fitness Center has a therapy pool, too, that is frequenly used for therapy but is open for adults when not so used. Both places have a whirlpool/hot tub/spa. (The Y's is actually a little nicer, but not open as many hours.) Both have walking tracks that are similar.
The YMCA includes many things that are not at the Fitness Center: Basketball courts (my older girls like this), racquetball courts (it's been way over 20 years since I've played racquetball, but I might try to relearn this sport now), a gymnastics area for the kids, and a free Kid's Club area with supervision and toys for younger kids to play with while parents are working out. There are also a lot of different programs for people of all ages at and away from the building itself, with varying costs.
I'm sure there are other differences, but these are the ones that mean the most for my family and that I have noticed.
I put our membership at the Fitness Center on a temporary "Freeze" until we decide for sure what we want to do. I will miss some of the things at the Fitness Center, especially the sauna, and I think if it were just for my wife and I, we would be continuing our Fitness Center membership, but with the activities for the kids, we'll probably be YMCA members for a while.
The two major facilities are The Duluth Clinic Fitness & Therapy Center and the YMCA. Gayle and I initially settled on the Fitness Center, and have belonged there for over a year. However, we finally gave in to the requests of our children and joined the YMCA when, on February 14, the YMCA had a day where they waived the joiner fee. I thought the readers of this blog might be interested in my evaluation of the two facilities, especially as it relates to our family's needs.
While the two organizations have a significat overlap of the services they provide, there are some different focal points as well. One obvious one is that the YMCA is geared towards families, while the Fitness Center is aimed at serving adults in their fitness needs. (Older children can use the Fitness Center, but mine did not find much of what they wanted to do there.)
Membership costs are similar, with initial joining and monthly membership fees. (The YMCA has rare times where they waive the fee.) You can locate the fees at their web sites above. The YMCA's family membership includes all your children at home, a nice deal for large families. Also, the YMCA has financial assistance for which you can apply that can reduce your costs. This can help a lot.
As to transportation and location, the two facilities are very similar. The Fitness Center is in the Miller Dwan and Duluth Clinic Second Street building in the medical district of Duluth at 2nd Street and 4th Avenue East. The YMCA is right downtown on First Street at 3rd Avenue West. Parking is similar. Street parking at meters are located around the buildings, and you may or may not find a spot close to the building. The Fitness Center has an attached parking ramp that costs $2 per visit. (Early morning and later afternoon visits are 50 cents per hour for Fitness Center members.) The YMCA has arrangements with three ramps nearby (one-half to three blocks away) for two hours of free parking. The closest of these is the Holiday Inn ramp. (There are plans to connect the YMCA to the Holiday Inn ramp by a skywalk soon.) Bus transportation is also similar. The Fitness Center is right on most of the eastern bus routes. The YMCA is a block away from just about every bus line as they go through downtown Duluth.
As far as the upkeep of the facilities go, the Fitness Center is pretty well kept up, though some parts of the facility are showing their age. The YMCA is quite a bit more run down, but will soon be undergoing a $4 million dollar renovation with funds raised separate from membership fees. (I think they are over 75% done with the fundraising.)
The fitness machines and weights I would evaluate as about even between the two facilities. Regarding aerobic classes for adults, the Fitness Center probably gives more options, but there are plenty at the YMCA. Gayle does the classes more, and she hasn't been to any classes at the Y yet. (I should point out that the YMCA DOES have what they call "Adult time" for a couple hours around lunch, and Saturday evening, where kids are not at the facility other than in the Kid's Club.) The Fitness Center has a sauna in the locker rooms. The YMCA's saunas are currently in locker rooms that require an additional monthly charge, but after the renovation, there won't be separate locker rooms and the saunas and steam rooms will be available to everyone.
Both the Fitness Center and the YMCA have pools for use in classes and lap swimming. The YMCA also has a smaller (and warmer) therapy pool that is nice for smaller children. The Fitness Center has a therapy pool, too, that is frequenly used for therapy but is open for adults when not so used. Both places have a whirlpool/hot tub/spa. (The Y's is actually a little nicer, but not open as many hours.) Both have walking tracks that are similar.
The YMCA includes many things that are not at the Fitness Center: Basketball courts (my older girls like this), racquetball courts (it's been way over 20 years since I've played racquetball, but I might try to relearn this sport now), a gymnastics area for the kids, and a free Kid's Club area with supervision and toys for younger kids to play with while parents are working out. There are also a lot of different programs for people of all ages at and away from the building itself, with varying costs.
I'm sure there are other differences, but these are the ones that mean the most for my family and that I have noticed.
I put our membership at the Fitness Center on a temporary "Freeze" until we decide for sure what we want to do. I will miss some of the things at the Fitness Center, especially the sauna, and I think if it were just for my wife and I, we would be continuing our Fitness Center membership, but with the activities for the kids, we'll probably be YMCA members for a while.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Turkey Dinner
A fairly inexpensive way to prepare a meal for a large family is to buy a good supply of turkeys when they are on sale at Thanksgiving and Christmas and get them out occasionally throughout the year. I got a turkey out to thaw last week, and when the ice storm kept me in yesterday afternoon, I decided to go ahead and make the meal yesterday. Turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes, fresh whole wheat bread, and corn from the freezer. Mmmm. A big hearty meal. And then the leftovers. I didn't make enough of the sides for leftovers, but there's turkey meat, plus of course the real bonus when making turkey: broth! Take the turkey carcass and giblets, boil it with some vegetables and spices for a few hours, strain it, cool it, take off the fat, and you've got a great supply of terrific broth for soup, pilaf, and other recipes. Unbeatable.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)