Matthew 20: 17-19
17 Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18 “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”
March 2020 - Happy Easter!
A friend of mine recently gave me a book to read. One of the perks of pastoring is that you are given a lot of good books to read! This one is quite famous and is titled “Man’s Search For Meaning” by Viktor Frankl. It describes what happened to him and his fellow prisoners in the labor camps of Nazi Germany. What I stumbled upon this morning was where we find our meaning. Frankl suggests that it is in what we do(our work) and who we love (our relationship roles).
I see this played out in the people around me. I find it prevalent especially near or shortly after retirement. Who am I without my job, without my role, without him/her? Where I diverge from Frankl is precisely the third option he is missing: Who do you say I am, God? Whoever you say, that’s what I am. It is what I was made for. I play with fire when I seek my fulfillment, my sense of purpose and identity outside of you, God. I risk by my distraction becoming who God is molding into being when I strive to “find myself” and my sense of purpose in these things. Brian
February 2020 - Happy Valentine's Day!
One night while conducting an evangelistic meeting in the Salvation Army Citadel in Chicago, Booth Tucker preached on the sympathy of Jesus. After his message a man approached him and said, "If your wife had just died, like mine has, and your babies were crying for their mother, who would never come back, you wouldn't be saying what you're saying."
Tragically, a few days later, Tucker's wife was killed in a train wreck. Her body was brought to Chicago and carried to the same Citadel for the funeral. After the service the bereaved preacher looked down into the silent face of his wife and then turned to those attending. "The other day a man told me I wouldn't speak of the sympathy of Jesus if my wife had just died. If that man is here, I want to tell him that Christ is sufficient. My heart is broken, but it has a song put there by Jesus. I want that man to know that Jesus Christ speaks comfort to me today."
I love the beauty of that word picture: "My heart is broken, but it has a song put there by Jesus." What song has Jesus put in your heart? Is it this same song of comfort and hope? Maybe this month is the time to stop and listen to that song. To take some time to reflect on our relationship with Christ and be renewed. God bless you this February! Brian
January 2020 - Happy New Year!
The New Year always holds the promise of rebirth and renewal. It is amazing how we universally long for a clean slate a new start. This is what resolutions are all about. We look at the past year and reflect on where we have been and where we see ourselves going. Usually, I don’t take resolutions all that seriously. I know I will just break them so why bother in the first place? Not a great attitude I agree, but one born of experience none the less. Generally, my resolutions revolve around eating more chocolate and exercising less! Strangely, I have no problem keeping my resolutions.
This year has been different, however. There is a deep longing that is growing in me for a more dynamic and genuine walk with Jesus. New Years has taken on a new meaning for me as this desire for more of God in my life grows. I pray this is a time of renewal and spiritual refreshment, but I hope above all that God will give me a greater spirit of love that looks beyond my own self. What new starts I wonder does God have for you this year? Where is God moving in your heart? Brian
December 2019 - Merry Christmas!
Every family has their own set of Christmas traditions. Some are formal and well known, and others are well, a little less formal but still beloved. There are movies we watch every year at only this time of year. Our cheesiness factor goes up, and somehow the kid in us always finds a way out. I love our quirky traditions!
In my family, an agreed upon time is set and all the children must stay in their rooms and not come out until Mom and Dad are ready in the living room cameras at the ready. There is always this moment, even now that the kids are older, where the giddiness of Christmas and the sheer joy of being together with my family come together as my now teenage children come racing out of their rooms to see what Santa brought.
In that moment, I am reminded that this is a party after all! A celebration of life, a life as sons and daughters of God no less! I pray for your joy this Christmas season. Light a fire, brew some cocoa, draw near those you love and celebrate this incredible gift God gives us in Himself this Christmas. Brian
One night while conducting an evangelistic meeting in the Salvation Army Citadel in Chicago, Booth Tucker preached on the sympathy of Jesus. After his message a man approached him and said, "If your wife had just died, like mine has, and your babies were crying for their mother, who would never come back, you wouldn't be saying what you're saying."
Tragically, a few days later, Tucker's wife was killed in a train wreck. Her body was brought to Chicago and carried to the same Citadel for the funeral. After the service the bereaved preacher looked down into the silent face of his wife and then turned to those attending. "The other day a man told me I wouldn't speak of the sympathy of Jesus if my wife had just died. If that man is here, I want to tell him that Christ is sufficient. My heart is broken, but it has a song put there by Jesus. I want that man to know that Jesus Christ speaks comfort to me today."
I love the beauty of that word picture: "My heart is broken, but it has a song put there by Jesus." What song has Jesus put in your heart? Is it this same song of comfort and hope? Maybe this month is the time to stop and listen to that song. To take some time to reflect on our relationship with Christ and be renewed. God bless you this February! Brian
January 2020 - Happy New Year!
The New Year always holds the promise of rebirth and renewal. It is amazing how we universally long for a clean slate a new start. This is what resolutions are all about. We look at the past year and reflect on where we have been and where we see ourselves going. Usually, I don’t take resolutions all that seriously. I know I will just break them so why bother in the first place? Not a great attitude I agree, but one born of experience none the less. Generally, my resolutions revolve around eating more chocolate and exercising less! Strangely, I have no problem keeping my resolutions.
This year has been different, however. There is a deep longing that is growing in me for a more dynamic and genuine walk with Jesus. New Years has taken on a new meaning for me as this desire for more of God in my life grows. I pray this is a time of renewal and spiritual refreshment, but I hope above all that God will give me a greater spirit of love that looks beyond my own self. What new starts I wonder does God have for you this year? Where is God moving in your heart? Brian
December 2019 - Merry Christmas!
Every family has their own set of Christmas traditions. Some are formal and well known, and others are well, a little less formal but still beloved. There are movies we watch every year at only this time of year. Our cheesiness factor goes up, and somehow the kid in us always finds a way out. I love our quirky traditions!
In my family, an agreed upon time is set and all the children must stay in their rooms and not come out until Mom and Dad are ready in the living room cameras at the ready. There is always this moment, even now that the kids are older, where the giddiness of Christmas and the sheer joy of being together with my family come together as my now teenage children come racing out of their rooms to see what Santa brought.
In that moment, I am reminded that this is a party after all! A celebration of life, a life as sons and daughters of God no less! I pray for your joy this Christmas season. Light a fire, brew some cocoa, draw near those you love and celebrate this incredible gift God gives us in Himself this Christmas. Brian
November 2019 - Happy Thanksgiving!
Did you know that in the early Church, the average church size was 10 to 30 people? Much like today there were small churches wherever there were Christians. The size of the church was often limited by their meeting space. A Jewish home could only hold so many people and the Gentile homes where churches met weren’t much larger.
The key to their success is found in the book of Acts. Luke tells us in the 4th chapter, “All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.” All the believers were united in heart and mind… What a time it must have been to be a believer. Seismic shifts were happening, and God was moving!
I feel we are facing a similar time. It is an exciting time in Mattawa and Desert Aire and God is again on the move. What they had then, that made their work successful besides the Holy Spirit, was the unity of purpose. The unity of their hearts and minds together. Pray for unity and a shared sense of purpose for our churches in the area. Pray for Grace Lutheran and Riverside Presbyterian to know how to forge ahead in this new environment. Pray that we too can be a part of the revival God is bringing here in our midst. Brian
Did you know that in the early Church, the average church size was 10 to 30 people? Much like today there were small churches wherever there were Christians. The size of the church was often limited by their meeting space. A Jewish home could only hold so many people and the Gentile homes where churches met weren’t much larger.
The key to their success is found in the book of Acts. Luke tells us in the 4th chapter, “All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.” All the believers were united in heart and mind… What a time it must have been to be a believer. Seismic shifts were happening, and God was moving!
I feel we are facing a similar time. It is an exciting time in Mattawa and Desert Aire and God is again on the move. What they had then, that made their work successful besides the Holy Spirit, was the unity of purpose. The unity of their hearts and minds together. Pray for unity and a shared sense of purpose for our churches in the area. Pray for Grace Lutheran and Riverside Presbyterian to know how to forge ahead in this new environment. Pray that we too can be a part of the revival God is bringing here in our midst. Brian
October 2019
I love doughnuts. All kinds of doughnuts really, but my special treat, if I am being good is a raspberry jelly-filled doughnut with powdered sugar on the outside. I don’t get them very often because I am seldom wearing attire that lends itself to white powder and raspberry stains. There is just no good way to eat a powdered, jelly-filled donut. The gooey good stuff in the middle just starts oozing out.
You are in many ways a jelly-filled doughnut. I have appreciated the sweet jelly of your core! This church’s past is foreign to me. I am unaware of previous trials, victories or setbacks. What I have learned, and what is easy to see is that this is a church that cares for each other, and that is your gooey good stuff. How we love one another.
You are family. Don’t take that gift lightly. It is what is most attractive about our church and is no small thing!
Let’s see our faith community as that safe space to practice radical love and acts of kindness, so we are ready when the opportunity arises in our everyday world. Brian
I love doughnuts. All kinds of doughnuts really, but my special treat, if I am being good is a raspberry jelly-filled doughnut with powdered sugar on the outside. I don’t get them very often because I am seldom wearing attire that lends itself to white powder and raspberry stains. There is just no good way to eat a powdered, jelly-filled donut. The gooey good stuff in the middle just starts oozing out.
You are in many ways a jelly-filled doughnut. I have appreciated the sweet jelly of your core! This church’s past is foreign to me. I am unaware of previous trials, victories or setbacks. What I have learned, and what is easy to see is that this is a church that cares for each other, and that is your gooey good stuff. How we love one another.
You are family. Don’t take that gift lightly. It is what is most attractive about our church and is no small thing!
Let’s see our faith community as that safe space to practice radical love and acts of kindness, so we are ready when the opportunity arises in our everyday world. Brian
September 2019 - Welcome Brian! Riverside looks forward to getting to know you.
Hi Riversiders!
I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you a little about myself and my family as we are getting to know one another better. I grew up out in George and lived in George and Quincy all through school. My dad worked at the dams and my mom was a school secretary. When I graduated, I left for Newberg, OR to attend George Fox College where I studied Youth Ministry (and girls). Upon graduating, I married my beautiful wife Carrie and began pastoring in the Free Methodist Church as a youth pastor in Gresham, OR. Unlike most of my classmates in high school, I always wanted to return to Quincy after college and be home again. In 2001, I had the opportunity to move back and pastor in the church I grew up in. After the birth of my two daughters, it was time to leave Quincy and head back to Newberg, this time for Seminary at George Fox University. Did I mention I loved my time at George Fox as an undergrad? While I was in Newberg, I worked at and then ran a mortgage branch and I ventured into the "real world" of work and business. It was also at this time the last of our children, my son was born.
Though I had found some early success in the real estate banking world, I always wanted to do something that had more meaning to it. Something that shaped and changed people's lives, not just put them deeper in debt. In 2012 I brought my business back to Quincy and within a few years I was back into pastoring. This time a community church in Royal City. After my interim there, I began doing some speaking at Grace Lutheran as their pastor was retiring. Shortly thereafter, they brought me onboard as their pastor and I have been here for nearly 2 years. I have also had the great privilege of preaching down the road at Riverside this last month! My heart is for people to know and be known by Jesus in an authentic and real way. It is what I hope for in my life and what I hope for in the lives of the flock. I look forward to our adventure together! Brian
Hi Riversiders!
I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you a little about myself and my family as we are getting to know one another better. I grew up out in George and lived in George and Quincy all through school. My dad worked at the dams and my mom was a school secretary. When I graduated, I left for Newberg, OR to attend George Fox College where I studied Youth Ministry (and girls). Upon graduating, I married my beautiful wife Carrie and began pastoring in the Free Methodist Church as a youth pastor in Gresham, OR. Unlike most of my classmates in high school, I always wanted to return to Quincy after college and be home again. In 2001, I had the opportunity to move back and pastor in the church I grew up in. After the birth of my two daughters, it was time to leave Quincy and head back to Newberg, this time for Seminary at George Fox University. Did I mention I loved my time at George Fox as an undergrad? While I was in Newberg, I worked at and then ran a mortgage branch and I ventured into the "real world" of work and business. It was also at this time the last of our children, my son was born.
Though I had found some early success in the real estate banking world, I always wanted to do something that had more meaning to it. Something that shaped and changed people's lives, not just put them deeper in debt. In 2012 I brought my business back to Quincy and within a few years I was back into pastoring. This time a community church in Royal City. After my interim there, I began doing some speaking at Grace Lutheran as their pastor was retiring. Shortly thereafter, they brought me onboard as their pastor and I have been here for nearly 2 years. I have also had the great privilege of preaching down the road at Riverside this last month! My heart is for people to know and be known by Jesus in an authentic and real way. It is what I hope for in my life and what I hope for in the lives of the flock. I look forward to our adventure together! Brian
August 2019 Farewell, Dennis. Thank you for your ministry, wise words, and devotion to Riverside. God speed. May peace always be with you!
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The word “goodbye” is a contraction from Shakespeare’s time for “God be with ye.” It’s a statement of faith, hope, and love. I will mean that with all my heart, when I say it to you around 10 AM on August 4th. But, after that, it will actually take a couple months for me to finish saying goodbye and leave.
I’ve always told you that you are missionaries and the word “mission” means to be “sent.” You may have thought that you chose to move here for some reason or another, but Christians never choose. They’re always sent. If you ever try to choose to go somewhere, you won’t get away with it. God will turn it into a missionary mission.
I’ve also often told you that I can’t tell you what God has sent you here for. You have to come to terms with God for yourselves and for The Church, The Body of Christ. We’ve had several special prayer services and discernment services, so that, through our worship and the word of God, we put ourselves before the Lord to listen to him. So, I hope it’s become a bit of an ongoing question. “God, what do you want us to do next?” You need to hear it for yourselves: not to be told what to do.
This might well have to do with partnering with your brothers and sisters in Christ around you, in the community, and in other churches. There will be more people than you realize, who will be partners in shaping your coming missions. So, go on praying for this.
Most of what happened in the first churches seemed to happen by accident. They never could build themselves up, but the Holy Spirit could move them into the next great thing. The Holy Spirit empowered these events, and the Lord’s people won hearts through the communication and response that the Spirit moved and pushed through them. And they grew in spite of themselves.
Don’t brace yourselves. Let the Lord move and push you and push through you to others.
Fear and doubt (and even all that tries to pass for “reality”) can break hearts. Don’t let this happen. Your job is to let the love of God for this world break your heart, so that your heart resembles his heart, which is shaped like the cross, and so that your life resembles Jesus.
Look for the needs around you. Where can you live the Love of Jesus by caring for those needs?
Grace and peace,
Goodbye,
Dennis
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The word “goodbye” is a contraction from Shakespeare’s time for “God be with ye.” It’s a statement of faith, hope, and love. I will mean that with all my heart, when I say it to you around 10 AM on August 4th. But, after that, it will actually take a couple months for me to finish saying goodbye and leave.
I’ve always told you that you are missionaries and the word “mission” means to be “sent.” You may have thought that you chose to move here for some reason or another, but Christians never choose. They’re always sent. If you ever try to choose to go somewhere, you won’t get away with it. God will turn it into a missionary mission.
I’ve also often told you that I can’t tell you what God has sent you here for. You have to come to terms with God for yourselves and for The Church, The Body of Christ. We’ve had several special prayer services and discernment services, so that, through our worship and the word of God, we put ourselves before the Lord to listen to him. So, I hope it’s become a bit of an ongoing question. “God, what do you want us to do next?” You need to hear it for yourselves: not to be told what to do.
This might well have to do with partnering with your brothers and sisters in Christ around you, in the community, and in other churches. There will be more people than you realize, who will be partners in shaping your coming missions. So, go on praying for this.
Most of what happened in the first churches seemed to happen by accident. They never could build themselves up, but the Holy Spirit could move them into the next great thing. The Holy Spirit empowered these events, and the Lord’s people won hearts through the communication and response that the Spirit moved and pushed through them. And they grew in spite of themselves.
Don’t brace yourselves. Let the Lord move and push you and push through you to others.
Fear and doubt (and even all that tries to pass for “reality”) can break hearts. Don’t let this happen. Your job is to let the love of God for this world break your heart, so that your heart resembles his heart, which is shaped like the cross, and so that your life resembles Jesus.
Look for the needs around you. Where can you live the Love of Jesus by caring for those needs?
Grace and peace,
Goodbye,
Dennis