j.p. serrano

Today is our first full day at lake Isabella. The wind is blowing and it is about 100 degrees outside. The children really enjoy camping, we let them get filthy, and they get to play with sticks and rocks–what could be better?

Here is a photo of the lake from our campsite.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to preach at my former congregation St. Peter’s By The Sea in San Diego.  Pastor Marohn was kind enough to give up a Sunday to allow me this opportunity.  Everybody is very encouraging, they laughed at my jokes and I noticed one person swell up with tears, hopefully not from boredom.  I usually only get positive feedback from members of the congregation, so it is hard to gauge just how it went.  My most honest critic, my wife, gave me constructive criticism, which I appreciate very much-but sometimes I wish there was one person in the crowd with a notepad, taking notes on my theology and deliverance.  I figure at this point, I am still a student and want to continually refine my craft.

(Funny Story)

During the worship service the deacon of the church asked me if I would help her with communion.  I of course agreed and we were off and running.  Everything went very well until the end, when it was our turn to take communion.  Now let me stop here and rewind to my time in El Salvador.

El Salvador is a pretty “high church” kind of place.  I had the opportunity to assist the Bishop with communion.  At the end of the service, when we were taking communion, the Pastor next to me told me that I needed to drink all the wine in the chalice.  I call it a chalice, but when I found out I had to finish it off, it looked more like a punch bowl.  I am only fond of wine in very small amounts, 2 maybe 3 swallows, this chalice was way more than that.   So, I took the cup and gulped all the wine down.  For those of you who know my tolerance of alcohol, you know it’s not very high and blessing the elements doesn’t take away it’s alcoholic content–it made me a bit woozy and scarred me mentally.

Fast forward to St. Peter’s.  During the first service the communion servers and the Pastor communed by taking the bread and dipping it in the wine.  During the second service, I expected the same.  But in a surprise change up, the deacon took the cup and drank it and handed it to me.  All I could think of was El Salvador, the punchbowl, and feeling woozy.  But, what was I going to do?  So I took the cup and started to drink, it wasn’t very much, but I drank it all–I think I got the cup to 90 degrees, just to make sure I finished it.  When I lowered the cup from my face, the Pastor and the deacon were looking at me with this odd look with their heads slightly cocked to the right.  I could immediately see on their face that they were not expecting me to drink all the wine.  In my thinking about the El Salvador experience, I didn’t take notice that the Pastor had not had her turn.  I was mortified, she could see it, and started to slightly giggle.  I was so embarrassed, I drank all the wine and ended up looking like a lush…I am not sure that the congregation noticed, but my friends and family did and they have not stopped giving me a hard time.  I am expecting red wine bottles for Christmas.  

Overall it was a great experience.

peace

-jps

Well Friends, tonight is the second night that my son is spending in his big boy bed.  It is amazing how children are different.  With Caedmon, tell her to go straight to bed and she listens, it has been like this from day one.  She will not get out of bed, for the most part, it is as if there is an invisible barrier that is keeping her on the bed.  Levi on the other hand is quite the opposite, we put him in bed and find him 20 minutes later playing with the puzzles, while his sister, still in bed, is reaching down to play with him.—-Trouble I Tell Ya!

The above picture was taken as they were waking up from their nap today.  Levi decided to get out of his bed and go sleep at the foot of his sister’s bed.  When Jess and I went to get them up from their nap, the above is what we found.  We laughed………out loud!

Parenting is an adventure.  It is true what they say, if you pay attention, your children will show you how to raise them.  Caedmon only needs a word, while Levi needs reminders and physical guidance.  I wonder what the next child will be like.  I hope they are as easy as these two.

peace,

-jps

 This weekend Aug 22-24, I will be in sunny San Diego.  The main purpose for the visit is to preach at St. Peters By The Sea.  This is my home congregation which is helping me financially through seminary.  If you got some time come by and see me on Sunday–services are at 8:45am and 10:30am.  

-jps

I have finally uploaded all my photos from the El Salvador/Guatemala trip.   You can find them by following the link on the right side of the page that read El Salvador / Guatemala.

-jps

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5.16-18)

As Lutherans we pride ourselves in the way we view the Bible.  We divided it up into two main categories-Law and Gospel.  The Law is prescriptive; in other words it tells us what we are supposed to being doing with how we are to live our lives).  The Gospel is descriptive; it describes what God has done for us (how God loves us, saves us).  If you didn’t already know this consider it your in depth Lutheran theology for the month.

The passage above falls under the prescriptive category.  Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians is exhorting them to rejoice, and give thanks at all times in all places.  Truly this is a hard command and difficult to maintain.  The question that I often hear is; how is one to maintain joy and give thanks in all circumstances?  Well, I think that the modern church has played word games with passages like this and written them as being unattainable.  I, however, do not believe that God through Paul would give us a command that we could not attain.

I think we have made pain and sadness the converse of Joy, and this is simply not the case.  Sadness is the opposite of happiness, while despair is the opposite of joy.  One can be sad and in pain and still maintain the Joy of Christ’s indwelling.  In fact, the book of Acts recounts an incident after the Apostles were flogged.  “As they left the council, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.”  Rejoicing after receiving punishment?  There is no doubt they were in pain and badly beaten, but they were still rejoicing.  They had the knowledge of Christ indwelling and put their hope in Him. 

This kind of Joy only comes to those who have abandoned their lives into God’s hands, without such surrender joy will always be elusive.  If we continue to put God in the passenger seat of our lives, then we will have something missing.  If we choose ourselves to be our own masters, then we are picking a person who does not know the best course for our lives.  The hard part of our faith is walking the narrow path letting Jesus into every room in our mental, emotional, and physical houses-allowing Him ultimately do the clean up.  I say allow because Jesus does not enter into an area of your life if you continually push Him out, or keep him away from.

I think Job was this kind of person.  He was wealthy with land, career, and family and God allowed it all to be taken away from him.  Before his wife died, the whole family was without land and wealth, she said to Job,  “Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God, and die.”  But Job kept his trust in God. 

Shadrach, Mishach and Abed-nego, before they were about to be thrown in the fire said to the king,

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

This is the kind of trust that brings a life of Joy-God is able to save us, but even if he doesn’t we will still follow.  O, that we would all attain this kind of trust, faith, and Joy.

-jps

F.Y.I. iThoughts are articles I write for My Church’s monthly newsletter.

So, after an extensive trip, all is back to normal. Here is photo of of my son eating his breakfast.

Despite the kids and I not feeling well, today turned out to be a great day. We went shopping, took photos, and ate at a very nice Italian restraunt. We are all packed and ready for the flight home. We are leaving here tomorrow at 5:00 am. Our plane should arrive tomorrow night. Stay tuned we will be adding more pictures and photos.

Here is a photo of the place we are staying in Guatamala. It is quiet, peaceful, and beautiful.

Here is a photo of Aristides and his two children. This is from the iphone so our messages will be short. I will follow up with a picture of the Centro Luterano.