The Butterfly

"Born anew to a living hope!" 1 Peter 1:3

March 2008

SOMETIMES I use these little opportunities to share with you upcoming stuff in the church. Sometimes, I use them to share things what God might be trying to teach me. Consider this one of the later missives.

The past three months have been chocked full of life lessons for me. In December, I had my first colonoscopy-quite a probing experience for me. In January, we had to put down our family dog of 12 years, Mattie. I used to think people who shed tears over their pets were just wimps-weenies. I have now officially joined the wimp and weenie club. One week ago today (as I write this) I celebrated my 49th birthday. I am on the precipice of being a half a century years old. The very next day, February 15th, my sister and I moved my mother into an assisted living community.

My mother is at a lovely place, and is very well cared for, and is actually geographically, a little closer to me.

I went with my mom to the dining room, where my mom became aware of the fact that there were people at the facility that were our former neighbors. They lived just behind us when I was a kid. In fact, I used to play football in their backyard with the neighbor kids. My mother remarked, rather humorously, that they looked old. I didn’t have the heart to tell her. The truth is they did look old, so did my mom. People whom I remember as a child as strong, and vibrant, are now bent and are in need of assistance, and sometimes they don’t remember things both current and past.

As I write this article, Easter is just a little over one month away. When I was a child, Easter was one of my most favorite holidays. But I must be honest here, it is not for resurrection that I looked forward to Easter, it was because I got to see cousins I hadn’t seen for a while, it was because of all the great Easter food, and …it was because of Easter candy.

Today I look forward to Easter too, but for different reasons. Paul writes in Philippians 3, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” Phil. 3:20-21 (ESV) Easter shouts to me that Jesus lives, and I will live as well. Easter promises me that my aging body, my broken body will one day be transformed, and made new to be just like Jesus. Easter promises me that one day, death will be ultimately banished, and sickness will be a distant memory. Easter reminds me that one day, I will enjoy the face of God forever.

I am looking forward to Easter this year.

God’s Peace to you!

Pastor Ziegler
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My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ at First Lutheran Church,

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 NIV

My PLI (Pastoral Leadership Institute) experience will come to an end this May with a Mission trip to China. I will participate with four other pastors and spouses in an international mission trip. I will join these eight (from churches in Florida, Colorado, Minnesota and Arizona) in LA as we then travel to Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China, from May 10 to 28, 2008. The coordinating agency is our LCMS World Missions department, along with the local missionaries.

During the past couple of weeks many details and a tentative itinerary has been established. We will be flying into Hong Kong and then on to Beijing (mainland China). There we will become acquainted with the culture and its history, including Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, and the Ming Tombs to name a few. From Beijing we will travel to Hong Kong where we will be teaching Oral English and Bible classes at a Lutheran high school. In Jiangmen, we will be teaching Free English Good Book classes to students and adults of all ages. We will lead music and a Bible study for bilingual fellowships. In Macau we will be encouraging and supporting the long-term teachers and participating in Bible activities led by the long-term teachers. During our experience we will lead several English worship services as well.

I am very much looking forward to this international missionary trip. Please join me in praying that God blesses our time and efforts. I look forward to sharing a presentation with you when I return home.

In His mercy and grace,
Pastor Ron Benson

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“ChristCare” small group meetings:

1. Les and Sharon Beeks – March 11 & 25, 2008
2. Cecelia Medbery – Every Tuesday
3. Crystal Miller – March 29, 2008
4. Jeff and Carey Ray – March 6 & 20, 2008
5. Sara Roberts – March 2008
6. Karen Prelerson – March 13 & 27, 2008

Please keep “ChristCare” and all of our Bible studies in your prayers.