Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
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It’s a Sunday afternoon and the house is as still as a sailboat cutting through a calm sea. The recent pattering of rain has subsided and a hushed quiet makes me realize how seldom we actually slow down to be present to this kind of moment. Ours is a harried, hurried life. Last weekend, however, I had an opportunity to flee the norms of life and be swallowed in grace at a retreat I attended, drawing me into God’s light like a moth in summer. The presenter was Father Richard Rohr speaking on “Contemplation as a Diffe...
Lent is derived from the Middle English word “lente” which means “springtime.” Lent is the forty day period of repentance and renewal preceding Easter. Why did the Church choose a forty-day period? Because that is the period of time Jesus spent in the desert fasting, praying and resisting temptation. Luke 4:1 “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungr... Full story
“LORD God” appears 11 times in Genesis 2:4-25. LORD God is creating, ordering, maintaining, and providing for man. And what goodness he shows! Man was created on the sixth day. His first full day was the day of rest. God did not put man to work without first giving him a gift. Also, for the first time God said, “It is not good” because Adam was alone. Before Adam was aware of his own needs, God had an answer. Consider also how this woman was valued. In the ancient world, a woman was valued for her fertility. Here, the woman i...
Yesterday I was fussing over some flowers in the front of the church where I work in preparation of a memorial scheduled the next day. Walking back to my office I was struck by one of the many banners hanging on the back wall of the church. “We are His Witnesses.” Wow… what a responsibility. A few of the churches in town also have a sign to remind us of this challenge leaving their parking lots: “Now entering the mission field.” What we do in our ordinary lives can have a huge impact in furthering God’s kingdom. Are we trul...
As I peer out my window this morning pondering the New Year and this life, I am in awe of yet another spectacular sunrise. The dark skies bringing rain, the horizon inflamed with breaking sunlight. I feel God warm my heart with his love and beauty. I was walking on the treadmill way before dawn this morning with the scripture “God so loved the world that he sent his only Son,” resounding in my mind (John 3:16). Many people think Christmas has lost its meaning through gift-giving and celebrations. But why not celebrate? It... Full story
A four-point checklist to revitalize your spiritual life in 2008 Don’t you think it’s cool how God designed our life with constant new beginnings? That’s what the New Year brings around every year. The earth makes a 365-day journey around the sun and then starts over again. And we get to start over too. There’s grace in the very rhythm of the year! I don’t know about you, but I need a fresh start. I get stuck in old patterns, I get discouraged, I’d like to try something again and see if it works. Every day God gives us a fres... Full story
Hi there again. I trust we all had happy holidays. I just wanted to leave you with a few thoughts on the upcoming year. As I was busy, like most of us during Christmas, I couldn’t help notice all of the frantic people going from place to place. Whether they were going shopping to spend more money then they had or just traveling into or out of town, many of them seemed happy, but you could tell that many of the people were frustrated or just plain unhappy for one reason or another. This brings me to my point: I was talking wit... Full story
How many of us truly believe we are loved by God? Disasters come upon us… losses, heartaches, ruined relationships or ill health. Do we pop up from these experiences believing God loves us when we don’t feel in his favor? Yet he presses on through our self-doubt and crushed spirits at this time of year saying, “Rejoice in the Lord always! And again I say, Rejoice!” (Phil 4:4) I love the book of Job. Disaster fell swiftly upon Job’s lavish, wonderful life. He lost everything he loved: his home, family, health (to the point...
At 5, I had a dearly loved hamster named Albert. My brother and I thought it was great sport to put Albert in the middle of a pillow, fold him in like a taco, spring the pillow open and launch Albert into the air and catch him. One day, as fate would have it, Albert flew beyond our control and plummeted to the hardwood floor. Screaming hysterically, we took his little limp carcass to my uncle, praying all the way. My uncle cupped his hand, poured in a little tequila and stuck poor Albert’s nose in it. And voilà! Albert came t... Full story
“Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10 In all of physical Creation there is no greater intellect than the human intellect, and this is because we alone of all physical creatures most fully bear the Image of God, Who thinks and reasons. Simply put, our minds are absolutely amazing! And because they are the vehicles through which we might know and communicate with our loving Creator, our minds should be considered our most cherished possession. While life demands, and rightly so, that we must fill our minds with abi... Full story
Please plan to worship with us at Christ The King Lutheran Church for our Christmas Eve candlelight services. At 4 p.m., we will have our family service, and our 6 and 8 p.m. services will both be traditional. All will feature special carols and soloists, the beautiful message of the Christ Child’s birth and the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Nursery care is provided for infants through age three. Join us as we celebrate the true reason for the season. Come share our joy!...
We believe the Bible to be the inspired, only infallible and authoritative written word of God. Many books tell of humanity’s search for God. Only the Bible tells of God’s search for humanity. The Bible is inspired The Bible has God for its ultimate author (though he used several people to write) and salvation for its central truth. There is no error in its content. Composed of 66 books, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament, the Bible speaks of God’s redemptive purposes for humanity. 1. How the Bible was writte...
Dec 14—Fallbrook Women’s Connection Brunch, Friday, December 14, 10am-12pm at the Grand Tradition. $20 inclusive for brunch, “Yule Be Swingin” from C.A.S.T Show Choir and speaker Judith Scharfenberg with reading “Heart of Christmas.” Call 728-4513 or 723-1605. Dec 16—“The Way” In a Manger, Sunday, December 16 at 6pm at Fallbrook First Baptist. Free and open to the community… music, drama, perfect for adults and children! Sunday School Christmas Program at Zion at 10:30am. Dec 23—Christmas Cantata presented by United M...
I have been a pastor now for 27 years and have spent almost 18 years of ministry here at Christ The King Lutheran Church in Fallbrook. There are so many things I love about the ministry. However, it is very difficult when I see couples divorce and families splinter. There’s nothing better than performing a wedding when couples pledge their love for one another and pledge their desire to let Jesus Christ be the center of their marriage and homes. In fact, the phenomenon of marriage is so remarkable that the Apostle Paul, u... Full story
Ah, Christmas – the most wonderful time of the year! How do I love thee? … Let me count the ways … I love the fresh smell of a Frasier Fir in early December … I love watching the neighborhood Light up for joy in the middle of the night! I love singing along with Bing: “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas” (just like the ones we never know!) And I love going caroling and ringing in the yuletide cheer! I love the sound of Brenda Lee’s voice: “Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree, Have a happy Holiday! Everyone dancin’ merrily In... Full story
The sinless Son of God was executed on a cross, hanging helpless between two hardened criminals. At first, as the irate crowd jeered, “the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults upon him” (Matt. 27:44). But then one of the thieves experienced a radical change of heart. He confronted the other criminal, reminding him that as partners in crime they fully deserved execution, pointing out that “this man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:41). The dying man didn’t stop there. He went on to plead with Jesus for... Full story
Life’s journey can be heart-wrenching… that’s a given. Sometimes we pray our guts out and cry out in deep despair to the One we put all our hope in. I feel so overwhelmingly compelled to share a story with you so that your fainting hearts can be restored and your faith strengthened. For a long time now I have really felt like a bottom-dwelling fish. Since my sweet husband went home to God, I’ve walked a very lonely path. I loved being married and taking good care of my little family with every fiber of my being. One Saturda...
There’s still time to get your Operation Christmas Child shoebox ready and turn it in for collection! Due to the disruption during the recent fires experienced all over San Diego County, Samaritan’s Purse has decided to extend the deadline to accept shoebox donations through Tuesday, November 27. Join this worthwhile cause and fill a box or two – or three! They can be turned in at Christ The King Lutheran Church office, 1620 South Stage Coach Lane in Fallbrook. If you have any questions, please contact the church at (760)... Full story
Hold that question for just a moment. Allow me to tell you a quick story. My Dad lost his house in the Rice fire. He like over 200 folks in our community literally lost everything. He got out with a couple shirts, a few pairs of pants and some important papers. He lost the house, all the contents, all our family pictures, and all my school memorabilia. At a few months shy of 89, this was a BIG shock. He has adjusted well, praise God! My sisters came from Colorado and Florida and have treated him like a king. He is now... Full story
The sunset is beautiful tonight. You would never know December is a wink away outside of the noticeable drop in the temperature of the ocean waves cresting over my feet. No, you’d swear it was a summer’s eve as sunbeams make a path across the sea to the heart of the sinking sun. God feels so tangible and warm here. He is also just as available through an ancient prayer form called Lectio Divina, (pronounced lexio diveena) AKA Divine Reading which enables the Bible to become a means of union with God. There are four basic ste... Full story
At the community meeting held Sunday, October 28, at Fallbrook High School football stadium, North County Fire Protection District (NCFPD) Chief Bill Metcalf said that the Village of Fallbrook was spared by a miracle. As a volunteer Red Cross chaplain responsible for coverage of North San Diego County, I reported to the NCFPD Operations Room on Tuesday, October 23, at 5:30 a.m. Among the many issues addressed at the early morning briefing were two that were paramount to the safety of Fallbrook. The first was the low number... Full story
Born into a pastor’s family in communist Bulgaria, Dr. Margaret Nikol learned firsthand about anti-Christian religious persecution at a young age. In spite of this, God placed Margaret in some of the best schools behind the Iron Curtain. At the University of Moscow she earned a Doctorate of Musicology; she studied violin with David Oistrach and was concertmistress of the Dresden Philharmonic in East Germany. Join us at 10 a.m. November 11 for an exciting time of music and to hear Margaret’s personal testimony of God’s grace... Full story
Due to the fires, St. Peter’s annual gala scheduled for Saturday, November 3, at Pala Casino and Resort has been postponed until Saturday, November 17. Tickets for the event are still on sale, as are tickets for our $10,000 raffle. For more information call (760) 728-6961....
Have you ever found yourself in the middle of an argument that went on so long that eventually you couldn’t remember exactly how it got started? Or have you ever kept your distance from someone for so long, that you had a hard time remembering why you first started to dislike them in the first place? In life, in relationships, and sadly sometimes even in the body of Christ if we’re not careful – division and distrust can become a pattern of living. But there are better ways to spend our lives than by feuding. I was recen...
Why is it that when our ordinary lives are turned upside down, we hunger for the same ol’ life that once was? I just made it home from the evacuation we all experienced. I carted a motion-sick cat all the way from Arizona; I am running a huge fever; and I just desire so much for things to be as they were. But nothing remains the same. It was an odd and surreal sight to drive in from the 15 to see our lovely hills, beautiful homes, and lush green valleys destroyed in such a fierce way. I prayed dreading the news about the i...
