David Bahn – Reflections

Light from the Word and through the lens

recent posts

about

In 1968 Jerry Snell opened a door in the hallway outside our first hour chemistry class. He invited me into what I discovered was a darkroom. Soon I was on the school newspaper and annual staff as a photographer. Later I learned that Jerry was a Lutheran who was planning to become a pastor. A few years later I was not only a Lutheran, but I was heading off to seminary to become a Lutheran pastor, too. Jerry followed a year later and served as a pastor in Missouri until his untimely heart attack and death. I thank God for Jerry and enjoy photography still today – not to mention rejoicing in having served as a Lutheran pastor in congregations in Utah, Colorado, Arkansas and Texas. I’ve retired now and serve part time as a Congregational Support Specialist for the Texas District of the LCMS. I also provide coaching and leadership training through various PLI cohorts and with individual congregations and organizations. David Bahn is a follower of Jesus Christ, husband to Diane, father and grandfather. He is an avid amateur photographer. His photo website is “Flowers by God Photos by David” He also publishes a devotional blog DavidBahn-Reflections.com. He and Diane live in Cypress Texas and enjoy visiting their grandchildren who live in the United States and Germany. He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in 1979, and earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1991. Diane, his wife, is now retired from PLI (PLIleadership.org). They have offered presentations on Marriage and Ministry Partnership, Leadership, Changing Your Congregation’s Culture, and Missional Living. They look are working with PLI International training pastors and wives of the ELVD Diocese of the Lutheran Church of Tanzania. David’s personal mission statement is “Leading people to realize Jesus’ calling and plans for their lives.”

New Year’s Hopes and Priorities

James 4:13-17

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Dancing Girls - Calvert, Texas
Dancing Girls – Calvert, Texas

Few people I know would reject a peek into the future. Whether it is to see what stock to buy, who will win the Superbowl, or just what surprises the New Year will bring: we have inquiring minds. We would love to know at least some aspects of the future. As we face a New Year, much of our resolutions, planning, aspirations, and plans have to do with managing how the future will unfold before us.

But what if our resolution to lose weight is realized because of a debilitating illness? Or imagine how we would feel if our team won the Superbowl but it was discovered that an organized crime ring had managed to influence the outcome? What if we knew about and were prepared for the surprises that lay ahead but missed the greater issues of daily life with our family and friends?

James tells us that we should always look to the future keeping in mind God’s will and providential control over all things. He certainly got that from Jesus himself who told his disciples, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority” (Acts 1:7). Rather than resolving (how did you do with that this past year?), or planning as though we have control over the future, our call is to put our lives into God’s hands and seek his reign in our lives. 

We may hope for a good return on our investments. It’s OK to have a favorite team. There is nothing inherently wrong with having a wise preparedness for the future. When those hopes and preparedness are subject to a desire to honor God and live under Christ in his kingdom, we have a strong foundation from which to launch into the New Year. That’s because not only does God reign over all things, but he is truly good, and his mercy in Christ endures forever. May the Holy Spirit keep us in this faith throughout the year!

Discover more from David Bahn – Reflections

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Posted in

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.