In honor of Kristina Laura May Schultz

Our first daughter - born at 6 months and received home by God.  I wrote this and read it as part of the funeral service.

A Blessing to Our Father

How obscured has been our sight

When on the path we pause;

Stumbling in the darkened night

Unable to see the cause.

How precious is your gracious love

Your Son you did commit,

The Word that was with you, O God. 

This is the light that comes to us

The darkness banished before it.

Jesus Christ, the Lamb of Life

Protects and loves his children.

The Lamb of God who lights the way

Guides us on those darkened days.

Give us grace, ease and comfort

In our sorrow, hope and faith. 

Let your tender love, doth guide us; 

Guide us to you every day. 

Our heavenly savior, Jesus Christ,

We pray.

                                                                                                Patrick Schultz

Prayer is good for the soul...

The words, ‘prayer is good for the soul’ seems like a scripture verse we read in our Bible.  Interestingly enough, we don’t find those exact words in the text, but we come close with John’s third letter in the New Testament “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul.” (1:2)  

Some weeks ago I spent the afternoon from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. in the chapel in prayer for each of our church members and friends, for our church and church ministries, for our community, country, nation’s leaders and world.  I prayed for prayer concerns given to me during worship.  I prayed for my peers & colleagues who would be meeting me in Chicago for our residency program. I prayed for peace in our world, help with our church financial situation.  I prayed for those who were filling the pulpit while I was gone in Chicago.

Occasionally, as a pastor and a person, I find myself weighed down with cares and concerns, fears and worries of church and community, family, friends…  This particular afternoon I found myself a bit weighed down, feeling kind of heavy laden, wearied, and burdened.  By the end of my prayer time I felt much lighter – not carefree – but assured and reassured that I wasn’t carrying the burden all by myself.  I share this as a way of saying – prayer is good for our soul.

Are you feeling burdened, heavy laden?   Jesus reminds us in Matthew, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”  (11:28)  Bring it to God, share it with God, tell it to God… let God carry that burden with you and for you.  Know that God loves you my friends.

Student Charge the Dean of the ACTS DMin in Preaching Program

This week the ACTS DMin in Preaching Program installed a new dean - Rev. Dr. Gennifer Brooks of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.  As part of the program I brought before Dr. Brooks a charge from the students.  Here is my charge:

Dr. Brooks, Dr. Edgerton, Bishop Satterlee, esteemed guests, visitors, friends and students, it is an honor to be a part of this momentous occasion with you.  I thank God for the grace and mercy and blessings of this day.  My name is Patrick Schultz.  I am a third year student here and on behalf of the students – Dean, I give to you this charge.

Some years ago I was asked the question by Dr. Ellsworth Kalas, “what arrogance drives us preachers if we feel we have a right to take twenty or twenty-five minutes of time from thirty or one hundred or four hundred people and leave them with no new insight, no quickening of mind or spirit to repay them for the time they have invested?”

This is a question not only appropriate for the preacher, it is entirely appropriate for the ACTS Doctor of Ministry in Preaching Program as well.   

Dean Brooks on behalf of the students, both now and to come, who attend from parts of the world, both near and far, you are asked, “How is God directing you and the leaders of this program so that, as your students take hours and days and weeks of their time here, they leave with new insight, quickening of mind and spirit, to repay the time and money they have invested?” 

You are charged on behalf of all your students to ask yourself this question each time you hire a new teacher, evaluate a class or an advisor, or introduce a new curriculum.  You are charged to ask yourself this question each time you receive a new wave of students.  You are charged on behalf of the churches and communities and families these preachers serve to continue developing a program that repays the investment that has been made. 

You are charged to continue moving this program in such a way that when you stand before God, God will have no choice but to say – well done good and faithful child.  You have helped shape faithful and better preachers out of your students. 

Praise God.