Pastor Michael Zarling

Is it okay to celebrate birthdays? Years ago, musicians sang a hit song about a birthday girl feeling miserable at her own party. We’ve all known of or felt it personally when the birthday star is the one who has the worst time at the party. And lots of people don’t want anyone drawing attention to them getting another year older.

Naaman is the commander of Aram’s army. He is a powerful warrior and a great man in the eyes of the king (2 Kings 5:1). But he has a problem. A big one. He also has leprosy. An even bigger problem is that he is a pagan – an unbeliever.

A servant girl from Israel tells Naaman, “Master, you’re a leper. No big deal. My God can fix that. Go see his prophet in Samaria” (2 Kings 5:3). When Naaman arrives at the prophet Elisha’s home, Elisha sends out a messenger who tells the leprous pagan commander, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan. Then your flesh will be restored and you will be clean” (2 Kings 5:10).

Grand openings are always big events – fireworks, balloons, bouncy houses – all ways to grab attention. Come, look here! Something new is happening!

In March of 1997, we had a Grand Opening for Faith Lutheran Church in Radcliff, KY. We had been meeting as a church and a new pastor for a number of months, but we wanted the public to know about our presence in their community. So, we promoted the Grand Opening of our congregation with door and phone canvassing to over 6000 homes in Radcliff. Plus, we received a front-page story in the local newspaper.

The other day I gave my 7th grade Catechism students the assignment to work with a partner to write questions for our end of the year “Ask the Pastor” outdoor session. Here are some of their questions.

Where do aborted babies go?

If God knew that Adam and Eve were going to be tempted, why he let it happen?

How did God make Jesus 100% God and 100% man? That’s not good math.

Where does the devil go when there is a new heaven and a new earth?

Whew! Those are some tough questions! I don’t think I knew what I was getting myself into.

We don’t know her name, but she married a prophet. He died and left family in serious debt. A moneylender planned to take her two sons as slaves to pay for it. She turned for help to another prophet, Elisha.

Elisha asked if she had any valuables at all. She had a jar of olive oil. He told her to ask around for empty jars. He said: “Don’t ask for only a few.” She did and he said: “Shut the door behind you and your sons. Then pour oil into all the jars. When each one is full, set it aside.”