Pastor David Maier - Forward in Hope

A Letter to the Members of Our Savior, Family, Friends and Prayer Partners

June 29, 2009

Dear Members of Our Savior, Family, Friends and Prayer Partners,

My brother Walter shared the following verses with me in a recent encouraging email:  “I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy.  Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.”  Psalm 116:1-2 

I do love the Lord and continually thank Him for His forgiving grace and tender mercies given to me “a selfish sinner saved by grace and humbly seated at the foot of the Cross” (as my South African friend and brother in Christ Rev. Mandla Khumalo always signs his letters).  Over the last number of months I have spent time in prayer, and thank God for your prayers, regarding my nomination for the Office of President of the Michigan District.  My prayer was for God’s continuing mercy and grace to be evident in my life and the life of my family, and that His will be done regarding the nomination and the election.

This Monday morning at the Michigan District Convention in Ann Arbor I was elected as the new District President to succeed Pres. Bill Hoesman.  Any call that comes from God’s people is both a humbling and honoring experience.  This call is, perhaps, more humbling than honoring.  I sincerely ask for your continued prayers for faithful, humble, completely God-dependent service to our crucified and risen Lord and Savior, as I will officially begin to serve in this new capacity beginning October 1.

NO Summer 'Slowdown' - Still Trying to Twitter

Disappointing and hard to believe that its been quite a while since I last posted an entry.  Although for many the summer brings a 'slowdown', that rarely happens for me ... and certainly NOT this summer. There have been weddings, the very detailed pursuing of a Thrivent Grant, different conferences (the Funding Conference in Frankenmuth was EXCELLENT), emergencies, counseling emergencies, deaths and funerals, places along the way where it would have been fun to post but there was no access, and now the Michigan District Convention.

I just wanted to say, I think the blog is a great way to communicate to the our Savior Congregation and other family members and friends. I really do enjoy writing and posting and have missed it. Thanks for your encouragement to blog via email, Twitter (I'm still trying to Twitter when there is a moment), and the phone. I look forward to writing some blog entries in the very near future.

Being Accessible ... Can There Be Too Much?

I can hear my wife Pat ask, "Do you have to answer every phone call?"  It's not that she doesn't want me to communicate or be accessible.  It's just that it's dinner, or devotion time, or we just sat down to have a personal conversation that we haven't had in days ... weeks?  There are some priority questions here as well.

Being accessible is more than just a responsibility in the ministry, it is a key part in any position -- professional or personal -- of fostering, building, maintaining ... relationships.

To that end I recently read a blog post by one of Our Savior Lutheran School's illustrious graduates.  His name is Justin Thorp, and he works in Washington, D.C., and is intimately involved with the development of the world wide web.  Really cool stuff.

Following Up On the "PRIORITIES ..." Post

There are many things that distract us from our seeking God first! ... especially in this technological age.  Putting the best construction on everything ... we readily admit that God, time with God in His Word, Church, reading about God, praying, etc., is not only important to our spiritual life .. BUT OUR DAY JUST GOES BETTER WHEN HE IS #1!

But there are emails to check and answer (when it works), twits to tweet, Facebook to keep up, IM's to instantly message on, ... and Oh, yeah, the home or office phone to answer, SKYPE on your computer, cell phone calls, etc.

Communication ... presents some amazing challenges for just about everyone.  If your not careful ... the devil can be in these details.

Priorities and discipline seem to be in order.

Priorities ... What's FIRST is all important!

Maybe, like me, you find that often there never seems to be enough time in any given day.  There are so many things that we "need" to get done ... and then so many interruptions, diversions, or distractions.  Focus all too often unnecessarily gets shifted. 

We must remember that our heavenly Father already knows what we need (Matthew 6:32) in every area of life.  And the advice Jesus gives next is worthy of full allegiance and adherence.  But first ...

Back to Blogging and Twittering

In the past two weeks I have been traveling alot ... and often without internet service or even cell service.   The out-west trip to Montana was fast but great and followed immediately by an up-north in Michigan trip with my accountability pastor friends.  So, after a brief hiatus from blogging and Twittering ... I hope to get in the saddle again this evening.

So thanks for your encouragement ... and patience.

PM