Sugar Beet Blogging: Day 15

23 acres left. We should be able to finish up today. I sure hope so as today is my last day before I have to be gone to speak at a church. It's been a good harvest overall. Though there's still time to foul things up, I've managed to go the whole harvest with only failing to get my endgate closed once. I had several more mishaps last year, so I'm feeling pretty good about this year.

I've been listening to an Issues Etc. on pastoral care for former evangelicals. My heart goes out to this group. I was once one of them. A common issue that you'll find with in evangelicalism is a misunderstanding of Romans 7. Many within that realm will read it as Paul before conversion instead of Paul as a Christian. If it's interpreted as Paul before conversion you can see how easy it would be to say that for us too that was our struggle before salvation. Now that we're saved this is no longer an excuse and we need to get to work.

It saddens me that there are people in churches every Sunday that are getting sermons that boil down to "How to control your sin" where it comes down to your will power to conquer it, instead of being given Law and Gospel. Christians still need the Gospel and we need it daily.

Well, we finished things up. HARVEST IS DONE!

Lord of the harvest, thank you for the protection of our crew and the other crews working this harvest. Thank you for your salvation. Jesu Juva, Soli Deo Gloria. Amen
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Sugar Beet Blogging: Day 14

Today we started at 7am, which was nice for me. I had counsel time at AWANA lastnight and then private communion with my pastor. We are so blessed to have him as our pastor.

You can tell we're almost done with harvest. As soon as you pull off of the scale you usually have your pick of which piler you want to go to and drive right on. This afternoon my wife and my girls are coming out to ride in the truck with me. I'm really looking forward to that as tomorrow will likely be my last day of driving for beet harvest. We'll probably finish up early Saturday. The ground we're on today is pretty sandy.

Been listening to an Issues Etc. about Joel Osteen. So far my favorite part was when they played a clip of Osteen talking about being entitled to ancestral blessings that you don't deserve but God gives them to you anyways on account of someone in your family who is deceased had great faith and had done good stuff for God. Todd, rather befuddled, then says to his guest, Larry Rast, "What in the world Larry?" Larry responded with "I was hoping you had the answer to that one!" I laughed so hard. I was just as aghast as Todd and Larry. That's one heck of an implication. God's accountable to us on account of the worthless stuff we do? Give me a break Joel...


Lord of the harvest, please protect our crew and the other crews working this harvest. Thank you for your salvation. Jesu Juva, Soli Deo Gloria. Amen
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Sugar Beet Blogging: Day 12

This morning we were held up by the cold. They wouldn't let us haul our overnight loads until 8am. We're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel now. Only 100 acres left. Barring any issues, in theory we should be able to finish in the next 3 days.

Had a nice surprise this morning. One of the local pastors stopped by and rode in the truck with me for a while. I do some ministry work with the church he pastors. We had some great conversation about life and theology.

Just finished up another Issues Etc. Podcast, this one on pietism. It's interesting stuff. Unfortunately my synod has churches that struggle with it. "I know that Christ saved, but tell me what to do next." People want to know what the next seven steps are to live the Christian life. I like Todd Wilken's response as to what comes next. "Well, more Jesus."

Lord of the harvest, please protect our crew and the other crews working this harvest. Thank you for your salvation. Jesu Juva, Soli Deo Gloria. Amen
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Sugar Beet Blogging: Day 11

Today I was not in the beet field, but instead at my Good News Clubs, to our weekly Lutheran Confessions Reading Group and then off to a Dr. Appointment for our future baby. All is well. We'll see you all again tomorrow from the sugar beet fields.
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Sugar Beet Blogging: Day 10

Today we started on a different pivot and knocked out about 37 acres. A little hilly, but good size beets. We were constantly moving from field to beet dump and back to the field. I came home to find the above book had come in. WOOT!

Lord of the harvest, please protect our crew and the other crews working this harvest. Thank you for your salvation. Jesu Juva, Soli Deo Gloria. Amen
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Sugar Beet Blogging: Day 9

Took a load into the beet dump this morning and found it to be a muddy mess from yesterdays rain. It's not so much soupy as is greasy. I had difficulty on a piler this morning as did a fellow crew member. I ended going to a different piler that's a bit steeper, but, provided better traction. I was able to make it happen on the first attempt.

Each day the ladies in the scale house put up riddles in the windows for the drivers to read and figure out while we're parked on the scale. Since today is Sunday, I'm wondering if that's not the reason why this next particular expression was posted. It read: "The owner of a wore out Bible is seldom in the same shape." A post-it note was stuck on it later that read: "Mine looks new :( ". (Yes, there was a frowny face on it.)

Here's the implication: a moral. If you spend enough time in God's word you won't have to face struggles or strife because you're pleasing Him or using the Bible as a "life guide". Spend more time using the Bible and you'll live a better life. What we have there is moralism, bondage to the law. It's not the Gospel.

Another one that was put up this last trip in to the beet dump was: "The greatest gift you'll ever receive is family." Now, I'll admit, my family is very important to me, and I believe they are a gift from God, however, as much as I love my family, the greatest give anyone could ever receive is salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Lord of the harvest, please protect our crew and the other crews working this harvest. Thank you for your salvation. Jesu Juva, Soli Deo Gloria. Amen
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Sugar Beet Blogging: Day 8 Picture

Breakfast in the rain. The blue and white truck with the headlights on is the one I drive.
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Sugar Beet Blogging: Day 8

So far it's been a drizzly day. We moved on to another field in the dark this morning. It's a piece of ground that I'd never been on before but was able to figure things out.

A local farmer came over to my truck while I was parked on the side of the field, waiting my turn to drive under the digger, and he talked with me about the status of the East End that I'm responsible for. The conversation was encouraging. Thank you, Lord.

More Issues Etc. today with Rod Rosenbladt, this time on moralism. The way I see the past several podcasts that I've listened to is that what this all boils down to is a misunderstanding of Sactification. It's not done by us, it's a work of the Holy Spirit. So stop doubting if you're saved.

When we base our Salvation on the progress of our Sanctification, we're actually denying the person and work of Christ. "That's a bold statement Leif! How can you suggest such a thing?!?!" I will do my best to put this plainly. Do we look to Christ for our salvation and forgiveness? If the answer is yes, then why would you look to yourself to see if you are saved? LOOK TO CHRIST! He's the author and finisher of our faith. Remember how that old hymn goes? (And yes this line is theologically sound) "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness." Our hope is on the person and work of Christ. He Justifies and Sanctifies. He lived the only perfect life for us, poor, miserable sinners. Our hope, even when we fail and continue to sin as saved children of God, is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. When He saved you, He did so completely.



Lord of the harvest, please protect our crew and the other crews working this harvest. Thank you for your salvation. Jesu Juva, Soli Deo Gloria. Amen
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Sugar Beet Blogging: Day 7

With beet harvest my wife and I have been like 2 ships passing each other in the night. (We really enjoy the Horatio Hornblower series, so this expression is quite appropriate.) Each day she writes something on my lunch bag, that she packs each night while I'm to sleep between 7:30 and 8:00 each night. This is a tradition she started back when we were teachers, before our girls were born. Sometimes she writes a note, a scripture verse, and every so often let's the girls scribble something and then writes their names below. Sometimes she does something that just really makes me smile. The picture above is what she wrote recently on my lunch bag.

This morning was a well received change of pace. Today we started at 5:45 am. Lastnight we were able to load and park the trucks so we could run the trucks into the scale right away this morning when the beet dump opened at 6. I actually got close to 7 hours of sleep lastnight. WOOT! I'm hoping they'll let us run 12 hours today (6am to 6pm) and load the trucks and park them again tonight.

Been listening to an Issues Etc. Where Todd Wilken and Rod Rosenbladt have been talking about repentance. It kicks off with an evangelical pastor saying that Christians don't necessarily need to repent everyday because they don't necessarily sin everyday. (Really Skippy? You really believe that?) This really stems from the Weslyan understanding of things where you can of yourself begin to decrease your sin.
The problem is...we don't have that power. We've never had that power. Take a look at Romans 7. Paul understood this very well. (Romans 7 is written in the present indicative, meaning he was struggling with it right then, even as a saved man)

Repentace isn't about emotion or feeling, though those things may very well accompany them, however, they should never be used as a guide to see how sincere you were or how much you really meant it. The truth is you never will. Repentance is demanded of us in the Bible. It's law. However, the law will only ever demand and accuse and show us how sinful we are. The law does not have the power to change. Only the Gospel does.

So if you've been going nuts as saying to yourself "I just don't seem to be getting any better", just remember, Christ died and forgives even sinful Christians. What he did was good enough to save us, and is good enough to keep us saved.

Lord of the harvest, please protect our crew and the other crews working this harvest. Thank you for your salvation. Jesu Juva, Soli Deo Gloria. Amen

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Sugar Beet Blogging: Day 6

We started at 4am this morning. A pleasant surprise today was when our digger tractor needed to have an injector replaced we were blessed 2 hours of lunch time. I was also able to get an hour and a half nap! WOOT! Is it sad when that's the highlight of your day? Whether it is or not, I don't care. I was blessed with some extra rest I wasn't counting on.

One of the podcasts I was listening to today was on the gnostic "gospels" on Issues Etc. The gbostic "gospels" are different in that they are mostly sayings of Jesus, which is a stark contrast to our canonized Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. With the four Gospels the account is by people who were actually there, as opposed to the gnostic books.

Lord of the harvest, please protect our crew and the other crews working this harvest. Thank you for your salvation. Jesu Juva, Soli Deo Gloria. Amen

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Sugar Beet Blogging: Day 5

We started at 4:30am this morning. Not quite sure when they'll shut us down today. We guessing around 3pm or whenever the injector for the tractor pulling the digger comes in today.

This morning I had an interesting experience. Some guy with Idaho plates decided he really needed to get somewhere so he passed me on the shoulder as I was preparing to turn to drive into the beet dump. Now, I can't say that all Montana drivers are great, but, good grief...

Listening to more Rosenbladt today. Great stuff. The one so far today is "Where in the church is the Gospel?" At one point he talked about how the Gospel is not about Jesus coming to heal people. This stuck out to me because of events from this summer. Some wing-nut outfit in my area held "Healing Services" in a circus tent for several weeks in Sidney. A Reformed pastor who is a friend of mine went to check things out to see what was going on. After an abysmal service under the tent my pastor friend ask the big wig in charge "So, what exactly is the Gospel." The man smiled warmly and answered, "Jesus came to heal people."

Well, yeah, Jesus did heal people, and I'm very glad he did, but that's not the Gospel. And what happens to those poor people who are taught that as the Gospel?

I like how Rod Rosenbladt explained it. If it's now about Christ's death on the cross, burial and ressurection for us, then it's not the Gospel.

Lord of the harvest, please protect our crew and the other crews working this harvest. Thank you for your salvation. Jesu Juva, Soli Deo Gloria. Amen
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Sugar Beet Blogging: Day 4

A little low on oil this morning so I added some and then filled up with fuel before heading out to the field.
A pleasent surprise for me today was when my wife and daughters came to ride with me in the truck. That was probably the highlight of my day. We had to shut down at three today due to the temperature of the beets. I'm gonna hit the sack soon because we're starting at 4:30am tomorrow morning.

Lord of the harvest, please protect our crew and the other crews working this harvest. Thank you for your salvation. Jesu Juva, Soli Deo Gloria. Amen

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Sugar Beet Blogging: Day 3

This morning I got to the Pilers before they opened. It was still dark outside. I somehow managed to be third in line.

Now at a beet dump there is a scalehouse with a scale on each side of it. You drive your truck onto the first one, they weigh your truck, give you a ticket to hand to the guys at the piler after you've driven up onto it, you dump your beets, drive off the piler and back up to get your tier dirt (beet tops, dirt, beet leaves) and finally you drive onto the second scale on your way out to get your final weight. Truck weight #1 - Truck weight #2 = Total tons of beets. They then print and give you a slip that documents the load.

Now anyways, it's DARK outside, the yard lights are on, and it's kind of early yet. The first guy in line is raring to go and as soon as the light outside the scalehouse goes from red to green he takes off for the scale. He's all lined up, centered perfectly on the scale, lines up with the ticket window, but there's one problem....he went to the wrong scale. He entered on the exit side. So we had to all back up so he could make his way to the other side. Thinks worked like clockwork after that, though, we've still got about 11 more hours to work today :)

Today I'm listening to Rosenbladts "The Gospel for those broken by the Church." One of the things that he brought up that I resonate with is that the Sunday school curriculum that is used can be a part of the eventual broken, wearing out of believers. Sunday school lessons that are designed to teach a moral of how to live each week can establish the idea that if you just follow these examples then you can live the so called "victorious Christian life."

After awhile a person will take a steep nosedive as they realize that they can't attain perfection, conquering their sins. They start to realize that no matter how hard they try, no matter how much they pray, read the Bible, are a part of Church committees, volunteer, etc., nothing can stop the onslaught of sinful failure. They're told "just try harder" "spend more time in the word" "pray more", which accomplishes nothing more than heaping more law on an already broken person. Enough law on a broken person leads to dispair.

What they need is not yet one more burdening helping of "just try harder" or "10 steps to conquering sin" style sermons or advice. What they need is the Gospel. "The blood of Christ covered even this." He conquered sin for us, endured the cross for us, lived life victoriously for us. What Christ did was sufficient. He did this for you broken Christian. And what Christ did is enough.

Lord of the harvest, please protect our crew and the other crews working this harvest. Thank you for your salvation. Jesu Juva, Soli Deo Gloria. Amen

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Sugar Beet Blogging, Day 2

This morning I hopped in the International truck that I usually drive and topped off the fuel before heading out to the field we were digging. I missed going into 2nd gear at one point so the digger went passed me and beets came down onto the hood of the truck. No blood, no foul. I'm thankful that my employer is gracious.

Been listening to Rod Rosenbladt this morning (thanks to Pastor Matt for lending me his CDs) and something that I caught while driving was that the doctrine of Justification is in all reality the Gospel. Haven't finished with the CD yet. Good stuff.

Lord of the harvest, I pray that our crew and the other crews working this beet harvest would be kept safe from all harm. Thanking you for your salvation. Jesu Juva, Soli Deo Gloria. Amen

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Blogging from the field, Sugar Beet Harvest 2011

For the next couple weeks I will be trying to do a daily blog update from the field, from the Savage, MT, area, which is just down the road from my home in Sidney, MT. I am currently driving beet truck for a friend. My hope is that each day I will post a mention of something that happened each day along with a word on some of the podcasts that I'm listening to which include ones from Issues Etc and Rod Rosenbladt.
Lord of the harvest, please protect our crew and the other crews working this harvest. Thank you for your salvation. Jesu Juva, Soli Deo Gloria. Amen
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