A Prayer for Transformation

Jeremiah 17:9  NRSV
The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse — who can understand it?
- other translations from the original Hebrew:
NIV The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
RSV The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it?
NASB The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?

What is the "heart"?  The "heart" in Hebrew is "leb" or "lebab."  The heart, in Hebrew thought, is the center of who we are.  Below you'll find an extensive study on the word "heart."  The word "heart" is the closest thing we have in the Bible to what we understand as "conscience." 

How can the devious, deceitful, perverse, incurable, desperately corrupt and sick "me" be set free to do God's work?  How can by conscience be delivered from bondage to serve God instead of my own sinful self?  Only through the direct intervention of God in Jesus Christ and through his Holy Spirit.

As it says in one of my favorite Bible verses: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2)

Come, Lord Jesus through your Word and Holy Spirit, to prune away the evil and let me be your servant!  Come and do that work in me even if it hurts. A KTIS verse of the day sent to me today by a friend says it this way: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a loyal spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10).

Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly and change me from the inside out.  Will you join me in that prayer today?

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A Word Study on "Heart" in the Hebrew language.

leb (לֵב, 3820), “heart; mind; midst.” Leb and its synonym lebab appear 860 times in the Old Testament. The law, prophets, and Psalms often speak of the “heart.” The root occurs also in Akkadian, Assyrian, Egyptian, Ugaritic, Aramaic, Arabic, and post-biblical Hebrew. The corresponding Aramaic nouns occur seven times in the Book of Daniel.

“Heart” is used first of man in Gen. 6:5: “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” In Gen. 6:6 leb is used of God: “And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”

“Heart” may refer to the organ of the body: “And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place …” (Exod. 28:29); “… [Joab] took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom …” (2 Sam. 18:14); “My heart panteth …” (Ps. 38:10). Leb may also refer to the inner part or middle of a thing: “… and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea” (Exod. 15:8); “… and the mountain burned with fire in the midst [rsv, “to the heart”] of heaven …” (Deut. 4:11, kjv) “Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea …” (Prov. 23:34).

Lebab can be used of the inner man, contrasted to the outer man, as in Deut. 30:14: “But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it” (cf. Joel 2:13); “… man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).

Lebab is often compounded with “soul” for emphasis, as in 2 Chron. 15:12; “And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul” (cf. 2 Chron. 15:15). Nepesh (“soul; life; self”) is translated “heart” fifteen times in the kjv. Each time, it connotes the “inner man”: “For as he thinketh in his heart [nepesh], so is he” (Prov. 23:7).

Leb can be used of the man himself or his personality: “Then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed, and said in his heart, …” (Gen. 17:17); “… my heart had great experience …” (Eccl. 1:16). Leb is also used of God in this sense: “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart” (Jer. 3:15).

The seat of desire, inclination, or will can be indicated by “heart”: “Pharaoh’s heart is hardened …” (Exod. 7:14); “… whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it …” (Exod. 35:5; cf. vv. 21, 29); “I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart …” (Ps. 86:12). Leb is also used of God in this sense: “… and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul” (Jer. 32:41). Two people are said to be in agreement when their “hearts” are right with each other: “Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart?” (2 Kings 10:15). In 2 Chron. 24:4, “… Joash was minded to repair the house of the Lord” (Heb. “had in his heart”).

The “heart” is regarded as the seat of emotions: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, …” (Deut. 6:5); “… and when he [Aaron] seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart” (Exod. 4:14; cf. 1 Sam. 2:1). So there are “merry” hearts (Judg. 16:25), “fearful” hearts (Isa. 35:4), and hearts that “trembled” (1 Sam. 4:13).

The “heart” could be regarded as the seat of knowledge and wisdom and as a synonym of “mind.” This meaning often occurs when “heart” appears with the verb “to know”: “Thus you are to know in your heart …” (Deut. 8:5, nasb); and “Yet the Lord hath not given you a heart to perceive [know] …” (Deut. 29:4, kjv; rsv, “mind”). Solomon prayed, “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad …” (1 Kings 3:9; cf. 4:29). Memory is the activity of the “heart,” as in Job 22:22: “… lay up his [God’s] words in thine heart.”

The “heart” may be the seat of conscience and moral character. How does one respond to the revelation of God and of the world around him? Job answers: “… my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live” (27:6). On the contrary, “David’s heart smote him …” (2 Sam. 24:10). The “heart” is the fountain of man’s deeds: “… in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands I have done this” (Gen. 20:5; cf. v. 6). David walked “in uprightness of heart” (1 Kings 3:6) and Hezekiah “with a perfect heart” (Isa. 38:3) before God. Only the man with “clean hands, and a pure heart” (Ps. 24:4) can stand in God’s presence.

Leb may refer to the seat of rebellion and pride. God said: “… for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen. 8:21). Tyre is like all men: “Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God” (Ezek. 28:2). They all become like Judah, whose “sin … is graven upon the table of their heart” (Jer. 17:1).

God controls the “heart.” Because of his natural “heart,” man’s only hope is in the promise of God: “A new heart also will I give you, … and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh” (Ezek. 36:26). So the sinner prays: “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Ps. 51:10); and “… unite my heart [give me an undivided heart] to fear thy name” (Ps. 86:11). Also, as David says, “I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness” (1 Chron. 29:17). Hence God’s people seek His approval: “… try my reins and my heart” (Ps. 26:2).

The “heart” stands for the inner being of man, the man himself. As such, it is the fountain of all he does (Prov. 4:4). All his thoughts, desires, words, and actions flow from deep within him. Yet a man cannot understand his own “heart” (Jer. 17:9). As a man goes on in his own way, his “heart” becomes harder and harder. But God will circumcise (cut away the uncleanness of) the “heart” of His people, so that they will love and obey Him with their whole being (Deut. 30:6).

from Vine's complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words (1:108-109) by W. E.Vine, M. F. Unger, and W. White, W.

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Together Under God

The Gospel for the next two Sundays tell Luke's account of the ministry of John the Baptist (Luke 3:1-20).  The last two verses aren't actually included in the assigned reading. Those verses are:

Herod the tetrarch*, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, added to them all by shutting up John in prison.

Eventually John the Baptist was killed.  He was executed by Herod. Why?  Because Herod just didn't like the things John was saying.  For one thing, John accused Herod of a personal sin--something connected with Herod's sexual and family life. He and his sister-in-law Herodias had divorced their spouses and married each other.

I'm sure Herod was offended in other ways too.  As a wealthy and powerful man, Herod would feel threatened by many other things John said--for example "Whoever has two coats must share with him who has none" (Luke 3:11).

That's what God's Word does, when we let it.  It offends us.  Look at Jesus' teaching in Luke 6:17-49. If that doesn't offend you either you're very poor--because the poor come out very well in Jesus' economy--or you're just not paying attention.  If you do pay attention, taking Jesus and John seriously, it will cost you a lot.

On Sunday night we'll be getting together to listen to each other and to vote on The Common Confession. Most of the attention has been on point 6 about marriage and family. That point was included because the Bible's teaching about this particular area of life has been seriously challenged in our denomination.  But that does not mean that those of us who have more-or-less intact families--with a father and mother who have remained faithful to each other--the specific inclusion of point 6 does not excuse us from our other responsibilities under God's law.

The Common Confession lifts up all of scripture as "the final authority for us in all matters of our faith and life." The strong teachings of the prophets** come at us from both left and right.  That's one reason that Hebrews 4:12-13 says God's Word is a TWO-EDGED Sword.  Yes--God's Word does limit God's blessing on sexual activity to "the biblical boundaries of a faithful marriage between one man and one woman."  But every middle class American comes under God's wrath as we refuse to share our goods freely and do not love our enemies.

Sin is sin no matter what kind it is. Sin is damnable and horrific whether it is personal or social, whether it's related to our family relationships or self-centered political goals.  One thing I've always appreciated about the Roman Catholic Church is that they seem to put equal emphasis on sins related to sexuality and sins related to other issues like war and poverty and environmental exploitation.  The ELCA has, in my opinion, become too "liberal" in the areas of sexual ethics, but, on the other hand, many of its social agendas seem well founded on scriptural norms.

Of course, that's too uncomfortable for us, so, unless we know the amazing love of Jesus, who died for the adulterer and people like me who have way more than two coats, we will ignore the part of God's law that makes us most uncomfortable. We will hate and discriminate against certain kinds of people or else we will accept every kind of behavior--at least those behaviors we're most closely connected to. Unless we know the amazing love of Jesus, who died for sinners of all kinds, we will not be able to make a community of people, depending on God's grace alone, who are together under God. 

But when we do know Jesus' love we can let the Word of God come at us with full force from both sides, from right and from left. It will convict us and push us and bring us to our knees, alongside every other sinner, and we, like Jesus, will not be ashamed to call all struggling and suffering people our brothers and sisters (See Hebrews 2:10-18), each of us equally in need of the grace and mercy of God.

Knowing that Word from both sides will bring us together under God--under God's law, yes, that will continue to convict us and push us to be more and more like Jesus--but especially under God's grace--and his amazing love--for you and for every other sinner here--and all around this big world.
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* an ancient Roman term for "ruler of a quarter"
** "There is a tendency in a number of languages to translate προφήτης only in the sense of ‘one who foretells the future,’ but foretelling the future was only a relatively minor aspect of the prophet’s function, though gradually it became more important. Patristic authors defined the function of a prophet mainly in terms of foretelling the future. In New Testament times, however, the focus was upon the inspired utterance proclaimed on behalf of and on the authority of God. Accordingly, in a number of languages it is more appropriate to translate προφήτης as ‘one who speaks for God.’ (from The Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains, edited by Johannes P. Louw and Eugene A. Nida,1989).

Strength to Accompany

At Christmas we remember how God came as "Emmanuel."  "Emmanuel" means "God with us" and we celebrate how God came to be with us at a particular time in human history in human flesh.  But our Lord also comes to be with us as the Holy Spirit empowers us to walk beside others in their lives today.

The following is a from a chapter of a book by Gary Gunderson entitled Deeply Woven Roots. Youth director and seminarian Nate Bendorf shared it at our staff meeting today. Though the first example Gunderson uses in this chapter is of a pastor's visit, Christian visits and friendships normally occur between non-professionals, when a caring Christ-follower reaches out to someone in need.  And though the example here is of accompanying an older person, we are also called by God to befriend those whose pain and "incapacity" is less a matter of public knowledge.

I am thankful for those who have "accompanied" me with their time, their conversations, and their prayers during many stressful moments.  I've done what I have been able to do in walking beside others too.  I hope we will all be open to giving and receiving in such caring relationships.

It was just a business card next to my mother's bed, but I could recognize the Methodist logo from across the room, the one with the flame wrapping the cross. I didn't recognize the name, but that didn't matter. Fulfilling the most basic expectation of the congregation, the pastor had come by to see Mom, say a brief prayer, and leave a church bulletin.

She had spent a lifetime on the other end of such visits in other cities, even working for a while as the coordinator of visitation at our Methodist church back in Baltimore. I remember how she would pick me up from school, then stop by three or four homes on the way back to ours. The suburbs were quickly sprawling across former fields, and the visitation teams followed just behind the pavers. I had no idea then why we were visiting, what difference it made, or who noticed; it was just something the church did...

...My mom is still of the faith even though she can't get to the church building or hear the sermons or songs. It even hurts her to read much, so she is unable to read Scripture or discuss it in groups as she did for decades. In fact, she can barely hear it when read aloud, picking up mostly the rhythm and accents of familiar verses. But she is still quite literally and physically part of a congregation--they come to her. They accompany her.

For any one person, accompaniment means life itself in many dimensions, even amid frailty. It does not "fix things;' but it allows for continued connection, coherence, context in which meaning and value are still possible. For a: community, accompaniment also means life, the most tangible way that we are held up by and connected to others.

...Wendy Lustbader doses her book Counting on Kindness with a paragraph that gets to the heart of the issue:

The expectation that we will be able to count, on kindness during our time of need becomes one of life's most sustaining convictions. We hope that if we become incapacitated, our friends and relatives will stand by us. We hope that their help will arise out of affection rather than out of pity, and that we will bear our difficulties gracefully enough to keep on inspiring their loyalty. We suspect that the measure of good life is how we are treated at the end.

I suspect that the measure of a community is how we and those we love expect to be treated during the times of incapacity that we will surely experience. Will I be accompanied at all? Will I be surrounded only by those I can pay as long I have the money or insurance to pay them? Will I be alone when I have no power to compel others to help me? Will those I love be alone when I cannot care for them or protect them?

Read Acts 2:37-47 to see how powerful the Christian community was in "accompanying" one another when the Holy Spirit first came upon them.  We are NOT to be alone!

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The Love Side of Faith

As we move into the next church year* on Sunday, we continue in the same direction as we have been going during the last weeks of the previous church year.  We look ahead to the time when this old world will come to an end.  Sin and death and the power of evil have been in power for thousands of years.  But, just as the Lord Jesus rose from the dead after confronting the very worst, so there will be new life in store for us as we trust in Him.

But how are we to survive and stay in the faith through all the terrors that evil brings our way.  The gospel lesson for Sunday lays out both hope and danger.  Sometimes we drift into "dissipation and drunkeness" or get weighed down by worry.  How can faith survive?

The reading from First Thessalonians for Sunday, together with the rest of that wonderful letter from Paul the apostle gives us the help we need.  We are maintained in faith and avoid despair, drunkeness and worry as we care for each other in the community of faith, as we gather to hear God's Word and be assured of His love.  Come to church this Sunday and be refreshed in the Love Side of Faith.

ADDED MONDAY MORNING, NOV. 30
You can listen to how this sermon turned out
at the 11:00 hour on Sunday by clicking here.

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*The church year begins on the First Sunday in Advent, four Sundays before Christmas which falls on Nov. 29 this year.

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For the Beauty of the Earth

This is my preparation for  preaching at Wednesday's THANKSGIVING worship.  Come if you can at 7:00 p.m.  After worship we'll share some pie.

The scripture I'll be reading just before preaching is from Matthew 6:25-33.

..."Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you--you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

What God put in the Bible is there because someone needed it.  What we read in scripture Wednesday night someone will need to hear.  We needed to know that God is the creator of the earth.  We need to know that so we have someone to thank for all the blessings we enjoy.  And we need to know there is another kingdom--a kingdom not from this world--because though this world is beautiful in many ways, this world has lots about it that make us worry every day.

But under the troubles--under the ambiguities and pains we suffer here--under it all there is beauty--surprising, perfect beauty--beauty that we get glimpses of in this life--beauty that I hope and pray you will be able to get a glimpse of tonight.

Tonight, let's take time for some beauty!  Think about the literal beauty of the earth--but also the beauty of the gifts God has given, the bodies and experiences and talents--the beauty of loving relationships--the wondrous beauty of God's forgiveness...  As we do that we can see and experience how God lifts us from our worries and gives us thankful hearts.

In order to see those things, especially when we are worried, we often need to see them through other people's eyes--so, I'm going to ask some questions tonight... Where have you seen beauty?  Can you share so that others will know that even in ordinary people there is wonderful hope?  You hear enough from me every Sunday.  It's good for us to speak with one another... and we're NOT on the radio! So--get ready...!!! Here comes the microphone!   

1. Who dares say a few words about something on this earth that you've experienced as just beautiful?  First, let's just focus in on God's good creation!  What beautiful places or have made your heart sing?  .  .  .  .  .  .  BEAUTIFUL! 
   
   
2. Now--what about us... what about you and me?  When have YOU amazed YOU?  We give God credit when we say what we're thankful for in ourselves... What have you can do or what have you done that we might not be aware of?  Who has met a goal?  Who has accomplished something?  Who dares say a few words about yourself as a way of praising and thanking God?  We'll get to others in a minute... I'll start... now it's your turn...   .  .  .  .  .  .  BEAUTIFUL! 
   
   
3. You'll see that we're following the order of worship... Beautiful Earth, Marvelous Me, now Wonderful Love.  What have you experienced among friends, family, people who have helped you and cared about you?   Loving and being loved is so important!  We are made to be in relationship with one another--it is not good that we be alone.  Do you know someone that was clearly brought to you by God?  How has caring love been something beautiful in your life?  (Time for sharing...)   .  .  .  .  .  .  BEAUTIFUL! 
   
   
4.  In some of what we've shared we've already hard of God's amazing and forgiving love--God's amazing grace.  Can someone share briefly about how you've seen the beauty of God's grace in your life or in someone else's life?  These things touch very close to our hearts so sometimes we want more time to prepare--but if someone would like to...    .  .  .  .  .  .  BEAUTIFUL!  

So we are very thankful for the beauty of this earth... the beautiful creation of bodies and minds and talents, the wonderful gift of caring relationships--but what really makes it all beautiful, and not just a deceptive promise, is the amazing grace of God.  Because of God's total forgiveness, given at Jesus' cross, we can know there is a kingdom to come when all things will be made new.  Without that, all beautiful things fade.

Here's the truth: the beauty of this earth--the beauty we've shared here tonight--it's all just a little taste--a little taste of what God has for us in his kingdom.  You can know that grace by getting to know Jesus.  He is the one who is truly beautiful--his scared hands and feet, his pierced side--given for you so all your worries will be taken care of--his beauty, someday, will be given to you.

Let's share as much of that beauty as we can here in this life!  Let's not keep it to ourselves!  It will lift many hearts to know that there is beauty--sometimes beauty from ashes.  Because God's new kingdom is coming--and someday God will open the doors and welcome us to his kingdom, where we will share his beauty... and every worry, and every tear will be gone.

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It's about Truth (not Power)

Someone asked if I could publish my sermon from yesterday.  Here are my notes.  Much of this is a repetition of what I wrote earlier last week.  You can listen to the sermon by clicking here (mp3, about 17 minutes).

What kind of king is Jesus?

Hauled to trial, he stands under the judgment of a small time governor! Later that day he is tortured and killed.

What kind of king is this? 

Would you want to be one of his people? This world, you see, is NOT God’s kingdom and it will never be.

Crusades and inquisitions, going to war like Christian soldiers, voting for Christian leaders…
—none of that will change this world.

The world has another king… this world has a powerful, fearful king who can’t be overcome by human beings.

Back in the beginning we human beings turned this world over to the devil… God gave us responsibility for this world but we rebelled… and this world has been under the devil’s authority ever since… as it says in the hymn: The old Satanic foe has sworn to work us woe… No strength of ours can match his might. We would be lost, rejected. This world’s ruler is the master of sin, and because you & I sin, we’re rebels and on the devil’s side.

There is no way to change the kingdom of this world—the kingdom of the devil—there’s no way to change this world into the kingdom of God. We can’t even change ourselves. What that means is that those of us who want to be with Jesus are going to be on the losing side! We are not going to win in this world. Signs of his power, yes. But victory? No. Jesus was brought to trial and killed. Do you think his followers can expect any less?

So what can we do? Really, there is only one thing. It’s the same thing Jesus did in his trial. We can tell the truth—we can admit that we’re rebels—we can hear, and believe and speak the Word of God which convicts us of our sin and raises us up with new lfie.

What should we do? Turn with me for to Ephesians 6. In this chapter we hear about the “armor of God.” In another place (First Corinthians 10) it talks about the “weapons of our warfare” in this world.

Eph 6:10 -- “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” We can’t do it on our own. Verse 12: “For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh”—it may seem like some people are bad and others are good—but that’s not true. Instead our struggle is “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

The spiritual forces of evil have the high ground in this world and we will not be beating them back… we will not win—not in here (heart), and not out there.

“Therefore,” verse 13, “take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” and then it goes on to list armor… the belt of TRUTH, the breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS, shoes to bring GOOD NEWS…, (verse 16) the shield of FAITH, the helmet of SALVATION and, finally, after all the defensive armor, ONE OFFENSIVE WEAPON—only one—the sword of the Holy Spirit—and what is that? The WORD of GOD.

The Word of God is the ONLY weapon you and I can use in this world if we’re going to follow Jesus. The rest is all defensive stuff—holding our ground so we’re not completely overwhelmed.

The Word of God is the ONLY offensive weapon we have. It’s like in our gospel—in John 18:33-37 Jesus comes face to face with a representative of evil—governor Pontius Pilate. And what weapon does Jesus use?—look at John 18:37—half way through that verse it says “For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, TO TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

What does Jesus use as a weapon when he comes face to face with evil? He TESTIFIES TO THE TRUTH—he SPEAKS with his VOICE—and, because, as we have been learning in our Bible study these days—because Jesus came into this world from God in a totally unique way—Jesus speaks not only with his WORDS—no red letter edition when it comes to Jesus—Jesus speaks with his LIFE and his LOVE even more.

Jesus speaks as he brings love to the loveless and hope to the hopeless, healing to the broken and belonging to the rejected. Jesus speaks as he refuses to take up any other sword—at the beginning of this chapter, at the beginning of John 18—Jesus does not let his followers fight for him. Put away your sword he says—put it away. That’s not the way my kingdom is going to come.

The only weapon he has—and all we have… all we have is the Word of God. It convicts us of our sin and raises us up with the news that he paid the penalty for us on the cross!

That’s why some of us are so concerned about the some recent decisions of our church body, the ELCA.

No one who knows Jesus can hate or reject or discriminate against anyone on the basis of their sexual orientation. We need to be totally open to having people of all kinds come to the Lord here… But, because, from the Word of God—and from the testimony of God’s creation, we see that God has blessed the bond of one man and one woman as the way life comes into the world we cannot say that same sex marriage is the same.

It’s just not according to the Word of God. It’s because we can’t find scripture to bless same sex marriage that we cannot support this move. It’s not because we want to discriminate or because we’re homophobic or hate gays. If that’s why we have a problem with gay marriage we must repent. The love of God for all people is not up for debate. But neither is the truth of God’s Word.

That’s what the Common Confession is about. Look at the seven points… The Lord Jesus Christ, the Gospel of Salvation, the Authority of Scripture, a Common Confession of Faith, the Priesthood of All Believers, Marriage and Family, the Mission and Ministry of the Congregation. Please spend some time studying this and the commentary that goes with it.

This is not about power. You may like Lutheran CORE and the 16 other groups who have proposed this statement-- Mount Carmel Ministries, World Mission Prayer League, the WordAlone Network, the Fellowship of Confessing Lutherans, Youth Encounter. Or, on the other hand, you may consider those groups to be troublemakers and fear mongers…

But please do NOT think of this as about power or politics. We can adopt this Common Confession and NOT become a part of CORE or make any other changes to our church affiliation—honestly—this isn’t about that.

What is important is that the Word of God be proclaimed and that the truth be made known—that’s what the Common Confession tries to do. That’s what the Bible study we’re doing at 10:00 is trying to do also—to focus on the truth—truth that centers in love.

We’re never going to take this world and make it into God’s kingdom. Those who are with Jesus will never really be in control. We will always be, in some sense, on the losing side. Sometimes, all we can do is stand.

Oh yes, there will be signs of God’s kingdom. As you and I reject other loyalties and receive God as our Father, Jesus as our King, and the Holy Spirit as our only power, as we take up the sword of the God’s Word—we will share God’s love with the lost and they will be found, we will pray for the sick and they will recover, we will stand with the oppressed and they will be set free.

When we dare give up our old life and receive Jesus as our king his authority will be ours—together with his sufferings. We will have some victories—and praise God for that—but, like our King, we will be mis-understood, we will be rejected. We may DIE in his service. But someday the true King will take up his authority, all evil will be done, truth will be revealed, and God’s people will gain a share in God’s wonderful kingdom—God’s kingdom—Jesus’ kingdom that is not from this world—His kingdom that will never end.

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The Common Confession

"You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

Those words of Jesus come from John 18:37 and will be read in church Nov. 22.  Jesus is at his trial before the governor, Pontius Pilate.  He has just been asked if he is a king.  Jesus, however, is not interested in political power.  He is interested in the truth.

"For this I was born," says Jesus, "and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth."  Read through Ephesians 6:10-17 and you'll see that truth is the only real weapon God puts at our disposal.

At the time of Jesus' arrest one of his followers drew a sword to defend Jesus, but he wanted no part of it.  Jesus simply came to speak the truth with his Words and with his Life.  The truth is that Jesus' love would not allow him to take power in this world.  Power in this world is always corrupted.  It's necessary, to keep sin and evil from destroying everything, but the Kingdom of God will never come by force.

It's in the spirit of truth telling that our church council and I are recommending that our congregation accept The Common Confession.  Speaking the truth does not change any relationships in the "power structure" of church life.  Such changes, if any, will be later guided by the truth we proclaim.  And that truth, of course, has at its very center the sacrificial love of Jesus for all.

So what is The Common Confession?  The Common Confession is a seven-part statement of faith, highlighting some of the important biblical and confessional doctrines of traditional Lutheran theology. This common confession has been officially adopted by Lutheran CORE and 16 other groups including Mount Carmel Ministries, World Mission Prayer League, the WordAlone Network, the Fellowship of Confessing Lutherans, and Youth Encounter.  Copies will be distributed in the December Parish Pulse newsletter, are available from the church office or from the Lutheran Core website.

Adopting the Common Confession will make it clear how we will be teaching the truth of God here at our local church. This is necessary because the ELCA “brand” has become officially ambiguous, especially in regard to whether heterosexual marriage is or is not the one “institution created and blessed by God” for sexual intimacy.*

The seven parts of the Common Confession cover: (1) how we speak of God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), that (2) we are saved by faith in Christ, that (3) the Bible is God's revealed Word, that we (4) uphold the Lutheran Confessions, that (5) God gives spiritual gifts to all Christians (not just to pastors), that (6) marriage is between one man and one woman, and (7) that the mission of the church is carried out in individual congregations that can work together.

The Common Confession simply states what Lutheran Christians have always believed.  By accepting the common confession, nothing changes.  If we do not accept the Common Confession or something similar and take a stand, then we probably will change more and more along with the rest of the ELCA.

More information about why each of the seven points are necessary has been prepared in a commentary and introduction that is available at church or at the Lutheran CORE website.  Authors of the commentary include Pastors Mark Graham (Roanoke, VA), Kenneth Kimball (Waukon, IA), Scott Grorud (Hutchinson, MN), Erma Wolf (Brandon, SD), W. Steven Shipman (Watsontown, PA), Paull Spring (State College, PA) and Paul Ulring (Columbus, OH).

It's in the spirit of truth telling that adopting the Common Confession comes before any discussion of denominational affiliation.  It simply lets people know where we stand and what we will teach.

Accepting the Common Confession leaves us with many options going forward.

• The congregation could choose to accept the Common Confession on Dec. 6 and, in the future, and remain members of the ELCA.  People, however, who come to this ELCA congregation will know where we stand as a church.
• We can accept the Common Confession and, at a later date, declare our intention to become members of Lutheran CORE or another reform group (such as the Lighthouse Covenant) and still remain a part of the ELCA.  
• Should the congregation decide to change denominational affiliation in the future, the Common Confession will keep us rooted to what Lutheran Christians have always believed.
  

So far our church council has sponsored three denominational forums.   The first, on September 20, provided an opportunity for church members to speak and ask questions.  For the second and third forums (Nov. 8 & 15) the church council invited representatives of Lutheran CORE (Pastor Scott Grorud) and our Southwestern Minnesota Synod of the ELCA (Pastor Linda Pedersen).  They made presentations and asnwered questions. Video recordings were made of the last two forums and can be borrowed at the church office.

The council is now preparing the outline of the December 6 congregation meeting.  As I understand it, we will gather at 6:30 in the church fellowship hall.  After an introduction and prayer, there will time for people to speak (perhaps having people sign up in advance for two minute time slots) or to have written comments read.  Then at 7:30, we will vote on whether to accept the Common Confession as a congregation.  For more information contact the church office.

As we move toward this truth telling action, let's pray and continue walking together, listening to the Lord and to one another, “bearing with each other in love” and “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:2, 15 -- I’ve had Ephesians 4 posted on my office "equipment room" door since I arrived here in 2005.  It's very important now.) Also, look to the great guidance from God in Matthew 18:15 about speaking directly to one another instead of indirectly about others. Avoiding one another out of fear is not a good idea.  In fact, the Bible calls it sin (see Romans 14:23).

In the midst of this, please remember, God will take care of us!  Jesus was not afraid at his trial and we do not need to be as we go through this relatively minor one.  Let's put our anxiety aside!  Philippians 4:4-7 speaks to us now: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  

Please read and study the Common Confession and come prepared to discuss and vote December 6.

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* For more background please go to ELCA Sexuality Business, Why Not?, and What's Happening at ELC.

Not From This World

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2

This coming Sunday is called "Christ the King."  It's the last of the church year.  If you have been following this blog or coming on Sundays, you know that last Sunday there was an emphasis what God will do at the end of time.  And that theme is picked up next Sunday in scripture from Daniel 7 and Revelation 1. Someday "every eye will see him" (Jesus) "coming with the clouds."

Oh how we long for that day when God will put all things right!

In the meantime, as we wait for God's timing, we are tempted to despair or, on the other hand, to take matters into our own hands.  Men and women who are in leadership positions or who have some power over others often fall into sin as they do what they think is best for their people.  Like Castro in Cuba or Mugabe in Zimbabwe, many leaders (including me) are tempted sometimes to think we save the day on our own. Sometimes we try to save ourselves or others from difficult circumstances and end up trying to force things to go our way, Many times this is not because we want to hurt or manipulate others.  Often it's because we're so desperate we don't know what to do.

The gospel reading for Christ the King Sunday points us to God's way of putting things right.  God's way seems foolish, because it works through sacrifice, apparent weakness and, most importantly, unrelenting, unyielding, confident truth telling.  As Jesus says, "for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth."

Here's the complete reading from John 18:33-37 for Sunday, November 22.  It's part of the trial of our Lord before Pontius Pilate.

...Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him,

"Are you the King of the Jews?"

Jesus answered,

"Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?"

Pilate replied,

"I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?"

Jesus answered,

"My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here."

Pilate asked him,

"So you are a king?"

Jesus answered,

"You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

Will we listen to Jesus' voice?  Will we belong to the truth even when things are hard to bear?  We can when we remember that Jesus "voice" has not been silenced!  His truth goes on because, after he was crucified for his truth telling, he was shown to be right and true and victorious on the day he rose from the dead.

Someday, Jesus will return in power and the world will know all the truth.  Until then, we simply speak as Jesus did, not holding back on truth, and rely on him to give us the victory.

This is not a normal "earthly" way of handling hard times.  Normally, we do not want to wait until God saves us.  We want to save ourselves.  So we "look to the hills" instead of to God. In the quote from Psalm 121 above there is a temptation to look to the armies on the high ground as the ones who will win the day.  We think of earthly powers with fear or hope.  But the fact is that neither the "hills" no any earthly powers who may be camped there will truly save or destroy us in the end. 

Though the help of people and earthly power are necessary in this world to hold back chaos until Jesus returns, when we trust too fully in them we will be disappointed. Every earthly help fails and falls at some point--including me.

So what do we do?  As the Psalm says, our help, and our hope, comes from the Lord.  His power does not come from this sin-filled and broken world and it does not use this world's sin-filled tactics.  The only real help and hope we can trust comes straight from the one who created us and will be here when life ends.  It comes straight from God--and from the one who he has sent--Jesus Christ.  He will rule, he will reign, and truth will win... for now, we trust.  Then we will see the excellent victory of our God.

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The Advantage of Faith

Over on facebook a friend commented on The Worse Things Get from Tuesday and drew attention to Mark 13:19-20.

"For in those days there will be suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, no, and never will be. If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved*. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them."

My friend said that the thought of the end being near makes him "sad almost depressed."  "I would think," he continued, "I should be joyful."  I wrote back:

"It is sad to think of the end if you or I are doing more-or-less okay. Life on this broken planet is good for those of us who are loved and active and healthy. But when we consider how the majority of people in the world are suffering terribly: desperately impoverished, addicted or abused or whose bodies or minds aren't functioning well... that puts another light on it. Perhaps the "elect" are not those who are doing well now..."

I've been thinking about this all day since I wrote that.

(1) Who are these "elect" for whom God has "shortened the days?"  Jesus' famous sermon in Matthew 5-7 and Luke 6 certainly make it seem that God has a bigger love for "those who aren't doing well." But does that mean I should seek suffering in order to get into God's good graces?  I don't think so.  We know God wants abundant life for us, not unrelenting pain.(See John 10:10.)

(2) Does the idea of God "electing" some mean God loves some people more than he loves others? That can't be!**  In Luke 6:34 the Bible says "God is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked." In Romans 5:8*** we hear that God puts infinite value on lost sinners.  And in Second Corinthians 5:19 we read: "in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us."

So who are the "elect" and how can I get into that group?  As I have studied this in the light of the Cross of Jesus, it has come clear that the "elect" are the ones who have come to faith in Jesus Christ.  It's when we come into a trusting relationship with God that we find ourselves to be among God's chosen.  When we claim and trust the promises of God we are lifted up and over the pain to a new life, a life that begins in now and is "brought to perfection" in the future fulfillment of the Kingdom of God.

That trusting, chosen, "elected" relationship with God is not limited by God.  It's as if God is a marriage partner who offers faithful love to all who would receive it.  God's love is not different for one than for another.  Sadly, however, some of us don't receive it.  Some of us are getting along so well that we don't think we need it.  Others are so beaten down that we don't think we could ever deserve it.  Our job, as a church, is to do all we can to show one another how much we need God's love and, by his Word, to proclaim his love for each and every lost sinner.

This Sunday morning at 11:00 worship a couple from our church will celebrate a renewal of marriage vows.**** Can this be a time when you and I accept the wonderful love of God and obtain the advantage of faith?  A faith relationship with our Heavenly Father is such a precious gift that he will "shorten the days" of our suffering so we will not lose it.  All it takes is a willingness to take God at his Word. 

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* For some reason the NRSV uses the word "would survive" for the original Greek ἐσώθη.  Most times this word would be translated "be saved."

** This is one of the examples where Christians must read all scripture through the lens of Jesus' love. When, for example, Romans 9:13 (following Malachi 1:2f) says that God "hated" someone we need to view that while at the same time knowing that Jesus PROVED God's love for all on the cross.  The "hatred" of God is against sin, not the sinner--though on a feeling level sinners are going to feel hated until they know Jesus' unconditional love.  As Martin Luther said: Anyone who regards [God] as angry is not seeing Him correctly, but has pulled down a curtain and cover, more, a dark cloud over His face. But in Scriptural language “to see [God's] face” means to recognize Him correctly as a gracious and faithful Father, on whom you can depend for every good thing. This happens only through faith in Christ.  (click here for the reference and a video clip).

*** Romans 5:8 reads: "...God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us."

**** There are many places in scripture where our relationship with God is compared to a marriage.  For example see Isa. 54:5; 62:4-5; Jer. 3:14; 31:32; Hos. 1:2; 2:19, 20; Eph. 5:30–32; Rev. 19:7–9, also parables in Matt. 22:2; 25:1–10. 

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The Worse Things Get

I'm still puzzling over Mark 13 (gospel reading for Nov. 15) and how it applies to life today. Like I wrote yesterday in Trust to the End, I'm not convinced that it's possible, or even honest, to try to teach people specifics about just what the Bible teaches will happen at the time when the world ends.

• Too many people have been wrong in the past.  Martin Luther is one of the many who was convinced that he was living in the very last days. 
• There are too many possible interpretations of the Bible on this.  See the section "Schools of Prophetic Interpretation" article in Wikipedia for the variety of irreconcilable views.

It is good for us, however, to always keep alert and watching, knowing that the end of the world could very well be very near. But what if it's not?  Can Mark 13 still teach us something?

For me, one thing stands above all others.  Mark 13, and all of the other apocalyptic parts of the Bible (Daniel, Ezekiel, Revelation and other smaller sections) teach us this: the worse things get the closer we are to the promises of God coming true. 

Can I apply that to my life tonight?  Tomorrow?  If I do trust God that much, what joy there will be!

The sad thing is that not everyone knows God's promises.  Letting others know that, in a way they can trust, sharing the Word with Love... that needs to be job one in every time and every age.

It call comes back to what Jesus showed us on the cross.  It was only a short time from "My God My God Why Have You Forgotten Me" to the wondrous resurrection!  Let's let everyone know--with lots of love.

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Trust to the End

Right after Jesus admires the widow who put everything in the offering (yesterday's gospel), and immediately after the disciples admire the building in which the offering was given:

Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings! (Mark 13:1)

Jesus says:

Do you see these great buildings?
Not one stone will be left here upon another;
all will be thrown down. (Mark 13:2)

Jesus then goes over to the Mount of Olives, the easternmost of the three main hills in Jerusalem, across the valley and about three hundred feet higher than the hill where the Jerusalem temple was being reconstructed at the time.  At that point, most likely among gravestones*, Jesus gives a special teaching there to a few of his disciples.  You'll find it recorded, with slight variations, in all three of the "Synoptic Gospels," in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21.

This special teaching is called the "Olivet Discourse" or "The Little Apocalypse." We'll read the first part of it next Sunday. In this section Jesus reveals what will happen in in the future.  Jesus has already told them that the temple will be destroyed--this happened about 40 years later in 70 A.D.  Now he goes on to tell them about other future events--events that some present day Bible teachers seem to understand down to the last detail.

Most of the events described in Mark 13 and parallels in Matthew and Luke are horrible.  So much the better for preachers and authors who like to scare people.  It's great material for best selling books and profitable movies.  I remember being very interested when The Late, Great Planet Earth came out in 1970 from author Hal Lindsay and publisher Zondervan. More recently I've read through the Left Behind series of books.

Personally, after some study, I'm not much impressed with that sort of thing. When I look at the Bible for details about the future I get lost. Trying to stitch together chapters and verses from parts of the Bible that are the very hardest to interpret** seems a losing game to me.  It's way over my head.  If you want a pastor to go into detail about the end of the world, you'll need to find someone else.

So what do I think about Mark 13 and the other end of the world parts of the Bible?  My thoughts are very simple. These simple thoughts just make me want to trust God and keep on living and loving God's way as long as I can.  Here are a few things that have been helpful to me.:

1. There will be an end!  We don't know when, but we shouldn't pretend that things will go on as they are forever.  If we're not "ready" to meet the Lord by knowing him personally through Jesus Christ, we ought to seek him now.  Come and talk with me or with someone else who does know the Lord so you can come to trust his amazing love.
   
2. God will bring the end. Though I can't understand all the details, God is the Alpha and the Omega.  Just as God is the creator God is also the one who will bring everything to an end.  
3. I can trust that the end will be under God's control.  It's good to know that so I do not panic when things look bad. Someday, when things can not get worse, it is God who will intervene and bring the painful history of this world to an end.  And if things don't get that bad in my lifetime, if the world continues past my 60, 80 or 100 years of life, the "end" will be at my physical death.  I can trust God for that too.
   
4. Until the end, as long as can, we keep helping other people trust God though Jesus Christ.  Instead of getting too wrapped up in speculations--not even Jesus knows when it will all end--it's better to focus on doing what God's people have always done--trusting God's gift of love through Jesus Christ and letting others in on that same gift.  As it says in Mark 13:10 -- the good news of Jesus will be made known until the very end!
5. Finally, we can trust that the end God brings will be a very good thing!  Here are some clues:
   

verse 8: ...This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.
verse 10: ...the good news will (or must) first be proclaimed...
verse 11: ...do not worry beforehand about what you are to say...
verse 13: ...the one who endures to the end will be saved.
verse 20: ...he has cut short those days (of suffering)...
verse 21: ...I [says Jesus] have already told you everything.
verse 26: ...Jesus (a.k.a. "the son of man") will be coming in clouds with great power and glory
verse 27: ...he will... gather his people (his elect)...
verse 31: ...heaven and earth will pass away, but my [Jesus'] words will not pass away.

Last week we talked about a widow who gave everything to her Lord. This week a couple from our church will renew their wedding vows, pledging their all to each other. These are signs and symbols of the trust and commitment God desires of us. We don't need to stop doing these things when things seem to be crashing down on us, or when things seem to be getting worse and worse.  Jesus assures us, in the end he will be in control. So get to know him well, and then trust him for all things.

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* The Mount of Olives was a graveyard even in Jesus' day--today there are thousands of graves on that site.
** These parts of the Bible that I find the most difficult to understand are parts that fall under the heading of apocalyptic literature.  These parts are found in places like the Little Apocalypse (in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21), in books like Daniel, Ezekiel and Revelation and passages from other places in the New Testament like First Thessalonians.

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The Word on Waiting

A friend (actually not sure of who it is...) has been forwarding the KTIS Daily Bible Verse to me and to a list of others.

Today's verse is:

Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. (Ephesians 3:17)

As a middle class citizen of the United States who was raised in a loving (and God loving!) family, I've never had a reason to get very tough.  Oh, there have been some difficult times, but my foundation has always been strong.  In some ways I haven't had to develop the inner strength that people do who grow up in poverty or in broken families.  An MMPI I took 20 years ago shows that is true.

So, as I am dealing with some challenges these days, the that Bible verse about "growing down into God's love" is particularly important.  If all happens quickly and easily in my life the roots of my faith will not need to go deep.  I think that because so much of my life has been relatively easy, God sees that it's good for me to go through some waiting and even some suffering.  This will help me be more compassionate to others and stronger in my faith--a faith that waits for what we do not yet see.

Sometimes I wonder why I need to wait. I want to say to God: "Why not accomplish your purposes NOW. You have the power! You are able! Why the delay?"  Ephesians 3:16, together with the preceding verses (such as verse 13), gives the reassuring message that God is working his purposes out through the waiting time.   

I want to trust what God is doing.  I want to believe that through my circumstances God wants to teach me!  God will work things out in his time.  To rush is to lose faith and trust.  God wants to strengthen my faith.  God says, do not lose heart in the suffering.  This is for God's Glory (that's Ephesians 3:13).

Lord, I believe, help me in my unbelief.  Help me to trust.

God's Word becomes precious through the waiting. First Corinthians 10:13 says:

No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

How will I know that is true if I never am tested?

Please pray that I, and all who wait, would let our faith to grow down deep in God's love, and in God's precious word.

All praise to God!

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