steve@equalsharing.com

I'm changing over my email address to steve@equalsharing.com.  My former email still works for now, but since that one is tied to the parsonage* that we're in the process of moving out of it's good to start the switch.

Thanks to the many, many people who have come alongside us during this time of transition.  Thank you to the people of Evangelical Lutheran Church, Cokato, for so generously supporting us during these six months.  Honestly I didn't think it would take us so long to move on.

Thanks to many friends we were able to get most of our possessions out of the house in two hours last Saturday.  We will follow our things to Dave & Barb Yeager's home on Presidents' Day, Feb. 21.  I plan to turn in the keys to the parsonage* the next day.

Toni and I are so thankful we have a place to stay with the Yeagers for now.  We don't know yet where we're going next.  Hopefully that will be determined in the near future.

We treasure our connections with you, whether its in person, by phone, by mail or electronically.  Our cell phone numbers will stay the same.  Our US mail will continue to be P.O. Box 8, Cokato.  I believe it is God's plan to continue the relationships God has given to us.  Let's not let one another drift away. 
----------
*"parsonage" is a church-related word that means a house owned by the church where the pastor (or "parson") lives.

www.equalsharing.com

Trustworthy Love

God's love never ends.  Do you know that?  Consider these Holy Spirit inspired words from Charles Spurgeon via Pastor Bryan Lowe.

Dost thou know, O saint, how much the Holy Spirit loves thee?

Canst thou measure the love of the Spirit? Dost thou know how great is the affection of his soul towards thee?

Go measure heaven with thy span; go weigh the mountains in the scales; go take the ocean’s water, and tell each drop; go count the sand upon the sea’s wide shore; and when thou hast accomplished this, thou canst tell how much he loveth thee.

He has loved thee long, he has loved thee well, he loved thee ever, and he still shall love thee; surely he is the person to comfort thee, because he loves.

When you desperately long for the love of God, and find that love in Jesus, you are ἅγιος (a saint), holy loved by the Holy Spirit of God. No matter how you feel, you can trust that love tonight.

www.equalsharing.com

Finding Shelter

Tomorrow is the big moving day.  Anyone who wants to help can come by at 9 a.m.  Toni is getting lunch ready for the crew.  Dan and Jon are coming back from college to help also.  Lots to do -- and I really shouldn't be blogging.

We know where we're moving to. And it's only by God's grace that we have a shelter. Both in this life (Dave & Barb Yeager's home) and in the life to come.

This afternoon I'm helping with a funeral at a church in Cokato.  About 10 days ago or so I was asked to be with a family whose step-dad was ill at the Cokato Manor.  He then passed away and I was asked to help with the funeral.  I do not know the man who died.  He was not communicative when I was with him.  I spoke to him about Jesus' amazing love.  He was in pain and under the influence of medication.  There was no response.

Moving day is coming for all of us.  We will be moving on, sooner or later, from these temporary shelters.  That's what our bodies are.  Here's how the Lord speaks to us in Second Corinthians 5:

...We know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling— if indeed, when we have taken it off we will not be found naked (2 Cor. 5:1-3).

Only when we know Jesus do we know we are not spiritually naked, without shelter and hope. Please join me in prayer that many who hear God's Word at the funeral today would come under the shelter of God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. When we know Jesus...

...we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord [whether we're in this life or when we're moving on to what God has for us in the future by his grace] — for we walk by faith, not by sight.  Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.  So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.  For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil. (2 Cor. 5:6-10)

None of us deserve the grace and mercy of God.  In terms of myself, I am a brother to all the sinful and condemned men and women of this world.  And, just like the so called "best" and the so called "worst," I can receive what Jesus has done for me, rather than getting the damnation I deserve.  I hope you will be likewise assured of Jesus' great love for you!

In connection with this, this morning I re-read what I had linked to at the end of what I wrote on Tuesday.  It was from the Renovaré newsletter--a piece called "Embracing Suffering."  When we know Jesus we have total shelter from every storm. 

I found this helpful to me during this time of change:

God's work in our lives can be painful, but his ultimate goal is to transform us into something better. Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what he is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on. You knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised (C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, p. 205).

Interview with James Bryan Smith and William Vaswig

In the rebuilding of their lives, Renovaré team members James Bryan Smith and William Vaswig describe their respective experiences of suffering, physical helplessness, grief, disappointment, loneliness, and waywardness. We asked both of them about suffering, and their responses reflect the experience of grief and hurt that many of us have felt and continue to feel over the loss of those close to us.

In following our Christian responsibility of being "light" to the world, how did you share your faith during this difficult time?

James Bryan Smith: Within a short span of time I lost one of my closest friends, Rich Mullins, our daughter Madeline (2 yrs. old), and my mother. During those times I never thought about being a "light" unto anyone. I was just trying to manage, to keep believing that God is good, and that in the end all will be well. I don't think we should even try to be ... anything other than what we are. If we are living in the kingdom of God our lives will naturally look different. Many people said to my wife and I later on that our faith was an inspiration to them. That was nice to hear, but frankly, we were not trying to be an inspiration. We were just living in the kingdom, and in the kingdom we grieve differently, we grieve with hope. And that usually provides all the light a darkened world needs.

William Vaswig: A psychiatrist friend of mine told me to talk about my wife Marcine to anyone who would listen after she died. I did, and it helped the grieving process. I lectured to a group of pastors and talked with individuals about the dying process. Witnessing through it was automatic in a way.

Reacting to faith is characterized by focusing on the Lord. How were you able to keep focused?

JBS: In times of trial everything that supports you gets tested, and much of it does not make it through the crucible of suffering. Most of these are beliefs, such as "life will go on like this forever." We assume that our loved ones will never get sick, and that our world will be perfect. Then it all shatters with a phone call, or in the hospital room or the funeral home. In times like these everything crumbles—except one: "I will never leave you or forsake you," Jesus said. I never tried to focus on Jesus because Jesus was all I had.

WV: The reality of his presence increased immensely when I knew Marcine was only in the other room (heaven). I still reach out to her physically sometimes when I wake up at night, forgetting that she is gone.

Following your suffering, did you feel energized in your Christian walk with the Lord?

JBS: Not at all. I was simply rebuilding my faith, because much of it had been torn down. Many of my core narratives (stories about reality that we have adopted through the years) were shaken and shattered. The kingdom core narrative is this: "the sufferings of this present age are preparing us for an eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor. 4:16-18). I was not energized following my time of suffering, but I did emerge from it with a stronger, more real faith.

WV: Not very. I grieved very much for five years. It has been eight years now and I have accepted it. The whole thing "decked" me. I almost quit praying for people. It de-energized me.

What are the benefits that come from suffering that will not come in any other way?

JBS: When things go well in our lives we are seldom reflective about life and its meaning. Also, we rarely lean on God in times of success. When we suffer, as I said before, all of our props fall down, and we are forced to ask what life is really all about, and to trust in God in the midst of the darkness.

WV: Both my heart surgeries, stents, heart attacks, stroke, and carotid-arteries caused me to lose confidence in myself and put much more confidence in God. That's what happened to Paul, which he speaks of in 2 Cor. 1:8-10, and that helped me get on my feet.

Can spiritual growth take place through suffering?

JBS: Absolutely. James 1 and Romans 5 tell us that suffering produces a whole host of virtues: patience, perseverance, hope, etc. But it is crucial that we be living in the kingdom of God and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

WV: It is one of the best ways to learn to walk with the Lord that there is. It is hard but it brings with it spiritual maturity if one sees it all in his light. “Suffering produces endurance”–1 Pet. 4:1-2. There is a strange word here which some of us dare to face. “Whoever has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin.” Suffering can enable us to live less and less according to human desire, and more and more according to God’s will.

Can non-Christians profit from suffering?

JBS: I have known several non-Christians who have gone through serious sufferings such as the death of a child. When you take the kingdom of God out of the equation, it makes suffering very different. There is no real reason for hope. Most of the nonbelievers I know simply have to divert their attention because to think about their loss is too painful. So they garden or throw themselves into their work. Their suffering never gets redeemed, just ignored. But that being said, suffering forces all of us to figure out what life is about, and quite often that will lead us back to things like loving one another, enjoying the moments of life, helping out people in need. Christian or not, suffering shatters the illusion that happiness comes from outward things (money, fame, physical beauty, etc.) and forces us to look to something deeper.

WV: By all means. Many millions of people have come to know God through suffering.

Can unnecessary types of suffering be profitable?

JBS: One of the things we do in times of suffering is to search for the meaning. When our daughter died a lot of people tried to offer comfort by saying, “God certainly must have had a plan in all of this.” And if you look hard you can see some meaning. She only lived two years, but 500 people came to her funeral, and several doctors and nurses came, and told us about how her life had impacted theirs. I am grateful for that. But I can also honestly say, “Hey, God, this was unnecessary! She could have been born healthy and done even more good.” We search for meaning because of our innate sense of justice. But I have come to believe that the only justice is heaven. There is not justice in this life. But heaven is the greater restorer of justice. My daughter never got a chance to dance and sing in this life, but she is dancing and singing in heaven. I can complain about only having her for two years, but she will reign eternally in heaven. I am guessing she and I will have 100,000 years or so together.

WV: I doubt whether suffering for a Christian is ever unprofitable. God, of course, does not cause suffering most of the time. It is part of our falleness. But he does allow suffering to take place. It seems to me that life for each of us as God’s children is a three-act play, so to speak, which God has written for us. It is his plan for our lives. But he gives us freedom to choose not to follow his plan exactly, and in order to accommodate our waywardness he rewrites the play. When we are in Act I he is rewriting Act II, and so on. As a result it will come out where he wants, even though we go our own way half (or even most) of the time. He is so gracious to use all our suffering, whether it is willful on our part or not, to arrive at the place he chooses. Our very last breath in this life can be a willful rejection of him, but he will try his best to end it in a good way.

— Marian Euler

www.equalsharing.com

Disentanglement

The following is from a blog written by Milt Rodriguez on October 11, 2010.  I found it in connection with a facebook friend who is a member of a small "house church" in western Wisconsin.  Milt's main website is http://www.therebuilders.org/.

Disentanglement
“If we are entangled with ourselves, we have no peace. If we are entangled with the world, we have no peace. Only the disentangled can have peace; and death with Christ does the disentangling, and resurrection with Christ leads to a life above the world and above ourselves.”  T. Austin-Sparks

Just recently I attended my brother’s wedding in Southern California. During my stay in Southern California, my wallet was stolen. All of my credit/debit cards, forms of identification (except passport), and a little cash was in that wallet. The thief immediately tried to use my debit cards but was only able to use one card to purchase fifty dollars worth of groceries at a nearby supermarket.

Of course, I had to call my banks, order a new drivers license, etc. But the point of this article is not that I lost my wallet. I had a very interesting experience a few days later at a local shopping mall.

Disentangled from the World System
As I wandered through the mall I suddenly realized that I had absolutely no money and no way to get money. I had no wallet! Oh, the irony of that moment. Here I am walking through a haven of merchandising and I have no identity, no plastic, and no cash! But at that moment I realized more vividly than ever before that I was not a part of that system. In fact, I was totally dead to that system.

“But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world”  (Galatians 6:14).

It actually freed me up to a higher level of understanding and experience than anything I had experienced before. Even though I may have appeared to be just another “mall rat,” in reality, I was seated with Christ in heavenly places. I was walking through that mall in a complete state of “disentanglement.” The economic system had no control over me. And I felt like a bird set free.

However, I also became more keenly aware that I was a part of another “system.” This system is not an organization or a culture or anything political or of this world in any sense. This “system” is actually a living organism. It is really not an “it” at all. I am referring to the vast organic order of Christ Himself! He is God’s order and arrangement of all of His thoughts, visions, and purposes. This “system” is what Paul referred to as being “according to Christ” (Romans 15:5).

Disentanglement from the Self System
Even though I realized that day at the mall that I was truly not a part of that system of materialism, consumerism, selfishness, and greed; I also saw in a deeper way that I have been set free from the “self-system” as well. That is my old man was crucified with Christ (Romans 6:11).


Now, it’s no longer about me and my world, but rather it’s about Christ and His Church! I am truly dead to myself but alive to God and His eternal purpose. It’s no longer me and my agenda, but it is God and His agenda. And His only agenda is Christ! That is, the full, whole Christ; Head and body, Vine and branches, Shepherd and sheep, Cornerstone and living stones, Wine and wineskin, Grain of wheat with the many grains, Bridegroom and bride, New Adam and new Eve, the Lamb and His wife.

Set Free to Live a Life Above
Of course, being crucified with Christ is only half of the equation. In order for us to live by His life there had to be a resurrection as well. He was raised so that we too could now walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4,5). How is it possible for us to share in His resurrection life? It’s because we were placed inside of Him and He is resurrection! (John 11:25) We have been placed in Him so we share all that He is. Isn’t this wonderful? Isn’t this good news?

Now the reason that we have been raised with Christ is that now we have the glorious opportunity to live by His resurrection life instead of our own human lives. He who is Resurrection now lives inside of you and me so that we can display this wonderful life of God to the world. But the problem is that instead of living by Resurrection, we choose to attempt to please God by our own human lives. This is called religion, and it is of no use to God. In fact, it actually repulses Him.

So how do we live this “above life?” How do we live by Resurrection life instead of human life? The New Testament gives us many hints but Paul very clearly shows us the beginning in Colossians chapter three.

“If therefore you were raised together with Christ, seek the things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things which are above not on the things which are on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God”  (Colossians 3:1-3).

One of the key principles in learning to live by Christ is to set our minds upon things above. What are those things? They are the riches of Christ Himself! This is a process of God renewing our minds (Colossians 3:10) so that we think the “above thoughts.” But notice with me that it all begins by an act of our will: “set your mind.” We move our will into action by turning our thoughts to Christ and focusing on Him. May He become our life as we live this “above life” together!

- Milt Rodriguez

www.equalsharing.com

Curing and Healing

As I continue to consider the issues connected with Psychology and the Church, I came upon a compassionate website that I think deserves a look.  The goal of these four family members is to "change the world one mind at a time."

One Mind Mental Illness Ministry

OUR STORY is about one family’s personal experience with mental illness. Over ten years ago our lives were turned upside down as we watched Janet (our beloved wife, daughter, sister, and aunt) be gripped by the pain, frustration, isolation, fear, loneliness, and earth-shattering diagnosis of a mental illness. And yet—in that place of brokenness and fear—God entered and began His work of healing.

Click here to get a pdf of the following. Give it a look and let me know what you think.

Curing and Healing

When our daughter was first diagnosed with a mental illness, we prayed and prayed that God would take this terrible disease from her. We wanted it to be gone. She wanted it to be gone. No one should be suffering so. Other people were cured of their diseases. They took special medications or had surgery. They listened to everything the doctors told them and they prayed for their disease to be gone….and for many of them it was. There was a cure. Couldn’t there be a cure from our daughter’s mental illness too? God surely was listening to all our prayers and to those of so many others who love her. Why was she still suffering? She was taking her medications, listening to the doctors, going to her appointments…she was doing what she was supposed to do…but she was still suffering from mental illness.

Five years into her illness, our daughter attended a healing service and met Pastor Bill Vaswig*, a man who for over 35 years has been involved in a Prayer and Healing ministry. He understood the pain of mental illness….his son had been diagnosed many years before with schizophrenia. Pastor Bill spent 30 minutes in prayer with our daughter. A month later, our daughter visited with Pastor Vaswig in Washington for three days. They prayed together and he counseled her. Something we had known all along was being confirmed for us. Our daughter was not being cured, she was being healed.

HEALING comes in the acceptance of the illness… whether it be mental or physical.
HEALING comes in not trying to run from the illness but to face it fully and embrace it head on.
HEALING comes in knowing you are not alone.
HEALING comes from seeking help.
HEALING comes in recognizing that there will be difficult days, but that God is present even in them.
HEALING comes in realizing that just like life…healing is a journey.

Our daughter lives "un-cured" from her mental illness, but not "un-healed."  She continues to struggle with bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, but she has embraced what she knows is her life now a life with mental illness. She has learned much about her illness and herself. She takes her medications and sees her doctor. She is learning and practicing coping mechanisms and has many good days. But some days it is very difficult for her to continue to embrace it….and there are moments of deep sadness and sorrow, but she knows that God has been there all along and that He is present with her each day as she continues her journey of healing.

That testimony is from the website maintained by Janet, Doug, Bonnie and Bill.  It can be found at onemindmentalillnessministry.com

*Pastor Bill Vaswig, who passed away last month, was a Lutheran pastor and prayer ministry leader for many years. His obituary can be found here.  An excellent 2006 interview with Pastor Vaswig and James Bryan Smith can be found on the Renovare website: http://www.renovare.us/ViewNewsLetter/tabid/2404/Default.aspx?ID=132.  Just scroll down -- you'll find it as about the third article in that newsletter.

Sometimes God chooses to heal and "cure."  And we pray for that!  It's good to know, however, that God's blessings can be found in the meantime, as we wait for all things to be made new.

www.equalsharing.com

Teens Surviving the Storm

So many people suffer from depression.  It can be even worse when you're young and feel trapped in difficult circumstances.  We hear of so many young people who are desperate enough to even take their own lives.  It is so sad, and it is so wrong because there are so many adults out in this world who do honestly care.  So many who are willing to step out in prayer and action for their young friends.

If you know someone who is suffering, or if you are still suffering in silence, you don't need to handle this all alone. The following video is helpful.  There is help.  There is hope.  Help and hope straight from the heart of God.



    Adults:  One of the most important things to recognize is that teens struggling through depression are not acting. Too often serious teen depression is blown off as just being typical dramatic teen stuff. Teens who are afflicted by depression are not weak. They're not trying to be lazy, moody, difficult or obnoxious. They're not trying to get in our faces. It's almost as though there's something behind them pushing them into conflicts with parents and others. These struggling suffering teens already feel like no one understands and no one cares. They don't need our judgment and rejection. They need our compassion, our patience, and our help. They need to know there is hope.

    Teens and young adults: If you find yourself walking in the darkness of depression, please know that you're not alone. There are people who care about you who and want to help. Sometimes when you're depressed that's hard to believe but it's true. Talk to someone who cares: a parent, a doctor, your pastor, your teacher, your friend or a professional counselor. There's lots of information and sources of help that can give you a better understanding of what it is you're going through.

Feel free to call me at 763-291-3499 or my wife Toni at 763-957-9296. We'll help you find the help you need.  Or go to Pastor Gary E. Nelson's website: http://survivingteendepression.com/.  You do not need to do this alone.

www.equalsharing.com

Attachment and Surrender

We started our move.  We're not going far, just two miles north of town to Dave & Barb Yeager's.  They've volunteered to put us up until we know where we'll be going from here.  Our big moving day is planned for Saturday, Feb. 12.  We'll be needing a lot of help.  Thanks in advance to anyone who can lend a hand, and thank you to those to whom we are already so in debt.

Part of moving is throwing things away.  My wife Toni is really good at that.  I tend to get too attached to things, especially things that are connected with special people or special memories.  When a garbage bag of my kids' stuffed animals was out in the entryway, I needed to check to see which of the dozens were being tossed.  That's just one kind of "thing" I want to pause with before letting it go.  Lots of other things are getting carried with us to our next home--probably more than we need.

I heard a sermon this morning based on Philippians 3:7-4:1,8-9 where the Apostle Paul recognizes that nothing is worth hanging onto except what we have in knowing Jesus Christ and his love for us.  "For his sake," writes Paul, "I have thrown everything away; I consider it all as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ and be completely united with him."

Join me in praying that nothing may possess me other than the love of Jesus, and that I be ready to let everything else go at his command.  That way we will have our hands and hearts free to worship and serve him for the rest of our life.

www.equalsharing.com

Say the Truth

Tonight at Bethel University, at a gathering for student leaders, a young man from the Dominican Republic spoke about how God used a young woman named Ashley to change his life. How did she do that? She was from a family that was not well off... at the time when Ashley stood up in her family to make a difference, they didn't have many of the conveniences that some of us today consider must haves. But Ashley convinced her family that it was better for them to share one telephone and take the extra money they would have used on another line to sponsor a child in a far off land... in the Dominican Republic... his name was Tony, and because of the family's support, less than $50 a month, the young man was taken out of hopelessness and poverty and was truly given a new life.

Ashley's God inspired willingness to step out from the "herd" to do something truly made a difference.  Take some time tonight to pray and ask God how He would have you step out in following our Lord.

The following, written in 1950 by Erich Fromm, was read today in my Psychology and the Church class today.  Can you see how this applies to Ashley's life?  She was not simply a "herd animal," moving along with the crowd.  Can you see how it applies to yours?  Certainly being "rational" is not all that is necessary, but with God in control, our reason can be transformed into a powerful gift of the Lord.

    Man is by nature a herd animal. His actions are determined by an instinctive impulse to follow the leader and to have close contact with the other animals around him. Inasmuch as we are sheep, there is no greater threat to our existence than to lose this contact with the herd and to be isolated. Right and wrong, true and false are determined by the herd. But we are not only sheep. We are also human; we are endowed with the awareness of ourselves, endowed with reason which by by its very nature is independent of the herd. Our actions can be determined by the results of our thinking regardless of whether or not the truth is shared by others.
    The split between our sheep nature and our human nature is the basis for two kinds of orientations: the orientation by proximity to the herd and the orientation by reason. Rationalization is a compromise between our sheep nature and our human capacity to think. The latter forces us to make believe that everything we do can stand the test of reason, and that is why we tend to make it appear that our irrational opinions and decisions are reasonable. But inasmuch as we are sheep, reason is not our real guide; we are guided by an entirely different principle, that of herd allegiance.
    The ambiguity of thinking, the dichotomy between reason and a rationalizing intellect, is the expression of a basic dichotomy in man, the coextensive need for bondage and freedom. The unfolding and full emergence of reason is dependent on the attainment of full freedom and independence. Until this is accomplished man will tend to accept for truth that which the majority of his group want to be true; his judgment is determined by need for contact with the herd and by fear of being isolated from it. A few individuals can stand this isolation and say the truth in spite of the danger of losing touch. They are true heroes of the human race but for whom we should still be living in caves. Yet for the vast majority of men who are not heroes the development of reason depends on the emergence of a social order in which each individual is fully respected and not made a tool by the state or by any other group, a social order in which he need not be afraid to criticize and in which the pursuit of truth does not isolate man from his brothers...

www.equalsharing.com

What's A Pastor For?

What is a pastor for?  Why are pastors even necessary?  Anyone can pray.  Anyone can preach.  Anyone can visit the sick, baptize, share communion, and teach.  There isn't anything a pastor can do that a so-called "ordinary" Christian can't do too.  So why do we call and set certain people apart and call them "pastor"?

When I was ordained a "Minister of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," I did the same thing as all pastors do.  I promised that I would follow the Word of God no matter what.  And that's what makes a church need a pastor, someone who will hold the church body accountable* to God's Word, someone who has been set aside as a sort of captain--not of the financial or organizational affairs of the church, but, rather, a sort of captain of the church's spiritual life, of it's connection to the will and Word of God.

Whether the specific title "pastor" is used or not, the role is needed as we read in Ephesians 4:

¹¹ The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³ until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. ¹⁴ We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:11–16)

The need of every local church to be led by the Word of God that makes them need someone to be their pastor.  If a Church is to be faithful, it must not just go along to get along.  It must be able to stand its ground when it comes to truth.  So the Lord equips the church with spiritual leaders, and those leaders are set aside through their promise to follow God's Word.

Pastors must be true to the truth.  They may be personally popular or not, more or less emotional, tall or short, old or young, plain spoken or eloquent, personally friendly or intense, male or female.  None of this really matters.  What really matters is their adherence to the truth of the Word of God and their willingness to teach and preach and live according to that Word, no matter what.  This is what I promised in 1986, and this is what I will do whenever I am called as a pastor, so help me God.

*It's good when "ordinary Christians" hold their pastors accountable to the Word of God too.  If you believe I or any pastor are falling away from the Word of God in what we teach and preach, or in how we live, go to them personally, as a sister or brother in Christ, and show them where you believe they have erred, or discuss with them any serious question.  For more guidance on that, see Matthew 18:15.

www.equalsharing.com

Jesus, All For Jesus

Robin Mark will be returning to Cokato in 2011.

www.equalsharing.com

Mental Illness and Poverty of Spirit

Blessed are the poor in spirit. (Matthew 5:3)

This week the local pastors met for our annual breakfast with deputies from the Wright and Meeker County sheriff's departments. We meet monthly with various community professionals in order to get to know one another and listen to what they are observing in the area, ask how we can help, and then pray for them as we are able.

When we meet with the deputies they let us know about issues they are encountering with some frequency. Drug and alcohol abuse comes up often--but this year, for the first time, they mentioned mental illness.  As I recall, this came up in regard to school children and their families. 

As I looked at the scriptures many churches will be reading for tomorrow, with the verse about the "poor in spirit" and the rest of the beatitudes, I thought to myself, that certainly describes those who know what mental illness is like:

Blessed are the poor in spirit...
Blessed are those who mourn...
Blessed are the meek...
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...

In the last 24 years, serving as a pastor, and before that as I worked in health care, I've seen many examples of how people suffer in this way.  In some ways mental illness is harder to deal with than physical illness.  People feel ashamed or guilty when they or their loved ones are afflicted with mental illness (whether it's officially diagnosed or not).  Some unfortunately think the mentally ill are "evil" or beyond hope.  The truth is, there is much that can be done to help us and those we love whether illness is mental or physical.  And, not only that, if we can see mental illness as one way we are, indeed, "poor in spirit," some of the fear can be removed and replaced by love.

In R.C.H. Lenski's 1961 commentary on the book of Matthew, we find this explanation of the words "poor in spirit."  I certainly can see how the mentally ill fit this description:

[Being "poor in spirit"] is the attitude that grows out of the profound realization of utter helplessness and beggary as far as any ability or possession of self are concerned. These wretched beggars bring absolutely nothing to God but their complete emptiness and need and stoop in the dust for pure grace and mercy only." (p. 184)

How can we stand side by side all those who are poor in spirit, including the mentally ill?  This certainly is a challenge!  So often there is a sense of being out of control, or trying desperately to stay in control, or a sense of just wanting to give in to despair.  Christians usually don't know what to do, and this little discussion here isn't going to be a lot of help.  I have found quite a bit of help on line.  Let me know if you have specific questions and maybe I can help direct you to someone who knows more than I do.

One thing I can share right now is the work of Bryan Lowe, a pastor who "serves the Lord Jesus by serving mentally ill believers."   I stumbled on his blog today and it looks pretty good.  You can find it at http://brokenbelievers.com/.

The following was his first post, published August 26, 2009--

Loved, but Broken

For everyone who loves Jesus, but has had an experience of terrible loss, sickness or the death of a loved one…this blog is for you. I am evangelical, a pastor and a teacher at a Bible institute. I am also Bipolar I, with rapid-cycling (and a bit of paranoia thrown in, as if I didn’t have enough). I have been hospitalized in mental hospitals on ten different occasions. But, I love Jesus more than anything. And I’ve been told by many, that He loves me as well.

I have experienced the darkest and most difficult depressions. There are some days I could not get out of bed, shower or even eat. For this and the Bipolar I take lithium, Zoloft, Seroquel, and Provigil.

This blog is for the mentally ill believer, the terminally ill, and all who are confused and dismayed by their own brokenness. The feeble, lame, sick, blind and mentally ill have not always been welcome in the Church. But, I’m convinced that it has been the churches’ loss.

The Church needs us, whether it realizes it or not. It is as broken people that we model our fallenness as the paradigm to intimacy with Jesus. It never has been about our giftedness, but intimacy. We are a reminder, a testimony of God’s grace giving His power to the weak and despised.

We are all broken in one way or another.  According to Jesus' words about the "poor in spirit" being blessed, that's actually a good thing.  I encourage you to take a look at some of Pastor Bryan's work, and let's hold one another close in our hearts and even closer in prayer.  We all have times when stress or grief or anxiety comes on like a flood.  Let's understand, for ourselves and for others, that we are not "lost" when we are broken.  We are loved just as we are.

Reflecting on these things, I've decided to stay in "Psychology and the Church" seminar, as long as it seems wise to do so.  Let me know if there are any questions I can seek an answer for, or if you just need a listening ear.

Praying the peace of Jesus for you tonight.  

Pastor Steve

www.equalsharing.com

How Are You?

When I got up this morning I wasn't ready for my class so I decided to stop at the Wayzata "Park and Ride" and take the #674 express bus to downtown Minneapolis.  That way I could do my assigned reading en route.

After class I walked back downtown and had 20 minutes to wait.  I stepped into the Young Quinlan building for a coffee and was greeted with what seemed to be a very sincere "How are you?" from an employee doing some cleaning in the lobby.  I stopped and said, "Honestly, I'm feeling very well.  How are you?"  And the employee smiled back with "I'm just fine."

I could honestly say that today.  I was feeling fine.  I'm feeling quite good right now--physically, emotionally and spiritually.  I'm feeling that way more often than not these days.  Thankfulness overflows. That's true even though many things in my life are very uncertain--and much of this uncertainty affects others, including many I am responsible for.

Is that fair?  Many would say it's not. What right do I have to say I'm doing okay when I'm still living under a temporary support agreement five months after my resignation as pastor?  How can I be feeling fine when I should perhaps be worried about what will happen when that agreement runs out next month?  Oh, yes, I am working on many things.  I've filled out many applications for this and that and have more to do.  I'm not just sitting around.  Still, I wonder how others might feel if they spoke their minds or hearts.  "Why does he feel so blessed?"  "It's not fair."

The shoe has been on the other foot.  During the last year and a half there have been days and weeks and months of almost unbearable emotional (and I say spiritual) pain.  That's been true for me and for others as well.  I think it's because many, like me, have truly felt that we had been doing right and ended up getting put down for it.  We don't like that.  We sinful human beings want to get credit for doing good.  We don't want to be forgotten, neglected or turned away.  When we do right--especially when we do what we have very good reason to think is right in God's sight, according to God's Word, in line with God's purposes-- When we do right we want to have some kind of reward.  We want to see good results.  We don't want to feel like we've done good for no reason.  And when there are no good results for good actions, at least not that we experience in an obvious way, we cry and shout or groan, "It's Not Fair."

Many who suffer can understand.

How do I deal with this?  I don't have time or energy to get into it deeply tonight, but something has happened in my relationship with God, especially in the last 18 months... something has happened so I can say, most days -- at least I'm beginning to be able to say--with Paul the Apostle,

"I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:12-13)

The secret, I believe, is the presence of God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, and also, the sense that, ultimately, everything is under the mighty and perfect control of God.  I am beginning to trust that God is doing what is best in the midst of all circumstances.  And this growing faith is truly the source of peace, even when things aren't fair.  That, and the presence of those who also trust God and who love and pray for me, that has gotten me through.

But know this--even if you are not at peace tonight--and even if you are, as I have so often before--even if you are screaming at God to DO SOMETHING about the painful circumstances you are in -- Know this: God will not reject you even if you are not at peace.  Even in your pain, even in your questions, even in your faith that is shaken to the bone, even when nothing is fair and you're ready to quit: God will not abandon you.  He understands.  I know this because that is what he experienced himself on the cross.

But Jesus' cross was not the end.  And your pain will not be your end either.  When all is said and done, God will get the victory.  Hallelujah.  And that is the truth..

One thing is true for me though--and I think this is just how God works in most cases: We need each other to hold onto that truth.  Please don't try to find this kind of faith all alone.

May the peace the passes understanding be with you tonight in Jesus' name. 

www.equalsharing.com.