Friday, March 13, 2009
Out of Space
I was hoping to post the audio of the March 11 "What the Cross Means to Me" talks but I've bumped up against the capacity of the free website I'm using to store audio and other helpful files. Our church is considering getting a website and, when that happens, we should be able to put the audio files there. If I find time, I'll rearrange things and see if I can squeeze the testimonies in. If you have appreciated being able to access sermons and our Wednesday Lenten talks on line, please let me or our church council members know. They'll be meeting about this on Tuesday evening March 17. Thanks.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Your Neighbor's Best Life Now
A conversation at WorkingPreacher.org between three professors at Luther Seminary begins something like this:
Karoline Lewis: "Who can go wrong with the Ten Commandments?"
David Lose: "Oh, my goodness! Did you ever see the movie Vision Quest? ...Matthew Modine plays a young wrestler who picks up Tai Chi and says to this kind of hard-boiled cook that he's working with, 'People do it in China. Can a billion people ever be wrong?' And the guy looks at him and says 'Frequently.' What I actually have in mind is this: Can people ever go wrong with the Ten Commandments? People do all the time! "
Ralph Jacobson: "The major way people people go wrong with the Ten Commandments is when they try to turn it into self-help religion. The basic distinction between law and gospel is essential here... All the adults should know the two uses of the law. God gives us the law 'civil-ly' that is, for our neighbor, and God gives the law theologically, that is, to remind us we are sinners... There is no use of the law to get to heaven! ...What the sinner always does it to turn God's Law into a personal improvement project. ...When I write my book on the Ten Commandments at least one chapter is going to be called Your Neighbor's Best Life Now. The reason God gives us the commandments is so our neighbor can have his and her best life now."
I have not read Joel Olsteen's book Your Best Life Now. If you have, let me know. Rolf Jacobsen, one of the professors above, who I respect, calls it a "really bad book" because, Rolf seems to think it's about having each individual person have their own personal best life without regard for the neighbor in need.
If you've read Olsteen's book, and if you have a different impression, let me know! Thanks!
Karoline Lewis: "Who can go wrong with the Ten Commandments?"
David Lose: "Oh, my goodness! Did you ever see the movie Vision Quest? ...Matthew Modine plays a young wrestler who picks up Tai Chi and says to this kind of hard-boiled cook that he's working with, 'People do it in China. Can a billion people ever be wrong?' And the guy looks at him and says 'Frequently.' What I actually have in mind is this: Can people ever go wrong with the Ten Commandments? People do all the time! "
Ralph Jacobson: "The major way people people go wrong with the Ten Commandments is when they try to turn it into self-help religion. The basic distinction between law and gospel is essential here... All the adults should know the two uses of the law. God gives us the law 'civil-ly' that is, for our neighbor, and God gives the law theologically, that is, to remind us we are sinners... There is no use of the law to get to heaven! ...What the sinner always does it to turn God's Law into a personal improvement project. ...When I write my book on the Ten Commandments at least one chapter is going to be called Your Neighbor's Best Life Now. The reason God gives us the commandments is so our neighbor can have his and her best life now."
I have not read Joel Olsteen's book Your Best Life Now. If you have, let me know. Rolf Jacobsen, one of the professors above, who I respect, calls it a "really bad book" because, Rolf seems to think it's about having each individual person have their own personal best life without regard for the neighbor in need.
If you've read Olsteen's book, and if you have a different impression, let me know! Thanks!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The Zeal of the Cross
This coming Sunday's scriptures (available by clicking here*) mention God's bold action in bringing slaves out of Egypt and, through Jesus, driving merchants out of the Jerusalem temple.
Praise God for these acts of God's powerful love! The exodus tells us that people shouldn't be enslaved. The cleansing of the temple shows that people shouldn't be taken advantage of by religion. The abolition of slavery and the reformation of the church** were, in part, inspired by these biblical events. Other scriptures, such as Psalm 72:12-14, proclaim God's concern for those who exploited and oppressed.
This is important! Those of us who know the Lord are called to act on behalf of justice and freedom for all. Though this world will never be the home of a complete or perfect "kingdom of God," there is no excuse for simply sitting back and letting people suffer. "Liberation Theology" and the "Social Gospel" movement do not have the whole truth, but they are correct in this: God does care for the well being of people in this life. Christians ought to care for and love those in need, doing what we can to remove the root causes of unjust suffering. We should not put all our focus on the life to come.
ON THE OTHER HAND, as we get busy fighting against what is wrong and for what is right in this world, we need to know that we, like Jesus, will be on the losing side. The zeal of God, burning in Jesus' soul, led to his death. Immediately after acting boldly in the temple in John 2, Jesus lets it be known that he expects to lose. His zeal, in terms of this world, is foolishness. It does not put an end to religious exploitation. His whole ministry does not shift the balance of good and evil in the world. Here, in this world, evil still wins. (It's only in the resurrection, beyond this world, that complete and final victory comes.)
So we have this paradox. God would have us do good. He would have us love and care and bring as much freedom and justice as possible. As we do this, however, we will be misunderstood and mistreated. In the end, when we follow our Lord, we will sometimes look like fools. People will often say, "why can't you just settle down?" Some Christ-followers will even follow their Lord to the death. In some parts of the world, and in some homes and neighborhoods in our country, martyrdom still occurs. We should never be surprised by this. Both Moses and Jesus were, after all, treated as criminals during their lifetimes, and Jesus, God in the flesh, died as one.
But, Jesus says, "Destroy this temple (meaning the "temple of his body"), and in three days I will raise it up." The resurrection of our Lord proves that God's way is right! Finally, in the end, it will be shown that doing good is not a lost cause.
God's message to us, then, is that EVEN when we are misunderstood, mistreated and end up being losers, godly courage ("zeal") can and will burn bright among us, both for the salvation of souls and the freedom of those oppressed. It may seem foolish, but "God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength." (First Corinthians 1:25)
One caution: Don't do this alone. We need our Lord and each other. It's in the community of the church that we can keep the balance between paying attention to the things of this earth and the things of heaven.
This is just the beginning of some thought's for this Sunday's message... more later! Time to to relax and hit the hay!
-----------------------
*Scriptures from the Revised Common Lectionary
**See the 95 theses of Martin Luther, especially #27, 28, 45, 51 and many more.
Praise God for these acts of God's powerful love! The exodus tells us that people shouldn't be enslaved. The cleansing of the temple shows that people shouldn't be taken advantage of by religion. The abolition of slavery and the reformation of the church** were, in part, inspired by these biblical events. Other scriptures, such as Psalm 72:12-14, proclaim God's concern for those who exploited and oppressed.
This is important! Those of us who know the Lord are called to act on behalf of justice and freedom for all. Though this world will never be the home of a complete or perfect "kingdom of God," there is no excuse for simply sitting back and letting people suffer. "Liberation Theology" and the "Social Gospel" movement do not have the whole truth, but they are correct in this: God does care for the well being of people in this life. Christians ought to care for and love those in need, doing what we can to remove the root causes of unjust suffering. We should not put all our focus on the life to come.
ON THE OTHER HAND, as we get busy fighting against what is wrong and for what is right in this world, we need to know that we, like Jesus, will be on the losing side. The zeal of God, burning in Jesus' soul, led to his death. Immediately after acting boldly in the temple in John 2, Jesus lets it be known that he expects to lose. His zeal, in terms of this world, is foolishness. It does not put an end to religious exploitation. His whole ministry does not shift the balance of good and evil in the world. Here, in this world, evil still wins. (It's only in the resurrection, beyond this world, that complete and final victory comes.)
So we have this paradox. God would have us do good. He would have us love and care and bring as much freedom and justice as possible. As we do this, however, we will be misunderstood and mistreated. In the end, when we follow our Lord, we will sometimes look like fools. People will often say, "why can't you just settle down?" Some Christ-followers will even follow their Lord to the death. In some parts of the world, and in some homes and neighborhoods in our country, martyrdom still occurs. We should never be surprised by this. Both Moses and Jesus were, after all, treated as criminals during their lifetimes, and Jesus, God in the flesh, died as one.
But, Jesus says, "Destroy this temple (meaning the "temple of his body"), and in three days I will raise it up." The resurrection of our Lord proves that God's way is right! Finally, in the end, it will be shown that doing good is not a lost cause.
God's message to us, then, is that EVEN when we are misunderstood, mistreated and end up being losers, godly courage ("zeal") can and will burn bright among us, both for the salvation of souls and the freedom of those oppressed. It may seem foolish, but "God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength." (First Corinthians 1:25)
One caution: Don't do this alone. We need our Lord and each other. It's in the community of the church that we can keep the balance between paying attention to the things of this earth and the things of heaven.
This is just the beginning of some thought's for this Sunday's message... more later! Time to to relax and hit the hay!
-----------------------
*Scriptures from the Revised Common Lectionary
**See the 95 theses of Martin Luther, especially #27, 28, 45, 51 and many more.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Capsized & Adrift but still loved (audio)
The pictures from Sunday Morning Preview are needed to understand this sermon (click here to listen). It would also be good to read the scriptures -- Genesis 17:1-7,15-17, Psalm 22:23-32, Romans 4:13-25 and Mark 8:31-38.
Even when we are weak in faith, even when we waver as Abraham did -- contrary to the common translation of Romans 4:20* -- in his feelings (see Gen 17:17), we can trust our Lord to love and rescue us.
That's the amazing good news of God.
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*Note on Romans 4:20. In Greek (εἰς δὲ τὴν ἐπαγγελῒαν τοῦ θεοῦ οὐ διεκρίθη τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ ἀλλʼ ἐνεδυναμώθη τῇ πίστει, δοὺς δόξαν τῷ θεῷ) this verse includes the words οὐ διεκρίθη which are often translated "not waver" or "not doubt." "διεκρίθη," however, is better connected with the idea of "playing the judge." In the case of Romans 4:20, then, it would mean that Abraham didn't "judge" for himself that God couldn't keep his promises. Abraham, and every person of faith, does have feelings that waver, doubt and even despair from time to time. But faith says "even though I doubt you, God, even though all my feelings say I'm lost, your Word tells me that you can rescue and carry me anyway, so I wait for your promise to come true."
Even when we are weak in faith, even when we waver as Abraham did -- contrary to the common translation of Romans 4:20* -- in his feelings (see Gen 17:17), we can trust our Lord to love and rescue us.
That's the amazing good news of God.
--------
*Note on Romans 4:20. In Greek (εἰς δὲ τὴν ἐπαγγελῒαν τοῦ θεοῦ οὐ διεκρίθη τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ ἀλλʼ ἐνεδυναμώθη τῇ πίστει, δοὺς δόξαν τῷ θεῷ) this verse includes the words οὐ διεκρίθη which are often translated "not waver" or "not doubt." "διεκρίθη," however, is better connected with the idea of "playing the judge." In the case of Romans 4:20, then, it would mean that Abraham didn't "judge" for himself that God couldn't keep his promises. Abraham, and every person of faith, does have feelings that waver, doubt and even despair from time to time. But faith says "even though I doubt you, God, even though all my feelings say I'm lost, your Word tells me that you can rescue and carry me anyway, so I wait for your promise to come true."
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Sunday Morning Preview
What is faith?
#1 - Nick Schuyler hanging on.
#2 - Nick Schuyler being lifted.
If it's #1, what happens when he just can't hang on anymore? If it's #2, how does that give you courage? More about this tomorrow.
See you in church! AND DON'T FORGET TO TURN YOUR CLOCKS AHEAD -- and check your smoke detector batteries while you're at it!
Friday, March 6, 2009
The Timothy Testimony
Was someone in your life a faithful anchor for your childhood? Have you been spared the "crash and burn" life disasters that you hear from in other people's faith stories? Have you ever thought, "I don't have a testimony" because your life isn't filled with drama? Perhaps you are like Timothy, whose mother and grandmother knew the Lord and taught Timothy the scriptures from his childhood.
As we move through Lent, I hope Timothy will speak! May the Lord grant us many Timothys, men and women who will speak and give thanks for God's consistent love. Please don't leave all the speaking to the Pauls and Prodigals! Your song might be "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" and your testimony Psalm 138. Praise God in the congregation for what He has done!
As we move through Lent, I hope Timothy will speak! May the Lord grant us many Timothys, men and women who will speak and give thanks for God's consistent love. Please don't leave all the speaking to the Pauls and Prodigals! Your song might be "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" and your testimony Psalm 138. Praise God in the congregation for what He has done!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Scary Evangelism
I'm sitting here watching a DVD of "Heaven's Gates, Hell's Flames" that was loaned to me a long time ago by folks over at Good Shepherd Lutheran. The positive message is of God's love, and that through Jesus our sins are forgiven, our lives are changed, and when we quit fighting God's love, we will be accepted by Jesus, no questions asked.
But what about the flip side? In my opinion, "Heaven's Gates, Hell's Flames" uses a message of fear to get people to accept Jesus. On the one hand, the presentation says Jesus' love is the only way to God. On the other hand, it seems to limit that love to those who make a clear "choice" for Jesus. In the play those who have not made that choice are are taken by the devil. I think that makes salvation dependent on something we do. It also claims that the devil is somehow in charge of hell, which makes no sense to me at all.
Still, some people seem to need that strong fear-based message. Some folks perhaps need to be shaken up. But when I look at Jesus' ministry, and the ministry of the disciples in the New Testament, I don't see fear being used as a weapon to bring people to their knees. When Jesus talks about hellfire and damnation, it's usually as he is confronting self-righteous and self-confident religious people, not the common people who are twisted and turned by so many religious claims. I wonder if "Heaven's Gates, Hell's Flames" is true to the Spirit of Christ.
What do you think? Should we use fear as a way of presenting the good news of Jesus? Feel free to comment and share your heart. I can be wrong.
But what about the flip side? In my opinion, "Heaven's Gates, Hell's Flames" uses a message of fear to get people to accept Jesus. On the one hand, the presentation says Jesus' love is the only way to God. On the other hand, it seems to limit that love to those who make a clear "choice" for Jesus. In the play those who have not made that choice are are taken by the devil. I think that makes salvation dependent on something we do. It also claims that the devil is somehow in charge of hell, which makes no sense to me at all.
Still, some people seem to need that strong fear-based message. Some folks perhaps need to be shaken up. But when I look at Jesus' ministry, and the ministry of the disciples in the New Testament, I don't see fear being used as a weapon to bring people to their knees. When Jesus talks about hellfire and damnation, it's usually as he is confronting self-righteous and self-confident religious people, not the common people who are twisted and turned by so many religious claims. I wonder if "Heaven's Gates, Hell's Flames" is true to the Spirit of Christ.
What do you think? Should we use fear as a way of presenting the good news of Jesus? Feel free to comment and share your heart. I can be wrong.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Touched by God's Grace
The three "clay pots" who shared tonight what the cross means to them all gave their permission to have their faith stories up on line. All of these are mp3 files. You can listen to my introduction to the evening by clicking here. To hear the individuals sharing, click on their names below.
Veda - about 6 minutes
Randy - about 11 minutes
Wayne - about 5 minutes
If you share in the future, don't worry, we don't need to put it up on line. Like the speaking itself, it's purely your choice what you want done. Also, you don't need to have a dramatic story. Our Lord protects and guides many who have known him since childhood. Praise God for every life story that has been touched by God's grace.
Veda - about 6 minutes
Randy - about 11 minutes
Wayne - about 5 minutes
If you share in the future, don't worry, we don't need to put it up on line. Like the speaking itself, it's purely your choice what you want done. Also, you don't need to have a dramatic story. Our Lord protects and guides many who have known him since childhood. Praise God for every life story that has been touched by God's grace.
The Equipment Room
My daughter Naomi, a junior at Bethel University, made my day yesterday! She said she used last week's order of worship that I posted here with her "RA staff" and asked if I could share tonight's too. I'm sure she'll be disappointed, because there's not as much to it as on Ash Wednesday. You can download the pdf here.
In Lent this year we're having laypeople share "What the Cross Means to Me." It's our hope and prayer that those who worship tonight would see how "ordinary people" can "tell the love of Jesus, and say he died for all" (see the song There Is a Balm in Gilead). If we get permission, and if the technology works well, we might be able to share these testimonies on line. See "Touched By God's Grace" for that.
I am always encouraged when non-church-employees share their faith. As a pastor, I do have a role tonight--but it's mostly in the background. For the past few weeks I've been praying, encouraging and guiding these front-line Christians as they considered the opportunity, started to prepare, and as they are now in their last hour before they speak.
My hope is that we'll find out it's good to be bold with our faith and that we'll discover that the Holy Spirit of our Lord Jesus works through many--not just pastors. It's a risk, but that's not something I'm usually afraid of.
One of our laypeople will share an anecdote from The Hammer of God, a book by Bo Giertz. He called me this morning and told me about it. It's about how Christians sometimes struggle against sin, but ends up discovering "the sinful corruption of our human nature." Comparing battling sin with "clearing stones" from the heart's field, Pastor Giertz says:
Time to get ready for worship! Time to get out of the Equipment Room (my office) and out among the people. We'll have supper together and then worship. I hope you worship regularly all year long, and in this Lenten season, wherever you are.
In Lent this year we're having laypeople share "What the Cross Means to Me." It's our hope and prayer that those who worship tonight would see how "ordinary people" can "tell the love of Jesus, and say he died for all" (see the song There Is a Balm in Gilead). If we get permission, and if the technology works well, we might be able to share these testimonies on line. See "Touched By God's Grace" for that.
I am always encouraged when non-church-employees share their faith. As a pastor, I do have a role tonight--but it's mostly in the background. For the past few weeks I've been praying, encouraging and guiding these front-line Christians as they considered the opportunity, started to prepare, and as they are now in their last hour before they speak.
My hope is that we'll find out it's good to be bold with our faith and that we'll discover that the Holy Spirit of our Lord Jesus works through many--not just pastors. It's a risk, but that's not something I'm usually afraid of.
One of our laypeople will share an anecdote from The Hammer of God, a book by Bo Giertz. He called me this morning and told me about it. It's about how Christians sometimes struggle against sin, but ends up discovering "the sinful corruption of our human nature." Comparing battling sin with "clearing stones" from the heart's field, Pastor Giertz says:
"...One day, when a man is battling sin and trying to clear the stones from the heart's field, sweating at the task yet hoping finally to get ride of the last ones so that he may really see the garden grow, his spade strikes solid rock. He digs and scrapes on every side; he tries again and again to budge the rock. Then the terrible realization dawns: It is stony ground through and through. ...He has laid bare a ledge of granite... the sinful depravity that remains even after a man has separated himself from all his conscious sins. It is this stony ground that explains why a man is just as great a sinner before God after he has offered God the best he is able to give of obedience and commitment."The pastor's role is to help people remember that we never "make it" with God, that we are always in need of God's grace. As I put together tonight's worship, I hymns that swing the emphasis to the Cross of Jesus instead of our own righteousness. As it says in the old hymn "Beneath the Cross of Jesus," which ends tonight's worship:
Upon that cross of Jesus mine eye at times can seeYes, Jesus did rise from the dead, and yes he does bless us and help us grow in faith, hope and love, but we never outgrow our need to humble ourselves at the cross.
The very dying form of One Who suffered there for me;
And from my stricken heart with tears two wonders I confess;
The wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness.
Time to get ready for worship! Time to get out of the Equipment Room (my office) and out among the people. We'll have supper together and then worship. I hope you worship regularly all year long, and in this Lenten season, wherever you are.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Capsized and Adrift
The promise of God is bigger than our experience. The promise is good even when we don't think it is. God's promise does not depend on us.
This week we've been following the story of Nick Schuyler, who managed to cling the engine of his overturned fishing boat. He was rescued. But his three friends (Marquis Cooper, Will Bleakley & Corey Smith) were nowhere to be found.
On Sunday evening, in my absence, the Lord worked among the members of the Alpha leadership team to renew people's faith, hope and love. Email testimonies were shared yesterday. Other people in our church and community, however, are still feeling lost.
It's good to be rescued in this life. It's good to have our spiritual lives and "feelings" restored. But does God love us less when we are still lost or still down in the dumps?
The cross lets us know otherwise. Many times we do not feel like we are going to be safe or saved. Fortunately, however, God's promise does not depend on us. It is trustworthy forever.
Our Lord wants to gather, week after week, to remind us of his love so we do know ourselves to be loved and not forgotten. As God's love is shared in our midst, many of us will feel better... and that's good. But even if we still feel lost, God's promise is still good!
Sometimes, all we can do is cling to the promise. Sometimes that's all we've got.
Look at this wonderful blog post from Will Vaus (click colored words). He talks about how our spiritual life is like a train, with faith and feeling following the "engine," the great FACT of God's love.
I hope you'll read what he has to say. He concludes by saying:
The Psalm for this coming Sunday (Psalm 22) shows this very clearly. The cry of Jesus on the cross echoes the cries of so many in this world. But God's promise remains secure:
This week we've been following the story of Nick Schuyler, who managed to cling the engine of his overturned fishing boat. He was rescued. But his three friends (Marquis Cooper, Will Bleakley & Corey Smith) were nowhere to be found.
On Sunday evening, in my absence, the Lord worked among the members of the Alpha leadership team to renew people's faith, hope and love. Email testimonies were shared yesterday. Other people in our church and community, however, are still feeling lost.
It's good to be rescued in this life. It's good to have our spiritual lives and "feelings" restored. But does God love us less when we are still lost or still down in the dumps?
The cross lets us know otherwise. Many times we do not feel like we are going to be safe or saved. Fortunately, however, God's promise does not depend on us. It is trustworthy forever.
Our Lord wants to gather, week after week, to remind us of his love so we do know ourselves to be loved and not forgotten. As God's love is shared in our midst, many of us will feel better... and that's good. But even if we still feel lost, God's promise is still good!
Sometimes, all we can do is cling to the promise. Sometimes that's all we've got.
Look at this wonderful blog post from Will Vaus (click colored words). He talks about how our spiritual life is like a train, with faith and feeling following the "engine," the great FACT of God's love.
I hope you'll read what he has to say. He concludes by saying:
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is unchanging, regardless of my faith or my feelings or even my knowledge about it. That Gospel is the engine which pulls my little life along, even when my faith is minuscule and my feelings constantly want to jump the track in one direction or another.I hope you will know God's love through the cross of Christ for you. I hope you will be lifted up through that great gift so you do not feel lost. But even if you do feel lost today or tonight, God will always be there for you. He will never abandon you.
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8
Hallelujah! Amen.
The Psalm for this coming Sunday (Psalm 22) shows this very clearly. The cry of Jesus on the cross echoes the cries of so many in this world. But God's promise remains secure:
They shall come and make known to a people yet unbornIt's God's promise we can trust. We can rely on the fact that he died and rose again for sinners like you and me--even when our feelings and even our faith go up and down like a ship, capsized and adrift on a stormy sea.
the saving deeds that he has done.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Whom Shall I Fear?
Good morning! It's another cold morning. Zero degrees F. Hopefully the cold is coming to an end.
Looking ahead to this week's scriptures (Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Psalm 22:23-31; Romans 4:13-25; Mark 8:31-38) I see only ONE--God--whom we should fear.
What do you think? What are you afraid of? How can we help one another?
Looking ahead to this week's scriptures (Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Psalm 22:23-31; Romans 4:13-25; Mark 8:31-38) I see only ONE--God--whom we should fear.
What do you think? What are you afraid of? How can we help one another?
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Together in the Wild
Here's the audio from this morning's 8:30 a.m. sermon. Click here for mp3 - about 20 minutes. I'm heading down to Hutchinson now for the Conference Assembly... no time to write more!
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