A Fast From Yourself

Isaiah 58:6-7 The Lord said, “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him and not to hide from your own flesh?...”

Fasting comes in and goes out of style regularly. Some see it as a serious spiritual discipline that can be used to create clarity of mind in order to hear God better. Some see it as a seasonal thing to be done every Friday in Lent or something like that. Fasting, the act of denying the body either food or something else, has good things and bad things about it. There’s a problem when the good thing is used to show off and people have a “look at me” attitude about their fasting.

That was the problem the Lord was addressing in Isaiah. The people had begun to use God’s laws as a means to an end. They were twisting them in order to get what they wanted from God. God was wise to it. He knew what they were up to. He is not one to be fooled or manipulated by petty humanity. “Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high.” Verse 4.

God urges his people to take a fast from themselves. Fasting is not about you. Fast from yourself and help the homeless, hungry and hopeless. Fast from yourself and work for those who are caught in bonds of wickedness and oppression. This urging is for you and for me as well, not just the Israelites. In other words, we need to get over ourselves and look out for others. I think this call is more appropriate today than ever. We will not curry favor with God by flaunting our personal, spiritual piety.

Personal piety is important. To be in God’s word, to be part of his fellowship, to share in the sacraments, prayer, etc… all of these things are important, but are not to be used to try and win God’s approval or man’s approval. God’s approval was accomplished for us by Christ on the cross. We can’t do anything without Jesus. Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

It may be hard, but through Christ, we can fast from ourselves. Deny ourselves our selves. Jesus came not to be served but to serve. Our fasting should be a fast from serving ourselves in order to serve others. Look for those opportunities to serve and then do it.

Heavenly Father, you sent Jesus from the cradle to the cross in order to bring us back to you. Now, your Spirit lives in us and enlivens us to serve you by serving the least in this kingdom. Help us to do that and save us from ourselves. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Isaiah 58:8-9a “Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’”

Baby’s First Words

Isaiah 44:6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.”

What were your first words? Baby talk can be really fun to decipher. The gurgles, the mumbles, the coos all mean something to someone. Momma hears “momma” and Daddy hears “momma.” All of the language development takes place so quickly and if you happen to teach your baby sign language, it takes place even faster. Whatever your first words were back then, they meant something to someone.

At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus. God, the creator of the universe, the King of Israel, was born as a little baby. What do you think his first words were? The words recorded by the prophet Isaiah may not have been Jesus’ first words, but they sure would fit. “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.”

“I am the first…” Jesus was the first born Son of God, the only begotten Son of God. God had never come to His people in human skin. He was the first because he had been around since before people were created. He was first because he was before everyone else. Now, he was the first and he would be the last.

“I am the last…” God would never again come in this same way. He would never again show up in human skin in the form of a baby. He would finish what God had begun so long ago, the redemption of mankind. His birth, life, and death on the cross would be the final chapter in the salvation story, until He comes again in glory.

“Besides me there is no god.” All of the other “gods” of this world amount to nothing. There is no other god except the Our God, the LORD. No one else can give us what God can give us. Nothing else can offer forgiveness, life and salvation. Jesus, the baby born in Bethlehem, is the true gift of Christmas.

I’m pretty sure that the infant Jesus did not come out able to speak in clear and loud terms about who he was. His first words were probably in Aramaic, though I don’t think gurgling takes any particular language. But His Father speaks for Him, through the prophet Isaiah in no uncertain terms about who He is.

May you always know with confidence who God is, was and always will be. Jesus, the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, a baby born in Bethlehem, our Redeemer crucified and risen.

Merry Christmas.

Thank you for Christmas, Heavenly Father. Amen.

A New Nobility

Isaiah 32:8 He who is noble plans noble things and on noble things he stands.

When was the last time you used the word “noble” to describe someone or something? It’s a word that conjures up images of kings, queens and knights. Nobility along with chivalry seem to be archaic ideas. Is anyone truly noble or chivalrous any more? Lords and ladies, fair maidens and knights in shining armor… I know that we tend to romanticize the past, but romantic ideas can move us to change things for the better.

Isaiah is writing words of prophecy against all those who are not noble. He is proclaiming the wrath of God on all those who devise evil schemes, who plot and plan to exploit the poor and out cast. He also proclaims that a king is coming who will reign and rule in righteousness and justice. Justice and righteousness, these are noble things. This is the King who is coming.

Whether you read these words of Isaiah as prophecy about an earthly ruler or if you read them about Jesus, the fact is that God stands for justice and righteousness. The one who plans noble things and stands on noble things stands with God. The chivalrous knights of old stood with God. The noble ones of days past stood with God.

For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose. Philippians 2:13. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. Galatians 2:20. The truly noble live because Christ lives in them. The chivalrous work according to the plans that God has laid out for them. He who is noble plans noble things and on noble things he stands. Isaiah 32:8

May you know that the Holy Spirit lives in you. Your breast plate of righteousness comes from God Himself. He gives you the armor that any knight would be proud to wear, through His Son Jesus. In your baptism, you were knighted and given the mission to go and proclaim the Gospel of Christ to all people. So do noble things, plan noble things and stand upon the most noble thing of all, the Word of God.

Heavenly Father, enliven our hearts to plan and do noble things, all to your glory. Amen.

Father’s Love

1 John 3:1a See what kind of love the Father has given to us that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

I’m a dad. I have been for a little over 11 years now. It’s a strange thing to be a dad, a father of children. There’s a love that a father has for his children that is both protective and adventurous. It’s protective in that you will guard your children with your life. It’s adventurous in that you encourage your children to explore the world, even when it means that they might get hurt.

We are God’s children. We are God’s children because God says we are. The Father has poured out His love on us. Through Jesus, God’s son, He shows His love for all of His other children. He protects Jesus with His very presence, because He loves him. He allows Jesus to go through the pain of crucifixion because He loves us, too.

God protects you with His very life. That life was lived in Jesus. God encourages you to explore the world that He created, knowing full well that you will get hurt. But He also knows that through pain comes growth. And even when we get hurt, God is present to carry us through the pain.

God calls us His children and that is what we are.

Father in heaven, protect us and keep us in Your love, now and always. Amen.

Lions!

1 Peter 5:8- Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Lions are amazing animals. I’ve seen them in the zoo and heard them when they roar. It’s a very scary sound. The roar echoes throughout the zoo, especially in St. Louis. When those lions roar, everyone hears it. There are not many animals, to my knowledge, that would dare oppose a lion, particularly when it’s meal time. Fearsome beasts, the king of the jungle or the savannah, the lion is a force to be reckoned with.

Peter uses the image of the prowling, roaring lion to describe the devil. The devil is constantly, ferociously on the hunt for someone to devour. The image is a fearful one for humanity. Peter’s image comes with the warning to be watchful, keep a clear head, pay attention so that you can hear, see or smell the lion coming.

One thing that occurs to me, through Peter’s description is that the lion is not very stealthy. He prowls around roaring. That voice can be heard loud and clear. He’s not sneaky. Elsewhere, the devil is described as a serpent, more crafty than the others. So, it’s not that he can’t be sneaky, but Peter sees the devil as a very noticeable creature.

The devil has been a student of human behavior since the beginning of time. He knows how we act, interact, and behave. He is constantly on the move and looking for his next meal. But there is someone else who is constantly on the look out. And he is also known as a lion.

“And one of the elders said to me, ‘Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.’” Revelation 5:5. That’s Jesus, my friends. This Lion has conquered all. He has conquered the other lion. He has conquered the power of the other lion. He is Jesus.

This Lion is a force to be reckoned with, just as lions on the savannahs of Africa have no animal opponents. This Lion laid down his own life, this Lion did not roar when he was put on the cross. It was in His humility that He was most powerful. So we are watchful, but we do not weep. We are clear-headed, but our faith is secure with the Lion of Judah.

Heavenly Father, creator of all things. Help us, through your Holy Spirit, to be mindful, watchful and aware of the prowling lion, the devil. Comfort us with the roar of your Son, the Lion of Judah, Jesus, our Savior. In His name, Amen.

P.S.- This was a challenging devotion to write for a Detroit Lions fan. They don’t roar too much, neither are they conquerors nor devourers.

Food for the Body & Food for the Soul

Deuteronomy 8:3 Moses said, “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”

Lord’s Prayer- Give us this day our daily bread…

So much of Thanksgiving revolves around food. I know that we try hard to remind our kids, our friends and everyone that it’s more about being thankful for all kinds of things, not just food. But food is a big part of the day. It’s the visible, tangible, delicious part of expressing our gratitude. We over-indulge in some of the richest foods we ever eat. Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, bread, and don’t even get me started on the deserts. Food for the body.

As we gather with friends, family, neighbors and strangers around this food, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is there with us. He puts the part of the body together in such a way that no one else could. I mean really, look at those who gather at your table. What a strange group of people that God decided could fit together. Sometimes they fit together in odd ways and sometimes we struggle with how they fit, yet there they are. And there, Jesus is among them, as we gather in his name. Food for the soul.

Food for the body and the soul. It all comes from God the Father. I know it may seem simplistic to think along these lines, but it is what it is. It all comes from God. He is the creator of all things. The food that we eat comes from God. But… this all comes with some caution. Because we can forget that the food comes from God and begin to think of the food as god, or of ourselves as god because we either grow, work for or purchase the food. What God has provided, we so easily appropriate as our own. How easily does Thanksgiving become about the menu and what people will think of us, our home, our hospitality and soon, “oh, yeah, it’s about God too.”

God has a reminder to remember in Deuteronomy 8. Why did the Israelites go hungry in the wilderness? Because God wanted it that way. Why? Because they were getting too big for their britches and life became all about them. God, the creator of the universe decided to humble them and remind them of who He is. They went hungry. Now this isn’t to say that all those who go hungry are being humbled by God. Sometimes people go hungry because others don’t share. Sometimes people go hungry because they don’t want to be fed. For the Israelites, they went hungry because God wanted it that way. God was starving their bodies and souls for a reason.

Then comes the manna. Then comes the word. God wants the Israelites to know that all that they have comes from Him, but it’s not enough to simply live in the body. God provides what they need to live in body and soul. Food for the body, manna. Food for the soul, the Word of God. Food for now, manna. Food for eternity, the Word of God. You have to be hungry first to know what it means to be truly fed. He let them be hungry in the body so they could know what it meant to be fed by manna. He let them hunger in their souls so that they would know how He feeds them his life giving word.

Food for the body and for the soul. Our bodies get hungry. Our souls get hungry. In the midst of our indulgence, we are still hungry. Our plates may be overflowing, but our souls are wasting away. They waste away because of our sin, because of our lack of gratitude and it’s into that hunger that God sends His Word. His Word comes in the form of Jesus, and it’s Jesus who feeds our souls. It’s Jesus who gives us forgiveness for those sins and feeds our souls for eternity. We are not god. It’s helpful to remember that. We are children, in the wilderness, unable to fend for ourselves and we need that Word, Jesus, to sustain us.

Jesus is food for our souls. Through the Holy Spirit, he brings us together and nourishes our souls. We are fed, not only for ourselves, but also in order to feed others. God gives us abundantly more than we could ask so that we can share it with those in need. We gather our offerings today so that we can share with Lutheran World Relief. We gathered food for the Food Bank in order to share with our community. It is the working of the Holy Spirit that feeds the soul, giving us the energy necessary to care for the “least of these.”

So, go ahead, eat until your pants don’t fit. God has indeed been good to us and continues to feed us in body and soul. In humble gratitude we gather around a full table, sharing in the lives of those around. In the same manner, we share the abundant blessings of body and soul with those who are in need. For indeed, we do not live on bread alone, or turkey alone, or stuffing alone, or cranberries alone, but always and forever, we live on that which comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Amen.

Desperation

Jeremiah 37:20 “Now hear, please, O my lord the king: let my humble plea come before you and do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, lest I die there.”

Jeremiah’s prayer of desperation. He had been put in prison for prophesying against the king. While in prison, he was horribly mistreated and beaten, then neglected and forgotten. It was a place of darkness, loneliness and pain. “Don’t send me back there.”

Jonah’s prayer of desperation. “When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.” Jonah was in the belly of the fish, a place of darkness, loneliness, and death. “Save me, dear God, from this place.”

Paul’s prayer of desperation. “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Paul was in the place of darkness in his own body. He was crying out from a place of darkness and war, mind against body, soul against nature. “I want to do the right thing, but I can’t seem to do it.”

Jesus’ prayer of desperation. “ ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” On the cross, Jesus cries out into the darkness, from a place of absolute isolation, excruciating pain. “Where are you Father? Why have you left me here, all alone?”

What is your prayer of desperation? What do you cry out to God when you are in the dark places, whether physically, emotionally, psychologically? Cry out to God. He hears your prayers and knows your state. He promises to hear and answer our prayers, according to His divine will and knowledge. I can’t promise miraculous deliverance. I can promise the assured presence, forgiveness and steadfast love of God, through His son, Jesus, our Lord and through the Holy Spirit. Know that he is there with you, wherever you are. You are not alone.

God, help me!

Fixing the Floor part 3

When you know the floor is creaky and unsafe, you call in an expert to give you an estimate on what it will take to fix the floor. Back in October, we had such an expert come in. His name was Les Stroh. In two short days, he guided us through part of a process to evaluate the floor and find the weak spots. He also helped us to begin the process of restoring the floor, even building a new floor, if that's what it takes.

So together with several people who comprise the leadership of Zion Lutheran Church in Fairbanks, we worked to evaluate the floor, test the weak spots, and imagine a new floor. The new floor has the potential to look fundamentally different than the old floor. It's kind of like replacing carpet with hardwood. Though it may only seem cosmetic, foundationally, these floors are different.

The work has begun and we are beginning to address one of the weakest spots of our floor: Our Core Values. We've never really talked about them, as far as I know. What is it that we truly hold dear here at ZLC? Why do we think God has put us here? Because this spot has been weak for so long, other parts have been weakened as well. We're not sure why we're here, so we're not sure what we should be doing. Since we don't know what we should be doing, we just do stuff. Any stuff, in the hopes that something comes out of all of the doing stuff.

We're not to the doing stuff part of our floor work yet. We're still working on the foundation of the floor. We're rebuilding the joists that hold us up. It's going to take a while, but it's worth the work in the long run. Les Stroh uses the terms "Core Values and Critical Targets". We're addressing the core values. I'll let you know what we come up with and where we go from here.

Calling all carpenters!

God With Us

Jeremiah 23:23 “Am I a God at hand,” declares the LORD, “and not a God far away?”

Did you know that there are video cameras all over the place keeping watch over the citizens? I don’t say this in order to cause paranoia, but only to help us remember that because of security reasons, we are constantly being monitored. It’s really a strange feeling, knowing that we are being watched.

Some people feel that way about God. They see him as a distant, divine police officer waiting to catch us slipping up. Then, when the day of judgment comes, we’ll sit in a room and he’ll play back all of the tapes. What a sickening feeling! Can you imagine having to relive all of the highlights, lowlights and horrible-lights of your life while God sits there with crossed arms and raised eyebrows?

But that’s not who God is. He is a God-at-hand. This means that he is here and now, as well as then and later. There is no place that you can go that he is not. He’s everywhere. That could be a scary thing, but, for me, it’s extraordinarily comforting. There is no place that God is not. That means wherever I go, He is with me. He’s not with me with a divine checklist like a driver’s ed instructor. He’s with me as a guide and comforter. He is with me as a protector and provider.

He is a God-at-hand. He is a God made flesh. He is a God with us. Immanuel. Jesus. He is a God who knows our every need and has promised to provide daily bread. He is a God who in every way is as human as you and me, yet is without sin. He is a God who died on the cross to be the final sacrifice and He is a God who rose again to life everlasting.

God promises to you and me that when our sins are forgiven, he remembers them no more. He forgives and forgets. So he keeps no record of our sins. Will you sit in a room and watch your life in replay? No, because a life lived is a life lived. God does not keep your sins on tape.

Heavenly Father, what a comfort it is to know that you are at hand. You are not a God who is far away, but one who is right here with us. You showed yourself to us in your son, Jesus. Through his life, death and resurrection, you keep us close to you. In the Holy Spirit, you are nearer to us than we are to ourselves. Thank you for your forgiveness and your promises. In Jesus’ name, amen.

A Mouthful

Deuteronomy 30:14 [The Lord said] “But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.”

Don’t talk with your mouth full. Kids around the world have heard that said from the beginning of time. Some adults still need to be reminded of that life lesson. Yuck! It’s rude to talk with your mouthful or to chew with your mouth open. That’s why God gave you lips.

Have you ever had someone put words in your mouth? What an odd expression. How can anyone put words in your mouth? I can put food in my mouth. Words come out of my mouth. But words don’t go in my mouth.

Let’s put the two together. How about this: You should talk with your mouth full of words that God has put there. God has put words in your mouth and words in your heart. So with a heart and mouth full of words, go and talk.

What word has God put in your mouth and heart? Jesus, forgiveness, love, grace, mercy, peace, hope, joy, Law, Gospel, faith. Take your pick. All of these words come from God and he put them there through his Son, Jesus. He stirs them up with the Holy Spirit and fills your mouth with good things to say.

So, go ahead. Talk with your mouth full. Just make sure that what it is full of is God’s Word, God’s Son, God’s Spirit.

Heavenly Father, thank you for filling our mouths with good things to say. Our mouths don’t always say good things, but through your Spirit who fills our hearts, we can speak good things. Help us to speak words of truth, grace, mercy, love and forgiveness, through your Son Jesus. Amen.

The Sacrifice

Deuteronomy 12:27b The blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, but the flesh you may eat.

Flesh, blood, and sacrifice are not comfortable words for us in a worship setting. At least in the way that God is using them in Deuteronomy, they sound a bit visceral. Maybe they even sound offensive or gross. But in terms of the life of the early Hebrew people, these words meant what they said. When they were talking “flesh” they were talking about the meat of animals. When they were talking blood, they were talking about the blood from an animal. When they talked sacrifice, they meant killing the live animal in a ritualistic way, according to the Law of God. These are rough words, guttural words, real words.

These words are used in our liturgy for the Lord’s Supper. We talk of flesh, body, blood, bread, wine and sacrifice. But Jesus, the Word made flesh, has changed the significance of these words for us. In John 6:53 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” According to Deuteronomy 12:23, the blood is the life. Jesus says that the “flesh and blood” together are life. I guess that’s the difference between baser animals used for sacrifices, like sheep, bulls and birds and Jesus.

Here’s how Jesus changed things. The sacrifice now is not something we do. We do not bring animals to be sacrificed nor do we sacrifice Jesus. Jesus offered himself as the sacrifice, on the cross. There can be no more human sacrifices that appease God or satisfy the Law. Jesus died once, for all. Jesus said to the Pharisees in Matthew 9:13, “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’”

The blood we speak of is now not the blood of animals, but of Jesus himself. The blood was spilled on the cross, not on the table. Matthew 26:27, And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Now, the blood of Jesus, the life of Jesus, is poured into our bodies. His life is in our lives.

The flesh, the body, is now not just meat on the grill, to be burned up. Luke 22:19, And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” The flesh, now connected in bread. We do not have wine and meat in the Lord’s Supper. We have wine and bread. The bread, the body, both of which we eat, just as we drink the blood, give us life.

Come to the table. The sacrifice has already been done. The flesh and blood, bread and wine, body and blood are given and shed for you. You don’t have to give or shed your blood in order to make yourself right with God. In fact, you couldn’t give or shed enough blood. Only the blood of Jesus, only the flesh of Jesus, shed and given for you. On your behalf, in your place. Amen! Thank you, Jesus.

Laborers

Matthew 9:37-38 The [Jesus] said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Who is a laborer?

Is it you?

Is it a pastor?

Is it someone who is well-schooled?

Who is a laborer?

Is it you?

Can you pick grain?

Can you pick grapes?

Who is a laborer?

Is it you?

Is it you?

To be a laborer requires no special skill. It requires no special schooling, training or ability. Laborers are required to have only one thing: willingness. Laborers are those who are willing to work. If you aren’t willing to work, you can’t be a laborer. Some laborers do have special skills, training, ability, but it’s not a requirement. Jesus tells his disciples to pray for more people who are simply willing to work in the field, God’s field, to bring in God’s harvest.

Who is a laborer?

Is it you?

Are you willing to share?

Are you willing to listen?

Who is a laborer?

Is it you?

Are you able to show them Jesus?

Are you willing to be patient?

Who is a laborer?

Is it you?

Will you put your hand to the plow?

Will you keep your eyes upon Jesus?

To those who labor, Jesus offers rest. To those who bear the burden, Jesus offers his yoke which is light. To labor does not mean that you must travel far away, knock on doors and tackle people with the 10 Commandments. There are many different laborers, but all sharing the load, carrying the burden as a joy.

May the Lord of the harvest strengthen you with His Spirit so that your days of labor may be a joy in His sight. Amen.

Prayer

Matthew 6:7-8 Jesus said, “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Prayer is a very personal thing. For some, it comes easy, like talking to a good friend. For others, it’s awkward and feels forced. And still for others, there needs to be a formula to follow. No matter where you are at with your prayers, it is still a vital part of the life of a Christian. We need to pray.

Jesus is talking with his disciples and helping them develop good communication skills with the Father. Apparently there were many examples of prayers even then. Jesus says that the Gentiles heap up empty phrases. Perhaps he was referring to some type of incantation, repetitious but void of any meaning. Maybe it was more like a “ohm” phrase, a mantra if you will. Again, this is something that for Jesus was considered void of meaning.

Each Christian prays differently. Some like to repeat God’s name. Some like to “just” pray. Some only follow the liturgical form. The question that rises is why do you pray like you do? What do you hope will happen from your prayer?

Jesus says that your heavenly Father knows what you need even before you ask him. Just as parents know what their children need, God knows what you need. So then Jesus introduces the disciples to what we call today The Lord’s Prayer. In verses 9-13, Jesus teaches his disciples how they should pray.

Sometimes we’re able to pray without ceasing… 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Sometimes we don’t have the words…Romans 8:26

Sometimes we pray out of darkness… Jonah 2:1

Where ever you are with your prayers, just pray. And when nothing comes to mind or there’s too much on your mind, pray as our Lord Jesus taught us to pray:

Our Father who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name,

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Give us this day our daily bread

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive those who trespass against us

Lead us not into temptation

But deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom

And the power and the glory

Forever and ever. Amen.

Paradox

Philippians 2:3 Paul writes, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

What a paradox it is to be a Christian…

Servant

Leader

Sinner

Saint

Shepherd

Sheep

Living in Christ

Christ living in me

Boasting in God

Humble in Christ

Power from the Spirit

Perfected in weakness

What a paradox to live in this world…

It’s all about you

But it’s not about you

Be a servant to all

Not a doormat

Yourself

Others

Pride

Humility

Sin

Forgiveness

What a paradox to follow Jesus…

Slave to sin

Slave to Christ

Follow

Lead

Seeking

Being sought

Discovering

Being uncovered

Not doing

Already done

The life and heart of Christ in the life and heart of the Christian is a paradox. God in human flesh, forgiveness and grace wrapped in skin. Christ in you and in those upon whom your gaze falls.

Tired, Not Really!

2 Corinthians 4:8-10 Paul writes, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”

I am tired. Just when I think I have gotten some energy back, I’m tired again. I think there are more people who are tired than there are who have energy. Just look at all of the energy drinks out there. There are tons of them, from purely chemical to purely organic, from some with tropical rainforest fruits to straight corn syrup, you can find an energy drink to suit anyone. Why are there so many energy drinks? Because people are tired.

Paul’s words to the Corinthians shows me why I’m so tired. Afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, struck down, carrying death and carrying life. Just reading those words make me tired. How about you? It is the life of the sinner saint, the paradox of Christian existence that wears down the human soul and body. Luther wrote in the Large Catechism about this very thing. The human becomes a target of an enemy that never sleeps nor grows weary. Temptations pop up constantly, like little advertisements on your computer. Just when you click one away, a new one is there. What do you do when you can’t stop them from coming? You shut off the computer and retreat.

When the afflictions, perplexing things, persecution and blows come, you and I as mere human beings cannot withstand them on our own. We run to the death and resurrection of Jesus, the death and life of our Savior that we carry within us. We run to the Lord’s Prayer. That is why we are not crushed, driven to despair, forsaken, nor destroyed. Because if we, through baptism, have been tied to a death like Jesus, we will surely be raised up to new life like him. The sinner/ saint paradox is what it is.

But we still get tired. Spiritual fatigue shows itself often in physical fatigue, at least it does with me. When my spirit is flagging, my body is flagging. That’s when I go to the store and buy a concoction of chemistry and mystical rainforest fruit. I think it’s more psychological than it is real. That feeds my body and wakes it up, but it does nothing for my soul. I pray for the life of Jesus to be manifested in my body. Wow, what a prayer! My soul will grow weary, but Jesus never tires.

Would you be so bold as to pray that prayer with me? As more and more of us suffer from a tired soul, would you pray that the life of Jesus would be manifested, would show itself in your body? Let’s see what the Lord has in store with that one!

Heavenly Father, though we grow tired from the constant battle, the death and life every day, we pray that through the power of your Holy Spirit, that the life of your Son, Jesus would be made manifest in our bodies today! Amen, Amen, Amen!

Making a Statement

1 Corinthians 11:26 Paul writes: For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

What is it about you that makes a statement? For some, it’s the clothes they wear. The more expensive, the more fashionable, the flashier the clothes, the louder the statement. What do your clothes say about you? What does your car say about you? What does your house say about you? Think about the statement you make every time you walk out the door. “Well, I’m not trying to make a statement. I just wanted to go get a loaf of bread,” you might say. That may be true, but the fact is that everything about you makes a statement of some kind or another.

Statements are open to interpretation, though. They are often misinterpreted and misunderstood. Paul was writing to the Corinthian church because their practice of the Lord’s Supper was making the wrong statement. It showed him that they didn’t really get what it was all about and that they were making a mockery of the sacrament. Some where pigging out while others were going hungry. Some were getting drunk while others were left thirsty. Not only were they getting in trouble with Paul but they were thumbing their noses at God, and he wouldn’t stand for it.

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” If you’re making fun of this stuff now, what statement are you making about the sacrifice of Christ and his forgiveness. He called them to account and with brutal honesty, told them they’d better shape up.

When you come to the Lord’s table for communion, you are making a statement. Whether you think so or not, you are. When you stand at the altar, you are proclaiming the death and resurrection of Christ for the forgiveness of sins, not only in your life, but in the lives of all those around you. When you come to the table, it’s not just a you-and-Jesus thing. It’s a you-and-me-and-Jesus thing. We stand together, proclaiming our faith in Jesus and our thankfulness for all that he has done and continues to do for us. When you come with hands open, you make a statement that you stand with the church that feeds you. This is where it gets sticky. Do you believe what this church believes about what you are eating and drinking? I suppose you are free to make up in your mind what you think you believe about it all, but you’re also free to be very wrong about it and thus, run the risk of being like the Corinthians. I’ll ask once again: what statement are you making when you stand before the altar and share in the feast of the Lord’s Supper?

Through faith in Christ, the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are fed with the bread of life for the forgiveness of our sins, the strengthening of our faith, for eternal life and for salvation.

Heavenly Father, through the sacrificial death and glorious resurrection of your Son, Jesus, we are mercifully given forgiveness, life and salvation. Strengthen us by your Spirit to come to your Holy Supper in humbleness and in faith. Until we feast in the heavenly kingdom, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Scandalous!

John 6:58 Jesus said, “This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

“Did you hear what he said?” Scandalous! Top scandals always revolve around celebrities, politicians and sports stars. We eat this stuff up, too. We love a good scandal. We love to see the mighty brought low, those who think they’re untouchable exposed. Scandalous. Until the scandal is brought home, then, we don’t like it so much and wish everyone would just stay out of our business. Hmmm. Something doesn’t seem quite right. Even the simplest things can be made scandalous. Innocent pictures, benign letters written, all can be turned into something scandalous.

Jesus turns bread into something scandalous. I think he does it on purpose. I don’t think it was an accident that Jesus took something like manna and bread and made it into something shocking. The people needed to be shocked. They needed a wake up. They needed to have the ordinary turned extraordinary. “And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” Yikes! Yuck! What?! Bread becomes flesh? Scandalous. Our precious manna, first turned to Jesus and now, quite literally to his flesh, the meat of his bones.

Yet out of this scandalous talk of flesh, blood, eating and drinking come the words of eternal life, as Peter confesses later. The living Father gives life to Jesus and Jesus, through his flesh and blood sacrifice on the cross, gives life to you and me. These are incredible words of eternal life for you and me today. Despite the scandal of food, flesh and blood, Jesus promises life from them. Jesus says that the words he speaks are spirit and life. They are the air we breathe.

Jesus is still scandalous today, isn’t he? I mean, we can talk about all kinds of things that for all intents and purposes should offend us, but when it comes to talking about Jesus, it can be incredibly scandalous. People are not offended by the amount of sex, drugs, death and violence on TV, but put Jesus on there and “Oh My bleep” Who do those Christians think they are? Scandalous. Spirituality is great as long as you don’t mention Jesus. He’s scandalous, because he says he is the only way to the Father. Does any of this really make sense at all?

I want to take a quick survey, but you don’t have to raise your hand. What are the things that are scandalous to talk about in church? Money, politics, sex? What are the things that are scandalous to talk about in the “outside” world? Jesus, church, faith. Again, HUH?

Jesus is Scandalous. He takes bread, food, and makes it scandalous. He takes the common and scandalizes people with them. And Peter makes a confession that sticks with us today: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and come to know that you are the Holy One of God. The words of eternal life are scandalous. They are scandalous because they do what they say. His words spoken effect what they are speaking. When he says, “I forgive you.” You are forgiven. When he says, “This is my body,” it is what he says. It’s scandalous because words represent what they are spoken about, they don’t become the very thing. But with Jesus, they do.

Which leads me to the scandal of the Lord’s Supper. Whether Jesus was trying to clue the world in with this discussion in John is still up for debate. To me, the debate doesn’t matter much. The Lord’s Supper is a scandal in itself. Bread and wine become body and blood, solely based on Jesus’ scandalous words. It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and to drink. That’s straight out of the catechism. This body and blood, this flesh and blood, this living bread is given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins, for life and for salvation. That is scandalous.

And all y’all are wrapped up in the scandal. Simply sitting in this place puts you in the midst of one of the longest running scandals in the history of creation. It puts you in the middle of the sinner/saint scandal, of those who don’t live a life that measures up to the scandalous standards of the Father and yet the very same that Jesus died for. How scandalous is it to be a Christian? Jesus asks the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Are you scandalized by me? But you’re here, now, in this place because you are not scandalized by Jesus and his words. You are forgiven, not forsaken. Scandalous!

Fixing the Floor Part 2

The new developments in the "fixing the floor" concept...

First, I was reminded while working on our float for the Golden Days Parade here in Fairbanks about who the carpenter is... It's not me. Jesus, most people assume, grew up learning the trade of his father, Joseph. But in the spiritual sense, Jesus is the carpenter and also the cornerstone. So to think we could build or rebuild anything without Jesus would be foolish. It has to be about him or nothing else matters.

Second, when handling the wood necessary to rebuild, one tends to get splinters. Smaller pieces break off and lodge subcutaneously causing irritation. The splinter that has been stuck since just this morning reminds me that this rebuilding, fixing the floor, is larger than just one congregation. Perhaps it means planting a church or opening a satellite or just a coffee shop, not sure yet.

Third, there are many talented, gifted, Spirit-filled people that need to be involved in this project. A team needs to be brought together to share this vision and help with the building up of God's kingdom.

From fixing the floor to building another house, Jesus is the carpenter and the Holy Spirit is the foreman. More to come as time goes by...

Fixing the Floor

When we lived in Michigan, we lived just north of the city of Detroit. We read in our church bulletin one Sunday that a mother about four miles to the south of us needed a crib for her new baby. Our son had just outgrown our crib, so we decided that we could give it away. We took it apart and I drove down to 5-mile road to deliver the crib. As I approached the house, I noticed that the stairs were in need of repair and had to choose carefully how I walked up to the door. The porch was the same. As I entered the house, meeting the owner who was a wonderful woman, dedicated to her family and very loving, I noticed the floor had holes and loose boards all over the place. She directed me to follow her to where she wanted the crib. I followed her every step, knowing that if I ventured off the path, I'd be through the floor in no time. But she had learned how to walk among the loose boards and nail pops and holes in order to get from point A to point B, in her own home. She was unable to fix the floor, so she normalized the damage and navigated accordingly.

Our church has learned to navigate a broken floor. We struggle with Christians who are inactive and unresponsive to the needs of the community and even of their own house. How have they become inactive? They didn't used to be. In fact, they came to the church very excited, eager and willing to be part of the community. But once they were in the house, they discovered that no one was moving. Why aren't they moving? Because the floor is broken and if you move, you might fall through. There are some who are moving, but they are moving very carefully, deliberately and slowly. You have to be that way because the floor is not safe.

How did the house fall into disrepair? I'm not sure. I have my guesses and maybe historically, there are a lot of reasons, but honestly, that's not important. The important thing is to consider whether you want to teach people how to walk on a broken floor or do you want to fix the floor? Which is going to be more work? In the short term it might be easier to teach people where to step, but that limits movement because you can't have everyone moving at the same time. It also limits creativity and the path that is prescribed by safety is the only way to go. If you go outside that path, you run the risk of injury. This path is marked by words like: we don't do things like that here, if you want to get things done you have to do it this way, it's just not a sure thing, so we probably shouldn't do anything, someone tried to do that before and got hurt. Have you heard these things? So the short term solution is limiting, prescribed and boring.

We need to fix the floor. We need to create a place for exploration, creativity, excitement, movement. How do we go about creating or re-creating an environment where God's gifts can be given the freedom and energy they need in order to accomplish his work with joy and excitement?

Celebrity Worship

In light of the recent passings of Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson and Ed McMahon, among others, there is a great need to be reminded of the created-ness of man. We tend to worship with our gossip and our attention those who have attained some imaginary status of celebrity. Remember all of the others who have passed on, saints in the eyes of God, that no one has remembered or have been splashed across the newspapers.

Acts 10:25-26 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.”

Have you ever met anyone really famous? I mean, a super-star celebrity or great statesman, world leader? Chances are that not too many of us have met someone that holds high worldly status. But even when meeting someone of mild worldly status, we tend to behave differently. We might smile a lot, gush about how great they are and how we’re such big fans and we might even get a little nervous. But it grieves my heart when I see people overflow with emotion and worship of a person that should only be given to God.

Cornelius is a gentile who was held in high esteem even by the Jewish authorities. He was given a vision by God to call Peter and listen to what Peter had to say. But when Peter shows up, Cornelius treats him as if he were God. The scriptures use the word worship. He worshiped at Peter’s feet. A sign of respect is one thing, but out and out worship is another and Peter won’t have it. “I’m just a guy like you.” Peter wants to be sure that Cornelius and all of those in the household know that he doesn’t think more highly of himself than he ought, to quote Paul.

There is a lot to be read here. Some proverbs might come from this. Don’t get a big head. Don’t think that you’re better than anyone else. Beware of those who fall at your feet for they may be tying your shoelaces together. Peter wanted everyone to know that it was the message from Jesus that was of utmost importance, not necessarily who it was that brought it.

Our worship is reserved for the King of kings and Lord of lords, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. No one else and nothing else is deserving of our worship. In the Psalms, the writer talks about things made from stone or wood or metal that can’t hear, see or speak. We don’t worship those. We don’t worship anything that is in creation. We only worship the Creator. We don’t worship anyone who needed saving. We only worship the one who is able to save.

So for all of those celebrity worshipers, keep in mind that they are only men and women, just like you and me. They are no more deserving of our worship than you are deserving of being worshiped. And if you feel like you deserve to be worshiped, try your hand at creating life from nothing and when you can do that, we’ll talk.

Heavenly Father, thank you for creating us. We praise your wonderful name and are blessed to be part of your creation. Through your Holy Spirit, help us to be mindful of the difference between Creator and creation. Help us always to keep our worship focused on you and only you. In your Son’s name we pray. Amen.

women/mothers are more attentive to the spiritual than men/fathers.

20am June 23

That it's more often women than men who decide to involve their family in a church and/or assume the responsibiliy to follow thru with that commitment.

Why do you ask?

 Joe Baumgarten at 9:29am June 23

Curiosity. It's a quote from someone in leadership. Who is it that gave men permission to not be "spiritual?" This is an issue God's been working on in my head and heart.

 Joe Baumgarten at 9:31am June 23

or is it that men are spiritual on a different level or wavelength and we have forgotten that?

 at 9:57am June 23

I think people tend to equate spiritual with church involvement... this muddies the waters

 at 10:08am June 23

To some, the two are one in the same. No muddy water here.

 at 10:22am June 23

Joe, to answer your follow-up questions... I don't think men are considered off the hook to be spiritual beings. Maybe there is something to your speculation that men are spiritual in different ways. I just think women have taken the lead for so long that some men have just become comfortable with their secondary role.

 at 10:31am June 23

I think women/mothers feel the need to be a part of a church in order to be valitaded and try to show themselves and their children that there is a world around them that shares the faith

 Joe Baumgarten at 11:28am June 23

great discussion, keep going. I agree with Andy in that people feel by serving the church they are serving God. While for some this may be where their gifts are used, but not necessarily. I also agree that men have in many areas of the church fallen into a complacency created by women filling the vacuum left when men stepped down. That may be a chicken and the egg thing, which happened first? For Danielle or MIke, is the social network replacing the spiritual side of fellowship?

 at 12:12pm June 23

I work with Community Theater. We always have more women available for involvement than men.... is this a spiritual thing? Again, I would submit that one can easily mistake scheduling availability ... with spirituality. Also, I think it is a mistake to assume that all spiritual things are tied to the church. People always say that 20 percent of... Read More

 Joe Baumgarten at 12:44pm June 23

I'm with you. An us vs them or a he vs. she approach is asking for trouble. However, I think there is a distinct male/female design for a spiritual life. The church has since the 60's catered to a feminine spiritual approach that has discounted, discouraged and disenfranchised a majority of men from service in the church.

 Joe Baumgarten at 1:10pm June 23

maybe I read too much into the statement in the first place...

 at 1:14pm June 23

I think people can take and interpret a statement like that in a lot of different ways.... that's why I think it should generate a discussion rather than a conclusion.

 Joe Baumgarten at 1:22pm June 23

and I love the discussion.