A New Year

Isaiah 60:1

Arise, shine, for your light has come,

            And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.

The year 2010 (AD or CE) has come to completion. The curtain has dropped and the cast has taken the final bow. What part did you play in the theater of life this year? Were you the hero, the heroine, the antagonist, the protagonist, the victim or an extra? When reflecting upon the year many of us played many roles in the story of God. See, it’s not our story. It’s His story. This past year, we may have looked to see how God played a part in our life. I want to challenge you this year, 2011, to look at it differently. I challenge you to see what part you are playing in His story.

The Lord of heaven and earth has chosen you to be in His cast this year. He has set the stage, painted the backdrop of your life, and hung the lights. It’s His story. It’s time to hit your marks and speak your lines. Be prepared, God does a lot of improvisation with us. It’s not always mapped out and easy for us to follow. Sometimes we forget our lines or walk all over someone else’s part. But there’s no time for dress rehearsal, this is the real deal right from the start. In the midst of the life, we apologize for over playing our part or being disrespectful to the director. It’s called confession. The director responds with words of forgiveness and says the show must go on.

God’s story has been playing since the beginning of time for us and for Him, before there was even time to mark. God’s story is about love, sin, forgiveness, family, people, nations, wars, peace, life and death and life again. God has written this story through the actors themselves, in their lives and in the Scriptures. He is continually casting new players and there’s always room for more. He has roles for newborns, for rebels, for quiet and shy types, for the flamboyant, for the wise, for the simple, for the sick, for the strong, and for the dying.

It’s a new year. It’s God’s eternal story. Arise, shine, for your light, your time, your part has come. God has cast you as a player in His story. It’s your time to shine!

Heavenly Father, thank you for choosing me to play a role in your story. Fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I may play the part that you would have me play. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Rejoicing

“Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

            let the field exult, and everything in it!

Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy

            Before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

            For his steadfast love endures forever!”

                                                (1 Chronicles 16)

Can you imagine the world rejoicing?

The sound of the sea, roaring with joy

The sound of the fields, singing in love

The sound of the trees singing for joy

Can you imagine the world rejoicing?

“The pastures of the wilderness overflow,

            the hills gird themselves with joy,

the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,

            the valleys deck themselves with grain,

            they shout and sing together for joy.”

                                                (Psalm 65)

Can you imagine the world rejoicing?

The vision of the hills wrapped in joy

The picture of the meadows clothed in sheep

The valleys dressed in grain

The shouts of joy echoing through the hills and valleys

Can you imagine the world rejoicing?

“Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;

            break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,

            With the lyre and the sound of melody!

With trumpets and the sound of the horn

            Make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

            The world and those who dwell in it!

Let the rivers clap their hands;

            Let the hills sing for joy together…”

                                                (Psalm 98)

Can you imagine the world rejoicing?

The noise, the noise, the joyful noise of all the earth

The people singing, the instruments announcing joy

The sea roaring and all of the creatures in it rejoicing

The rivers clapping and the hills singing for joy together

Can you imagine the world rejoicing?

“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;

            the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;

It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing…

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return

            And come to Zion with singing;

Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;

            They shall obtain gladness and joy,

And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

                                                (Isaiah 35)

Can you imagine the world rejoicing?

The dry places, the wilderness, the desert bursting with joy

The places that were long dead rejoicing with new life

The captives, the forgotten returning home in song

The prisoners no longer shackled but showered in joy

Can you imagine the world rejoicing?

Jesus said, “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance… Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

                                                (Luke 15)

Can you imagine the heavens rejoicing?

The sound of the angels bursting for the in song over you

The joyful noise of heaven when forgiveness rains down over us

More joy than all the earth can muster, more song than the world can sing

More joy than rivers, mountains, valleys and deserts can possibly imagine

Can you imagine the heavens rejoicing over you?

                        It’s the sound of Christmas

                        It’s the sound of Easter

                        It’s the sound of eternity

Stronghold, Shelter and Shade

Isaiah 25:4 For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat…

A sailor out at sea will look for a cove or a port when a squall comes on suddenly. A hiker will seek out a cave or fallen tree when a storm hits without warning. People in the city will look for air conditioned spaces in the oppressive heat of summer. Most creatures have been designed with a safety-seeking mechanism inside so that when danger is imminent, we look for a safe place to be.

But there is something that often short circuits that mechanism. It’s called pride and will often prevent someone from seeking shelter when it’s necessary. Some do this in a real, physical sense and call it “braving the elements” or something. Others just call that foolish. More often, pride short circuits us in emotional and spiritual matters. When danger comes in a relationship, rather than seeking shelter in God, in the love of Jesus and His forgiveness, we retreat inside and look for the answers in ourselves. That’s pride. We can do it. We can brave the elements in the storms of life. We don’t need shelter, strongholds or shades. The results can be devastating to marriages, to families, to workplaces and to ourselves.

When the going gets tough, the tough run to Jesus. God is a shelter, protector, shade and stronghold, a mighty fortress. Pride keeps us from going to him for help and safety. Isaiah the prophet later says that God subdues the noise…as heat by the shade of a cloud. What relief a cloud can bring in the heat of the day! What relief the Lord our God can bring in the midst of struggle. What a friend we have in Jesus. All our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. Run to Jesus, to the Lord our God for safety, shelter and sanctuary.

Heavenly Father, the mighty fortress, to You we run in our most desperate hour. In the name of Your Son, Jesus, amen.

The Lord is Near

Psalm 34:18

The LORD is near to the broken hearted

            And saves the crushed in spirit.

Being a senior pastor is difficult. I know that it probably is no more difficult than many other jobs or callings, but it is still a difficult job. I have seen and heard more heart break, pain, struggle and sadness over the last few months than in my entire life. Marriages that are falling apart, depression and seasonal challenges, suicides and their aftermath, cancer diagnoses that were fairly unexpected, funerals, and the list goes on. This is not a list assembled so that you will have sympathy for me or feel sorry for me. It’s not about me. It’s about pain, the broken hearted, the crushed in spirit.

Can there be hope in the midst of pain? Can there be peace with heart break? Can there be joy under the tears? Can there be love with a broken heart? In the middle of these trees, the answer to these questions cannot possibly be yes. But as they say, you often can’t see the forest for the trees. Sometimes the trees are so tall and wide that you can’t see around them. But the real answer to the questions is: yes. Yes there can be hope, peace, joy and love in the middle of the mess.

The promise of God in Psalm 34 is astounding. God is near. He is near is another way of saying He is here. God is with us all in the mess. For those whose heart has been broken, God is here. For those whose spirit has been crushed, God is here. He sent His Son, Jesus, into the world of pain, struggle, broken hearts and crushed spirits. He lived, walked, hungered, hurt and died. He was no stranger to pain.

He is no stranger to your pain either. Though you may not feel it or sense it, God is near. You may not see it or hear it, but He is here with you in the middle of the heart break. His promise is His promise. I need to hear it as much as you and as much as those who can’t see the forest. The Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Lord, thank you for being there. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Random Hope Verses

These are some of the verses used in this past Sunday's sermon on Hope.

We begin the new church year

We begin the new advent season

We begin the walk toward Christmas

We begin in much the same way as we’ve begun most things

We begin in our mess, at our most desperate time

In our hour of deepest need,

In the midst of death indeed

In the minds of those who heed

Hope comes…

When all will say all hope is lost

When days are like a tempest tossed

Jesus Christ comes in as Hope

His Cross proclaims, That’s all she wrote!

There is always hope.

We can’t feel it, but we know it.

We can’t teach it, but we show it.

To strengthen those whose courage is weak

To hold up those whose vision is bleak

There is always hope.

Hope is courage in the face of fear

Hope is strength when the enemy draws near

Hope is food when hunger calls

Hope is shelter when the world falls

Hope is Jesus, the Savior of all.

Hope comes in the light

Hope comes with the light

Hope comes with the Hosanna

Hope comes with Jesus

Hope comes in Jesus!

We put on the armor of light to fight

We put on the robe of Jesus Christ

We stare in the face of darkness and sin

We know the Hope in the end will win

Words

“He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.” The chief priests, scribes and elders at the foot of the Cross Matthew 27:43

I would have this as my prayer…

            I would have this as my last words…

                        I would have this at my funeral…

Words of scoffers

Words of mockers

Words of cynicism

Words of derision

Words of sarcasm

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:20

You’re a joke

You’re no good

You’re shameful

You’re a sinner

You’re hopeless

Maybe, but I am a child, a son of God!

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1

I trust in God

            I know He desires me

                        I know He will deliver me

                                    I know I am His forever.

Amen

Forgiving Father

Jeremiah 3:22a, “Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness.”

There was some snow on the ground in November and I was helping my grampa chop wood for his stove. He sent me to fetch his hatchet to split some kindling. “It’s on top of the wood pile, behind the fence.” I ran to get it and climbed up the fence. With the hatchet in hand, I jumped down off of the fence. My glove caught and my arm slid down across the metal wire. The metal sliced the back of my wrist and I was bleeding. For some reason that I still don’t understand, I pulled my glove on over my hand and never told anyone that I had been cut.

When we get ourselves into trouble, our first inclination is to hide. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, they were ashamed of their sin and also their nakedness and they hid. Jeremiah is recording the conversation that the Lord is having with him regarding the nations of Israel and Judah. Both nations have followed other gods and have disgraced themselves. They have every inclination to hide. Figuratively speaking, they have run away and tried to hide from God. But God does not want them to hide, nor is he seeking revenge and destruction for them. He wants to forgive them and help them to heal. “Return…and I will heal your faithlessness.”

Healing comes from God. The call to Israel is a call to repentance and healing. That healing comes from forgiveness. That’s why we have confession and absolution as a part of each worship time. It’s a time of healing. We have been unfaithful to God. He calls us to return to Him. We know that we can’t heal our own unfaithful hearts, but that doesn’t stop us from trying or from trying to hide it. God knows what is on our hearts. He knows the unfaithfulness and sin that we try to hide. He knows it and still sent His son Jesus to die for it. Jesus died so that you and I don’t have to hide our sin anymore.

My arm still bears the scar of that snowy day. It’s what my Dad once referred to as a “distinguishing characteristic.” Jesus bears the scars for our sin, even still in His hands and feet. His resurrected body bears the marks of the cross. They are one of His distinguishing characteristics.

Father, forgive us for our unfaithfulness. In Jesus’ name, amen.

The Word is Near You

Romans 10:8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim)…

The Word is near you

            In your mouth

                        In your heart

The word is near you in your mouth

            In your mouth?

                        In YOUR mouth?

Yes, in your mouth, the mouth that spits, chews, the mouth that bites, consumes

                        In YOUR mouth?

The mouth that gossips, curses, swears, lies, THAT mouth?

            Yes, the word is near you, in your mouth

Ezekiel, Ezekiel, eat this scroll

                                    Eat this scroll and tell me what you taste.

Is it hate, spite, bitterness, intolerance?

            No, the word is in my mouth and it tastes sweeter than honey

The Word is Jesus, in your mouth and

            He

                        Must

                                    Be

                                                There.

He is there among the gossip, venom, spit and anger.

            It is the Word that is there to forgive, to love, to change

He is there because he has to be…

            He is there to be Confessed, Consumed and to Save

The Word is near you

            In your mouth

                        In your heart

The Word is near you in your heart.

            In your heart?

                        In YOUR heart?

You know the darkness in your heart

            You know the evil that lurks in the depths of your heart

                        You know what is in the deep places that no one knows

The word is in your heart?

            From out of the heart comes all manner of evil things

                        Lust, greed, hate, pride, darkness, bitterness, envy

The word is near you, in your heart

            He

                        Has

                                    To

                                                Be.

The Word is Jesus and he has to be in the midst of the filth

            In the midst of the darkness and the sin

If he’s not there, there’s no hope

                                                No hope

The Lord, The Word, Jesus is in your heart

            The heart that is the holder of faith

                        The faith that rescues

                                    The word that cleanses

The Word in your heart, Jesus

            Is life everlasting

The Word is near you

            Jesus is near you

                        He is in your mouth

                                    He is in your heart.

A Little Goes A Long Way

Luke17:5-6 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”

5-hour energy drink. It’s a tiny little energy drink that packs quite a wallop. A little bit goes a long way. Computers have gotten smaller and smaller, yet are faster and more powerful than they ever were. A little bit goes a long way. A lot of cars have gotten smaller too. Fuel economy and alternative energy tends to make things a bit smaller. And when it comes to gas in those cars the goal is to make a little bit go a long way.

The disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith. What did they mean by that? Well, Jesus had just laid down a pretty tall order for forgiveness. It’s not something that we are inclined to do too readily even once, but Jesus says to them that they are to forgive someone 7 times in a single day. A little bible number code here. 7 is a number of completion and so forgiveness of seven times means forgiveness for every time. Complete forgiveness every time. “We’re gonna need more faith for that, Jesus.” And Jesus response, “A little goes a long way.”

Forgiveness is not something that we, any of us, are very good at. We are more likely to either brush off what happened with a casual, “It’s ok.” Or we may hold a grudge and not forgive someone for what happened. And to hear Jesus say that we must forgive completely each and every time someone asks for it and perhaps even if they don’t ask for it is perhaps a little ludicrous. Complete forgiveness, every time, for everything? Impossible… Luke 18:27, Jesus said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” Oh, yeah. Forgot about that.

See, that’s what Jesus is saying. A little faith goes a long way. That little faith that comes to us as a gift from God. That’s all we need. Because really, it’s not our faith that matters, it’s the faith of Jesus that matters. His faith is what works inside each of us. If it were left up to me, it would all fall apart and forgiveness would never happen. It’s not me. It’s not you. It’s Jesus. And that’s all we need.

A little goes a long way. How much faith do we need? Faith like a child, faith like a mustard seed. Tiny, tiny. For those who think that you need to pray harder, believe more, have more faith… no. Tiny faith. If you have faith like a mustard seed you can do amazing things. Jesus will do amazing things through you. And the most amazing thing is not raising the dead, miraculous healings, speaking in tongues or any of the flashy stuff. The most amazing thing is simple forgiveness because a little forgiveness goes a long way. Doesn’t it? Literally speaking, a little forgiveness reaches all the way to heaven. Jesus said in John 20:23, “If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven.” That means when we forgive the sins of someone else, they actually are forgiven. How amazing is that? What more do you want?

Today, that forgiveness comes to me and you. In the Lord’s Supper today, forgiveness comes and the food we need to strengthen the little faith we have. And look, the wafer is a little bread and the cup is a little wine. A little goes a long way. Do you need to drink all of the wine or eat all of the bread? No. A little goes a long way. It’s the little energy shot that replaces the giant can of sugar water. You don’t need any more than that. Because, as my professor Dr. Nagel used to say, “God does not work in fractions.” When he says the body and blood are shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins, it’s complete, total. That little bit goes a long way.

            Ultimately, the most amazing little bit going a long way is Jesus himself. One man, one cross, three nails, one Friday afternoon, one empty tomb. One Holy Spirit. One for all mankind for all time, for all eternity. The little bit goes the longest way. Amen.

Sharing Ideas

There are a lot of ideas that run through my head on any given day or hour. Most of them get filtered out and disappear like smoke. Some of them stick around for a while and eventually find their way out the door. A few actually make it into my conversations and prayers. However, even the ideas that make the cut often get held back from being put into practice for a number of reasons.

1. They are premature. They don't get buy in from others because the "long range" of it isn't able to be described or adequately fleshed out. This isn't always a shortcoming of the idea itself. More often it's a hangup of those who hear the idea and may or may not be brave or foolish enough to make the leap.

2. They get stolen. I'm not a person who has to have credit for things, but it still frustrates me when someone grabs and idea and runs away with it. Because, ultimately when the idea fails, the person comes back to me and blames me for not following through. Not sure how that happens, but it has happened. 

3. The looming fear of failure suppresses the idea. 'nuff said.

4. The looming fear of success suppresses the idea. If the idea makes it out of the gate, the institution wants it followed, tracked, measured, analyzed, graphed and so forth. The microscope is focussed and the idea is judged successful or not. But, for me, just the fact that all of the metrics get applied to each idea is oppressive. 

So now what...

It's time for more of the ideas to be shared. It's time for the fear of success or failure, theft or misappropriation to step aside and let the ideas live. Whether they live long or short, whether they meet with overwhelming fanfare or crickets chirping is completely beside the point. Ideas need to be shared in order for any of them to do anything. Ideas won't sit still without burning a hole in your heart or head, like a hot coal on a cheap lawn chair. 

How do you share ideas?

Restoration of Respect

1 Timothy 5:1-2 Paul writes, “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.”

Let me get up on a nostalgia soapbox for just a moment. Remember TV shows like Leave It To Beaver, Andy Griffith, The Brady Bunch and even The Addams Family and the Munsters? They were shows with some amount of respect for family and the children, while still being children in their mischievous ways, respected their parents. Turn on any show on the Disney channel or other stations for that matter and you will see TV shows where the kids run the world and that all grown ups are idiots. There is no respect for family and certainly no respect for parents, if they are even around. There is a visible and tangible breakdown or distortion of all things family. I know that we cannot go backward, but a reasonable renewal of respect for family is needed. I shall now climb down from my nostalgia soapbox.

Paul is writing a letter to a young pastor, Timothy. He is giving some basic instruction about how to address the people of the congregation. It is all about respect. God had placed Timothy in this congregation and he was to treat all of the people with purity and respect. Those men older than he, he was to treat as fathers. Those men younger, he was to treat as brothers. Women older than he, he was to treat as mothers and the younger women as sisters. Respect, love, honor and purity.

How do we treat our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? Or even those outside the church? Do we treat them with respect, love, honor and purity or are we arrogant, disrespectful, antagonizing and impatient? How about in our own family? It’s difficult to hear Paul’s words and not think, “I wish it were like that.” But we long for the day when the respect for family is restored, within the church and outside the church.

Jesus was told once that his family was waiting to see him. He replied that his family consisted of those who heard his word and kept it. Family means different things to different people and in different times. But Jesus died for all people, of all times, in all situations and in all families, which includes you, me and even those who have no regard for family.

We pray that the Holy Spirit, through forgiveness and reconciliation will restore and renew the respect, honor, purity and love that are missing so often. And as those through whom the Holy Spirit works, that forgiveness and reconciliation begins with us. May it be so, Amen.

Tinnitus and the Low Hum

It was a new experience for me. I spent three days at moose hunting camp in the Anderson area of Alaska. The hunting grounds were only an hour and a half south of Fairbanks so it wasn't a long way away, but when I was out there it seemed to be a long way from anything. With a borrowed four-wheeler, borrowed .338 rifle, and a lot of time, I camped and hunted with my friends Gerry and Jonathan. The weather was warm and beautiful, though not conducive to hunting moose. They prefer cold and grey. Each morning we would set out before sunrise and find our spot by the pond. Each evening we would set out before sunset and find our spot at the pond. Then... sit and wait.

It would've been different if we could sit and wait and talk, but you have to remain as silent as possible and as still as possible. For four or five hours we would sit and try not to move. When was the last time you had to remain silent for that length of time? Because it wasn't a matter of wanting to or choosing to. If we wanted to hunt moose, we had to. It was not easy. As I sat in the utter silence of the Alaska wilderness, I realized just how noisy my head had become.

First, I noticed the high pitched ringing. A constant squeal. When I was little, our TV used to have the same high pitched ring when you turned it on. Now, my ears ring. Maybe I watched too much TV, maybe it was all of the loud concerts, countless ear infections, whatever it was. I can't get rid of the ringing.

Next, I felt a deep hum. It would start and stop rather randomly, but at first, I looked around to see where it was coming from. But I'm out in the middle of nowhere. There's nothing to hum. Just as suddenly as it started it stopped. Whew! Hummmmmmmmmmmmmm. What is it? Do you hear that? I guess it's just in my head.

High pitched squeal, low range hum...no silence for me.

I'm sure 90 percent of the noise is physiological. But, in my mind, there's something else at work. It could be one of two things or both things, I'm not sure. Either it's God trying to grab my attention and let me know that He is always there. (but why would he use such an annoying sound?) Or it's the other guy trying to not let me have a moments peace. Or maybe it's both, one high and one low in competition in my head. The sound made it difficult to contemplate life in anyway but negatively. I struggled with positive contemplation, except right at sunrise, when the frost would start to form and the tops of the mountains would turn pink and orange. And right at sunset when the sky would go from blue to pink to purple and the air would turn cold.

Either way, I think I need to go back again and sit longer and listen again to the noise. Maybe, just maybe if I listen long enough, if the silence will last long enough, the noise will go away.

Perhaps?

Faith is No Illusion

2 Corinthians 4:18 Paul writes, “…We look not to things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

I really enjoy watching a good magician. I don’t think they call themselves magicians anymore. They’re illusionists. I really enjoy watching a good illusionist. They have the ability to make you see things that aren’t there or to not see things that are there. But when an illusionist is bad, there’s nothing funnier. When an illusion is so poorly executed that it leaves no doubt that it’s all a sham, the show goes out the window and the guy is out of a job. The unseen is so much more powerful than the visible.

Paul is writing about our faith in Jesus. Faith is the belief in the unseen things of God. Faith is not an illusion but it is unseen. Many people in Paul’s day put their trust only in things that they could see, feel and explain. Idols were made by carving stone, wood or shaping metal. They were things that people could see. But stone doesn’t last forever and neither does wood or metal. The seen things are transient. They don’t last. They are a poor illusion gone bad.

“Show me, God!” Many people today look to God as an illusionist and want him to reveal his methods. Show me how it’s done and then I’ll believe. Tell me all your secrets and then, I’ll follow you. And the church, in the grand scheme of things, hasn’t always been so helpful in that. In an effort to please people, God has often been softened and the unseen things have been ignored, downplayed or forgotten. The mystery of God, of Jesus, of the Holy Spirit and the Sacraments is powerful because it is unseen.

The seen things of the church, of our own idols, will not last. They will all fade one day. Churches are buildings made of human hands. Pastors are people whose bodies will not stand the test of time. Hymnals and Bibles will dry up and turn to dust. The things of the world will do the same. Great monuments and statues will crumble. Leaders and celebrities, despite their best efforts, will not live forever. Constitutions, manifestoes, and other official documents of freedom or oppression will one day disappear. They are transient. But those things of God which are unseen are eternal.

Faith is not an illusion, it is unseen. God is not a trick, but a mystery eternal. Our faith, the faith that is a gift from Christ himself, holds to those things which are unseen. Faith, hope, love, these are things unseen. One day, the unseen things will be seen. When Jesus comes back, those things that are eternal will be visible. The communion of saints will be a feast that lasts forever. One day our eyes will see that which cannot be seen. God Himself. What a day that will be!

Heavenly Father, keep me steadfast in faith until the day when the unseen becomes seen, the invisible becomes visible and I see you face to face. In Jesus’ name, amen.

We’re Sure to Get Somewhere

Alice…went on, “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

            “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the [Cheshire] Cat.

            “I don’t much care where—,” said Alice.

            “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

            “—so long as I get somewhere,” Alice added as an explanation.

            “Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk long enough.”

                                                From Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 

                                                                              Hebrews 11:8

Where are we going as a congregation? As God’s people, where we go is in God’s hands and we trust that He will continue to lead and guide as He has throughout human history. But we are a people who like to have control and like to be in charge and like to have all of the details before even agreeing to go on the journey. God never reveals too much of His plan, much to our dismay and frustration. He simply says, “Go!”

Alice pleads with the Cheshire Cat for direction. He offers no specific details or a map. He simply says, “You’ll get somewhere so long as you keep moving.”  Just keep moving.

For Zion Lutheran Church, we will just keep going. But we are not without direction or guidance. In fact, with the Holy Spirit in charge, we are sure to get where we need to go. Through His leading, we developed our mission statement: To Proclaim Christ’s Gospel to All People. With His guidance, we developed our ministry objectives and will use those as our topographic map. We have the lay of the land. We have the landmarks in sight. We will go wherever God leads.

Some landmarks for all of us to keep an eye on… Wednesday night changes, intentional bridges between generations, more bible studies, developments in our worship activities, continuous calls to keep our eyes on Jesus and to let the cross be the focus. Where will we be a year from now? I don’t know. But we’re sure to be somewhere and we won’t be there alone. Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matthew 18:20.

From Job to Paul- A Funeral Sermon

Job- The trees are beautiful aren’t they Paul?

Paul- Yes, Job, they are very beautiful.

Job- The thing about trees is that they get cut down or blown down or struck by lightning or burned up by the fire. They’re never the same after that.

Paul- Things like that sure do change the trees. Most people would say that the trees are dead after that.

Job- But that’s not really so because trees sprout up again. Even from a stump a shoot can form and a whole new tree comes up. It takes a while, but it grows again.

Paul- They do grow again. Sometimes it takes the death of one tree to grow a whole new forest. Look at the fires in the forests. They burn up acres of land so that new trees can grow. Amazing how God works in the world, eh Job?

Job- Truly. But it’s different for us people. We die but we don’t sprout new people.

Paul- No, we don’t sprout new people. When we die, we die. It seems like a pretty permanent thing. But we often say that we fall asleep.

Job- But Paul, when we fall asleep, we wake up again. When we die, we can’t hear or see or move, so waking up is nearly impossible. I’m not sure I like saying that we fall asleep.

Paul- Take it easy my friend. There is someone to wake us up. God our Father will wake us up. With the sound like a trumpet and with his great booming voice, the same voice that spoke into creation the entire world will call your name, my name and wake us up.

Job- If He can speak and create mountains then He can sure speak and wake the dead. But what about in the mean time? Life is hard, full of tragedy and pain. And when someone close to us dies, how do we get through it?

Paul- Life is tough and death is real. There’s no way around that and to pretend as if everything is fine when it’s not, isn’t helpful. But here’s the thing, it’s what I told my friends in Thessalonica. Because we’re Christians, we look at the tragedy of life with a different set of eyes. We look at death not with despair, but with hope. But it’s not a hope in something fluffy and white clouds and harps. It’s a hope in the one and only savior, Jesus Christ.

Job- So, what you’re saying is that death sprouts hope like a stump sprouts a new tree? Death sprouts hope. When you say you hope in Jesus, tell me what that means.

Paul- My hope in Jesus is this: I was baptized in Jesus’ name. Since I was baptized in Jesus’ name, I will die like him but I will also rise like him. His death is my death. His resurrection is my resurrection. My hope is in something certain, eternal life with Christ. That’s why death sprouts hope.

Job- The trees are beautiful aren’t they, Paul?

Paul- Yes they are and a beautiful reminder of the hope we have in Jesus.

Hilda was a wife, a widow of 39 years, a mother to her children and a mother to those who needed one. She was servant in church, in Sunday School, in the community, at the Pioneer’s Home. She learned to drive at age 57 and bought her first car. She prayed continually, shared her devotional life with her children and her love for the Holy Scriptures. She was steadfast in her faith in Jesus. All of these things are important to those of us who are left here this afternoon. Hilda made a mark, left her legacy on our lives. Some of you here today can say that you know Jesus because of Hilda. She has run her race and finished well. For that we will ever be grateful to our Father in heaven who gave us time with Hilda.

But today is not a day to praise Hilda for all of her good deeds. Today is a day to look to Jesus, the giver of our faith and Hilda’s faith. Today is a day to remind ourselves that we, like Hilda, are sinful human beings in need of God’s grace and forgiveness. Today is a day where we look to the cross and remember what God the Father in His mercy has done for you, me and Hilda on that tree. That tree is the tree that sprouts hope. Jesus’ death on that tree is the spring of hope and life for all of us. The trees are beautiful aren’t they?

What a Rush!

Judges 14:6 Then the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat.

Call it adrenalin, excitement, or whatever, but you know that feeling you get when something thrilling is about to happen. I’m sure you’ve heard stories about people being able to do amazing feats of strength in emergency situations. All of these are quite a rush. Driving race cars, jumping out of airplanes, or public speaking can provide the rush of adrenalin… or the Holy Spirit.

The story is about Samson. The Sunday School lesson is that Samson was super strong because of his long hair. But his strength was not really in his hair, but in the power of the Holy Spirit in his life. But for adults, the rest of Samson’s story is not as glamorous, but more scandalous. He was not a nice guy or a Superman type. He was blood thirsty and cruel and a bit of a womanizer. We don’t teach that in Sunday School. God worked in his life for a distinct purpose and a prescribed time. He can use anyone, any time. After all, He’s God.

More than once, the Holy Spirit rushed upon Samson and he was able to do the astounding. Killing a lion with his bare hands is just one example. Jesus told his disciples in Mark 13, “And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.” Later in Acts 1, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” With the Holy Spirit comes power.

For Samson it was feats of strength. For the disciples it was power to proclaim. The Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways, ways of which we are unaware. But rest assured, the Holy Spirit is at work in you. Maybe he rushes in and provides strength when needed. Perhaps he gives you the right words to say when you need them. In baptism, the Holy Spirit gives the gift of faith in Jesus.

I don’t know if racing cars and sky diving are necessarily Holy Spirit things. But that rush, that boost, that overwhelming presence of something astounding is there. Pay attention to those times when you find yourself able to do something that would be impossible and give thanks to God for his presence. Then, give thanks to God for His presence even when you can’t feel Him.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Help me to live out my life in an expression of His presence. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Food in Your Teeth

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Have you ever had a bit of food on your face and not realized it? You walk around talking with people and they can’t stop staring at that seed of broccoli caught in the corner of your mouth or that chunk of spinach on your front tooth. How embarrassing! Then, finally, a good friend whispers in your ear that there’s food on your face. With gratitude for your friend, your excuse yourself and take care of the situation.

How many of us walk around with sin caught in our teeth and not realize it? Or perhaps we’ve justified or excused the sin and are in denial of what others can see. Maybe we say, “Well, everyone else has stuff in their teeth too so I’m just fitting in.” The problem is sin is sin and it messes us up and keeps us at a distance from God. It doesn’t matter what we think about it or how we justify it. Just like gravity is gravity, sin affects everyone.

The psalmist goes to the only one who can accurately point out, seek out and root out our core problems. God alone can search our hearts, our thoughts, our messed up ways. We can’t even do it ourselves very well. We need God’s Word to do it. It’s called the Law and hurts, embarrasses and points out the obvious and the not-so-obvious pieces of sin. So there we sit, in all our shame with the food all over our faces and stuck in our teeth. What can we do? Nothing.

But Jesus can, has whispered and will continue to whisper in your ear. “I forgive you. I will wash your face. I washed the disciples’ feet. I will wash your face and make it clean and presentable.” In baptism, Jesus washes our face and makes us clean. In the confession and forgiveness of sins from other Christians, he washes our face and makes us clean. In His Supper, through the body and blood, he washes our face and makes us presentable. Through those things, he leads us in the “way everlasting.”

Heavenly Father, thank you for knowing all things and knowing what’s in our hearts. Thank you for knowing what’s there, even when we don’t want to see it. Above all, thank you for your Son, who came down to walk among all of us with food on our teeth and on our chins. Thank you for washing us clean and making us presentable before you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

For Such A Time As This

What an amazing weekend! Very busy but satisfying. Three baptisms, an ordination, a retirement and an installation, all in one day. WOW!
And now the dust settles...
     I find myself in the seat of the Senior Pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Fairbanks, Alaska. Are you kidding me? Just three years ago, I arrived from St. Louis, Missouri fresh from the Seminary and God put me on the anvil of pastoral ministry. For three years, He pounded on me with His hammer and stuck me in the forge, then into a bucket of water. This horseshoe is not finished. There is more pounding to be done. Some of it I'm looking forward to but some of it, I'm not. No one likes to be pounded on by the smithy. But that's the only way to be shaped and formed.
     How will I lead? Not sure to be honest. I pray that the grace of God and the spirit of Jesus are the leads and I'm here to be used by Him. Jesus gave his disciples a hard time for their aspirations to leadership and prominent seats in his kingdom. See, we don't volunteer for this. Jesus calls us and by His Spirit, he enlightens and sanctifies us for service. I can only lead so long as Jesus leads. I can only do what He calls me to do.
     Now, the truth is that I will make mistakes. Probably a lot of them. Most of the time I will make mistakes because I'm trying to do things my own way and thinking I know best. Some of the time, I will make mistakes because I listened to what others had to say and followed their advice. The amazing thing is that even though I am sure to make mistakes and messes, Jesus still says, "Follow me and I will make you a fisher of men."
     God never reveals too much too soon. He only shows me a little at a time because it's all I can handle. So, don't ask me where I'll be in 5 years or 10 years or where the church will be or what we'll be doing. I don't know. God knows, but he's not tellin'. We'll find out together.
     As Senior Pastor, this is my prayer right now, today: Father in Heaven, I'm glad you know what you're doing. Because I'm really not too sure. There's a lot in front of me and around me. I can't do it all. You have graciously surrounded me with gifted people. Encourage them, by Your Spirit, to use their gifts in whatever way you would have them. May we support and learn from one another in the bonds of fellowship. May the grace of your Son Jesus and your mercy pour out over the work of your hand in this place. Help us to come to you not just when we need it, but before we need it. In Jesus' name amen.

Sheep and Shepherds

John 10:11 Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me...”

How many shepherds do you know? I know a few people who raise sheep for 4-H, but I’m not so sure they’re what you would call shepherds. But just the same, these folks know their sheep. They know each of their sheep by name and by sight. I guess you get to know sheep pretty well when you raise them from lambs on up.

Jesus knows me. I don’t know where I heard it first, but someone reversed the lyrics on an old Sunday School favorite. “Jesus knows me, this I love.” Jesus can pick you out from a crowd. He knows everything about you, better than you know yourself. That’s hard to believe, but it’s true. He knows the good things and the bad things. He knows the light places and the dark places. Just as the friends who raise sheep know all of the faults and all of the benefits of their sheep, Jesus knows you inside and out.

That can be a bit intimidating and perhaps embarrassing. I don’t know what goes on in a sheep’s mind when they are being “inspected.” (Probably not much) But I know what goes on in my mind when my heart is being inspected by Jesus. When I come to confession and think over the dark spots of my heart, I am embarrassed and ashamed that they are still there. But John says that in Jesus is life and that life is the light of men. So the light has to come and shine in the dark places of our lives so that we can truly live. The sheep need to be looked over from head to tail and the faults revealed so that they can be repaired and the sheep can win the blue ribbon.

Jesus knows his sheep and his sheep know him. He knows everything about them and still loves them. He knows all of the dark places of our hearts and still, the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. He laid down his life for you and for me on the cross. And he has some of us shepherds under him to care for his sheep. Pray for your pastors that they may speak with the voice of Jesus and not lead the people astray.

Heavenly Father, you know more about me than I know about myself. Thank you for bringing me into your pasture and continuing to care for me through your shepherds here and now. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Pentecost!

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:11b “we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

How many languages can you speak? Most people in America can only speak one language, English. Some may be able to manage 2 or 3, but beyond that there aren’t many people that can speak multiple languages. I’ve always envied people who were multilingual. For a while, I was able to manage German pretty well. Then, I switched to biblical Greek and Hebrew. Now, well, I’m pretty competent with English.

            There is something about communicating in foreign languages that is intriguing and perhaps a bit romantic, regardless of which foreign language. But here in this amazing event of Pentecost, the languages are anything but romantic. In fact, they are nothings short of astounding. The background- It’s 50 days after Passover, thus Pentecost. It’s a festival for the Jewish nation. For the followers of the Way, they are not called Christians yet, it is a strange, foot in both worlds, feeling. They are Jewish by birth but followers of Jesus by rebirth. They’ve come to celebrate the feast of Pentecost and then, the Holy Spirit literally rocks their world.

            It’s also interesting to note that not too long ago, they were hiding behind closed doors because they were afraid of the Jews. Now, they were standing in the open in Jerusalem. Amazing what God can do. The Holy Spirit comes in with the sound of a rushing wind and he takes up residence on the heads of the disciples in the form of something like a tongue of flame. It’s the best you can do when describing the Holy Spirit. Sounds like::: Looks like::: Not sure, but what you can describe is what he does! Because what happens next is nothing short of amazing.

            The Holy Spirit fills them up and they begin to speak, to proclaim the Gospel, to talk about God and Jesus. But they do it in languages that they themselves didn’t know they could speak. All manner of languages from all manner of places. From the far west of Egypt to the islands of the Mediterranean to the far east and north, people had come from all over and were now hearing of Jesus in their own words. Some thought the men were drunk, some wanted to know more, but everyone was amazed. The Holy Spirit would not be held back, he would not let the men and their own apprehensions get in the way. The story of Jesus needed to be told to all the world, right there, right now and it was indeed.

            The story of Jesus still needs to be told. All the time. Let me put it this way: We still need to tell the story of Jesus! Oh Pastor Joe, you still need to tell the story of Jesus, that’s why you’re here. You’re right. I do. But I’m not the only one here who can or does tell the story of Jesus. To be honest, none of us is really worthy to tell the story of Jesus. And the devil wants to remind you of that. You’re a sinful, miserable mess. How in the world can you presume to tell people about Jesus when your life isn’t perfect? The devil wants the story of Jesus to remain quiet, or silent. But the story of Jesus isn’t about you and me. It’s about Him. It’s about what he’s done for you and me, the miserable messes that we are. He has forgiven us, remember we talked about that last week. He has saved us from ourselves and he sends His Holy Spirit to be our counselor and guide and comfort.

            It’s the same Holy Spirit that he sent to the disciples. That same loud, wind rushing, flaming head spirit comes to me and you. Don’t look now, but your head’s on fire. You’ve been given the gift of the Holy Spirit to speak the words of the Gospel. Me, the sinful, cracked pot that I am, has been forgiven and blessed by the Holy Spirit to share the Gospel. And I get to do it in all sorts of languages. No, I’m not about to start speaking in tongues, though that might be kind of interesting. I speak in many different languages in other ways.

            Can you share the love of Jesus and the Gospel with infants and toddlers and wobblers and preschoolers? Then you can speak their language.

            Can you share the love of Jesus and the Gospel with kids in elementary school or middle school or high school or college? Then you can speak that language.

            Can you share the love of Jesus and the Gospel with adults, both young and not so young? Then you can speak that language.

            What languages can you speak? Can you speak the language of an engineer or scientist, a teacher or a doctor? Can you speak the language of a missionary, in the villages or around the world?

            Speaking in tongues is not always about foreign languages, though the language of a 2 year old could certainly be described that way. It is the power of the Holy Spirit to share the Gospel, words of forgiveness, words of law and gospel, words of hope, the words of Jesus with many different people.

            So how many languages can you speak? My guess is more than you realize. May the Holy Spirit open your lips so that your mouth can declare the praise of God. Amen!

            

Forgiveness and Love

Luke 7:48 And he [Jesus] said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Could it be put more simply? Could the message of Jesus be put in clearer terms? I don’t think so. Forgiveness is hard to come by in most relationships and to really grasp what happens in forgiveness is impossible for us. But forgiveness is what Christians are all about. And for Jesus, forgiveness is directly connected to love.

In this part of Luke’s gospel, Jesus is eating at the home of a Pharisee. And a “sinner” comes into the house (as if those already present weren’t sinners). She begins to wipe Jesus’ feet with her tears and her hair and anoint his feet with expensive ointment. The Pharisees scoff at her and, by association, Jesus. Jesus proceeds to tell them a parable that is a scathing critique of their “holier than thou” life and their belief that they somehow don’t qualify as sinners.

He forgives her sins. The sinner is forgiven, right in the face of those who feel that they don’t need forgiveness. She is forgiven because Jesus forgives her. “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven- for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” How many are your sins? Those who are forgiven a lot love a lot because they realize how undeserving the forgiveness is and live that out. Those who live in their denial of sin can’t possibly grasp the ideas of love and forgiveness.

Jesus forgives you. It is one of the most humbling and joyful parts of being a pastor. I get to speak those words to a lot of people all at once. The words don’t come from me. It’s not only a human level of forgiveness but a holy level of forgiveness. But I’m not the only one who can speak those words. Each one of us Christians gets to speak those words. The astounding thing is that when any one of God’s children says, “Your sins are forgiven,” Jesus tells us that indeed those sins are truly forgiven.

Whatever sins you may be carrying around, Jesus can and does forgive them. Listen for those words when you are in church or go to whomever you have wronged and ask them for forgiveness or go see your pastor and talk to him about private confession and absolution. Forgiveness is what we’re all about and where there is forgiveness there is love. Where there is love, there is forgiveness.

Heavenly Father, forgive me, for the sake of your Son, Jesus. Forgive me for all of the sins that I have committed. Breathe new life into me through your Holy Spirit. Thank you for your mercy and grace and forgiveness and love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

A Strange Sound, A Strange Power

Luke 5:5-6 And Simon answered [Jesus], “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets. And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.

I’ve noticed a strange power that some people have. My dad has it. I have it and others have it. It showed up when I was first learning to drive. I would get in the car and drive to the store. While I was driving I would hear a strange sound in the car. When I got home, I would tell my dad about the strange sound. He would then get in the car and drive it and the car would not make the strange sound. The next time I drove the car, the sound was gone. It’s a strange power that some people have. Just when you think everything is going wrong, they show up and everything is fine or better. Is there someone in your life that possesses that strange power?

The fishermen had worked all night long and come up empty. Eight or more hours of back breaking labor and you have nothing to show for it. That stinks! The sea is empty. All the fish are gone. There’s something wrong with the nets. Then, Jesus shows up. “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But there’s no fish, the fishermen think. This guy is crazy, they might laugh. If you say so, we’ll try it. Then, the miraculous catch of fish astounds everyone.

It’s not hard to know what Jesus’ strange power is. He’s God. He shows up in the lives of the fishermen when they had nothing to show for their work. They couldn’t boast in their boat load of fish. In fact, others may have laughed at them for coming home empty handed. But not Jesus. In his strange, powerful way he shows up.

He shows up in our lives to forgive us and make the strange sounds stop. Now, it’s not always a lightning bolt or something, but he shows up. He shows up and makes the sounds stop in Holy Communion In bread and wine he’s there to quiet the noise. In prayer, we get the chance to tell him about the noise we’re hearing and he shows up to say, “What noise? Don’t be afraid, I’m with you wherever you go.”

My dad’s power may not be the same as Jesus because my dad is not Jesus. But you get the idea. Thank God for people who show up and stop the noise and thank God for Jesus who shows up and reveals to us that there’s more to life than the noise.

Heavenly Father, thank you for taking care of the strange sounds in our lives those sounds of sin that hiss and clang. Through your son, Jesus, you show up and reassure us that you are here with us, in the midst of the noise, to quiet the noise. Amen.

Heart, Life, Community, World- breaking it down

Each of these topics would be discussed and taught from Scripture and the Confessions of the Lutheran Church

Session #1-
Creation and the Fall and our present human sinfulness
God's promises to His people
The Message and Cross of Christ
Worship and the Means of Grace

Session #2-
Spiritual Gifts
God's purpose for you and all Christians

Session #3-
Christian Stewardship- What has God given you and what are you going to do with it? This involves all of the gifts God has given us, not just time, talent and treasure.

Session #4-
Christian Discipleship- Living by the Law/Gospel paradox, following Jesus and carrying your own cross, spiritual disciplines and real life.

Session #5-
The Church and the body of Christ- Your place in His family, at this congregation in particular, who are you here for?

Session #6-
Small groups and life together- growing in community, who is here for you?

Session #7-
The Church on earth- serving one another in Fairbanks and throughout Alaska, mission groups, VBS, etc...

Session #8-
The Church serving the world- connections with LCMS missions agencies, national missions and world missions and the Great Commission.

Thoughts, questions, comments, brushes with greatness, humorous anecdotes that you care to share?

.

Heart, Life, Community, World

In June of this year, the senior pastor of our congregation is going to retire from parish ministry after serving for forty years; fifteen of them were here in Fairbanks, Alaska. A lot of people talk about me filling his shoes when I become senior pastor. I always laugh and say that he’s taking his shoes with him when he moves and that I have my own shoes to fill.

But, all joking aside, one of the shoes that will need to be filled is the development, preparation and facilitation of a new member’s course. I started a while ago working on what I thought were the main ideas that needed to be discussed for those who were interested in membership at our congregation. Here’s my list. I’ve tried to break it down into sections that make it easier to follow. Almost two years ago, God inspired me one way or another to write down these four words: Heart, Life, Community, World. This, as I know see it, is a progression of the Christian life.

#1- God begins with the Heart.

            From Ezekiel 36:26- (The LORD said) And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

#2- In Christ, we all have new Life.

            From Romans 6:4- (Paul writes) We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

#3- By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are connected to the Community of faith.

            From Acts 2:46-47- And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

#4- Christians live by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to proclaim the Gospel to all the world.

            From Revelation 21:1- (John writes) Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

Each of these topics would be divided up into two week sessions. There’s a lot to talk about in each of these pieces.

I’d be interested to hear what topics you would put under these headings, how you might divide it up and what you think is most important for someone who is new to the church to know. I plan to put my topics under each heading on another posting soon.

Post-Game Show

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

I like to watch sports on TV. I’m sure I’m not alone in this. But I almost always turn off the TV or change the channel when the game is over. I don’t stick around to watch the post game wrap up. Even after the Super Bowl, my attention is diverted elsewhere. What is it about the post-game that is so uninteresting? Well, for starters, I just watched the game. Do I need to hear again about the game I just watched? Second, the commentary is often mundane and repetitious. There just isn’t much to say that could match the excitement of the game we just saw. Nope, I don’t stick around for the post-game.

In case you missed it, we just celebrated Easter. In fact, we’re only a few days post-Easter. What a day, what a week that was! Palm Sunday, the triumphant yet paradoxical entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Maundy Thursday and the drama of the Last Supper, the arrest and kangaroo court. Good Friday, the shouting, spitting and horrible torture of the Son of God. His death and burial followed. Then, the big show, the game of all history, the glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday. What a day! The excitement, the pageantry, the light and life of Jesus. Does it get any better than this?

But now what? Post-game wrap up? Recap the events? Are we gonna stick around or change the channel? Some of the disciples decided that they were going to hit the road, maybe to beat the traffic. They started walking along the road to Emmaus. (Luke 24:13-35) With downcast eyes and heavy hearts, they commiserate as they walk. Then, the star quarterback, Jesus, shows up and walks along with them. But he’s out of uniform so they don’t recognize him. They recount the game to him, how they’d hope they would win, but it looks like they lost. Jesus, knowing that they weren’t planning on sticking around, begins to recount the whole game to them. The big picture, the whole tournament, not just one game. In the immortal words of any infomercial “But wait, there’s more!”

Easter day may be over. But don’t change the channel yet. We’re reminded in Hebrews that we should not neglect gathering together and we should gather together all the more, as the last days approach. In other words, “But wait, there’s more!” Stick around for the post game wrap up. Go back or come back to church next week. There’s more to this tournament called the Christian life than a one game event. And talk with any person, particularly one who is a professional at a sport and they’ll tell you that it takes practice, repetition, dedication and hard work to play the game. And in this game, you’re not just a fan, you’re a first-stringer.

Heavenly Father, stir up in our hearts the Holy Spirit so that we, with faith and endurance, will stick around for the post-game and the next round of the tournament. Thank you for the gift of faith and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

Darkest Before Dawn

Luke 23:44-45a It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed.

There are many ways to say it. It’s always darkest just before the dawn. Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes with the morning. I’ve written about darkness before. I’ve written about light before. But I can’t say that I’ve written about the light of the sun failing. The sun’s light failed for three hours while Jesus hung on the cross. He hung on the cross in darkness.

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Without fail, this is the pattern that God has set for the movements of the planets, moons and stars. As Jesus hung on the cross, it was supposed to be light. The sun was scheduled to shine. But this time, the sun failed. The light didn’t shine. Did God put his hand in front of the bulb? Did he cover it with a cloth? Or did he simply flip the switch? It was dark when it should have been light.

Now, I suppose I could use this as a great analogy and say, “When have you felt like the sun’s light failed in your life?” But I think that would be doing a great injustice to what took place that Friday. Because in one way, what happened that day is not about you and me. It was about Jesus and what he meant to the Father and to the world that He created. This death on the rugged cross of Calvary meant so much to the universe that the sun couldn’t bring itself to shine. It has not happened since. Since that day, the sun has made its appointed rounds without fail.

In another way, what happened that day is completely about you and me and every person that has ever walked the face of the earth or will ever walk the face of the earth. In that darkness was the oppression of sin. In that darkness was the sin of the world, you and me included. Jesus alone bore the weight of that sin on the cross. In that darkness he hung and the sun failed to shine.

That’s Good Friday. No joy yet. Only darkness. The light of the world, the light of life, the light of men, both the sun and the Son were shrouded in darkness. For now, we wait. “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10. Indeed, in three days, He will be exalted!

Heavenly Father, in darkness the sins of the world of all time and history, were laid on your son. The oppression was so great, the sadness so profound that the very sun failed to shine. Be present in our darkness, according to your word and promise. We wait with repentant joy, in hope for the not yet to be now. In Jesus’ name, amen.