Abnormal

(previously published at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, West Des Moines, Iowa)

Ezekiel 36:26 “And I [the Lord] 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.”

You’ve all heard of Frankenstein, right? My favorite version of the story comes from the movie “Young Frankenstein.” Ok, so it’s not the most true to the story, but it’s funny. I always crack up when Gene Wilder asks “Igor” where he got the brain for his creation. It came from a jar that was marked “Abby Normal.” This brain caused all sorts of crazy things to happen for the monster, including singing and dancing. The brain was not normal, it was abnormal.

According to the world, you and I are “Ab Normal.” Ezekiel was proclaiming the word of God and He was saying the same thing. The world considered the Hebrews normal at this point. But it was because they had gone against everything the Lord had commanded and blended into the world around them. They worshipped the world’s idols and followed their customs and gone as far as to use the Lord’s name profanely. They were a lost cause, but normal according to the world.

So the Lord said that He wasn’t going to stand for it anymore. He wasn’t going to allow His people to become permanent fixtures of the world. He had every right to completely wipe them off the face of the planet, to scrap the project as it were. But that’s not what He does. He promises to deliver His people from their sin. Rather than let them die in it, He brings them out of it. He promises to make them “Ab Normal.” He’s going to go all Dr. Frankenstein on them and remove the old, dead organs and give them new ones. They won’t be normal any more. That stony heart, gone! In its place, a replacement heart from God Himself.

Now, it is we who are abnormal. A king born in a stable was abnormal. A man claiming to be God was abnormal. An innocent man dying for the sins of the world was abnormal. A dead man rising again and entering rooms despite locked doors was abnormal. It is because of what Jesus did that we are made abnormal. God shows us mercy when what we deserve is death. That is abnormal. None of this makes sense to a “normal” world. The children of God no longer fit in. We do not have hearts of stone, but hearts of flesh. We do not have worldly spirits, but are filled with the Holy Spirit. We are cleansed from sin and given new life.

When someone says to you, which I have heard all my life, “you’re really weird,” our response is along the lines of “thank you, but I prefer abnormal.” Being different is fantastic. Being abnormal is tremendous. And one day, when Jesus calls me home, I’ll be perfectly abnormal.

Father, forgive us for sometimes wishing we were normal. There are days when it would be easier to blend in. But you graciously rescued us from a life of normalcy. You replaced the old parts with new life. You forgave us when you could have squashed us. Thank you for you mercy and for making us abnormal. Through your Holy Spirit, may we always stick out like sore thumbs for everyone to see. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Epiphany

Matthew 2:10 When they (the Magi) saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

^{From Isaiah 60}

¹ "Arise, shine, for your light has come,

and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

² See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the LORD rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.

³ Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

¹⁹ The sun will no more be your light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the LORD will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.

²⁰ Your sun will never set again,
and your moon will wane no more;
the LORD will be your everlasting light,
and your days of sorrow will end.

God shines in the little Jesus.

God shines in the bright star.

Rejoice exceedingly

Tears of joy

Laughter spilling out of your smile

Great joy

Happiness like nothing else

God shines in the little Jesus.

God shines in the bright star.

May the bright Son of God shine on you, in you and through you and may your smile be unable to contain the joy and laughter. May it spill out into every conversation, every meeting, every hug, so that all may know who it is that shines in you. Amen.

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.