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.

More Floor Fixing!

Ministry Objectives/ Corporate Goals/ Congregational Goals

The MO’s function like an architectural model of a proposed building. With some information and the desires of the client, the architect designs the building and constructs a foam model, based on the design. You can look at the model and get a real sense of what the outcome will be. The model inspires and motivates those who have a stake in the new building. But all of the details, the wiring, the plumbing, the color of the carpet, etc…remain to be seen and are not part of the model. They are underneath the surface. The model is there for all to see and for all to be inspired by and for a clear vision of what the future will look like. MO’s are the model. As Les Stroh puts it, they are the broad-brush strokes that point the congregation in a particular direction and describe what the congregation will look like. The MO’s describe a preferred future vision.

Having said that, the struggle is that we all want to see the details now. But we must fight against the urge to put all of the “how-to’s” into the MO’s. The How comes at a different level and is functionally part of the individual action plans of the staff, not the MO’s.

• We use the gifts and talents God has given us in service to His Kingdom here and throughout the world. (Matthew 28:19-20)- Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
• We share the love of Jesus Christ within the Native communities of Alaska. (Acts 1:8)- 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."
• Multiple generations influence one another in their faith journey. (1 Timothy 5:1-2)- ¹ Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, ²older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.
• Strong bridges exist for young people at major transition points in their faith and growth. (Luke 18:15-17)- ¹⁵ Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. ¹⁶But Jesus called them to him, saying, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ¹⁷ Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."
• We are constantly driven toward Christian maturity as disciples of Jesus. (Ephesians 4:11-16)- ¹¹And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. ¹⁵Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

The mission statement: Proclaim Christ’s Gospel to all people.

The Great Commission: ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20

The Great Commandment: ⁹Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' ³¹ The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31

The over-arching vision comes from 1 Corinthians 7:17- Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.

The Silence of Jesus

Mark 15:5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.

There are times in our lives when words simply do no good. When someone close to us passes away, words usually do no good to heal the pain. When we’ve hurt someone so badly with our harsh words, more words do not make it better. When faced with horrendous arguments or hostile debates, silence is often the higher road. But in all of those situations, the struggle is to let silence be silence and not to fill it with noise just so we don’t have to face the still, small voice in our heads.

Jesus knew that words would fall on deaf ears as he stood face to face with his accusers. He knew that it was for that very purpose that he was sent to this place. It was necessary that he face this time. And arguing his case would have only made it worse, though it’s hard to see anything worse. Accusations were flying, but Jesus was silent. Fingers were pointed, but Jesus said nothing. The mob was stirred up and demanded blood, but Jesus remained passive.

On this Wednesday before Palm Sunday, we will let Jesus’ silence speak for you and me. No need for more words, except… amen.

Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done

Thy Kingdom come

“My Kingdom is not of this world.”

Thy Kingdom come

The Kingdom of heaven is like…

Thy Kingdom come

Baruch atah adonai elohenu melech ha-olam

Blessed are you, O Lord, our God, ruler of the universe

Thy kingdom come

Does he need our invitation?

Does the king of the universe need the permission of his creation to bring his kingdom?

No… certainly not

Thy kingdom come

It has, it is, it will always be

Thy kingdom come

Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is at hand, it’s near, its here

Thy Kingdom come

Our Father who art in heaven

Hallowed be thy name

Thy kingdom come

In heaven, on earth, throughout time and space

Baruch atah adonai elohenu melech ha olam, our Father

In me, Lord Jesus, in me

In me through Faith

In me through Word

In me through Body and Blood

Thy kingdom of forgiveness

Thy kingdom of life, now and forever

Thy kingdom of salvation

Thy kingdom come

Thy will be done

In thy kingdom

Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.

But I want…

I want…

I want…

Thy will be done

Thy will be done

Not the will of the one who opposes

Resist the Devil and he will flee from you

“If you are the son of God…”

“It is written…

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Thy will be done

Does he need our permission?

No, certainly not.

Is it just kind of us to put our own wills aside?

No, not kind, necessary

Thy will be done

Thy will is done in heaven

Thy will is done in the universe

Thy will is done where the Spirit moves

Thy will be done here, now, in this place, in me.

In all I say, thy will be done

In all I do, thy will be done

In all I know, thy will be done

Wherever I go, thy will be done

When I rise, thy will be done

When I fall, thy will be done

When I get back up, thy will be done

When I get knocked down, thy will be done

When you pick me up, they will be done

In those who see me, thy will be done

In those who speak with me, thy will be done

In Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth, thy will be done

In me, thy will be done.

Death Leads to Life

John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Death has come to our congregation once again. A dear man, a saint in his own right, has passed from life to death and people are sad. This is as it should be. Death is sad. Death is not an easy event to pass through for anyone. Sometimes a sense of relief accompanies death, but it’s not a time to celebrate. And it’s hard to know what to say to the family and friends. You hear all kinds of things that people say in an effort to soothe the grieving.

Jesus doesn’t offer pithy statements or sappy sentiments about being in a “better place” or looking down from “heaven.” In verse 23, Jesus simply says, “Your brother will rise again.” And then later, he offers the amazing, yet confusing statements in verse 25. The question comes to all of those who look death in the face. “Do you believe this?”

Do you believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life? For those who believe in Jesus as the Son of God, the Christ, the Savior, He is not only the way to eternal life, he is the eternal life itself. He is not the reincarnation nor the resuscitation, he is the resurrection. He is not just someone who talked about life or offered a good path to living a good life, he is the life eternal. Life only exists in Jesus forever.

Death leads to life for those who believe in Jesus. Life is lived in anticipation of the inevitable. Death will come to each one of us, eventually. But, according to Jesus, death leads to life. It doesn’t just lead to a life of a disembodied soul which now is in heaven. It doesn’t lead to being turned into an angel and watching over your relatives. Those are Greek philosophies and Hollywood special effects. No, it’s none of that with Jesus. With Jesus, death leads to real life. Eternal life. Are the dead ones form our past now living? For those who believe in Jesus, they are. They are living, right now. And we are living, on this side of death, waiting to join the eternally living.

Death is not easy. It is not supposed to be. Death is the result of the sin that has so corrupted the world and all of us with it. But that sin is taken care of by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, the one who passed through death and into life. The first one to pass through death into life. In our baptism, we are eternally connected to the one who is the life and the resurrection, the life eternal, Jesus.

We say goodbye to the ones that have passed on. It is sad. But because of Jesus, we can honestly say, “We’ll see you soon.”

Father in Heaven, watch over the living and those who are on this side of death. With hope in your son Jesus, we await the day when all of the living and the dead will be reunited in the feast that never ends. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Light and Darkness

John 8:12 And Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Here in interior Alaska, light and darkness have very tangible meaning. While the darkness creeps in beginning in June, it doesn’t really become noticeable until around September. The darkness rapidly overshadows the light and dominates the hours of the day. Awake in darkness, work in darkness, breathe a sigh of relief for a couple of short hours, then back home in darkness, asleep in darkness and the cycle begins again. Darkness has long been a metaphor for sin, chaos, all that is corrupt and broken in the world. And this metaphor is more real, for myself, living in a land that is dominated by either light or darkness.

Sin creeps in to our lives. It isn’t noticeable at first. A little bit here, a little bit there and we feel like we can deal with it. As corrupt human beings, living in a world that has been broken by sin, we become addicted to sin in all of it’s tangible grip. That darkness rapidly takes over and we find that we live most of our lives in darkness and sin. And those few short hours of light, perhaps that is on Sunday, when we spend time in God’s house, in worship.

Jesus said that He is the light of the world. In the Gospel of John, John says that the darkness can not overcome the light, understand the light or comprehend the light. The light is mysterious and wonderful, even in the midst of the darkness there is light.

The Aurora Borealis, the Northern lights, are the perfect metaphor for that mysterious light in the midst of the darkness. Here in Alaska, those lights are wondrous. In the coldest months, in the darkest months, the green, purple, red curtains of light dance across the sky. It’s as if God Himself is sending a physical, and yet very spiritual reminder of His eternal presence. Jesus uses words, “I am the light of the world.” Look to me, he says, and you will not spend your days in darkness.

Just as the darkness crept in from summer to winter, so too the light creeps in from winter to summer. Beginning in December, the light comes back. Slowly at first, but then seemingly more rapidly as the spring break up approaches. You begin to notice light as you sit at the breakfast table and that you can still see the sky after dinner. The light has returned and the joy with it.

Jesus is the light of life. Jesus is the light of joy. Jesus is the light of hope. Come June, the sun shines nearly twenty-four hours at a time. The sun warms the earth and the vegetables grow to record sizes. It is a foretaste of the eternal sunshine of the heavenly kingdom, I think. Only then, Jesus will be the sun and the Son.

For those who are struggling in the darkness, myself included, Jesus is the hope for light. Jesus is the only hope for light. Even in the midst of the physical darkness, hold on. Don’t let the darkness of night or the darkness of sin bring you to despair. Hold on. The light is coming and has now come. “The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light!” Isaiah 9:2.

Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your Son to be the light of the world, the light of life. Help us in the darkness to see the light. By the Holy Spirit, help us to share the light of life, Jesus, with those who still sit in darkness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Less is More

John 3:30 John said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Have you heard the phrase “less is more”? We use it in reference to food and spiciness and when we talk about our daughter putting on make-up. Less is more. Understated is better than flamboyant. Less activity can lead to more productivity. The less we are busy with the more we can concentrate on what we are doing. Less is more.

John the Baptist was talking with the Pharisees about Jesus. Jesus had begun to increase his ministry with gathering disciples and baptizing people. The Pharisees were challenging John and wondering what he thought about this new guy who seemed to be eclipsing his own ministry. And John’s simple response is: That’s the way it should be. John knew that his own ministry wasn’t about him. It was about Jesus. And now that Jesus was here, John needed to become the supporting role and eventually fade into the background. “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

It is the prayer of most preachers, I suspect. Jesus, this is all about you. May I fade into the background so that you are brought to the foreground. Our humanness fights against that, though because we always want the attention on us. We long for the spotlight so that people notice us and validate that we exist as humans. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be noticed and loved and appreciated. But all too quickly it becomes all about us. Everything we do, good and bad, becomes an attempt to draw attention to ourselves.

John wasn’t being self-deprecating. He wasn’t trying to get the Pharisees to feel sorry for him so that he could get into their pity spotlight. He was following the plan that God had laid out for him. “Do your thing until my Son shows up and then, let him lead the way.”

Jesus lives in each of his baptized, called children. The prayer is that Jesus would increase in our lives and that our lives would fade into the background. Paul says that Jesus lives in each of us. It is no longer I who live but Christ living in me. (Galatians 2:20) Less of me, more of Jesus.

Heavenly Father, may our lives reflect your love. Our self-centered ways sometimes distract people from seeing Jesus living in us. May we decrease so that your Son may increase in us. Amen.