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.