What it means to be a child

Yesterday I spent a few minutes thinking about this coming Sunday.  In my congregation, we will be observing All Saints' Day.  It's a day that is set aside to remember those who have gone before us in the faith, and who have now received their eternal inheritance with God in Jesus.  In many ways, this is a very moving day to observe, as many churches will read out the names of those that have died to this life and to sin, and now live with God.  Those names bring back memories of dearly loved ones, of people that we knew well, and with whom we get the joy and privilege of spending eternity.

Part of my reflection for this day came from the words of 1 John 3:1-3.  In there, John refers to believers in Christ Jesus as "little children."  It's a very endearing term to use, especially with the pictures and images that come along with it.  We are the children of God.  We are the people who are loved by God.

As you think about the life of a child, we see some of those same reflections in our lives as Christians.  A child is (usually) pretty proud of his or her parents.  A child doesn't want someone talking bad about the parents.  A child is happy to see parents, and looks to the parents to care for them, to give them what they need, and to provide for their well-being.  In all of these, the reflection of God should be pretty obvious.

Being a child also means that you find a lot of joy in life.  For many children, the world is simply filled with wonders that are out there to discover.  I would even say that it's kind of sad when we lose our sense of wonder in this creation of God's.  When we cannot find joy, is it because we have become too focused on our self-importance?  Do we risk losing the joy and wonder of seeing God's handiwork if we're too focused on our own stuff and life?

Being a child means that you are dearly loved.  It means that you have "Daddy", who is there to take care of you and to stand up for you.  And here is where we see that God is the best "Daddy" imaginable.  Not only has He provided for all that we need in life, He even goes so far as to give up His best in order to make sure that we belong to Him.  That's what Jesus and the cross and the resurrection is all about.

In the end, being a child means that we are loved.  Even though that love may not be revealing its complete form among us now, it still spills over into this life.  And so, in our interactions with one another, it would be great if we could all see each other as little children, children who are dearly loved by the Father.

Called To Serve

Hey all, I know it's been a long time since I last posted anything.  Specifically, it's been since October 14, according to my blog listing.  That's way too long, and even though I have had some decent reasons, it's a reminder that blogging is a way of life and not some mere hobby.

Part of the reason I've been away is that I have been issued a call to serve another church as their pastor.  Oak Road Lutheran Church in Lilburn, Georgia, has issued that call to me.  What that means is that I currently hold two calls into the ministry.  Obviously, that is a situation that cannot last long.  So for the past couple of weeks, my wife and I have been praying and considering where God's guiding hand is leading us to minister and serve.

It's a great and rather humbling thing to realize that God may be calling me to serve in another place.  I have been at my current congregation in Logan for almost 11 1/2 years.  That's practically unheard of for a first call, it seems.  Even I have been surprised at times at how long I have been ministering here.  And yet, in so many ways, it has been relatively easy to see God's hand at work throughout.  Relationships have been built, people have come to faith, children have been baptized and instructed, and God continues to do a great many things here. 

I've been praying and deliberating about this for a couple of weeks, and plan to have a direction sometime in the next couple of weeks.  Until that time, I would appreciate all the prayers and thoughts that could be lifted up as I consider where God's guiding hand is leading. 

Peace in Christ,
Scott

October 14 Catechism Devotion

Catechism--Seventh Commandment--You shall not steal.  What does this mean?  We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbors money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income.

Matthew 5:42--Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Devotion--One thing that God desires from His Church on earth is that all the people who make up that Church would look to the good of one another.  While we are each individuals who have been saved through God's grace in Christ Jesus, God forms us all together in one body, that of Christ Jesus.  That body serves to look to the good of one another, just as God has looked to our good and has served us.

Part of that good involves looking to protect or even improve the gifts that God has given to our neighbor.  We may look at the differences that are found in how God has provided for our fellow members of the body of Christ, and at times, we may even think that God is unfair in His distribution.  Some seem to have more than others.  Some work hard only to get a little, while others may seem to coast by and receive much more than what seems fair.

And yet, God's will in this matter doesn't change, regardless of how God distributes His gifts.  We have the opportunity to look to the good of one another, and to help one another improve and protect what God has given.  

Now, if we lived in such a way that we shared all things equally, this would seem to be pretty easy to do.  We would easily see the benefit of looking to improve and protect because it would come around to assist us.  But when it doesn't seem to serve us in any particular way, we often have a difficult time justifying why we should do so.  Plus, we may not have many ideas on how exactly we would go about helping our neighbor improve and protect his gifts from God.

Might I suggest that we simply start by looking to do something that adds value to our neighbor and his things?  If he is working on a project, maybe we can assist him in its completion.  If he needs assistance in the upkeep of his place, we can offer a helping hand.  As we engage the creativity that God has put inside us, we will probably find many different ways that we can help to improve and protect our neighbor's gifts from God. 

October 13 Catechism Devotion

Catechism--Seventh Commandment--You shall not steal.  What does this mean?  We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor's money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income.

Hebrews 13:16--Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Devotion--One common refrain that is often found in the Christian church is that we are saved by God's grace, not through the things we do.  This is the truth, especially as we find it in God's Word.  We cannot do enough good to ever be right with God.  Our being made right with God falls fully upon His doing, which He has done through Jesus and the cross and the resurrection.

However, far too often, this line of thinking is taken to a false extreme.  That extreme says that, since we aren't saved by the good we do, we cannot be compelled to do good.  There is a mindset out there that almost says that it's bad to do good, since that might give a false emphasis on "earning" our way to be right with God rather than fully trusting that Jesus has done it all for us.

And yet, we find the exhortation to do good throughout the Bible.  We don't do good in order to be right with God, but we do it for the good of one another.  That's what the verse above is encouraging us to do.  Do good, because that is in line with the will of God.  God's will is not merely to save us so that we can continue to do the same things, or to live an unchanged life.  God's will is to save us so that we can be a blessing and do good for one another.

Helping our neighbor improve and protect his possessions and income is one way that we do that kind of good for one another.  This kind of doing good is fully in line with God's will.  Attempting to do good in order to win favor with God, or to consider ourselves more "right" with God, is not the kind of good that is in line with God's will.  Rather, it is the good that comes from a caring, compassionate heart for one's neighbor.

What good is there that you can do on behalf of your neighbor today?  How will you go about taking up that opportunity?  

October 12 Catechism Devotion

Catechism--Seventh Commandment: You shall not steal.  What does this mean?  We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbors money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income.

Leviticus 19:35--You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity.

Devotion-- What kind of trust do you place in someone who steals from you?  If you went to a grocery store, and the clerks were all authorized to add an extra 10% to your bill for their own pocket, what would you think of that store?  Would you continue to shop there?  Why?

Theft cannot help but to break down relationships.  The lack of trust that springs up from theft is extremely difficult to overcome.  If you disagree, then let me ask if you would allow someone who was put in jail for embezzlement to oversee your checking account.  Chances are, you would look at their history and come to the conclusion that they couldn't be counted on to be trustworthy.

Anything that leads to mistrust will inevitably break down relationships.  And theft is one sure way to create mistrust.  I think any of us would be hard-pressed to find an example where taking something from another person actually served to build up the community.  We simply have too firm a grasp on the things that God has given us to allow them to be handled by someone who may disagree with our possession of them.

The flip side of this coin is that helping our neighbor to protect and improve his things serves to build up trust.  When others see that we are genuinely concerned for their good and well-being, the foundation for trust is laid.  And as that trust grows, so also does the community.  And that shows us, in some small way, some of God's intended meaning behind this commandment.

October 11 Catechism Devotion

Catechism--Seventh Commandment--You shall not steal.  What does this mean?  We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor's money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income.

For the Bible reference, please read Acts 5:1-11.  You can probably just scroll over the reference here to read it.

Devotion--This commandment seems pretty cut and dried.  Don't take things that don't belong to you.  While we may find ways to haggle over the definition of possession, one thing that God makes clear is that some things belong to us, and most everything else belongs to others.  God distributes these according to His will, and to steal is to say that we disagree with God's will and distribution.

Yet, the meaning above also gives us something else to think about.  Part of stealing happens when we have the opportunity to help our neighbor "improve and protect" his things, and we fail to do so.  We steal from him when we idly watch someone harm his property.  We steal from him when we could help him to improve the things he has, and we instead stand idly by.

In some respects, that seems like a rather harsh assertion to make.  Who of us hasn't seen someone who could use a helping hand and chose to move on without giving any assistance?  To give a very common example, who hasn't passed by some litter on the side of the sidewalk and left it there rather than picking it up?  We didn't help our neighbor (whether it's the local municipality or our actual neighbor next door) to improve and protect.

Why would that be considered stealing in God's eyes?  Could it be that, when He has given us the gifts, abilities, and opportunity to assist, and we keep it to ourselves, that we are stealing something that God desires for the good of another?  Could it be that the good that we can do in some way belongs to our neighbor, and if we keep it to ourselves, we are stealing from him?

Truth be told, we have so many opportunities to do this each day that we can never take them all up.  This is where the forgiveness of God flows richly to us.  We recognize that we cannot perfectly do everything this commandment calls for.  So we give thanks to God that He did not withhold His hand and assistance, but gave it freely through His Son, Jesus.

A Few Random Thursday Thoughts

I realize that it's been a while since I did a blog post that was merely a blog post and not a devotion of some kind.  I should probably make much more of an effort to do these.  It's a reminder to me that blogging is not just a thing that you do from time to time, but is, in some ways, a whole lifestyle, and one that you have to dedicate yourself to, and to make time to do.

It's been remarkably busy around here lately, mostly because of a somewhat intense travel schedule that I've been keeping.  So far this fall I've had trips to the Atlanta area and to Colorado, and still have one more trip upcoming.  When I travel, I try to get everything taken care of ahead of time, so that means cramming in some extra work before I leave. Not offering that as an excuse, but saying that it has impacted my blogging life in some rather intense ways.

So what's been on my mind lately?  One thought that has been there has been along the lines of figuring out how we discern God's will in some of the particulars of life.  We know that there are some major areas of God's will that are fairly plain for us as Christians.  God has redeemed us and given us new life through the cross and resurrection of Jesus.  God provides what we need to sustain our lives each day.  The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.  All of these are, in some respect, God's will.

Most Christians don't really question those too much.  When it gets tricky, though, is when it comes to specifics and particulars in life.  For a college student, the question may be, is it God's will to study chemistry, calculus, or engineering?  For a single person, it may be, is this person the one with whom I will share my life?  For a congregation, it may be, is it God's will that we engage in a particular type of ministry, or does God have something else in mind?

In some ways, I want to say that God's will may not be fully discernible in any of these particulars simply because they don't involve something that would go against God's will.  For the student picking a major, engineering isn't "sinful" and chemistry "righteous".  God can be actively working through that student regardless of their major.  Same thing for the single person, and for the congregation.  While they live within the guidelines of God's will, they also recognize that God can work in whichever way they go.

That's one of the reliefs that we find as God's people.  God can work through our life, regardless of some of the choices of direction that we make.  Sure, some may open up more opportunities than others, but God can work in each of them.  And, even as we engage in those opportunities, we also realize that God's will continues to be done as He daily renews and re-creates us through the washing waters of baptism.

October 5 Catechism Devotion

Catechism--Fifth Commandment--You shall not murder.  What does this mean?  We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need.

Proverbs 31:8--Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.

Devotion--You may have noticed, as you have been reading the various meanings of the commandments, that there is almost always a negative part of the meaning (describing the things that we do not do) and a positive part of the meaning (describing the things that we do in keeping the commandment).  We see this in particular with the fifth commandment, as it describes our help and support of our neighbor in his need.

That's not something that we may often think about.  Of course we know that murdering is wrong in God's eyes and against the commandment.  But it's probably not often that we think of those times when we've had the opportunity to help someone by caring for their needs, and we've neglected to do so, and seen that as a breaking of the commandment.  Our tendency is to focus on the "Do Not" parts rather than the "Be Doing This" parts.

As we think about the fifth commandment, how can you work for the betterment of one of your neighbors today?  One of the things we will realize as we think about the commandments in this way is that we will never run out of ways to do this.  We have so many neighbors as we live in this world, and there are so many needs, and we are limited by our time and our resources and our abilities.  Of course, we can never take up every opportunity that presents itself, and we are thankful for God's forgiveness for that through Jesus and the cross.

At the same time, we recognize that there are those opportunities that we can do something about.  We can promote the betterment of our neighbors and their lives.  When we come across an opportunity and we have the resources, we can and should work to help them in such a need.

How can you promote the betterment of your neighbor today?  This week?  How can you show someone else that this is God's will for them in their life?

Prayer--Lord God, Your commands are not only about the things we are to avoid, but about how we take action according to Your grace.  Help us to see those opportunities in which we can serve our neighbor and demonstrate our love toward them.  May we be active in these, for the sake of our neighbor, and for the sake of Christ.  In His name we pray.  Amen.  

October 4 Catechism Devotion

Catechism--Fifth Commandment--You shall not murder.  What does this mean?  We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need.

1 John 3:15--Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

Devotion--In yesterday's devotion, I introduced the thought that anger and hatred is seen the same as murder in God's eyes.  We see that in the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew 5, and we see it again in this verse from 1 John.  In God's eyes, hatred toward another is basically murdering them in our thoughts.

I want to pull this into the realm of our relationships, rather than strictly focusing on how God sees this.  Think about this for a moment.  When you harbor hatred toward someone, how do you tend to act toward that person?  How does your hatred essentially murder that person in so many small, untold ways? 

Think about how you speak about that person.  When you hate someone, you tend to talk negatively about them.  You destroy their reputation when you speak in such a way about them, and you poison the minds of others toward that person.  In terms of reputation, you murder that person by your words.

Think about how you think about that person.  Can the person you hate ever do good in your eyes?  Don't you tend to find fault in everything that they do?  Aren't you always suspicious about what they are doing?  Don't you question their motives and motivation, and tend to assume the worst about them?  You murder that person in your mind each time you do this.

As people who are called to build up and encourage others, how can hatred ever accomplish this?  As people who have been shown God's grace, how can our hatred ever convey God's grace through our thoughts, our words, or our actions?  Simply, they cannot.

That's why John speaks so strongly about hatred.  Hatred has a tendency to negate God's grace, in the life of the person toward whom the hatred is directed, and even within our own lives.  To put it in a more simple way, it is almost impossible for hatred and grace to coexist.

How has hatred damaged relationships in your life?  What opportunities do you have to receive God's grace, which covers your hatred, and then, to let that same grace change you and your heart toward that other person?  How can you see that process begin today?

October 3 Catechism Devotion

Catechism--Fifth Commandment--You shall not murder.  What does this mean?  We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need.

Genesis 9:6--“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.

Devotion--When God created mankind, He did so in the "image of God".  In some way, a reflection of God is found within every human being.  We recognize that this image has been permanently broken and fallen in the fall into sin, and yet, we still must come to grips with the fact that God created us in a way that is patterned after God Himself.

This is why God speaks so strongly about the taking of another's life.  When this happens, we destroy one who is patterned after God Himself in some strange and mysterious fashion.  This is not merely distasteful to God, it is something that He firmly hates, and which calls for His wrath and condemnation.  And then, in such places as Matthew 5:21-26, Jesus even goes so far as to include our thoughts of anger toward others as an element of murder.

Most of us who read this blog have likely not literally taken the life from another person.  However, most of us find ourselves guilty of harboring anger toward another, which Jesus equates with murder.  And that's why this commandment speaks to all of us.  We have have found ourselves guilty of this sin, and that means we need God's grace and forgiveness greatly.

God is a God who has forgiven through Jesus and the cross.  We have our hope through that loving action for us.  That's also why we take seriously what God says about anger and murder.  We look within ourselves in an effort to remove the outward stain and actions that betray that anger and murder, and we even battle against our vengeful thoughts.  So today, as you think about anger and murder, how can you reflect upon that image of God that the person toward whom you feel anger is patterned, and how can you deal with your anger in a productive way?

Prayer--Lord God, You forbid murder, and You equate our anger at others with murder.  Forgive me for this sin in my life, and give me Your Spirit to battle against the thoughts, words, and actions of anger in my life.  May I look upon those at whom I am angered, and see one who is created and patterned after Your image, and then deal with them accordingly.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.  

October 2 Catechism Devotion

Catechism--Fourth Commandment--Honor your father and your mother.  What does this mean?  We should fear and love God so that we do not despise our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.

Romans 13:2-- Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

Devotion--As we go about living our lives, it is inevitable that we will encounter the authorities that God has established.  Throughout the Bible, we see that God has established these for the good of society and for the general welfare of us all.  Granted, not all authorities follow this God-given direction, and in such cases, we offer our prayers for changed hearts.

As people who have been forgiven by Christ Jesus, and who have been given new life through the waters of baptism, we have the opportunity to teach and instruct others about the honoring of authorities.  We can show them that it is God's will and design that we have authorities over us in life, and that we respond to them with honor, that we serve and obey then as is necessary, and that we even grow to love and cherish them.

We have the opportunity to teach others about this.  In some ways, that may mean that we each need to reflect upon our own thoughts toward those in positions of authority.  Do we have attitudes and thoughts that need to be adjusted and brought in line with God's will?  And then, how can we go about teaching others those same things as we have opportunity?  How can you show them that the authorities in their life are indeed a gift from God, and are there according to God's will and design?

I pray that you will not only take up the opportunity to reflect on your view of authorities in your life, but that you also look for opportunities to teach others about what God says pertaining to authorities.

October 1 Catechism Devotion

Catechism--Fourth Commandment--Honor your father and your mother.  What does this mean?  We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.

Titus 3:1--Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work

Devotion--When Paul was writing these words to Titus, he was probably saying something that wouldn't have been very popular to hear.  Let's face it, authorities are never really all that popular in the minds of most people.  While we recognize that they fulfill necessary functions for the protection of society,  there is usually a good dose of fear and animosity that gets directed toward them.  No one wants to be the person pulled over by the police officer, or sentenced by the judge, or who has to pay taxes to support a government that seems to do as much wrong as good. 

But in Paul and Titus' day, authorities were likely even more feared.  In many instances, they had the pretty immediate authority to put you in prison or even to have you killed, and the burden of proof was nothing like what we experience today in North America.  Indeed, Paul could be telling Titus here to teach the people not only to obey God's mandate to honor authorities, but to take such an action to help preserve their lives.

While we may not face the same dangers from the authorities, we need the reminder that they are still put in place by God.  No, they aren't perfect, but they are there for our good and well-being.  And that's why part of our life together as Christians involves our encouragement to one another to honor and obey the authorities.

In your life, what kind of opportunities do you have to encourage others to honor the authorities?  It may involve teaching your children, or questioning that coworker on why they feel the need to drive recklessly.  It may mean that you have to learn a bit about what the authorities actually do so that you grow in your appreciation for their work and service.  But what can you do this week to help others grow in honoring authorities?