Once again this week, based on Galatians 6:1-10, 14-18.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
I've Been Found, But Now What?
In yesterday's blog, I talked a little bit about being "found", and how, sometimes, we who have been born and raised as Christians often have a difficult time relating to those who have not had the same upbringing and background. Yes, there is much more to dive into in that, but today, I want to revisit Luke 15 and those stories of Jesus for a moment.
In the first story that Jesus tells in Luke 15, we have a sheep that has gotten lost, and the shepherd goes out to find the poor lost lamb. He picks it up on his shoulders and carries it to safety. A sheep isn't an inanimate object, but it also is not one of the more rational animals in the world either. We aren't told the details of how the sheep got lost, but it has no capacity to get back on its own, and once it is found, being "found" may not truly have that deep of an impact on it.
The second story features a lost coin. Now we are dealing with an inanimate object that has neither thoughts nor feelings. It's found, and truly, for the coin, it probably doesn't make a difference whether it is lost or found.
The third story then features a son (actually two) that is lost. However, this son comes to his senses and desires to return to his father. He makes the move to return, though his father truly welcomes him back and restores him to the family and community. The son is a living, breathing human being, capable of rational thought, and realizing what he has done and what he desires.
Now, we realize that the rescue that God has done for us in Jesus is fully on Jesus' shoulders. We cannot redeem ourselves, and quite often, like the coin or the sheep, don't even really have a conscious mindset to think about it. That's why we tend to relate so well to the son who returns. But perhaps you notice that the story is incomplete in a number of ways. First, we aren't told how the older brother reacts (which is the point Jesus seems to be making to the Pharisees, to see how they react to others being received back into the kingdom, a whole different point). But we also are not told how the younger son acts and changes upon being restored to the family. Is he happy to be back? Does he want to have the comforts of home? Does he miss the adventures of being out on his own again? We simply are not told those things.
We have been found, which is actually the point of the three stories. But now what? Are we like the sheep, that probably doesn't have a real sense of what we have been rescued from, and therefore, do not truly understand what has happened? Well, perhaps a bit. Are we like the coin, with no conscious thought about it whatsoever? Probably not. Are we like the son, who realizes what it means to be a part of the family, and who (hopefully) grows in appreciation for what had been lost in his life? Well, we would sure hope so.
As Lutherans, we tend to focus more on the restoration than on what happens after that. And yet, we simply cannot overlook the fact that being found should have an impact on us. The son should be comforted and more appreciative of his family now that he has been found. Hopefully he has grown in understanding what a gift he has been given, and he grows more responsible in his role in the family. It's not a guarantee, by any means. But it would seem wrong if nothing changed for him.
How has being found impacted you in your life and your faith life? It's a question well worth considering, and perhaps even taking action on as you consider it.
In the first story that Jesus tells in Luke 15, we have a sheep that has gotten lost, and the shepherd goes out to find the poor lost lamb. He picks it up on his shoulders and carries it to safety. A sheep isn't an inanimate object, but it also is not one of the more rational animals in the world either. We aren't told the details of how the sheep got lost, but it has no capacity to get back on its own, and once it is found, being "found" may not truly have that deep of an impact on it.
The second story features a lost coin. Now we are dealing with an inanimate object that has neither thoughts nor feelings. It's found, and truly, for the coin, it probably doesn't make a difference whether it is lost or found.
The third story then features a son (actually two) that is lost. However, this son comes to his senses and desires to return to his father. He makes the move to return, though his father truly welcomes him back and restores him to the family and community. The son is a living, breathing human being, capable of rational thought, and realizing what he has done and what he desires.
Now, we realize that the rescue that God has done for us in Jesus is fully on Jesus' shoulders. We cannot redeem ourselves, and quite often, like the coin or the sheep, don't even really have a conscious mindset to think about it. That's why we tend to relate so well to the son who returns. But perhaps you notice that the story is incomplete in a number of ways. First, we aren't told how the older brother reacts (which is the point Jesus seems to be making to the Pharisees, to see how they react to others being received back into the kingdom, a whole different point). But we also are not told how the younger son acts and changes upon being restored to the family. Is he happy to be back? Does he want to have the comforts of home? Does he miss the adventures of being out on his own again? We simply are not told those things.
We have been found, which is actually the point of the three stories. But now what? Are we like the sheep, that probably doesn't have a real sense of what we have been rescued from, and therefore, do not truly understand what has happened? Well, perhaps a bit. Are we like the coin, with no conscious thought about it whatsoever? Probably not. Are we like the son, who realizes what it means to be a part of the family, and who (hopefully) grows in appreciation for what had been lost in his life? Well, we would sure hope so.
As Lutherans, we tend to focus more on the restoration than on what happens after that. And yet, we simply cannot overlook the fact that being found should have an impact on us. The son should be comforted and more appreciative of his family now that he has been found. Hopefully he has grown in understanding what a gift he has been given, and he grows more responsible in his role in the family. It's not a guarantee, by any means. But it would seem wrong if nothing changed for him.
How has being found impacted you in your life and your faith life? It's a question well worth considering, and perhaps even taking action on as you consider it.
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Lost and Found
If you don't know that you are lost, can you really be found?
Okay, it's a hypothetical question, one that probably can't fairly be answered. In Luke 15, Jesus tells three stories about lost things. One is a lost sheep that the shepherd goes to find, leaving the 99 safe and secure in the pen. The next is a lost coin, one out of 10 that a woman has, and she sweeps her whole house to find that lost coin, presumably keeping the other 9 in a safe place. Then, Jesus follows up with the longest story, that which is commonly known as the prodigal son. A son asks for his inheritance, leaves home, squanders what he was given, comes home, and dad throws a party, to which the older son seems to refuse to be part of.
Naturally, in these stories, we have a tendency to focus on the lost object, and to identify ourselves with that lost object. And yet, for people like myself, who were washed in baptism at a very young age and who know no other life than that of being part of God's Church, the question above may speak very appropriately to us: if you don't know that you are lost, can you really be found?
Right away, the first answer has to be, yes, you really can be found. After all, it is God who rescues us in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection for us, and in God's gifts of grace given to us. In a sense, that's where the stories I mentioned above come in. The primary person in each of the stories is not the lost object, nor the ones who were safely kept, but the one who did the searching. It's the shepherd going out to find the lost sheep. It's the woman looking for her lost coin. It's the father who joyfully receives his son into the family of his origin. The point of the stories is not the lost one, it's the one who finds and receives and celebrates.
Yet, we can lose that sense of being a lost one. Many, like me, have been "found" for so long that we don't truly comprehend the depth of what it means to be lost. We have lived our lives knowing that God loves us, that Jesus saved us, that God wants to do good for us. It seems shocking to suggest otherwise.
But perhaps that is where most of the people that we encounter daily actually are. Perhaps they wonder if God is even there, much less if God wants to do good things to them. They see the hardships of life, and think that God, if He exists, must have it in for them. They may know the name Jesus, but overall, society points to Jesus more as a good teacher and moral man than Savior, and so they don't know that they have been rescued from the futility that they experience in life. They see God as waiting with thunderbolts in hand, and if they walk through the door of that church, won't He throw it at them, since only "good" people go there?
In some ways, it's hard for someone like me to relate to someone who truly feels lost and separated from God. But that's not even the point. The point is, I also am lost, no matter how much I may not experience it. My sin, which may not be as bad as theirs from a worldly standpoint, is just as deadly in God's eyes as theirs. I am truly lost and fear standing before a wrathful God, even if my worst sin is a simple white lie to my wife, or that paper clip I stole from work.
Do you know what a good cure is when we find ourselves not able to relate to those who truly seem to be experiencing that lost sense? It's to go out there where they are, to see their life without passing judgment on it, to get to know them and care for them, and see where their struggles are. Not doing it as an outreach, but doing it out of Christian love. Our hope is that God's Spirit works both in us and in them, growing us in our care and concern for them, and drawing them to their Savior through our interactions with them.
Perhaps that's the answer to the question. If those who are found don't sense their lostness, perhaps going out and experiencing life with those who are lost will help deepen our faith and appreciation for the lengths our God goes to on our behalf.
Okay, it's a hypothetical question, one that probably can't fairly be answered. In Luke 15, Jesus tells three stories about lost things. One is a lost sheep that the shepherd goes to find, leaving the 99 safe and secure in the pen. The next is a lost coin, one out of 10 that a woman has, and she sweeps her whole house to find that lost coin, presumably keeping the other 9 in a safe place. Then, Jesus follows up with the longest story, that which is commonly known as the prodigal son. A son asks for his inheritance, leaves home, squanders what he was given, comes home, and dad throws a party, to which the older son seems to refuse to be part of.
Naturally, in these stories, we have a tendency to focus on the lost object, and to identify ourselves with that lost object. And yet, for people like myself, who were washed in baptism at a very young age and who know no other life than that of being part of God's Church, the question above may speak very appropriately to us: if you don't know that you are lost, can you really be found?
Right away, the first answer has to be, yes, you really can be found. After all, it is God who rescues us in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection for us, and in God's gifts of grace given to us. In a sense, that's where the stories I mentioned above come in. The primary person in each of the stories is not the lost object, nor the ones who were safely kept, but the one who did the searching. It's the shepherd going out to find the lost sheep. It's the woman looking for her lost coin. It's the father who joyfully receives his son into the family of his origin. The point of the stories is not the lost one, it's the one who finds and receives and celebrates.
Yet, we can lose that sense of being a lost one. Many, like me, have been "found" for so long that we don't truly comprehend the depth of what it means to be lost. We have lived our lives knowing that God loves us, that Jesus saved us, that God wants to do good for us. It seems shocking to suggest otherwise.
But perhaps that is where most of the people that we encounter daily actually are. Perhaps they wonder if God is even there, much less if God wants to do good things to them. They see the hardships of life, and think that God, if He exists, must have it in for them. They may know the name Jesus, but overall, society points to Jesus more as a good teacher and moral man than Savior, and so they don't know that they have been rescued from the futility that they experience in life. They see God as waiting with thunderbolts in hand, and if they walk through the door of that church, won't He throw it at them, since only "good" people go there?
In some ways, it's hard for someone like me to relate to someone who truly feels lost and separated from God. But that's not even the point. The point is, I also am lost, no matter how much I may not experience it. My sin, which may not be as bad as theirs from a worldly standpoint, is just as deadly in God's eyes as theirs. I am truly lost and fear standing before a wrathful God, even if my worst sin is a simple white lie to my wife, or that paper clip I stole from work.
Do you know what a good cure is when we find ourselves not able to relate to those who truly seem to be experiencing that lost sense? It's to go out there where they are, to see their life without passing judgment on it, to get to know them and care for them, and see where their struggles are. Not doing it as an outreach, but doing it out of Christian love. Our hope is that God's Spirit works both in us and in them, growing us in our care and concern for them, and drawing them to their Savior through our interactions with them.
Perhaps that's the answer to the question. If those who are found don't sense their lostness, perhaps going out and experiencing life with those who are lost will help deepen our faith and appreciation for the lengths our God goes to on our behalf.
Friday, June 24, 2016
The Weekend is Here
"Everybody's working for the weekend." Loverboy
Okay, so it's not a quote from the Bible leading off today's post. Yet, this lyric from the song "Working for the weekend" seems somewhat fitting as Friday rolls around. Yet, as you may have guessed, I want to approach the weekend from a slightly different mindset than that of a group that would call themselves Loverboy.
Sure, in our day and age, most people approach the weekend as a break from the workaday week. It's a time to kick back, relax, do something fun, and have fewer responsibilities. It shouldn't be a surprise that there is an equal correlation between attendance at clubs and bars, incidents of drug and alcohol use (and abuse), and other things of such a nature.
Is that really what the weekend is about? Or, perhaps I should suggest it in a different way. If that is what the weekend is about, what does it say about the purpose of your existence? If you exist and work simply to get to the fun times, that really is a pretty shallow existence. Work becomes a means to fun and enjoyment, during which you try to escape from the means that allows you to have such fun and enjoyment. Work becomes a drudgery that you simply have to do and endure if you want to have fun.
Yet, as Christians, not only do we see work in a different light, we also see the weekend in a different light. God instituted a day of rest, a day to be refreshed, a day to honor Him and His work of creation. And then, in the resurrection of Jesus, that came to include a day that we would honor the ultimate work of our Savior in rising from the dead, winning victory of sin, death, and the devil. The weekend is our time to honor our God, to honor His work in this world, and to honor His sacrifice for us.
Far too often, we use the weekend to honor our own sinful pleasures and desires. And yet, as the weekend once again approaches, what about seeing it as a time to honor our God, who created everything and did everything that the weekend truly is about?
Okay, so it's not a quote from the Bible leading off today's post. Yet, this lyric from the song "Working for the weekend" seems somewhat fitting as Friday rolls around. Yet, as you may have guessed, I want to approach the weekend from a slightly different mindset than that of a group that would call themselves Loverboy.
Sure, in our day and age, most people approach the weekend as a break from the workaday week. It's a time to kick back, relax, do something fun, and have fewer responsibilities. It shouldn't be a surprise that there is an equal correlation between attendance at clubs and bars, incidents of drug and alcohol use (and abuse), and other things of such a nature.
Is that really what the weekend is about? Or, perhaps I should suggest it in a different way. If that is what the weekend is about, what does it say about the purpose of your existence? If you exist and work simply to get to the fun times, that really is a pretty shallow existence. Work becomes a means to fun and enjoyment, during which you try to escape from the means that allows you to have such fun and enjoyment. Work becomes a drudgery that you simply have to do and endure if you want to have fun.
Yet, as Christians, not only do we see work in a different light, we also see the weekend in a different light. God instituted a day of rest, a day to be refreshed, a day to honor Him and His work of creation. And then, in the resurrection of Jesus, that came to include a day that we would honor the ultimate work of our Savior in rising from the dead, winning victory of sin, death, and the devil. The weekend is our time to honor our God, to honor His work in this world, and to honor His sacrifice for us.
Far too often, we use the weekend to honor our own sinful pleasures and desires. And yet, as the weekend once again approaches, what about seeing it as a time to honor our God, who created everything and did everything that the weekend truly is about?
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Whose Building Is It?
"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!...the place of which you have said, 'My name shall dwell there'". 1 Kings 8:27-30, excerpted.
We are in the world, but not of the world. Yet, as we live in this world, we are called to practice good stewardship of everything that God has given to us. As Christians, this also goes for the place where we gather as God's people. While it truly is, in many respects, nothing more than a simple building, we call it our church. It is a place to be together with God's people, to grow with each other, and to grow in our faith.
Yet, there also becomes a possessiveness over this place that is God's house, and not our house. You hear stories of teachers who demand "my" space for "my" things. When groups other than the membership of the congregation want to make use of the space, God's people sometimes will not want that, as they see it as an intrusion into "our" church. Sure, we want to deal wisely when others may want to make use of the facility, as it may truly have an impact on what happens in the life of God's ministry there. However, far too often, the congregational members simply do not want outsiders in their space.
That shows some of the first signs that we are forgetting whose place it is. Just as Solomon recognized in the prayer above, it is God's dwelling place, even as God is much larger than the dwelling place. Another part of thinking about this is that the space isn't to be used as we want, it is to be used as God would desire, honoring His name, serving people, and extending the Gospel message.
Whose building is it? It is God's, entrusted to us for wise use, a use which truly should bring honor and glory to the God who makes His dwelling place among humankind, serving them, and looking to draw them to the Father. Perhaps that makes a good guide when we consider the use of God's place.
We are in the world, but not of the world. Yet, as we live in this world, we are called to practice good stewardship of everything that God has given to us. As Christians, this also goes for the place where we gather as God's people. While it truly is, in many respects, nothing more than a simple building, we call it our church. It is a place to be together with God's people, to grow with each other, and to grow in our faith.
Yet, there also becomes a possessiveness over this place that is God's house, and not our house. You hear stories of teachers who demand "my" space for "my" things. When groups other than the membership of the congregation want to make use of the space, God's people sometimes will not want that, as they see it as an intrusion into "our" church. Sure, we want to deal wisely when others may want to make use of the facility, as it may truly have an impact on what happens in the life of God's ministry there. However, far too often, the congregational members simply do not want outsiders in their space.
That shows some of the first signs that we are forgetting whose place it is. Just as Solomon recognized in the prayer above, it is God's dwelling place, even as God is much larger than the dwelling place. Another part of thinking about this is that the space isn't to be used as we want, it is to be used as God would desire, honoring His name, serving people, and extending the Gospel message.
Whose building is it? It is God's, entrusted to us for wise use, a use which truly should bring honor and glory to the God who makes His dwelling place among humankind, serving them, and looking to draw them to the Father. Perhaps that makes a good guide when we consider the use of God's place.
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
When Their Soul Is At Stake
I was recently asked a really tough question in a lengthy conversation I was having with another person. As he was challenging me to consider what and how I communicate in my role in the congregation, he asked me this question. "What is at stake here?" I will admit that, for a few moments, I had to think through the question in silence.
We are God's people when we have been washed in the blood of Jesus. Our life now takes on a very deep meaning, as we become the rescued of God, the children of God, and the ones who receive the promises of God. For us, that interaction with God had nothing less than our eternal souls at stake. God would not spare even His own Son because our souls were at stake. And then, to give us what His Son earned and purchased for us, God makes us of simple, everyday things to give that great gift to us.
As God's people, it seems that we sometimes lose sight of this. It becomes easy to get tangled up in the things that don't really matter. We make arguments about styles of worship, about who should teach our studies, about who gets the pastor's attention, and other things like this. Yes, these are all important, and have their time and place for discussion.
Yet, this question is one that really should get asked, even in the midst of these conversations. "What is at stake here?" Is a form of music really the thing that is most at stake? Are God's people going to lose their faith if a different style of music is introduced? If someone other than the pastor leads a bible study, will that make the study "less" because it is led by a layman, and not a trained pastor?
Ultimately, this also comes to impact our whole life together in Christ Jesus. What is at stake here when we come together? Well, we come together to be reminded of God's price to make us His own, and of His continued work to purchase and redeem souls of those who do not yet know Him. We come together to be strengthened by each other, to build each other up, reminding each other that we belong to God through Jesus Christ, crucified and risen from the dead.
That also impacts our daily lives within our communities. What is at stake when you talk to your neighbor? What is at stake when you are buying groceries at the store? Only their eternal soul, one that God valued enough to send His Son to redeem and purchase, and whom God valued enough to send you, His child, into their lives to let them know that.
What is at stake here? Their souls. Maybe that's a reminder that we need in our lives quite often. I know I need it in mine for sure!
We are God's people when we have been washed in the blood of Jesus. Our life now takes on a very deep meaning, as we become the rescued of God, the children of God, and the ones who receive the promises of God. For us, that interaction with God had nothing less than our eternal souls at stake. God would not spare even His own Son because our souls were at stake. And then, to give us what His Son earned and purchased for us, God makes us of simple, everyday things to give that great gift to us.
As God's people, it seems that we sometimes lose sight of this. It becomes easy to get tangled up in the things that don't really matter. We make arguments about styles of worship, about who should teach our studies, about who gets the pastor's attention, and other things like this. Yes, these are all important, and have their time and place for discussion.
Yet, this question is one that really should get asked, even in the midst of these conversations. "What is at stake here?" Is a form of music really the thing that is most at stake? Are God's people going to lose their faith if a different style of music is introduced? If someone other than the pastor leads a bible study, will that make the study "less" because it is led by a layman, and not a trained pastor?
Ultimately, this also comes to impact our whole life together in Christ Jesus. What is at stake here when we come together? Well, we come together to be reminded of God's price to make us His own, and of His continued work to purchase and redeem souls of those who do not yet know Him. We come together to be strengthened by each other, to build each other up, reminding each other that we belong to God through Jesus Christ, crucified and risen from the dead.
That also impacts our daily lives within our communities. What is at stake when you talk to your neighbor? What is at stake when you are buying groceries at the store? Only their eternal soul, one that God valued enough to send His Son to redeem and purchase, and whom God valued enough to send you, His child, into their lives to let them know that.
What is at stake here? Their souls. Maybe that's a reminder that we need in our lives quite often. I know I need it in mine for sure!
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