Resource available January 3, 2010
It is no small thing, the call to prayer. In the movement of God's Spirit through God's Word which brings the Gospel to the nations, prayer has not only had a role, it has had the lead role. In a reading of the book of Acts, not only did prayer have a lead role but prayer also had a fundamental role in the Spirit's preparation of the faithful for the hard work ahead. Acts 1:14 reveals that the members of the church understood the on-going call to prayer. The believers in Jerusalem did not know what the future was for them nor did they know how God would use them. What they did know was the simple call to prayer. This they did. Peter, in Acts 6, also understood that as the cry for ministry increased, the Word and Prayer could not be compromised, but rather, the Word and Prayer was to be pursued even more tenaciously!
The drive of the Texas District is the mission which God has given to His church. This mission calls for many things. It calls for understanding our communities and the demographic dynamics of our state. The mission calls for personal clarity of the Biblical message of the Gospel and corporate creativity in the expression of God's love in Jesus for all people. The mission calls for a lot of hard work in the pursuit of the right person, place and plan. But none of these will have any lasting fruit apart from the movement of God's Spirit.
And so we pray. We pray, giving thanks for the call to faith in our own lives. We pray, thanking God for His mercy toward us. We pray, asking God to work through a humble response to the love of God in Christ. As good stewards of our time, we take time to pray, pleading for wisdom and courage to bring the Gospel message to people who do not know or trust Jesus, knowing that apart from Him there is Hell to pay. We pray, holding up those who are on the "front lines" of mission. We pray, knowing that He is the One who calls, gathers, and enlightens the hearts and minds of people for His sake.
If you would like to join our one-hundred and twenty prayer partners who are praying for the mission, you are welcome to do so. Your contribution to the mission of God in this way is a serious matter. But as you enter this ministry, you will be tempted to equivocate your time in prayer. You will find reasons not to pray today. Resist that. In an effort to help you, a prayer resource is being developed and will be available in January of 2010. This is offered to assist you in keeping your focus on the mission, beginning with your prayer time.
Resource for 2010
A series of fifty-two worship/devotion guides are being designed to encourage your prayer time. There will be a Scripture reading and a Psalm for each week of the year. I have included only one per week for your meditation. I have discovered that the more time you spend with a passage, the more the Spirit reveals in that passage. In addition there will be an Invocation (to begin your time), a Devotion (short and authored by leaders in the Texas District) and a Benediction (to send you on your way). This resource will be made available by email to those who sign up. (Click here to sign up.)
It is our prayer that your joyful response to the Gospel will find fruit as you serve the people around you.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
The Universe: Old or Young?
It would be much more convenient for me were I be able to say that the issue of Creation is immaterial and that time does not matter. I grew up trying to resolve this issue in favor of the popular stance. I have found, however, that Creation is not immaterial and that time does matter. The popular, and some say scientific, approach is in direct conflict with Lutheran Theological presuppositions. For a Lutheran to embrace millions of years it is necessary to suspend hermeneutical fundamentals that sustain theological continuity. I realize that many have done this.
It has been pointed out to me that God, being God, could have used evolution and billions of years to create the universe and all that is in it. That is true; and with what God could have done, I have no argument. The problem with this logic is that we a priori conclude that God did indeed use billions of years to create the universe and all that is in it. That conclusion is reached because we look at the world and the sky assuming that the secular presuppositions are correct. Or we throw up our hands and say, "It really doesn't matter." The question of what God could have done is the wrong question. The good question here is, "What does God tells us He did concerning creation in His Word?"
Let me put that thought on hold for just a moment. Words are important in Scripture. So much so that there are divisions between people on the basis of what a word means or does not mean. One example is in the area of eschatology where a contextual understanding of the phrase "little season" makes a big difference in our approach to end times theology. Here we apply the rules of context. Is this section apocryphal or poetic or historic narrative? The answer makes all the difference in our understanding.
An even bigger issue for LCMS Lutherans concerning words and context is the defense of the doctrine of the Real Presence.
On the basis of the understanding of one word, people are included and excluded from our fellowship. And this word is the word "is." "This is My body." Even though it makes sense, humanly speaking, that bread is not Jesus' body, we confess that this isn't symbolic and it doesn't simply represent Jesus' body. We teach that it is His body. And yet, in my ministry I am surrounded by people who mock me, make fun of me, and call me a heretic (indeed they have), because I believe that Jesus is "in, with, and under the bread and the wine." And that on the basis of the meaning of a word; "is." In fact, let me paraphrase Martin Chemnitz. He says that if the meaning of a word is in doubt, it is appropriate to apply the simplest meaning of the word. In that case, "is" is "is."
Over the past 150 years or more, theologians have worked hard at suggesting that a day in Genesis one is not really a day. Every possible Hebraic qualifier (there are four) tells us that "day" in Genesis means 24 hours in clear language. When this same grammar is used in the remainder of the Old Testament the meaning of "day" is not questioned. It is only questioned in Genesis one. Grammatically, there is more reason to embrace a six 24 hour solar day creation week than to subscribe to the doctrine of the real presence. I will not budge on the doctrine of the Real Presence. That I accept by faith. So I ask, (and this is the apologetic that I used many years ago to finally set millions of years aside and trust the Word presuppositionally), "Why would one who confesses that we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but that Jesus, being fully God and fully man, paid the price for my sin and the sin of the whole world in a supernatural act on a cross, have any problem with six day creation?"
Notwithstanding profound evidentiary material that contradicts evolutionary models, and there is much to consider, I am saying, with this point, let's be consistent in our hermeneutical practice. Either a day is a day or it is not. Either the bread is the body in the Eucharist or it is not.
It is interesting to me that the choice before us is not unlike that which has faced the church throughout history, indeed our own Synod. Does Scripture interpret Scripture or does Man interpret Scripture? There is a world of difference.
One Christian who believes in millions of years finally said that we cannot deny what Moses meant in Genesis but it cannot be true because of the overwhelming evidence for long ages. Here is what Pattle Pun said. “It is apparent that the most straightforward understanding of the Genesis record, without regard to all of the hermeneutical considerations suggested by science, is that God created heaven and earth in six solar days, . . .” There is no question that Pattle Pun has embraced man interpreting the Word. Parenthetically, scientific hermeneutical considerations are less than overwhelming.
Concerning Genesis 1-11. This section of the Word is without question, historic narrative. It is not poetic. It is not apocryphal. As I pointed out in "Out of Nothing," Dr. Boyd makes this conclusion following a statistical analysis of chapters one and two of Genesis. The study showed that there is a better than 99% chance that this is historic narrative. In other words, the Scripture says what it means and means what it says notwithstanding the hypothesis and conjecture suggested by men.
Jesus points out that this struggle will occur in many areas of faith when He says, "Greeks look for wisdom and Jews look for signs but you have Moses and the prophets."
Having begun developing a presuppositional position, the door is still open for a discussion of evidence.
Take your pick: Carbon dating, magnetic field of the earth, lunar recession, spiral galaxies, comets, tectonics, Big Bang issues, ocean salinity, poly strata fossils, loss of information on a microbiological level, Helium Ions, radio halos, fission tracks, the speed of light, anti-matter, bio-genesis, mathematical possibilities, irreducible complexity of organic matter, the development of language and laughter, one race-not many (human beings are all related to each other). . . Each of these areas and many more can all be researched and have been addressed by men and women who are far more qualified than me to address particulars.
I certainly do understand the struggle. I have friends and family who have had to wrestle with these things. My own wife once believed in millions of years. But coming to the conclusion that the Word is the Word, and that we can trust Scripture, resulted in a peace and confidence in the promises of Christ in every area of the Gospel. It also strengthened our relationship. It strengthened our witness. It also created an urgency to communicate the matter of the reliability of God's Word. The Gospel itself is counterintuitive to man's reason. Anything less than that which the Word tells us is counterfeit.
In ministry it is true that doctrinal conviction, passion, and intensity does not translate well in our missionality. People are easily offended by style. My approach to individuals who are "broken reeds and smoldering wicks" must be gentle, patient, and respectful, yet it must be certain. Content is finally the issue. Making room for false premises in matters pertaining to Truth only leads to the tearing down of faith and not the building up of such. If I am a fool in this, then so be it.
With humility, I offer this for your prayerful consideration.
It has been pointed out to me that God, being God, could have used evolution and billions of years to create the universe and all that is in it. That is true; and with what God could have done, I have no argument. The problem with this logic is that we a priori conclude that God did indeed use billions of years to create the universe and all that is in it. That conclusion is reached because we look at the world and the sky assuming that the secular presuppositions are correct. Or we throw up our hands and say, "It really doesn't matter." The question of what God could have done is the wrong question. The good question here is, "What does God tells us He did concerning creation in His Word?"
Let me put that thought on hold for just a moment. Words are important in Scripture. So much so that there are divisions between people on the basis of what a word means or does not mean. One example is in the area of eschatology where a contextual understanding of the phrase "little season" makes a big difference in our approach to end times theology. Here we apply the rules of context. Is this section apocryphal or poetic or historic narrative? The answer makes all the difference in our understanding.
An even bigger issue for LCMS Lutherans concerning words and context is the defense of the doctrine of the Real Presence.
On the basis of the understanding of one word, people are included and excluded from our fellowship. And this word is the word "is." "This is My body." Even though it makes sense, humanly speaking, that bread is not Jesus' body, we confess that this isn't symbolic and it doesn't simply represent Jesus' body. We teach that it is His body. And yet, in my ministry I am surrounded by people who mock me, make fun of me, and call me a heretic (indeed they have), because I believe that Jesus is "in, with, and under the bread and the wine." And that on the basis of the meaning of a word; "is." In fact, let me paraphrase Martin Chemnitz. He says that if the meaning of a word is in doubt, it is appropriate to apply the simplest meaning of the word. In that case, "is" is "is."
Over the past 150 years or more, theologians have worked hard at suggesting that a day in Genesis one is not really a day. Every possible Hebraic qualifier (there are four) tells us that "day" in Genesis means 24 hours in clear language. When this same grammar is used in the remainder of the Old Testament the meaning of "day" is not questioned. It is only questioned in Genesis one. Grammatically, there is more reason to embrace a six 24 hour solar day creation week than to subscribe to the doctrine of the real presence. I will not budge on the doctrine of the Real Presence. That I accept by faith. So I ask, (and this is the apologetic that I used many years ago to finally set millions of years aside and trust the Word presuppositionally), "Why would one who confesses that we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but that Jesus, being fully God and fully man, paid the price for my sin and the sin of the whole world in a supernatural act on a cross, have any problem with six day creation?"
Notwithstanding profound evidentiary material that contradicts evolutionary models, and there is much to consider, I am saying, with this point, let's be consistent in our hermeneutical practice. Either a day is a day or it is not. Either the bread is the body in the Eucharist or it is not.
It is interesting to me that the choice before us is not unlike that which has faced the church throughout history, indeed our own Synod. Does Scripture interpret Scripture or does Man interpret Scripture? There is a world of difference.
One Christian who believes in millions of years finally said that we cannot deny what Moses meant in Genesis but it cannot be true because of the overwhelming evidence for long ages. Here is what Pattle Pun said. “It is apparent that the most straightforward understanding of the Genesis record, without regard to all of the hermeneutical considerations suggested by science, is that God created heaven and earth in six solar days, . . .” There is no question that Pattle Pun has embraced man interpreting the Word. Parenthetically, scientific hermeneutical considerations are less than overwhelming.
Concerning Genesis 1-11. This section of the Word is without question, historic narrative. It is not poetic. It is not apocryphal. As I pointed out in "Out of Nothing," Dr. Boyd makes this conclusion following a statistical analysis of chapters one and two of Genesis. The study showed that there is a better than 99% chance that this is historic narrative. In other words, the Scripture says what it means and means what it says notwithstanding the hypothesis and conjecture suggested by men.
Jesus points out that this struggle will occur in many areas of faith when He says, "Greeks look for wisdom and Jews look for signs but you have Moses and the prophets."
Having begun developing a presuppositional position, the door is still open for a discussion of evidence.
Take your pick: Carbon dating, magnetic field of the earth, lunar recession, spiral galaxies, comets, tectonics, Big Bang issues, ocean salinity, poly strata fossils, loss of information on a microbiological level, Helium Ions, radio halos, fission tracks, the speed of light, anti-matter, bio-genesis, mathematical possibilities, irreducible complexity of organic matter, the development of language and laughter, one race-not many (human beings are all related to each other). . . Each of these areas and many more can all be researched and have been addressed by men and women who are far more qualified than me to address particulars.
I certainly do understand the struggle. I have friends and family who have had to wrestle with these things. My own wife once believed in millions of years. But coming to the conclusion that the Word is the Word, and that we can trust Scripture, resulted in a peace and confidence in the promises of Christ in every area of the Gospel. It also strengthened our relationship. It strengthened our witness. It also created an urgency to communicate the matter of the reliability of God's Word. The Gospel itself is counterintuitive to man's reason. Anything less than that which the Word tells us is counterfeit.
In ministry it is true that doctrinal conviction, passion, and intensity does not translate well in our missionality. People are easily offended by style. My approach to individuals who are "broken reeds and smoldering wicks" must be gentle, patient, and respectful, yet it must be certain. Content is finally the issue. Making room for false premises in matters pertaining to Truth only leads to the tearing down of faith and not the building up of such. If I am a fool in this, then so be it.
With humility, I offer this for your prayerful consideration.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Restoration
Every once in a while I will walk around my house with tools from my tool box. I will grab a screw driver, a "finishing hammer," and an oil can just to tighten up loose screws, reseat unhinging hinges, and quiet extraneous noises. Occasionally the task is more than a simple adjustment. Sometimes there is a replacement or reconstruction needed. Once in a while the task exceeds my ability. I have to learn what I can and cannot fix. Still, the house won't do the repair itself. That's when I check the budget and then call a professional. This is part of being a good steward of the things that God has given to me.
I would watch my Grandfather do the same kind of thing when he visited our house. It was what he did. We did not take offense. It was his gift to us. In fact, I would follow him around and watch him fix items around his house and our house. He would show me how to restore things.
In all of this the word restore is operative.
I love the word restore. It is a gospel word. It is a mission word. The dictionary connects the first meaning as brining something back into existence. The next two are intriguing. 2. To bring back to an original condition: restore a building. See Synonyms at revive. 3. To put back in a former position.
Spiritually and, in glory, physically, that is exactly what God offers to us. Sin has made us something God never intended for his creation to be. In the garden of Eden, after the fall, God asks the question, "Adam, where art thou?" Adam realized that he had fallen. He needed restoration. We have fallen apart. Our Lord has put us back together by taking the fall for us. We do need rebuilding. We have been rebuilt in Christ. Sin has unhinged us. He has reseated us. Sin has killed us. He has revived us. We have been restored. He offers exactly that to all of His creation.
Acts 15:13-18 . . . James answered saying, "Brethren, listen to me. 14 "Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. 15 "With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, 16 'AFTER THESE THINGS I will return, AND I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN, AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS, AND I WILL RESTORE IT, 17 SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,' 18 SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO.
This restoration, first promised to Adam, is for all people. It is our joy and delight to bring the restoration of Christ to the world. The memories of my Grandfather's restoration fix-it tours are for life. Those memories shape what I do. He and I and other such stewards have to make that tour around the house again and again. It is never a one time solution. But in Christ, the restoration is for eternity.
While we cannot fix the world with a flathead screw driver and oil can, we certainly have been called to bring a word of restoration to the world, to communities, to neighbors. That restoration is shaped in words of encouragement and hope, not judgment and condemnation. The restoration that Jesus offers is not a temporary solution. Instead, His restoration from cross is eternal, never needing to be addressed again.
In the meantime, I will get up and look for that which needs restoration.
I would watch my Grandfather do the same kind of thing when he visited our house. It was what he did. We did not take offense. It was his gift to us. In fact, I would follow him around and watch him fix items around his house and our house. He would show me how to restore things.
In all of this the word restore is operative.
I love the word restore. It is a gospel word. It is a mission word. The dictionary connects the first meaning as brining something back into existence. The next two are intriguing. 2. To bring back to an original condition: restore a building. See Synonyms at revive. 3. To put back in a former position.
Spiritually and, in glory, physically, that is exactly what God offers to us. Sin has made us something God never intended for his creation to be. In the garden of Eden, after the fall, God asks the question, "Adam, where art thou?" Adam realized that he had fallen. He needed restoration. We have fallen apart. Our Lord has put us back together by taking the fall for us. We do need rebuilding. We have been rebuilt in Christ. Sin has unhinged us. He has reseated us. Sin has killed us. He has revived us. We have been restored. He offers exactly that to all of His creation.
Acts 15:13-18 . . . James answered saying, "Brethren, listen to me. 14 "Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. 15 "With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, 16 'AFTER THESE THINGS I will return, AND I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN, AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS, AND I WILL RESTORE IT, 17 SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,' 18 SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO.
This restoration, first promised to Adam, is for all people. It is our joy and delight to bring the restoration of Christ to the world. The memories of my Grandfather's restoration fix-it tours are for life. Those memories shape what I do. He and I and other such stewards have to make that tour around the house again and again. It is never a one time solution. But in Christ, the restoration is for eternity.
While we cannot fix the world with a flathead screw driver and oil can, we certainly have been called to bring a word of restoration to the world, to communities, to neighbors. That restoration is shaped in words of encouragement and hope, not judgment and condemnation. The restoration that Jesus offers is not a temporary solution. Instead, His restoration from cross is eternal, never needing to be addressed again.
In the meantime, I will get up and look for that which needs restoration.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
The Need for Transmission Lines
John 3:8 "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
The conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus in John chapter three is intriguing from so many points of view. Jesus looks at Nicodemus and says, "Do you understand the way wind works? All you know about it is that it is there and that is about it." Well I have to say, we know a little more about the wind, methodologically, than Nicodemus did. We know that wind is the result of pressure gradients in the atmosphere (to be simple about it) and such mo
vement and development is the result of temperature variations. The product is wind. And does it blow in West Texas.
The wind in West Texas is strong and consistent. It is the second windiest place in the country according to story. (The first is in South Dakota somewhere. Same source.) This consistency has changed the landscape of West Texas. As I drive there are fewer and fewer miles where one cannot see the virtually ubiquitous wind turbine.
The wind turbine, that generates electricity, is an engineering marvel, an aesthetic curiosity and a landscape frustration all at the same time. Driving through a wind turbine field makes one profoundly aware of the wind. Blades facing into the wind, adjusted for maximum efficiency create power and give life to people and communities up to hundreds and thousands of miles away.
These turbines are designed to reach maximum output at only 13 meters per second. If the wind is stronger, the unit is designed to turn at such a rate so as not to put the turbine at risk. On the other end of the scale, these turbines can produce electricity with winds at only 6 meters per second. That's not much wind in order to supply energy.
There are two problems with this system for creating energy, notwithstanding aesthetic and land usage considerations. The first of these two problem occurs when there is no wind at all. The blades stop turning. This did happen last year. While there is a provision in design for this, there was a real concern about the length of inactivity. Fortunately, the wind kicked up again and the turbines came to life.
The second problem, which is being resolved by the wind energy industry, is the number of transmission lines. In other words, there aren't enough connections with the outside world relative to the amount of energy being generated. While there is life in those turbines, the energy is not getting out the way it could in the amount that it could.
That got me to be thinking about John 3:8 when Jesus speaks of the Spirit being as the wind, and then John 3:16 where we are assured of God's love for us. In addition to that, we are reminded in John 10:10 the Jesus came "that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
What wonderful insights and promises we have here. The breakdown begins when the Word is ignored and equivocated. God's Word is that through which the Spirit moves in our lives and in our churches. Not hearing the Word or reading the Word is like a day without the wind in West Texas. The blades won't turn and life begins to drain away. The Spirit is not a capricious thing that comes and goes on a whim. God's Spirit moves powerfully through the church by the promises of the Gospel given in God's Word. He is there as our ears are turned to hear.
But a second problem is also apparent. Many congregations lack the transmission lines to communities both near and far. We have been given the task to approach our world with the Gospel. We have been commanded to build ways by which the promise of life is communicated to those who do not know or trust in Jesus. To follow the metaphor of the wind turbines in West Texas, the church has more strength, more giftedness, more power, more life than it has the ability or willingness to communicate to those who need and want it desperately.
It is time for the church to build numerous transmission lines into our communities. It is time for congregations to look for new ways to deliver the message of the Gospel to those who do not know or trust in Christ. The Spirit of God is there, ready to move into the community through the connections you make as you are in the Word.
The conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus in John chapter three is intriguing from so many points of view. Jesus looks at Nicodemus and says, "Do you understand the way wind works? All you know about it is that it is there and that is about it." Well I have to say, we know a little more about the wind, methodologically, than Nicodemus did. We know that wind is the result of pressure gradients in the atmosphere (to be simple about it) and such mo
vement and development is the result of temperature variations. The product is wind. And does it blow in West Texas.The wind in West Texas is strong and consistent. It is the second windiest place in the country according to story. (The first is in South Dakota somewhere. Same source.) This consistency has changed the landscape of West Texas. As I drive there are fewer and fewer miles where one cannot see the virtually ubiquitous wind turbine.
The wind turbine, that generates electricity, is an engineering marvel, an aesthetic curiosity and a landscape frustration all at the same time. Driving through a wind turbine field makes one profoundly aware of the wind. Blades facing into the wind, adjusted for maximum efficiency create power and give life to people and communities up to hundreds and thousands of miles away.
These turbines are designed to reach maximum output at only 13 meters per second. If the wind is stronger, the unit is designed to turn at such a rate so as not to put the turbine at risk. On the other end of the scale, these turbines can produce electricity with winds at only 6 meters per second. That's not much wind in order to supply energy.
There are two problems with this system for creating energy, notwithstanding aesthetic and land usage considerations. The first of these two problem occurs when there is no wind at all. The blades stop turning. This did happen last year. While there is a provision in design for this, there was a real concern about the length of inactivity. Fortunately, the wind kicked up again and the turbines came to life.
The second problem, which is being resolved by the wind energy industry, is the number of transmission lines. In other words, there aren't enough connections with the outside world relative to the amount of energy being generated. While there is life in those turbines, the energy is not getting out the way it could in the amount that it could.
That got me to be thinking about John 3:8 when Jesus speaks of the Spirit being as the wind, and then John 3:16 where we are assured of God's love for us. In addition to that, we are reminded in John 10:10 the Jesus came "that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
What wonderful insights and promises we have here. The breakdown begins when the Word is ignored and equivocated. God's Word is that through which the Spirit moves in our lives and in our churches. Not hearing the Word or reading the Word is like a day without the wind in West Texas. The blades won't turn and life begins to drain away. The Spirit is not a capricious thing that comes and goes on a whim. God's Spirit moves powerfully through the church by the promises of the Gospel given in God's Word. He is there as our ears are turned to hear.
But a second problem is also apparent. Many congregations lack the transmission lines to communities both near and far. We have been given the task to approach our world with the Gospel. We have been commanded to build ways by which the promise of life is communicated to those who do not know or trust in Jesus. To follow the metaphor of the wind turbines in West Texas, the church has more strength, more giftedness, more power, more life than it has the ability or willingness to communicate to those who need and want it desperately.
It is time for the church to build numerous transmission lines into our communities. It is time for congregations to look for new ways to deliver the message of the Gospel to those who do not know or trust in Christ. The Spirit of God is there, ready to move into the community through the connections you make as you are in the Word.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Respect for Life, Coping with Death
I don’t listen often to “A Prairie Home Companion,” with Garrison Keillor on NPR. But whenever I do, he really holds my attention. He is a great story teller. He told the story of the slaughtering of one family’s hog. He placed himself in the story as one of the young children watching this process. It was a family event. The hog was going to provide food and sustenance for a significant period of time for them. It was also a hog they had raised and taken care of on the farm. The father and oldest brother did the deed. The hog died and then they processed the animal. The younger boys watched this and then began to imitate, in a playful way, leaning toward being disrespectful, that which had just happened. When the older family members saw this growing mockery of the hog’s death the boys were stopped and told this is not something of which to make fun. The parents said, “This hog gave its life so that we could eat.” The message was clear. Instead of making fun, this hog’s life and death was something to respect. That story impressed me. It was just a pig that died after all. Yet God had created this animal as well. But that family had taught their children to respect life at every level. They used this vivid illustration to teach the honoring of life created by God.
Living in awe of God’s creation and knowing that it is He that provides for us at every level and that His provision includes community and relationships, we find the respect for the life that God has given to man and to all of creation is more likely to be established.
And with this respect, children are a blessing to the family and not a burden. Yet the urban life style parent can hardly wait to get their children off to school, so I have had said to me many times. In effect children are not typically embraced as the blessing they are but are seen as a burden that imposes on a lifestyle.
The Elderly, as well, are often seen as burdens to have to look in on, more than as one who contributes wisdom and stability to the family community. One of the tasks that I had in the parish ministry was to visit shut-in members. These are people who want connection and who indeed have helpful and wise things to say were one to listen. I received such encouragement in ministry from these visits. They want to be embraced with a dignity and a respect called for in the life that God has created.
In those same homes where two or three generations lived, people also died. The fa
mily gathered around the one dying and made sure they knew they were loved by the family and by Jesus. The children watched. When my ministry was in the urban setting and when my children were young, I often brought them with me to many of the functions of ministry. This included the funerals of members. The thinking behind this was that my boys would not be afraid of the issue of death in the context of life in Christ.
The story is told of the Pastor who was called to the home of a member who was near death. The family was gathered around and the pastor wasn’t sure what to do or what to say. He read a Psalm or two and had a prayer but beyond that he was silent. He sat and watched. The member finally did die. The Pastor was wondering to himself if he had done the right things and could he have said more and what that would have been. About that point in time, one of the family members sat down next to the pastor and said, “Preacher, you did just fine.”
The presence of Christ through the ministry of the church is the coping mechanism for those in the community of believers. We know that life is precious, so much so that Jesus died and was raised again so that anyone, by faith in Him, need not fear death but have life everlasting.
If there is an advantage to the rural or urban culture in this regard, I am not certain. What I do know is that the issues of life and death are not so far removed in the rural context. A birth and a death, significant as it is, in the city is a statistic to the larger community.
The challenge in ministry is to teach that the life we have has been given to us by our Creator. We have to find ways to communicate that all life is precious and yet it is under the curse of the law. Still, our Creator loves what He made and so provides a solution to the curse that is upon us. Your life and my life is so precious to Him that He gave His own Son to die so that we could life forever. This value must not be lost.
Living in awe of God’s creation and knowing that it is He that provides for us at every level and that His provision includes community and relationships, we find the respect for the life that God has given to man and to all of creation is more likely to be established.
And with this respect, children are a blessing to the family and not a burden. Yet the urban life style parent can hardly wait to get their children off to school, so I have had said to me many times. In effect children are not typically embraced as the blessing they are but are seen as a burden that imposes on a lifestyle.
The Elderly, as well, are often seen as burdens to have to look in on, more than as one who contributes wisdom and stability to the family community. One of the tasks that I had in the parish ministry was to visit shut-in members. These are people who want connection and who indeed have helpful and wise things to say were one to listen. I received such encouragement in ministry from these visits. They want to be embraced with a dignity and a respect called for in the life that God has created.
In those same homes where two or three generations lived, people also died. The fa
mily gathered around the one dying and made sure they knew they were loved by the family and by Jesus. The children watched. When my ministry was in the urban setting and when my children were young, I often brought them with me to many of the functions of ministry. This included the funerals of members. The thinking behind this was that my boys would not be afraid of the issue of death in the context of life in Christ.The story is told of the Pastor who was called to the home of a member who was near death. The family was gathered around and the pastor wasn’t sure what to do or what to say. He read a Psalm or two and had a prayer but beyond that he was silent. He sat and watched. The member finally did die. The Pastor was wondering to himself if he had done the right things and could he have said more and what that would have been. About that point in time, one of the family members sat down next to the pastor and said, “Preacher, you did just fine.”
The presence of Christ through the ministry of the church is the coping mechanism for those in the community of believers. We know that life is precious, so much so that Jesus died and was raised again so that anyone, by faith in Him, need not fear death but have life everlasting.
If there is an advantage to the rural or urban culture in this regard, I am not certain. What I do know is that the issues of life and death are not so far removed in the rural context. A birth and a death, significant as it is, in the city is a statistic to the larger community.
The challenge in ministry is to teach that the life we have has been given to us by our Creator. We have to find ways to communicate that all life is precious and yet it is under the curse of the law. Still, our Creator loves what He made and so provides a solution to the curse that is upon us. Your life and my life is so precious to Him that He gave His own Son to die so that we could life forever. This value must not be lost.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
A Week of All Weeks
In this week of all weeks there are many things upon which to focus. There is an entry triumphant into Jerusalem within which we learn that if we, as God's creatures, cannot behave the way God made us to behave, namely to praise God in our vocations, then step aside, because the rocks themselves will praise the Living God, simply by being what they were made to be; rocks. God will be adored.
Take some time to examine the righteous indignation of Jesus when He storms through the Temple and says, "You have made this place into something of dishonor." We are mindful that God will not be mocked.
On Maundy Thursday Jesus celebrates Passover one last time and then gives the church an unqualified gift, namely His body and His blood in, with, and under bread and wine.
In the garden, a grieving and distressed Jesus asks Peter, James and John to watch and pray not once, not twice, but three times; and they could not.
Then there is Judas and "the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees" coming to arrest Jesus. The one who would write, "be prepared to give a defense . . . for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence" (1 Peter 3:15) defended Jesus with a sword (the antithesis of his most recent advice to the church concerning defending the faith) and cut off the ear of Malchus.
Then the defender denies Jesus. Jesus would have to deal with that later at a place where Peter could be found; on the shore of the lake.
A mockery of a trial is held. Protocol is shattered. The sentence of death by hanging on a cross is reluctantly agreed to. "There is no cause to punish this man," says Pilate. That is true. Jesus broke no divine law. And He knew the law. He wrote the law. But His creation, specifically human kind, broke His law. There was only one thing to do about this. It was His love for us that drove Him. It was a Godly love, an unconditional love that carried no assurance of return. He alone assumed our sin, the sin of every one born of the seed of Seth. Because He did, there is every reason for Him to suffer hell on the cross. Because He did, there is no way around it.
I need to add that this was not a spur of the moment, spontaneous idea of Jesus. Jesus, being born to die for the sins of all mankind, for your sin and for mine, was first promised in the Garden of Eden when the Universe was fledgling and starlight was fresh. It wasn't so much a promise as it was a statement of fact, addressing Satan and intended for Adam and Eve to hear. Adam and Eve heard the Word of God, and they embraced it by faith. Hope was alive. Hope was alive because of God's love.
So concerning the crucifixion, appropriate is not the word to use. Amazing, remarkable, astonishing, beyond our ability to conceive, these words fall short to describe that which was accomplished by Jesus on the cross for us. But that which was accomplished brings hope, comfort, peace, and a future. These are ours because of the resurrection. With sin there is death. With Christ, there is a resurrection to life.
As you focus on the events of this week of all weeks, I encourage you also to consider the message of Peter and Paul in the book of Acts. Read this post resurrection record and as you do, notice the frequency of teaching and preaching on the resurrection. Having been sent by the risen Christ Himself, every chance they had, they talked about Jesus being raised from the dead. We are a resurrection people. We are a redeemed people who have been sent with the same message that Adam would teach to his children and their children. We have been sent with the same message as Noah, and Jonah, reluctant though he was. We have the same message as the disciples.
Is your neighbor looking for hope or peace? Assure him of this: "He is risen. He is Risen indeed!"
Take some time to examine the righteous indignation of Jesus when He storms through the Temple and says, "You have made this place into something of dishonor." We are mindful that God will not be mocked.
On Maundy Thursday Jesus celebrates Passover one last time and then gives the church an unqualified gift, namely His body and His blood in, with, and under bread and wine.
In the garden, a grieving and distressed Jesus asks Peter, James and John to watch and pray not once, not twice, but three times; and they could not.
Then there is Judas and "the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees" coming to arrest Jesus. The one who would write, "be prepared to give a defense . . . for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence" (1 Peter 3:15) defended Jesus with a sword (the antithesis of his most recent advice to the church concerning defending the faith) and cut off the ear of Malchus.
Then the defender denies Jesus. Jesus would have to deal with that later at a place where Peter could be found; on the shore of the lake.
A mockery of a trial is held. Protocol is shattered. The sentence of death by hanging on a cross is reluctantly agreed to. "There is no cause to punish this man," says Pilate. That is true. Jesus broke no divine law. And He knew the law. He wrote the law. But His creation, specifically human kind, broke His law. There was only one thing to do about this. It was His love for us that drove Him. It was a Godly love, an unconditional love that carried no assurance of return. He alone assumed our sin, the sin of every one born of the seed of Seth. Because He did, there is every reason for Him to suffer hell on the cross. Because He did, there is no way around it.
I need to add that this was not a spur of the moment, spontaneous idea of Jesus. Jesus, being born to die for the sins of all mankind, for your sin and for mine, was first promised in the Garden of Eden when the Universe was fledgling and starlight was fresh. It wasn't so much a promise as it was a statement of fact, addressing Satan and intended for Adam and Eve to hear. Adam and Eve heard the Word of God, and they embraced it by faith. Hope was alive. Hope was alive because of God's love.
So concerning the crucifixion, appropriate is not the word to use. Amazing, remarkable, astonishing, beyond our ability to conceive, these words fall short to describe that which was accomplished by Jesus on the cross for us. But that which was accomplished brings hope, comfort, peace, and a future. These are ours because of the resurrection. With sin there is death. With Christ, there is a resurrection to life.
As you focus on the events of this week of all weeks, I encourage you also to consider the message of Peter and Paul in the book of Acts. Read this post resurrection record and as you do, notice the frequency of teaching and preaching on the resurrection. Having been sent by the risen Christ Himself, every chance they had, they talked about Jesus being raised from the dead. We are a resurrection people. We are a redeemed people who have been sent with the same message that Adam would teach to his children and their children. We have been sent with the same message as Noah, and Jonah, reluctant though he was. We have the same message as the disciples.
Is your neighbor looking for hope or peace? Assure him of this: "He is risen. He is Risen indeed!"
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Advantage of a Shared Vision
Perhaps the most powerful adhesive in any relationship, whether that relationship involves two, twenty, or two-hundred people, is summed up in what some would say is a cold term used by analytical consultants. The term is Shared Vision.
In Proverbs 29:18, a father explains to his son that, "Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law." In other words, if there is going to be joy and peace in the living we do, vision has a role to play.
When I was in the position of counseling couples before marriage, one of the exercises that I insisted upon was for the engaged couple to describe their home life in five years. What would it feel like when a guest came to the house? Would that guest be welcomed? Would there be tension in the home? Would it be relaxed? What smells would there be? Answers to these kinds of questions precipitated interesting discussions. How you are going to make your vision happen was a strategic question. But you can't ask "how" until you answer "what." During these conversations, priorities and values were considered, revisited and challenged. The product of these discussions was a developing shared vision for the couple's relationship and for their family.
There is another value to this exercise. As the father of Proverbs indicates, there is a delight in shared vision. My experience tells me that Shared Vision brings purpose in community, peace in relationships, and builds trust as time goes on. A genuinely shared vision insists upon articulating values and priorities and finally calls for action.
While there is much in this to offer married couples this dynamic is no less important for congregations who are pursing the missio dei (mission of God). Vision, in this context, is not some mystical immediate revelation from God. To say it plainly, Shared Vision is simply everyone being on "the same page" when it comes to where the community is headed and agreeing, generally speaking, on what is important.
In fact, here are some bullet points and statements concerning Shared Vision:
Extrinsic v. Intrinsic Vision
One last thing to mention at this point is in the question, "What drives the Vision?" There are two options One is extrinsic and the other is intrinsic.
A vision that is extrinsic means that it comes from the outside. In other words, it is most often related to the context, in this case, of the local congregation. An extrinsic vision is competitive by nature. A local congregation wants to be bigger and better than the other congregat
ions in town. Such competition, however, ultimately ends up becoming a defensive position where creativity declines, risk is discouraged, and security is valued. The congregation ends up protecting their "number one" position, if they ever arrived at that position in the first place. A vision predicated upon "defeating the competition" will, in the long run, weaken the congregation or the institution.
There is another kind of vision. It is called intrinsic. This means that the vision reflects the essential nature of the congregation. This kind of vision, issued from a Christ-centered congregation, embraces the call to faith, the giftedness by the Holy Spirit, and the unity of the body of Christ. It also agrees with Paul when he wrote to the Galatians and said, Galatians 2:20 20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me."
"Christ in me" is who we are in our Baptism and in our confession. Who we are now lifts us up to the mission of Christ, namely "to seek and save" those who are lost.
In the context of this truth, there is created a climate, a style, and a spirit that seeks to honor Christ and His call in everything that is done. How can there not be joy when we share together the vision and the mission of God?
Developing a Shared Vision takes time and it is not easy to do. But it is worth the investment of a congregation, no matter how small or large. The result will include clarity of call and resting in purpose.
In Proverbs 29:18, a father explains to his son that, "Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law." In other words, if there is going to be joy and peace in the living we do, vision has a role to play.
When I was in the position of counseling couples before marriage, one of the exercises that I insisted upon was for the engaged couple to describe their home life in five years. What would it feel like when a guest came to the house? Would that guest be welcomed? Would there be tension in the home? Would it be relaxed? What smells would there be? Answers to these kinds of questions precipitated interesting discussions. How you are going to make your vision happen was a strategic question. But you can't ask "how" until you answer "what." During these conversations, priorities and values were considered, revisited and challenged. The product of these discussions was a developing shared vision for the couple's relationship and for their family.
There is another value to this exercise. As the father of Proverbs indicates, there is a delight in shared vision. My experience tells me that Shared Vision brings purpose in community, peace in relationships, and builds trust as time goes on. A genuinely shared vision insists upon articulating values and priorities and finally calls for action.
While there is much in this to offer married couples this dynamic is no less important for congregations who are pursing the missio dei (mission of God). Vision, in this context, is not some mystical immediate revelation from God. To say it plainly, Shared Vision is simply everyone being on "the same page" when it comes to where the community is headed and agreeing, generally speaking, on what is important.
In fact, here are some bullet points and statements concerning Shared Vision:
- Shared vision is not an idea. It is a driving force in people's hearts.
- At its most basic, shared vision asks the question "What do we want to create?"
- Accompanying Shared Vision is a sense of commonality, purpose, and cohesion to diverse activities that one can find in any congregation.
- A Shared Vision realizes a commitment to one another in the congregation.
- A Shared Vision is not imposed by an individual or a committee. One does not comply with the vision if it is to be shared. One is committed to the vision.
- Commitment implies sacrifice by members in order to realize the Vision.
Extrinsic v. Intrinsic Vision
One last thing to mention at this point is in the question, "What drives the Vision?" There are two options One is extrinsic and the other is intrinsic.
A vision that is extrinsic means that it comes from the outside. In other words, it is most often related to the context, in this case, of the local congregation. An extrinsic vision is competitive by nature. A local congregation wants to be bigger and better than the other congregat
ions in town. Such competition, however, ultimately ends up becoming a defensive position where creativity declines, risk is discouraged, and security is valued. The congregation ends up protecting their "number one" position, if they ever arrived at that position in the first place. A vision predicated upon "defeating the competition" will, in the long run, weaken the congregation or the institution.There is another kind of vision. It is called intrinsic. This means that the vision reflects the essential nature of the congregation. This kind of vision, issued from a Christ-centered congregation, embraces the call to faith, the giftedness by the Holy Spirit, and the unity of the body of Christ. It also agrees with Paul when he wrote to the Galatians and said, Galatians 2:20 20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me."
"Christ in me" is who we are in our Baptism and in our confession. Who we are now lifts us up to the mission of Christ, namely "to seek and save" those who are lost.
In the context of this truth, there is created a climate, a style, and a spirit that seeks to honor Christ and His call in everything that is done. How can there not be joy when we share together the vision and the mission of God?
Developing a Shared Vision takes time and it is not easy to do. But it is worth the investment of a congregation, no matter how small or large. The result will include clarity of call and resting in purpose.
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