Just Stop to Thank for a Moment

Did you ever develop a list of things for which to be thankful? I'm not much on lists but I like this one. This is a list that will take you past Thanksgiving, the holiday. Against this list, a closet filled with clothes, an end of year bonus, or even good health, even though we appropriately give thanks to God for His provision (!) , simply fades into a secondary level altogether.

We learn in the Bible that thankfulness and joy is not simply something we do but it is who we are as a believer. Scripture keeps reminding me of this. Read Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

Paul will point out in Romans that in this world of sin and decay, one can rejoice and be in sorrow at the same time. Lutherans understand this in the "sin/sinner" typology. Paul and Silas were in a jail, bound and shackled in the most desperate of ways and yet they were not desperate. In their physical constraints they were unconstrained spiritually, singing praises to the Living God. Peter will also say the same thing. This kind of giving of thanks and rejoicing is counter-intuitive to the natural man. It is not natural. But there it is. Rejoice always, and again, just because you need to know this, I say, rejoice.

If at this point you should be saying, "That's impossible, what he's saying is impossible, it can't be done," I agree. Giving thanks and rejoicing in a manner recorded in both the Old and New Testament is impossible, except that it is supernatural. We're not talking about giving thanks simply because something happens to be good. We are talking about a thankfulness that can only be understood by the movement of the Holy Spirit. Now, rejoicing and giving thanks is an emotional response to what I know to be true about God, His grace and His mercy. This kind of thankfulness can only be expressed by faith. That is the substance of such thanksgiving. It is the wonder of contemplating the unconditional, eternal relationship we have with God the Father through the shed blood of our Lord, Jesus the Christ.

So giving thanks is a matter of faith. Perhaps you say, as do I, "I mess up on this. I'm not thankful nor do I rejoice all that much." At such a spiritual junction, we are back to the cross, to forgiveness, to God's grace and mercy, and then, as Luther says, "All for which it is my duty, to thank, praise, serve and obey. This is most certainly true."

With that, let me suggest one list for your consideration.

One: The work of Christ.

I love the response of one man to the question, "How you doin?" He says, "Better than I deserve." As one Lutheran I know the two extremes. I recognize the depravity of sin and the work of Christ to satisfy God' wrath upon that sin. Take time to stop to realize what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for you, though you be utterly and completely unworthy, undeserving. That is why the angel said in Luke 2:10, "Do not be afraid, behold I bring you good news of a great joy." Then the angel says, "Today is born for you a savior."

John 15:11, records Jesus saying, "These things I have spoken to you that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be made full." Everything Christ did is for the fullness of your joy.

Speaking of the redemptive work of Christ and His atonement on the cross, Paul tells the Christians in Rome, in the fifth chapter that "It is in this great work of Christ that we exalt, that we rejoice."

Two: The work of the Holy Spirit.

Paul writes to the Romans and says in 14:17, "You have joy in the Holy Spirit." It is the Spirit of God who is producing joy. He is interceding for you constantly according to the will of God. So says Romans 8. It is the Spirit is the one who points you to Christ. He fills you for service and strength. He enables you, He gifts you. Out of thankfulness to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, we rejoice always. Nothing can touch the work of Christ and diminish it. Nothing can harm the work of the Spirit of God. The Living, Triune God is at work, drawing you to the cross and into His glory and that is plenty of reason for unceasing joy.

Three: The spiritual blessings that God has given to us.

This is big and worthy of a series of blogs in and of itself. But consider this. Ephesians tells us that We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ. Stop to think that you have been given all things pertaining to life. In Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and you are declared complete in Him by Him. Because of that you have become partakers of the divine nature. On top of that, God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. This goes on and on. These are things for which the world longs. And yet for you there is no end to the continual flow of gracious blessing in your life and that is reason enough for unceasing joy.

Four: God knows . . . (rejoice and be thankful for that)

Paul would say it this way in Romans 8:28. "All things work together for good to them that love God and are the called according to His purpose," Romans 8:28. No matter what's going on in your life, unceasing thanks and joy over the divine providence is more than appropriate. God is able to keep you from falling away from faith, and holds you fast.

Five: The certain promise of Heaven.

There is no other system of salvation (religion) that can present this with certainty, other than the Christian in Christ. Still, I have talked with so many Christians who are ambivalent on this point. They need not be. Every other form of religion says, "Maybe, if you've done enough and if God is benevolent at that moment, maybe you will be saved." Such lies! (Again, this blog is too short for me to include my conversations with non-Christians concerning the after-life but they are all over the map and their hope is always on them, not God.) We can be certain. Look at the hope of Paul. Speaking of his own dying Paul says, "I rejoice, I will rejoice." Why, Paul? "Simply for to me to live is Christ, to die is gain."

Listen to the Psalmist once again. "I have set the Lord continually before me. Therefore my heart is glad, my glory rejoices." Why? "He will never abandon my soul in the grave, He will never allow me to undergo decay. He will show me the path of life." I know that is a Messianic Psalm but it is also the resurrection. "I will be in His presence at His right hand to find the pleasures forever." The psalmist had the hope of future life.

Read the 15th chapter of first Corinthians and see what the resurrection of Christ brings.

Six: God answers prayer.

Are you thankful for answered prayer? When you cry out to God in Christ He hears and answers your prayer and shows you great and mighty things which you may not know. No matter what's going on in your life, unceasing joy is possible because in Christ your prayers are answered. God doesn't have to do that but He does it. He answers your every prayer according to His perfect will for your ultimate good in time and in eternity.

Seven: The Word of God.

The Scripture is a most incredible gift. In fact, it is more precious than gold. It is sweeter than honey in a honeycomb. (Psalm 19) And in Psalm 119:111, "I have inherited Thy testimonies forever, they are the joy of my heart." Verse 162, "I rejoice at Thy Word as one who finds great spoil." In Jeremiah 15:16, Jeremiah said, "Thy words were found, I did eat them, Thy word was in me, the joy and rejoicing of my heart." Paul says, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly," in Colossians 3:16 he says, "As the Word is richly in you, you will speak to yourselves in psalms and hymns, you'll sing, you'll make melody." We can find joy simply in thanksgiving for the food and the nourishment of the Word of God that feeds your soul, reveals God’s grace in Christ and then is a compass and a guide to your life.

Eight: Christian fellowship (the Body of Christ)

I am so grateful for my family, past and present (and the family to come?). I hope that you are grateful for your family as well. How about the family that God has given to you? Do you give thanks for your church membership? I understand that there are times when those groups can be difficult. But in 1 Thessalonians 3:9, look at what Paul says, "What thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account?" In other words Paul says, "I don't even know words to say about how much joy there is in just knowing you...just sharing with you...just fellowshipping with you. I wish I could communicate that with you." Do you go to church with that thought? Do you establish and sustain that kind of church environment where you are? In 2 Timothy 1:4 Paul says to Timothy, "I long to see you even as I recall your tears so that I may be filled with joy." Just being with you is joy, source of joy. Or have we gotten to simply tolerate the relationships in our congregation? The love of the saints (of each other) is a source of joy. There can be joy in Christian fellowship; unceasing, unending joy. Do you thank God for your Christian fellowship? Here's the thing: the fellowship we have with one another in Christ will never be broken.

Nine: Gospel preaching.

I love to hear the clear Gospel proclaimed. Paul in Philippians 1 says, "Christ is preached and I rejoice." In Acts 15 perhaps even more focused on the point we're making, verse 3, "Therefore being sent on their way by the church Paul and Barnabas were passing through Phoenicia and Samaria describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles and were bringing great joy to the all the brethren." Do you receive joy out of the fact that the Gospel is proclaimed and people come to faith and are strengthened in their faith, reminded of their baptism, called to the Lord's Supper?

I thank God for the Pastor's and teachers, for members, for family, for fathers, mothers, children, and all who honor Christ by their words and actions and thereby communicate the Gospel to people who do not yet know the things for which we are thankful, supernaturally.

Ten: God is good.

In Mark 10:18 it says, "And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God." God is good. I am thankful for that and I am not alone.

2 Chronicles 7:10, "On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their tents rejoicing and happy of heart because of the goodness that the Lord had shown." As God's people, our delight and joy reflects God's goodness. Indeed, your list will reflect the goodness of God.

Psalm 28:7, "The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusts in Him and I am helped, therefore my heart rejoices and with my song I shall thank Him." It isn't your context for living but rather the strength of the Lord that is cause for giving thanks.

Psalm 71:23, "My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to Thee and my soul which Thou hast redeemed."

Nehemiah 8:10 says, "The joy of the Lord is your strength." There is strength in the Lord's joy.

I know that this list can continue and it should, but what a great God we have who as been shown to us in the Word. No matter the circumstance I say to you, Happy Thanksgiving in Christ.

The Call to Pray for Missions

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.

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.

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.

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 movement 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.

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 family 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.

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!"

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:

• 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 congregations 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.

Witness Opportunities

In 1987 I was extended a call to another community. I was a pastor in a remote part of Texas at the time. The question I was asked was, "Why would you not take this call to another place?" My response was, "60% of the population where I live does not know Christ." Over the last twenty plus years, that number has changed -- for the worse. Today, in Texas, the number of people that are in worship on an average Sunday morning is seventeen out of one-hundred.

When a small congregation, for example in Borger, Texas, looks at the context of their ministry and sees seventy other congregations of various shapes and forms, that congregation can easily be discouraged. Having said that, the reality is, fewer people are attending worship than ever before across the country. There is an opportunity.

For Lutheran congregations, the members of which live by the powerful message of the theology of the cross, (a message that addresses sin, hurt, frustration, failure, loss, and hopelessness) there is a tremendous opportunity to witness the work of Jesus for all people.

The door is wide open for God's people to witness. This is particularly the case with the uncertainty and fear that exists in our country today. The message of hope that comes from legislators in various states, courts and national forums is a hope that will evaporate and will never address the human condition in a satisfactory way. In addition to this, the Gospel is not, at its root, behavior modification initiated by human attitude and effort.

On the other hand, the message of hope that comes from the cross of Jesus Christ is eternal, complete, certain; and it is a gift embraced by faith alone.

That is our message -- and it changes lives beyond the grave. That message is unique to what the world says. The cross of Christ and the empty tomb stand alone as Truth. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, ". . . I will build My church . . . " And He would work through you to do so. In that same Gospel Jesus said, just prior to His ascension, "Go, (and as you are going, wherever you go) make disciples of all nations. . ."

Our Christian message of faith and hope is the message that will transform people, communities, indeed the world because it alone can transform hearts.

If you are interested in witnessing and becoming involved in mission opportunities look at the side bar on West Texas Currents. Also, take a look at what one West Texas Congregation is doing, go to the Church Door. For more information you may also email me at steven.misch@gmail.com

The Golden Rule of Evangelism

For a period of time, longer than my tenure in professional church work, I have been looking at and trying "Evangelism Techniques." Looking for the one that "works" I have tried Dialogue Evangelism. I have tried the "Roman Road." I have tried "Injoy Life." I have gone to neighborhood doors "cold turkey." I have visited those who have visited a Sunday morning worship service. I have witnessed to people who come in off the street "just to talk." I have spent time talking with Jehovah Witness types and with Mormon Missionaries. (I made them angry.)

In the 80's, while a pastor at Grace Lutheran, Del Rio, I constructed my own program. Using technology of the day, I put together an eighty-slide presentation including a sound track with music in the background that members could bring into the homes of friends and family. The thinking was that members would bring this tool to the homes of friends and family. Together, they would watch a twenty-minute slide presentation by me on a thirteen inch screen. As creative, resourceful, and doctrinally correct as this was, I'm not sure we could have paid people enough to watch. Still, it was a well-intended idea and the Word was proclaimed in homes.

The question remains. What is the best way? Is there a "method for evangelism" that is better than another?

The answer is unequivocally, "No."

The question then is, "What does work?" The Golden Rule comes to mind. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." In other words, when you engage in witnessing, be who you are and approach people the way in which you would like to be treated. And that is not the same for everyone.

Spend some time reflecting and discussing with a trusted member of the body of Christ which of the following statements best describe you? Do more than one describe you? To what degree?

• One of my favorite things is long talks with friends.
• Personally, I usually enjoy discussions and debates on difficult questions.
• When presented with a choice, I generally prefer to physically assist people in the name of Christ versus becoming involved in religious discussions.
• I am happiest when I am able to include new people in the activities in which I am involved.
• I often identify with people by stating, "I tend to think like that, too" or "I used to feel that way, too."
• I strongly feel that confronting friends with the truth can be more important than hurting their feelings.

Every one of the above is valid. Some people nurture long conversations while others get to the point quickly. Still others subscribe to service in Jesus' name as the greatest form of evangelism. They would agree with what Brennan Manning said: “The greatest single cause of atheism today is Christians who mouth Jesus with their lips but deny him by their lifestyle. That’s what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”

With these diagnostic statements you can see the entire spectrum of styles and approaches with which people are comfortable. These are the kinds of situations that apply to the Great Commission. "Go, and as you are going, make disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:19)

Having reflected and discussed how you might best relate to others according to your God-given personality, what kinds of activities would be the best compliment to your evangelism style?

A simple style may help discover your best environment for "making disciples."

Which is of the following is your style?

• Servant
• Invitational
• Relational
• Witness
• Intellectual
• Challenging

Perhaps it is a surprise or perhaps it is a confirmation of what you have been thinking all along. In either case, reflecting Christ to the people around you according to the person He has recreated you to be seems the best way to reach out to others.

We can embrace the differences of evangelism styles and spiritual giftedness and at the same time celebrate the unity we have in our Risen Lord.

Reference: Evangelization Teams in the Making, by Dorothy Hulbert

A Resolution for Others

I was out walking/running the other morning, (my own personal resolution) and I came up to a stop light. At the light was a construction pick-up with two men in the front seat. The one driving was "over-weight." The passenger was thin. I started to think how nice it would be to be thin (which is why I was out exercising) and then the passenger lit up a cigarette. No wonder he is thin. The driver probably had the resolve to quit smoking and now needed a different resolve if he wanted to be thin.

In the book "Strategy and the Fat Smoker," David Maister observes that people know what needs to be done to improve either a relationship, a product, a team, or one's health. The question is not "what needs to be done." The real question is, "Does that person or team have the resolve to make it happen?"

At the turn of this New Year, resolutions fly through the air like dust in a sunbeam. They have about as much substance as well. And it goes like this: If I want to lose weight, I have to exercise and eat well. As far as exercise goes, the commercial on T.V. says that one can exercise for thirty minutes, three times a week and get into great shape. I like that. I can do that. Which days? How about I do this on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I'll take the weekend off. Good plan. Monday works out okay. Wednesday comes and maybe I'll do this on Thursday and then Saturday. Thursday comes and I manage to go for thirty minutes. But Saturday is my day off. I'll wait until Monday. It's cold out on Monday and you see how this goes. In a couple of weeks I wonder what happened and so I start a new resolve.

This cycle is the case for most resolutions. Whether one is focusing on exercise or eating, reading or prayer, there is a resolve, the dissolution of which loses the benefit. God bless our resolutions.

In Scripture the word "resolution" does not exist. But the word "resolute" is used once in the NASB. Prothesis is the Greek word for "consecrated" or "purpose" and "resolve." Luke describes Barnabas as "encouraging them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord." (Acts 11:23). But the interesting note here is that this resolution comes from the grace of God in the context of rejoicing. Now the resolution is not a law or something I am determining to do out of my inadequacy. Rather, this resolve comes by rejoicing in the grace of God for the purpose of strengthening those in the fellowship of faith. Now we're getting somewhere.

Another Biblical resolution is reflected in the words of St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:2 where Paul writes, "For I am determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." Paul resolved, for the benefit of this struggling congregation to always point them to the cross and to the grace of God in Christ, that they would be strengthened in their faith and to rely on the power of God and not the power of man. This resolution was for the benefit of others.

One other resolution in Scripture comes in the form of a promise. In Genesis 3:15 God says to Satan, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, between her Seed and your seed. He will bruise your head. You will bruise His heel." I don't know how long the resolution of Barnabas lasted or the extent to which the goal was met. As for Paul, the Corinthian congregation needed a lot of attention and called for his determination. Both have encouraged Christians for twenty-one centuries. But the resolution which has benefit for all mankind is the fulfillment of the promise God made to Adam and Eve and all people everywhere. The resolution of God to draw all men to the cross of Jesus is one that will last for all eternity.

So the question is not, "What needs to be resolved?" Rather, the question is, "Is that resolution the thing in which you rejoice?" Or better yet, "Is that resolution for the benefit of others, specifically for their spiritual life in Christ?"

My personal resolutions have come and gone so many times that I forget what they have been. I only know that they are unfulfilled, and because of that, they are of little value for me or anyone else. On the other hand there is a resolution that has staying power and completion, the fulfillment of which has our best interest in mind. In fact, God's resolve became the restoration of all mankind. For that restoration, we have something in which to rejoice. Now we have something to bring to others this year.

God bless your New Year.