Lamplight 

Isaiah 43:18-19

“Remember not the former things nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I am doing something new, do you not see it?” 

This is the time when you’ll see a lot of programs on T.V. that look back at the significant events of 2011 and that is a good idea. Someone who is wise once said, “Those who don’t remember history are condemned to repeat it.”  We can learn from the past, from our victories and from our mistakes. 

I guess that’s why the Bible places such a high premium on memory.  There are 244 verses that call us to remember. For example in Deuteronomy 32 Moses sang new song about the old days, “Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations; ask your father and he will show you the elders and they will teach you.”  In other words those who are younger should ask those who are older what life was like back then, and how God moved. 

Now the people of Israel were great for remembering the old days.  Read the Old Testament and much of it sounds like the words of a parent to a teenager today. “You don’t have to do it just because your friends are doing it. I did it, and it was a foolish, and I don’t want you to make the same mistakes.” 

The Bible tells again and again that we ought to remember until we hit this prophecy in Isaiah, “Remember not the former things nor consider the things of old.” 

Now, I don’t believe that the Bible is squaring off against itself; that Moses and Isaiah are at opposite ends.  I don’t believe God has changed his mind.  I think he’s just telling us we need to have some balance.  We need perspective.  Sometimes we can get locked into the old days.  Memory can become a trap. 

That is what happened to Isaiah’s congregation.  For eighty years they had lived as strangers in a strange land.  Their grandparents had been hauled across a thousand miles of desert by a conquering Babylon army and there they served as slaves.   

To keep the memories alive, every night after dinner Grandpa would talk about the old days when he lived free in a land flowing with milk and honey.  He spoke of God and how great God was and the great things God did and the great men and women of faith who lived back then.  This was good and it was important, but all of it was in the past tense.   

So, after a while that’s the way people began to look at God – in the past tense.  Consequently, few considered that God might be with them today in the present tense, and fewer still had any notion that God might do something tomorrow in the future tense. 

That’s why God said, “Remember not the former things nor consider the things of old, behold I am doing something new, do you not see it?”  Do you have eyes to see and ears to hear? 

God of eternity, we know you old the future in the palm of your hands because you have promised through your Word, “I know the plans I’ve made for you for your welfare to give you a future and a hope.” Grant that we may have eyes to see this hope fulfilled in this coming year and throughout our lives.  Amen.

Lamplight

"Yes, I am coming quickly". Amen. Come Lord Jesus

Revelation 22:20

Nearly the last verse in the Bible quotes a promise from Jesus, "Yes, I am coming quickly." That was two thousand years ago, so we must wonder if he broke that promise or if his understanding of "quickly" is different than our own. I think the latter is true because the passage of time is a relative thing. For a child waiting on Christmas morning the few hours he or she must wait until Mom or Dad get up can seem like an eternity. But, when Grandma and Grandpa reminisce about Christmas’ past when their children were young it seems to them like they flew by in an instant. Though time is constant, our perception of it is not.

There is a lot of waiting in Christmas, and in fact there is a lot of anticipation in the Christian faith. We don’t receive all that God has to give all at once. The Bible says, "It doth not yet appear what we shall be." Growth is gradual and is filled with peaks and valleys. We look forward to those Christmas Eve moments when "all is calm and all is bright", but we must also struggle through those times when there seems precious little "joy in your world."

That is when we most fervently pray, "Come, Lord Jesus, Come." This final prayer in the Bible probably refers to Jesus’ Second Coming, to his return to our world, but it is also the same prayer anyone offers who needs Jesus in their life right now. Whether the Christmas season bodes joy or sorrow born from loss, the power of this prayer remains the same. A favorite Christmas Carol echoes our prayer:

O Holy Child of Bethlehem, Descend on us, we pray;

Cast out our sin and enter in, Be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels, The great glad tidings tell.

"O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel."

That’s where the "Merry" in Christmas really comes from, so to each a joyful and Christ-filled Christmas.

Lamp Light

“Desiring not to put her to shame,

Joseph resolved to divorce her quietly.”

Matthew 1:19 

          Relationships are full of surprises.  The things you learn about a person after you say, “I do” can either stretch or strain the bond that was created.  When God is present and central; the commitment and strength to face the obstacles follows.  Where God is absent those challenges can overwhelm.

          Joseph was a man of his times, and they shaped the expectations he had for Mary his bride-to-be.  First among those was that she would come to their honeymoon hotel innocent and inexperienced.  When it became known that Mary was with child, his marital vision shattered.  There was only one explanation that made any sense. 

          In that time the options would be two.  Either shame her publicly, in which case she could be stoned, or divorce her quietly so that she might have an opportunity to move to another community and create a new life.  What Joseph did not see, until God revealed, was a third option; marry her and raise the child as his own. 

          This Joseph did, and then he disappeared from scripture.  Not much is said about him after that, but I can’t help but think that much of Jesus’ understanding of what it meant to be a man must have come from his adoptive father.  He took on Joseph’s carpentry trade after all, and I’m sure that he learned from him more than how make a board straight. Joseph was also his model for manhood.  He saw in him decency and dignity.  Joseph gets short shrift, but quiet steady men often do. They find deeper rewards that extend beyond themselves to those around them and those that follow. 

          So, “Merry Christmas” Joseph. Without you the story may have ended before it began.

          Lord, we thank you for steady men whose actions speak louder than their words.  Grant that we may learn from them and from their example become an example of faith to those we hold near and dear.  Amen.

Lamplight

“No one is able to snatch them out of my hand.”

John 10:28 

          Once again, Jesus used the metaphor of Shepherd and Sheep to describe his relationship with those who follow him.  “My sheep hear my voice and follow, and I give them eternal life”, he said.  Discipleship is distilled down to its essence.  It is about hearing and following. 

          It sounds simple, but every genuine disciple has struggled with the question, “Am I really understanding what God wants me to do?”  That’s the life question that really matters, and most of us spend a lifetime trying to find the answer.  And when we do come to some conviction that this one thing in our lives is the will of God, we face the even more difficult task of following.  

          Sometimes obedience to God is easy, but most of the time it is a struggle, because there are, the Apostle Paul said, “principalities and powers” that would draw us away from God.  There are temptations that whisper to us that faith and obedience are too hard, and those with an apparent lack of faith seem to be doing all right.  They don’t seem to be struggling with their conscience.  Wouldn’t it be easier to live like that? 

          Jesus said, “no one can snatch us out of his hand.”  These principalities and powers and temptations do not have the power. They cannot take us out of our savior’s hand, but we can leave it.  We can decide to let go, but if we do life drifts farther away from God, and life becomes more empty.

Narrow Way

“Enter through the narrow gate…”

Matthew 7:13 

          For many professions there is a certification process to insure the competence of those who would practice medicine, or law, or ministry.  There is a narrow way that must be followed.  You cannot skip these steps and still be entrusted with someone’s gall bladder, or court case, or soul; and most of us are pretty happy about that. We want assurance that our physicians and lawyers and even ministers know what they’re doing. 

          When Jesus spoke of a relationship with God, he also spoke of a narrow way, but recognized this is not a popular view.  In fact, he said most prefer the wide “anything goes” path to life. Many prefer easy over hard, and so like water will seek the lowest level.   

          God has always been more interested in lifting people up than in letting them down.  From the beginning of creation the Lord had high hopes and still does.  That’s why Christ came into our world and our lives.  He is the narrow way described in this scripture, and following him can be difficult.  It requires spiritual discipline, which is why those who abide with him are called disciples.  

          Finding the longest line and standing in the back of it may insure your place among the majority, but finding Christ and standing behind him insures, the Bible says, your place with God.  When faced with the choice of listening to the mob or hearing the Word of the Lord, choose the narrow and sometimes hard way, and you will find you’ll get to the place both you and God want you to be.   

Stories

“Did not our hearts burn within us while he was opening up the scriptures?”

Luke 24:32

            The Bible first and foremost is a book about people and their encounters with God.  From Adam to Abraham and Moses to Jesus, scripture records the narrative of how people came to know and follow the Lord.  Theological reflection always followed something that happened. A voice from a burning bush, the parting of the Red Sea, a babe born in Bethlehem under an unusual star prompted someone to ask the questions, “Why has this happened? What does this mean?  What should we do?  Where is God leading?”

            On Easter Sunday, the risen Christ was making his way to Emmaus when he joined a couple of believers who were feeling discouraged at the news of the crucifixion. Their depression so clouded their vision they did not see Jesus for who he was.  Only after he prayed over broken bread were their eyes opened and their faith reborn.  Afterwards they wondered why they had not recognized him earlier because of the way they felt when he told them the old stories in the scriptures.  There was power in his Word.

            Although the Bible closes the canon with the words, “nothing shall be added and nothing taken away”, God continues to move in and through the lives of believers.  That’s why I so enjoy hearing people’s stories.  God does indeed “work in mysterious ways” and they are often quiet and simple.  Not everyone hears a voice from a burning bush or sees a shining star over a cradle, but every believer has had a moment when God became real. Every believer can describe a significant person, event, or experience that shaped their faith.  That’s why we sing, “This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.”

 My faith has always been encouraged as I listen to others share their stories.

That’s why I enjoy meeting with folks in their homes, praying for them in the hospital, or just sharing a few words over a cup of coffee or a meal.  If this is something you’re interested in, please feel free to give me a call to set up some time together.  If you’d rather meet in a small group the Deacons are arranging some fellowship times.  The schedule is found in this newsletter.  This will be an informal time to get to know each other.  During our coffee and conversation I will be sharing a little bit of my faith journey and how I came to be here and what are my hopes and dreams for this congregation. I hope to hear yours as well. There are different times and places so I hope you will make some time to share in the future God intends.  I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you.

In Christ’s service,

Greg

             

Choices

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.”

Joshua 24:15

          Every time we drive through a fast food restaurant, or stroll down a grocery store aisle, or wander through a used car lot we face choices, decisions that have to be made.  When we choose one thing it often means we’ve decided against something else.  Our new car will either be a convertible or it won’t.

          Choices can be hard because instead of either/or we often want both/and.  We want to have our cake and eat it too.  The folks to whom Joshua spoke were both/and kind of people.  They wanted to worship the God who had brought them out of the land of bondage, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but they also wanted to hedge their bets.  Their Amorite neighbors worshipped a god called Baal who guaranteed good crops and healthy babies.

          So, they tried to have it both ways.  On the Sabbath they worshipped the God who created heaven and earth, and then during the rest of the week they worshipped at the altar of an idol one who promised wealth and prosperity.  It seemed to them to be the best of both worlds.

          But, Joshua stood up at Shechem and declared a choice must be made.  God who laid the foundation of the world would not play second fiddle to a golden idol.  Both/and cannot work in matters of the spirit because such things reach deep into the heart and a divided heart can never find peace.  So, “choose this day whom you will serve”, and let that decision become the rock upon which you stand.

Grant us wisdom to choose rightly, O Lord.  Lead us down that narrow path that leads to salvation we pray.  Amen

Resurrection Day

 “Peace be with you.

When he said this, he showed them his hands and side.”

John 20:20

When our resurrected Lord first appeared, even his closest friends could not believe their eyes.  They had seen him dead and buried in a tomb sealed with a great stone and guarded by soldiers. They expected him to stay there. Everyone did.  So, on Easter evening when he “appeared in a room, the doors being shut”; the disciples didn’t know what to make of it.  Was he a ghost?  Were they hallucinating?  Was it just wishful thinking?

Then Jesus showed them his hands and side.  That is, he showed them his wounds.  Later he even invited Thomas to touch them.  That was the proof that convinced him and prompted his confession of faith, “My Lord and my God.”

The Bible says that when we are raised to eternal life we shall be given a new body “glorious and incorruptible”.  Disabilities and incapacities will not follow us for eternity.  The blind shall see and the lame shall walk.

But, Jesus kept his wounds.  Why?  His wounds remained so that we might be reminded of the price he paid for our salvation.  Grace is not cheap.  Every time we consider the cross the depth of Christ’s love is revealed.

Easter means little to those who gloss over Good Friday.  The resurrection holds little meaning for those who deny the power of death.  But, for those who have experienced the grief that comes from loss; for those who’ve experienced the regret that comes from guilt; the power of the cross and the hope of Easter morning offer new possibilities and a new promise.

Palm Sunday

 “What are you doing untying the colt?”

Mark 11:5

          What would you do if a total stranger came up to you at the mall and asked to borrow your car and promised that it would be returned?  What would you do if Jesus told you to go up to a total stranger at the mall and ask to borrow her car assuring her that it would be returned?  Chances are you’d not be too pleased to be asked or to do the asking.  Yet, that is how the events of Palm Sunday began.  You’ll not find a clearer definition of faith in all of scripture.

          When those disciples showed up in Bethany and untied the donkey, the owner quite naturally asked them what they thought they were doing?  Scripture does not describe his tone, but I imagine his question carried some force.  When they responded, as Jesus told them, by saying, “The Lord has need of it, and will send it back soon”; this man had a faith decision to make.  Do I believe them?  Do I believe Jesus?

          His answer to that question is not recorded with words, but with action.  He let them have the donkey, believing that the Lord would use it for a good purpose and that it would be returned.  Perhaps he had heard Jesus’ promise, “Give and it will be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over.  For the measure you given will be the measure you get back.” (Luke 6:38) 

          Although scripture doesn’t say, I imagine that donkey held a special place among that man’s possessions.  People may have asked, “Is this the one?”  Whenever he answered, “Yes”, he was reminded that when he acted in faith, he was not disappointed.   

Sanctuary 

 “My house shall be called a house of prayer,

but you have made it a den of thieves.”

Matthew 21:13

          Jesus had a high view of worship.  He believed that people need a place for sanctuary, a place that is set apart from the hustle and bustle of worldly affairs, a place for worship and prayer.  This did not mean that people cannot worship and pray in other places, for he often withdrew to “the lonely place” or to a garden.  But, he recognized that too many distractions often divert us from these spiritual disciplines.  We need a set-apart place to sharpen our focus.

          When Jesus discovered that the one place people ought to be able to worship and pray – the Temple – was filled with turbulence of a carnival; he let loose with the greatest display of anger you find from him in all of scripture.  The moneychangers brought the practice of the everyday world to the one place people should be able to find refuge. That, Jesus could not abide. He turned their tables upside down.

          Modern day worship faces similar struggles.  Ringing cell phones and pre-worship chatter divert us from the main task at hand and that is to come before the Lord bringing the best and worst of ourselves. People sometimes enter a sanctuary with no sense at all that they are standing on “holy ground”.  This derives perhaps from low expectations.  Some may not really believe that God can be found in this place and so do not receive the spiritual direction and encouragement that follows true worship.  That kind of worship, Jesus said, is always characterized by “spirit and truth”.

          So, the next time you go to church take a few moments to settle in and settle down.  Release the tensions of the week.  Breathe in and breathe out and open yourself up to the possibility that God is really there and that God does care.

Bring us back to the heart of worship, we pray O Lord. Remind us that it is indeed all about you.  Create in us a sanctuary where we might catch of glimpse of your holiness and experience the touch of your love.  Amen.

Compassion Fatigue

And Jesus said to them,

“How many loaves have you?”

Luke 15:34

          For three days the crowd gathered around Jesus.  They brought “the lame, the maimed, the blind, the deaf, and many others.”  Jesus healed all comers.  On the sidelines the disciples watched, happy to have front row seats that allowed them to see the action close up.

          But, three days is a long time away from home, especially when this spur-of-the-moment revival brought people into the country without much preparation.  They were getting hungry.  Jesus thought it best to wrap things up and send them home, but he worried that some may have fasted for three days now and would not have the strength for the journey.

          It would be best to feed them first.  Nice sentiment, but where would the food come from?  Jesus looked each disciple straight in the eye and asked, “How many loaves have you?”  Well, it’s one thing to sit front row center and watch Jesus perform mighty acts of God, and quite another to get involved, especially if that participation requires sacrifice.  Besides, the bean counters among the disciples counted the beans and quickly determined that there would not be nearly enough.  What’s the use?  The need outpaced the resources.  Why try?

          What they did not figure on was God’s power to multiply offerings of faith.  After a long silence some loaves and a few fish were placed in the offering plate. Jesus prayed and passed it around. The need was met and thousands were fed. No one went home hungry, because some shared and God increased the blessing.  God has blessed us and calls us to bless us others even when the need seems too great and our resources too small. One preacher put it this way, "Without God we can’t - without us God won’t."

You have created us God of grace and generosity in your image and so we are called to share even when we grow weary in well-doing.  Let us trust once more in your power to use our small resources in big ways.  Amen.

  

Sufficient Grace  

 “You know it was because of a physical infirmity

that I first announced the gospel to you.”

Galatians 4:13

          Sometimes people say, “If you have your health; you have everything”, but most of the time we don’t think much about it. We take it for granted. Only when we are sick or have received a serious diagnosis do we start to pay attention. If the illness is bad enough it will soon consume all of our thoughts. It can affect our spirits as well. 

          The Apostle Paul had a physical problem that was so severe it inhibited his missionary travels. That’s why he preached the gospel in Galatia. He couldn’t travel anywhere else at that time. We don’t know the specific nature of his problem, but most believe it affected his sight. His reference in verse 15 concerning their willingness to give him their own eyes, and his “large print” salutation at the end of the letter indicates that he had some problem with his vision.

          His response to that handicap was probably the same as anyone who faces this kind of challenge. He prayed and prayed persistently. “Three times I appealed to the Lord about this thorn in the flesh that it would leave me.” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9)  God’s response was not what he was looking for.  Paul wanted to see clearly, but God said instead, “My grace is sufficient for thee, my power is made perfect in your weakness.” Paul would have to learn to live with this particular disability. 

          That’s what he did.  His spirit was not trampled by the limitations of his body. His ministry was hindered, but his faith was not crushed. He really did seem to believe that “God’s grace would be sufficient.” He continued to preach “Good News” and may even have been more effective in reaching people who had problems like his own. They would know he understood what they were going through and that can make a big difference. 

          When facing a serious illness there are two spiritual paths one can follow. You can get angry with God and go it alone, or you can turn to the Lord and ask his help and comfort even when you do not understand why and the pain seems too great. When the body fails all we can do is turn to God if we are to find any hope at all. 

     David cried out to you O Lord and you answered his prayer and “increased the strength of his soul.” (Psalm 138:3)  So do I call upon you for encouragement and hope and for “your very present help in times of trouble.” Through Jesus Christ the great physician I pray.  Amen.

         

         

Follow Me 

 “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”

Immediately they left their nets and followed.

Matthew 4:19-20 

          The Gospels are elegant in their simplicity, but sometimes their economy of words can be frustrating. When Jesus asked Peter and Andrew, James and John to drop what they were doing and follow him – they did.  Just like that they turned on a dime.  There has to be more to the story. Something else must have been said. People don’t just quit their jobs like that and begin a new spiritual journey.  Or do they? 

          Sometimes they do. Seminaries are filled with “second career” folks who left lucrative positions to prepare for a ministry that will never pay them what they used to make. When you ask them, “Why”, there is always more to the story. Long before they made the decision God had been working in their lives – preparing them for that pivotal moment. 

What probably wasn’t described in the gospel account was the Spirit prompting Peter to look for deeper meaning and greater hope.  He would not have dropped his nets and followed Jesus had he not already been thinking that there must be something more to life than what he was experiencing.  He would not have followed Jesus had he not some idea that Jesus might be able to lead him to what he was looking for. 

          In those beginning days with Jesus, Peter just followed his “gut”.  He had no theology of Christ, of who Jesus really was and what God was calling him to do. Still, deep inside he knew that the important answers to life’s questions only come from God and Jesus seemed nearer to God than anyone he knew. So, he dropped his net and followed.  I doubt he thought this would lead to a permanent career change.  Even after Jesus’ resurrection we find Peter back at the nets. But, he was willing to put down the nets for a little while so that he could attend to the matters of the soul. 

If there’s a lesson for us in that story – this is it. Sometimes we have to drop our nets if only for a Sabbath’s rest and worship on a Sunday morning to make time to attend to the matters of the soul.  Faith is a day-by-day journey.  Life situation and circumstance calls to make the choice to follow Jesus again and again. The words of the old hymn remind us:

“I have decided to follow Jesus;

I have decided to follow Jesus,

I have decided to follow Jesus,

no turning back, no turning back.” 

Lord, the poet once wrote, “Two roads diverged in the woods and I took the road less traveled – and that has made all the difference.” So does the decision I make to follow you. Keep me on the narrow path I pray in the name and through the power of Christ.  Amen.

Seckman Network 1

Seckman Network 2

Statement of Faith

Gregory D. Seckman 

            “In the beginning God…” This is the first statement of faith.  All that follows is the attempt to understand the nature and character of God “whose ways are not our ways and whose thoughts are not our thoughts.”  Knowing God focuses on “the Word made flesh” and the Word revealed in scripture.  Faithful interpretation of the Word requires conversation with others and personal reflection as one listens for the “still small voice” of God.

            “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  Everything seen and unseen, everything that has ever been and ever will be comes through God.  That which God creates, God creates to be good. 

            “In the beginning God created humanity, male and female in God’s image.” In that act of creation we were given the responsibility to care for the garden and the opportunity to grow in love and community with the Lord and each other.  With one commandment God gave the gift of freedom and the responsibility to use that gift faithfully. This freedom includes both possibilities of fulfillment of God’s intent or resistance to and even rejection of those hopes and dreams for humanity. 

            From the beginning we have resisted God’s call to live in love and rejected the Lord’s hope for life lived in a faithful caring community of faith.  This rejection, which the Bible calls sin has severe consequence: separation from God, which leads to destruction and separation from others which leads to isolation. 

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Out of great love God came into our world through a babe born in Bethlehem to redeem and bring reconciliation.  Jesus Christ is unique in all of history because in him God and humanity inseparably intertwined into one individual. In Jesus’ words and actions and especially his death and resurrection “the fullness of God was pleased to dwell”. 

            By the cross Christ redeems and reconciles.  Justice and mercy, righteousness and grace come together.  The holiness and love of God expressed and demonstrated through this sacrifice offer the way that leads to salvation.  This was confirmed by the historical resurrection and is revealed in the heart of every believer who affirms Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 

            As we are called to become the Church, the body of Christ, God continues to move in an ongoing way.  The Holy Spirit calls people to repentance that leads to salvation and follows with guidance, healing, and comfort.  The movement of the Holy Spirit is always confirmed and never contradicted by the revealed Word. 

            God’s people are called to express their faith through attitude and action, through word and deed to fulfill both the great commandment and the great commission.  We are to minister to body and soul.  In order to help us to this end, the Lord has given means of grace to unite the community of faith and strengthen our resolve.  We mark entrance into the faith community with water.  In Baptism God extends a hand of grace to individuals welcoming them into the community and initiating a covenant between that community and the individual.  The community commits to nurture and lead the individual to decision and discipleship. 

            The Lord’s Supper reminds us of God’s redeeming work in the past and promises Christ’s presence and power for today.  Worship, prayer, study, service and participation in the fellowship of believers are also means of grace God has given to help us grow. 

            God exists in a community of three-in-one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  They are equal and interwoven with each other. In the Trinity the functions of creating, redeeming, and sustaining are carried out. Those in the community of faith also have different functions, yet each is also equal and connected with the other.  In this way we better reflect the image of God “in whom we live and move and have our being.” 

Plumb Line

 “Like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house.”

1 Peter 2:5

His name was George and he laid bricks.  Each day when he went to work he placed one brick on top of another and eventually a home or office building or church appeared.  One day I asked George what was the secret to laying bricks?  I knew there was more to it than meets the eye.

George said, “Two things.”  First and most important is the plumb line.  That is the standard against which all the bricks are measured.  Forget that and after a while bit by bit the wall begins to tilt and eventually fall over. The second thing is that good bricklayers will not be rushed. Before moving on to the next brick measure and re-measure what you’ve done and compare it to the architect’s plan.

The Apostle Peter used this image to describe the construction of the church – the church as the people of God.  The most important thing in that is the plumb line, the standard against which we are measured.  It is clear the life and words of Jesus Christ serve as our plumb line. He is the one to whom we measure ourselves.  Second, we need to reflect on what we’ve done and consider what we do in relationship to the architect’s plan. Spiritual growth takes time.  It cannot be rushed, so make the time to pray and study the architect’s plans so that you can stand tall and straight in the sight of God.

The building of God’s church continues, and we are the living stones God uses.  Pray that we – that you will yield yourself to His hand.

The church was your idea, O Lord. You have called us to be your body. Help us when we rely on our own plans rather than yours. Build us to be the people you’ve called us to be. Amen

What's Your App? Part 1 Video Sermon

John 7:37-38

What's Your App? Part 2

John 7:37-38

Ash Wednesday

“So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplication, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.”

Daniel 9:3

          This form of prayer is foreign to many in modern times, but it was standard practice in the ancient world.  In order to convey to the Lord the seriousness of your request, you prayed after you had fasted, dressed in rough clothing and covered your head in ashes.  Presumably such a pitiful sight would appeal to God’s compassion, and your prayer request would be granted.  At least that’s how this practice was often understood.

          There may be another reason for this custom.  In the next verse Daniel acknowledged the faithfulness and compassion of God.  He believed God’s grace was not stingy waiting only for our humiliation.  He believed God would provide out of love and compassion.

          Perhaps the ashes are to serve as reminders of our spiritual condition.  They prompt us to remember that “we have sinned, committed iniquity, and rebelled.”  They are not the only material markers for our spiritual discipline.  Many wear a cross around their necks, or carry a nail in their pockets, or hang a picture of Jesus on a wall. We use water to baptize and eat the bread and drink of the cup.  We don’t worship these things, but they can help us to focus on what is important. They direct our attention to matters of the spirit.

          The ashes which mark the beginning of the season of Lent take us back to ancient days.  Christians have worn the smudge of the cross not to convince God to be merciful, but rather to remind us of how gracious God is.  “To the Lord belongs compassion and forgiveness.”

“From dust we have come and to dust we shall return, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through his son Jesus Christ.”

Covered by Love

“Above all, maintain constant love for one another,

for love covers a multitude of sins.”

1 Peter 4:8

            When Peter wrote these words, was he thinking of that day on the shores of Galilee years before when Jesus asked him, Peter do you love me?”  Was he thinking of the night on which Jesus was betrayed and Peter denied him again and again, “I never knew the man.”  When Peter wrote these words was he remembering the love Jesus showed on that Galilean shore reflected in the words, “Feed my sheep”?

            Love does indeed cover a multitude of sins, which is fortunate because sin seems to be part and parcel of our daily existence.  All of us have been hurt and have hurt others in ways we never intended. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  If everyone operated by the Levitical law “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”, then we’d all be half-blind and toothless. Only grace can break the endless cycle of retribution. Only love can cover a multitude of sins.

            Why? Well, it is the soil in which the seeds of forgiveness can be planted and grow. That’s why Jesus repeatedly calls those who follow him to lead lives governed by love and forgiveness.  His very life bears testimony to God’s love for each of us, and the crosses we wear around our necks or see on Church steeples remind us of the promise, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

“We love, O Lord, because you first loved us. Grant that our lives may reflect more and more of your love that covers a multitude of sins. Amen”

No Comparison 

“When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”

Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?  Follow me.”

John 21: 22

            From the time we first become aware we begin to compare.  Toddlers will carefully measure their parent’s love to insure that a sibling does not get more time and attention than they.  Christmas presents are counted to make sure everyone is treated the same in number and quality, and if the distribution seems unfair will quickly exclaim, “She got more than me!”  When we go to school we soon learn that our performance will be graded and measured against our classmates and that continues into the workplace.  Most of us spend our whole lives evaluating ourselves to see if we measure up.

            Churches do that as well.  There is always a congregation nearby that seems to be doing better: drawing more young people, filling up the parking lot, and building a new addition.  Folks will drive by that church and then gather over coffee in their own and wonder, “Why can’t our church be like that? Why can’t we be like them?” The answer to that question often leads to a feeble attempt at imitation.  Churches try to replicate programs or worship styles of their more successful neighbor, but it never turns out the same.  They can’t really become like their neighbor and it may be that they are not supposed to.

            At the end of the gospel of John, after Jesus gave Peter his marching orders, “Feed my sheep”. Peter swivels his head around and points to John and asks, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus essentially responds, “What is that to you?”  The implication is clear.  Peter is supposed to focus on the mission Jesus gave him and not worry about the mission Jesus gives to John.  Each has their calling and their own ministry.

            Jesus concludes his message to Peter, “Follow me.”  That’s all that matters. Focus on where God is leading you and on what the Lord may be calling your church to do and let others do the same.

            Lord, you have created each of us unique with our own gifts and abilities.  You called us to use those in our own way. But, we confess we often covet others and so try to become a pale imitation.  Keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith so that we may be who you created us to be.  Amen.