Hi all,
It has been a while, but for anyone who is still reading, I felt like it was time to share a thought.
Yesterday, I was with my wife and one-year-old daughter in the car on our way to a dinner out. As we drove down the road, the car in front of us for a particular stretch had a bumper sticker that led to a discussion in our own car. It read something like this: "Obedient women are never remembered by history." I'm sure the thought was that, for a woman to be really heroic, she has to stand up against the "status quo" and be willing to assert herself. Don't simply be a pawn in the "man's" game.
But I wondered what the implications of that message might be for our daughter strapped into her car seat in the back, and if that statement was actually true at all. I understand that, in our culture, "obedience" is something of a dirty word, akin to "subservience." But the Scriptures shed a far more positive light on the word. In fact, some of the Bible's most famous and most heroic women stand out precisely because of their risky obedience to God - risky in the sense that they had no guarantees of success or safety for being obedient. Esther is a woman who immediately came to mind. We are told that she was a very beautiful woman, but perhaps the thing that was most beautiful about her was her devotion to God and her willingness to stand for His people and to do what is right, regardless of what might happen to her. Another example is Deborah, a judge who led Israel during a low time in their history and challenged the men around her to be the leaders that God had called them to be. Yet another example are the Marys of the New Testament, the mother of Jesus whom "all generations will call blessed," and the friend of Jesus who anointed His feet and whose actions are recounted for every succeeding generation through the Gospel accounts. Today, July 16, is actually the day in which the Church commemorates Ruth, another faithful woman who lived by faith in God and trusted in Him despite the fact that she wasn't even part of God's chosen people to begin with.
Here's my point: godly women who live in obedience to Christ and fulfill the vocations God has given them to do need not feel ashamed. God remembers them forever, and allows their memory to stand as an example to His people for generations to come. I thank God for a beautiful, godly wife, and my prayer for my daughter is that she'll take her lead from Ruth, Deborah, Esther, and the Marys, and not from a bumper sticker.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Monday, November 14, 2011
Living in God's two realms and dealing with sin
Good morning!
The events that unfolded last week at Penn State University have shed light on a pattern of behavior and abuse that is heart-wrenching to think about. So many young people abused and harmed - physically, emotionally, and probably spiritually. As Christians who might at any point be placed in the same position as Joe Paterno and others at Penn State, how does God instruct us to respond if we are made aware of such abuse? Dr. Dale Meyer offers this response and gives us a picture of how God's two realms (church and state) relate to each other.
What happened at Penn State is despicable on many counts. Think about the case in terms of church and state. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:35), meaning His church is not so much here-and-now as it is eternal, not so much physical as it is spiritual. That leaves a need for some kind of government for the here-and-now earthly good of everyone. That’s why God instituted earthly governments. “The one in authority is God’s servant for your good,” says Romans 13:1, and we add for the good of children, obviously.
When Jesus says we should turn the other cheek, when He says we should forgive, He’s talking about how you deal personally with injustice done to you (Matthew 5:39; 6:12). He’s not saying turn the other way when you see sexual abuse or, if you’re in a position of authority, Jesus isn’t saying forgive and let it go. Remember, God instituted the state for the protection of all. Rulers “are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” The instant you see sexual abuse, the instant you receive a report, you’re in the realm of the state. “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21).
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Responding to difficulty
Hello again!
I offer you another reflection from Dr. Dale Meyer in the aftermath of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene...
Hurricane Irene has left. I keep thinking about the old song. “Irene, goodnight. Irene, goodnight. Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene, I’ll see you in my dreams.”
Millions are seeing Irene in their dreams, Irene the nightmare. My extensive scholarly research… not really, I just went to Wikipedia, reveals the song has been recorded about 30 times. The first was in 1934 by some performer named “Lead Belly;” the last in 2009 by “Deer Tick.” “Deer Tick?” What strikes me is that disaster, troubles and suffering come again and again and again, just like all the performances of “Good Night, Irene.”
How we receive suffering reveals much about our faith. It’s like looking in a mirror. “This is unfair; this shouldn’t happen to me,” says we have some righteousness, some merit before God. Taking it, granted no one wants to suffer, but taking it as someone who has no inherent righteousness before God reveals someone totally passive, ready for God’s grace to His fallen, weak creatures. Does suffering make you assert your righteousness before God…or your dependence?
“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. No merit of my own I claim but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.”
In the midst of pain or difficulty in our lives which often doesn't have a good explanation, do we come to God asserting our rights ("I don't deserve this!") or asking for His mercy? There are no such things as entitlements with God, only the promise that He will never go back on His Word. Cling to His promises!
I offer you another reflection from Dr. Dale Meyer in the aftermath of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene...
Hurricane Irene has left. I keep thinking about the old song. “Irene, goodnight. Irene, goodnight. Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene, I’ll see you in my dreams.”
Millions are seeing Irene in their dreams, Irene the nightmare. My extensive scholarly research… not really, I just went to Wikipedia, reveals the song has been recorded about 30 times. The first was in 1934 by some performer named “Lead Belly;” the last in 2009 by “Deer Tick.” “Deer Tick?” What strikes me is that disaster, troubles and suffering come again and again and again, just like all the performances of “Good Night, Irene.”
How we receive suffering reveals much about our faith. It’s like looking in a mirror. “This is unfair; this shouldn’t happen to me,” says we have some righteousness, some merit before God. Taking it, granted no one wants to suffer, but taking it as someone who has no inherent righteousness before God reveals someone totally passive, ready for God’s grace to His fallen, weak creatures. Does suffering make you assert your righteousness before God…or your dependence?
“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. No merit of my own I claim but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.”
In the midst of pain or difficulty in our lives which often doesn't have a good explanation, do we come to God asserting our rights ("I don't deserve this!") or asking for His mercy? There are no such things as entitlements with God, only the promise that He will never go back on His Word. Cling to His promises!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Refined
Hello again!
This morning, I found this devotion in my email inbox from Dale Meyer, former Lutheran Hour speaker and current president of Concordia Seminary. Perhaps it is one that you can relate to on a personal level. The Scriptures give us perspective to understand (at least in part) that God desires to use trials in our lives for our good, to refine us.
My friend Bill shared an e-mail about a woman who visited the shop of a silversmith. The silversmith held a piece of silver over the fire, explaining that the silver had to be held in the very middle of the fire to burn away any impurities. The woman, a Bible student, had thought of Malachi 3:3 God "will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
She asked the silversmith if he had to be there the whole time and he answered, yes. He had to hold and keep his eye on the silver. Otherwise the silver might be in the fire too long and be destroyed.
"How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" she asked. "Oh, that's easy," he answered, "when I see my image in it."
That anonymous e-mail helps us understand tough days. "The Lord watches over you" (Psalm 121:5). And the refining of Christians will achieve its goal. "He who has begun a good work in you will bring it to completion until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). On that day, fully refined, you'll see Him face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12).
How else can we understand this strange statement of James, "Consider it pure joy...whenever you face trials of many kinds?" (James 1:2).
God grant us patience and grace to undergo trials with faith and to welcome His refining work in our lives.
This morning, I found this devotion in my email inbox from Dale Meyer, former Lutheran Hour speaker and current president of Concordia Seminary. Perhaps it is one that you can relate to on a personal level. The Scriptures give us perspective to understand (at least in part) that God desires to use trials in our lives for our good, to refine us.
My friend Bill shared an e-mail about a woman who visited the shop of a silversmith. The silversmith held a piece of silver over the fire, explaining that the silver had to be held in the very middle of the fire to burn away any impurities. The woman, a Bible student, had thought of Malachi 3:3 God "will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
She asked the silversmith if he had to be there the whole time and he answered, yes. He had to hold and keep his eye on the silver. Otherwise the silver might be in the fire too long and be destroyed.
"How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" she asked. "Oh, that's easy," he answered, "when I see my image in it."
That anonymous e-mail helps us understand tough days. "The Lord watches over you" (Psalm 121:5). And the refining of Christians will achieve its goal. "He who has begun a good work in you will bring it to completion until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). On that day, fully refined, you'll see Him face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12).
How else can we understand this strange statement of James, "Consider it pure joy...whenever you face trials of many kinds?" (James 1:2).
God grant us patience and grace to undergo trials with faith and to welcome His refining work in our lives.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Are you really looking forward to heaven?
Romans 8 has come up in the LCMS lectionary recently, a portion of Scripture that I find to be very exciting. This week, as I prepare to preach on Romans 8:18-27, I've been thinking about the promise of resurrection and new creation - the glorious inheritance of the children of God. At the same time, I've been reading the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn. I haven't gone too far into the book yet, but I can appreciate the argument he makes for why he wrote it in the first place.
Alcorn recounts that many Christians he has encountered simply do not have an accurate understanding of what heaven is like, especially after Christ's return on the Last Day. Many have been influenced by popular portrayals of heaven consisting of clouds and halos and harps and not much else. Others have heard heaven described as an eternal church service (which is hardly attractive to many who have a heard time sitting through 60-65 minutes on any given week). Still others have been told that we can't imagine what is in store, which is a well-meaning statement meant to communicate that heaven will be awesome, but which can often stop people from at least trying to imagine what God has in store. As a result, Alcorn argues that most people don't have a vision of heaven that inspires them to eagerly desire the day of its coming - in fact, for many, the prospect of spending an eternity in any given location (even a really nice one) seems tedious. "Won't we get bored after a while?" some ask.
I have to confess that I personally didn't know what to think about heaven growing up, either. Time spent in God's presence with friends and family sounded great, but I also had the "boredom" question. Of course, thoughts of spending eternity in hell, suffering and separated from God, scared the bejeezers (a technical theological term, of course) out of me, and I much preferred heaven, however it might turn out.
Alcorn sets out in his book to recapture a true biblical understanding of what heaven is. At the heart of his argument is God's affirmation of His creation, both in proclaiming it "good" in Genesis 1 and in declaring it "good" again by sending His Son to become a human being and redeem it. When Jesus comes again, he isn't coming to take us away from the earth. He is coming to finally free the earth from the Curse and restore it to be the ultimate home that He can share with His redeemed and resurrected brothers and sisters. Alcorn argues that the Scriptures give us a picture of heaven that we can legitimately long for and anticipate with great joy and excitement.
Is there a particular aspect of God's promised new creation that you find exciting? Please share in the comments.
Alcorn recounts that many Christians he has encountered simply do not have an accurate understanding of what heaven is like, especially after Christ's return on the Last Day. Many have been influenced by popular portrayals of heaven consisting of clouds and halos and harps and not much else. Others have heard heaven described as an eternal church service (which is hardly attractive to many who have a heard time sitting through 60-65 minutes on any given week). Still others have been told that we can't imagine what is in store, which is a well-meaning statement meant to communicate that heaven will be awesome, but which can often stop people from at least trying to imagine what God has in store. As a result, Alcorn argues that most people don't have a vision of heaven that inspires them to eagerly desire the day of its coming - in fact, for many, the prospect of spending an eternity in any given location (even a really nice one) seems tedious. "Won't we get bored after a while?" some ask.
I have to confess that I personally didn't know what to think about heaven growing up, either. Time spent in God's presence with friends and family sounded great, but I also had the "boredom" question. Of course, thoughts of spending eternity in hell, suffering and separated from God, scared the bejeezers (a technical theological term, of course) out of me, and I much preferred heaven, however it might turn out.
Alcorn sets out in his book to recapture a true biblical understanding of what heaven is. At the heart of his argument is God's affirmation of His creation, both in proclaiming it "good" in Genesis 1 and in declaring it "good" again by sending His Son to become a human being and redeem it. When Jesus comes again, he isn't coming to take us away from the earth. He is coming to finally free the earth from the Curse and restore it to be the ultimate home that He can share with His redeemed and resurrected brothers and sisters. Alcorn argues that the Scriptures give us a picture of heaven that we can legitimately long for and anticipate with great joy and excitement.
Is there a particular aspect of God's promised new creation that you find exciting? Please share in the comments.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
A Creation Groaning to Be Made New
Hello everyone!
Forgive my short absence, but a lot has happened since I last posted. On Friday, June 24, my wife and I welcomed our firstborn into the world - a daughter, Eliana Lois. She is a cutey who has stolen her daddy's heart and who has changed her parents' lives forever.
To be in that delivery room as my wife valiantly strained toward the birth of our little one was a humbling experience. Emotions are heightened. In one moment, there is pain, frustration, and exhaustion. I even caught myself thinking at one point, "What if birth doesn't happen? What if we can't make it to the finish?" Blessedly, that fleeting thought was not a premonition of things to come. Hard work, pushing, and pain intensified, and then in a moment it was done and seemingly forgotten as our little girl emerged into the arms of her mother.
Even though we have no evidence that Paul was ever married or a father, it seems that he is intimately knowledgeable about the process of childbirth as he writes Romans 8:22-23: "For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." With every tornado, hurricane, wildfire, flood, drought, and earthquake, we experience a creation groaning toward a hoped-for finish. We experience in our own bodies the same phenomenon as we are given a front-row seat to our own frailty and mortality. We might be tempted to ask ourselves the question, "What if new birth never happens? What if we can't make it to the finish?" But just as such a fear didn't translate into reality in the delivery room, so God promises that it won't be reality for us either. Creation, groaning, will at last reach its fulfillment. We, presently falling apart, will reach our fulfillment. And in an instant, pain and frustration will give way to unspeakable joy and new creation. Consider the turn around from Good Friday to Resurrection Sunday...
As every mother knows, pregnancy and labor doesn't last forever, even if it feels like it at the time. Thanks be to God!
Forgive my short absence, but a lot has happened since I last posted. On Friday, June 24, my wife and I welcomed our firstborn into the world - a daughter, Eliana Lois. She is a cutey who has stolen her daddy's heart and who has changed her parents' lives forever.
To be in that delivery room as my wife valiantly strained toward the birth of our little one was a humbling experience. Emotions are heightened. In one moment, there is pain, frustration, and exhaustion. I even caught myself thinking at one point, "What if birth doesn't happen? What if we can't make it to the finish?" Blessedly, that fleeting thought was not a premonition of things to come. Hard work, pushing, and pain intensified, and then in a moment it was done and seemingly forgotten as our little girl emerged into the arms of her mother.
Even though we have no evidence that Paul was ever married or a father, it seems that he is intimately knowledgeable about the process of childbirth as he writes Romans 8:22-23: "For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." With every tornado, hurricane, wildfire, flood, drought, and earthquake, we experience a creation groaning toward a hoped-for finish. We experience in our own bodies the same phenomenon as we are given a front-row seat to our own frailty and mortality. We might be tempted to ask ourselves the question, "What if new birth never happens? What if we can't make it to the finish?" But just as such a fear didn't translate into reality in the delivery room, so God promises that it won't be reality for us either. Creation, groaning, will at last reach its fulfillment. We, presently falling apart, will reach our fulfillment. And in an instant, pain and frustration will give way to unspeakable joy and new creation. Consider the turn around from Good Friday to Resurrection Sunday...
As every mother knows, pregnancy and labor doesn't last forever, even if it feels like it at the time. Thanks be to God!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Therefore
Here at St. Peter this weekend, we had the opportunity to bid farewell and Godspeed to a faithful pastor of this congregation for over 18 years, Pastor Rob Kasper. In his final sermon to us, Pastor Kasper urged us to understand our identity as the people of God and to live in the proper "therefore."
"Therefore" is a significant word in the Scriptures, setting us up to understand a present reality made possible by a truth that is already established and accomplished. Because we are simultaneously saints and sinners, we live in a couple "therefores" at the same time:
We live in the "therefore" of death. That is the message of God's just law. Sinners do not go unpunished. Perhaps in this life there is a measure that people get away with, but that will not be the reality forever. Paul says clearly in Romans 6, "The wages of sin is death." We are sinners - therefore, we have a justly given death sentence for our rebellion against the Creator of all life. But the grave is not the only place where this condition of ours makes itself known. Sin doesn't always kill us all at once - sometimes it takes its time, because in taking its time, it has a better chance to infect and destroy the relationships we have with those around us.
However, we live in a better, more glorious "therefore" because we are God's saints, His chosen holy ones because of Jesus: we live in the "therefore" of life. This was the "therefore" that Pastor Kasper had us dwell in and consider this weekend. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:58, "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." This "therefore" is an admonition to confident trust in the Lord and to diligent service in His name, but it is true for us only because we have a Lord who has proven Himself forever faithful and trustworthy by means of His resurrection from the dead (the context of 1 Corinthians 15).
As you read and consider the "therefores" of Scripture, remember the promises of God for you made sure in Christ - He is the Truth who ushers you into a better "therefore."
"Therefore" is a significant word in the Scriptures, setting us up to understand a present reality made possible by a truth that is already established and accomplished. Because we are simultaneously saints and sinners, we live in a couple "therefores" at the same time:
We live in the "therefore" of death. That is the message of God's just law. Sinners do not go unpunished. Perhaps in this life there is a measure that people get away with, but that will not be the reality forever. Paul says clearly in Romans 6, "The wages of sin is death." We are sinners - therefore, we have a justly given death sentence for our rebellion against the Creator of all life. But the grave is not the only place where this condition of ours makes itself known. Sin doesn't always kill us all at once - sometimes it takes its time, because in taking its time, it has a better chance to infect and destroy the relationships we have with those around us.
However, we live in a better, more glorious "therefore" because we are God's saints, His chosen holy ones because of Jesus: we live in the "therefore" of life. This was the "therefore" that Pastor Kasper had us dwell in and consider this weekend. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:58, "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." This "therefore" is an admonition to confident trust in the Lord and to diligent service in His name, but it is true for us only because we have a Lord who has proven Himself forever faithful and trustworthy by means of His resurrection from the dead (the context of 1 Corinthians 15).
As you read and consider the "therefores" of Scripture, remember the promises of God for you made sure in Christ - He is the Truth who ushers you into a better "therefore."
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