Dear Malachi - yeah, I'm talking to you!

Dear Malachi,

Yes, I mean you, dear reader!  You might be saying, “My name is not Malachi!” but it is a good title for us as followers of Jesus.  You see, the name Malachi means, “My messenger.”  Each of us has heard the Word of the Lord proclaiming God’s forgiveness, love, and salvation, and we are all authorized to share that message with others.  So, …

Dear Malachi,

We are well into our preparations for Christmas, and this past Sunday we ran into one of the key figures of the Advent Season:  John the Baptizer.  (I know it is more common to call him, “the Baptist,” but John was by no means a Baptist, as in today’s denomination, but he certainly was one who baptized people – a Baptizer.)  It was almost obligatory that we should sing, “On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry announces that the Lord is nigh….” 

John came to prepare the way for the Lord.  He called people to repentance.  That is, he called them to turn away from their sins and to return to God.  He urged them to turn away from their sinful behaviors and return to the God who had saved them.  Throughout his ministry his message was, “The kingdom of God is at hand.”  He reminded the world that it had a King – and it was not Herod or Caesar.  His preaching found its highest point when he pointed to that King and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” 

Like John, we modern day Malachim (plural of Malachi) share the same message.  We still call people to turn away from sin and proclaim forgiveness in Jesus’ name.  We remind the world that the King will come again.  He is not far away, disinterested, or non-existent as some suppose, but He is nigh, close at hand, at work in the Word and Sacraments to touch us, transform us, and give us life.  And, we point to Jesus as say, “Look!  The Lamb of God!”  It is by Jesus blood shed on the cross that our sins are paid.  And, of course, we remind the world that Jesus not only died, but rose in victory, lives, reigns to all eternity and will come again. 

How do we do that, though?  We have not been called to go out to the Cuyahoga River dressed in camels’ hair to cry out, “You brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?”  Instead, our sharing of the message happens in a variety of ways.  The message in our Christmas cards is one; we point people to the real meaning of Christmas.  Our conversations are another opportunity to declare to people the King has come and has saved us as we discuss the matters of our lives.  Our actions also speak a message to others.  When our choices flow from the forgiveness we have received people will see mercy, generosity, kindness, humility, and Christlikeness in us, and they will hear loud and clear. 

So, share the message.  Remind your children about the real meaning of Christmas.  Tell a friend, “I think Christmas is all about God’s love for us and that He came to be one of us!”  There are many ways to say the message that Jesus is the Lord Who Saves His People – literally. 

Questions to Ponder

Read Luke 3:1-14

-          Why does Luke go through the trouble of naming so many people at the beginning of this reading?  How is it significant to place the historical setting of this event?

-          What was John’s message to his listeners?

-          What did John tell the crowd, tax collectors, and soldiers they should do? 

-          What is your impression of John?  What do you feel is the most important part of his message in this reading?

-          Luke quoted Isaiah in vv. 4-6.  What message did Isaiah say John would proclaim?  How do you prepare for the coming of Jesus? 

-          God comes to us in the Word and Sacraments when we gather for worship.  How do you prepare for coming to meet the Lord on Sunday morning?  What kinds of things do you/could you do to prepare for worship?  

Christmas is about Jesus. Duh!

I once heard a story about a person who called tech support because his computer would not turn on.  Tech support walked the man through several steps to try to fix the problem.  He was urged to try “Control-Alt-Delete.”  It didn’t work.  He was instructed to press and hold the power button for fifteen seconds and then release it, wait a minute, then press it again.  Nothing.  Tech support asked the man to check to see if the computer was plugged in.  It was, but would still not turn on.  Finally the technician asked the man to check the cable connecting the screen to the processing unit.  The man said, “I’ll try, but it’s really hard to see in here.”  The tech asked why it was hard to see.  The man replied, “Well, the power is out in the whole building, so we don’t have any lights.”  Technical support replied, “I think I’ve found the problem.” 

It may seem obvious, but if the power is not on your computer will not work. 

It may seem obvious, but Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ. 

That fact, which may be so obvious to us, seems to be lost in our world.  And as we live in the world and experience its influence in our lives we must take care to not lose sight of the truth, nor let our children buy into the world’s agenda for the holidays. 

If you will allow the analogy, it is essential to our faith to remain “plugged in” during the Christmas season.  While some would have us plug into festivities and sentimentality – both of which can be quite nice and good – we are urged to plug into Christ.  Advent gives us exactly that opportunity as we dig into God’s promises, remember the prophecies regarding Jesus’ birth, and reflect on our need for the savior who was born in a stable. 

Advent also brings us to the beginning of a new church year.  You will notice that our Gospel Lessons will come to us primarily from the Book of Luke.  Last night at our midweek Advent service I commented that Luke 1 is one of the most overlooked sections of the New Testament.  I’d like to encourage you to look it over to see what God did to prepare for the first Christmas, and to draw from there what we can do to prepare for our Christmas celebration and to get ready for Jesus’ second coming. 

Luke is also the book that we will begin with if you join me in the challenge to read the New Testament next year.  It just seems right since we’ll be reading from it almost every Sunday this year. 

So, let me state a couple of things that are obvious: 

1.       Christmas is about Jesus.  Look for ways to remember and remind people about him in your celebrations, as you listen to Christmas music, and as you prepare. 

2.       You have to have power to live the Christian life.  That power comes through the presence of the Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son, through the Word and Sacraments.  Reading God’s Word, hearing it, singing it, etc. are like plugging in.  God gives us great gifts in His Word and through the Sacraments – including forgiveness, life, hope, peace, joy, love, salvation, and so much more. 

God bless you as you prepare for Christmas!

It's the End of the World!

Back in 1987 pop band R.E.M. sang a song called, It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine).  It’s a catchy song with fast moving lyrics and it touches on the question that many ask at some point or another; “When will this world end?” 

In our Gospel lesson this past Sunday, Mark 13:24-37, Jesus spoke of the End.  This was in response to a question asked by the disciples back in v. 4 in regard to Jesus’ prediction of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.  That destruction took place in 70 A.D.  The final end is yet to come. 

It is said that Martin Luther was once asked, “What would you do if you knew Christ was returning tomorrow?”  His response was, “I would plant an apple tree.” 

I don’t know if Luther actually said that, but there is wisdom in that statement that goes nicely with Jesus’ comments regarding the end.  Jesus said that no one know when the end will be.  We are to pay attention – “keep our heads in the game” – and be about the work God has given us to do. 

Every day is lived in anticipation of the End when Jesus will return.  We must not be lulled to sleep by the comforts and pleasures of this world, and thereby lose sight of God’s calling on our lives. 

We are God’s witnesses in this world, displaying what it means to be forgiven, redeemed, and loved.  God gives us this privilege in each of our vocations – our “life callings.”  I get to do this as a pastor; preaching and teaching.  Some of you get to do this as teachers, others as lawyers, some as laborers, many as moms or dads, wives or husbands. 

Luther’s supposed statement, “I would plant an apple tree,” says nothing more than, “I would live my life as God has called me.”  We live in the confidence of God’s grace through the cross and empty tomb, so the Last Day is as any other day. 

When I was a little boy, my parents taught me to pray, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.  If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”  Whether we lay down or get up, if we live or die, on the First Day or the Last Day our confidence and meaning for life is the same:  “Jesus died and rose for me.”  And that is how we live. 

Questions to Ponder

-          Jesus speaks of the darkening of the skies in Mark 13:25, but in v. 26 he speaks of something that will be seen despite the darkness.  What is it?

-          What lesson does Jesus want us to learn from the fig tree?

-          Why is it important to know that, although we might not know when, we do know that Jesus will come again in light of vv.32-27?  How is this a statement of God’s Law?  How is it a reminder of the Gospel?

-          How do you feel about the End?  What emotions, questions, or images come to your mind?

-          I argue that the word translated, “Watch!” in the NIV has a fuller meaning of seeing what’s going on around you and that Jesus is urging us here to, “Keep your head in the game.”  What distracts you from God’s love and word?  How do reading the Bible, praying, and going to church services help keep our heads in the game?

-          Verse 31 says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”  How can knowing that God’s Word will never pass away give you confidence to live the faith in this life?

God's Mission is Now

It was wonderful to have the opportunity to worship with over 700 Lutheran Christians this past Sunday at the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) Leadership Conference.  It was exhilarating to sing Built on the Rock (one of my favorite hymns) with so many voices united in the hope that the message of the Gospel will never stop being declared, no matter what we experience in the world. 

Something that came home to me during the conference was that these are interesting days that we live in.  Every generation faces its challenges and struggles (and every generation believes they have it harder than the previous).  I don’t think that what we face in the world today is better or worse than what the Church faced when we were children, or at some other point of history.  It is just different from the recent past. 

There was a time that the church was central to U.S. American society; as we learned in Mission U, we were “insiders.”  White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs) were the dominant demographic in American politics, and while Lutherans really don’t fit into that category, we look enough like WASPs to have benefitted from their dominance.  In that culture the primary temptation we faced in the church was complacency.  People came to us for weddings, baptisms, funerals, and other needs, and we were content in our buildings magnanimously welcoming the masses to the Light. 

Today the church finds itself more and more as an outsider.  More and more voices are calling to end the church’s tax exempt status saying, “End the Free Ride!”  The government is placing more pressure on church bodies to compromise core values through mandates like the recent one from the Health and Human Services Department.  There has been a federal case that challenged a LCMS congregation on who they can retain as a minister.  The temptation we face is to throw up our hands, cry out, “Woe is me!” and hide in our churches; effectively removing ourselves from society. 

The Scriptures teach, “And he [God] made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, ²⁷ that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, ²⁸ for "'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.'”  (Acts 17:26-28 ESV)  This means that God has chosen the time and place for our own lives for the purpose of drawing people to Him. 

God’s mission is clear.  He desires all people to be saved.  (1 Timothy 2:4) He calls us to make disciples of all nations baptizing and teaching.  (Matthew 28:19-20)  No matter what changes take place in the world, God’s Word remains eternally.  As Luther wrote, “God’s Word forever shall abide, no thanks to foes who fear it; For God himself fights by our side With weapons of the Spirit.”  (A Mighty Fortress, v. 4) 

We have been called for this time to serve in this place to reach people with the Gospel.  As the sermon at the LCEF worship service said, “Now is the time!”  Now is the time we get to be the Church, servants of God, the body of Christ, and vessels of the Holy Spirit.  Now we get to share the good news that the Man from Galilee was, indeed, crucified and died, but He is risen and reigns to all eternity. 

Questions:

-          How has the world (or even just our country) changed in your lifetime in a way that causes you anxiety or frustration?

-          In Acts 17 Paul spoke to a group of pagans in Athens.  What do his words in vv. 26-28 say about: (a) God’s desire for mankind?  (b) Our placement in history and geography?

-          Look at 1 Timothy 2:4 and Matthew 28:19-20.  Summarize what God’s purpose is for us. 

-          One of the ways you can share the Gospel with others is to bring them to church with you.  What hinders you from asking a friend to join you for church?  (If there is anything in our services that keeps you from asking people to come to church with us, I definitely want to know!) 

-          Luther ended his hymn A Mighty Fortress saying, “God’s Word forever shall abide, no thanks to foes who fear it; For God himself fights by our side With weapons of the Spirit.  Were they to take our house, Goods, fame, child, or spouse, Though life be wrenched away, They cannot win the day.  The Kingdom’s ours forever.”  Where does he point us for our confidence for the future?  What place does God’s Word hold in your life?

God at Work

Well, it happened again last night.  About 15 of our youth gathered at McDonald’s in Hudson to talk about Jesus and living as His disciples.  Thoughts were shared.  Ideas challenged.  The Word of God was studied.  Hearts were filled with God’s Spirit. 

Awesome! 

When I think about the work that is done here at Gloria Dei, I am often in awe.  Everywhere I look I see God’s fingerprints in the opportunities He is giving us, the staff He has assembled here, the skills and talents he has given our congregational leaders, the gifts He has given to each of us He gathers here, and in the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation He pours out on us week upon week, day upon day. 

Incredible!  Our God is so good!

You have probably noticed that the world has changed in your lifetime.  In fact, it is changing.  The challenges we face as a congregation are very different than they were years ago.  In years past people had a general sense of right and wrong, sacred and secular, and even holiness and awe which was heavily influenced by the Bible.  In that context mission and ministry often meant feeding the poor, advocating for the needing, and meeting other needs in places like Cleveland, Akron, and, especially, overseas. 

All of those needs still exist, but it has become more and more clear that there is a new mission field that has opened up, and that the needs are pressing there too.  That new mission field is called, “Home.”  And the work that needs to be done is not so much economic or social but spiritual.  (The socio-economic need is there too!  There are 46 families in Hudson that require the services of the food bank at Rejoice! Lutheran, and I read in the Toledo Blade that the federal government will be cutting food stamp aid in Ohio by $50 a month.)

God foretold of these days through the prophet Amos, “‘Behold, the days are coming,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘when I will send a famine on the land-- not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.’” (Amos 8:11 ESV)  The want for food and basic requirements is a real, tangible, problem in our world.  Out of love for our neighbor we want to meet that need.  Yet there is also a greater need – the famine for hearing the words of the Lord – that we are called to meet. 

We acknowledge that calling in our mission statement:  Gathering People to Christ, Building Believers in Christ, and Serving the World as Christ.  We meet people where they are to share the Word of the Lord, Jesus Christ, with them so they can have the salvation He won for us and experience the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. 

Your prayers, efforts, and support are essential to our work as a congregation.  As we worship, work, serve, live, and give together in Christ, God will keep doing His work, gathering, building and serving, and, make no mistake, we will make a difference here in time and in eternity. 

Questions to Ponder

Normally I focus on one of the previous Sunday’s scripture lessons at this point of my weekly letter.  This week we will look a little more at Amos 8:11 and at our mission.

-          How has the world changed in your lifetime?  What is good and what is bad compared to your younger years? 

-          What effects do you think a famine of hearing God’s Word has in a person’s life?  How does that affect society?

-          Have you ever felt hungry for God’s Word, either to hear it or to receive it in the Lord’s Supper?  Was your hunger satisfied?  If so, how?  If not, what can be done?

-          Does Amos 8:11 lessen the importance of caring for physical hunger, thirst, and basic needs?  Where to these fit in comparison to the need for God’s Word? 

-          How are you involved in God’s mission to meet people’s basic needs?  Their spiritual needs?  How do you use your time, talent, and treasures to support God’s work? 

-          As you think about our mission statement, how do Gathering, Building, and Serving meet both kinds of famine mentioned in Amos?  How important is it to meet both the physical and spiritual aspects of God’s mission?  Why?

-          Where do you see God doing His work? 

Salvation Belongs to Our God

Dear Saints,

Yes, this message is to you.  I know that sometimes people balk at being called “saints” but that is what we are because of Jesus’ death and resurrection.  The word “saint” is our translation for a word that means, “holy ones.”  And we are indeed holy because God declares us holy; washed in Jesus’ blood and given new life in Him. 

This past Sunday was All Saints Sunday.  All Saints Day is actually November 1, and historically churches had services on the day to both commemorate the faithfully departed and celebrate that our God saves.  These days we move those emphases to the Sunday following All Saints Day, and hopefully they came through loud and clear. 

As we read the names of those who passed away in the prior year, we did so in anticipation of God’s resurrection and salvation.  I am certain that many other names came to mind, too.  I spoke of my Grandpa Tritten, who died before I was even born.  You may have thought of a parent, a sibling, or a child, too.  Times like this stir the grief in our hearts, reminding us that this world is not as it should be, and we are agents of eternal life sharing hope in a world where we all die.  This is why we prayed, “… we remember with thanksgiving those who loved and served You … who now rest from their labors.  Keep us in fellowship with all Your saints, and bring us at last to the joy of Your heavenly kingdom.” 

Tears are not a bad thing.  Grief is not evil.  They should not overcome us – at least not for long – for we live with the hope of resurrection.  As we confess in the Apostles’ Creed, “I believe … the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.  Amen.”  And we teach, “On the Last Day [the Holy Spirit] will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.  This is most certainly true.”  (Small Catechism) 

In Christ, life dominates death.  The grave cannot hold hostage those who have received Christ’s life by faith, in Baptism, and in the Supper.  As Romans 6 says, we are baptized into Jesus’ death that we might have a resurrection like His as well. 

Revelation 7:9-17, our first reading on Sunday, gave us a picture of heaven.  It spoke of the great multitude gathered around God’s throne, from, “every nation, tribe, people and language,” singing and worshiping with angels, archangels and the whole company of heaven.  That holy gathering includes you and me, foreseeing our salvation and our praises ascending and proclaiming, “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb [that is, Jesus].” 

We have been saved from sin and death.  We have also been saved for life – to live as God’s people revealing the Good News of what God has done and is doing in and for us.  We may yet be going through the “great tribulation” – I believe we are – but we do so knowing that death has no grip on us.  We live now and will live forever in Christ, as do all who have faith in Him. 

Questions to Ponder

-          Read Revelation 7:9-17.  Imagine the scene.  What does it look like?  How extensive is the effect of God’s salvation?  Where will the saved come from?

-          Take note of the songs in this reading – what the angels and people cry out.  What kinds of things do they praise God for?

-          What promises are given to you in v.15-17?

-          Look at v. 14.  I understand “the great tribulation” to be all of life in this world between Jesus’ ascension into heaven and His return on Judgment Day.  What, then, does this verse mean?  Who is this speaking of?

-          Can you imagine yourself as one of those in white robes?  Why or why not?  How can you be confident that you are in that multitude around the throne?

-          On Sunday, I asked, “Who is in your picture frame?”  In other words, who is someone you miss who has died and is with Jesus’ in glory?  How did that person impact your faith and life?

Reformation Day

Reformation Day, 2013

When Martin Luther nailed the Ninety-five Theses to Wittenberg’s castle church door in 1517, he had no idea what kind of firestorm he was lighting.  That event was the catalyst for many important historical events, changes in the church, and transformation of the culture.  The most important thing that happened that day, however, was the beginning of a process that led to the rediscovery the Gospel – the good news that God loves us and has saved us from our sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus. 

One of the scripture passages that was central to reclaiming the Gospel is Romans 3, which we read from in our second reading on Sunday.  In particular, these words stood out:  But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

What a beautiful word for us!  While no one will be found righteous because of what they do, we will be made righteous because of what God has done for us!  Shockingly, this is nothing new, but the Law and the Prophets – that is the Old Testament – testify to this truth:  God loves sinners and makes us right with Himself. 

At Luther’s time this good news was buried in a morass of political maneuvering and papal power.  The Word of God was used like a club to keep citizenry in line and to enforce the empire’s unity under emperor and pope.  Indeed, the pope actively bought and sold official positions, and went so far as to sell salvation.  That is, after all, the idea behind buying indulgences; “I am getting forgiveness and salvation for myself or my loved one.”  And this was, of course, the burning issue for Luther when he read that our righteousness is not based on what we do, but on what God has done for us. 

The Gospel lesson on Sunday drove this point home, too.  In John 8:34 and 36, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins in a slave to sin.”  And, “[I]f the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”  It is evident that each of us sins.  Just examine your life.  And if you don’t see it in self-examination, follow Luther’s advice, “… look around you.  See whether you are also in the world, or if you do not know it, ask your neighbor about it.” (Large Catechism)  He will have seen plenty to testify against you!  (And me!)  Because we sin we are slaves who must be set free.  This the Son has done for us, and because He has set us free we are free indeed.

Thanks be to God that this good news and freedom through Jesus’ death and resurrection has been declared to us!  Thanks be to God that we have the privilege of sharing that good news and freedom with others as we declare the deeds of him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light!  (1 Peter 2:9)  Truly we can praise God singing, “God’s Word forever shall abide, No thanks to foes, who fear it; For God Himself fights by our side With weapons of the Spirit.  Where they to take our house, Goods, honor, child, or spouse, Though life be wrenched away, They cannot win the day.  The Kingdom’s ours forever!”  (A Mighty Fortress, v. 4)

Questions to Ponder

-          Look at Romans 3:19-28.  According to verses 19-20 what does the Law do?

-          Where does God’s righteousness come from?  How is it received?

-          Why did God give Jesus as the sacrifice of atonement according to verses 25 & 26?

-          What does it mean for God to be “just and the one who justifies,” or, as the English Standard and King James versions so nicely translate, “just and justifier”? 

-          What are some of the things people say we have to do to be saved?  How does Romans 3 apply to those things?

-          Consider faith for a moment.  Where does it come from?  How does one get it?  Is it the same as knowledge?  According to this passage, what does faith do?