Month: August 2017

Well, we survived it. We survived the total eclipse of the sun. (More importantly, Karen and I survived our 4-day tent-camping sojourn in Grants Pass, Oregon, where we went to get closer to the totality zone. More on that in next week’s blog!) Contrary to the usual chorus of gloom-and-doom prognosticators, civilization was not wiped out by the passing of the eclipse over geological hot-spots like the dormant volcanoes of the Cascade Range, the super-volcano underneath Yellowstone Park, the New Madrid fault in Missouri, or the nuclear plants in the Tennessee Valley. Nope; we survived. It was not what doomsday prophets refer to as TEOTWAWKI: The End Of The World As We Know It.

It seems that whenever there is some astronomical event, certain people begin publicly announcing the end of the world, or at least the world as we know it: TEOTWAWKI. When the Hale-Bopp comet sailed past in 1997, members of the Heaven’s Gate cult committed suicide in order to be “taken” up into a space ship that was supposedly following the comet. When an alignment of planets was predicted for 1982, the combined gravitational pull known as “the Jupiter Effect” was supposed to cause massive devastation from a great earthquake along the San Andreas Fault. And back in 1780, when the daytime sky turned dark during a meeting of the Connecticut legislature, the legislators ran around moaning and wailing that the end of the world had come.

Books and movies have certainly played to this apparently inherent fear we have that the world, or at least the civilization we are used to, will come to an end. Whether it is presented as an asteroid screaming toward earth (Deep Impact, Armageddon), invasion by hostile space aliens (Independence Day, Battleship), or a zombie apocalypse (World War Z, The Walking Dead), life as we know it appears doomed!

Life as we know it appears doomed!

Why such fascination with these end-of-the-world scenarios? For one thing, it sells: the 1974 book, The Jupiter Effect, became a best-seller; the movie Armageddon took in half-a-billion dollars; and the hit TV show, The Walking Dead, is in its seventh season. Another reason such prophecies are popular is that they create a sense of excitement, an escape from the routine of our sometimes-boring daily lives. But I think another major reason is that they play on our fear of death: we want our lives and the world we know to continue on indefinitely, but disaster movies remind us that the world, or at least our time on it, will end some day. The world as we know it will indeed end.

Which, according to these movies, is a bad thing. But is TEOTWAWKI really so bad?

Now don’t get me wrong: catastrophes are bad. Hurricane Harvey is causing suffering and destruction on a huge scale. Massive tornadoes kill and destroy. Earthquakes have killed hundreds of thousands at a time. A large meteor hitting earth would cause devastation and loss of life on a scale we can only imagine. And don’t get me started on wars! I don’t want to personally experience any of those life-shattering events, nor do I want to see anyone else go through them either. We are to pray for people’s protection and relief, and help where we can.

Nor do I want to see the earth itself be destroyed; it is a wonderfully suited home for us in this life, and according to Scripture, the creation itself testifies to God’s magnificent power, wisdom, and divine nature (Romans 1:20, Job 40 and 41; Psalm 8).

So, no – I’m not advocating disasters to either mankind or the earth; what I am asking is, “Is The World-As-We-Know-It the best we can hope for?” Consider the following facts about The World As We Know It:

1. It is a world full of illness, injury, and death. All life – human, animal, and plant – is mortal. We all have an expiration date, no matter how healthy we are or how carefully and well-protected we live. Whether we live in a high-tech bubble with the latest advancements of science, or in an edenic, organic, back-to-nature commune, we will only experience this World As We Know It for a relatively short period of time. “There is a time to be born, and a time to die. . .” (Ecclesiastes 3:2).
2. It is a world of strife and warfare. Scripture says we kill because we do not have (James 4:2-3). We fight each other, cheat and steal. We betray and hurt each other for our own selfish purposes. There are places where it is not safe to walk at night; there are places it’s not safe to walk in the daytime. Our courts are filled with lawsuits and our jails with violent people. And when did you last let your child go to the neighborhood park alone?
3. It is a world of sin. Not only have we all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:28), according to the Lord, there is no righteousness in us! (Romans 3:10-18, Mark 10:18). Most of the world around us ignores God, disrespects his word, and seeks self above God’s will. The description of the generation that died in the Flood of Noah’s day sounds applicable today:  “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

(“Thanks for the encouraging, uplifting words, Pastor!”)

Fortunately, things will get better! This World As We Know It is not the highest end we can hope for; there is better to come!

This World As We Know It is not the highest end we can hope for; there is better to come!

According to the Bible, this world will end some day. Revelation 21:1 says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away . . .” Matthew 24:29 says, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” Also, Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Interestingly, the Bible does use the language of cosmic and astronomical events when describing the coming Day of Judgment: the stars falling from the sky, the sun ceasing to shine, the moon turning to blood, etc. But whether you read those passages as literal descriptions of physical events, or understand them as symbolic and spiritual, either way The World As We Know It will end. It has an expiration date, just like us. Things will not continue forever as they are. But what is to replace them?

The answer is: TWAWWKIF (okay, I just made that up . . .) – The World As We Will Know It Forever. The Bible promises that there will be a new (or renewed) heaven and earth, one where God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” There will be no sin, nor any evil done in our new eternal home. No wars, no stealing, no lying, no cheating. Only joy in the presence of God surrounded by his glory and love. That’s worth looking forward to; that’s worth giving up what we have now to receive. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.” With you, I look forward to what God has prepared for me – and for all who trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Until that day comes, let us be thankful to God for the blessings of this earth, knowing that there is even greater to come.

On the day that the Connecticut legislators were terrified by the sudden darkness, someone made the motion to adjourn. At this, another legislator arose and said: “Mr. Speaker—It is either the day of judgment, or it is not. If it is not, there is no need of adjourning. If it is, I desire to be found doing my duty. I move that candles be brought, and we proceed to business.” The adjournment was withdrawn, and they went back to work: a good lesson for every Christian as we await the Lord’s return!

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Revelation chapters 21 and 22

 

A couple weekends ago, I had the enjoyment of accompanying my friend and fellow pastor, Eric Ishimaru, the new senior pastor of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, on a road trip to Southern California to visit a couple museums for which he had arranged tickets. The destinations were the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, and the Mullin Auto Museum in Oxnard. The way the timing worked out, we were also able to tour the Mission San Fernando Rey de España, one of the original Spanish missions from the late 1700s. It was a great trip which deserves a few comments and thoughts which I would like to share with you. Just don’t tell Pastor Eric anything you read here . . . it’s just between you and me . . .

1. I was not Eric’s first choice to be his travel companion. He and another friend had made all the arrangements, but at the last minute his friend was unable to go due to health reasons. Since the admission tickets were already purchased, Eric decided to find a replacement. So he called his friends. Then casual acquaintances. Then residents of the nursing home he preached at the week before the trip. Then he asked people holding signs that said, “Will work for food,” but apparently they didn’t want to ride for food. With all his avenues exhausted, he finally gave in and asked me. I gladly accepted after getting permission from my wife to go.
2. Not sure how exciting ten hours in a car with Eric would be, I loaded up a few contingencies for the trip: a book, an mp3 player with a hundred songs in it (church songs, so he couldn’t fault me for listening to them), ear plugs, and a blindfold. Even if the blindfold didn’t help me sleep en-route, it might add a little excitement if a police car passed us and saw me wearing it in the passenger seat. Even more excitement if the cops saw me wearing it in the driver’s seat.
3. As it turned out, riding that far and conversing with Eric for all those hours was very enjoyable. He is so knowledgeable on so many topics in so many fields, that we never ran out of things to talk about or church members to gossip about (ha, ha – just kidding – members were NOT a topic for discussion). Eric knows so many details most people would consider to be trivia, because they are, but besides those minutiae he also knows an amazing amount of things about history, music, languages (he can tell you the members of the Finn-Ugric language family, which ones are extinct, and recite for you the world’s longest palindrome – in Finnish!), and theology. He is especially conversant in aberrant and heretical doctrines, which concerns me a little . . .
4. Eric showed how much he knows about about classic cars, especially Citroëns, when we visited the Mullin Auto Museum, which was showing an amazing, multi-million dollar exhibit of Citroëns and Bugattis, all owned by Mr. Mullin. The docent who led the tour was extremely good and knowledgeable about the Citroëns (other than mispronouncing the name as sit’-ree-own). But several times I knew what the docent was saying about a certain car model’s history or special features because Eric had already told me the same story on the way there. Why would Eric know so much about Citroëns? Because he has one of his own – one of the model you see in World War II movies being driven by the Gestapo. The fact that Eric drives what another church member referred to as a “German Luftwaffe staff car” does concern me a little . . .
5. Our time at the Mission San Fernando was enjoyable as well. The grounds were quiet and peaceful, and the church has been restored beautifully. Because it is a working church, we walked through it just before a funeral began, and I had to persuade Eric not to offer to officiate or sing at the service. The historical exhibits were quite interesting. Of course, when Eric saw some musical manuscripts in one of the cases he tried to chant the songs in Latin. The fact his eyes glowed when he gazed upon various statues of the saints does concern me a little . . .
6. We ate at a Thai restaurant near our hotel in Chatsworth. It was a very good choice for our dinner, but when we pulled into the parking lot the only space left was in front of the Purple Haze Smoke Shop. We joked about stopping there after eating, but when I got out of the car, Eric was aiming his phone camera at me. The resulting photo, suitable for framing or for blackmailing, shows me in what looks like a doped stupor walking out of the shop. Note to anyone who sees that picture: it is NOT what it looks like . . .
7. Monday evening we had some free time after dinner, so Eric took me to some of his old stomping grounds in the Hollywood and Hollywood Hills areas. We cruised Sunset Strip and crossed Hollywood and Vine. We drove past Grauman’s Chinese Theater with Eric pointing out the window as we drove past, “There’s the theater! There’s the Walk of Fame! There’s the Hollywood Bowl! There’s a new building I know nothing about!” and so on. I had hoped to see some famous actor-types, but did he introduce me to any of them? No.
8. But seriously . . . the highlight of the trip was seeing the Reagan Library. What an awesome tribute to President Reagan and to our country! Not only was it an amazing recounting of his life, it was also a walk through our own history, as we remembered many of the events and people depicted in the displays. There is too much to tell about: the replica of the Oval Office, Reagan’s actual Air Force One, the interactive displays and audio-visual presentations including parts of Reagan’s movies and speeches are just a few highlights. But I should mention a few of the more poignant and moving displays: Reagan’s speeches extolling the American spirit; the special exhibit showing when Reagan was shot – including his bullet-torn suit and x-ray showing the bullet in his chest; his dramatic call in Berlin to the Soviets, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”; his announcement to the public about being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s; and his funeral, including the written note from Margaret Thatcher: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” His failures and foibles were also shown, including his apology to the American people for allowing what is called “Iran-Contra” to happen on his watch, but after viewing the final video at the end of the tour, I doubt many people can walk away without a renewed love for our country and a tear in their eye.
9. Finally, there was the ride home. Having driven most of the trip, Eric turned the wheel over to me so he could lie back and rest a little. I took the car over the Grapevine successfully (On “the 5” as they would say in Southern California) and was approaching Bakersfield, when Eric suddenly woke up, took one look, and asked if I had really wanted to take the wrong road (which I had done). After my articulate answer, “Oops!” I turned us around and after a little backtracking, put us on the right road again. All according to my plan, so Eric will never again ask me to drive, allowing me next time to lie back with my blindfold on and listen to my music between naps.

That pretty well sums up the trip, except to thank Eric for the great time we had on our excellent adventure together!

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Psalm 133:1

Disclaimer: Some of the above was exaggerated just a bit. Pastor Eric has read and approved this article. And by the way, he has already started circulating that picture of me.

Many restaurants have what they call their “signature dishes.” These are menu creations that they are known for, either due to their own special recipes, or to their unique methods of preparation or presentation. People go to those restaurants because they want to order those “signature” foods. As a budding chef myself I am still looking for something to call my own signature dish, though it will probably include heating water in the microwave and opening a packet of dehydrated noodles. I’m toying with calling it, “ramen” or something like that . . .

As it is, I actually do have sort of a “signature dish” when it comes to the sermons I have preached.

As it is, I actually do have sort of a “signature dish” when it comes to the sermons I have preached. My “signature sermon” is a portrayal of Martin Luther, the great reformer. I dress in costume, affect a German accent, and tell his story. Sometimes I have presented him on the way to nail his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg; sometimes I have him on the way to his wedding with Katie von Bora; sometimes he is in the Wartburg Castle working on translating the New Testament into German; and most recently, I presented Luther on his final journey to mediate a brotherly dispute in Eisleben, Germany – a trip from which he did not return.

It’s hard to believe, but I have preached as Martin Luther now for over 30 years! I have been privileged to speak before nine congregations in three states, before a high school class and other high school groups, during elementary and middle school chapels, before Christmas Eve services with  900 people in attendance, and even for the national Pastors Conference of the AALC (I was the entertainment for the banquet). I also preached as Luther for a Lutheran women’s missionary gathering. It was one of the first sermons I preached at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Elk Grove during my internship in 1994, and it was one of the last I preached before retiring at the end of 2016.

Luther has been with me all those years, and for some reason, people still ask, “Is Martin going to show up again?” Well, as it turns out, I have been asked by the Presiding Pastor of the AALC, Dr. Curtis Leins, to portray the reformer at our national church body’s upcoming celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation on October 31st. Once again, I will be the entertainment, this time during lunch. Once again I will dust off my black robe and beret, practice singing the first line of “Ein’ Feste Burg” (A Mighty Fortress), and work on my German accent and real Martin Luther quotes.

But how did this all begin? How did I get started acting as Luther (and then get type-cast in the role)? To answer that we have to go back to the mid 1980s when Karen and I lived in Columbus, Indiana. I was director of a large, local youth agency known as the Foundation For Youth, and Karen ran a daycare business in our home. We were members of First Lutheran Church in Columbus, where I had recently been appointed as Assistant Sunday School Superintendent.

About mid-October, the Superintendent came to me and said he was going to be out of town for Reformation Day (the last Sunday in October), and asked if I could conduct a special Sunday School program that day, known as an “intergenerational” because all the ages and classes were to meet together. He then suggested I look up information about Martin Luther and the start of the Reformation, and maybe even portray Luther. So, I went to work, did some research, and wrote a short dramatic monologue. Then I grabbed a beret and borrowed a black choir robe from church.

Then, when the gathered children and adults finished singing “A Mighty Fortress” I came striding in from the back. My first words were, “Catchy tune, ja?”

When the day came, I had helpers start the program. Then, when the gathered children and adults finished singing “A Mighty Fortress” I came striding in from the back. My first words were, “Catchy tune, ja?” in reference to the fact that Luther wrote that great hymn and tune. And then I held up paper and a hammer and told the story of why he nailed the Theses to the church door. Somehow, I got through it and everybody seemed to like it – as did the pastors, who immediately dragged me into the sanctuary and told me to repeat my presentation during the announcement time at the start of the next service!

Later, I got to repeat it for the church, and eventually my pastor asked me to preach it for a nearby church in Edinburgh, Indiana – St. George – who were without a pastor. They also received it well, and asked me to return and fill in for the vacancy for the next eight months or so (though not as Luther every week!). By the time I went off to seminary, I had developed several versions, and realized I would probably be presenting them in the future. So, when a local costume shop in Kenosha, Wisconsin went out of business in 1993, I was able to buy a better costume, which I have used ever since.

I have enjoyed portraying Martin Luther over the years, though I am afraid that someday I will have to answer to him in person for what I have said and done. I am also grateful that most people have enjoyed those portrayals, though I feel a little awkward when some tell me, “You’ve missed your calling and should have gone into acting!” It is precisely because of my true calling to proclaim the Gospel that my acting as Luther has made any impact.

. . . my portrayals of Martin Luther are not about me, or even about Luther, but about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

That is because my portrayals of Martin Luther are not about me, or even about Luther, but about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and about the biblical truths which the Reformation restored to the Church and the world. These key truths include:

• Justification by God’s grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone (stated in Latin as sola gratia, sola fide, solus Christus). Justification is by faith apart from works.
• Our righteousness is from Christ and not from ourselves.
• The authority of Scripture alone over popes, councils, and other writings (sola scriptura).
• The priesthood of all believers.
• Rejection of certain church teachings and practices, such as purgatory, the sale and effectiveness of indulgences, the validity of holy orders (monks and nuns), and praying to the saints.
• That all glory belongs to God (soli Deo gloria) rather than to Mary, the saints, the popes, or the priesthood (or I would add, to Martin Luther!).

Of course, as much as possible I use Luther’s own words to relay these truths, usually translated into English – or into a hybrid mixture I call “Germish” (just as people who blend Spanish and English are said to speak “Spanglish”). As I like to tell people, I had a good writer for much of my material!

There is however, one part of many of my presentations that I cannot attribute to Luther (nor would he want me to!) – and that is the “song” with which I close many of my talks: the Luther Rap! I wrote this early on, and still think it conveys much of Luther’s message. It goes like this:

• So you say the Devil’s caught you in his trap?
• Well, come and listen to the Luther Rap!
• You say you’ve sinned and are feeling blue,
• And want to know what you can do?
• Nothing! Nothing! What could you do?
• Jesus has already done it for you!
• You say you’re good, und big, und strong?
• I tell you you’re thinking wrong;
• Throw yourself at Jesus’ feet,
• And he will give you peace so sweet.
• You give your gold, und always behave?
• Das ist gut, but it does not save!
• We do this out of love for Gott
• Whose precious blood our lives has bought.
• For Gott by grace our sins does forgive
• Und we with him shall always live.
• Eternal life we shall inherit,
• But not because of our own merit!
• So come with me, your sins to toss,
• At the foot of Jesus’ cross;
• Throw yourself at Jesus’ feet,
• And he shall give you peace . . . so . . . sweet!

And that about “raps” it up!

I’ve enjoyed portraying Luther these many years, mainly because I understand his struggles with seeking righteousness through good works. His struggle, though more dramatic than mine, was of the same nature: we both realized after much struggle to make ourselves acceptable to God that Christ accomplished our forgiveness on the cross, and that by God’s grace we receive forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life through faith in Christ alone. When Luther realized that truth, he felt “born again and entered into paradise through gates that had been flung wide open.” I also felt the peace of truly understanding God’s grace for the first time during my college senior year, but rather than describing my experience, I will go with Luther’s description, because he used “catchy words, ja?”

And so, with the peace of knowing we have forgiveness through Jesus Christ and do not depend on our own merits: may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Ephesians 2:8-10, Romans 1:16-18, Romans 3:21-28