Unity Archives - Pastor Rich Eddy

The One Essential Member

Colossians 1:15-20

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

The One Essential Member

I. Who is the most important, even essential, member of any church? Is it:

The Council President? This is the lay leader chosen by the congregation to shoulder responsibility for everything that happens. He or she must make sure the church is staffed, bills are paid, and legal matters followed. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it! The person who does it must be the most important person in the church, right? No; important, yes, but they’re not the most important.

The Head of the biggest family? Especially in the Midwest, some of the small town churches are built around one key family. They provide the members, the workers, the council leaders, and much of the offering. Without them, the church would evaporate. So their matriarchs or patriarchs must be the most important members! But, no, it’s not them.

The Leader of Altar Guild? How can you have worship, the core activity of the church, without people to set up communion, clean and change the paraments, light the candles, etc.? Surely, they are the most important! No.

The Leaders of the Men’s and Women’s groups? – These are popular, respected, and loved, and active in service. Yes, they are very important and a blessing to the congregation, but not essential to the existence of the church.

The Wealthiest member? You need money to run the church these days. Just fixing our parking lot costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. You want to have the money people on board. So if there are no wealthy members, you need to go out and start recruiting them! It’s that important, but not the most important!

The Biggest giver? Maybe the biggest giver is not the wealthiest, but the one who gives like he or she is. That’s the one you want; without them the church would be in financial trouble, unable to meet its obligations and needs. Utilities get turned off, staff go unpaid, benevolences are dropped. Surely this is the most important? No.

The Custodian? Who keeps the buildings clean, safe, and open? Who makes sure equipment operates safely? If the buildings and grounds deteriorate, where would we meet? It must be the custodian, right? No.

The Friendliest, most outgoing? When visitors come to church, if they are greeted and made to feel welcome and valued, they may come back and want to be part of your friendly church. They provide much needed warmth and loving kindness. Why wouldn’t such people be essential? Granted, they are wonderful and important, but they are not the most important.

The Pastor? Now we’re to the category that’s near and dear to my heart! Who ever heard of a church without a pastor? Who will preach and teach, visit the sick, conduct worship and funerals? Who will perform the sacraments, except a pastor? Yep. We must be the most important people in the church! But, sad to say, we’re not.

So then, if none of the preceding people is the most important to the church, who is? And what are the criteria for deciding who is most important? The criteria are: 1. Whose presence is indispensable; and 2. Whose absence would cause the church to crumble or disappear, or die?

The one, most essential member of the church, obviously, is Jesus Christ.

Without him, there is no Gospel – no good news for the world (and we of all people are most to be pitied, according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:19).

Without him, the Spirit is absent.

Without him, the sacraments are hollow rituals. No body or blood with the bread and wine.

Without him, our organization may be called a church, but it’s really just another non-profit organization which, though well-intentioned, would be dependent on human strength and the wisdom of flawed, self- centered sinners.

Without him, we would have the appearance of holiness or religiosity, but would lack what is needed: 2 Timothy 3:5 warns against those “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.”

How do you seek his presence, and keep Jesus as the central focus of the church?

1. We gather in his name – For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:20)

2. We pray in his name – “My house shall be called a house of prayer.” (Luke 19:46); and at the Last Supper, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” (John 16:23)

3. We treasure and revere the Scriptures as the word of God – “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3:16)

4. We pray and submit our will to God’s in all church matters – “Thy will be done” (Matthew 6:10)

5. Lutheran Confessions: The definition of the Church: The gathering of believers where the Gospel is preached in its purity and the sacraments are rightly administered.

6. Forgive as we have been forgiven, and seek unity in the Spirit with each other – Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)

The truth about the essential nature of Christ in the church is proclaimed above in the passage from Colossians 1:18, “And he is the head of the body, the church.” It is also celebrated in the hymn, “The Church’s One Foundation.”

The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
she is his new creation by water and the Word.
From heav’n he came and sought her to be his holy bride;
with his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died.*

Now 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: Matthew 16:17-19; Colossians 1

*Lyrics written by S.I. Stone, 1866. Public Domain.

Whose Church Is It, Anyway?

In November 2002, I attended an administrators’ luncheon at a Christian school convention. The speaker was Walt Wiley, who spoke on the topic, “Whose School Is This?” His remarks had such a beneficial effect on me that I have preserved a card with his outline for twenty years – and keep it on my home office desk. In plain sight, to keep me from forgetting what he said.

He made three main points about Christian schools, but his remarks are equally applicable to Christian churches. His points were the following, with the word “church” substituting for “school”:

You know you don’t own the church, so stop worrying. Let God be God.
You know you don’t own the church, so stop controlling. Get your hands off!
You know you don’t own the church, so stop bragging. Give God the glory.

Mr. Wiley’s theme verse was 1 Corinthians 4:7, ” For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” The point of the verse, and of his presentation, was that the church is God’s, and that the church, and our roles in it, are given to us by God.

As a pastor, I found that my role seemed to be to worry about everything our church* did, and everything it faced. I worried about our members, about the visitors who were checking us out, about our staff, about the offering, and about what I was going to preach any given week. I worried about the church leadership, our community reputation, and whether we were properly serving and honoring God. I worried about our missionary work.

It’s not that I didn’t enjoy the work or find it rewarding and fulfilling. I did. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy my relationships with members, staff, and the public. I did. But it seemed at times that if I didn’t worry about making sure everything was right, no one would, and the church would fall apart. I felt responsible for everything that happened.

Which is why Mr.Wiley’s words, “you don’t own the church, so stop worrying,” were so impactful and important for me to hear. They reminded me that it wasn’t my church, but God’s. He formed it, he called its people together, he sustained it, and he gave it its purpose. Although he calls pastors, lay leaders, and the members to serve the church and its work, ultimately, the church belongs to him. It is his responsibility.

The church is not just an organization, a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation. It is an organism, a living body created by Christ for his glory and for the saving of many souls. The Bible makes it clear that the Church is the body of Christ here on earth. We are his hands and feet, ministering as he would, going where he would go. The same Spirit who was in him, now resides in us, leading, empowering, and protecting the Church.

This is not to say we don’t make mistakes or fail sometimes in our mission, but another biblical metaphor comes into play: the Church is the bride of Christ, which he loves, in spite of its shortcomings, and forgives freely.

The knowledge that our church belongs to God, and is both the body and bride of Christ, is important for me to keep in mind, because though I am no longer the pastor, I still worry about what is happening to our church and about the challenges that lie ahead.

Some of these challenges will probably always be there, due to the nature of society and its people: increasing secularism, government interference, crime, social divisions, inflation, and personal sins of pride, lust, and greed. Then there’s outright opposition and “cancelling” by the media.

But the problems are not only external. While I believe God’s Church will endure persecution as it has for 2000 years, the work and life of any one congregation can be weakened or destroyed by internal factors. These can include heresies – spread by false teachers; conformity to the errors of the culture around us; and divisons that tear us apart. Scriptures warn about all three of these dangers:

Heresies: False teachers are called “wolves” who come in and tear apart the flock (Acts 20:29-30). Peter warns, “there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies” (2 Peter 2:1). And Jesus warned us, “For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect” (Mark 13:22).
Conformity: Romans 12: 2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” James 4:4 warns, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
Divisions: The early church in Corinth found itself ripped apart by schisms based on which teacher or apostle the various members followed. There arose parties within the congregation, which so threatened the witness and survival of that church, that Paul had to write to tell them to stop it. He pointed out that neither he nor any of the other apostles or teachers had died to save them from their sins. There was only One to be followed and that was Jesus Christ himself. He condemned their actions in 1 Corinthians 3:3, saying, “For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?” His definitive command is found in 1 Corinthians 1:10, “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” And his conclusion is in 1 Corinthians 12:24-26, “that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.“

Of these three church-wreckers, the one that most concerns me right now about our church is #3: divisions. Long-simmering tensions among our staff and between some members have led to declines in attendance and giving. Members have left for other churches. Staff have quit and the joy of the Lord is dampened. Things came to a head in recent months, culminating in the resignation just last week of our senior pastor.

Pastors leave for various reasons: a new call, sickness, retirement, scandal, or death; no pastor is permanently in that office forever. And the pastor who left has served us for ten years – longer than the average of 3.6 to 5 years. The issue is that his departure was due to a schism in the congregation and staff – highlighted by the reactions of various members to his resignation. Some celebrated, others cried. Some threaten to quit. The situation is not healthy. It is too similar to the picture Paul painted of the Corinthian church.

What we need now is healing and forgiveness all around. We have much work and a difficult road ahead, but our hope is not in our cleverness or abilities, but in the fact that the church is not ours. It belongs to God in Christ, who bought the Church – and our church – with his blood. At his departure, Paul reminded the elders of the church in Ephesus, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.”

My human self worries about what will happen; it’s only natural to do so, since my eyes and ears tell me we are in trouble. But this is God’s church, and my faith calls on me to “trust in the Lord with all my heart, and lean not on my own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5 paraphrased). That faith reminds me that God has promised in Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” And so, I will try not to worry, but lean instead on the true Owner of the Church, that One whose purposes are beyond our knowledge, whose foolishness is wiser than the wisdom of men (as in 1 Corinthians 1:25), and who is able to do the impossible (Matthew 19:26).

Trusting in God, let us lift up our prayers, privately and together for this church and its God-given ministry and mission. Let us pray for our leaders and for all member who feel hurt and disaffected. And let us pray for the reconciliation of all, that God may be glorified in his Church.

And remember: you don’t own the church, so stop worrying. Let God be God!

Now 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: 1 Corinthians 3

*When I spell church with a small “c” I am referring to our local church. When I use a capital “C” I mean the Christian Church in general: the Holy and Apostolic Christian Church.

Still in This Together

In the previous blog, I lamented the fact that although the common sentiment these pandemical* days is that “We’re all in this together,” our society is anything but “together.” We are divided and set at odds with each other over many issues and identities, causing much animosity and even violence. I responded by suggesting several biblical approaches to mending our divisions, beginning with these four: 1. Remember that we are all related; 2.Remove the log from our own eye; 3. Don’t judge the heart or motives; and 4. Speak the truth in love. Now we continue, with three more ways to help bring us together:

5. Walk together and find common cause. How do we overcome feelings of division? By working together with someone and accomplishing a common purpose. Whether it be in our job/career, in sports, in school projects, in family emergencies, in combat, or just about any common endeavor, when we stand and strive side by side with someone, we create a bond that can overcome real (and artificial) barriers. When you have identified someone as your teammate or helped each other do something, or come along side in times of difficulty, you have in some way become one person.

I think of past barriers and prejudices that have fallen when previous opponents have come together to work in common purpose. Former enemies become allies when a new threat emerges; shared resources provide for common needs, and a shared sense of accomplishment breeds good will. Rather than sitting around and airing grievances, why not work together and celebrate what you have done? After all, “We’re all in this together!” As Amos 3:3 asks, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” If we do agree to walk together, have we not begun to share a common experience and done so peacefully? And will that sense of agreement not grow and bless our relationship?

There is an Arabic expression: “There are salt and bread between us.” It refers to a bond of friendship forged by acts of hospitality, when two or more people have shared a meal. As a proponent of potlucks (and other buffets, but I digress) I have seen the enjoyment and commonality people have when they share their bounty and eat with each other. It’s interesting that after Jesus’ resurrection, two disciples who walked with him on the road to Emmaus didn’t recognize him until he broke bread with them (Luke 24:30-31). How many divisions could we mend by working hard together and then sitting down to share a meal? I think that would help a lot.

6. Forgive as we have been forgiven. An absolutely vital step in breaking down barriers is to forgive the wrongs the other person has done to you. Refusing to forgive not only hardens the wall between you, it also hardens your heart and diminishes your soul. Unforgiveness grows a bitter root in you that colors all your relationships and makes them awkward, painful, and unrewarding. Just seeing the other person causes your stomach to tighten and your mind to close down; you anticipate more conflict and dread what could happen. But when you forgive, you free yourself from the hurt that was caused you. As one of my pastors once wisely said, “When you forgive someone, what that person did loses the power to hurt you.”

While going through a painful divorce, one of my relatives was understandably angry at her soon to be ex-husband. He had in truth done some horrible things to her, for which she was very bitter. As we talked, I asked whether he was unhappy the way things had turned out, and she said no, that he was probably out having a great time. So I asked her how she was doing. She said she was miserable. Then I asked, “So, why make yourself miserable when he was happy?” A few days later, she was able to forgive him and found the spiritual release that forgiveness provides.

In his Sermon on the Mount, our Lord taught us how to pray, giving us what we call the Lord’s Prayer. After saying, “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. . .” he continued with, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:12, 14-15). Jesus sure made it sound like our own forgiveness depends on our willingness to forgive others, a point he later made explicit in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. In the parable, a servant who owed his master a huge, unpayable amount was forgiven his debt, but then went out and refused to forgive a tiny debt that another servant owed him. When the master learned of his unforgiveness, he reinstated the first servant’s debt and threw him into jail (Matthew 18:21-35).

Colossians 3:13 says, “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” Can’t say it much plainer than that; not only are we obligated to forgive, we are the primary beneficiaries of the forgiveness we give, both for God’s forgiveness of our own sins and for the effect it has on us. There is a genuine freedom we experience when we let go of the anger we harbor and the regrets that go with it, and knowing at the same time that we have likewise been forgiven.

One of the most moving stories of the power of forgiveness is in the book, The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom. If you get the chance, find and read her story (It was also excerpted in Guideposts; you can easily find it online). The short version is that Corrie was talking to a group about her experiences as a prisoner in the Ravensbruck concentration camp for hiding Jews from the Nazis. At the end of her talk, one of the former guards at the camp came up to her and asked her to forgive what he had done. Her struggle and what happened next, are so authentic and powerful, I would cheapen it by trying to summarize it here. Please find it and read it yourself.

7. Pray for the other person. By that, I don’t mean that you should pray that the other person gets hit by a bus or suffers some other horrible fate. You are, after all, to pray for that person and not against him or her. You pray that the Lord touches that person’s heart, whether to open their eyes to the mistakes they are making, or to turn to the Lord for forgiveness, or for restoration of your relationship with them, or for the Lord to bless them and keep them (Not quite what the rabbi prayed in Fiddler on the Roof, “May the Lord bless and keep the Czar – far away from us!”). Not only may God answer your prayer and actually bless the other person, he will also bless you by softening your heart toward that person. God works in your heart, growing your love for the other person to be like his own love: a love that is forgiving, patient, and desiring good for even an enemy.

Jesus addressed this, saying that our prayers are not just for our friends and family. In Luke 6, he said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” You may think, “That’s easy for him to say; those pastoral types always say nice things, but what happens when they are attacked? How do they respond then?” Well, we know exactly how Jesus responded: when they crucified Jesus – after torturing and mocking him, he prayed for his tormentors, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). He who could have called down legions of angels to save himself and destroy his enemies, prayed instead for their forgiveness. That is the same forgiveness the Father gives you and me inspite our our sins which out Jesus on that cross.

There you have it: seven suggestions for helping each other to heal the fractions in our society, so that we may truly be in this “together.” While these steps are all scriptural, they would help anyone and everyone come together and overcome the problems that divide us. And it’s high time we did something, for as Benjamin Franklin once said about the need for unity among the states at the signing of the Declaration of Independence: “We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”

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: Matthew 18:21-35; Luke 24:13-35; Luke 6:27-36

*Yes, pandemical is a word.

In This Together

“We’re all in this together” is one of the most common mantras you see and hear these days. Newscasts, government health officials, many company websites, and other media remind us that there’s a pandemic going on (in case we forgot) and that it is affecting all of us in one way or another. This statement is meant to urge us to do what we can individually to help where we can because, “We’re all in this together.” It’s a good sentiment, but in many ways, it’s really just wishful thinking. That’s because the truth is, our society/country is so fractured right now that even the word, “together,” seems foreign or out-of-date.

Just name the category, and you’ll find that “we the people” are split into opposing, and even warring, camps. Race, ethnicity, political party, religion (or anti-religion), political philosophy (liberal/conservative/radical/etc.), attitudes toward police, and even sports teams (49ers vs Packers, for example), become defining markers of our identity. Those who agree with us are “in”; anyone else is not only “out,” but even evil for disagreeing. It’s become so bad that communities, friends, and even families are split over these issues. All in this together? Not so much.

So what do we do about it, before we tear each other, and our society/nation completely apart? It won’t be easy, since a lot of damage has already been done to our relationships and unity, but there is a way out, and no surprise, the solution goes back to what God has told us in his Word. Consider:

1. Remember that we are all related. While the events and movements of people throughout history have produced many ethnicities (from the biblical Greek word, έθνος [ethnos]), ultimately, there is only one race: the human race. Every one of us is descended from the same original parents: Adam and Eve. We are told about this common origin, not only in the events of Genesis 1 and 2, but also in specific statements such as, 1 Corinthians 15:45, “Thus it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being'”; Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned”; and Genesis 3:20, “The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.” Not only are we all descended from the original human beings, but even more recently, we are also all descended from Noah and Mrs. Noah and their sons and daughters-in-law, thanks to the Great Flood. So if we look down on anyone because of their origin, we are actually despising ourselves because our origin is the same. Sure, we may have issues with certain relatives for their attitudes or actions, but we share the same identity with them: they are still family.

2. Remove the log from our own eye. I seem to remember Jesus saying something about this . . . oh yeah: “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5). Before criticizing someone else, look at yourself and ask if there is any wrong attitude that needs correcting first. Are you being impatient with the other person (note Jesus calls that person your “brother”: see point #1 above!), overly sensitive to the point that the other person can’t help but offend you, or hypocritical for judging him or her for the very same things you are doing wrong? Your critique of someone else doesn’t carry much weight if that person sees the very same fault in you that you are complaining about. Also, as Jesus pointed out so plainly, our own faults can blind us to reality, distorting our perceptions and causing us to misjudge other people.

3. Don’t judge the heart or motives. We may well see people do things that we find offensive or disturbing. Their actions or even attitudes may upset us, and we may have good, solid, moral reasons for criticizing what they have done. But there is a difference between judging actions and judging motives or character. In his wisdom, God did not create us with mental telepathy or the ability to read minds (though our mothers come pretty close to it), but we try to do it all the time. We don’t understand how someone could say or do something we disagree with, so we jump right away to the conclusion that the person must be crazy, evil, or a mixture of the two. Maybe, if we took a moment and actually ask why he or she did it, we may find that the motive was a good one, and that if we knew all that that person knew, we would do the same.

Years ago, I was driving one night and saw a racoon that had been injured after being hit by a car. I pulled off the road, and stood there trying to decide what to do to help the poor animal (Yes, I’m a sentimental softy.) Suddenly, another car approached, and as I watched horrified, the car swerved toward the racoon and ran over it, killing it immediately. I was outraged and angry at the driver: “How could he do such a horrible thing??!!” If I could have called fire down from heaven (Luke 9:54) on that driver, I would have! Later, when I told my boss about it, he said the driver did a good thing, putting the animal out of its misery. In perspective, he was right, since the animal was too damaged and I would have been injured trying to retrieve it, but even if I could have saved it, I wrongly judged the driver’s motives.

As Martin Luther said in his explanation to the Eighth Commandment: “We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, or defame our neighbor, but defend him, think and speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.” We don’t know all the reasons someone does something; how can we? Our duty is to begin by assuming the best motives. Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1).

4. Speak the truth in love. We may attribute the best motives to someone, and try our best to sympathize with them, but we may come to the conclusion that they were just plain wrong. (Or as one Far Side cartoon showed it, a psychiatrist is listening to the patient talk and writes in his notebook, “Just plain nuts.”) Then it is our duty to confront what is wrong and state clearly why it is wrong. Being understanding does not mean being okay with wrongdoing. But even as we correct someone, we need to do it in a loving way, not angry or hateful. That person may just be ignorant, or confused. Even if that person’s intent is bad, we can’t win him or her over by attacking or using nasty words.

Paul comes to our rescue in Ephesians 4:15, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.”

Our intent in making such corrections is to win over the wrongdoers, not only to stop what they were doing, but also to help them personally be a better person for their own benefit. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.” Galatians 6:1 “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

And now, once again it’s time to take an break and bump the last three points to the next blog. (I guess once I start, I can’t stop and the blog keeps going and going like the Energizer bunny!*) So, tune in next time to read more ways to overcome our social fracturing! In the meantime,

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: Matthew 7:1-5; Ephesians 4:13-16; Luke 9:51-56

*No compensation received for mentioning the Energizer brand. Duracell needs to come up with their own mascot.

Not a Chance!

A little over a week ago, I had a wonderful chance encounter. Or was it . . . ?

I was sitting in the waiting area for a gate at Minneapolis/St. Paul’s airport, waiting for my two-legged flight home to Sacramento via Phoenix, Arizona. I had been attending our church’s national Pastors Conference, which for several of us had included interviewing seven candidates for ministry in our church body. Now we were done, and it was time to head home.

Having arrived early for my flight, most of the seats in the area were empty, but soon other passengers started filling in. Among them were two ladies who sat down a couple seats to my left. I would say they were “older ladies” but won’t, just in case they read this blog. Besides, it’s getting harder all the time for me to call anyone “older.” Let’s just say at least one was in her eighties. One came in a wheelchair, and the other was using a walker.

After a while, the younger of the two headed off with the walker to pick up some food for the flight. The remaining lady and I started a conversation which began when she told me her friend/relative really liked the walker since she had trouble getting up from chairs, or from the pew “at church.” When she said that, my ears perked up, and I knew what I had to ask her: “Oh, do you mind me asking which church you go to?” Her answer, of course, was: “Lutheran.” I smiled and replied: “Of course.” Then I told her, “I’m a retired Lutheran pastor.”

The woman using the walker returned, and after the older lady informed her about my being a pastor, we all had a very nice conversation about their church (now filled with former local Roman Catholics who left their church because the new priest was not fluent in English and they couldn’t understand him) and about mine. The younger woman, named Doris, told me she goes to the casino to gamble (was this a confession? I wondered), but told me she goes with a fixed amount of cash, and whatever she wins she puts away to give to charity. So she goes for the fun and then helps others with her proceeds. I commended her generosity. Then she told me she makes quilts which she sells or gives, again for charity.

I replied that my wife was at home, helping with our church’s craft fair where they put quilts up for raffle prizes, all to benefit our church’s school. Doris asked me how big the school was, and I told her we had about 200 students. She asked for my address, and said she would send me a quilt, though since she makes them thick for Minnesota winters, it might be too heavy for the Sacramento area.

Finally, we boarded the plane, and were separated for the duration of the flight. Upon arriving in Phoenix, we “de-planed” and as we were getting ready to move on, Doris came over and asked me again how many students were at the school. Again I said 200, which pleased her. She gave me a hug, and we went on our separate ways.

This was all a pleasant encounter, which would have been fine if it had ended there; imagine my pleasant surprise when just a few days later a card arrived in the mail from Doris containing cash for the school children (from, you guessed it, her casino winnings). She apologized for not sending a quilt, saying again that it would have been too heavy for our climate.

I had thoroughly enjoyed our conversation at the airport, initiated by a “chance” reference to a pew in church. It was a great ending to a very good week focused on God and his Church. As we say at our Christian Passover service, “Dayenu,” (it would have been enough), but the arrival of Doris’ card sent it over the top. What a blessing our “chance encounter” had been!

But was it chance? Was it just a coincidence? Was the likelihood of my sitting next to two Lutherans at that airport just a function of the large number of Lutherans in the Twin Cities? Or was it somehow arranged (by you-know-Who), a divine appointment for the mutual blessing of the ladies, our school kids, and me? And who knows whether other people heard us talking, in which case we were a witness to our faith? Why did the lady even mention her church pew, when just saying “chair” would have conveyed information about Doris’s use of a walker? And why did I feel compelled to ask which church, when such a prying question from a total stranger might not be welcome these days?

You can tell by my questions where I am going with this. I do not believe it was a random, chance encounter. I believe God orchestrated it, putting us together, prompting what we shared, and moving Doris to give generously. As we confess in the Creed, I do believe in the “communion of saints,” that believers are bound together by the Holy Spirit, and if we listen to what he says, we can truly bless others and receive blessings, just by the fellowship we share. This was one of those cases. But just how often do such divine appointments occur, and when are they just coincidences?

Leading theologians (such as myself) have pondered and debated the question of how much does God ordain, and how much does he just let “happen.” Given there are volumes written about this topic – generally referred to as the “sovereignty” of God – I cannot cover all the issues in this one blog. Instead, let me share some of my thinking on this question.

First, Scripture gives us some indications about the element of “chance” in life. When, in Acts 1, the surviving apostles select a replacement for Judas, they decide between two qualified candidates by “casting lots” (basically, throwing dice). The lot falls on Matthias, and he becomes the twelfth apostle. I referred to this event during my week in the Twin Cities, when I gave a short devotion to open one day of our interviews. I said we could save a lot of time in our interviews by just rolling some dice to determine yes or no for each candidate. I tried to calm my alarmed colleagues by saying it was biblical: not only did the apostles do it, but according to Proverbs 16:33, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” In other words, God determines the outcome of “random” events. So, I said, we could rely on the outcome of our dice rolls to make the right decisions. My colleagues did not go along with that. Of course, I added that there were two other considerations in the apostles’ action: first, they had thoroughly vetted the candidates to make sure either one was duly qualified for the important role of apostle; and second, the Holy Spirit had not yet descended in power on the Church. Now that we have the Holy Spirit, we decide by prayer, trusting God to make known to us his choices – before and after doing due diligence in examining the candidates.

The Bible speaks of chance rarely; besides the Proverbs passage, Ecclesiastes 9:11 speaks of time and chance happening to everyone as factors in their success, and Jesus speaks of the Good Samaritan coming upon the injured man “by chance.” Also, in 2 Samuel 1:6, the young man who killed King Saul said, ““By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear. . .” One says that our fate results from factors outside us, and not just our own abilities; the second is a device in a parable; and the third is spoken by a man and not a prophet or apostle. None of these passages denies God’s sovereign power over what happens to us. When the Bible speaks directly on the subject, it affirms God’s power over his creation. Nothing can happen unless he allows it to happen, from its creation to its destruction to its redemption.

Psalm 135:6 says, “The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.” Proverbs 16:4 says, “The LORD works out everything to its proper end—even the wicked for a day of disaster.” Ephesians 1:11 says, “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” Romans 11:36 adds, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. ” I could add more verses, but I’ll stop with Lamentations 3:37: “Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it?”

We could go on and discuss further ideas about how much God determines and how much is chance. Maybe I’ll get into them another time. But I’d rather close this blog with one thought about how this all affects us in our walk each day.

I believe that our faith calls on us to consider God and his purposes in everything we do and in everything that happens to us. In a sense we don’t have to determine whether God caused something, or it was an accident or a coincidence. The question really is: “What does God want me to do about it?” Even if God did not cause the event, he allowed it to happen; therefore, he has a purpose in it. Therefore, how should I respond? What is God’s purpose for me in this? What does he want me to say or do? Is he showing me his mercy or his disapproval? Is there someone he wants me to tell about Jesus Christ? Is there someone I am to comfort or help? Or, does he just want me to marvel at his glory and power?

In my airport encounter, though I firmly believe it was God’s doing, even if it had been a coincidence, it would have still called for my same response. I still needed to ask myself, “What does God want me to do about this?”

In every event, we need to recognize God’s presence and power over the situation, and look to him in prayer for what our response should be. We need to ask him his purpose, and what part he wants us to play. If we act according to Scriptural teachings and the foundations of our faith, then we are doing right, even if he doesn’t give us a clear direction in the moment. If we are faithful to him in our response, he will be faithful to us and use our obedience to accomplish his will (2 Timothy 2:13).

And can anything be better than that? Not a chance!

Now 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: Romans 8:26-30, 2 Timothy 2:8-13)

Pluribus or Unum?

This past weekend, our town celebrated its ethnic diversity by holding its annual Multicultural Festival. It’s a gathering of the community showcasing many different cultures through art, dance, traditional costumes, and (my favorite) a variety of foods. We didn’t make this year’s event, but attended previously, and found it to be fun and educational. Also, uplifting, to see so many different cultures represented here in our town, brought by people from around the world who found Elk Grove to be a desirable place to live. As people who have now lived here for 25 years ourselves, we can understand some of the attractions.

In relation to such rich diversity in our country, I have heard some people, mostly politicians, speak glowingly of such variety, saying, “Diversity is our strength.” But is it?

I believe diversity can be a great strength, if it is paired with another, vital social attribute: unity. This important connection is best expressed in our country’s motto, first adopted in 1782: E Pluribus Unum (out of many, one). This motto, which proclaimed the unity of the thirteen states and their common federal government, is even more relevant today when applied to the makeup of our citizenry. More than two centuries have seen waves of immigrants (some legal, some illegal, and some forced against their will) from all over the world come to this country.

So why is a 240 year-old motto still relevant? Because, if you have only pluribus or unum, you’ve got big problems.

First: If pluribus is all you have, you can end up with factions, rivalries, disputes, and eventually, chaos. Historically, the term, “Balkanization,” was invented to describe such a situation in the Balkan countries (such as what was Yugoslavia), where a number of small countries with different ethnic divisions fought each other. The term is now applied to any country or region that breaks apart into small, contending factions, leaving the whole vulnerable and beset by constant war.

I enjoy studying languages. Besides the intellectual challenge, I like being able to understand other people and communicate in their languages. I wish I could read and understand all 6,500 languages! (Good thing I’ve got eternity ahead to work on it.) I love that there are so many languages, but when everyone speaks a different language only, it’s hard to connect or accomplish anything together. Think of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11); how did God stop that project? By confusing their one common language so no one could understand each other. The project stopped and the people spread out, going different ways. Diversity was not their strength.

I believe everyone ought to be able to speak two or three languages fluently, if for no other reason than to better understand other people and their cultures. But at the same time, I believe we should all share one common language, too, so that we can all better communicate with each other. That way no one is an “outsider” who has to sit out while the rest of us communicate with each other.

When people interact and communicate openly with each other, and desire unity, walls can break down and people whose ancestors were enemies can end up becoming good friends. Think of former enemies of the US: France, England, Germany, Japan, Italy, etc. which are now allies. Think of Lutheran immigrants from Northern Europe who settled in the Midwest, setting up different Lutheran churches on each corner according to language: Swedes, Norwegians, Danes, Finns, and Germans. Over time, those differences diminished and their new, American identity (and English language) took over. Unity brought together diversity. Pluribus needs unum to be compete.

Second, if all you have is unity, the result is a bland sameness and tyranny. Did I say “tyranny”? Yes I did, because the only way you can have complete unity is by forcing it on people who want to think, act, dress, dance, sing, speak, and write in different ways. Whoever is in power sees any divergence from the approved order of things as a threat to society that must be stamped out. Dictators around the world have always suppressed speech, press, religion, and even minority languages to force common allegiance to the state. In the name of unity, they have oppressed anyone who dares step out of line, even committing genocide to force purity of race or religion.

Even if everyone were willing to adopt one common culture and language, how bland and repetitious would society be? Variety is the spice of life, according to one old saying, and there is much truth to it (especially if the spice is jalapeno!); if we all dressed the same, ate the same food all the time, wore our hair (or lack of it) the same, how boring would that be? Gone would be varieties of food, song, dance, art, etc. that have enriched the human race and shown off the great skills and creativity with which people have solved basic human needs over the millennia. That doesn’t sound too exciting to me (as just today I bought some sauerkraut, ate an English muffin, munched on some tortilla chips, and had some fettuccine Alfredo and a Caesar salad. Maybe some ramen noodles for a bed snack?). No, unity without diversity can be trouble; unum needs pluribus to be complete.

So, how does this issue relate to the Church?

The Christian Church has the same tension between unity and diversity that is experienced by the societies in which it operates. Here are some aspects to that:

1. There is the matter of ethnic and racial diversity. While churches can feel the pressures of cultural divisions reflected by their members (refer to the comment above about Lutheran churches in America divided by their languages and ethnicities), ultimately, the Church around the world is and will be eternally comprised of the greatest diversity. The Bible is clear that not only is God the Creator of all people, he also desires all kinds of people to be saved and to dwell with him in eternity.

From Old Testament prophets who foretold all nations coming to worship God on his holy mountain (Isaiah 11:1-10 and 66:20), to Jesus commanding his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20), to John’s revelation of heaven in which he saw “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,” (Revelation 7) God’s desire is to save us. He is not willing that anyone should perish, but that all would come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). He so loved the world (that’s everybody!) that he gave his only Son, so that whoever (that’s anyone!) who believes in him shall be saved (John 3:16). God’s love is universal; his Church is the largest faith on earth today, and the most diverse in people and cultures from around the world.

One Sunday in 1988 I worshiped at a Lutheran church in Helsinki, Finland. The service was in English (led by an American pastor from one of the Dakotas), but the small congregation was representative of what heaven will be like: worshipers were from Australia, Germany, Finland, and even from Namibia in southwest Africa. One of the Namibians was the mother of that country’s president. We were all different, but united in our faith.

2. Unfortunately, just as countries can be divided, so can the Church. I’m not talking about disputes over what color to paint the church door, or what kind of clothes the pastors should wear when preaching, but about matters of real importance. I’m talking about doctrines and essential practices such as baptism and communion. Over the centuries Christians have disagreed on the Nicene Creed (does the Holy Spirit proceed from just the Father or from both the Father and the Son?), the nature of Christ (God or man or both?), the cessation or continuation of the charismatic gifts, the role of the Church in society, and how we are saved (by grace or by the works which grace enables?). Some baptize infants, others insist on a “believer’s baptism.” Some believe that communion is only a symbol but done by obedience, others recognize that Christ’s true body and blood are received with the elements, and still others say the elements change physically into flesh and blood.

Schisms, anathemas (curses) and even wars have resulted from such divisions, and though settling such issues is important (the Bible commands true doctrine and condemns false teachings), the resulting divisions are a scandal to the world. Rather than presenting a united (unum) message to the world, we have such a diversity of beliefs (pluribus), that you can find some theologian, preacher, or church body that will proclaim just about anything. We see the Balkanization and weakening of the Church.

3. What we need in the Church is unum. Yes, we are a very diverse group of people consisting of people from every nation, tribe, and language. Our cultures and forms of worship vary. (Luther said, “Liberty must prevail in these matters and Christians must not be bound by laws and ordinances. That is why the Scriptures prescribe nothing in these matters, but allow for freedom for the Spirit to act according to his own understanding as the respective place, time, and persons may require it.”) Our songs and hymns vary. Our languages vary. But what must not vary is the Gospel.

For ultimately, we are one people, a royal priesthood, a chosen nation, created and called out by God from darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). We are one, for which Christ prayed in the Upper Room, as he is one with the Father (John 17:21). We are one, because “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

So which should we seek? Pluribus, or unum? The answer for Christ’s Church, for America and the world, and indeed, even for my town, has to be “E pluribus unum.” Let us celebrate our diversity – but in unity, for we have but one God, Creator and Savior of us all. To him be the glory. Amen.

And now 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: Genesis 11:1-9, Ephesians 4:1-16, Revelation 7:9-17

State of the Union

What is the state of your union?

The US Constitution requires the President to inform Congress “from time to time” of the “state of the union.” Traditionally, this is done each January. It’s about that time right now, but due to some political disputes between the parties involved, when and how that report will be delivered is up in the air. Regardless of how this plays out, an honest assessment of our country’s health would require both causes for celebration, and reasons for deep concern. One primary concern is the lack of union between segments of our population; our national motto, e pluribus unum, (out of many, one) seems to have been changed to ex uno plora (out of one, many).

You’ve heard the statement, “United we stand, divided we fall.” This aphorism goes back to at least 600 BC in one of Aesop’s fables called “The Four Oxen and the Lion”:

A lion used to prowl about a field in which four oxen used to dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near they turned their tails to warn another, so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them. At last, however, they fell to quarrel among themselves, and each went off to pasture alone in the separate corner of the field. Then the Lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end of all four. United we stand, divided we fall.

Patrick Henry quoted the statement, “United we stand, divided we fall,” in 1799 regarding a threat to our national unity; he added, “Let us not split into factions which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs. Let us preserve our strength . . . and not exhaust it in civil commotions and . . . wars.” (Where is Patrick when we need him?)

Earlier, at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Ben Franklin said famously, “We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.” And when Abraham Lincoln called attention to the disunity caused by slavery in the US, he quoted from Jesus’ words in Mark 3:25, “And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.”

Division and disunity are dangerous, potentially fatal, for a country. They are also dangerous for any important relationship, such as marriage or family membership. In the Old Testament, the union of husband and wife – “the two shall become one”(Genesis 2:24) – uses the particular Hebrew word for “one” (echad) that signifies a single entity, the same word used when describing our God as One: “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one (echad)”(Deuteronomy 6:4). God’s intent is for true unity in our marriages, and by extension to all our relationships with each other.

The most important relationship, and the one I really want to address, is our relationship with God. As I wrote in my most recent blog, our sin set up a wall of separation, of enmity, between us and God. This was symbolized by the heavy curtain in the Jewish Temple which closed off the Holy of Holies from the world. Only by very stringent, God-ordained ceremonies could that barrier be breached and then only for sacrificial purposes. When the curtain tore in two at Jesus’ death, it showed what his death accomplished: the barrier was removed, and we were granted access to the mercy seat of God and welcomed back into his fellowship.

But now what? Now that we have been forgiven and reconciled to God, how do we continue in the unity which that requires?

First, we recognize that it is Jesus’ will that we remain in union with him and the Father (and of course, the Spirit). At the Last Supper, Jesus prayed what is called the High Priestly Prayer, which is recorded in John 17. He prayed for himself, for his disciples, and for all future believers (such as us). Part of that prayer is for unity: “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me” (John 17:21-23). Note that our unity is not just for our benefit: it is also a sign to the world that Jesus came from God, and that we are God’s beloved. Our disunity defames and slanders God; our unity glorifies him and lifts him up to the world.
Second, we submit to God and recognize that the power for unity comes from him, and not from our good efforts. Jesus praised the Father for giving him his disciples, showing that God is who calls us to himself. His Holy Spirit calls, enlightens, and convicts us of the truth, creating in us the faith by which we are saved. The same Spirit continues to work in us to gather us together in the Church, and to enable us to follow God’s commandments. When we try to force unity (such as by church mergers) according to the world’s patterns, we will fail; when we try to make people work together, we often just push them further apart: “You’re going to be friends with each other and like it!” Our efforts will always fall short because our residual sin gets in the way. Pride, grudges, and divisive spirits ruin our efforts.
Third, though all sins create barriers, some are particularly devastating to unity with God and each other. Pride, idolatry, gossip, unforgiveness – and others you could mention – make true unity very difficult to achieve or maintain. The Apostle Paul warned the Corinthians against one such sin, a party spirit, when chastising them for dividing into parties devoted to different teachers. He said in 1 Corinthians 3:3-4, “For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not being merely human?” God calls on us to avoid such sins for the sake of unity. Once again, petty bickering destroys our witness to the world; love shown in our caring treatment of each other reveals we are Jesus’ disciples: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).
Fourth, there are practical ways to promote this unity. primary among them is the frequent and regular reception of Holy Communion. In that act, we are communing both vertically with God, and horizontally with each other. This sacrament is something that unifies us in Christ by receiving his blood and body, and to each other by publicly showing our faith and need for forgiveness. Receiving communion is an act of humility which levels us with all other believers regardless of human-contrived divisions such as status, demographics, or politics. Other practical ways are by regular worship and fellowship activities, service opportunities, and leadership in the church. Finally, regular study of God’s Word helps correct our sinful and divisive tendencies and draws us close to God.
Finally, if we would be in unity with God, then following his will for our lives plays a big part. This means obeying the commandments which he has laid out in general for everyone such as “Do not steal.” But it also means following his directions for our individual lives. He has a purpose for each of us; finding and seeking to follow that purpose honors God, fulfills his intent, and blesses us with the peace of knowing we are in God’s will. Once again, we recognize that apart from God we cannot keep his will, nor by keeping it do we earn his approval. But as those who are one with him, how can we not seek to do his will?

So then, how is your state of the union doing? Do you find yourself avoiding God’s Word out of fear that it might tell you to change your behavior? Do you feel at peace with him, or are there things that are making you feel uncomfortable? Do you look forward to worship and other church gatherings, or are there some people there you would rather avoid? Have you prayed for forgiveness, and have you prayed for his strength to face difficult situations or temptations?

God wants you to be one with him and with your brothers and sisters in Christ; how is that union doing?

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: John 17, 1 Corinthians 3, 1 Corinthians 12:12-26