Just a Few More Days…
photo by estherase

Can you remember Christmas when you were a child?  What was it like?  Did you have certain traditions that still are meaningful for you?  Do you have memories of waiting for the special day?

Of course, not everyone has pleasant memories of Christmases in the past.  But hopefully you do – and if you’re like me, many of your childhood memories revolve around one thing:  presents!  I remember seeing gifts under the tree and wondering just what might be inside the packages.  Visiting grandparents gave me another round of this sense of expectation, too – more gifts to open and to share!

Here we are, just a few days before Christmas.  The level of anticipation and expectation is rising every moment for today’s children (and some adults, to be fair).  Why don’t we experience that kind of excitement during the rest of our lives?

One of the hymns of our faith, “I’ll Fly Away,” expresses this feeling as it relates to our hope for life beyond the grave:

Some glad morning when this life is o’er, I’ll fly away.

To a home on God’s celestial shore, I’ll fly away.

Chances are, you know the tune to that song.  In fact, you might be singing it to yourself right now.  Christians love to sing this song (and songs like it) because of its catchy tune, its upbeat tempo, and its message of hope.  We live as people of hope, who believe that God will bring about a brighter tomorrow, who trust that Jesus will return, will raise his people up, and will live with them in glory forever.

Isn’t it hard to live with a sense of anticipation that Jesus’s return will happen soon?  I think it’s certainly harder for Christians to live in expectation of that time than it is for children to live in expectation of Christmas morning.  Christmas is a regular, predictable event, but the return of Christ is mysterious, unknown, perhaps distant.  Yet this is part and parcel of our faith as followers of Christ:  that his return is imminent, that we may see him in our lifetime, that the time is drawing near.

Just a few more weary days and then I’ll fly away.

To a land where joy shall never end, I’ll fly away.

Friends, live with expectation!  Watch for signs of anticipation in the youngest among us, and learn from their example.  We are people of hope!  We are people who expect Christ’s return!  We are people who are waiting just a few more days!

–Pastor David

Should Christian Christmas be automatic?
photo by Alkelda

I read a story online today about a traditional nativity display in Santa Monica, California, that will not have its customary space along a street in a city park.  The city uses a lottery system to give different groups the opportunity to set up their own displays in the park.  This year, the Christian group that sets up the nativity scene – which usually includes fourteen different displays related to Jesus’s birth – was given only three spaces, apparently thanks to several atheists who entered the lottery for their own displays.  The Christian group expressed their dismay at the atheists’ attempt to push them out of the park.  They feel that their inability to express their religious beliefs is an infringement on their First Amendment rights.

That got me to thinking.  Should the Christian version of Christmas be automatic in our culture?  Should we always expect our traditional public nativity scenes to be accepted and allowed?  Should the message of the birth of Jesus Christ become part and parcel of our cultural experiences?

These questions are related to a broader discussion in Christian circles:  How should Christians interact with our culture?  In his 1951 book Christ and Culture, Richard Niebuhr describes five possibilities:

  1. Christ against culture:  The Christian church and secular culture have nothing to do with each other, and the good church will ultimately grow while the evil world fades away.
  2. Christ of culture:  God works in and through our culture to fulfill his purposes.  We find connections between the church and the best parts of culture.
  3. Christ above culture:  There may be some similarities between the church and the world, but there are also many differences; the Christian way is often higher or better than the worldly way.
  4. Christ and culture in paradox:  There is a tension between the church and the world, and that tension cannot be resolved.
  5. Christ transforming culture:  The world is sinful, but Christ can transform culture so that it can serve his purposes.

Each of these ways of considering the relationship between Christ and culture has been used throughout history, and each has its strengths and weaknesses.

Should the Christian emphasis on Christmas be automatic in culture?  If you say “yes” to that question, then you may be thinking in the “Christ of culture” way.  I personally tend to fall toward the “Christ and culture in paradox” mindset.

My response to the Santa Monica nativity situation is to say this:  The world might not understand or appreciate the Christian message of Jesus Christ being born in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago, and that’s all right.  Our task as believers is to be faithful to the message of Christ and to share it with those around us.  If our communities do not accept that message, then so be it.  That does not detract from the power of the gospel to change lives!  In fact, it reminds us that our work is not complete.  There are many who have not truly heard and understood the good news, that Jesus Christ is born – and that the rest of his story is true, as well!

Be encouraged, friends.  We do not have to put Christ back into Christmas, because he has been there all along, calling us to be transformed and to leave behind the ways of the world, all for his name’s sake.

–Pastor David

Advent: What are you expecting?
photo by Maeflower72

Today, I’d like you to read Isaiah 9:1-7, even if you have read it many times in the past.  As you read, think about what you expect out of the Christmas season.  What are you anticipating?  What do you think will happen in the next few weeks?

Isaiah wrote his prophecy several hundred years before Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem.  Isaiah didn’t know when Jesus would be born, who his mother would be, how Jesus would live and die and live again, or any of those details.  All he knew was that there were people in his time who were in distress and were being oppressed, and that eventually God would send a ruler who would make everything right for all time.

Did Jesus fulfill this prophecy written by Isaiah?  That question leads to one of the most controversial questions in all the world:  how do you understand Jesus of Nazareth?  For those of us who understand the connection between Jesus and Isaiah 9:1-7, we can rejoice that our Savior has come, that the Prince of Peace has broken the bars of oppression, that the newborn child in Bethlehem grew up and now reigns over the kingdom of God for all time.

Sometimes I wonder if we take those statements for granted.  Do we truly grasp the significance of Jesus fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy?  Are we able to identify with “walking in darkness” so that we can understand “seeing a great light”?  Will we allow the Lord’s holy zeal to bring about peace, justice, and righteousness in our world?

Or will we allow Christmas to be a sentimental holiday reserved for seasonal decorations, gift exchanges, and sweet desserts?

Throughout this month (and beyond), consider the truth of our faith:  that Jesus Christ, the Son of God born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago, has fundamentally changed our world, our society, our relationships, and our personal experiences.  His kingdom will endure forever and ever!

–Pastor David

Advent: Celebrating What’s Coming
photo by Per Ola Wiberg ~ Powi

Take a few moments today to read Luke 1:5-25, and pay special attention to the character named Zechariah, a priest belonging to a specific division of priests.  Luke gives him the honor of being the first person in this gospel to receive a visit from God – specifically, from Gabriel, an angel of the Lord.  What a tremendous interruption to an otherwise normal worship service!

Who could blame Zechariah for doubting that he and his wife Elizabeth would have a child in their old age?  After all, his ancestors Abraham and Sarah had just as much trouble believing God’s same promise to them.  Yet in order to emphasize the message and the truth of God’s promise, the angel told Zechariah that he would not be able to speak for the duration of Elizabeth’s pregnancy.

Can you imagine what the next several months might have been like for Zechariah?  This goes against what we normally experience in the season of Advent!  At this time of year, people are usually filled with excitement, expectation, hope, and other positive emotions – whether it’s about opening presents, visiting family, eating a good Christmas dinner, participating in a Christmas Eve candlelight service, or another of the blessings of this season.  But Zechariah had to spend significant time – more than a month! – silently waiting the fulfillment of God’s promise: that his son would soon “make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (vs. 17 NIV).

Can you imagine Zechariah’s growing excitement as he watched Elizabeth grow more and more pregnant in the months that followed?

Culturally speaking (and within the church), we have only one month to celebrate Advent, the coming of our Lord.  We may not be struck silent by an angel of God for this entire season, but our challenge is the same.  We are called to wait eagerly, with anticipation, for the coming of the Christ child.  The greatest event in human history – God himself being born as a human baby – is an event that changed the world.  What better way to celebrate Christmas than to spend the preceding month as Zechariah did his wife’s pregnancy:  with ever increasing joy, hope, excitement, and anticipation of this long-awaited birth of our Savior!

–Pastor David

Shrinking Church
photo by vernhart

It’s the week of Thanksgiving, and many of us are turning our attention to family matters and turkey feasts.  Before the festivities begin, I’d like to share with you an article I found online recently.  You can read the full article here; its title is “How to Shrink Your Church,” and it was written by a pastor named Tim Suttle.  If you haven’t done so already, please read this brief article; it is well worth your time.

Christians seem always to be interested in growing:  we want pews to be filled, classes to be well-attended, programs to blossom.  I can’t lie – when I heard 150 strong voices fill our sanctuary with musical praise to God at our Community Thanksgiving Service the other day, I was thrilled and wondered what it would be like if we were to have that experience every Sunday.  We are constantly concerned with our future, with the next generation of believers, with the hope for things to turn around.

What does success look like in the eyes of God?  How do we know if we are doing the right things?  Even Jesus told the parable of the talents, in which the two servants who doubled their resources were praised while the one who buried his in the ground was condemned.  And with the bar set high (“go and make disciples of all nations,” Matthew 28:18-20), the ideal path of church success seems straightforward enough:  we are successful if we grow in size, influence, energy, and so forth.

To be fair, we should be concerned with introducing people to Jesus, the one who died to forgive our sins, who gives us new life, and who walks with us through every experience.  Adding people to the kingdom of God is always a priority.

Yet I believe Pastor Suttle’s core idea is also true, and I want to restate it in my own words here.  Growing churches are exciting places to be, but any church – growing or otherwise – can fall under the spell of two false teachings:  (1) “Feel good” Christianity, in which everything that happens makes us feel better about our lives as we have already chosen to live them, and (2) “Church growth” Christianity, in which we follow specific programs and procedures that are designed to grow the congregation, again to help us feel better about our situation.

In order to be effective and successful Christ-followers, we must remain absolutely faithful to the message of Jesus, the kingdom of God, and the scripture which points us to God.  Church growth is not about fancy programs and entertainment.  It is about calling ourselves and others into deep, intimate, life-changing relationship with Christ and into meaningful, sacrificial, humble service in our world.

We must pursue Christ unashamedly, which might not be too popular.  After all, Jesus himself said we’d have to eat his flesh and drink his blood, and that line cost him a lot of followers.  We must spend ourselves for the sake of the kingdom of God.  If we find ourselves completely spent, then we are in the right position:  God is the master of resurrection, and there can be no substitute for the new life he gives his people.

–Pastor David

The Importance of Seasons
photo by sant.o

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV)

Our lives are marked by the passage of time.  We celebrate birthdays and anniversaries; we have graduation ceremonies; we throw retirement parties.  Major events and milestones are represented by entire sections of Hallmark greeting cards.  As human beings created by God, we have been given the ability to remember and the ability to sense the passage of time in order to help us make sense of our existence.

This is different than, say, the life of a dog.  Our dogs have no sense of time (beyond when it’s time to eat, sleep, or go outside).  They do not place any emphasis on the day of their birth.  They do not celebrate the anniversary of when they came into our home.  And they certainly don’t send greeting cards to other people at specific times of the year – although I think I’ve seen a few cards for sale that claim to be sent from someone’s pet.

Today marks the beginning of “deer season” – or more appropriately, as I’ve learned in the past year, “firearm season.”  For the next few weeks, many people in our church and community will spend a great deal of time outdoors looking and waiting for just the right shot to take.  The anticipation I’ve seen several men express before this day came reminds me of the anticipation children have in the days leading up to Christmas.  There’s a raw, palpable excitement in the air as we have been preparing for this season.

Thank God for the gift of seasons!  Can you imagine how dull and uninteresting life might be if it were always rifle season, or always winter, or always baseball season?  (I’m serious!  Sometimes a bad baseball season just needs to come to an end.)  As Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us, life is full of seasons, or times when certain actions or feelings are more natural than others.  I believe this is part of God’s design for humanity:  to know seasons, to know change, to recognize that time is passing, to live with an awareness that we have the potential to grow.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God “has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (NIV).

We are always aware of the change in our seasons.  In this we are a step ahead of our canine friends.  Are we as aware that God is so much more complex and amazing than even we can imagine?  Can we begin to wrap our minds around what God has done throughout all history?

And to think that the fullness of God dwells in the person of Jesus!  (See Colossians 1:15-20.)  What an astounding thought:  that we are invited to know this Jesus personally, intimately, deeply; to worship him, to learn from him, to be forgiven by him, to become more like him on a daily basis.  How amazing!  This is a truth that is worth sharing with others.  It is one that will never go out of season.

–Pastor David

Thoughts on Veterans Day
Veteran Flag
photo by Dustin C. Oliver

This Friday is November 11, our national holiday for honoring our veterans, both living and deceased.  We do well as a nation to remember those who have participated in military exercises on our behalf.  We enjoy so many freedoms and privileges that we often take for granted, and our military, over the years, has done much to preserve those freedoms and privileges.  Several veterans are members of our congregation, and nearly all of us know of or are related to veterans of one war or another.  In this season of giving thanks, please do take the time to thank veterans in person for the gift of their time and resources.

Today, I find myself drawn to the reason Veterans Day came to be observed on November 11 each year.  The name “Veterans Day” has been in use since the end of World War II, and the same holiday was observed prior to that war under the label “Armistice Day.”  The first World War officially ended on November 11, 1918 – ninety-three years ago this week – and many nations around the world continue to remember the end of this great conflict on the same day.

Why am I drawn to this?  Well, you know I enjoy history and the stories that shape who we are today.  But my interest here has more to do with the reason for celebrating this holiday.  Culturally, we (as Americans) are in a position in our collective history in which we applaud, support, and give thanks for our military forces on a regular basis.  For instance, at the beginning of every Great Lakes Loons game, a veteran asks the crowd to rise and sing the national anthem.  That is who we are, culturally speaking.

As Christians, however, we should celebrate the historical reasons behind Armistice Day:  we should rejoice when nations lay down arms against each other and come, finally, to peace.  That’s because our identity as disciples of Jesus is modeled after the life of this Prince of Peace.  True, he said that he came not “to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34 NIV).  However, he also encouraged us to “be at peace with each other” (Mark 9:50 NIV).  The overwhelming biblical call is for God’s faithful children to live peacefully: see, for example, James 3:17-18; Hebrews 12:10-14; Ephesians 4:3; and Romans 14:17-19.

Peace is related to righteousness; peace is the way of Christ.  True, scripture often speaks of us living peacefully within the church, but it also speaks of living peacefully with everyone.  Scripture often speaks of an angry, vengeful God, but it also speaks of the same God applauding the peaceful way of life.  Christian history has often applied scripture to justify violent actions, but the higher road, whenever it is possible to be traveled, is peaceful.

This Armistice Day, remember to give thanks for the gift of peace.  Then take a few minutes to pray for peace around the world, in war-torn nations (just check the daily news for examples!), in our own nation and cities.  As Jeremiah called the Israelites in Babylonian captivity to do, “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile” (Jeremiah 29:7 NIV).

–Pastor David

All Hallows’ Eve

Today, of course, is Halloween – the time when many people put candles inside pumpkins, wear elaborate costumes, and go from house to house collecting candy from neighbors.  (We do some pretty strange things sometimes, don’t we?)  This is a festive time of year; it’s the last outdoor celebration we will have before the weather turns cold for the season.  It’s a time for neighbors to talk, laugh, share, and enjoy each other’s company.  It’s a time for children to put more sugar into their bodies than their parents usually allow.  All in all, everyone has a good time!

The name “Halloween” reminds me that this is also a time for spiritual reflection.  Halloween certainly isn’t a religious holiday, but it does have ties to a religious theme.  “Halloween” is thought to be a contraction of the name “All Hallows’ Eve,” which is the night before “All Hallows’ Day” or “All Saints’ Day.”  On November 1 (or, for some Christians, another day in the year), the vast majority of Christians around the world pause to remember those believers who have died in the past year and are now entrusted fully to the Lord’s care.  The night before All Saints’ Day is, in a sense, a time of preparation for the remembrance to occur on the following day.

Several years ago, I was worshiping with a United Methodist congregation while I was in graduate school.  On All Saints’ Day (or the nearest Sunday to it), we gathered for a regular worship service.  During the course of this service, there came a time when the pastor read the names of church members who had died in the previous year.  After each name was read, someone rang the large bell in the church tower.  Although I didn’t know any of these individuals because I had just moved to their town, I felt grateful to be part of a worship experience in which believers gathered to give thanks for the lives of their loved ones.

On this year’s All Saints’ Day – and today, on All Hallows’ Eve – I hope you can take a few moments to pause and give thanks for the gift of life, the ability to buy candy, the opportunity to wear costumes, the enjoyment of neighborly company.  And I hope you take a moment or two to reflect on the mystery of life and death:  that those who die in the Lord are entrusted to his care and will be raised to new life when Christ returns.  We as a congregation are well aware of those to whom we have said goodbye in the past few months.  Remember them as well, and give thanks that they are among the millions throughout history who have finished this earthly race in the faith.

Then be sure to enjoy this secular holiday and all its festivities, too!  For what it’s worth, my favorite part of Halloween is how the price of Halloween candy plummets on the next day.  Enjoy this introspective yet joyous season, church!

–Pastor David

Discerning God’s Call

Normally, I don’t like to talk about politics in the church.  That’s because any given congregation is comprised of people with varying political beliefs, and I don’t believe it is appropriate for a pastor to preach politics from the pulpit.  We gather together on Sunday mornings to give praise to God and to learn from him; Sunday gatherings should not be for political manipulation or persuasion.

Sometimes, however, the spheres of politics and religion overlap – perhaps more frequently than we realize.  In the past few months, our society has been observing and studying several different Republican candidates for President.  Some of these candidates have made a fascinating religious claim:  that they have been called by God to run for this office.

I have a personal history with experiencing God’s call on my life.  My call to ministry is something I share publicly, and if you don’t know my story, I would be glad to tell you someday.  So when I hear other people speaking openly about God calling them to one particular task or another, my ears perk up a little bit.  What does that call mean to them?  What does it look like?  What are the ramifications of that call?  How do we know if that call is valid?  Are we sure that this is an authentic call?

I do not doubt that God can call individuals to play certain roles in society.  Some are called to be teachers; others are called to be construction workers.  Some are called to be secretaries; others are called to be plumbers.  Some people are called to raise families.  Some people are called to exercise leadership.  And the way God calls people to these tasks may be quite different from person to person.

Perhaps you simply can’t conceive of doing anything other than this with your life.  Perhaps you have an internal sense, a drive within your spirit, that pulls you into this area of work or service.  Perhaps other Christians have identified strengths in you, and you have put those gifts to work in a particular field.  Maybe you have even heard God’s voice speaking to you, instructing you to move in a certain direction.

Whatever the case may be, I believe firmly that God’s call for individuals (a) must be consistent with the teachings of scripture and (b) must be validated and confirmed by other honest, integrity-filled members of the church.  That is, God doesn’t call people to do things that go against what the Bible teaches.  And God doesn’t call people to do things that nobody else agrees with.  (Even reformers like Martin Luther and D. S. Warner had supporters surrounding them.)

So what are we to make of presidential candidates expressing a call from God to run for this office?  My advice is this:  Don’t put too much weight on these calls.  Scripture teaches about the kind of character required of leaders in the church – and it would be nice if our national leaders had the same character.  But the office of President of the United States is a secular office which requires specific political, economic, legislative, and executive skills.  (And I should add that it does not require a specific divine call!)  We should be cautious of anyone who claims to be called by God to be our President – similar to how a congregation should carefully investigate anyone who expresses a call to serve as its pastor.

–Pastor David

The Joy of a Wedding

I have the privilege of performing the wedding ceremony for a couple at their home in our neighborhood later today.  These two aren’t part of a church family, but they wanted to be married in a religious ceremony rather than at the courthouse.  They called our church a few months ago and asked me to marry them, and I agreed:  they seem well matched for each other, and I am honored to play this important role in their lives.

Over the past few months, I have met with them on several occasions to get to know them better and to help them understand the Christian approach to marriage.  I’ve seen some of the difficult life situations they face, and I’ve learned their perspective on their relationship and what marriage means to them.  Last night, we had the official wedding rehearsal – which was followed by my first experience eating a deep-fried turkey! – and I was struck by the joy and excitement of all who were in attendance.

Weddings are (usually) such enjoyable occasions.  If all goes well, the uniting of husband and wife is a reason for everyone to celebrate.  All the stress and tension that goes into planning a wedding seems to disappear once the ceremony begins.  And certainly once the ceremony is over, the participants can look back on all the preparatory work and (hopefully) say, “All that work was worth it!”

We as believers in Christ are constantly preparing ourselves for a great wedding that will take place when Christ returns.  As Revelation 19:6-8 (NIV) says:

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)

Brothers and sisters, we are in that season of preparation for our wedding day.  Let us continually work on clothing ourselves with appropriate wedding attire, so that when the Lamb comes and the wedding begins, we will be ready – and so that we will be able to say, “All this preparation was worth it!”  What a day that will be!

–Pastor David