What a friend we have in Jesus.

John 15:9-15

^“9As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

12 ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵I do not call you servants^* any longer, because the servant^* does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.”

 

So I read this and I think how rude, especially “You are my friends if you do what I command you.”  Is saying Jesus in order to be his friend I have to do what he says?  Always?  What about what I want?  I’ve known people like this over the years and quite frankly when I realize that our relationship is based upon doing only what they want, my enthusiasm for being their friend starts to wane.  I realize now that I did the same thing to lots of people.  I insisted that they be involved in the same activities as I was in order to hang out with me.  When I played softball, if you didn’t play I didn’t have time to be your friend.  When I was in the military everyone I knew was in the military.  Often it seems through no fault of our own we become friends with people who have something in common with us.  Most of our friendships are primarily based upon participation in the same activities or similar life circumstances.  In fact once we leave home it becomes harder and harder to stay connected with our parents and siblings as our lives diverge from one another. 

So it seems to me that Jesus isn’t being rude or demanding rather he is stating the obvious.  That if we don’t share in his life, doing the things he does, participating in his body, loving our neighbors, willing to lay our lives down for one another, we can’t be his friend because we aren’t with him.                                        D.C.

How should we respond when we are hurt?

Until Christ returns there will never be an end to suffering or the perpetual injury of one person by another.  Some people ask the question why do bad people always take advantage of the kind hearted.  This makes me think about just how kind-hearted I am.  For me the issue has always been who is in control of my life.  Everytime someone hurts me or offends me they are in effect attempting to control my life.  When the world attacks me, when those I love suffer, it is the world dominated by sin, that is trying to take control.  I say this because the way I was taught to respond was to fight back.  To hit back so hard that the other would leave me alone and of course I mean fight back anyway possible, no holds barred.  Hit’em physically, emotionally, financially in any way I think will be effective.  I’ve fought people, avoided people, ignored people, ostracized people and talked about people like they were dirt.  I learned to do this by watching what other people did.  The world taught me well, by beating me up.  I don’t think, however, that I ever won much or for very long by employing the above listed strategies of attack and defend.  In fact I think all that happened was that I happily handed control of my life over to the world, which played me like piano.  It sucked me further and further into a cesspool from which it became harder and harder to escape.  It wasn’t until I decided to actually practice the faith I was given growing up that I began to make some headway in resisting the deprivations of all those bad people who insisted on picking on innocent little ol’ me.  One of the passages that I think really speaks to this issue is found in Luke 6:27-42: 

<!– 27 –>

“27 ‘But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. ²⁹If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. ³⁰Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 ‘If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. ³⁵But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.^* Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. ³⁶Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. <!– 37 –>

37 ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; ³⁸give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’

39 He also told them a parable: ‘Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? ⁴⁰A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. ⁴¹Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s^* eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? ⁴²Or how can you say to your neighbour,^* “Friend,^* let me take out the speck in your eye”, when you yourself do not see 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 neighbour’s^* eye.”

By listening to this passage and attempting however, successfully to live it out, I have found myself escaping from the perpetual cycle of conflict and drama.  I actually am starting to win.

Alone and on my own I have always been just one more sucker who fell into the trap that is the world.  I handed control of my life over to anyone who took the time and trouble to push my buttons and come after me, for one thing or another.  Then I found Jesus and started listening to him and Praying to the creator and following the Holy Spirit and the next thing you know I no longer feel that I have to fight back, or harden my heart or defend myself from all comers to the bitter end.  I just have to pray and trust that God will take care of me for the rest of my eternal life.

Looking for Wisdom

I prayed for wisdom this morning so that I could put something exceptional in this space.  I’m sure I hoped just a little, that whatever I put here would sound good and cause everyone who read it to think, with appropriate credit going to me.  The answer I got was the following and I can take no credit for it.

Proverbs 3

3My child, do not forget my teaching,
   but let your heart keep my commandments;
²for length of days and years of life
   and abundant welfare they will give you.

³Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you;
   bind them round your neck,
   write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴So you will find favour and good repute
   in the sight of God and of people.

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
   and do not rely on your own insight.
⁶In all your ways acknowledge him,
   and he will make straight your paths.
⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes;
   fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
⁸It will be a healing for your flesh
   and a refreshment for your body.

⁹Honour the Lord with your substance
   and with the first fruits of all your produce;
¹⁰then your barns will be filled with plenty,
   and your vats will be bursting with wine.

¹¹My child, do not despise the Lord’s discipline
   or be weary of his reproof,
¹²for the Lord reproves the one he loves,
   as a father the son in whom he delights.

¹³Happy are those who find wisdom,
   and those who get understanding,
¹⁴for her income is better than silver,
   and her revenue better than gold.
¹⁵She is more precious than jewels,
   and nothing you desire can compare with her.
¹⁶Long life is in her right hand;
   in her left hand are riches and honour.
¹⁷Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
   and all her paths are peace.
¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
   those who hold her fast are called happy.

¹⁹The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
   by understanding he established the heavens;
²⁰by his knowledge the deeps broke open,
   and the clouds drop down the dew.

 ²¹My child, do not let these escape from you

sight: keep sound wisdom and prudence,
  ²²and they will be life for your soul and

 adornment for your neck.
²³Then you will walk on your way securely
   and your foot will not stumble.
²⁴If you sit down,^* you will not be afraid;
   when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
²⁵Do not be afraid of sudden panic,
   or of the storm that strikes the wicked;
²⁶for the Lord will be your confidence
   and will keep your foot from being caught.

²⁷Do not withhold good from those to whom it is  

   due, when it is in your power to do it.
²⁸Do not say to your neighbour, ‘Go, and come

  again; tomorrow I will give it’—when you

  have it with you.
²⁹Do not plan harm against your neighbour
   who lives trustingly beside you.
³⁰Do not quarrel with anyone without cause,
   when no harm has been done to you.
³¹Do not envy the violent and do not choose any  

  of their ways; ³²for the perverse are an

  abomination to the Lord, but the upright are in

  his confidence.
³³The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
   but he blesses the abode of the righteous.
³⁴Towards the scorners he is scornful,
   but to the humble he shows favour.
³⁵The wise will inherit honour,
   but stubborn fools, disgrace.

 Thank God for the Bible and all it has to say to us, if only we would read and understand.  D.C.

We are transformed and transforming

I wonder what the official definition of a transformed church is in the NWRCC.  I don’t know but I’d like to nominate FCC(DOC) in Clarkston, WA as one.  Since Sep 2007, our church has added 71 new members and conducted 24 baptisms.  Our average attendance has gone from 55 to 95.  We have children and adults attending Sunday School, have a strong Youth Group and are hosting our first VBS this July, in 6 years.  We have new bible studies and both our DWM and CMF have new people participating.  Our building has been repainted inside and out.  We have a new roof, new kitchen and new reflection spot at the corner of our building.  We are more involved than ever in the community, housing the homeless, feeding the hungry, supporting the free clinic, addressing poverty and reaching out to the unchurched and de-churched.  By any standard I think FCC in Clarkston is a renewed and transformed congregation.

Election, God’s Foreknowledge and Humanities free will.

I sent out the following message.

I’m wrestling with the doctrines of Election, God’s foreknowledge and Humanities free will. Can anyone contribute something useful, particularly a DOC perspective? It will all be appreciated.

To which I got the following reply:

Perhaps if you pin down what you mean by knowledge, what you mean by free will, and what purpose election serves, an answer will present itself. When we talk about the foreknowledge of God, do we really mean that God knows everything that will happen in the same way that we know what’s happening around us in the present? This would seem to limit God to basically being a big human in the sky. Alternately, does affirming that God “knows what will happen” just point to something else more true (but less-readily articulated) about God?

Free will is an extremely problematic concept, not just in terms of theology, but in terms of psychology, sociology, and other disciplines that examine the human condition. Absolute free will, the only way a human can be wholly accountable for her/his actions, is almost certainly an illusion. Good research is showing that the human mind often makes decisions, begins the appropriate actions, and only then comes up with a reason for why it made the decision and took the actions it did. Consciousness seems on some level to be real, but it turns out to be significantly less important for human function than one might hope.

It would moreover be impossible to argue, simply on historical grounds, that humans are completely free to make their own destinies; we do not choose the circumstances of our birth, any more than we choose the nearly infinite number of accidental events that ultimately have tremendous impacts on us.

If human beings are not completely in control of their fates (or indeed, their fates are largely out of their control), then the affirmation of God’s foreknowledge is an act of courage: upholding the doctrine could be read as a symbolic insistence that there is the possibility of meaning, even if it cannot be readily discerned. “Election” could be read as a symbolic affirmation of our human ability (a gift of “free will,” to give that term a very Lutheran turn) to participate in ultimate meaning even as we are unable to fully discern that meaning.

Just some thoughts.

Does anyone else have any thoughts on the matter?

I’d like to answer the first part of the reply above.  I would say that by knowledge I mean the knowing of future events and if God does know future events does that then negate human free will and if so did anyone ever have the option to choose to follow Jesus or was the choice made for them by God, in otherwords were they elected.   Another aspect to this is did God know what I was going to wear today before I chose to wear it?

In times of trouble

¹I lift up my eyes to the hills—
   from where will my help come?
²My help comes from the Lord,
   who made heaven and earth.

³He will not let your foot be moved;
   he who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴He who keeps Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵The Lord is your keeper;
   the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
⁶The sun shall not strike you by day,
   nor the moon by night.

                                    Psalm 121:1-6

             I can tell you that everyone needs help at times.  Who do we turn to when we are in trouble?  These days many people are in trouble, one way or another, and I want to remind all of us that when we need help look to God first.  Don’t look to the Government, President, banks, market, Parents, friends or even the church but like the psalmist;

Let us lift up our eyes to the hills—
   from where will our help come?
 Our help comes from the Lord,
   who made heaven and earth.

            I want to call us all to trust in God, to throw ourselves on God’s mercy and reassure all of us that when we do that, God will help.

Thinking about the next Sermon 1 John 5:1-5

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child.  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.   For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome,  for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This may come as no shock to anyone, but the world is really messing with my groove.  I’m a very new Pastor and my ministry at my church started out great .  But then things started to go a little awry.  I failed to meet everyones percieved needs and irritated some other folk and I can accept that I can’t please everyone and that it’s the Gospel I’m to preach not make everyone comfortable.  I’m willing to take the blame for the things I’ve done wrong and the hurts I’ve caused.  But it doesn’t seem llike that the major problems we are having are internal to our congregation.  All in all I have found the congregation to be very supportive and interested in reaching out to the community, even if that does mean making some changes in how things are done.  We do alot for God and work hard in service to others.  So I’ve been rather satisfied with the congregation and my ministry and more and more people are coming to church.  Things are going well. 

However, the world outside of this place has really started to hamper what we are doing.  Personality conflicts between new members brought into the church from the workplace have been used by some to quit coming, dysfunctional homes, drugs, alchohol and crime have taken others who came to us away.  Preferences of worship, entertainment, vacations, fishing, sports, other commitments while not wrong impact our worship, prayer and study, etc. etc.  The point is that I feel helpless before all of this and I struggle and struggle and blame myself and my inability to change the world and peoples attitudes and opinions.  But then I read the following and I am reminded again that I can’t do much without God.

“For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome,  for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Am I a Universalist?

I was asked this question recently, Am I a universalist, like others who graduated from my seminary?  Here’s my answer.

As far as being an universalist, I would have to say no.  I never was, I hope more people will go to heaven rather than hell, but in my understanding that is entirely up to God.  Therefore, I choose not to dwell on who is going and who is not.  I don’t think the standard though is based on actions or rules.  I think it is based entirely on a person’s belief and willingness to be in relationship with God.  If a person works tirelessly to feed the hungry, cloth the poor, heal the sick, etc. and fails to pray, study, ask God for direction and  trust in our creator.  Then I’m afraid that God will not know them.  In my mind I have a picture of God sitting at a judges bench, a person comes or is lead forward to stand in front of the bench, Jesus stands up for the person, the devil acts as the prosecutor.  The scene is set, but the individual never acknowledges, not even sees the scene.  Doesn’t see God or know God, or Jesus or even the devil.  To them they are standing in front of nothing more than a green screen and for all eternity they stand there or sit there alone, with ever knowing there are other persons there.  In time outside of any relationship they become tormented, burning with a desire to see anything or anyone and they might howl in there misery for all to hear, but still they stand outside of, excluded from relationship with God.  Very passive picture of God I know and I certainly don’t think it is complete or particularly accurate, but it is a way for me to understand a little about the sorting.  I also understand scripture to present several pictures of this seperation from the Kingdom of Heaven.  The story of the bridesmaids and the sorting of the Goats and the sheep immediately come to mind.  But these are balanced in my mind with an understanding of a merciful God who gave Israel countless chances to repent and Loves us all so strongly that God would not lightly sever any relationship with anyone, not even Adam and Eve after they are evicted from the Garden.  I think God’s Justice is most often served best by letting people suffer from the inevitable results of their actions.  Actions that result in permanent seperation from God, which I think would truly be hell.

Troubled Times

The world is a challenging place.  I don’t think life should or even can be easy and I think that is O.K.  I might even think that is great.  Hard times sometimes bring out the strength in people, but other times it destroys them.  I am sitting here thinking that the current economic crisis is not all bad.  When everything is coming up roses we have a bad habit of taking all the credit.  I think God deserves the credit though.  For the believer, hard times often make us turn to and trust in God more, just as we should when times are good.  As I hear about the demise of Christianity in the U.S. and as people in my church start to lose there jobs, thereby threatening mine, I realize yet again that my faith and my trust are to be placed in God.  That a result of  hard and challenging times in my life have had the effect of bringing me closer to God.  As I look back I see that God carried me through.  For this I want to thank God everyday of my life.  For the church in the U.S. it will come through these times more faithful and more willing to trust in God, not politics, not courts, not public opinion, and not abundant financial resources.  God will prune the unfruitful branches off of the vine of Jesus.  Let us all trust God to do the job and worry about abiding in Jesus and being fruitful ourselves.

Easter was awesome

Everything we did at FCC Clarkston seemed to be filled with the Holy Spirit during Holy Week.  It all started with a rousing palm sunday entrance into and around the sanctuary by 20 of our children.  They and the rest of our congregation waved palms and cheered and were generally excited and noisy.  Then we celebrated Maunday-Thursday with an intimate gathering of twenty-five gathered around the table in the sanctuary where we heard and remembered the last supper and Jesus acting as a servant by washing the feet of his disciples.  The next night we gathered with Christians from other churches and held a community Good Friday service in which we once again heard and remembered, except this time we remembered the arrest and crucifixtion of our Lord.  Saturday morning we hosted an Easter egg hunt in the morning and a few people gathered to watch the Movie “The Passion of the Christ”.  Early Sunday morning several of us gathered with more than one hundred others in a local park, to celebrate the resurrection as the sun came up.  We then went to our church enjoyed an Easter Brunch and then gathered together in our sanctuary for our Easter service.  At that service we celebrated the Resurrection and talked of how Jesus’ resurrection leads all of us who believe to new life.  That we can die to our old way of existing in a world of death and can rise from that walking grave into a new life in eternal relationship with God, our Creator, as it is meant to be for all.  After I finished my sermon we baptized seven individuals into the body of Christ.  Three minors and four adults.

God is good all the time, All the time God is good.