PASTOR'S BLOG
Discovering Spiritual Truths & Celebrating God's Grace in the Every Day Happenings of Life.
Today, I share this post with you. It is from an author (a fellow pastor) that I frequently read and very much respect. It is a bit longer, maybe all of 3 minutes. But it is well worth the read—especially as we inch ever closer to Election Day next Tuesday. It was originally published back in January of 2021. However, these words continue to be relevant to God’s people. It is not meant to rebuke or condemn anyone. It is not meant to minimize or ignore any important issue. It is not meant to make little of any situation our country finds itself in. However, it is meant to help you (and me) keep things in proper order. Keep things in perspective. Consider and thank God for your place in His eternal Kingdom. Your identity through baptism in Christ is far more definitive than what political party you belong to. Forget not the utmost important commandment: “Thou shall have no other Gods.” Our Small Catechism reminds us that “a god is something that people look to for good and refuge in times of need.” God doesn’t want us looking in empty places or to empty people. This includes elected officials and established governments. The Lord alone works for our good. He alone is our refuge. Not a government. Not a country. Not a politician. “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.” (Psalm 146:3).
One of the best quotes of the election season right here: “If you're discarding a lifelong friendship because somebody votes for the other team, then you've made a terrible, terrible mistake and you should do something different… Don't cast aside family members and lifelong friendships. Politics is not worth it.” Wise words. Perspective. I won’t say who said it because you might dismiss it if I did. +++++++ Hold on Loosely to Your Politics (authored by Chad Bird) I will hold with a white-knuckled grip of love to my family and my close friends. You come after them, you’re gonna have to deal with me. Chances are, when the dust has settled, I will have said and done some things in my zeal that went too far, but I will never regret being in their corner. They are gifts too precious to let go. I have wrapped my hands around the Scriptures, the creeds and confessions of the church, the faith which boldly proclaims, “Jesus is Lord.” I have sworn, before God and men, that I will suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it. Mock me. Threaten me. Spit in my face. I’m not changing. The gifts of Christ are of too eternal an importance to let go. There are some things in life worth losing your life over. These are the same things that make life worth living in the first place. Soldiers die for their brothers in arms. Police officers die upholding law and order. Martyrs die for the faith they confess. Good. It is good they understand that some things are too precious, too important, to let go. And if clinging to them means dying with them still in your grip, then I will stand and applaud you as a fellow human being worthy of honor and emulation. I pray that if I am ever in such a situation, I too would rather have my blood spilled for the truth than remain in this world as a coward or apostate. A Clownish Martyrdom Only a fool, however, clings with hellish fury to things that are opinions, preferences, or predilections. Would we not shake our head in disgust at a man who shoots another man over a disagreement regarding football? Would we not think two men mad idiots who brawl because they belong to different philosophical schools? Would we not mock people who sever relationships because they can’t agree on a carnivore, vegetarian, or vegan diet? Do we have our likes? Well and good. That’s our prerogative. Do we have our personal preferences? Fine. We can disagree and still get along. Do we have strong personal preferences or convictions? Okay. Let’s listen to each other. Maybe I will convince you to reconsider or maybe you’ll convince me. In the end, we can still be friends, even if we disagree. But none of these opinions or preferences are worth dying over. To give our lives for them would be a clownish martyrdom. Belonging in this category is that sphere of life called the political. Want to do yourself, your family, your friends, and the world a good deed? Hold on loosely to your politics. Don’t drop it. Don’t toss it aside. Don’t privatize it. But, above all, don’t hold on to your politics as if your life, your soul, and your salvation depend on it. They don’t. However, if you elevate politics above all other things, your soul will indeed suffer, for you will have bowed the knee before the most laughably unworthy faux deity I can imagine. Politics is a godawful idol that will suck all of life and love out of you and replace it with nothing but bitterness and hate. Under Pontius Pilate If you are a follower of Jesus, as I am, then you probably know that the only explicit political statement in our ecumenical creeds is when we confess that Jesus was crucified “under Pontius Pilate.” Those three words, “under Pontius Pilate,” have often given me pause. Christianity began when the Roman procurator of Judea, within his full legal rights, had the founder of our faith publicly and horrifically executed to make a political statement. It seems to me that this fact alone ought to make us inordinately cautious about ever getting too cozy with a political party or candidate, much less heralding them as God’s gift to humanity. Crosses and national flags are a toxic combination. Let the church corporate, and we who are individually members of the body of Christ, remember that when Jesus was about to take his seat as King of kings and rule over all creation, he left us some fairly straightforward instructions about what our mission should be. We are to make disciples of all nations by: 1. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 2. Teaching them to observe all things that Christ has commanded us. Those are good things to hold onto with all our might and main. Those are matters of eternal importance. They are worth living for and dying for. They are worth spreading with zeal and truth and love, beyond national, cultural, political, and ideological borders, to the uttermost ends of the earth. Hold on tightly to what matters, to what makes life rich and full and resplendent with divine beauty and grace. Hold on loosely to everything else.
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This past Sunday, was Pastor Appreciation Sunday. Thank you to those who organized a special fellowship hour, and to all of you who gave a card or sent well-wishes. It was a wonderful surprise. Through different outlets, I will consistently see or hear pastors griping about the lack of support or the amount of flack they receive at their church. They will grumble about conflict and dissension between them and their members. I feel bad for them. Their frustrations are valid. Yet, I’m grateful that I have nothing to add to their venting. To that end, I want you all to know how much I appreciate the people of our congregation. I’m grateful to serve and serve alongside you all. This is a place, that for the past four years, has shown nothing but love and support to me and my family. Equally as important, we have a church that is engaged with one another. We worship together. We study together. We pray together. We serve together. We fellowship together. Obviously, we are far from perfect, but I pray that King of Kings continues to be an incredible blessing to all.
I’m not sure what the origins of Pastor Appreciation are. But in a world of National Donut, National Pasta, or National Feral Cat Day (Yes, that’s a real thing. And it’s today, by the way…), why not a day for clergy? I know this sounds self-serving, but it does feel nice to be appreciated. This is true, no matter what your profession is. Of course we don’t necessarily seek out such affirmations; and unfortunately not every profession gets a recognized spot on the calendar. Nevertheless, it is nice to be noticed for your work and efforts. Whatever it might be. We all need a little encouragement from time to time. Perhaps an overlooked, or unknown, New Testament figure is Barnabas. Acts 4:36 tells of a Levite man named Joseph, who the apostles called Barnabas. Barnabas means son of encouragement. He was a great encourager. Shortly after Saul’s conversion to Christianity, Paul (formerly Saul) began preaching the name of Jesus. He came to Jerusalem where he attempted to join the disciples, but knowing Paul’s history of persecuting Christians, they were understandably afraid of him. They didn’t believe that he truly was a disciple. But, the son of encouragement steps in. Barnabas immediately went to Paul’s defense, personally bringing him before the disciples and sharing with them the details of Paul’s conversion and his preaching of the Word in Damascus thereafter. Barnabas, as a trusted brother in the Lord, was able to bridge the gap and alleviate the disciples' fear of this once-ruthless man. The truth he shared about Paul encouraged the disciples enough that Paul then became one of their own— able to join them in preaching the name of Jesus in Jerusalem (see Acts 9:20-28). Barnabas’s encouragement cleared the confusion and promoted an atmosphere of peace amongst everyone involved. Later, in the earliest times after Pentecost, the early church was facing severe persecution and many believers scattered. When Barnabas, a respected leader of the church in Jerusalem, eventually met these new believers, he was thrilled to witness all that God had been doing in the lives of both Jews and Gentiles. That’s when he offered those new believers some powerful words of encouragement that still ring true for the 21st century Jesus follower. Barnabas encouraged them to keep their eyes on God and to walk in His will, no matter the cost or difficulties along the way (cf. Acts 11: 22-23). What if you were a Barnabas to someone this week? In our world today, you are bound to come across a friend or coworker needing a little (or a lot of) encouragement. Natural disasters, current events, political division, relational stressors, or financial pressures continue to pile up. Stress is mounting. Burdens are crushing. Loneliness is looming. Despair is inevitable. So many people are in desperate need of hope. They need to know that they are not alone. They need to know that they are appreciated, that they are noticed and loved. People need people like Barnabas, who will stand with them, advocate for them, give them wise counsel. People need people to encourage them in the hope and promises of the Lord. The biblical word for encouragement literally means to “call to one’s side.” The picture is that of one person who comes alongside others and encourages them to accomplish a task or finish a race. Whose side is God calling you to? As the old adage suggests… be an encourager, this world already has enough critics. “Leave everyone you meet better than you found them. Become an encourager of potential versus a destroyer of confidence.” (Robin Sharma) “We can improve our relationships with others by leaps and bounds if we become encouragers instead of critics.” (Joyce Meyer) “Everyone has the potential to become an encourager. You don't have to be rich. You don't have to be a genius. You don't have to have it all together. All you have to do is care about people and initiate.” (John C. Maxwell) We love going out to eat. Most people do. Afterall, who wants to menu plan and cook when you can have someone else do that for you!? My wife and I looking for and trying new restaurants. Searching to find the best dive bar for chicken wings or a hole-in-the-wall place with the best burgers. If we could, we would eat out most days of the week. This is especially true now in this busy fall season—as we are chauffeuring and shuttling kids all over the place for cross country meets, field hockey practices, and football games. As our parental uber responsibilities take us all around the northern part of the state, it is especially seductive to look at the local restaurants. Even more so when we can have them Door Dash a meal right to the sidelines of whatever field we are at! (Man are we a spoiled nation!) Unfortunately, we can’t afford to do this. The funds only go so far. The gift cards eventually run out. Eating via Door Dash is not sustainable; and truth be told it is probably not very healthy either.
As we were driving home last night, from a late-night football game in Rockaway, my stomach was grumbling like crazy. My sone and me were hungry. I drove past a number of restaurants that looked good. I thought to myself as we passed each one, “If only I had a gift card for that place right now. Or a rich uncle…” That would definitely solve the problem. I wouldn’t hesitate to stop. It is always nice when someone else pays the bill. When a gift is given so that you can enjoy a tasty meal. You can sit back, relax, and order all sorts of things from cocktails to appetizers to desserts, not worrying about what it will cost in the end. If only… This is the beautiful story of the Gospel. A gift given. A debt paid. A problem solved. Even a meal provided. Every Sunday morning, we are invited to come out and dine at the table of our Lord where we are reminded that He has paid the ultimate price for us. He has covered all the expenses. “This is my body, given for you.” “This is my true blood, shed for you.” With these grace-giving words, God satisfies a need that no other food can placate and a hunger that no restaurant fulfil. Jesus fits the bill. All of it. For each of us. He is far greater than a rich uncle; He is our redeemer and deliverer. This is good news indeed. This mysterious meal is the means by which God delivers the healing fruits of His Gospel into the hearts and lives of all who kneel at the altar. This is where heaven and earth collide each week in a sacramental meal that points us to our eternal place at God’s heavenly banquet table. This meal puts an end to the grumbling of the soul, so that we can rejoice in the priceless meals of paradise. Forget the unhealthy fast-food; this is powerful, salvific faith-food. The restaurants will have to wait. You can Door Dash another day. Welcome to the Lord’s Table. Come, eat, and be satisfied! Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst… I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:35, 51) |
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