Category: Lutheran Church

AN ECUMENICAL PEOPLE OF GOD

While staying with our son, daughter-in-law and grandkids this past August, we were able to see many of our national shrines and memorials in Washington DC and the surrounding area. We were blessed to be able to visit the giant obelisk monument to the Father of our Country, George Washington, at the National Mall area. We also visited Mount Vernon, George Washington’s beloved home in Alexandria VA, of which he famously said, “I’d rather be at Mount Vernon with a friend or two about me, than to be attended at the Seat of Government by the Officers of State and the Representatives of every Power in Europe.” We were also able to see the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol Building, the Supreme Court, the Smithsonian Museum of American History (which displays the actual Star-Spangled Banner of our national anthem), and the Smithsonian Museum of Air & Space. In addition, we visited the US Naval Academy and harbor area of Annapolis MD, and we saw Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled banner fame) in Baltimore.

As we traveled around these amazing historical sites, one thing I took note of was the fact that our national founding (although imperfect) was deeply rooted in biblical faith. However, our Founders made sure that our establishment was nonsectarian. While they repeatedly appealed to God in our founding documents (speaking of our “Creator” and our “Lord”), and while they regularly addressed God in our founding traditions (Congressional prayer, oaths of office, and so on), they also made sure that there would be no establishment of a state-run religious denomination. Therefore, I observed during our trip a clear Judeo-Christian rootedness on display at all of our national shrines and memorials, but this was accompanied by a clear interdenominational, nonsectarian and ecumenical emphasis according to the clear direction of our Founders.

By the way, the word “ecumenical” (oikoumene in Greek) literally means “the whole inhabitable earth” — but it refers to the concept that the entire Christian Church of all its various denominations should work together to develop closer relationships and to promote Christian unity according to the biblical High Priestly Prayer of Jesus in John, chapter 17, verses 20-26.

So all of this stuff got me thinking about our ecumenical relations right here where we live as Mt. Olive Lutheran Church. I think of Via De Cristo (VDC), the spiritual retreat ministry our congregation participates in. While it’s mostly a retreat ministry involving Lutherans, rooted in the covenantal and sacramental theology of the Lutheran branch of Christianity, VDC also draws in people from many different denominations of our Lord’s Holy Church. I also think about the Lift Up Crescenta Valley ecumenical association we are a part of, as well as all the various ecumenical partnerships we support like the Bailey Human Care Center.

Like the ark of the Prophet Noah and the fishing boat of the Apostle Peter, all the denominations of the Christian Faith constitute the holy life raft for all believers and followers of Jesus Christ in a world deluged with the floodwaters of hopelessness and spiritual death. In fact, the Christian ecumenical movement is often symbolized by a boat, representing that all the people of all the denominations of the Church of Jesus Christ are in the same spiritual boat together.

So essentially, the various branches of the Christian Church are UNITED IN THE ESSENTIALS of our Christian Faith: 1) Jesus of Nazareth was and is more than a man, even much more than a prophet or priest or king, 2) Jesus is the only-begotten divine Son of God, 3) Jesus freely gave of himself in sacrificial love to be the once-and-for-all-time offering of atonement for our sins, 4) Jesus was crucified, was dead, was buried, then he rose from the grave and ascended into heaven, 5) Jesus is our Lord and Savior, 6) We proclaim the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life by the blood of Jesus, and 7) We do good works of lovingkindness and service in the name of Jesus. However, we also have DIVERSITY IN THE NON-ESSENTIALS of our Christian Life: that is, diversity of denominational practices related to sacraments, ordination, worship, piety, organizational structures, etc.

Therefore, as the various branches of the Christian Church have diversity in the non-essentials but unity in the essentials, we should also have CHARITY IN ALL THINGS. We can have a joyful and charitable spirit with one another as we agree to disagree regarding the non-essentials, because we share together in the all-surpassing seven Christian essentials I listed above.

“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one — I in them and you in me — so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:22-23)

Together in Christ,  Pastor Tim

SACRED WATER

As our Foothills community leaves behind the annual “May gray” and “June gloom” season of overcast mornings with occasional small weather systems coming through, we are now entering the bone-dry season of July through September/October. And although we can sometimes forget we live in an arid climate because of all the irrigated landscaping we enjoy, the simple truth is that we live where the desert meets the sea. Therefore, large-scale desalination (making fresh water from salt water), using a combination of low-carbon energy sources (wind, solar, natural gas, geothermal, nuclear and hydroelectric), along with increased large-scale water storage, are clear and present necessities for the sustained wellbeing of Southern California.

However, the arid climate of our part of the country and the 3+ months of dry season we’re entering are powerful reminders of the preciousness of water and its sacredness when connected to God’s Word for the baptismal covenant that God makes with us in Holy Baptism. For indeed, water is sacred both because it’s the most basic molecular element for physical life and because it’s the most basic sacramental element for incorporating us into God’s New Covenant established through Jesus Christ our Lord. In fact, the New Testament of the Holy Bible is clear about the sacramental and covenantal use of water according to God’s Word…

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

ROMANS 6:3-4

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the bathing water [mikvah] of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This saying is sure.

TITUS 3:4-8a

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

MATTHEW 28:19-20

While some Christian traditions teach that Holy Baptism is exclusively for adult believers, not for young children or infants, Lutheran Christians understand the Bible as presenting the Sacrament of Baptism as inclusive of people at every stage of life. For Lutherans, we acknowledge that the early Church of Jesus Christ baptized both adults and entire households, including young children and infants. And we know this from the baptisms of whole households in the biblical Book of Acts as well as from the earliest of Christian Church writings from the First Century AD. Moreover, we Lutheran Christians also see the Holy Bible as presenting a covenantal understanding of Holy Baptism that’s similar to but exceeds the covenant of circumcision in the Old Testament.

Just as the Old Testament sign and seal of the Hebraic Covenant is physical circumcision — and afterward the circumcised Jewish male is expected to respond to and affirm this covenant of God in his adult life — so likewise Holy Baptism is the New Testament sign and seal of God’s New Covenant in Christ that we (both male and female) are to respond to and affirm for ourselves in our adulthood by the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, this covenantal theology of the Lutheran branch of the Christian Faith differs from Christian traditions which teach that Holy Baptism is merely symbolic.

Thanks be to God for our new birth into a living hope through God’s baptismal covenant with us! Baptized into Jesus Christ and his Church, the resurrection life of Jesus becomes our resurrection life. And as often as we affirm and abide in this baptismal grace through faith, we are “born again from above” (John 3:3-8) with a spiritual “circumcision of the heart” (Romans 2:29), over and over again, granting us continual renewal as beloved children of God throughout our lives.

Grace & Peace, Pastor Tim

WAR & PEACE

With the “wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6) of our 21st Century world, many Christians are wondering what God’s Word within the Bible says to us about such things. In particular, with Russia’s war against Ukraine in Eastern Europe and with “rumors of wars” brewing between China and Taiwan in the Western Pacific, I’ve been hearing questions about what the Bible has to say (especially the New Testament) regarding all of this. So, I thought I’d use my church article this month to do some biblical and theological reflections concerning war and peace from a Lutheran perspective.

Lutheran Christians have traditionally followed the Two Kingdoms Doctrine in our understanding of the relationship of Church and State. Rooted in the Holy Scriptures, this doctrine affirms that God established two primary realms of societal order: 1) the kingdom of God’s right hand, and 2) the kingdom of God’s left hand. Simply put, the so-called kingdom of God’s right hand is the Church and the kingdom of God’s left hand is the State.

Specifically, the kingdom of God’s left hand refers to the State’s God-given responsibility for law enforcement and military service for the sake of an orderly and peaceable society. As it says in Romans chapter 13, God has instituted the governing authorities “to bear the sword” (13:4) to exact justice upon the wrongdoer. As a result, Lutheran Christians have always honored the vocations of law enforcement and military service as God-ordained functions within society for the sake of good order.

Therefore, the kingdom of God’s left hand (the State) is the realm of law, justice and peacekeeping. While at the same time, the kingdom of God’s right hand (the Church) is the realm of forgiveness, mercy and peacemaking. And with both peacekeeping on one hand and peacemaking on the other, the whole structure of human society functions and thrives.

Now, as we apply this Two Kingdoms Doctrine to what’s going on in our globalized world today, we can acknowledge the important role of our armed forces in defending democracy, liberty and commerce. For example, if there was no United States Navy defending freedom of navigation then the seaways would be strangled by authoritarian autocrats and pirate warlords. Consequently, since the end of WWII our governing authorities have worked to cooperate with other democratic nations of the world to maintain the most peaceful and prosperous era in human history (broadly speaking, of course).

Functioning as the so-called kingdom of God’s left hand, our governing authorities have exercised the peacekeeping role of the State according to the longstanding foreign policy principle of peace through strength. As the Roman Christian, nobleman and scholar of the late 300’s AD, Flavius Vegetius Renatus, famously wrote, “If you want peace then prepare for war” (Si vis pacem para bellum). But of course, “The soldier above all others prays for peace” (General Douglas MacArthur).

On the other hand, the Church (the kingdom of God’s right hand) worships the Prince of Peace, so we always seek to faithfully exercise our role as peacemakers within our world according to the eternal principles of the gospel…  

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45).

We recognize that the kingdom of God’s left hand (the State) in its peacekeeping role and the kingdom of God’s right hand (the Church) in its peacemaking role are both essential. And we also recognize that people of faith who have been called into law enforcement or military service are uniquely positioned by God to operate within both realms, and they offer us a great bridge of understanding. For example, I proudly served in our armed forces in the USAF as a young man. But as a Christian, I’m also called to be a builder of bridges for understanding and peace.

In the face of wars and rumors of wars in these times, we acknowledge the important role of our peacekeeping forces, but we Christians also continually seek peacemaking solutions and peaceful resolutions within our world — always looking toward the great and glorious Day of the Lord when “Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

And so, with one voice in universal chorus, we exclaim, “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:21).

Grace & Peace, Pastor Tim

OUR BLESSED ASSURANCE

Our human sinfulness alienates us from God our Creator, but the wonderful and amazing good news is that Jesus Christ gives us everlasting salvation from this self-imposed alienation, granting us reconciliation with God and eternal heavenly life. This is our blessed assurance in Christ! Thanks be to God!

This blessed assurance of God’s grace through Jesus Christ is not merely some broad, uncertain appeal to the generic mercy of God. Rather, through the compassionate life, sacrificial death and redemptive resurrection of Jesus our Lord, we have absolute assurance of our atonement and salvation with God. What good news indeed! What amazing grace this is!

Fully acknowledging and confessing that we are sinners who have alienated ourselves from God, we believe and trust that Jesus Christ died for our sins and was raised for our redemption. Therefore, by the power of his Holy Spirit, we profess him as our Savior who gives us renewal of life here and heavenly life hereafter. So now, in thanksgiving and praise for Christ’s gospel of salvation and eternal life, I would like to simply bless you with the following Bible quotations:

ROMANS 10:9-13

For if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

SECOND CORINTHIANS 4:16-17

So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure…

Brothers and sisters, this life is so brief, and, compared to a heavenly eternity with God, this life is really a fleeting bubble in a stream or flash of lightning in a cloud. And in response to the faith and hope and eternal salvation we have received through Jesus Christ our Lord, we seek to live this present mortal life in light of these great gifts, looking forward to the ultimate fulfillment of God’s Kingdom at the great Second Advent of Christ. With that in mind, I conclude this brief article with the words of the timeless hymn, Blessed Assurance:

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Happy & Blessed Eastertide!!!  Pastor Tim

GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS

As I get older, the well-known saying “God works in mysterious ways” is becoming much less a mere platitude for me and much more a powerful statement of divine truth. Biblically speaking, we see this throughout the Holy Scriptures, from the Old Testament to the New Testament. In particular, this mysterious truth is clearly apparent in God’s surprising use of very unlikely historical characters to achieve his ends for the sake of his believers and followers. For instance, King Cyrus the Great of the Persian Empire comes to mind.

The Kingdom of Judah was the last remaining Israelite realm in the Promised Land, but in 589 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar II of the Babylonian Empire laid siege to the City of Jerusalem, utterly destroying it and its Holy Temple in the summer of 587 BC. However, in 539 BC, God used the Persian Empire to thwart the Babylonian Empire, which allowed the People of Israel to return to the Promised Land in large numbers. God used King Cyrus the Great of Persia to release the Jews from their captivity in Babylon and let them go back to their beloved Jerusalem, decreeing that the Jerusalem Temple be rebuilt. This edict is fully preserved in the Book of Ezra, which states the following:

In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the king issued a decree: “Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the temple, the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt and let its foundations be retained, its height being 60 cubits and its width 60 cubits; with three layers of huge stones and one layer of timbers. And let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. Also let the gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be returned and brought to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall put them in the house of God.” – (Ezra 6:3-5)

Because of this, the Jewish People honored Cyrus the Great with the sacred title “Anointed One” — making him the only Gentile (non-Jew) to receive this title in all of history. And also in the Book of Isaiah, God says, “I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness… He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says the Lord Almighty” (Isaiah 45:13).

The return from exile of the People of Israel under the direction of King Cyrus the Great of Persia is one amazing example of many historical examples in which the mysterious ways of God are at work through unexpected people to ultimately accomplish God’s will. So in the case of King Cyrus, God used a pagan Gentile emperor to bless the Israelites and the Holy City of Jerusalem.

Again, King Cyrus is only one example of this because the Bible and history are filled to overflowing with examples of God’s mysterious work in using unlikely and very problematic individuals to further God’s purposes. Of course, this includes the various flawed biblical heroes such as Abraham, Moses, Samson, David, Peter, Matthew, Paul, etc. And this also includes biblical antiheroes like King Cyrus the Great, as well as some biblical villains like Pontius Pilate.

Even today, God continues to work in mysterious ways through unlikely and flawed people, and through unexpected turns in life, and even through you and me. The older I get, the more I see the truth of this within all aspects of our lives. For as the famous Tapestry Poem beautifully states, “[Our] life is but a weaving” and “[we], in foolish pride, forget God sees the upper and [we] the underside.” And then the great promise of the Lord is articulated in this poem with the words, “Not ‘til the loom is silent, and the shuttles cease to fly, will God unroll the tapestry and explain the reason why.”

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you!

Together in Christ, Pastor Tim

SIGNAL BEACONS FOR CHRIST

It’s the Third Day of Christmastime as I write this article and New Year’s Eve is several days away. Many people still have most of their Christmas decorations out in observance of the Twelve Days, and I recently noticed a front yard Nativity display with an illuminated set of Holy Family figurines. And, interestingly, the light coming from the Baby Jesus was flashing on and off. So I had a quick chuckle about it, but the image of that flashing-light Baby Jesus has stayed with me.

Our Lord Jesus taught us, “Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). And in the context of Matthew chapter 5, Jesus was talking about shining the light of gospel mercy and gospel faithfulness for the sake of all people, including for the sake of our adversaries and enemies. So, considering the blinking-light Baby Jesus I saw, I wonder if we need to shine his gospel light more like a signal beacon these days, rather than like an oil lamp.

A signal beacon is an intentionally conspicuous light that is designed to attract attention to a specific location or for a specific purpose. For example, signal fires were lit in ancient times to call for aid. Lighthouse beacons (both ancient and modern) are used to alert ships. And electric signal lights are used within all the various modes of transportation: automotive, locomotive, nautical, aerial and astronautical. Therefore, similar to the flashing-light Baby Jesus figurine I saw, we Christians sometimes (maybe even oftentimes) need to shine our light for Christ like an attention-getting signal beacon. Maybe more often than not, we should be conspicuous about our Christian faith and hope in order to draw attention to the good news of Jesus Christ that has the power to change lives. For the Apostle Paul states in Romans chapter 1, “I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for our life of faith” (Romans 1:16-17).

As Christians, we profess that the grace and truth of Jesus Christ is the answer to all of our spiritual and relational ills. When hearts are changed by the love of God revealed in Christ, then the elderly are respected more, children are cared for more, racial bigotry is reduced within people of all ethnicities, the hungry are fed, and so on. This is the reign of God among us. Hearts and minds are changed, lovingkindness flourishes, society is improved, and there’s a multiplication of the people of faith. And this, in fact, is how Christianity first expanded out into our world, and it’s how it best grows even today.

Block by block, person by person, neighbor by neighbor, relative by relative, the signal beacon Light of Jesus Christ shining through our gospel testimony and good works (imperfect though we be at this) will guide people home to the salvation, peace and joy of Christ. And this also has the wonderful side effect of benefitting all of society as well. When people have their hearts changed by the grace of God in Christ, they tend to take more personal responsibility for their lives, while, at the same time, they tend to be drawn together to take more social responsibility for the sake of others.

So throughout 2022, may we become signal beacons for Christ more and more. May we let the light of the gospel shine (and even blink and flash) before others, for the glory of God and for the redemption of our world.

Happy New Year!!! Pastor Tim

JESUS, GOD’S PRISM

The Seasons of Advent, Christmastime and Epiphany all share together the theme of spiritual light. And Jesus of Nazareth is the Holy Son of God who shines God’s Eternal Light on us and the whole world.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

(John 8:12)

Our risen Lord and Savior is the Light of God that’s revealed to us in specific and concrete ways. Through Jesus Christ, God’s Light is not only reflected to us by Jesus but it’s also refracted to us by him in very specific hues. Through our Lord Jesus who is God’s Prism, we see the Light of God refracted into its specific spectrum of colors for us to clearly see and understand.

The Universal Light of God is made known to us in the sevenfold spectrum of Jesus’ birth, his life, his teachings, his suffering, his death, his resurrection, and his ascension. Through these seven rays of Jesus’ earthly and heavenly ministry, the rainbow spectrum of God’s Light is shed upon our lives to save, redeem and guide us.

Jesus said, “If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

(John 14:7)

Therefore, as we avail ourselves of the full rainbow of God’s Light in Christ our Lord through his gracious gifts of Word and Sacrament, we receive grace upon grace, and we are strengthened and kept in true faith. And the continuing challenge to all of us is to recognize that this grace and truth of God in Christ will never fit neatly into either a loose universalist faith or a strict fundamentalist faith. Jesus Christ is God’s grace and God’s challenge to absolutely everyone.

Revealed through Jesus Christ and his Apostles, may the New Covenant rainbow of God’s Light grant us the new life of a born again spirit (see John 3). And may Christ’s New Covenant rainbow of God’s Light fill us, challenge us, change us and renew us. Amen.

Good Advent, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Blessed Epiphany!!!

Together in Christ, Pastor Tim

REFORMATIONAL DO’S & DON’TS

Each year on Reformation Sunday, which is always the last Sunday in October, we commemorate the great Protestant Reformation that took place during the period of transition from the late Medieval timeframe into the Renaissance timeframe. For Lutherans and Catholics, this commemoration is marked both by sorrow for past sins against one another and by deep gratitude for the spiritual gifts we now offer to one another through Christ our Lord and Savior.

As we are reformational Lutheran Christians of the 21st Century (now over two decades into the Third Millennium of Christ’s Redemption), I offer you the following couple areas of reformational do’s and don’ts:

DO’S & DON’TS FOR INTERFAITH RELATIONS…

DO… Let us regard all people as fellow children of God, made in the spiritual image of God. While we profess that Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) is the fullest revelation and manifestation of God, we must also be sure to look for and celebrate the Spirit of our Lord Jesus within non-Christian faiths. Even as we proclaim that Jesus is the Eternal Word of God incarnate in human flesh (John 1), we must also be sure to seek to recognize the ‘Seeds of the Word’ (Semina Verbi in Latin) that are scattered throughout the world. In other words, as I often like to say, while Jesus is the “full enchilada” of the revelation of God, there are also slices of this Divine “enchilada” within other faiths as well.

DON’T… When it comes to interfaith relations, it’s a temptation to downplay our Christian theology and spirituality in order to be hospitable and friendly. It’s tempting to say that all roads to God are equal. However, we cannot do this if we are to remain faithful to the grace and truth of Jesus Christ.

The big question is, “Will the real Jesus please stand up?” Well, the answer for some people is that Jesus is a prophet, and for some he is a buddha, and for some others he is a rabbi or a guru. However, the plain historical truth is that the people who know Jesus best are the people of the living community that he and his Apostles founded, which is the Church of Jesus Christ. So for those who know him best — that is, for Christians — Jesus is much more than everything these various titles convey. For us Christians, Jesus is the Son of God and the Second Person of the Holy Trinity (the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit). For us, Jesus is the Divine Messiah who is the Supreme Prophet, the Heavenly High Priest, the Prince of Peace, and the Everlasting King of Kings. For us, Jesus isn’t merely Prophet Jesus, but rather he is LORD Jesus. Consequently, we can be understanding and respectful of other religions while at the same time we can hold firm to our confession of our Trinitarian Christian faith and spirituality.

DO’S & DON’TS FOR CHRISTIAN CHURCH RELATIONS…

DO… Let us start all interactions with Christians of different branches of the Church from a position of UNITY IN DIVERSITY. So much more unites us than differentiates us as fellow brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ, the Christian Church. We share the same foundational, central and essential confession that Jesus the Christ (Yeshua Ha-Mashiach) is Lord and Savior, just as we have received from the very beginning at the Annunciation to Mary:

The angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

(Luke 1:35)

We share in the same baptismal grace and faith, and we share in the same resurrection hope and charitable love of our Lord Jesus.

DON’T… We must never see other branches of the Christian Church as alien to our own identity in Christ Jesus. For we are ONE BODY in Christ with many uniquely gifted members by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are ONE TREE in Christ, with many uniquely gifted branches reaching out in all directions — Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, and so on.

Together in Christ,  Pastor Tim

BUILDING BRIDGES IN JESUS’ NAME

In the Beatitudes of Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:1-12, our Lord Jesus very plainly states that his believers and followers will be persecuted because of our faith in him.

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”

Matthew 5:11

And after Jesus states this, he goes on in Matthew 5 to specify the particular aspects of following him that will get us into trouble within our world. He specifies things like being salt and light, which means being active witnesses to his gospel within our world. And he highlights that his followers will be observant of the Ten Commandments, listing the following: that his followers will value human life within a world that devalues it, that we will honor and uphold the covenant of marriage within an adulterous world, that we will be keepers of our word within a deceitful world, and he adds that we will be merciful within an unforgiving world, that we will love all people as children of our Heavenly Father, and that we will prayerfully seek to build bridges even with our enemies.

Many despised Jesus for his ethics of inclusivity and bridge-building. He was absolutely despised for his insistence that all people are to be treated as children of God and they must be regarded equally as such: Hebrew and Pagan, Jew and Roman, male and female, countryman and foreigner, so on and so forth. However, when building bridges between very different people according to his grace and truth, Jesus essentially warns us in Matthew 5:11 that IF YOU BUILD BRIDGES THEN YOU WILL OFTEN BE MISUNDERSTOOD FROM BOTH SIDES.

When we follow Jesus by building bridges between different people, especially people of different points of view, the simple truth is that we should expect to be persecuted, reviled, and have all kinds of evil uttered against us. And this is especially true when we follow Jesus by building bridges of understanding, coexistence and cooperation in all areas of human life (ethnicity, religion, politics, sexuality, culture, etc.). So, we ought to be prepared for this rejection and condemnation.

In particular, within today’s religiously diverse society, how are we as Christians to be reconcilers and bridge builders? How are we to be true to our own spiritual inheritance while we seek greater understanding with other religious groups? How are we to understand our own religious faith and spirituality in relation to non-Christian groups? Is there a positive and constructive perspective on this issue that glorifies God and benefits everyone?

For me, “non-Christian” does not mean “un-Christian” or “anti-Christian.” And for me, God is like a great body of water connecting all the various ports and harbors that occupy God’s shoreline. These various harbors are the various religions, and the various piers (on which we dock our individual boats) are the various traditions within each religion. Consequently, there’s a Judeo-Christian harbor that Jews and Christians share (although we have different piers in this shared harbor). There’s also a Muslim harbor, a Hindu harbor, a Buddhist harbor, a Sikh harbor, and so on. So, in this metaphor we are all connected by the Great Water (God), but we each occupy a unique and special place on it.

Therefore, we can explore God’s diverse Oneness from our own safe harbor (“Judeo-Christian Harbor”) and from our own particular dock in this harbor (“Christianity Pier”). So, as with all the various peoples of faith, we can sail out on the great water of God to explore, discover and grow in understanding and wisdom. We can visit other harbors, and we can fish the Great Water (as fishers of people for Christ), but we come home to our own safe harbor when we are tired from our journeys and are in need of our spiritual home port.

Our Christianity Pier and Judeo-Christian Harbor are our secure jumping-off point into the Great Ocean of God. The doctrines of our Christian Faith are wonderfully and gloriously true — especially the tri-unity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as well as the Incarnation, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus the Son of God. So yes, God is truly revealed in these wonderful doctrines of Christianity, but God is also much more than is revealed in these doctrines.

Therefore, we travel out to sea for religious exploration and discovery, and for fishing for people out at sea, but NOT for religious conquest of other ports. For me, I enjoy going out into the beautiful Ocean of God and exploring, and I seek to fish for people in Jesus’ name, but I don’t raid the other harbors and ports like some kind of spiritual pirate. Simply put, we witness to Christ Jesus best in this bridge-building way, and it will bring upon us misunderstanding, condemnation, and even persecution, but Jesus gives to his persecuted believers the following promise:

“Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Matthew 5:12

Together in Christ, Pastor Tim

REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY BY KEEPING IT HOLY

There are two ways of living: one is the way of disregarding God’s grace and truth, and the other is the way of surrendering to God’s grace and truth. Disregard for the amazing grace and wonderful truth of God in the Holy Scriptures brings disharmony, anxiety and despair. But yielding to God’s biblical guidance for our lives brings inner peace, hope, joy and rest for our souls. And we see this basic principle discussed within the Book of Hebrews…

“16 Who were they who heard and yet were rebellious? Was it not all those who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses? 17 But with whom was God angry for forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, if not to those who were disobedient? … 8 For if Joshua [Moses’ successor] had given them rest, God would not speak later about another day. 9 So then, a Sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; 10 for those who enter God’s rest also cease from their labors as God did from his. 11 Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by following their example of disobedience. 12 Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. 14 Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hebrews 3:16-18 and 4:8-16

In chapters 3 and 4 of Hebrews, we hear that the possession of the promised land of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua was not the fulfillment of God’s promised “rest” because the Spirit of God would not have declared centuries later through King David the following declaration in Psalm 95:11, “They shall not enter my rest” (see Psalm 95:8-11 and see also Hebrews 3:7-19). So the ancient Hebrews who entered the promised land under Joshua did not enter into the promised rest, which is something greater than the promised land itself.

The Sabbath rest that “still remains” (that’s even greater than the promised land) is a three-fold reality. First, this Sabbath rest points back to God’s own rest after the initial work of establishing and shaping the Earth and the countless worlds that inhabit the immense interstellar void of the heavens all around our beautiful blue-green planet. Second, this Sabbath rest of God points ahead to the ultimate Sabbath of our heavenly destiny, the glorification and exaltation of eternal resurrection life in Christ. And third, this Sabbath rest also points presently to our literal weekly Sabbath that God instituted for our own benefit, happiness and well-being in this life.

According to the divine guidance of the Ten Commandments (not Ten Suggestions), God commands us to “Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20:8). Yes, it’s a straight-up command by Almighty God for us to observe, and it’s for a profoundly good purpose, as are all of the Ten Commandments. This commandment of the Almighty concerning Sabbath rest is for the purpose of nurturing our life-giving relationship with him, for building us up spiritually in his Word and Holy Spirit, and for renewing us in faith, hope and love.

Under the First Covenant (the Old Testament), the weekly Sabbath was the seventh day of the week according to the sequence of the “days” of creation in Genesis. However, under the Final Covenant (the New Testament), the weekly Sabbath is now the first day of the week, Sunday, the day of new creation because of the resurrection of Jesus. And this present-day “Sabbath rest” comes to us through the Word and Sacraments of Christ Jesus (our Heavenly High Priest) that we share together each week on the Lord’s Day, Sunday. Through the Word of God declared together, through prayer together, through singing spiritual songs and hymns together, through sharing in the Lord’s Supper together, and through gracious Christian fellowship together, we thereby “make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall” (Hebrews 4:11).

By the grace of God, in the midst of the struggles of our weekly life and in the midst of the unique challenges of modern-day Christian discipleship, our Sabbath rest does not depend on our own ability or power. It entirely depends on the power of Christ’s Word and Sacraments as we faithfully keep the Lord’s Day holy in community together.

Brothers and sisters, as we are coming out of this pandemic, let us recommit to frequently meeting together in person. Let’s resist turning Christianity into something to be consumed electronically. Let’s understand that discipleship and spiritual growth happen best in the crucible of in-person community, which is beautiful (and sometimes difficult) but very necessary.

For all who are able (especially if you’ve been vaccinated), the embodied in-person gathering of a congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ is not merely an option but it’s at the very top of the priority list for the Christian community. For those who are able, Christ our Lord calls us to do all that we can (“make every effort”) to gather together weekly in person on Sunday, the Holy Sabbath of God’s New Creation in Christ.

“28Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

Grace & Peace! Pastor Tim