Tag: Christianity

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

CHRISTUS VICTOR!

The term Christus Victor literally means “Christ the Victorious” and it refers to the total victory of Christ Jesus our Savior over the cosmic enemies to life, light and love. As Martin Luther put it in his explanation of the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed:

“Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father in eternity, and also a true human being, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord. He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned human being. He has purchased and freed me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver but with his holy precious blood and his innocent suffering and death. He has done all this in order that I may belong to him, live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in eternal righteousness, innocence and blessedness, just as he is risen from the dead and lives and rules eternally.”

Martin Luther’s Small Catechism

However, if you’ve ever felt spiritually beaten down by negative circumstances in life, as though you were under some kind of demonic attack, then it could sometimes seem like Christ’s victory over “sin, death and the devil” is insufficient. Nevertheless, the biblical good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that his victory over these ancient enemies is, in fact, absolute — even though it’s not yet completely manifested within our lives and world at present.

I prefer to liken this spiritual warfare to literal historical warfare, similar to the United States victory over the Empire of Japan during WWII. Even though the USA was victorious, there were still Imperial sailors and soldiers throughout the Pacific who continued to fight until they finally surrendered. Similarly, the victory of our Lord Jesus is truly won, but there is still a universal spiritual mopping-up operation going on until Jesus’ return at his great Second Advent to come.

Therefore, the victory and power and glory belong to Christ forever and ever (see Revelation 5:11-13), but we do not yet fully enjoy this great victory. In the meantime, as we await the fulfillment of the already accomplished victory, we still confront the powers of sin, death and the devil within and around us. In fact, the Church of Jesus Christ throughout the world is quite literally under attack, with the growing repression and persecution of Christians worldwide, even in our own land.

I think, from within and without, the Body of Christ is under assault, but we know that Christ is already victorious. So as we hold fast to our profession of faith and trust in Jesus, we also know that “the gates of Hades will not prevail” against the advance of the gospel (see Matthew 16:16-18). In addition, even though we often don’t see it perfectly manifested in our lives, we have the eternal covenant promise of Almighty God that, by God’s amazing grace in Christ, we are “new creations” of God.

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”

Second Corinthians 5:17

While we always seek to live our lives according to the faith, hope and love of Jesus, we often fail, but then we confess our failure and repent, and receive the eternal renewal of God’s mercy and grace in Christ.

“Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and he relents from punishing.”

Joel 2:13

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

First John 1:8-9

God created us for himself. We are made to be in relationship with God, so all people need the Lord (whether people recognize this truth yet or not). And everyone needs to be set free from “unclean spirits” (as the Bible says) of various sorts from time to time, and Jesus is the Great Physician who heals us from our every ill.

In the midst of the storms and battles of life, our victorious Lord Jesus is there healing, cleansing, protecting, loving and delivering. For Christ is the Victor! So we claim this truth for our lives, community, nation and world by God’s grace and power.

The peace of Christ the Victorious One be with us always!!!

Pastor Tim

“HOLY ADMIRATION, BATMAN!”

As most of you probably know by now, I’m quite the nerd when it comes to sci-fi and superheroes and the like. So the title of my article plays around with this interest of mine, borrowing from the comic book character Robin’s many sayings from the Batman & Robin comic series. I Googled it, and the character Robin exclaimed everything from “Holy Alphabet, Batman!” to “Holy Love Birds, Batman!” to “Holy Zorro, Batman!” But let’s talk about why this article is entitled “Holy Admiration, Batman!”

I was recently driving by the St. Leon Armenian Cathedral in Glendale, and I decided to stop there and walk around the church grounds a bit. And I have to say that the beauty of that church structure was very uplifting. As I often do when visiting worship sites of other spiritual groups (Christian or otherwise), I felt a sense of “holy admiration” for their religious faith and spirituality, and I believe that a healthy sense of holy admiration for communities of God other than our own is a very good thing.

As Christians we follow the Ten Commandments, and among these seminal commandments of God is to “not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16) which also means that we try to “interpret everything they do in the best possible light” (Martin Luther’s Small Catechism). So according to this, whenever we take part in interchurch relations or interfaith relations we are to have holy admiration for the highest aspects (the better angels) of other faith traditions, even if it is a non-Christian religion.

Of course it is much easier to do this with Christian groups, as is the case with the Armenian Orthodox Church, but this also goes for non-Christian faith expressions. However, it is important for the followers of Jesus to be spiritually discerning about harmful religious manifestations, and even to be critical of anything that might be directly opposed to the core principles of the Faith, Hope and Love of Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, we should always leave room in our hearts for reverent appreciation — even a kind of sacred envy — concerning anything good and Divine within other religions.

Now let me be clear, this does not mean we profess that all beliefs are equal. In fact, because all things are not equal in philosophy or science or any other discipline, therefore not all things are equal in theology and spirituality. So while we reverently appreciate and even admire aspects of various non-Christian groups, we also believe and trust in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, who is the fullest revelation of God’s Heart and the fullness of salvation for the whole world.

As the Apostles Paul and John write…

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith…”

St. Paul in Romans 1:16-17a

“God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.”

St. John in First John 4:9-11

So let us engage in interchurch and interfaith conversations and relations, with admiration and lovingkindness, but let us also hold fast to the universal good news of God the Son. And let us never be ashamed or hesitant to share the good news that “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have everlasting life” (Jesus speaking to Nicodemus in John 3:16).

Together in Christ,  Pastor Tim

THE SON IS SHINING

As we undergo this extended quarantine due to the global Coronavirus pandemic, we find ourselves with ample opportunity (the rare opportunity) to be alone with our thoughts more and to engage in more intentional reflection and prayerful contemplation. And thankfully, because we live in sunny Southern California, our social distancing is not as claustrophobic as it is in cold grey areas of our country. So, we also have the opportunity to be outside as we use this extraordinary period of quarantine to meditate upon the Word of God in the Holy Bible and to prayerfully wrestle with the deep questions of faith and life. (I recommend any of the following biblical books:  the Book of Genesis, the Book of Psalms, the Gospel of Matthew, the Book of Acts, the Book of Romans, the Book of Hebrews, the Book of First John.)

In a way our whole society is entombed right now, awaiting a return to normalcy. But for people of faith, the eventual reopening of society can be much more than a mere return to what was before. For us it can be a kind of resurrection, a renewal of spiritual life, and a rededication to participating in the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the ministry of his amazing gospel. Furthermore, as I am generally a very ecumenical person, I hope and pray that this renewal will be the case within all denominations throughout our nation — for we are a peculiar nation that has always acknowledged God (in a nonsectarian way) as the fundamental basis and very foundation of our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As we sing in “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”…

My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills.
My heart with rapture thrills
Like that above.

In addition, as we are going through the budding and flowering of Spring, transitioning toward Summer, I’m mindful of the passage of the times and seasons of our lives. Consequently, the beautiful song from the musical Fiddler On The Roof called “Sunrise, Sunset” also comes to my mind. It is a song specifically about the passage of time as it relates to children and family, but it’s also about the passage of all the times and seasons of faith and life. The following is an excerpt of the lyrics of this song…

Sunrise, sunset, sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as they gaze

Sunrise, sunset, sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears

Truly, so very swiftly flow the days and so very swiftly fly the years of this life, calling us to savor each and every moment, and causing us to reflect on the life to come when we pass on from this world of “happiness and tears.” This is especially true when a loved one is nearing death. At that particular season of life (a season of tears) we contemplate our place in God’s universe and our ultimate heavenly destiny granted to us by the grace of God in, with and through Christ Jesus our Savior and Lord.

Therefore, according to the faith, hope and love of Christ, the Christian believer is able to reverse the song “Sunrise, Sunset” to “Sunset, Sunrise.” This is because of the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross for our sins and because of his glorious resurrection from the dead on the third day. In other words, through the Son-set and Son-rise of Christ our Lord, we can live this life with the deep inner joy of the living hope of forgiveness of sins and resurrection life. For as it says in First Peter…

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice,even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

First Peter 1:3-7

Thanks be to God for the risen Son of God! Even though we are going through dark times of sunset due to the global Coronavirus pandemic, the grace and truth of the gospel is that the Son is shining upon us now and forever. Amen.

Alleluia, Christ Is Risen! Pastor Tim

ALL WE NEED IS LOVE

Saint Valentine is a Christian saint of the Third Century AD who is widely celebrated on February 14th and commonly associated with romantic love. Although not much of St. Valentine’s life is reliably known, it is highly agreed that St. Valentine was martyred and then buried on the Via Flaminia to the north of Rome around 273 AD.

The story goes that St. Valentine (a former Bishop) was arrested late in his life for continuing to convert Pagans to the Christian Faith. He was sent to Rome and was martyred during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius Gothicus (Claudius II). In addition to converting people to Christ, St. Valentine was imprisoned for marrying Christian couples and aiding Christians being persecuted by Emperor Claudius II. All three of these acts were considered serious crimes.

While in prison, a relationship between St. Valentine and the Emperor began to grow, until Valentine attempted to convert him. Then Emperor Claudius became enraged and sentenced Valentine to death, commanding him to publically renounce his Christian Faith and reject his Lord Jesus or be beaten with clubs and beheaded. St. Valentine refused to do this and was executed outside the Flaminian Gate on February 14th (c. 273 AD). Furthermore, legend says that on the day of his execution he left a note behind to his flock signed “Your Valentine.”

The romantic nature of St. Valentine’s Day may have derived from the fact that he illegally officiated at the marriages of Christians while under Roman Pagan persecution. However, this romantic connection also may have derived from later Christian Church attempts to Christianize the Pagan holiday called Lupercalia on February 15th, which was a holiday celebrating Lupercus (a Roman god sometimes identified with the Roman god Faunus, who is the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Pan). Lupercus was a Roman god of shepherds and flocks, and of nature and the wilderness, and the Pagan holiday of Lupercalia was widely recognized as a day for romantic love and devotion.

Today, archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to St. Valentine, and he is widely accepted as the Christian Saint associated with romantic courtship, engaged couples and happy marriages. He is represented in Christian art with birds, bees and roses.

St. Valentine’s Day also gives us an opportunity to contemplate the New Testament concept of love. In the Greek language (the language of the New Testament) there are six words for love: Agape, Eros, Ludus, Philia, Philautia, and Pragma. While eros (romantic love) is mostly associated with St. Valentine, and while pragma (longstanding love) and philia (deep friendship love) are very important, the New Testament of Christ emphasizes the Divine love of agape for us.

Agape is the compassionate, charitable and sacrificial love of God that extends to everyone. It is a love that transcends all of our differences of worldview and philosophy. While we might disagree as to what loving in this way might specifically look like within various situations, we are all nevertheless called to abide in an agape-love and servant-heart for the sake of the world. It is even a love that Christian law enforcement personnel and Christian military personnel participate in as they honorably serve and work to uphold good order in our world. Theirs is a kind of tough love, and it is a necessary kind of sacrificial love for the sake of an orderly and peaceable society.

Agape-love is used throughout the New Testament, but here are some very good examples of this from First John:

We know love (agape) by this, that he laid down his life for us — and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.

First John 3:16

Beloved, let us love (agape) one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.

First John 4:7-11

So as we look to celebrate eros-love on St. Valentine’s Day again this year, let us remember how St. Valentine lived the agape-love of Christ, and let us contemplate this agape-love for our own faith and life as Christians. Beloved, as we are “Valentines” of Christ whom God has agape-loved so much, we also ought to agape-love one another and all people in Jesus’ name.

Your Fellow Valentine in Christ, Pastor Tim

BREAD FOR BEGGARS

As disciples of Jesus Christ we are called to share our faith in Jesus with all people. In fact, our Lord and Savior Jesus said the following: “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” And, of course, there is Christ’s famous Great Commission statement:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”

Matthew 28: 18-19a

However, this Great Commission can sound to us like such a colossal and monumental thing. It can sound too grandiose for an individual Christian or a neighborhood Christian congregation to accomplish. But we also know that “for God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

So, what can we do with all these teachings and commandments from our Lord about “fishing” and discipling and evangelizing in his name?

Well, it has been said that Christian evangelism is one beggar telling another where they have found bread. And if we think of it like this, then the call to evangelize doesn’t seem so daunting. All of us, like all of humanity, are spiritual beggars that are in need of the spiritual bread that God so graciously has made available to us in Christ. Simply put, we are beggars who have found The Living Bread of Heaven (John 6:47-51) who wish to share with others (as best we can) where they can get this bread for themselves.

Beggars telling other beggars where we have found bread — this really is the heart of Christian evangelism and it is something we can all do, both individually and congregationally. You can give gifts to people that reflect Christian faith and spirituality. You can regularly “Check In” and “Share” and “Like” on our church Facebook page for your individual social media contacts to see. You can invite your friends, neighbors, family members and coworkers to worship services and congregational events. If you have children who have not followed through with their vows at their own child’s baptism to bring them to the services of God’s house, then you can evangelize your grandchildren by inviting and bringing them to worship, Sunday school and other activities.

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ, there are a variety of important things we must engage in. For instance, charitable service is very important. However, while we continue to do charitable service (both domestically and globally), we must also remember to do evangelism by sharing with our fellow sinners and spiritual beggars where to find The Bread of Life, who is Christ the Lord. Essentially, it is inviting people to the renewing and sustaining life, light and love of Jesus through his Holy Word and Blessed Sacrament within the fellowship of his Community of Disciples.

Happy New Year to All and Share the Good News! 

Pastor Tim

VISIBLE IMAGES POINTING TO THE INVISIBLE GOD

I was recently asked by a parishioner about the biblical prohibition against “graven images” in the Ten Commandments. And since it is the heartfelt desire of every Christian believer to love God, I have heard this particular concern many times over the years regarding Christian sculptures, carvings, etchings, icons, paintings and other artwork that depict Jesus, or his family, or his early disciples, or great Church leaders of history (i.e. Martin Luther, John Wesley, and others).

In the Ten Commandments of Exodus 20, it says the following: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself any graven images—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.”

Based on this Bible text, some Protestant Christians (as well as all Muslims and most Jews) assert that sculptures and icons of Jesus Christ, or statues of saints and angels, or paintings of holy images, are all violations of Exodus 20. But is this really the case? Are we breaking the commandment of God by having statuary, icons and other images of either earthly or heavenly subjects in our homes and churches?

To more fully understand Exodus 20, we need to use the principle of interpreting Holy Scripture with Holy Scripture. So let’s look at other Bible passages that can shed light on this commandment of God from Exodus 20…

  • The prohibition against “graven images” in Exodus 20:4 and “molten gods” in Exodus 34:17 are both given in the context of the idolatry of the ancient Near East.
  • God commanded that gold images of cherubim (winged angels of heaven) be made and placed on the lid of the Ark of the Covenant. See Exodus 25:18-22.
  • God commanded that cherubim images be fashioned on the curtains of the Tabernacle. See Exodus 26:1.
  • God commanded that cherubim images be on the veil of the Tabernacle that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (“Holy of Holies”) where the Ark was placed. See Exodus 26:31.
  • In First Kings 6:23-28, the Jerusalem Temple had two large gold-overlaid olivewood cherubim on either side of the Ark in the Holy of Holies.
  • Also in First Kings 7:13-51, the Jerusalem Temple had oxen sculptures holding up the bronze laver (large water basin), and the base of the laver had earthly images of lions and oxen, as well as heavenly images of cherubim.
  • The Lord God commanded Moses in Numbers 21:8-9 to make a bronze serpent and set it on a pole as a means through which the Israelites would receive grace for healing from wilderness snakebites. See John 3:14-16 for Jesus’ comparison of his New Testament ministry and crucifixion with the healing grace of the Old Testament bronze serpent and pole.

Now, in light of the Bible passages listed above (and their historical contexts), it is clear that an absolute rejection of all manmade images of earthly and heavenly things is not God’s intention. Consequently, those who interpret Exodus 20:3-4 as prohibiting any and all images do not agree with the interpretation of Moses and Solomon (according to God’s intention) — and we clearly see this fact by interpreting Holy Scripture with Holy Scripture, and by interpreting Holy Scripture within its various historical contexts.

Therefore, the main thing in Exodus 20:2-6 is simply to NOT worship lesser gods, and to ONLY worship and serve the One Almighty God of All. Moreover, the Bible is warning us of the error of venerating the manmade thing (the handcrafted image) rather than focusing on the creative Source of all good things (the Eternal God). So while we can conclude that Christian statuary, icons and other artwork are permissible by God for reminding us of (and pointing us toward) his eternal grace and truth, we must never fall into worshiping such images. In other words, the prohibition in Exodus 20 is not the production of graven images per se, but the bowing down and serving of such images (see also Deuteronomy 5:8-10).

Similarly, Lutheran Christians do not bow down to and do not worship/serve images of Christ, or of his Apostles, or of past and present Church leaders. However, we can and do include such sacred images in our homes and churches, and this is all well and good as long as we use these beautiful things appropriately in order to worship and serve only the Lord God Almighty.

Lastly, as Lutheran Christians who believe, trust and profess that Jesus Christ is the Son and Living Icon of God with us, we make and use sacred Christ-centered images as helpful tools in sharing the good news of Jesus within a world constantly flooded by ungodly images of all sorts. After all, “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (see Colossians 1:15-20).

Together in Christ’s Mission, Pastor Tim

BORN TO ETERNAL LIFE

On the Fourth Sunday of Eastertime a few weeks ago, which also was Mother’s Day, I shared a story in my sermon that many people asked me for a copy. So, I thought I’d include it in my article for the June issue of our Olive Branch newsletter.

This wonderfully imaginative story is about fraternal twin babies in their mother’s womb discussing life after delivery, and while it’s originally attributed to the great Dutch theologian Henri Nouwen, there are many different variations of it. The following is the version I used for my sermon…

One of the twin babies asked the other, “Do you believe in life after delivery?” The other replied, “Of course. There has to be something after delivery. And maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.” “Nonsense” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?” The second said, “I don’t know exactly, but I feel there will be more light there than here. Not that faint red glow we sometimes have here. Maybe we will be able to move around more freely and journey to places we just can’t understand right now. And maybe we will have other senses that we can’t yet understand.” The first replied, “That’s absurd! Ridiculous! This umbilical cord supplies everything we need. But the umbilical cord is too short, so life after delivery is to be logically excluded.” The second insisted, “Well I think there is something, and maybe it’s just different than it is here. Maybe we won’t need this umbilical cord anymore.” The first replied, “Absolute nonsense, and furthermore, delivery is the end, and in the after-delivery there is nothing but oblivion. It takes us nowhere.” “Well” said the second, “I trust in Mother, and when we get to meet her in the after-delivery, she will show us all these amazing things.” The first replied, “A Mother? You actually believe in a Mother?! That’s laughable. If a Mother exists, then where is She right now?” The second said, “She’s all around us. We are surrounded by Her. We are of Her. It is in Her that we live and move and have our being. Without Her this small confined existence of ours would not, and could not, exist.” And the first said, “Well I don’t see Her, so it is only logical that She doesn’t exist.” To which the second replied, “Well sometimes, when you’re in silence, and you focus and really listen, you can feel Her Presence.”

This ‘embryonic’ mortal existence we are journeying through is temporary, and one of my preferred terms for our physical death from this world is “Born to eternal life.” And you know it’s been said that we are spiritual beings having a human experience — an experience that is so very brief in the grand scheme of things.

However, the good news of the gospel of Christ our Good Shepherd leads us to the supreme joy and hope of heaven. Therefore, the reality of heaven (an eternal existence of true and never-ending happiness) is a central part of the honest-to-goodness gospel of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

So simply because we live in a cynical and jaded time, we as Christians should not shy away from or downplay this great Easter truth and grace of eternal resurrection life. Rather we should embrace this heavenly faith, and then live lives of compassion and service in the name of Jesus. Because Christ is risen and because we too shall arise through him, we must live our lives right now according to the Word of the Lord in Micah chapter 6…

He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8

Jesus is risen beyond this impermanent existence, and we are his sheep who are to hear him and follow him for the sake of a better world for all people and for an eternal heavenly future by his grace.

Together in Christ, Pastor Tim

THE WORD OF GOD WITHIN THE BIBLE

There are five essential pillars for the Lutheran branch of Christianity, including for our Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and these pillars are known as the “Five Solae” which are as follows:

+ Sola Scriptura – “Scripture alone” or “Word alone”

+ Sola Fide – “Faith alone”

+ Sola Gratia – “Grace alone”

+ Solus Christus – “Christ alone”

+ Soli Deo Gloria – “Glory to God alone”

So according to God’s WORD within the Holy Scriptures, we are saved by God’s GRACE through the gift of FAITH in JESUS CHRIST for the sake of God’s GLORY and our eternal benefit.

Along with all of our brothers and sisters of the Lutheran branch of Christianity throughout the world, we ELCA Christians regard the Holy Scriptures (the Bible) as our primary source and norm for Christian doctrine and life. As a matter of fact, we understand the Bible to be “inspired” by God just as the Apostle Paul declared in Second Timothy: “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). Therefore, while we acknowledge that the Bible is not inerrant (“completely without error” in all matters of history and science), we wholeheartedly profess that the Bible is inspired (“breathed into” by God) and is infallible (it “does not fail” in matters of salvation). For example, the Bible has two conflicting years for Jesus’ birth (around 4 BC in Matthew or around 6 AD in Luke), but what matters is that in the Land of Israel a Savior has been born unto us, Christ the Lord. For another example, the Bible has the empty tomb being discovered by 2 women in Matthew, 3 women in Mark, and only 1 woman in John, but what matters is that the tomb was discovered empty and that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. And for a final example, the Bible has two conflicting times for Jesus giving the Holy Spirit (on Resurrection evening in John or about 50 days later on Pentecost in Acts), but what matters is that the risen Lord Jesus appeared many times to many people and that he gave us the gift of his Holy Spirit.

In addition, this understanding of the nature of the Bible recognizes that the Bible reflects and contains a few archaic notions regarding the sciences. However, if we seek to understand the historical context underlying such things, then God’s Word can be opened-up in amazing ways for us today. So just like it is with a goldmine, we read and study the Bible in order to unearth the biblical veins of quartz which lead us right to those wonderful deposits of pure theological and spiritual gold. Consequently, the inspiration and infallibility of the Bible do not necessarily rest in every single one of the Bible’s contextually specific instructions, but more importantly in its overarching trajectories, themes, values and ideals (the Heart of the Law and Prophets as Jesus taught us). 

As we read and study the Bible together (taking into account the historical context, the living experience of the Church, and the data from science), we engage in a powerful dialogue with God and in discerning the Bible’s application for our faith, ethics and daily life. Just like a Big Wheel tricycle, our Christian life has three wheels: 1) the large front wheel is the Bible, 2) one of the pair of back wheels is the living tradition and experience of the Church today, and 3) the remaining back wheel is the various disciplines of science. So it is this spiritual Big Wheel tricycle that best guides us, rather than the biblical unicycle that some might assert as necessary for our salvation.

Of course, this tried-and-true Big Wheel understanding of Sola Scriptura is really nothing new. Martin Luther, the first Protestant reformer and the founder of the Lutheran branch of Christianity, compared the Bible to the manger of Christ. The manger was human made. Being made of stone or of wood, it no doubt had some imperfections — and in either case, it no doubt had some straw held within it.  Nevertheless, it held the Living Word of God for us and our world. Likewise, Luther stated that the Bible is “human” but that it’s also “divine” because it holds and presents Christ.

Thanks be to God for the Bible, through which the Holy Spirit opens us up to receive God’s grace and truth, and through which we come to know and grow into the life-changing faith, hope and love of God’s Son Jesus our Lord! And it’s such a great blessing that Mt. Olive Lutheran Church offers several Bible study opportunities on a regular basis. So all are welcome to participate in these Bible studies and join the conversation.

Together in Christ,

Pastor Tim