Lord and Savior – Page 3 – Mt. Olive Lutheran Church

PASSING THE FAITH ON

As I write this article, our son Nicholas just flew the family nest for the first time in his young life. He’s done well here in California making custom lighting for the entertainment industry, including for Disney Parks both here and in Florida (for example, lighting for Disney Star Wars, Avengers, the Haunted House, Pirates of the Caribbean, Snow White and so forth). He also did custom lighting for some movie sets, and individually for celebrities here like Adam Sandler and Gary Oldman. But he’s excited to start a new chapter in life back in Wisconsin. His WI friends prevailed upon him to move back and get an apartment together, so he’s really looking forward to being on his own back up north in the deep freeze. We love you Nick, we’re very proud of you, and we hope you have a lot of fun!

So as I reflect on this major life transition for us, I’m reminded of the supreme importance of passing on the Christian Faith to new generations, and I’m reminded of the crucial part that the family plays in this mission and ministry.

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord… I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.” – (from Second Timothy 1:1-5)

Just as the biblical Timothy first received his Christian Faith through the witness of his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice, I also am the beneficiary of the sincere Christian Faith that was first held by my parents and then transmitted to me. Thanks be to God!

I really don’t know what I’d do without the faith and love of Christ my Savior. Without the inner peace and joy of his Holy Spirit, I don’t know what I’d do with all of the grief and loss of this life. Because of the spiritual new birth that Christ has given me, I am able to grieve my losses in life while simultaneously rejoicing in the never-failing grace and eternal hope of my Lord Jesus Christ.

Passed down to us through our ancient forebears like Peter, John, Mary, Paul, Lois, Eunice, Timothy, and so on, our Christian Faith is an amazing thing. It’s amazing because it allows us the ability to deeply grieve a loss while, at the same time, to rest in Christ’s blessed assurance of “the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting” (from the Apostles’ Creed).

And just as we have benefitted from the faithful witness of our Christian forebears, we (like Olympic relay runners) are now responsible to pass the baton of Christ and his Church to the next generations. But, interestingly, we have to contend with a general shift in cultural attitudes and behaviors regarding religious faith and spiritual life.

This shift in American culture is a general move toward being a predominantly “spiritual but not religious” population. However, we are those who know (by the grace of God in our lives) that religiosity and spirituality are not mutually exclusive. As Christians, we know that being spiritual helps us to be authentically religious, and being religious helps us to be sustainably spiritual. So, spirituality without communal religious practices (which act as transmitters of God’s grace) is simply unsustainable in the long run. Therefore, despite this shift in culture, we must be faithful to our calling, duty and joy to share the good news of Jesus with others, and to pass on the Christian Faith to all those who would come after us.

Furthermore, because of this cultural shift in America, we may have to start evangelizing our grandchildren and even our great-grandchildren. If your children aren’t taking up the baton of Christian Faith, then you’ll need to pick it up and pass it on to their kids for them. So, if your children are not doing it, I encourage you to bring your grandkids and great-grandkids to Sunday worship, Sunday school, Confirmation class, and congregational events, because the greatest legacy we can leave to them is a living faith in Jesus Christ.

“Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace… For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.” – (from Second Timothy 1:8-14)

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…

“¹⁶Who were they who heard and yet were rebellious? Was it not all those who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses? ¹⁷But with whom was God angry for forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? ¹⁸And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, if not to those who were disobedient? … ⁸For if Joshua [Moses’ successor] had given them rest, God would not speak later about another day. ⁹So then, a Sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; ¹⁰for those who enter God’s rest also cease from their labors as God did from his. ¹¹Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by following their example of disobedience.¹²Indeed, 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. ¹³And 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. ¹⁴Since, 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. ¹⁵For 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. ¹⁶Let 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

JUST GETTING STARTED

After Jesus’ crucifixion, death and burial, the disciples thought all was lost. They deeply grieved the death of their beloved teacher and friend. They felt post traumatic stress and overwhelming despair concerning the events of Jesus’ arrest, trial, torture and execution. They also feared retribution for their association with Jesus. They even wondered if anything Jesus said and did was true, questioning if they had backed the right messianic contender.

Everything was falling apart. Everything was broken. Was it all for naught? Was it all coming to an end?

You know, this past December marked two years since my family and I moved to La Crescenta, and I’ve realized that April marks one entire year of strict COVID-19 protocols for our congregation. While we have maintained online sermons, devotionals and worship throughout this whole timeframe, we actually went without in-person worship from April to June of 2020, resuming in-person worship in July. And barring fires and inclement weather, we have faithfully kept The Lord’s Day each week with in-person worship services since July, as well as with drive-thru and YouTube options.

So about half of the time my family and I have lived here has been during COVID restrictions, and all of us as a congregation have journeyed together during this difficult time of national and communal loss, fear and stress. Consequently, we might have some of the same thoughts and feelings that the early disciples had right after Jesus’ death prior to his resurrection.

We might wonder… Are basic community institutions (congregations, fraternities, service clubs, etc.) coming to an end? Are the functions of these fundamental institutions being superseded and replaced by centralized state programs? Is religious faith and spiritually at an end? Is Christianity in America coming to an end? Or is God just getting started?

We often forget that the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ took place at some point during the night. The empty tomb was discovered on Easter Sunday morning (John 20:1-18), but the resurrection itself happened in the darkness. So, even while the disciples were under a self-imposed lockdown, with an emotional and spiritual pall of darkness over their hearts and minds, the truth is that the resurrection happened during the darkest hours of night.

This gospel truth of the resurrection of Jesus happening in the darkness of night is a wonderful metaphor for what’s happening right now. Our families, small businesses, schools, and community institutions like our congregation, are all feeling the distress and desperation of this past year, but we are starting to see the light at the end of this long tunnel. As the vaccinations continue at a warp speed pace throughout our nation, we are beginning to see signs of renewal and emergence.

Resurrection is happening, brothers and sisters. Restoration is happening. God is just getting started with us. Thanks be to God that we are just getting started!

Blessed Holy Week & Happy Easter!!! Pastor Tim

LENTEN PLOWING & SEEDING

The good news of Jesus Christ is for the desperate. Those who recognize their sinful condition and their desperate need for God’s grace are the target audience of his gospel. And recognizing our basic spiritual desperation is the very thing that readies us to receive the all-surpassing consolation and salvation that can only come through the Living Word of God, Christ Jesus our Lord.

Due to the fall of humanity, allegorized in the Garden of Eden narrative, the fallen condition of the spiritual soil of the human soul is nothing but rocks, hardpan, weeds and thistles. Consequently, “good soil” within the human heart is not so much found as it is created. Just like it is with farming, soil suitable for planting must first be prepared by clearing, weeding and plowing.

Therefore, our hearts need repentance to be prepared to receive the seed of the gospel of Christ. When we sinners have the soil of our hearts broken up by the sharp plow blade of God’s biblical law, then our hearts are made repentantly soft and joyfully able to receive God’s gospel of grace. And the Season of Lent is a very useful time of year to get spiritually plowed up by God’s biblical law and prepared again to be planted anew with God’s saving grace in Christ.

Technically speaking, farmers do not plow to make the soil productive, but rather for the purpose of making the planted seed productive. That’s what God does with us, and that’s what he wants to do anew this Lenten Season. He wants to soften us up for an effective implantation of the grace of the gospel. Through the dying and rising of Jesus the Son of God, it is God’s righteousness alone that grants us this renewal, not our own righteousness. For indeed our human righteousness is so flawed and inadequate that God (who is totally good and holy and pure) regards it as something that is soiled and foul smelling at best, because our human righteousness is compromised by sinful pride and selfish gain.

“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”
Isaiah 64:6

Jesus comes to transform the curse of the soil of the human heart. He comes to give us an honest and contrite heart that appreciates its own sinful condition and desperately longs to be renewed by him through his saving gospel. For only a contrite heart can genuinely appreciate its need for the atonement and redemption that cannot be produced by our own merit, but must be first planted within us by our loving God.

“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
Psalm 51:16-17

May the Lord of grace and truth make our fallen and sinful hearts to be soft and receptive, may he take hold of us and lead us with him through his sufferings of the Garden of Gethsemane and the Cross of Golgotha, and may he raise us up to new life in him.

“Thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread everywhere the fragrance of knowing him. For we are the pleasing aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”
Second Corinthians 2:14-15

Good Lent & Blessed Holy Week!

Pastor Tim

AN ALL-INCLUSIVE PRAYER FOR 2021

Almighty and wonder-full God, we are thankful for your all-encompassing, all-pervading and eternal Presence.

Our thanks and praise belong to you alone, O God of all, because you are the One Source of all being and goodness. In you we live, move and have our being, and by your sovereign grace we receive salvation, wholeness and renewal.

We thank you for the birth, life, teachings, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ our Lord. We thank you for the redemptive suffering of Jesus, endured by him from the Garden of Gethsemane to the Cross of Golgotha (a suffering which exposed the total depravity of our sinful human condition every step of the way), and we thank you for Jesus’ sacrificial offering of himself for our everlasting atonement and reconciliation. Moreover, we thank and praise you for the empty tomb and ascension of Jesus which declare your Final Word of life, light and love eternal.

Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — you are in charge and you lead the way. You never leave us nor forsake us, and your steadfast love endures forever. Whether we live or die, we are yours. In this life and the next, we are secure in your hands.

By your sovereign grace and divine will, you call us, claim us and draw us to yourself. You lead us on paths we do not yet know. There is a tomorrow we cannot see, and there are bends in the road we cannot know. But we know you will faithfully lead us according to your plan and purpose, because you are the Faithful One.

By your amazing grace, we travel the journey of this life. By your grace, we keep our minds focused on you. By your grace, we live God-conscious lives, a daily relationship of moment-by-moment dialogue with you. By your grace, we trust in you, no matter what happens or doesn’t happen. And by your grace, we follow you and abide in you.

By your grace, what joy and peace you give to us!!!

And in response to your infinite grace and absolute love, we live lives of worship, prayer, Holy Scripture study, tenderheartedness, lovingkindness, faithfulness, justice, hospitality and charity.

O Lord God, we pray for the world, this diverse arena you have created to work out your infinite grace and purposes for us and all things. We know that destruction and rebirth are a part of your creative will for the natural world. We know that you are in all creation and all creation is in you. Help us to use times of crisis as opportunities for serving those in need and sharing your truth.

O God, we know that you establish, disestablish and reestablish your earthly community throughout the ages. Beginnings, endings and new beginnings all flow from your creative and redemptive activity. We pray that in times of adversity you will draw us closer to you all the more.

Help us to see your Unity in the diversity of our world, O God, and help us to see that we are all united in you through your Holy Spirit. Help us to see we are of One Love and One Heart in you.

O God, for your universal glory and for our eternal benefit, help us to see and understand all of this according to the faith, hope and love of your Living Word, Jesus Christ our Lord.

You are Love… You are Sovereign… You are True…

Wonder-full God, the great “I Am” of the Scriptures, we pray all these things in the saving name of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The grace and peace of Christ be with you all in 2021! 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

PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF OUR NATIONAL “JERUSALEM”

Sha’alu Shalom Yerushalayim (“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem”) is a Hebrew exhortation and blessing from Psalm 122 of the Holy Bible. In this Psalm, God both exhorts us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and promises us a blessing, saying, “May they prosper who love you.”

However, the question on my heart right now is what about the peace of our American homeland? What about the peace of our “one nation under God”? What about the peace of our national “Jerusalem” here and now?

Well, the Bible gives us guidance about our calling to pray for the peace of our nation and for the peaceable life of all its citizens. Of course, the Bible was inspired and written down at a time long before the inspiration and establishment of our liberal republican democracy (a.k.a. libertarian democratic republic). Nevertheless, the Word of God within the Bible firmly speaks to our Christian vocation to pray for and seek a peaceable society for all people.

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, including kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
FIRST TIMOTHY 2:1-4

“It is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”
FIRST PETER 2:15-17

In addition, there is clearly a God given and honorable role for our duly appointed governing authorities, law enforcement and armed services to act as peace-keepers (see Romans 13:1-7). However, our Lord Jesus highlights the role of peace-makers, calling them “children of God” in Matthew 5:9. After all, he is the Great “Prince of Peace” in Isaiah 9, that wonderful title that we celebrate every Christmas.

In fact, with everything that’s going on right now, I say (in the words of Auntie Mame) “We need a little Christmas right this very minute!” So, here’s a little Christmas in June from Luke chapter 2:

“Do not be afraid; for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David [Bethlehem] a Savior, who is the Messiah,the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
LUKE 2:10-14

This is good news indeed! It fuels our inner joy and peace, just like Simeon of Jerusalem, who was devout and looked forward to the consolation and restoration of Israel. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. So, guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the Jerusalem Temple, and when Joseph and Mary brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary according to the Torah, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying the following:

“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”
LUKE 2:29-32

Like Simeon, may we also be filled with this inner peace at this very difficult time. Furthermore, even in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, even as our society wrestles with the grave injustice of the murder of George Floyd, and even as we deal with the terror of the violent demonstrations, let us pray for peace and for equal treatment under the law — and let us pray for the Spirit to fill our hearts and minds with Christ’s grace, peace and love as we seek together to form a more righteous, equitable and peaceable society for our exceptional nation.

Love & Grace & Peace! Pastor Tim

GOD’S LIVING TEMPLE

Recently during our online Bible study of the Book of Ephesians, hosted on the Zoom video conferencing platform, we discussed the “holy temple” of Ephesians chapter 2…

So Christ came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.
Ephesians 2:17-22

As I shared with the other Bible study participants on Zoom, this image of the Church of Jesus Christ as one living temple is a favorite biblical image for me. Of course the Bible uses several other images to describe the Church, such as one living body with many different members, or as one living tree into which we (many different branches) are grafted by God’s grace. However, the image of a living temple speaks to my heart a little bit more than these others.

As a lover of architecture, the living temple image of the Church in Ephesians allows me to imagine the various interrelated structural parts — including how we might imagine our relationship with the Holy Trinity of God. Therefore, with the apostles and prophets of the New and Old Testaments as the foundation of this great spiritual temple, and with ourselves as its living interconnected stone blocks, let’s focus on the three most notable pieces of stonemasonry: the Cornerstone, the Keystone, and the Capstone.

The cornerstone (or setting stone) is the first stone placed in a masonry construction, and all the other building stones will be set in reference to this first stone — thereby determining the overall position of the entire structure. Likewise, Jesus Christ is our divine Cornerstone, the chief stone set in place for us to base our individual orientation within the overall temple structure. In other words, our Lord Jesus’ life, teachings, death and resurrection give us the exact spiritual dimensions that we use to set and position our faith and spirituality.

The keystone (sometimes doubling as a capstone) is the central wedge stone at the apex of a masonry arch, or it’s the circular wedge stone at the apex of a vaulted structure. In both cases it’s the final stone that locks all the stones of an arch or vault into position, allowing the arch or vault to bear the weight of the surrounding structure. Similarly, the Holy Spirit is our divine Keystone, the central wedge stone that unites and binds all the other stones into one load-bearing temple structure. Consequently, due to the open but solid archway of the Holy Spirit (or Holy Keystone) we are strengthened and kept in true faith by the Holy Spirit’s power and spiritual gifts, bestowed upon us through the Word and Sacraments of God.

The capstone (sometimes doubling as a keystone) is a stone placed at the pinnacle of a masonry construction, typically on top of a wall or a monument. In addition, the capstone is an architectural feature that is often found at the very top of religious, memorial and governmental structures. As a result, capstones on such structures as these are often detailed artistic features placed at the highest point in order to indicate the purpose or meaning of the entire building. Furthermore, the capstone can be circular or conical or pyramidal in shape.

On both governmental and religious buildings, the capstone can often have some kind of decorative orb centered on top — and this orb can also have a symbol or statue on top of it. For example, there is an ornate capstone at the pinnacle of the dome of our United States Capitol Building, and it’s a conical-shaped capstone supporting an orb (etched with the words “E Pluribus Unum”) that also has the Statue of Freedom standing upon the orb. Or for another example, centered on the capstones of many Church cathedrals there are orbs with either cross symbols or angelic figures (or both). Likewise, just as it is with these beautiful capstone structures on top of large governmental and religious buildings, our Heavenly Father is our divine Capstone, the pinnacle stone that indicates our highest purpose and meaning, and our highest exultation and destiny.

As we are physically isolated during this global Coronavirus pandemic and national quarantine, it is deeply important that we remember our spiritual togetherness as stones in God’s living temple — securely interconnected with God and each other forever by God’s amazing grace. With the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (our divine Capstone, Cornerstone and Keystone), and with the apostles and prophets as our foundation, we shall stand firm throughout it all.

Lastly, with all of this in mind, I’m reminded of the first part of the third verse of the great Christian hymn “Built on a Rock the Church Shall Stand”…

Christ builds a house of living stones:
we are his own habitation;
he fills our hearts, his humble thrones,
granting us life and salvation.
Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW), Hymn #652, Verse 3

A blessed Pentecost Sunday to all of you in May and a wonder-full Holy Trinity Sunday in June!

Together in God’s Living Temple, 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