Devotions - Wednesday, Feb 13

For the past two evenings I have been in conversations with students over what it means to be saved. I must acknowledge that last night's conversation (at our LCM Bible Study) was more satisfying than the first. In the earlier conversation, I felt as if the questions were seeking a particular answer.

The scriptures brought me back to this, this morning. Continuing in the same Psalm from which I quoted yesterday, Psalm 32:10 reads:

Many are the torments of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.

Too often when there is talk of salvation it turns to talk of existence in the sweet-by-and-by. We think of salvation as something that occurs after death, perhaps even as late as the return of Christ. We miss the Bible's teachings that salvation has already come to us; that it is a present reality as well as a vision for all eternity.

Walking streets of gold in some jewel encrusted city sounds appealing, but it does not overshadow the blessings which come my way as a result of God's steadfast love. God's love is with me now; God's love allows me to experience life and the world as a wonderful existence. My excitement of what lies ahead is informed by my experience of the goodness which has already come to me.

When asked what salvation is, my first and most heartfelt response is to say that it is the assurance that God loves me and the confidence that God will love me throughout all eternity. Informed by the visions in The Revelation, the end toward which all the saints are moving is the opportunity to surround the throne of God, casting our crowns before him, and singing his praises. When I get to "heaven," that is what it will be like for me. It is an eternal opportunity to thank God and serve him.

Pastor Chris

Devotions - Monday, Feb 12

Psalm 32:3-5 reads:

"While I kept silence, my body wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength dried up as by the heat of summer.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity.
I said, 'I confess my transgressions to the Lord.'
and you forgave me the guilt of my sin."

Not often enough do we speak of the gift which comes with confession. I am not referring to the perceived set aside of any punishment. I speak of the lightening of one's burden. The psalmist says that his body was wasting away, so long as he kept his sin hidden. Confession allows us to release that burden, to set aside that weight.

Why do we not confess? There is a multitude of reasons. Most often noted would be a fear of God's wrath. We are fearful of the consequences of our sin, so we seek to hide it. As if not acknowledging it would make it go away. A prayer is my prayer book speaks of those sins which we have so craftily hidden from others that they have become hidden even to ourselves.

But hiding does not make them go away, or disappear, or cease to weigh upon us. Instead, they take advantage of the damp, dark place, festering and infecting so much of what lies around.

One of the Lenten disciplines is confession. Lent is a time to examine our lives and our actions and to bring to the surface those things which have been hidden below. It is a time to acknowledge our guilt and turn to God. It is a season for bringing to an end the wasting away of our bodies and spirits.

Pastor Chris

Devotions - Monday, Feb 11

The theme for our readings is temptation. Yesterday's Gospel reading recounted the temptation of Jesus. His forty days in the wilderness included the visit from Satan and the opportunity to set aside the path that God had in mind, adopting instead an alternative route. Jesus had to choose between doing things God's way, or achieving a quick fix.

The temptations offered him still appeal to us: demonstrations of God's providence, feeding the hungry, and living in a world were every one and every nation looks to God. The temptations he faced are the temptations which often turn us aside.

We all too often think of temptations as evil offerings. While it may be appropriate to speak of being tempted to steal, or lie, or cheat, the temptations which get to the core of our relationship with God are those in which we choose between the way of God and our own way. The temptations most to be feared are those in which we are lured away from God's Word.

Pastor Chris

Devotions - Thursday, Feb 7

One of the most difficult tasks I perform, as a pastor, is the imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday.

On the one hand, it is a glorious experience - to be actively involved in the liturgies of the Church. Liturgies which move us through the harsh realities of life and connect us to the eternal goodness of our God.

Difficult, in that this liturgical rite involves reminding those who come forward, "Remember you are ashes and to ashes you shall return."

Some of those attended last night's service have had busy schedules. As a result, we hadn't talked for a while. Not sure what has been going on in their lives, I looked into smiling eyes which seemed to be saying, "Hey Pastor Chris. It is good to see you." Then I rubbed ashes on their face.

The life-story of some of those attending last night's service is well known to me. I know of their pains and heart-breaks. My desire is to offer them a word of hope, a word of encouragement. What I gave to them was a charcoal stain.

I keep reminding myself that the imposition of ashes is a reminder that we are dust, offered by a community whose faith assures us that dust is not all that there is. That our hopes will be realized and our smiles transformed to true joy. But it is tough. I guess this is part of my Lenten pilgrimage.

As we move through these days of Lent, may we all remember and be reminded that in Christ we find that hope is not possible to find on our own. In him, our souls find their rest.

Pastor Chris

Ash Wednesday

The practice of placing ashes on one's head has ancient roots. It is a symbol of contrition, of remorse.

We place ashes on our heads this day as an indication of these same emotions. We confess our sins, we acknowledge our guilt, we admit that we fail to live the lives God would have us live.

God's hope for us is that we would live in harmony with those around us. God's hope for us is that we would understand ourselves as brothers and sisters, united in our struggles. God's intention is that we should think of others before thinking of ourselves. We have not realized this hope. We must confess our shortcomings.

God's intention is that we would care for the least among us. God's instructions are for us to give to the poor, and pray for those who would harm us. This is not the way we talk. This is not the way we act. There is a need to admit our guilt.

Our loving Father welcomes us as children, asking that we live under the wing of His gentle care. We rebel, refusing to listen to Him. With contrite hears we make our way back to him.

The practice of placing ashes on our heads is a symbol of our desire to be made clean. Most of us have never made soap. We might not realize that soap can be made out of ashes. Interesting how something so messy can become an agent of cleansing. This practice reminds us of this. It is a desire that our dirtiness might be transformed into a thing of purity.

Pastor Chris

Shrove Tuesday - Feb 5

The French call it Mardi Gras. The Germans call it Shrove Tuesday. This is the last day before the stat of the season of Lent. Lent is the 40 days before Easter in which we prepare our hearts and our lives for the events which define our faith.

On this day, the last day of light-hearted activity, we eat up the leaven in our homes (no cakes during Lent) and we exhaust our desire to laugh (feast of fools.) On this day, we make the change and transition in our lives which will allow us to devote increased attention to our identity as disciples.

It is helpful to establish a Lenten discipline. Helpful, not required. Helpful in that having an additional routine reminds us of the season and the events toward which our liturgical calendar is moving us. Not required in that Christ has paid the price for us and we must never allow ourselves to think that we are earning merits by way of our sacrifice.

The best discipline is to increase our time for reading scripture. The discipline most likely to enhance our Easter is a deeper knowledge of the texts which share Easter's affect on the world.

However it is that you will mark these days, mark them well. Preparation will make the celebration more than an observance. Preparation will allow Easter to come alive in our hearts as well as on our calendars.

Pastor Chris

Devotions - Monday, Feb 4

I can remember wondering why there were so few stories of Jesus' childhood in the Bible. Except for a couple in the book of Luke, there is nothing said of the little boy, Jesus. The story moves so quickly, from his birth to his preaching and healing and calling of disciples.

We are experiencing that now. Yesterday's observance of Transfiguration Sunday means that Lent is just around the corner. The events are about to get serious as we are making our way to Jerusalem and the events which will unfold there. Christmas isn't that far behind, on our calendars, but it is fading fast in our liturgical life.

I wonder if the desire to know more of Jesus' childhood may arise from a mistaken confusion of him as some sort of a hero. Part of the process of lifting someone up as a hero involves looking at the events of their past to see what it is that made them great. We want to identify the things which contributed to their being strong and courageous. If we mistake Jesus for a hero, we might try to do the same with his life - look for that which made him turn out as he did.

But Jesus is no hero - he is Messiah. What makes him great are not the events of his childhood. What makes him great is God's anointing of him. He is who he is because of how it is that God sees him. He is who he is as a result of his relationship with God.

The same can be said for us. Regardless of the events of our past, no matter what opportunities might have been denied us, we are who we are as a result of the way God sees us. Who we are is determined by our relationship with God.

We spend so much time looking for "heroes." What we ought to be doing is living our lives in appreciation for the new name given to us by our God.

Pastor Chris