Romans 8:28

Originally written for First Lutheran Church Reflections, July 2005

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28

Over the past several years, I have been asked many times what my favorite Bible verse is and while there are numerous verses from which I could choose, it seems I keep coming back to this one. No matter what else is going on in my life, this verse stands out as a reminder of God's love and care in all times.

While this verse is most often used to give hope to those going through difficult times, it is really a promise to which we can all cling and count on every day of our lives. We are all called to serve and love God - that makes everyone one of the "called" ones; the one to whom the promise is given. In this verse is the promise that whether the times are good, bad, or indifferent, God is working for our good. He takes care of us and surrounds us with his love.

We are free to do whatever we need to do to serve him and share his love with those around us. We don't need to waste time worrying about ourselves or what we think is good for us because God will take care of all those details. All we need to do is focus on him and on what we can do to love and serve him. Trusting in this promise, our focus can be on others rather than on our own circumstances.

Relying on this promise, our jobs stop being a never ending effort to make more money and instead become an opportunity to share God's love and serve him by serving others; our bosses, our students, our clients, customers, co-workers, or strangers. Our offerings become less of a bill to be paid and more of an opportunity to give back to God what he has first given us. When we remember that God is working for our good we can relax and let God be God.

It's not an easy step to take. We want to be in control. But letting God have control leads us to new places, new experiences, new joys, and new opportunities. And we can rest assured that it will be good because we have that promise that in all things God is working for our good. There will be bumps. There will be rainy days and sometimes horrible storms. But God is still there with us and he is still working for our good.

Graduation

Originally written May 2005 for First Lutheran Church, Morris, MN - "First Things"

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you have learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Graduation is upon us! As I prepare to see my first son graduate it is a frightening thought. When he started kindergarten (such a short time ago, it seems) someone made the comment, "Ah, he's no longer yours. He belongs to the world now." I thought it was an odd statement considering he was just starting kindergarten - and half days at that! But looking back, I understand the comment. As our children grow, our influence becomes less and less. The world of school, friends, and activities becomes more and more important.

Our relationships with each other change and grow. In August, when I send my son off to college, our relationship will forever change. Yes, he'll return home from time to time but it will not be the same. Changes are already setting in. When Erik bought his first coar and took out his first loan, he asked me, "Mom, did I do the right thing?" I told him that I couldn't answer that anymore. And I can't. The decisions are his to make.

I can give him advice and help him see all sides of an issue. I can be there to listen and be a sounding board. I can be his cheerleader or give him a shoulder to cry on and a warm hug for encouragement. But I can't tell him what to do anymore. That role now belongs solely to God.

For those of us who have grown beyond an age where our earthly parents make decisions for us, God remains our loving parent who provides us with direction. He sends us out into the world with the scriptures as our guide, our brothers and sisters in Christ as our support, and the Holy Spirit to whisper in our ears when we need a friendly word of encouragement. Sometimes the decisions we need to make are clearly right or wrong. Sometimes there isn't a clear right or wrong answer, just one that is more right for us at the time. Those are the times the decision gets difficult. But even at those times, God is with us. He stands by our side, takes our hand when we need it, and slowly and patiently guides us into making a good decision.

Each day we graduate into a new day. Each day God sends us out to love and serve him. Each day we are called to "...continue in what you have learned and firmly believed..."

When I teach the 2nd graders about their new Bibles, I remind them that the Bible is a living book. It is the only book they will ever own which will grow with them.

It is God's living Word, active in our lives. God's Word is new everyday. It is "...inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness..." It is the guidebook we take through our lives as we graduate and go out into the world.

Through the hearing and study of God's Word, and by prayerful consideration, God is able to help us make the decisions we need to make. It is his way of giving us good advice. We may not choose to follow that advice - and that's why we need God's grace - for all the times we choose to ignore God's direction.

God is and always will be our most perfect loving parent. He gives us direction. He encourages us. He stands beside us. He fights for us. When we ignore him, he forgives us and offers us his grace.

Yes, my son does now truly belong to the world - God's world. And if he, and the rest of us, 'continue in what we have learned and firmly believe, knowing from whom we have learned it, and how from childhood we have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct us for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.... we may truly be proficient and equipped for every good work.

Fearfully Happy or Happily Fearful?

"Happy is the one who is never without fear, but one who is hard-hearted will fall into calamity." - Proverbs 28:14

Interesting. As I was flipping through my Bible today trying to come up with something to write about, l ran across this proverb. I read it a few times thinking it was a typo. "Happy is the one who is never without fear." Sounds like a contradiction in terms to me. Whenever I've been afraid, I haven't exactly considered myself happy. In fact, generally, my feelings would be quite the opposite. Fear, anxiety, and sorrow tend to go hand in hand. And I really couldn't figure out what the second half of that proverb had to do with the first, "but one who is hard-hearted will fall into calamity." While I understand and agree with that second part, it just doesn't seem to have any connection with the first part.

Hmmm.... let me think.... When we are afraid, we tend to be in a situation over which we have very little - if any - control. That's what makes us afraid in the first place, the fact that something is happening over which we have no control. Whether it's a test we feel we may fail or fear of losing someone dear to us or what we can't see in the dark... it's something that is now out of our hands. Considering the things that make us afraid, why would anyone who is never without fear be happy? And what does being hard-hearted have to do with not being afraid?

Well, I think the answer to those questions may lie in 2 Corinthians, where Paul writes, "but (God) said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.' So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9b-10)

Weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, calamities... these are certainly things that would produce fear. When we are afraid and we feel we have no control over the situation, all we can do is turn to Christ. In turning to him, he gives us the strength to face our fears and whatever the outcome of the situation may be. In that way we have happiness, for our fear draws us closer to God. When we are unafraid, feeling that we can do anything and all things by ourselves, then we become hard-hearted. We stop seeing the dangers (and blessings) around us because we mistakenly believe we can do it all on our own - that we are invincible. We stop depending on God and calamity awaits us because we become blinded by our own 'brilliance' rather than having our path illuminated by the light of Christ.

If we are never without fear, we are never without the realization that we depend upon God. In acknowledging our dependence on God, we find happiness and peace. It becomes a circle. Perhaps what the teacher is trying to tell us in this proverb is that happy is the one who is never without fear, who never depends solely on their own abilities but rather depends upon a God who is with us in our fear and in our joy; a God who gives us strength and will carry us through all the weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities we might face.

May God be with us and may we be happy in our fears.

Lamps on a Lampstand

Originally written for First Lutheran Church, Morris, Minnesota - August 2004 newsletter

The week of July 12-16, 2004, twenty-three junior high youth and a varying number of adults spent five days on a camping trip near Duluth, Minnesota. It was a good time. No one fell out of the raft when we went whitewater rafting, no one got hurt, no one got lost, and I believe everyone had fun. In other words, it was a successful trip.

The Bible study theme for the week was taken from Matthew 5:14-16, "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp-stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."

During the week we concentrated on what it means to spread the light of Jesus' love to others. Instead of doing just one service project as we usually did on the Junior High camping trip, we spent three mornings doing a variety of service projects.

On Tuesday morning we helped assemble journals and decorate journal covers at a Crisis Shelter for youth. Wednesday morning we pulled weeds at Jay Cooke State Park. And on Thursday morning we played Bingo with residents of a nursing home on Minnesota Point. Now while none of these sound like earth-shattering, life-changing service events, they were all greatly appreciated by the people for whom we worked.

Our afternoons and evenings were spent having fun and exploring the Duluth area. When the day was done we gathered for Bible study and campfire. On Tuesday evening the Bible study activity involved recognizing someone in the group for something we had seen them do that spread the light of Christ.

Sounds easy, right? But think back on your own day, today. When did you see someone spread the light of Christ? When did you spread the light of Christ?

Just like you, no one else knew I was going to spring that question on them. It had even slipped my mind until I took a quick look at my lesson plans for that night. But I was lucky. While we were out walking in Duluth that day, a little boy riding his bike, lost the chain on his bike and one of our youth stopped to help him fix it.

At campfire that night, this was the youth I first mentioned. I announced that this young man had been caught doing something good. He froze and this puzzled look came over his face when I mentioned his name. He wondered "What? What did I do?" Even when I reminded him of his good deed, the young man in our group looked like, "yeah, so what's the big deal?"

True, it wasn't any earth-shattering, lightening bolt experience. Chances are good that Jesus' name never even came up in the conversation they had. But the light of Christ was spread all the same.

As we went around the circle that night, everyone had the opportunity to tell someone else how they had seen that person spread the light of Christ. Again, there were no big lightening bolt actions mentioned; it was a glass of water given, a smile, a listening ear, a candy bar shared, an invitation to go on the trip - all little things that had made a big difference to someone.

Each time the person and the deed were mentioned, the person receiving the recognition barely remembered the incident because what they had done was such a natural thing to do. Their actions were a part of who they were; lamps on a lamp stand.

A lamp is something steady and consistent. It gives a light that can be depended upon. If it is a good lamp, the flame does not waver but gives a clear, true light. We are called to be that lamp. We are called to let the light of Christ shine through us - a steady and consistent light; a clear true light that does not waver. We are called to do good deeds not to seek recognition or praise but because it's the thing to do.

In this, the light and love of Christ is spread. When the young man in our group stopped to fix the little boy's bike, he didn't do it because he was told to do it or because he expected to be recognized for this achievement (and he certainly didn't expect to end up in a devotion); he did it because it was the thing to do. I'm not sure the little boy even asked for help or said, 'Thank you'. But the young man in our group helped because he knew the boy needed his help and he had the ability to do the job.

God has given all of us the abilities to do what needs to be done. Martin Luther once said that we should do every job, every task, as if we were doing it for Jesus. Then, whether we are washing dishes, mowing the lawn, working at our jobs, or even fixing a little boy's bike, our everyday tasks become earth-shattering, potentially life changing experiences.

If we do our tasks and live our lives as a service for Jesus, then the light and love of Christ is spread. We become an example of what it means to be a Christian. We become that city on a hill; that lamp on a lamp-stand. May we all let Christ's light shine before others, so that they may see our good works and give glory to our Father in heaven.

VIS or JPJ?

When Jesus heard this he replied, "There is one thing lacking. Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor." - Luke 18:22



When I was working in youth and family ministry full time, my office would often resemble a storage closet more than an office. From my experience - youth directors, principals, and preschool directors have the same problem - given enough time, their offices become storage places for everything imaginable.


Now granted, it is often very important stuff - curriculum, VBS supplies, recreational supplies, art supplies, handbooks, policies, regulations..... You get the idea.


Before I moved from Minnesota to California, I had an office, a house, and a two-car garage filled with stuff - and I could probably make a good case for most of it being important. Of course some of that stuff had been untouched in boxes in the garage for 10 years. And some of it had been in boxes somewhere for even longer than that - all of it VIS (Very Important Stuff).


When it came time to move to California, I had to weed through all of that VIS and like it or not, 90% of it had to be downgraded to GWS/SAS (Goodwill Stuff/Salvation Army Stuff), and JPJ (Just Plain Junk) that was pitched into a large trash bin.


Much as I didn't want to get rid of all that VIS, I had to find a new home for it. It was bogging me down and certainly could not have been shipped 2000 miles to California. Like the rich young ruler, I had to get rid of the stuff that was bogging me down before I could answer God's call to move.


My guess is that we all have areas in our home that are filled with VIS which someday someone will have to sort through and decide which is really VIS and which is JPJ before we can move on with our lives and answer God's call to go and do.


So why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we collect and collect and collect? I'm not just talking about the stuff that collects in our closets. We also tend to collect grudges, hurts, crammed schedules and other burdens that bog us down and keep us from answering God's call. To top it all off, as far as God is concerned, anything that keeps us from answering his call is JPJ - Just Plain Junk. - suitable for the trash heap.


Daily we are called to follow. Daily we are called to sort through the stuff in our lives and dump everything that is holding us back. Daily Jesus calls us to "sell all that you have..." and follow him with nothing but the faith which he gives us. Will we follow? Or will we be like the rich young ruler who went away sad because he didn't see his VIS as JPJ?

Smudges

"Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return"

As I write this it is the afternoon of Ash Wednesday. As usual, I attended the noon Ash Wednesday service and then went to lunch and sort of forgot about the cross smudge on my forehead. As I was standing in line at the McDonald's, the worker behind the counter - trying to be helpful - pointed out the smudge of ash on my forehead and offered me a napkin with which to wipe it off.

While I couldn't see the smudge, I can still feel its presence. What does this smudge mean, after all? When the pastor placed it on my head he said the old familiar words, "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return." Pretty humbling thought - we are dust and to dust we shall return. In other words, we are really pretty worthless. We live, we die, and - with the rare exception - in a thousand years, only a few will remember we lived at all.

But the smudge on our forehead is more than a smudge. It isn't just a non-descript smudge of dirt. It's a cross in the same spot where many years ago another pastor placed a similar cross - a cross of water - at our baptism. Those crosses - one a reminder of our mortality and the other a cross of life - both remind us that someone died for us. Someone - Jesus Christ - gave his life for me, for you, for everyone on this planet. That act, that saving act, is what gives each of us value and worth. You could say it's "value added".

That's a value no one can take away from us. It was given to us as a free gift; a very expensive free gift in that it cost Jesus Christ his life. We wear that cross daily. As the hymn says, "All newborn soldiers of the crucified / bear on their brows the seal of him who died." (Lift High the Cross) Whether or not I see the cross on my brow - it is there. It has marked me as a Christian for all of my life just as it has marked countless others throughout history. The question is, does it make a difference? Can others see the cross as we live our lives? Or do we live our lives as though it is 'just a smudge' that we wipe away before anyone notices? What will we do today? Will we take the napkin offered by the world or will we leave the smudge for all to see? The choice is yours. Which will you choose?

First Grade

(Originally written for First Lutheran Church, Morris, MN - April 2005)

"But the Lord said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.... for whenever I am weak, then I am strong." - 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10b

In Bible study the other day, the comment was made that sometimes we become so focused on our faults and weaknesses that we cannot see the gifts God has given us. Sound familiar? I know I do it. Looking back on an old placement form I had once completed, the only talent I listed was playing flute. Now granted, I can play the flute, but I can also crochet with about equal ability. Neither talent is something that would make or break my getting a job. I'm just not that good at either of those talents. But I really don't know what I'd list.

Sometimes I think the best part about job hunting is reading the letters of recommendation people have written for me. They see things in me that I don't see.

I know I'm not alone in not seeing my gifts. It's amazing to me how many very talented people we have who deny their gifts. We have learned so well that it's wrong to boast that, too often, we deny our God-given abilities rather than admit we can do something well.

Too often we spend time comparing ourselves to others, and forget that God has given all of us gifts in varying degrees. When we spend time comparing ourselves to others, we turn our focus in on ourselves rather than out on the world which God has given us to nurture.

We also forget that God's grace is there to make up for our lack of ability or when our abilities fall far short of the need. God will always be there to support and strengthen us for the need. We may question our abilites but we still have those abilities. The theologian, pastor and seminary professor, Gerhard Frost writes about a little boy who, "...had a great year in kindergarten, but now the going was hard in first grade. After reflection and brooding he came to his mother with a sad self-assessment and solemn conclusion: 'I don't think I'm really first grade; I'm more kindergarten type' "("The Demon Self-Doubt", Seasons of a Lifetime, p. 34)

God has created us as unique individuals; we are all "first grade" - top of the line. He has given us gifts, though too often we doubt their existence or their worth (and consequently our worth). But the apostle, Paul, reminds us, "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varities of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone." (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)

God is able to use all of our gifts for his glory. As Frost concludes, "... God has loved us into dignity and worth forever." (Ibid., p. 35) We just need to trust that he will use us; and then we need to say "yes" when the call comes.

God's grace is a wondrous thing. He is able to take us where we are and fill in the gaps to get us where he needs us to be. All we need to do is trust him enough to say "yes", do our best, and know that God will make it not just good enough but perfect.

As Paul writes, "(God's) grace is sufficient... for his power is made perfect in weakness..." And the best part is, we don't have to worry about boasting because we know we have only done our best, the difference is done by God. So, like Paul, we may boast in God's goodness and not in our own abilities.

Perhaps whenever we list our talents, the first one we should list is our ability to say "yes" to whatever God asks of us.

May we all see ourselves as God sees us and say "yes" when we are called to serve.