Crazy Love

It's something the world doesn't quite get, and furthermore it is something I don't quite get.  But that stuff Jesus talked about, be in the world but not of it? Yeah, that.  How does THAT work?  

Being in the world but not of it makes for some interesting issues.  You're essentially a counter culture type without being a "culture warrior" cat whose sole goal in life is to make sure everyones doing the right thing.  No no, being counter culture is literally about the world looking at you, scratching its head, and saying, "What the heck is that?"  Yet, it isn't a repulsive "what the heck is that?"  It's an attractive and mysterious "what the heck is that?" 

It's a beautiful and mysterious thing that has been lost in todays church.  The earliest Christians were an absolute puzzle to Roman authorities because of their loving and caring behavior.  Whether it was their joy in being fed to lions at Roman Circuses or the way Christians pooled resources together to make sure one of their own would not go without an essential, it completely miffed Roman officials.  In an age where many people disavow religion, Church, and  Christianity it is important to reflect the Spirit's love that transforms hearts and minds and not give a bastardized version of the thing that has been running around under the moniker of "evangelical" in recent decades.  

The facts are this: people are NOT going to church and there is a generation coming up that will never have even stepped inside a church.  Are we to be alarmed?  Should this scare us?  NO!  It should invigorate us that we get to share God's LOVE with people who have otherwise never heard it or have become so disillusioned by it.  It is about showing a crazy love that will stop the world right in its tracks to question, "What the heck is that?"  

Don't worry though, just as Jesus said the world will continue to hate you.  But not because you're a law banger, because you accurately reflect what it means to be a follower of The Way.  Part of the world will hate you when even after you've been feeding the hungry and dressing the homeless you call them to repentance.  And the other part will hate you when even though you call sinners to repentance you refuse to elevate homosexuality and abortion to levels of utmost important sins that need our every ounce of strength in the "Culture War."  News flash:  There's been a culture war going on for quite some time now.  It's a war that deals with the reality that brothers and sisters lay in their own filth day after day without real help and friendship.  It's a war that has people wallowing in their own sins and choosing the path of destruction instead of yearning for the Light.  It's a war alright, and all the distractions the Slanderer throws our way work.  Be it becoming obsessed with a particular sin or thinking everything is A-Ok.  

Crazy love will make the world stop and think.  Because only a crazy love can call sinners to repentance and offer the joyous gift of salvation won by the One called Jesus on that lonely tree on Mount Calvary.  Crazy love is Jesus telling a thief he will be with him in paradise, because the thief recognized his sin and his need for a savior.  It's that crazy love that will transform this world and many of those in it.  Political grandstanding on either side will do no good.  It's that crazy love that only empowers us because Jesus took a grand stand at Golgotha.  

All of creation groans, are you ready?

Were You There?

Were You There

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?

Sang this hymn in Lenten worship tonight at church, figured I'd share it here.  Youtube it to feel the power of the song!

My evangelical catholicity (small c)

Some have inquired on my Facebook page regarding my religious views where they state quite simply, "evangelical catholic."  My Lutheran friends seem to be confused by this as though I have rejected the beautiful doctrine of "Justification through faith alone," or at the very least (or most) they are giving me a good natured ribbing.  I actually suspect it is more of the latter, but because of multiple inquiries I felt I should explain just what I mean by referring to myself as an evangelical catholic.  Allow me then to take you all down the path as to why I consider myself an evangelical catholic.

First and foremost it has nothing to do with rejecting the key tenets of Lutheranism.  For me, to be an evangelical catholic is at the same exact time to be Lutheran.  One minor reason for taking on this name is because Martin Luther himself had no desire for the movement he started to bear his name.  But due to the confusion that occurred with several protestant sects following the 16th century reformation, Luther's followers began to carry the moniker "Lutherans."  It is still an important distinction to make and by way of individually calling myself an evangelical catholic I do not suggest that we go around to every Lutheran Church tearing down the name "Lutheran."  It is still an important name to carry as a way to identify ourselves.  

Also, the term evangelical catholic has little to do with the Roman Catholic Church.  In the title, and in my subsequent writing, I purposely use catholic in a "small c" fashion as not to identify myself with the Roman Catholic Church.  Small c catholic comes from the ancient Greek which means "universal."  There is an "Evangelical Catholic" movement in the Roman Church as well, as a way to be more evangelical in their witness to their faith within the Catholic (large C, but looking to capture small c) tradition.  The movement "evangelical catholic" in the Lutheran Church is wrapped up in the theme of the reformation.

Lutherans can and will be lumped into the grand category of "protestants" (note "protest") of those who came forth from the reformation, but Lutherans can not and should not ever be categorized as "reformed."  The reformed movement of the calvinists and subsequent groups is different from the Lutheran Church.  And thus also Lutherans should never be seen as a group of Christians who are arminian (to learn more about these terms do a simple google search!).  Lutherans, by nature, are sinful and unclean (ha ha), no but really, we are catholic in the sense of the small c and being universal.  We can call ourselves catholic because as the confessions state, "in doctrine and ceremonies nothing has been received on our part against Scripture or the Catholic Church." This is to mean that we did not seek to separate ourselves from Rome but looked to reform Rome from within.  Rome gave us the boot, and here we are.  So with us we took the very pure and scriptural practices of church tradition and thereby the church catholic (small c).  In addition to that the confessions cite how the reformers (not the reformeD) were accused of abolishing the Mass, to this they replied, "Falsely are our churches accused of abolishing the Mass; for the Mass is retained among us, and celebrated with the highest reverence."  You can read all of this fun stuff here at the Book of Concord online.  

We believe in confession/absolution, the office of the keys, that Baptism brings regeneration, and that Christ is truly present in with and under the bread and the wine.  Where Lutherans have tripped up is on the evangelical end.  In America when one hears the word "evangelical" they likely cringe or reach for a vomit bag.  So called evangelicals have done immense damage to the image of Christianity, but the good news is the same community is reacting against itself now and is looking to rectify their past mistakes by replacing them with more catholic (small c) practices that look and sound awfully Lutheran (go figure).  The book unChristian is actually a book that with its theological concepts sounds very much Lutheran.  And I have had that confirmed by the author whose father once studied to be an LCMS Pastor and whose grandparents were life long members of the LCMS.  

Lutherans have long had an issue with being the one bringing the Good News or the evangel to the world.  The word evangelical comes from the Greek word Euangellion, which means Good News or Gospel.  We are to be the ones bearing the Gospel and we have not done a stellar job by any means.  So to be an "evangelical catholic" means to capture the idea that we remain true to catholic church traditions developed because of scripture and the early church (hence the divine service or the Mass as we see it, and the practices and doctrines that come with it) but at the same time being evangelical in our approach that we engage the world with the Gospel of Hope that transforms.  It is in this approach that I carry myself and it is the very reason why I identify myself as an "evangelical catholic (small c)."  

Too much information?  Perhaps.  But I had a few minutes to kill before class and wanted to address this.  Please comment or contact me for further information if need be!!

Out of the darkness and into the Light

The dark night of the soul or La noche oscura del alma is a concept developed by Spanish Roman Catholic mystic Saint John of the Cross.  It references a time in a religious persons life where there is considerable doubt, loneliness and desolation.  It is bleak, it is dark, it is scary.  For most people it lasts a long time, for example: Saint Paul of the Cross lasted 45 years in the 18th century, but he reportedly recovered.  The most notable person to have suffered with it was Mother Theresa, lasting from 1948 to nearly her death in 1997.  Scary!  

This is something most Christians go through and will go through.  For the vast majority it will not last 5 decades, it could be weeks, it could be months, it could be a few years.  But ultimately Christians get to rest in the comfort of knowing that even in their darkest periods the Light of Christ shines brighter and burns longer than the duration of time spent in the darkness.  It is no secret that Satan seeks to reek havoc upon God's people.  So whether you're a Mother Theresa or a Joe Nobody in the local town congregation Satan is out to get you.  "Oh but that sounds so middle ages and nonsensical, how could you believe in such a bogey man?"  Call me old fashioned, but I take scripture serious.  And in scripture it says our battle is not with humans but with spirits, it is a spiritual warfare (Romans 7, Galatians 5, Ephesians 6).

Satan is still prowling around like a lion looking to devour and on the one hand this terrifies us. But we should know and we should rejoice that those who belong to Christ Jesus in their baptism have no need for worrying about Satan because he is rendered powerless in the face off the cross.  The cross is what defeats Satan, and the cross is what has defeated sin, death, and the devil.  Come out of the darkness and into the Light where Jesus our Savior is waiting.  That is the Christian message, that His light shine on throughout, even in the darkest of moments that we may encounter.  

Lead Me To The Cross

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Lenten Season.  What I really enjoy about today are the worship opportunities available to go and be humbled with other people of God.  Lent is all about humbling.  Lent is about realizing other people come before you.  Lent is about understanding that the poor will be rich and the last will be first.  

Repentance is a beautiful and wonderful thing.  I say that like that because I feel as though repentance has been misunderstood or gets a bad rap.  The Greek word for repentance is "metanoia."  It means to "have a change of heart, turning from one's sins, to change one's ways."

It is about humbling yourself before a God who sent His only Son on His own Lenten journey. We are human, admitting we have faults is a no brainer and it is therapeutic, because following repentance is the glorious proclamation of the forgiveness of sins.  THAT never gets old, it only gets sweeter and sweeter each time it is proclaimed.  Follow Jesus to Jerusalem this Lent.

Readings:

Jonah 3:1-4:11

Hebrews 12:1-14

Luke 18:9-14

"Be still and know..."

Psalm 46:

¹ God is our refuge and strength, 
       an ever-present help in trouble.

 ² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way 
       and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

 ³ though its waters roar and foam 
       and the mountains quake with their surging. 
       Selah

 ⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, 
       the holy place where the Most High dwells.

 ⁵ God is within her, she will not fall; 
       God will help her at break of day.

 ⁶ Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; 
       he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

 ⁷ The LORD Almighty is with us; 
       the God of Jacob is our fortress. 
       Selah

 ⁸ Come and see the works of the LORD, 
       the desolations he has brought on the earth.

 ⁹ He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; 
       he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, 
       he burns the shields with fire.

 ¹⁰ "Be still, and know that I am God; 
       I will be exalted among the nations, 
       I will be exalted in the earth."

 ¹¹ The LORD Almighty is with us; 
       the God of Jacob is our fortress. 
       Selah

What is your identity?

Romans 6: ¹What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? ²By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? ³Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

 ⁵For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷For one who has died has been set free from sin. ⁸Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. ¹⁰For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. ¹¹So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

 ¹²Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.¹³ Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. ¹⁴For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Our identity, as baptized Christians, is intrinsically bound up in Jesus.  St. Paul outlines pretty clearly what happens when one is baptized.  They are tied into the death and resurrection of Christ.  A tough concept to gather without question, although Luther's Small and Large Catechisms do a pretty good job.  It is a concept that is foreign to a world that is all about building up the self.  It is also a foreign concept to American Christianity and religious thought that has us gaining our way in.  Some would even mistakenly interpret the Apostle's words to mean that our sin no longer exists as that, sin.  Grace can never abound by sin, because that would be a way to earn our way, so to speak.  Nor can grace ever abound because we are "good" or have earned favor in God's eyes for our works.  Grace can and will always abound because of the One who earned it Himself, Jesus Christ.  

In the darkest moments of our lives, for whatever reason we are there, there is no more comforting a concept then that no matter how wretched I am when God looks at me He does not see my sin but He sees Christ's righteousness.  Martin Luther has a great quote that brings light to all this and really speaks to the power of what God accomplished on the cross through the Son.  Luther said, "So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this: "I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is there I shall be also!"

Where Christ is, there we shall be also.  This does not mean, as St. Paul writes, that we sin so that grace my abound but that in our struggles and our toils and our hardships we rejoice ever more knowing that Satan has no power over us.  Sin and death are things of non consequence because Jesus has conquered them.  And in our baptismal identity we are right there with Him.  The more alone you feel the more you should know that God is there.  Jesus Christ made satisfaction on our behalf and no matter how ugly we perceive ourselves to be when God looks at us He sees nothing but pure beauty because we belong to Christ.  

To a broken world of hopelessness and despair there is no greater hope to bring to them.  It is a hope that goes above and beyond political mantras of hope and extends itself to offer a real answer to fallen humanity.  Life may be tough and cruel but God did not just fix things and leave the arena.  He remains with us the entire way.  That is a message that will ring true forever, and it is certainly a message the broken hearted yearn to hear.