In a few days February will come to an end. Although those who are eagerly waiting for the end of winter and the first signs of spring may feel that February drags on, it is the shortest month of the year, 28 days long most years with one added day every four years. In real time it flies by faster than any other month of the year.
The perception of time is sometimes different from the reality of time. A child waiting for Christmas to come thinks the days pass by very slowly, but a youngster facing a big final exam for which he is not prepared thinks the days go by much too fast. It is a common observation that the years go by faster the older a person gets. Tempus Fugit. The Bible teaches in many places that a human lifespan goes by quickly. Psalm 90:10 says “The years of our life are threescore and ten, or even by reason of strength fourscore; yet….they are soon gone, and we fly away.” James 4:14 says “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” Psalm 90 continues with the prayer “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”
A heart of wisdom is one that does not fret about the shortness of human life but values each day as it comes. A good verse with which to begin the day is Psalm 118:24 “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Carpe Diem. The day may be one that seems like any other ordinary day, perhaps a dull grey day in November, for instance. But it is still a day the Lord has made for his people to fill with good things. Lawrence Welk used to close his television program with the cheerful admonition to “keep a song in your heart.” His program had a long run on TV, but even that had to come to an end eventually – except for repeats on public TV which will probably go on forever in his native North Dakota. More seriously, Ephesians 5:16 says to “make the most of the time…..addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart….”
If God is on his throne, if Jesus has made atonement for the sins of the world, and if the Spirit of God is moving among his people, then this is a good day. In fact, God is on his throne. Jesus did die for the sins of the world and rise again on the third day. The Spirit continues to proceed from the Father and the Son. No matter what challenges, hurts, or losses this day may bring there is still something for which to give thanks this day. Deo Gratias.
And when that last day of life comes, believers in Christ have the promise of an eternity of joy ahead of them. As it says in 2nd Corinthians 4:17 “this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” And so, no matter how long life on this earth may last, it is just a short prelude to eternal life in heaven where joy will never end. So enjoy today with the confidence that the best is yet to be.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
North Star News 02/17/2011
Monday is Presidents Day on the national calendar. It was established on the third Monday of February as a way to combine the observance of Washington’s birthday (Feb. 22) and Lincoln’s birthday (Feb. 12) and give people a three day weekend, but in many quarters it has evolved into a time to honor all the past presidents, not just the Father of Our Country and the Great Emancipator.
In reviewing the list of the 44 men who have held the office of president of the United States it is quite clear that things are not always what they seemed to be on the surface. While in office Presidents Eisenhower and Reagan were thought by many to be rather removed from the details of the office, preferring time on the golf course and at the ranch respectively. But later examination of the records of the White House showed that both men were fully engaged and powerfully directing the affairs of their administrations. One of President Kennedy’s favorite words was “vigor,” and he projected a public image of an athletic vigorous young president, but after his death it was revealed that he had several health problems that were being treated secretly and would have become quite apparent if he had lived longer. Some failed one term presidents (Taft, Hoover, Carter) have redeemed themselves with successful public service after living in the White House.
When the prophet Samuel was sent to Bethlehem to anoint a new king for Israel, he found a man named Jesse who had eight sons, all of whom were strong likeable young men. As Samuel was trying to discern which of them the Lord wanted him to anoint as king the Lord said to him, “the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1st Samuel 16:7) And so Samuel was directed to the youngest son whom Jesse had not even thought to bring before Samuel. His name was David, and he was “ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome” (1st Samuel 16:12). Samuel would not have chosen him, but behind the beauty of this youngster was a heart for God and leadership skills that surpassed his elder brothers.
Judging and ranking kings and presidents is a game for historians and pundits. Judging and ranking our neighbors is something that people should try to avoid, not least because the whole story is rarely known. Only the Lord knows the whole story of what is going on in every individual’s life, and only the Lord is capable of judging correctly. He sees right to the heart. Many a man has been critical or even angry with someone only to find out later there was a perfectly reasonably explanation for what he or she did. Things were not what they seemed to be on the surface. Withholding criticism would have been the wiser course, at least until the full story was known.
In John 7:24 Jesus said, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” The Lord knows all the details of every situation and will judge with right judgment. Be grateful that he is full of mercy, compassion, and love. And try to act with mercy, compassion, and love as only bits and pieces of every situation are revealed to us today.
In reviewing the list of the 44 men who have held the office of president of the United States it is quite clear that things are not always what they seemed to be on the surface. While in office Presidents Eisenhower and Reagan were thought by many to be rather removed from the details of the office, preferring time on the golf course and at the ranch respectively. But later examination of the records of the White House showed that both men were fully engaged and powerfully directing the affairs of their administrations. One of President Kennedy’s favorite words was “vigor,” and he projected a public image of an athletic vigorous young president, but after his death it was revealed that he had several health problems that were being treated secretly and would have become quite apparent if he had lived longer. Some failed one term presidents (Taft, Hoover, Carter) have redeemed themselves with successful public service after living in the White House.
When the prophet Samuel was sent to Bethlehem to anoint a new king for Israel, he found a man named Jesse who had eight sons, all of whom were strong likeable young men. As Samuel was trying to discern which of them the Lord wanted him to anoint as king the Lord said to him, “the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1st Samuel 16:7) And so Samuel was directed to the youngest son whom Jesse had not even thought to bring before Samuel. His name was David, and he was “ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome” (1st Samuel 16:12). Samuel would not have chosen him, but behind the beauty of this youngster was a heart for God and leadership skills that surpassed his elder brothers.
Judging and ranking kings and presidents is a game for historians and pundits. Judging and ranking our neighbors is something that people should try to avoid, not least because the whole story is rarely known. Only the Lord knows the whole story of what is going on in every individual’s life, and only the Lord is capable of judging correctly. He sees right to the heart. Many a man has been critical or even angry with someone only to find out later there was a perfectly reasonably explanation for what he or she did. Things were not what they seemed to be on the surface. Withholding criticism would have been the wiser course, at least until the full story was known.
In John 7:24 Jesus said, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” The Lord knows all the details of every situation and will judge with right judgment. Be grateful that he is full of mercy, compassion, and love. And try to act with mercy, compassion, and love as only bits and pieces of every situation are revealed to us today.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
North Star News 02/10/2011
Saturday (February 12) is the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States. Lincoln was a man of contrasts. He did not go to school as child on the frontier but gave the most eloquent speech ever given on American soil, the Gettysburg Address. He was born in a log cabin but today a larger than life statue sits in the Lincoln Memorial like a Greek god. He opposed the Mexican-American War and then presided over the most brutal war in American history. He was elected by only a plurality of the voters but became the most popular president in history. And he was a deeply Biblical man who did not belong to any church.
Lincoln once told his secretary “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for that day.” President Obama quoted this statement at the National Prayer Breakfast last week in Washington, D.C. Like many another president, he knew of what Lincoln was speaking. We may not bear the heavy burden of the president, but we, too, find times when we are driven to prayer because we need a wisdom greater than our own.
In his Second Inaugural Address in 1964 Lincoln spoke of a God of justice righting the scales of injustice. As he prayed for an end to the Civil War he said “Yet, if God will that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsmen’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said, ‘the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.’”
And yet as a man who understood the grand sweep of the whole Bible, he knew that the mercy and grace of God are always greater than the call for vengeance and punishment. It is the blood drawn by the lash upon the back of Another that grants to us the mercy and love of God despite all our sins and failings. God has said, “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” (Matthew 9:13) And so in that spirit, in his final days, Lincoln called for reconciliation in the nation and a gentle reconstruction of the south. In that Second Inaugural Address he also said, “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and for his orphan – to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”
There is no greater call for us than to live today with malice toward none and charity toward all, to bind up the wounds, and do what is right as God gives the wisdom to see the right. Or, as Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)
Lincoln once told his secretary “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for that day.” President Obama quoted this statement at the National Prayer Breakfast last week in Washington, D.C. Like many another president, he knew of what Lincoln was speaking. We may not bear the heavy burden of the president, but we, too, find times when we are driven to prayer because we need a wisdom greater than our own.
In his Second Inaugural Address in 1964 Lincoln spoke of a God of justice righting the scales of injustice. As he prayed for an end to the Civil War he said “Yet, if God will that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsmen’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said, ‘the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.’”
And yet as a man who understood the grand sweep of the whole Bible, he knew that the mercy and grace of God are always greater than the call for vengeance and punishment. It is the blood drawn by the lash upon the back of Another that grants to us the mercy and love of God despite all our sins and failings. God has said, “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” (Matthew 9:13) And so in that spirit, in his final days, Lincoln called for reconciliation in the nation and a gentle reconstruction of the south. In that Second Inaugural Address he also said, “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and for his orphan – to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”
There is no greater call for us than to live today with malice toward none and charity toward all, to bind up the wounds, and do what is right as God gives the wisdom to see the right. Or, as Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)
Thursday, February 3, 2011
North Star News 02/03/2011
On the church’s calendar February 2 is the day of the Presentation of Our Lord. On this day the gospel is read from Luke 2:22-40 which tells of Mary and Joseph presenting Jesus to the Lord exactly forty days after he was born, according to the instructions in Leviticus 12:2-8. February 2 is forty days after December 25. This passage shows us that Mary and Joseph observed all the rules, rites, and rituals of the Jewish religion of their time, and the choice of two young pigeons for the offering shows us they were poor. Jesus grew up in a humble but devout and loving family.
While this young family was at the Temple in Jerusalem that day they met an old man named Simeon who had been led by the Spirit to believe that he would live to see the Lord’s messiah come to earth. On the one day this ordinary young family came to the Temple he sought them out from among the crowds of people, took the infant Jesus in his arms, and said, “Lord, now let your servant depart in peace according to your word. For my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all people: a light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people, Israel.” It was a remarkable and startling event. You might think that Mary and Joseph were starting to get used to things like this ever since Jesus was born and the shepherds appeared at their door with a remarkable story of what had been revealed to them about Jesus. Nevertheless, it says they marveled at what they heard from this sweet old man.
Simeon was just the first of millions who would find peace because they found Jesus. Even as an infant, long before the cross came into view, the presence of Jesus brought peace to an old and weary heart. Some 30+ years later Jesus described his mission in the world by saying, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.” (John 14:27). Again, some 30+ years after that St. Paul wrote, “Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” And now, almost 2,000 years later, those who want peace in their hearts find it when they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as the one who brings them forgiveness of sins through his death on the cross. “He is our peace” as Ephesians 2:14 says.
One of the most beautiful and moving things I have heard lately was a daughter speaking about her final days with her father: “I believe with all my heart that he had found his peace.” We can find our peace today when we come to Jesus in faith. We can pray. We can read the scriptures. We can commune. We can calm our hearts and ask the Lord to fill our souls with his peace. Like Simeon, we can then depart from this troubled world in peace. Or, if it be the Lord’s will, we can live many years with an inner peace that nothing can destroy.
Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. (Philippians 4:7)
While this young family was at the Temple in Jerusalem that day they met an old man named Simeon who had been led by the Spirit to believe that he would live to see the Lord’s messiah come to earth. On the one day this ordinary young family came to the Temple he sought them out from among the crowds of people, took the infant Jesus in his arms, and said, “Lord, now let your servant depart in peace according to your word. For my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all people: a light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people, Israel.” It was a remarkable and startling event. You might think that Mary and Joseph were starting to get used to things like this ever since Jesus was born and the shepherds appeared at their door with a remarkable story of what had been revealed to them about Jesus. Nevertheless, it says they marveled at what they heard from this sweet old man.
Simeon was just the first of millions who would find peace because they found Jesus. Even as an infant, long before the cross came into view, the presence of Jesus brought peace to an old and weary heart. Some 30+ years later Jesus described his mission in the world by saying, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.” (John 14:27). Again, some 30+ years after that St. Paul wrote, “Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” And now, almost 2,000 years later, those who want peace in their hearts find it when they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as the one who brings them forgiveness of sins through his death on the cross. “He is our peace” as Ephesians 2:14 says.
One of the most beautiful and moving things I have heard lately was a daughter speaking about her final days with her father: “I believe with all my heart that he had found his peace.” We can find our peace today when we come to Jesus in faith. We can pray. We can read the scriptures. We can commune. We can calm our hearts and ask the Lord to fill our souls with his peace. Like Simeon, we can then depart from this troubled world in peace. Or, if it be the Lord’s will, we can live many years with an inner peace that nothing can destroy.
Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. (Philippians 4:7)
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Newsletter February 2011
“Our churches also teach that this faith is bound to bring forth good fruits and that it is necessary to do the good works commanded by God. We must do so because it is God’s will and not because we rely on such works to merit justification before God, for forgiveness of sins and justification are apprehended by faith.”
Augsburg Confession Article 6
I have been teaching the parables of Jesus in confirmation recently. The purpose of the parables is to teach the values of the kingdom of God both in what God does and what we are to try to do. It is a delicate balancing act to teach that salvation is a gift received by faith and that God still is looking for us to do the right thing. First and foremost the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith must be preached. But secondly, the desire to do good works must be cultivated. Taken all together, the parables teach both, even if one or another seems to approach a “works righteousness” view of gaining God’s favor.
The main thrust of the parables is generosity. They are beautiful examples of God’s generous dealings with us while, at the same time, teaching us to be generous in the way we deal with one another.
The parables of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37) and of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31) encourage us to be generous with our time, talent, and treasure. In the Good Samaritan parable Jesus praises a man who went far out of his way to help another man who was beaten and robbed on the road to Jericho. The Samaritan did not just help a little; he went above and beyond what anyone would have expected. In the Lazarus parable the rich man apparently ignored the obvious needs of poor Lazarus who was right outside his own gate. The rich man paid a stiff price for his miserliness.
The world believes that “the man who dies with the most toys wins,” to quote a modern, if slightly sarcastic, aphorism. This is nothing new, however. From the fall of Adam right up to the Wall Street collapse, greed has been one of the seven deadly sins with which we all must contend. Jesus taught something generosity. He said, “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35).
When our confirmation class was studying the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man, the example of Andrew Carnegie was used. Carnegie was one of the wealthiest men of the 19th century who gave away most of his wealth before he died. In 1889 he wrote an essay titled “Wealth” in which he said, “The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.” The measure of any human life is not what has been accumulated but what has been given away. Jesus died not owning a single thing, having even his clothes taken by the soldiers and his body placed in a borrowed tomb. He does not expect us to live in abject poverty, but to be generous with what we have. St. Francis and Mother Theresa are inspiring but exceptional cases of extreme generosity. Most of us are called to ordinary generosity.
The parables of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) and of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:23-35) teach us to be generous in forgiving. The prodigal son received the generous forgiveness of his father when he repented of his wayward ways and came home. The older son was implored to be generous in forgiving his younger brother and joining the celebration of his homecoming. The clear intent of the parable is to implore us to be generous in forgiving those who have wandered off and come back.
The folly of the unforgiving servant is shown in the outlandish contrast between the amount he was forgiven by his master and the amount he refused to forgive his fellow servant. St. Paul wrote, “forgive each other just as the Lord has forgiven you,” (Colossians 3:13) and we regularly pray “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Jesus died with these words on his lips: “Father, forgiven them for they know not what they do.” And so we, who have been forgiven so very much, are called to the good work of forgiving those who have hurt us in any way.
Will generosity get us to heaven? Well, yes and no. The generosity of God in giving Jesus to be our Savior will get us there if we put our faith in Jesus Christ. The generosity we practice is simply a feeble response to the great generosity God has shown to us. But still, “such good works are commanded by God.”
Augsburg Confession Article 6
I have been teaching the parables of Jesus in confirmation recently. The purpose of the parables is to teach the values of the kingdom of God both in what God does and what we are to try to do. It is a delicate balancing act to teach that salvation is a gift received by faith and that God still is looking for us to do the right thing. First and foremost the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith must be preached. But secondly, the desire to do good works must be cultivated. Taken all together, the parables teach both, even if one or another seems to approach a “works righteousness” view of gaining God’s favor.
The main thrust of the parables is generosity. They are beautiful examples of God’s generous dealings with us while, at the same time, teaching us to be generous in the way we deal with one another.
The parables of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37) and of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31) encourage us to be generous with our time, talent, and treasure. In the Good Samaritan parable Jesus praises a man who went far out of his way to help another man who was beaten and robbed on the road to Jericho. The Samaritan did not just help a little; he went above and beyond what anyone would have expected. In the Lazarus parable the rich man apparently ignored the obvious needs of poor Lazarus who was right outside his own gate. The rich man paid a stiff price for his miserliness.
The world believes that “the man who dies with the most toys wins,” to quote a modern, if slightly sarcastic, aphorism. This is nothing new, however. From the fall of Adam right up to the Wall Street collapse, greed has been one of the seven deadly sins with which we all must contend. Jesus taught something generosity. He said, “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35).
When our confirmation class was studying the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man, the example of Andrew Carnegie was used. Carnegie was one of the wealthiest men of the 19th century who gave away most of his wealth before he died. In 1889 he wrote an essay titled “Wealth” in which he said, “The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.” The measure of any human life is not what has been accumulated but what has been given away. Jesus died not owning a single thing, having even his clothes taken by the soldiers and his body placed in a borrowed tomb. He does not expect us to live in abject poverty, but to be generous with what we have. St. Francis and Mother Theresa are inspiring but exceptional cases of extreme generosity. Most of us are called to ordinary generosity.
The parables of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) and of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:23-35) teach us to be generous in forgiving. The prodigal son received the generous forgiveness of his father when he repented of his wayward ways and came home. The older son was implored to be generous in forgiving his younger brother and joining the celebration of his homecoming. The clear intent of the parable is to implore us to be generous in forgiving those who have wandered off and come back.
The folly of the unforgiving servant is shown in the outlandish contrast between the amount he was forgiven by his master and the amount he refused to forgive his fellow servant. St. Paul wrote, “forgive each other just as the Lord has forgiven you,” (Colossians 3:13) and we regularly pray “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Jesus died with these words on his lips: “Father, forgiven them for they know not what they do.” And so we, who have been forgiven so very much, are called to the good work of forgiving those who have hurt us in any way.
Will generosity get us to heaven? Well, yes and no. The generosity of God in giving Jesus to be our Savior will get us there if we put our faith in Jesus Christ. The generosity we practice is simply a feeble response to the great generosity God has shown to us. But still, “such good works are commanded by God.”
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