North Star News 12/29/2011

As we come to the end of the calendar year, it is time for some retrospectives. Newspapers and magazines are producing accounts of the major events of the last year along with lists of top news stories, personalities, and trends as well as events of 2011. Others write humorous articles about the great collapses of 2011: Herman Caine, the Minnesota Vikings, that Kardashian marriage. Recalling predictions made at the end of 2010, it is easy to poke fun at the prognosticators. The future is impossible to predict.

When the year Jesus was born came to an end, his mother Mary thought about all the remarkable things that had taken place over the past twelve months. Luke 2:19 says that Mary “kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” She remembered back in March when the angel Gabriel startled her with his unannounced visit and his astonishing statement that she would conceive and bear a son whose name would be Jesus. She remembered the warm embrace of her kinswoman Elizabeth whose child leaped for joy within her when Mary approached bearing the Christ child within her own body. Those three happy months in the hill country of Judah went by all too quickly. Then it was time to face reality. She remembered the unexpected kindness of Joseph who did not call off their engagement when she told him she was “with child,” but he said that an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream to tell him of the messianic fulfillment this child would bring. There was the long arduous trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem in her ninth month which they made safely despite the dangers. And finally, in the City of David, filled with strangers, the kindly old innkeeper found them a warm and cozy stable for the night when the birth took place.

When the year began, Mary thought it would be an ordinary year with an ordinary wedding for an ordinary girl. But when she looked back, there were twists and turns she never imagined would take place. At every point where there was danger or fear, the Lord provided for her and Joseph and the precious child growing within her. Perhaps in moments of quiet reflection she recalled Psalm 23 which says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want….though I walk through the valley….I will fear no evil for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

For many of us 2011 has brought some real surprises and maybe even brought us to a place we don’t want to be. But in the year 2011, just like in the year 1, the Lord has been there to guide, direct, comfort, and inspire. The well known poem “Footprints in the Sand” by Mary Stevenson speaks to the truth that in the most difficult and dangerous moments of life, the Lord is the one quietly holding up his people. The closing line of the poem, when the Lord explains why there is only one set of footprints in the sand at certain times, says that “is when I carried you.”

He who carried us through all the ups and downs of 2011 will surely carry us through whatever 2012 may bring. As the angel Gabriel said to Mary, and again to the shepherds on the hillside, “Fear not!”

North Star News 12/22/2011

Before the English popularized the practice of singing Christmas carols, before Martin Luther wrote “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come,” even before St. Francis created the first crèche, the Church celebrated the story of the incarnation of the savior in chant. One of those ancient chants was written in Latin by Aurelius Prudentius around the year 405 and begins “Of the Father’s love begotten, ere the worlds began to be” and continues on to tell the story and sing the praises of Jesus Christ in a hauntingly beautiful melody. Although it is not the sort of music easy to sing while Christmas caroling, this chant is still heard in concert halls and churches and on the radio at this time of year.

The birth of any child is a story of love. There is the love of a man and a woman that began the process that led to the birth. There is the story of the intense bond between a mother and her child, a love quite unlike any other. But the birth of Jesus is a unique love story. It is the story of a God who loves people like you and me despite our many flaws and imperfections and, at times, our open rebellion against the God who created us. The Gospel according to St. John does not contain the story of the birth of Jesus but it does contain the verse that most perfectly summarizes what the stories about Jesus’ birth in Matthew and Luke mean: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Christmas is the time to revel in the love of God, a love that is wholly undeserved which makes it all the more precious.

People in love love to give gifts. Many people this year have searched for just the right gift to put under the tree to show just how much they love the recipient of the gift. A young man shows his love for his bride-to-be with the gift of an engagement ring, which, in turn, is a sign of an even greater gift, the pledge of lifelong love and faithfulness which is made on their wedding day. The gift of Jesus, born in Bethlehem, is both the sign and the reality of God’s love. In 1st John 4:9 it says, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.” The song of the angels, the chatter of the shepherds, and the reverence of the wise men are all in response to what God did to show his great love, as are the carols sung in Christian churches late on the night of December 24 or early on the morning of December 25 each year.

There is another Christmas hymn not sung so often and no longer in very many hymnals that was written by Christina Rossetti in the 19th century. It is simple and elegant and gets to the point of Christmas:
Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign.

North Star News 12/15/2011

“Merry Christmas” is the greeting of the season. Through much of the year people say “have a good day” or “enjoy your weekend” but this month it’s “Merry Christmas” or some variation of it. Everybody wants to have a happy holiday. More than just wishing for it, most people are actively working for it by buying presents, sing songs, and planning meals. As the song sung by Andy Williams says,
“It's the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you "Be of good cheer"
It's the most wonderful time of the year
It's the hap-happiest season of all.”

But this most wonderful time of the year will come to an end. Those who drive around on December 26th will see Christmas trees stripped bear and set outside. If not that day, then soon after, decorations will come down and be put away to sit in a dark attic or basement until next year. And what of that holiday cheer? Will it also disappear from view along with all the Christmas decorations?

If the joy of the season is based on well lubricated parties, once-a-year family gatherings, and the mound of presents under the tree, then yes, the joy of the season will disappear with the decorations. But if the joy of the season comes from God’s gift of a savior in the person of the babe of Bethlehem, then no, joy will not come to an end in the long slog through the cold days of January. Jesus was born to bring joy to every season of the year through his gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation which are granted to all who believe in him.

In John 15:11 Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” In John 16:22 he said, “….I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” And in John 17:13 he prayed for his disciples, “But I am coming to you [Father], and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.”

Jesus came into the world to bring joy to all people, just as the angel said when he announced to the shepherds, “Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be to all people.” Jesus comes into human hearts through faith to bring a joy that does not fluctuate with the seasons or with the contingencies of life because through it all, the one called “Emmanuel” really is “God with us.” For that reason, St. Paul wrote in Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I will say, rejoice. Let everyone know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand!”

May these busy days of December be filled with the joy of the season, but even more important, may all the days of every season be filled with the joy of knowing Jesus Christ as savior and lord.

North Star News 12/08/2011

“What do you want for Christmas?” is the question being asked in many homes at this time of year. Beyond the gifts that fit under the Christmas tree, one of the great gifts of Christmas is peace.

Among the prophecies of the coming of the Messiah is this one from Isaiah 9:2 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end…..”

This prophecy has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the child who was born in Bethlehem to be the savior of the world. His mission in the world was to bring peace with God to people who have been alienated from God by their sins. Since “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) that includes all the people of the world, every last one of the 7 billion people who currently inhabit this planet, including you and me. Through faith in Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice on the cross, sinners are forgiven and find true peace. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 2:14 says, “He [Jesus] is our peace….” And Jesus himself said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” The gift of peace is given by God and received through faith in Jesus Christ, who is aptly called the Prince of Peace.

But the prophecy of Isaiah 9:2 has not been fulfilled yet in terms of conventional world peace. When Jesus was born the world was experiencing the Pax Romana engineered by Caesar Augustus and his successors which meant that there were only minor wars and insurrections going on in the Mediterranean world for about a hundred years. But this was just a pause in the vast sweep of history where wars and rumors of wars have been constant. 2011 is no different from other years. War planes and drones fly as men hatch plans for violence in many corners of the world. Those who have put their faith in the Prince of Peace are called to work for “peace, goodwill toward men” in every season of the year. Romans 14:19 says, “Let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” And Hebrews 12:14 says, “Strive for peace with all men….” This means trying to encourage reconciliation between people coming to your home for Christmas dinner, on the one hand, and trying to influence the government toward a peaceful resolution of world conflicts, on the other.

As we move through this month of buying gifts and giving presents, may you receive the greatest gift of all, “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” and may you give the gift of working for peace as you remember the beatitude, “Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

Newsletter December 2011

On All Saints’ Sunday, November 6, I was sitting in a pew at a church in Minneapolis singing “For all the saints who from their labors rest” when I was overwhelmed with powerful memories of my father, who died in 1998. For the first 18 years of my life he and the rest of my family worshiped together Sunday after Sunday. But now he is a part of the family of God that is in heaven. Nobody called him a saint while he lived – or a great sinner either, for that matter – but he was on my mind that All Saints’ Sunday.

As I looked down the pew there were my wife, my daughter, and my sister beside me, while the boys in the family were elsewhere, one at Eidsvold in Halma and the other on business in Kansas City. And I felt again that powerful sense of family that I first experienced as the eldest of five children who filled an entire pew on Sunday morning. It is one of the great joys of my life to worship together with my family. Even though I know that as one of the ordained, my proper place is in the pulpit on Sunday morning, I still feel get a special feeling when I am in the pew with my family. Maybe because it is a rare event it is all the more special for me.

A frail elderly woman came to sit on the outside end of the pew in front of us. Right behind her came an usher with a cushion for the pew bench and another cushion for the pew back. She sat when the rest of us stood to sing, and the pastor came down to her pew to give her communion. I have no idea who this woman is, but I was touched by the extra care and consideration that was extended to her by the regulars in the congregation. They clearly know her well. Then I started to think that she, too, is a part of the family, the family of God, that is. She is precious in his sight, frail as she is.

A mother, daughter, and two grandchildren came to sit two pews ahead of us. The granddaughter was about 6 or 7 and settled in. You could tell she worshipped here often. But the grandson, who was maybe 2 years old, kept his mother and grandmother busy through most of the service. It started with the organ prelude when he stood in the pew, looked back at the balcony where the organ is, pointed, and said in his loudest voice “Papa! Papa!” I thought his father was in the choir, but my wife, who remembers people so much better than I, said “no, his grandfather is the organist.” The little boy repeated this several times and was as full of action as a two year old boy should be, until he fell asleep toward the end the service. I watched this rambunctious child and his family struggle to keep up with him, and I thought that he, too, is a part of the family, the family of God, that is, and belongs right here with all his uninhibited behavior as much I do. He is precious in God’s sight, young as he is.

In Mark 3:31 it says that Jesus was teaching in a crowded house when his mother and his brothers (or cousins, depending on your translation) were outside asking for him. Jesus replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And then he looked around at the people listening to him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother.” In this passage Jesus is not denigrating his relationship with his relatives nor is he abrogating the fourth commandment, “Honor your father and your mother…..” But he is pointing to the reality of a great family of God that is more important than any ties of blood, clan, race, or nationality.

This last Thanksgiving we heard in the media a great deal about how Thanksgiving is a time for family. We will hear it all again at Christmas. Gather in the clan! But Christmas, which centers on the Holy Family, is about looking beyond relatives and friends to all the children of God (John 1:12)

Earlier this fall there was a letter to the advice columnist in the newspaper from a woman complaining that her nieces were bringing their boyfriends to Thanksgiving dinner. They’re not family yet, she complained. Thanksgiving week the columnists printed several responses she received to that letter, and one of the best was this. A woman wrote that everyone is welcome at her Thanksgiving table. And then she said that one year she sent her husband out for more milk on Thanksgiving morning and he came back with a carton of milk and four young soldiers he met at the convenience store who were buying hot dogs because they were far from their relatives for the holiday. The woman said it was the best Thanksgiving dinner they ever had, even though she had to stretch the food a bit.

Isn’t that in the spirit of Christ and his family?