North Star News 06-26-2014

“God has made everything beautiful in its time.”  Ecclesiastes 3:11

There once was a little girl who climbed up into her grandmother’s lap after a busy day at Vacation Bible School where she had learned about God’s creation of the world and all its creatures.  She asked her grandmother, “did God make me?”  Her grandmother told her that God had, indeed, created her.  The little girl asked, “And did God make you?”  Her grandmother again affirmed that yes, indeed, God had created her.  The little girl looked up at the wrinkles on her grandmother’s face and the grey hair on her head and said, “don’t you think he is doing a better job now than he used to?”  After the laughter, her grandmother gently said, “No, God made everything good and doesn’t need to improve his skills.”

Ecclesiastes 3 begins “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” and then goes on to list 14 couplets beginning with “a time to be born, and a time to die.”  It is soon after this that it says, “God has made everything beautiful in its time.”  There certainly are seasons of life, some of which people embrace with joy and some of which people fear, but all of which are part of God’s great plan.  Our God has created the world so that one generation follows another with each new generation bringing a fresh start to life and a renewal of the earth.   Both the vim and vigor of youth and the quiet dignity of old age are good in their time.  The world needs the brash enthusiasm of the youth who seem to question everything and the wisdom of their elders who have experienced many things and seem so content with the way things are.  The clear skin, 20/20 vision, and bright blonde hair of that little girl are beautiful and so are the smile lines (aka: wrinkles), faded blue eyes, and grey hair of her grandmother.

One of the 14 couplets of Ecclesiastes 3 says there is “a time to keep and a time to cast away.”  The debate about what to keep and what to cast away keeps rolling on through the generations and often pits one generation against another.  Older folks who are downsizing their living arrangements often find it hard to decide what to keep and what to cast away.  Some of us find it hard to throw away those beautiful flowers given by a loved one, but there comes a time to chuck them out because their time of beauty has passed.  Others of us lament the way the world is changing and cling to traditions and customs that out to be left behind as something new unfolds.

The wonder of God’s creation is that every faded flower is followed by a new one of equal beauty.  The tulips of spring are followed by the roses of high summer and then by the mums of autumn.  Even the cold of winter with its snow and ice has a certain kind of beauty.  Psalm 104:30 says, “when you send forth your Spirit, they [all living things] are created, and you renew the face of the earth.”

            God is still renewing his creation as one season follows another, as some flowers fade and others come into bloom, and as babies are born to take the place of the aged ones who soon will be gone to their eternal rest.  When it comes to people, let us all cherish everyone, because each and every one is precious in the sight of the Lord, be they young or old, and all of them are beautiful in their time.

North Star News 06-19-2014

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2^nd Corinthians 13:13)

God the Father reveals himself to us as the creator of all good things in this world.  The Bible begins with the words “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1) and ends with a vision of “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1) which God will create.  Throughout the Bible God the Father is lauded for the wonders of his creation.  Psalm 104:14 says “you cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for people to use, to bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the human heart, oil to make the face shine, and bread to strengthen the human heart.”  And Psalm 8:3 says “when I consider the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in their courses, what is man that you are mindful of him and the son of man that you care for him?”  Jesus himself said in Matthew 6:28 “consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”  On this June day as you see the dew on the flowers in the morning and are awakened by the melody of the songbirds, give thanks to God for his wonderful creation.  Join the creator as he “saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.”  (Genesis 1:31)

God the Son reveals himself to us as the redeemer of the world.  Because of the actions of Adam and Eve and every one of their descendents right down to you and me, the beauty and wonder of God’s creation has been marred by sin and polluted by human action.  But God the Father never stopped loving his creation and his creatures right down to you and me.  As it says in John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”  The plan of salvation was made so simple that even those mired in the deepest sin and guilty of the worst atrocities could be saved with a simple act of faith in the Redeemer of the World.  This is shown most powerfully on Mt. Calvary when a notorious sinner turned to the Savior and said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  To which Jesus replied, “very truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)  Today put your faith and trust in Jesus so that you can hear anew those wonderful words, “take heart, my son, your sins are forgiven.”  (Matthew 9:2)

God the Holy Spirit reveals himself to us as the quiet counselor.  At the end of St. Peter’s Pentecost sermon he told the thousands who heard him and “were cut to the heart” that they should “repent and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  The work of the Holy Spirit had already been announced when Jesus said, “but the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”  On this beautiful day, quiet your heart and open your ears to the Spirit of truth who will guide you into all truth. (John 16:13)

May God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit bless you now and forever.   Amen.  

North Star News 06-12-2014

“In our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.”  Acts 2:11

There were many amazing aspects to the Day of Pentecost as described in Acts 2: the sound of a mighty wind, tongues like fire over each head, the sudden proliferation of languages.  Each one of these is an over-the-top sign of the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit.  But those upon whom the Spirit had come did not talk about themselves as the recipients of this amazing gift on that glorious day.  No, they immediately began to speak about “God’s deeds of power” which were done by the Lord Jesus Christ.  When Peter stood up to speak on behalf of all of them, he started with Jesus, and he ended with Jesus.  He was in tune with Paul who would later say, “For I determined to know nothing among except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”  (1^st Corinthians 2:2)

Although they had just witnessed one of the greatest miracles of all time, Peter gave only a brief explanation of those events and then started the main body of his talk by saying, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs, which God did through him in your midst….” (Acts 2:22)  After recounting Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection he ended with, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:36)  From beginning to end the speech was not about Peter or the other apostles, and not even about the Holy Spirit as such, but about Jesus who lived to proclaim the kingdom of God, who died for our sins, and who was raised to lead us to eternal life.

When people experience a great event in the world of today, they are often asked what it was like for them.  Initially, the focus is all on them, their feelings, their experiences, and their emotions.  But Peter and the other apostles never told us what it was like suddenly to hear the sound of a rushing, even violent, wind or to have fire-like tongues over their heads.  All they wanted to talk about was Jesus, the man who had called them out of the darkness of sin into the light of his grace.  They deflected the attention of the crowds from themselves to Jesus Christ.

Whenever the Holy Spirit is truly present, the focus is on Jesus.  It is the Spirit of Jesus that is the Holy Spirit.  In John 14:26 Jesus said, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”  This is the ongoing work of the Spirit today, to help us remember what Jesus said and teach us how to walk with Christ.  The unregenerate sinner is often focused on himself and, if he is feeling guilty, on his load of sin.  When people are filled with the Spirit of Christ the focus shifts to the Savior himself and his amazing grace and love.

The spectacular events of the Day of Pentecost are past.  But the work of the Spirit is ongoing in leading people to look to Jesus for salvation and peace, to witness to Jesus among those who do not yet know him, and to serve the needs of others in Jesus’ name.  Pray today that the Holy Spirit may lead you to a deeper appreciation of what Jesus has done for you and a greater willingness to speak about “God’s deeds of power.”

North Star News 06-05-2014

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?  This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”  Acts 1:11

These words were spoken by “two men in white robes” who appeared immediately after Jesus ascended into heaven from Mt. Olivet.  Peter, Andrew, James, John, and all the rest of the disciples were quite dumbfounded by what they had just witnessed, and I imagine them standing there wide-eyed with their mouths open.  They wondered what they were supposed to do now that Jesus had ascended to sit at the right hand of God the Father.  After all, they had given their whole lives over to following Jesus, and now that his work on earth was done he had returned to the glory that was rightfully his.  But what about those who were left behind?  What about us today?  Jesus is still in heaven.  We are still on earth.  What now?

When the disciples are asked “why do you stand looking into heaven?” there seems to be the broad hint that there is work to be done.  This is not the time to be standing around simply waiting for something to happen.  It is the time to roll up their sleeves and be about the work of Jesus here and now.  The work of Jesus is to tell the good news of salvation and peace in the name of Christ, to bring comfort and balm to those who are wounded, and to challenge those who don’t see the need for a savior.  Now is not the time for idleness.

In Matthew 20 Jesus told a parable about a householder who went out looking for laborers for his vineyard.  He hired some first thing in the morning, some at 9:00, and a few more at noon.  Then in the afternoon he came across others in the market place and asked “why do you stand idle all day?  You come work in the vineyard, too.”  In terms of the parable, the vineyard is the kingdom of God, the householder is the Lord himself, and the workers are the disciples of Jesus.  And the question the Lord asks is “why do you stand idle all day?”  There is work to be done.

In Matthew 25 Jesus told another parable about the last day when he comes again “in the same way you saw him go into heaven” to quote those two men in white robes.   He describes the scene as being similar to a shepherd separating the sheep from the goats, placing some at his right hand and others at his left.  Those at his right are blessed because they were about the work of the kingdom.  They fed the hungry, clothed the naked, gave water to the thirsty, welcomed the stranger, and visited the sick and imprisoned.  This is the work of the kingdom after preaching the gospel and calling for repentance according to this parable.

As I write this it is Monday morning.  Time for work.  A new batch of teens has graduated from high school.  Time to move on.  The weekend was wonderful.  Time to start the work week.  And Jesus has ascended into heaven.  Time to carry on his ministry.  God’s work; our hands.

Newsletter June 2014

Last month my godson, Benjamin Swanson and his wife who are wrapping up a two year stint with the Peace Corps in Liberia in west Africa, wrote about the first part of a typical Liberian Sunday worship service.  This month he continues the report.  Read their blog and see the pictures at http:// kingswan.wordpress.com.  He wrote this in two posts “Clap for Jesus” and “Wave for Jesus” in February 2014.  Or check my page on our website for last month’s installment.  Now, read on!

                          –Pastor Halverson

Services are often led by an “evangelist.” This is a lay-person with a penchant for crowd-control. He will lead the congregation through the service, introducing songs, readings, announcements, etc. He is also the one who monitors the energy level in the sanctuary. If the energy in the room starts to drop or if the people get too chatty, he will use one of the standard attention-grabbers (responses in italics): “God is good! All the time! And all of the time! God is great!” “Everyone wave to Jesus!” (Congregation waves their arms in air.) “Hello! Hi! Hi! Hello!” And our personal favorite: “Let’s all clap for Jesus!” (Congregation claps vigorously.)

Music is the main focal point of the worship service. Fifty percent or more of the service can be devoted to music. A church usually has two choirs – an English choir and a second “dialect” choir. Our second choir is the Bassa choir. The English choir is accompanied by a western drum set and electronic keyboard. In long choir robes, they dance and sing western-influenced gospel music in two part harmonies, often with a soloist on the microphone. They have a big, soulful sound. The Bassa choir has two traditional drums and a sasa. The sasa is a traditional percussion instrument made from a dried gourd woven inside a net of beads or shells. The Bassa singers, in their commencement-style caps and gowns, sing in the Bassa language. The melodies are complex, with lots of blazing-fast rises and falls. A lead singer calls the words, and the choir and audience call responses. The songs are long – sometimes as long as twenty minutes. Traditional Bassa music seems to be in a minor key, but never sounds somber or dark. Everyone in church, including guests, is encouraged to stand up, clap, and dance to the music. It is a truly joyful scene. (And it requires getting out of one’s conservative shell!)

Prayers in the church are impassioned and prolonged. Early in the service is the Prayer for the People, where parishioners are asked to come forward so the pastor can pray for them. We have been at services in the States where five or ten people will go to the front. In Liberia, five or ten can be the number left in the pews. During the prayer, people can listen to the pastor or put up their own prayer. Worshippers pray out loud, sharing whatever personal and private thing is in their hearts. Ten cathartic minutes later, the prayers subside and people peacefully return to their seats.

The sermon comes at the end of the service. It begins with a question by the Evangelist: “Who brought their weapon?” In enthusiastic response, people wave their bibles in the air. Then the pastor leads off by reading the week’s Bible passage, sometimes calling each verse number as he goes. He then moves on to his message, which can be fire-and-brimstone or funny and anecdotal. Regular themes center around bearing false witness, hypocrisy, and, most frequently, tithing. Key phrases and messages are translated into the local dialect. Audience participation is frequent. When worshippers are moved by the pastor’s message they issue calls of the traditional: “Halleluiah!” the spirited: “Preach it!” or the ironic: “Tell them!” Ushers patrol the sanctuary, waking any sermon snoozers with a quick jab and a sharp word. Small children are expected to be silent when in church, which is amazing considering the sermon’s length. Sermons average forty minutes in length, but can approach ninety. Angie has held other peoples’ babies during the sermon, but the experience is usually short-lived due to the child’s “unacceptable” cooing and giggling.

Oftentimes, at the height of the homily, the pastor comes down from the pulpit and enters the pews. Feeding off the drama and energy, the audience rises to meet him. With flair and style, the pastor delivers his final, punctuated points. At the finale, the sanctuary bursts into applause and jubilant singing. The choirs sing the pastor back to his seat. On the way back to the platform, the pastor is sent with handshakes and backslaps. As he mops his sweat-beaded forehead, appreciative parishioners throw cash into baskets on the altar.

Next month he describes the offering and the conclusion of a very lively and long Sunday service.