Pastor CJs Blog

Animals in Heaven?

2009-12-09T17:06:00.002-07:00

For all those who have submitted questions, thank you. Here is this week's question.

We had a 14 week old puppy that we had to put down a few weeks ago b/c of a failing liver. He was a very loving puppy who we grew very close to. Although puppies don't have souls, do you think puppies (or animals in general) will make it into heaven?

First, I am sorry for your loss. That is something that is so hard to go through.

When Jesus comes back, creation will be restored. There will be a new heaven and a new earth. The current heaven and earth are corrupted by sin. They are twisted and distorted, and that this why they will have to pass away. But in the new heaven and new earth there will be no more sickness or suffering or death. This new heaven and new earth is a way of talking about the creation being made new. That is, it is a way of talking about the creation being restored.

You can read throughout the Scriptures, but especially in the prophets, that God will make the creation the way that it was intended to be. This includes the presence of animals. Animals were part of the creation before the fall into sin. Animals were saved when the waters of the flood covered the earth. I believe that animals will also be a part of the creation in the new heaven and new earth.

God loves his creation and cares for it, and will restore it at the end. And on that glorious day when we get to see this amazing sight, it will be awesome. And so we pray, "Come, Lord Jesus. Come quickly. Amen."

I pray that the promise of the restoration and the new heaven and new earth would be a source of comfort and strength for you in this Advent season, and always.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

A Question about Creation

2009-12-02T18:54:00.002-07:00

Here is the question for the week. Thanks for the post.

This isn't about speechless pastors, but rather a question that has been in the back of my mind for a while...

I think I'm a good steward of the earth: I recycle, don't litter, am conscious of fossil fuels and mindful of innovative energy sources. And so forth.

However, if it's all going to burn up in the end anyway, and we will have a new heaven and a new earth, isn't it a fantasy to think that we can prolong the life of the earth by our efforts--or that it's even worth it? I'm all for honoring the earth because it is God's creation, I'm just thinking that our intervention is not going to make any real difference in the end. As in The End.

Now I'm going to reveal my ancient status by saying that I lived through the "Go green" (and I'm not talking Spartans!) era of the 70s. It was a fad that passed. In the meantime, lots of folks made lots of money by promoting "green"...

So what part of this is godly admonition and what part is sociology?

I expect this fad to pass by, oh, about 2012. Unless Jesus comes back first. Your thoughts?

Who exactly can say how much is godly admonition and how much is someone trying to make a quick buck, or many, many quick bucks as the case may be? There is no doubt that some will use this as a way of manipulating and hurting other people, but that does not mean that the idea is bad in and of itself. Will our efforts at "being green" prolong the life of the earth? No. Not really. No. I've even seen some good evidence that recycling and all that jazz requires more energy than just throwing stuff away. The problem is that this is a debate. There are two sides and both claim that they are right and the other side is terribly misguided.

Without wanting to get caught up in the midst of the debate, let's talk about why caring for the earth would be a good thing. Because, as you noted in your post, the creation is important to God. Part of caring for the creation is a way of honoring the creator. We care for the earth, in the same way that we care for the other things that God has given to us, because we know that they are important to our God. Caring for them is a way of loving the lord our God with all that we are and have.

Another way that I see it is in the light of making a confession about what we believe about the future of the creation. Scripture tells us that there will be a new heaven and a new earth. That is there will be a new, material, real, physical creation. It will not be a bunch of spiritual beings floating around on clouds, but real life in real bodies on a real earth. Therefore we care for the creation because we believe that the creation will exist after Jesus returns in that time that is everlasting. Our caring for the earth, does not get the earth to that point. But it does make a statement about what we believe about the earth at that time. The reason why the earth will be first destroy is not because we threw our beer cans in a landfill, but because the fire will be a purification. The earth as we know it is corrupted by sin. The new earth will not have that same corruption.

I hope that I have shown that caring for the creation is important. When we adopt this viewpoint, there is one other benefit. That is it gives us common ground to share with people who are dearly loved by God, but do not know of his grace and mercy and forgiveness in Jesus. Not that we would ever use it to manipulate them. But it would give us common ground to build real and genuine relationships and friendships and give us opportunities to show to them the love of God in Jesus.

Good question. Thanks for sharing. Please feel free to continue this discussion. See you next week. God bless.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T16:53:00.002-07:00

You have responded well to my request for questions. I will begin answering them as we move forward next week. For this week I would like to say thank you to all of you who read and contribute to this blog. It is a lot of fun for me and I pray that it is a blessing to you too. I give thanks for you and celebrate what we have together. God bless you. Have a happy thanksgiving.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

What do you think?

2009-11-10T18:05:00.003-07:00

Have you ever known a pastor to be speechless? Believe it or not, it does happen on a rare occasion. It is not necessarily a bad thing, especially when said pastor wants to give others an opportunity to speak, or at least to ask some questions. The Bible in 90 days is a program that has been going on at Our Father since September. We will finish up in December and then a new sessions of classes start in January.

However, I am thinking of doing something new for CrossRoads during that 9:30 time, and I want to give you an opportunity to let me know what you think. I am thinking that we would be downstairs in the community room and what we would do is have a series of discussions on a variety of topics. What those topics are would depend on the people who show up. We could talk our way through a book of the bible. We could look at theological concepts or talk about something that is happening in the news. It would not be a formal class, but would be more of a discussion of a whole hosts of things. It is a good time to ask questions and to dig deep. It is a good time to hang out and be together. It is a good time to learn and grow.

The conversation would then continue throughout the week on this blog. I think that it could provide some exciting opportunities for discussion, and would allow people to participate even if they are unable to make it on Sunday mornings.

I am excited about the possibilities of what this presents and wanted to throw it out there to see what you think. There are so many wonderful things in life and theology to explore together, and I pray that this opportunity will be a blessing to all involved. Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments.

I pray God's peace and blessings for you this week and always.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

P.S. There will be no blog next week, as I will be on vacation. But we will be back on schedule the following week.

A Question about Isaiah

2009-11-03T14:02:00.001-07:00

The topic for this week's blog comes from a question from the readings of the Bible in 90 days program. As always, if you have any questions about theology or Scripture, send them to me and I will address them in future posts.

I have the Concordia Self-Study Bible and so I have those helpful introductions to read. So, I am reading Isaiah and in the very beginning is says "The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah Son of Amoz saw . . ."

So my confusion is this, I am just now at Chapter 4 and I have been asking myself the following . . .

All the condemnation that I am reading about . . . is this still the vision that Isaiah is talking about, or has this already happened? Furthermore, it was a vision can one suppose that Isaiah is talking about the vision he had (as in past tense) or are we reading it as though it was "freshly occurring".

The main question I have is, at this point in Isaiah, am I reading prophecies, or am I reading what has already happened? (You know it shouldn't surprise me that I have these questions when I read when I am tired!!!)

Are you reading prophecies or are you reading what has already happened? The answer is yes. Don't you love those good Lutheran answers? So let me explain what is going on.

What you are reading is something that was, in some cases, spoken or received before they happened, and then written down latter.
You are reading some things that have a meaning for the current time and place, but also pointed to something in the future. So when we are told that the virgin will conceive and give birth we are reading about a short period of time in that specific time and local, and at the same time a prophecy about the birth of Jesus.
You are reading some things that promise a future that has not yet happened. So when we read about the wolf lying down with the lamb.

So what does this mean, or how do you keep this straight? Well, for starters don't lose sight of what the words are actually saying. Context is indeed important. You can't sell that short. But don't, miss the words for the sake of the context. What is God saying? What is important to God? Where do these verses intersect with my life? If a place is being condemned, why? If promises are being made, what are they?

You get the idea. Isaiah is one of the greatest books of the Hebrew Scriptures. You don't want to miss too much of it.

I hope that helps. If you need more clarification, let me know.

I cannot understate how blessed we are to be able to freely read and study and discuss God's word like this. I pray that for all of you who read this blog, whether or not you are doing the Bible in 90 Days program, that your time in God's word is a source of strength and blessing to you now and always.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

Confirmation

2009-10-27T17:12:00.001-06:00

Confirmation was this past weekend for us here at Our Father. 17 young men and women affirmed their baptismal faith. It amazes me to be a part of the process. Sometimes it can be so frustrating that it makes you want to pull your hair out, and yet, at moments like this, it kind of seems all worth it. Standing up there and talking to them, it gave me an appreciation for them that I had not had before. I was hopeful for them. Not because of who they are. Like I said, I wanted to pull my hair out, but because of who they are in Jesus. I see a lot of potential in these people, and I am very proud of them.

I wonder what the future will hold for them. Did I do the best that I could in setting them up to endure the storms that life will bring? Did I lay the foundation that will keep them strong and secure? I certainly tried. But if it was dependant on me, then they are in trouble. Thank God for the presence of his Spirit. Thank God that he is the one who keeps his church on track and doing the right thing.

Dear God, pour out your Spirit on all of us. Pour out your Spirit fresh and new. Ignite in us passion for the work you are doing in this world. Give to us the strength and the tools that we need to do the work you have called us to do. Amen.

That's my prayer in this time. Join me in offering up this prayer this week too. May God's presence be for you a constant source of comfort and strength.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

Part III Article XV

2009-10-21T12:24:00.004-06:00

This week's article can be found here.

It took a little longer than we may have anticipated, but we finally made it through the Smalcald Articles. You should be proud of yourselves we have had a good journey.

This weeks article is one that says the things that human beings make up and do, are not things that merit salvation or the forgiveness of sins. We live in a world where we like to be in charge. We like to do things and to have the ability to control what is going on in our world. We like to think that what we do earns God's forgiveness, that way we can say we earn it. Well, maybe I should qualify that last statement. Our sinful nature likes things to be that way.

Instead this article lifts up and reminds us that none of the things we do can earn us anything before God. Not only is this the case, but we should reject any ideas that would try to say that this is even possible. This is the case because it would then take something away from the salvation that we have in Jesus. This means that we would not be saved because of Jesus, but that we would be saved because of Jesus and something else that we do.

Yet on the other hand, this is true because we do not want to be in a position where we see ourselves or make ourselves out to be better than someone else. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We all need that salvation that is freely offered to us in Jesus. We all need to live in that great gift.

It truly is a great gift, and one that I pray is a source of comfort and encouragement to you this week and always. Blessings.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

A Question About Grace

2009-10-14T14:14:00.002-06:00

I got a question that will serve as this week's post.

Pastor CJ,
I'm working on a Bible Study called the Church that Loves and today's lesson called for us to study the Book of James.
I've heard that Martin Luther was less than enthralled with the book, but hadn't really focused on Chapter 2, verse 24 until today. "You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone."
As a hard shell Missouri Synod Lutheran, I'm more than a little bit shaken by this verse, since it seems to clearly contradict Ephesians 2: 8&9. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
not by works, so that no one can boast.
I would sure appreciate your help in reconciling these two verses.
Thanks and Blessing on your day.

Dear Old Lutheran,

In order to understand how these two verses fit together you have to ask yourself what you understand faith to be. Is it something that we do: i.e. intellectual assent to a series of statements and ideals? That is, if we know the right things then we are justified by that knowing? Or is faith something that the Holy Spirit gives to us and through that faith we are saved?

The answer is the second one. We too easily associate faith with knowledge and having the right answers. But faith is a gift from God. Faith is the hand that holds on to the promises of Jesus. This faith is a gift from God. It is what saves us. So Ephesians asks the question of how we are saved. We are saved by faith. Hands down, no questions asked, end of story.

But how do we know we have faith? Ah, this is the question that James is speaking to. He is talking to people who are saying, "All I have to do is have the right answers." And James is saying, "If you have faith, we will see it in your actions."

If you want to know what someone believes, you look at their lives. If I go to a doctor and I believe that that person has my best interest in mind, I will do what the doctor says, even if I would not chose that on my own. If I don't believe that that person has my best interest in mind, I will not do what that doctor says. So you can tell what I believe about the doctor by my actions in following or not following the advice of the doctor.

Therefore I could not say that I believe and trust the doctor and then not follow the doctor's advice. My actions would not match up with my words.

Ephesians and James are answering two different questions. They are looking at the same thing from two different perspectives. Our works do not save us. They cannot. It is impossible. We are saved by grace for the sake of Christ (Ephesians). Having been saved by Christ, we are then sent out into the world to proclaim and show the love and grace and mercy and forgiveness that exists in and through Christ alone (James). They are two sides of the same coin. Do not separate them from one another. If you have Ephesians without James you end up with cheap grace. And I do believe that you rejected that in your pervious comment. If you have James without Ephesians you get works righteousness and that is just as bad as cheap grace.

And, you will be interested to know that Ephesians 2:10 talks about the good works that we were created to do. The NRSV renders this as "Which was created to be our way of life."

Isn't nice to know that in this complicated world of ours we have a God who loves us so simply and makes us his own? May that truth be a source of joy and comfort for you this week and always.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

Part III Article XIV

2009-10-06T16:52:00.001-06:00

This week's article can be found here.

There doesn't really seem to be much to add to these words. Can't really argue with it, after all what this is getting at is that we cannot save ourselves. Salvation is not given to us through our actions. It is important to understand the context here. In that time it was believed that the vows and the lifestyle were what earned salvation. This is not salvation for the sake of Jesus, but based on our own works and merits and therefore this idea must be rejected.

Since this is the case, what do we do? How do we live our lives? Does the free gift of Salvation apart from our works (and in spite of our works) mean that we can live in any way that we chose (cheap grace)? No.

Mr. Old Lutheran, you may want to read that last part again. Our lives don't earn anything, but that does not mean that we can live anyway we want or selfishly. But instead we should live our lives to the glory of God. We do this, not because it earns us anything, but because there is no better way to live.

Things like prayer, fasting, worship, alms giving, these things are known as spiritual disciplines. They do not make God give us anything or love us more. But they are very beneficial. For they cause us to be in a place and position where those things that we give too much importance or too high of a place in our lives can be removed so that nothing becomes more important in our lives than God. It is a good thing. The Fall retreat this year will be spending some time on this topic.

I pray that you would know God's presence and grace this week and always.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

Bible in 90 Days Week 3

2009-10-01T10:44:00.001-06:00

This week another question comes from the reading of the Bible in 90 Days. If you have questions about this, or anything else, and you want to see something about those posted on this blog, send them to me and I will address them. Your identity will remain anonymous.

The Israelites did not get everyone out of Canaan, right? So in Judges, you read about how several of the Judges had to "take back" control. In one instance they talk about how Anakites were defeated (I think it was the Annakites? . . . or some other kingdom that was originally destroyed by Joshua and the Israelites.) So this is my question . . . Israel had all this land with the help of God through Joshua. The fact that they turned away and started marrying into the families of some that were not destroyed and turned to their gods . . . is that why God allowed these once "dead" kingdoms to subdue the Israelites?

The issue here is the obedience of the Israelites to God. Here is the important thing to keep in mind. God wants the Israelites to be separate from the cultures around them, not because he hates those other cultures, but for the sake of the other cultures. Israel is called by God, set apart in order for them to be witnesses to the cultures around them to who God is and what it is to live in relationship with him. Now, one cannot be a witness to something else when you are exactly the same as the people you are witnesses to.

So when the Israelites disobey God, the implications are much bigger than just Israel. From a big picture perspective their disobedience affects not just them, but the people around them. That is why God deals with this the way that he does. Because those people around the Israel are important to God too. It may seem harsh, but what we are talking about is significant.

What we see happening here is God using the other nations the give to Israel a bit of a reality check and to call them back into the way that they are supposed to be living their lives, to call them back into life according to the covenant made at Sinai. Now we can look at this and think that God is been tough on them. But consider this; the fact that God calls them back into that right relationship and does not give up on them, is a sign of his grace and mercy. And God's grace and mercy are certainly good things.

I pray that you would be able to see that grace and mercy in your life and that it would be a source of comfort and strength for you. Blessings.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

Bible in 90 Days Question

2009-09-23T15:06:00.002-06:00

The people of Our Father have answered the Bible in 90 days challenge. We have more than two hundred people reading through the Bible. It is really a neat and fun program. This week marks week two. For this week's blog post, I decided to use a question that was e-mailed to me earlier this week.

Q: I was not aware that the Israelites had to sacrifice their first born (I think it was specifically their first born sons.). Why? Ultimately I have trust in the Lord and realize my ways are not His ways and what he ultimately does may/may not be understood by me. But here is the first thought in my head when I read that last week, “So You in a plague do this to the Egyptians for not letting your chosen people go . . . and then you turn around and ask the very people you took out of Egypt to (as atonement) sacrifice their first born . . . I don’t get it Lord!”

As I said, overall I can see the point as what one must endure to have their sin forgiven in the OT . . . but if you look at the , “He did this to my enemy and now he is asking me (who is part of his chosen people) to sacrifice my first born son to the Lord?”

What a great question. This question refers to verses like Exodus 34:19-20. What is happening here is not that God is requiring that his people sacrifice the first born, but rather that they redeem them. That is that they buy back the firstborn. Of course this raises the question, "from whom are they buying them back?" The answer is God. You see when the last plague of the ten plagues of Egypt took place, the lives of the firstborn were taken. Except in those households that had the lamb's blood on the door frames. And so in this way, God laid a claim on all the firstborn. So then, we get to this verse latter in Exodus and God is saying to the people. "Because I have claim on the firstborn they belong to me, and they need to be redeemed, or bought back by you. This then is how you are to do this..."

So this serves as a reminder of the importance and place of God in the lives of his people. Everything that they have, really ultimately belongs to God. And this redeeming them back is a way of keeping that in the front of their minds. The other thing that this does is point forward to when God would send his own Son who would redeem all of humanity from sin, death and the devil. He did this on the cross. And so, we can see in these verses a kind of foreshadowing taking place.

Here is another question. I am reading Numbers 3:40 – 51 and I am confused. So is the Lord saying I will take the Levites in place of requiring all Israelites to give up their first born? Also is He saying that a collection of 5 shekels must be given?

What is happening here is the establishment of the priesthood. God is saying that instead of having all the firstborn serve as priests, that the tribe of Levi would serve as priests and what so he makes arrangements to be sure that they will be provided and cared for.

This did not stop the redeeming back of the first born, it had more to do with the setting up of the priest hood. It is interesting that in the beginning of Luke's gospel we see Jesus being redeemed at the temple by Joseph and Mary.

I hope this helps. Please continue to ask questions. Blessings.

Pastor CJ

Thanks for your comments.

2009-09-17T10:03:00.002-06:00

This is the ultimate good news! Although we can never live up to God's expectation, we are justified by our faith in Christ. When God looks at us in our sinful state, he sees his sinless Son.
It's hard to understand how people accept other religions than Christianity when all of the others require the person to do something to impress God in order to be saved. How can a mere human do anything to impact their being saved?

While you are right, it is important to have a little perspective on this. Part of the teaching on original sin says that in our sin we are enemies of God and hostile toward him. In other words, we don't want God to save us, we can save ourselves thank you very much. This is important in order to understand why people would reject the goodness so freely offered by God in his son Jesus.

It is also important to point out, that in remembering this, we are moved to compassion and not self-righteousness. If we remember this and somehow see ourselves as better than "those people," we have not responded in a way that reflects God's love and grace and mercy.

It is true that God is to be taken seriously and that we are not to merely look the other way when it comes to sin, but our dealings with sin needs to be gracious. There is a fine line and a big difference between good judgment/discernment and being judgmental. We want to exercise the former while not getting caught up in the latter.

Question, please. Some reformed churches (e.g. Baptist, Church of Christ) believe "once saved, always saved." Most traditional denominations (e.g Lutheran, Roman Catholic) believe that one can lose ones salvation through intentional acts.
At first blush, it appears that the reformed doctrine is very similar to Cheap Grace. Is this correct or am I missing something?

No. The reformed teaching of "once saved, always saved, " I believe, is connected to double predestination. Therefore, if God has chosen you to be in the saved group, then no matter what you do or what happens you will be saved. Cheap Grace is grace that is offered whether it is wanted or not. It is grace that is used cheaply so that we do not have to have accountability or any difficult discussion with one another about the way that we live our lives. Cheap Grace says that sin is not really sin and so let's just not worry about it. Cheap grace is you not asking me about my life and I will not ask you about yours.

Do not get me wrong. Cheap grace is no laughing or joking matter. It is one of the most horrific evils that has ever fallen on the church. Because what it ultimately does is to make a mockery of Jesus and the death he died for the sake of the world.

The bottom line in all of this, is that our God loves us. God's love for us is so great that we can barely even begin to comprehend it. God does not love us because of how good or right we are. God loves us because of how good and awesome He is. God is faithful and wants all creation to be restored. That is the bottom line. It is wonderful news and I pray that this is a constant source of strength and comfort for you. God's peace and blessings.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

Part III Article XIII

2009-09-09T14:02:00.002-06:00

This week's article can be found here.

What more is there to say to this other than "Amen"? So I guess there is a short blog post this week.

This is so simple and sweet. Our salvation, our being right before God is not based on us. It does not come from us. We have it, to be sure. But we have it for the sake of Jesus. We have it because of him. We have it because God is gracious. And he freely gives us this.

This is not a license to sin and do whatever seems good to us. What it means is that when we repent, we can know and be sure of how we stand before God. Because the forgiveness is not based on our merit or worthiness.

This is good news, because we tend to mess things up pretty good. I mean what else would you expect from a sinful human being. We like for things to be good and to depend on us. We like to be able to take credit for them. But the fact of the matter is, that we can't do this on our own. And so God, in his grace, does it for us. And in that we can live in freedom, confidence and hope.

This freedom, confidence and hope is in what God has done in Jesus and not in our own works, that is why there is no room for boasting. That is why we cannot deal with sin in other way than humble. Because that Grace of God is needed by and extended to everyone.

And then, out of this grace comes good works. Good works are necessary. They are not necessary for salvation. They do not earn us anything before God. They do not make him love us more or give us anything special. They are necessary simply because our neighbors need them.

This is a very simple and profoundly beautiful article. I pray that the truth it describes is a source of joy and hope and peace for you.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

The Conversation Continues

2009-09-03T09:54:00.000-06:00

I apologize for not getting to this sooner. It has been a rather busy week as we are preparing for the fall programming that is headed our way. I thank you for your comments and look forward to this conversation moving forward. Blessings.

Pastor CJ

Old Lutheran said...

I understand your response to the first question and I appreciate the additional insight you provided. What really intrigues me is your comment that Luther and the other Lutheran church fathers felt that the Great Commission had been given only to the Apostles and had been fulfilled through them. How and when did our current view of the Great Commission come about?

August 26, 2009 5:25 PM

Our understanding of the Great Commission came about when we realized that the world we live in is completely different than the world they lived in. For Luther and the church fathers the world was Christian. A citizen of the state was also a member of the church. True, there was this new world that had been discovered, but missionaries would only visit the territories that belonged to the countries they lived in. In other words, you wouldn’t have a German missionary going to work in a territory that belonged to England.

I would argue that they misunderstood this verse. And when you consider their context it is understandable. However, the fact remains that the world we live in today is a very different place.

Old Lutheran said...

If I'm interpreting your answer to the second question correctly, you're saying that even though the Mormons didn't exist at the time of the Smalcald Articles, that once they did come into being, their systematic denial of the basic articles of the Christian faith as defined in the articles means they are by definition not Christian. Boy is that a long sentence.
Is that about it or did I miss the boat again?

August 26, 2009 5:29 PM

I think you got it. Mormonism would even agree with that. Because if you look at the story of Joseph Smith and his encounters with the beings from heaven, he was told that all of the creeds of the current churches were an “abomination.”

The confession of faith is important. But even that is a different way of looking at church than what was going on in Luther’s day. There it was much more political. So it didn’t matter if you knew what the church taught, as long as you played the game. Read Luther’s Preface to the Small Catechism. Very interesting stuff.

Comment deleted

This post has been removed by the author.

August 26, 2009 5:29 PM

Old Lutheran said...

The phrase "live in sin" was meant to convey the ELCA's conscious and wanton disregard for the Scriptural prohibition against homosexuality in the priesthood. We have all sinned and fall short of the Glory of God, but most of us do not sin intentionally by thumbing our noses at Scripture. There must be a special place in Hell for people who are supposed to be Christ's emissaries on earth (Pastors) and who intentionally deceive their "flocks" by teaching doctrine that is clearly contrary to Scripture.
I wasn't implying that LCMS, WELS, Catholics and other Christians who continue to prohibit open homosexuals from holding the position of Pastor are better than those who don't. But this is a slippery slope that can't be good for Christendom.

August 26, 2009 5:37 PM

I agree that there is a slippery slope here. My point is simply this: when we are talking about such things, we should have those conversations humbly and respectfully. Disagree with another person does not give us a right to be mean or harsh. Even if we are correct and they are incorrect, that still does not give us the right to be harsh. We are obligated to speak the truth. But we must always speak that truth in love. And when we do speak it, we do so without sacrificing truth or love.

This is important for two reasons. One, it reflects how God treats us. We are dead in our sins. We are even enemies of God. He has the right to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the earth. And yet, he chooses to deal with us graciously. He doesn’t look the other way, but in his dealing with us, there is grace. The other reason is that we want people to be reacting to and struggling with the truth of God’s word, not our delivery of that truth. So if the deliver gets in the way, then there is no opportunity for the word to work, because it will not even be heard.

I hope this helps to clear things up.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday on Friday!

August 26, 2009 5:39 PM

Thank You!

Responses

2009-08-26T11:46:00.001-06:00

So, would it be correct to say that the church exists in order to enact the Great Commission? Matthew 28:16-20. If the answer is yes, or a qualified yes, why do we as Lutherans find evangelism and witnessing to others so difficult?

The church does exist in order to make disciples and bear witness to who God is and the love, mercy, grace and forgiveness that is offered in Jesus Christ. Lutherans find it so difficult because historically we have developed our theology, and worldview and understanding of scriptures in a world that is completely different than the one we are currently in. In the days of Luther and the reformers the entire world was Christian and so the issues were around which Christianity was most faithful to the Scriptures. In the time of Lutheran Orthodoxy, it was believed that the Great Commission was given only to the disciples and was actually fulfilled and completed by them.

Views like that do not bode well for a solid understanding of the mission of the church.

Are Mormons considered part of the church using the definition in the Smalcald Articles? I think not, but would appreciate your take on it.

Again this is where the historical understanding of the documents that we are looking at is helpful. For Luther and the reforms, they were defining themselves as Christians and showing that they were not like the “heretics” that the Roman church was saying that they were. So this is an internal discussion. Mormons were not even conceived up and did not show up until a few hundred years later.

If you go back to the beginning of the Smalcald Articles you will find articles on matters of Christian faith. These include things like the doctrine of the Trinity, Christ, sin, justification. The proper understanding of these articles would be assumed in the latter articles as well. So to deny those articles would be a denial of Christianity.

My question is not on point with this week's article, but is topical nonetheless. What do you think will be the result of the ELCA's change in position that will now allow openly gay and lesbian to serve as pastors. Some think it will hurt the ELCA, but I've heard others say they feel the church will grow since it will now be "comfortable" for those who have chosen to live in sin. I would be interested in hearing your take on this.

You are right. This is not on topic. And I do not have what it takes to predict the future. If I did, the church would be set for life. I always find it interesting different issues surface and what happens with that. For example you use the phrase “to live in sin.” Are you implying that heterosexual people do not sin as heterosexuals? Or are you saying that heterosexual sin is not as bad as homosexual sin?

Now I am not saying that any sin is OK and we can or should just overlook it. But, we in the church, have a tendency to say, not in so many words, that some sins are OK to commit, and other sins are not. And yet, we are all in need of God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness in Christ.

So what does this mean? Well, one, we take the Scriptures seriously. We can’t just throw them out. But as we take them seriously and as we deal with sinners, we deal with them in love, and grace and mercy. One, we would want people to treat us with love and grace and mercy, and Two, we know that God deals with people lovingly, graciously and mercifully.

I don’t know what will happen in the ELCA as a result of the events of last week. I do know that those of us in the church need to be sure that we seeing people as God sees them and treating them accordingly. Once we get that figured out, then we can talk about what to do next, but let’s not jump the gun on that one.

Now somewhere in those three responses there should be some good dialogue. I look forward to it. Blessings.

Pastor CJ

Part III Article XII

2009-08-19T09:54:00.002-06:00

You can read the article for this week here.

This week's article asks the question about what the church is. Answer: it is simple the people (the believers) who hear the voice of the Jesus. In other places in the confessions, the church is described as being the place where the gospel is preached purely and the sacraments are administered correctly.

That doesn't seem so bad, but if you read the article it can sound pretty harsh. Is this article saying that members of the Roman Catholic Church are not really church? Not at all. The point that is being made here is a helpful distinction. The church is not a building or an institution. The church is simply the people of God who hear the voice of Jesus.

Remember the situation that this is written in. In those days the leaders of the church were not always the most godly of people. There was much corruption by power and money and it was everywhere. Often, teachings or practices would be devised in order to maintain that power and money. So it was more often about that, than it was about the truth.

Luther and other reformers were being accused of not being the church and falling away from the church. That is they were not going along with the abuses of power that they witnessed in their day. And so, Luther and others define church as we see it in this article.

This is an important lesson for us to remember and hold onto today. It is all to easy to see church as an institution and not as the people of God. It is too easy for "church" to become a word about a building where we spend a couple hours a week.

But the church is important, because it is the community where God's love, and grace and mercy are seen and proclaimed. The church is important because she takes these things out into the world. The church does not exist for the sake of the church, but the church exists for the sake of the world. Because this is true, the church should act accordingly.

This is all wonderful and exciting stuff. I look forward to the opportunity to continue this conversation in the days ahead. God's blessings and peace be with you this week.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

Refrigerator Theology

2009-08-12T16:28:00.003-06:00

You don't always realize what you have, until it is gone. This is especially true with a refrigerator. Talk about an appliance that is easy to take for granted. You just always kind of assume that it is going to be there, and then, when the silly thing goes out, you realize just how dependant you are on it.

This is what happened to us this past weekend. Ours went out. It just flat stopped working, gave up the ghost, and almost the milk too, but luckily we caught it in time. Turns out the thing was about 15 years old. So I guess it was no surprise. Some friends loaned us some space in their freezer and gave us some coolers for what didn't fit. So if you wanted Milk you went to one cooler. The eggs were now downstairs on the lower level in a different cooler. The ketchup was outside in a different cooler. It's a good way to burn some calories. But meals became a lot more work.

Luckily, today the new one came. I never ever expected to be so excited to see an appliance. Everything in one place. No late night trips to the store to buy ice. Sweet.

OK. So what does this have to do with anything? Well it can be a good reminder of the preciousness of life. You don't always realize what you have, until it is gone. Until it is too late. The gifts that God pours out into our lives are things that we are not always aware of. And yet, if we take a moment to reflect on them and how prevalent they are...

I am not saying that God will take them away if we are unappreciative. God is not petty like that. But being aware of them, sure makes us appreciate life more and maybe even enjoy it more. No matter what life throws at us, God will always be present. He is like a refrigerator that will never stop working, that will never go out, that will never give up on us.

On those days when we feel differently, we remember God's great love in Jesus, the salvation and victory that was won for us on the cross. And we can rejoice. God is indeed good. May his presence and goodness be a blessing to you, now and always.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

Comments Response

2009-08-04T15:06:00.002-06:00

Two comments were left on the blog last week. Thank you.

Comment 1:

When did polygamy, as practiced by the Old Testament Israelites, end? Was it before the first century? What I'm trying to ask is if Christ's model of marriage is the same as our contemporary model of one man/one woman.

I am not sure when polygamy fell out of practice? My hunch is that it was more the exception than the rule for the Israelites. It was present with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but after that you don't hear too much about it. Perhaps the weight of having multiple sets of in-laws had something to do with this.

Generally, we say one man and one woman because that is how things were set up in the garden. God made Adam. God made Eve. And this was set up before the fall and before the creation was corrupted.

As far as whether or not our understanding is the same that Jesus had, is up for debate. The only reason I say this is because I think in our culture, we have a much lower view and understanding of marriage than existed in Jesus' day. I saw a show on TV the other night that featured wedding chapels in Vegas. And let me tell you, it made me sick to my stomach. I think we need to have a higher appreciation for what marriage is and the significance that it has in the life of a community.

Comment 2:

The Roman Catholic church considers marriage one of the sacraments. How can it be a sacrament since it does not involve the forgiveness of sins and wasn't instituted by Christ?

While I wish this was a more exciting answer, it is not. Roman Catholics do not have the same requirements for a sacrament as what Lutherans do. That is why they can consider marriage a sacrament, and we do not. I am not sure what their requirements are. For Lutherans it is to have a physical element and it has to be instituted by Jesus.

Thanks for continuing the conversation. I am excited to see where it takes us. God bless.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

Part III Article XI

2009-07-29T18:41:00.002-06:00

Today's article can be found here.

This article is one that says that clergy should be allowed to be married. Which was probably written at a time before clergy actually got married. Ok. Ok. I am only kidding. But maybe you are sitting there and reading this and wondering, why would the marriage of clergy be such a big deal, unless of course you were clergy.

So why make it something that is so important? Well I think there are a couple ways that you can look at this that will be blessing whether you are clergy or not. One thing to note is that this says something about marriage. All joking aside, marriage is a wonderful and beautiful thing. It is a gift from God. Marriage is something that the Scriptures treat as very important. There we find the image of marriage as a picture for the relationship between Jesus (bridegroom) and the people of God (the bride). Just that alone says many important things about not just marriage, but who God is, and how God relates to God's people.

OK. So that seems pretty good. I guess. But what if you are neither clergy, nor married? Does this say anything to you? Sure. Because this affirms that the gifts that God gives are indeed good. Now who is to say to God how those gifts should be distributed or to whom they belong? God works in ways and with an understanding that is far above our own. So we can give thanks and celebrate the gifts that God gives. And when we see our neighbor have different gifts, we give thanks and celebrate with our neighbor. God is indeed good. None of us deserve the blessings that we have. But we have them because of how great and awesome and loving and merciful our God is. And so we give thanks. I pray that God's presence and gifts in your lives would be a blessing to you this week and always.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

Response to Previous Post Comments

2009-07-22T13:55:00.003-06:00

This comment was attached to the previous post:

We believe that Christ is truly present in with and under the bread and the wine. Most reformed church members just feel the bread and grape juice are a "memorial" and they are only the bread and the juice.

My question is this. Do they get the same forgiveness of sins from this observance of the Lord's Supper as Catholics, Lutherans, Orthodox, etc. who discern the true body and blood?

Allow me to ask the question from a slightly different perspective. What is it that makes communion work? Is it the belief of the one who distributes or receives the bread and wine, or is it the words of Jesus (given for you...shed for you for the forgiveness of sins)?

It is quite simply the words of Jesus. For in the sacraments, God is the one who is at work. God is the main actor and the effectiveness of the sacraments are not dependant upon those who receive it. Nor is the effectiveness of the sacrament dependant upon the one who distributes it.

In other words, it is the word of Jesus together with the eating of the bread and the drinking of the wine which are the essential thing. In fact, Luther points out in the Small Catechism, that the one who believes these words of Jesus, has what they promise.

It is really a cool kind of a thing. We see here yet another way that our God so lavishly pours out his grace into our lives. We really do not earn it or deserve it, but we have it because of who God is and the wonderful ways that he works in our lives. It is a blessings that we should hold near and dear. Because in this simple meal, God works in some pretty profound ways.

Blessings to you this week.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

Whoops!

2009-07-07T13:39:00.002-06:00

Whoops! For some reason, I had the wrong setting set up on my blog and it was not letting me know when comments were posted. That really defeats the purpose of what I want to accomplish here, so rest assured, that this has been corrected.

My hope for this blog is that it be a place of discussion and not just a one way street. So please leave comments and they will be responded to. Unless my dad leaves some of his “typical” comments. Those will be ignored. Sorry, Dad. I love you. But you know what I’m talking about. So here we go. This comment was left on a post that we had a few weeks back on communion.

How did the doctrine of transubstantiation come about in the first place?

I am not 100% sure where it came from. I think it is more of a how. That is, I think this is something that developed over time. One of the big issues that the reformers had with the communion practices is that communion was seen as being the sacrifice of Jesus offered over and over and over again. And the priest yielded its power. The reformers said, “no way.” Christ died once for all and when he said “it is finished,” that was it. It was finished. So that is one piece.

I also believe that as Christianity met up with metaphysics, and philosophy and interacted with those things that mysteries received explanations. But how does one explain a mystery? How do you explain the presence of Christ in, with and under the bread and the wine? You can’t. But that doesn’t stop people from trying.

When it comes to communion, here is what is most important; this is a gift from God. However Christ comes to us, he comes to us. And through this gift we receive forgiveness, life and salvation. It is really an awesome thing.

That’s my two cents for this week; I look forward to seeing yours. Blessings and peace.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

Part III Article X

2009-06-30T15:53:00.000-06:00

You can read this week’s article here.

Today’s article is on ordination. More specifically today’s article is about bishops and what the office of bishop had become in Luther’s day and age. You see the expectation was that to be properly ordained, you had to be ordained by a bishop. It was not that this was necessarily a bad idea. The scriptures don’t say that you have to be ordained by a bishop and they don’t say that you can’t be ordained by a bishop. Where the problem came was that, in Luther’s day, being a bishop was more about political power than it was about service to God’s people in the church. Now I am sure that was not the case each and every time, but for the most part, this is the way it was.

So the question is really about who can serve in the church and what is the best way to set that up. It is a debate that continues even to this day. Not about bishops and ordination, but about who is qualified to be ordained, and how does a person best meet the educational requirements for this to happen.

So where does the rubber hit the road on this one? Well, there is nothing wrong with good order. So I don’t know that we need to throw out ordination. But it is good to have people ordained, or set aside in order to equip the people of God for works of ministry. At the end of the day, that is why we have clergy, to help God’s people do the work that God has given them to do. Not to do that work for them. Not to lord their ordination over them. Not even to be walked on and abused by them. But to equip them for works of ministry, to point them to Jesus, and to help them to grow as God’s people. So it is a good thing.

I pray God’s blessings for you this week in all that you do.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

Part III Article IX

2009-06-25T16:18:00.002-06:00

Today's article can be read here.

If this article doesn't leave you a little uncomfortable, then nothing will. Ok, well maybe that is a bit much, but this is one of those things that is certainly not politically correct. So what do we do with this?

I think we take two things away from this. One, communion is not to be taken lightly. Two, we have a responsibility to one another in our Christian walk.

Communion is not to be taken lightly. Because in communion we are being given life, and forgiveness and salvation. If we are in a state that we claim to not be in need of those things from God, then to receive communion would be to make a bit of a mockery of it. Now you have to be careful that as you read something like this that we don't walk away with a desire to create sin-police who patrol around looking to write people up and keep them away from the grace and forgiveness and life that God offers in communion. That is not the point of what this is saying.

However, on the other hand, we do have a responsibility to one another in our Christian walk. This is not just because of the impact that it has on our relationship with God and with our fellow human beings, but also because of the impact that it has on our witness. Now I am not even talking about our personal and private witness, but the corporate witness that is made by us as a community of faith, that is as members of the body of Christ. How we live with each other is important. The way that we walk together says a lot about what we believe about ourselves, and also about our God and how our God cares for us and relates to us.

Because ultimately those things are good. God gives them to us for our benefit. God invites us to receive them and all the good things that they bring with them. And may those blessings be a source of strength and comfort for you this week and always.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

Part III Article VIII

2009-06-17T15:01:00.002-06:00

Today's post can be found here.

I know I have written in the past about confession and absolution, but that is what today's article is about. Actually, today's article is really about two things. One is confession and absolution, and the other is the means of grace. That is, the tools (means) that the Spirit works through in the giving and strengthening of faith. These tools are baptism, communion and the Scriptures.

Confession and absolution is a great blessing that God has given to the church. It is something that requires a lot of trust. It is something that cannot be forced upon someone against their will. But when the situation is right, and confession and absolution take place as it was intended, it is a wonderful, beautiful and awesome thing.

We see this in two forms. One is as part of the corporate worship service. This is usually at the beginning of a service that has communion. The congregation confesses their sins together and the pastor speaks words of forgiveness. This is a power event, and one that we must be careful to not take for granted. Because God's forgiveness is real and true and certain. His forgiveness is poured out in this event (not based on any of the people involved, but based on God's graciousness and goodness). It is certainly good.

There is another form, that while it is no more powerful, I would say it is more of an experience, and that is private confession and absolution. This is where a Christian finds another trusted Christian, usually a pastor, and confesses their sins to that individual, and then that person speaks the words of God's forgiveness. There is something about this practice that words cannot describe. It is truly awesome. If you have not participated in this; give it a try. It is well worth it.

The other point that this article makes is that God has chosen to work in word and sacrament in our lives. God works through things. Not because they limit God, but because that is how God has chosen to work. In God's working through these things there is, for us, certainty. Because when God does something, it is always done right and correctly. The working of God is not dependant on us, on our words, on our good deeds, on our status, or on anything else that would depend on us. Rather it is on God alone. And so in that we rejoice.

I pray that this week you would know the joy of God's presence in your life. And may that be a blessing to you.

Sincerely,

Pastor CJ

Part III Article VII

2009-06-01T09:11:00.002-06:00

You can read the article for this week here.

This article is short, and it is one that we do not talk about all too often, or in too much detail. So why mention it? There are a couple of reasons, one is for a proper understanding of what this is, so that those who exercise it, may do so properly and with humility. The second reason, and the more important reason is because of the gift that is given through this.

First, it is important to point out and understand that the office of the keys is given to the church. Now the church has chosen to have representatives (pastors) exercise this on behalf of the church, but it still ultimately belongs to the church. This understanding will require a good amount of humility on behalf of the pastors who are exercising and making use of this office. It is indeed a great honor and privilege. It can be tempting for pastors to turn this into a power trip, but that is never what it was intended to be, or it was intended to be used.

We do not want to spend too much time on that point. It is worth mentioning, it is not nearly as significant as the second reason. When this office is exercised and sins are forgiven, then that forgiveness is real and sure and certain. When we are told that our sins have been forgiven, we can here those words as if they were coming from the very mouth of God. This is not a license to go a do whatever we feel like doing. Instead it is an opportunity to live in the freedom and grace that comes from our God. It is real and amazing and deep kind of a thing.

How easy is it for us to go through life bearing the weight of guilt and shame. And what this teaching says to us is that the forgiveness of God in our lives is real. We need not live in that guilt and shame. Now, sometimes, there are consequences that we are faced with as a result of our sin, but the presence of those consequences does not negate the full and certain forgiveness of God when it is poured out into our lives. And I would dare even imagine that God's forgiveness would enable us to better live through those consequences.

God is good. God's love is beyond our ability to understand. God's forgiveness and mercy are so very big that they are enough to forgive all of our sins. And when God's forgiveness comes into our lives, we are able to live in a peace and freedom that is beyond all human understanding.

May you know this peace and freedom this week and always.

Pastor CJ