Posts - The Electric Gospel

Jan

2020

When winter seems unending

Originally published on the Electric Gospel on April 7, 2018.

Always winter … but always Christmas and always Easter

by David Sellnow

Where I live, it seems like winter will never end. This week a record low temperature was set — in single digits. Waking up yesterday morning, the wind chill felt several degrees below zero. Tomorrow a snowstorm is predicted. And it’s April.There’s a line in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis, that comes to mind: “It is winter in Narnia,” said Mr. Tumnus, “and has been for ever so long … always winter, but never Christmas.” Life in the real world can seem very much like that so much of the time. Another way of describing life’s long, cold, dreariness was expressed by Moses many centuries ago: “Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow” (Psalm 90:10).

Yet that message of sadness and pain is not the only word we have from God about our lives in this world. In reality, while our lives may feel like an endless winter, it is always Christmas for us, and always Easter. The meaning of Christmas was that God came into this world to share our pain, to take all our troubles onto himself. It was prophesied (Isaiah 7:14), “The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” [which means, “God with us”]. Christ entered into our existence and “took up our pain and bore our suffering. … The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4,5). Christ faced all the worst that this world has to offer and died for us. But “it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him” (Acts 2:24). Every Easter, we celebrate his resurrection from the grave and the life eternal we have through him. And resurrection hope is not just something that prompts us to put on springtime clothing and go to church on Easter Sunday. God’s mercy “has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3) — a hope that enables us to get up and face each day in the here and now, as well as having assurance of being with God in the hereafter.

It may indeed always be winter in the way our lives feel on this earth. But in Christ, it is always Christmas, for he is beside us as our Brother, born into humanity with us. And in Christ, it is always Easter, filled with hope and new life. Because he lives, we also will live (John 14:19).

Jan

2020

Loving others

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on January 21, 2019.

Loving others

by David Sellnow

In a sermon delivered at New Covenant Baptist Church in Chicago (April 9, 1967), Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke of being committed to loving our neighbors – all neighbors. In that sermon, he said:

There will be a day, the question won’t be, “How many awards did you get in life?” … It won’t be, “How popular were you?” … It will not ask how many degrees you’ve been able to get … or “What kind of automobile did you have?” On that day the question will be, “What did you do for others?”
Now I can hear somebody saying, “Lord, I did a lot of things in life. I did my job well … I went to school and studied hard. I accumulated a lot of money, Lord; that’s what I did.” It seems as if I can hear the Lord of Life saying, “But I was hungry, and ye fed me not. I was sick, and ye visited me not. I was naked, and ye clothed me not. I was in prison, and you weren’t concerned about me.” …
What did you do for others? This is the breadth of life. Somewhere along the way, we must learn that there is nothing greater than to do something for others.

– from “The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life,” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,

via The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and EducationInstitute, Stanford University.)

For Martin Luther King Day, I’d like to share some thoughts of my own about showing love – and God’s grace – to all our neighbors. The following is excerpted from my brief book, Faith Lives in Our Actions (available at Amazon). Bible quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB).

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Loving all people

James, the brother of Jesus, pinpointed lack of love as a pivotal problem in our lives as Christians. James wrote: “If you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors ” (James 2:8-9).

If we could love with all our hearts, we would do well. Love “is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10). Jesus had said that the first and greatest commandment is to love God fully, and its corollary is to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:36-39). James called this the royal law of Scripture. It is the heart of the law, and it is where we fall most miserably short of what God expects of us.

James pointed at favoritism as the centerpiece of our lawbreaking. Even after we have been converted to Christ, our old sinful tendencies diminish the extent of our love. We may, for instance, spend much to send our own children to Christian schools, but give far less to extend Christ’s love to souls around the world. Or we are pleased to be part of God’s kingdom ourselves, but often feel no great urgency to include others in his grace. Once, when my congregation was planning an open house, I asked one of our members if he had invited his farmhands and their families. He looked at me as though I had proposed something preposterous. The thought had never crossed his mind. When I brought it up, it made him uncomfortable. Mexican weed-pullers weren’t really the sort of folks he wanted in his church. To him they were only hired hands, a lesser breed of people.

We try to convince ourselves we are law-abiding. We set up church policies and programs. We want everything to honor God, according to proper guidelines. But we forget what the real line is: love. We callously, oafishly and repeatedly step over that line. We strain out gnats while swallowing camels (cf. Matthew 23:24). We make sure we have glorious choirs singing in our balconies, but fail to notice neighbors in need across the street. When James described the sort of religion that God accepts, he mentioned nothing of formal church activities. James had said, “Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1:27). Those are the kinds of aims we are to seek.

Jan

2020

Forsaken … but not forsaken

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on April 27, 2018.

Forsaken … but not forsaken

by David Sellnow

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?” (Psalm 22:1).

David, who became king of Israel, wrote those words at some point in his life. We don’t know when David wrote Psalm 22, only that he sent it to the chief musician in Israel when he was king. We also know that there were plenty of times in David’s life when he might have said, “Trouble is near” and “there is no one to help” (Psalm 22:11).

Sometimes David’s troubles were through no fault of his own, such as when King Saul kept pursuing him, trying to kill him. David had dared to challenge an enemy no one else in Israel would challenge–Goliath of Gath, a gigantic warrior of the Philistines. Saul grew jealous of David and aimed to eliminate him. At one point, David wound up going into Philistine territory, to Gath itself, to get away from Saul. While there, the only way David could keep from being imprisoned or killed by the king of Gath was to feign insanity. David scribbled on the doors of the gate and let saliva drip down his beard. The king, Achish, said to his servants, “You see the man is insane. Why then have you brought him to me?” (1 Samuel 21:13,14).

Sometimes David’s troubles were the result of his own arrogance and sin, such as when he seduced the wife of one of his military men while that man was away at battle. David then saw to it that the man was killed, so that David could take Bathsheba (the wife) from him and make her his own. David’s soul was plagued and troubled until God’s prophet compelled him to confess his sin. (Cf. 2 Samuel 11-12.)

Other times David’s troubles were a combination of his own failures and the sins of others against him. His son Absalom mounted a conspiracy, trying to throw his father off the throne. David needed to wage a civil war against his own son. In the end, Absalom ended up dead and David struggled to bear such a tragedy. (Cf. 2 Samuel 15-19.)

In our lives too, there are times when we feel forsaken by God and alone in our despair and troubles. Sometimes it’s through no fault of our own; it’s just things that happen to us or acts by others done against us. Sometimes our aloneness and pain are caused by our own sins and shame, torturing our minds and hearts. Other times the anguish we face is a combination of our own failures and things done by others that hurt us further. We wonder where God is in all this. Our souls cry out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning? My God, I cry in the daytime, but you don’t answer” (Psalm 22:1,2). We keep crying out day and night, but find no rest.

We recognize, though, that the anguished cries of David’s psalm belongs to someone else even more than the thoughts belonged to David or than they belong to us. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Those words were uttered by Jesus, the Christ, as he hung on the cross. Jesus took on himself all our sins, all our troubles, all our agony, all our shame, and experienced the abandonment of God his own Father. He did so to atone for all our woes and guilt and hurt. Some elements of Psalm 22 point beyond anything David likely experienced, looking prophetically ahead to the sort of death Jesus died when he took our place under all the burdens of sin. “They have pierced my hands and feet,” the psalmist said (v.16), anticipating the crucifixion that the Messiah would suffer.

No matter what our sufferings in life and no matter why they occur–by our own fault or the fault of other sinners or simply the result of living in a sin-stained world–we can know one thing for sure. Jesus suffered as much and more than anything we are suffering. And Jesus suffered as he did for us, to give us hope in the face of suffering. Our hope, ultimately, is in Jesus, whether or not the circumstances of our daily lives get any easier. Though the Lord may bring us down “into the dust of death” (Psalm 22:15), he remains always our God from the time of our birth onward. “All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him” (Psalm 22:29). We can’t keep our own souls alive, but God will. And we will continue to serve him and proclaim his righteousness (Psalm 22:29-31).

Jan

2020

Let your light shine

Originally published on the Electric Gospel on January 28, 2018.

Shining like the brightness of the heavens

by Sheryl Persaud

“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Have you ever been in a church with stained glass windows on a sunny day? It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Light passes through the windows in colorful, detailed patterns. And often, stained glass windows are not merely patterns of color, but persons and events from the Bible are illustrated in the glass. The windows shine in ways that tell stories of faith.

Think about the time and preparation it takes to make a stained glass window. First, you will need to decide what design you want to make. Then you’d choose each color and shape carefully in order to make that design. At first, it is just a mess of broken glass, but when you arrange the pieces together into the story or symbol you wish to convey, you have a beautiful masterpiece.

As God’s people, we are like stained glass windows. God sees the beautiful plan and design he has for us. We cannot see this plan because sometimes our life is like a big, messy pile of broken glass. We may also feel the pains of broken glass. There may be so many trials we are facing in our lives that we don’t think anything good can come from it. However, God looks at each broken piece and he sees art. He sees how each broken piece will fit together perfectly. He needs us to be patient, in the same way an artist exercises patience as he is creating his art. We wait to see and understand God’s master plan for us. At times we may want to give up, but we hang on in trust that our Savior is working in our best interest.

When a stained glass window finally goes up and the sunlight shines through, all you can do is step back, admire it, and praise the person who created it. We want God’s Word to shine through us and those we come into contact with. We are able to shine a light to others because Christ has put a light into us first. He did this through his death on the cross, that we may become shining pillars reflecting his love and mercy, bright enough for all to see. How awesome it would be to show others the wonders of our awesome creator! We become a fulfillment of what God foretold: “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever” (Daniel 12:3).

Just as sunlight shines through and illuminates figures in stained glass windows, we glow beautifully when God’s Word shines through us.

Prayer: Dear God, give us the courage to put our full trust in your plans for us. Help us to be illuminated by your light, reflecting Christ’s love and grace in all we say and do. Amen.

Jan

2020

The priesthood of all believers

Originally shared on the Electric Gospel on September 24, 2017. This message was written as a contribution for a devotional booklet published in the 500th anniversary year of the Lutheran Reformation.

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“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

All God’s People Are Priests

by David Sellnow

Harold stepped into the pulpit and addressed the congregation.

“I am not a pastor,” Harold said. “I never studied at a seminary. I’ve raised cotton, and now I work for an association of cotton growers. I am not a professional preacher or public speaker. I don’t generally get up in front of other people and give talks. So I’m rather nervous about standing up here this morning. In fact, if I weren’t behind this pulpit, you could see my knees knocking!”

That was how Harold began his message on a Sunday when the pastor was away. The church was a small congregation, far from any others of its synod. When the pastor was traveling to a national meeting or other obligations, church council members would lead Sunday services. Harold’s message on this day focused on words from the apostle Peter: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

“All God’s people are priests,” Harold continued. “Priests have the right to approach God directly; we are welcome in God’s presence. Through Jesus Christ we all ‘have access to the Father by one Spirit’ (Ephesians 2:18). When we were baptized, we became part of the priesthood of all believers in Jesus. That gives us the privilege of approaching God ‘with freedom and confidence’ (Ephesians 3:12), and also the privilege to proclaim Christ to the world. We declare the praises of the Lord who brought us out of darkness and into the light, who rescued us from death and gave us life. We all share in that gospel mission.”

The Reformation reaffirmed the truth that all God’s people are equal members of God’s kingdom, a universal priesthood of those who pray and proclaim in the name of Jesus. Martin Luther wrote, “If a group of pious Christians settled in a wilderness and had among them no priest consecrated by a bishop, and if they were to agree to choose one from their own midst to baptize, give communion, announce forgiveness and preach, such a man would be as truly a priest as he would be if all bishops and popes had consecrated him. This is why anyone may baptize and give absolution in case of necessity, which would be impossible if we were not all priests.”

Harold fulfilled such a role in his congregation in the pastor’s absence. Each of God’s people fulfills a more general role of worship and witness in everyday life. God’s Spirit is with all of his people—all of his priests—as we come to him in prayer and go for him to others, with news of his grace.

Prayer: Jesus our Lord, we praise you for what you have done for us. Embolden all of us as your people—a royal priesthood—to come to you for blessing and to speak for you, extending your blessing to others. Amen.

Jan

2020

Confidence in God’s Promises

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on September 30, 2017.

Confidence in God’s promises

by Maggie Frey

Do you know any trustworthy people? Perhaps they will tell you something, and you can firmly believe that they are telling you the truth. Or, they may make a promise to you, and you know that they will fulfill that promise. On the other hand, maybe you know some untrustworthy persons. They may have a tendency to lie about things, so you have a hard time believing anything they are saying. They will make a promise to you, but are quick to break that promise. It is very difficult to work with such persons, because you never know if they are going to keep their word.

Unfortunately, we tend to know a lot more untrustworthy people than we do people who are trustworthy. The world is full of untrustworthy people, who try to get a grip on us, and laugh when we believe in whatever it is they tell us. It can make a person a little worried, because you never know if you are able to trust someone or not. This is the effect that sin has put on our world. Human beings’ actions are tainted with sin. We may have the intention of doing good, but we keep committing sin, because that’s what our human nature knows how to do.

However, as Christians, we know that there is one in whom we can confidently place our trust: God. He has kept all of his promises, and will continue to keep his promises—even ones that have not happened yet. God and his promises are revealed to us through the Holy Spirit, who has worked faith in our hearts, through the Scriptures. Our faith in God allows us to have a certainty that surpasses even the greatest earthly promise that could ever be made. The apostle Paul tells us of this certainty: “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day” (2 Timothy 1:12).

Paul could have written, “I know what I believe.” That would have shown that he was sure of his faith—the faith that is revealed through the message of the gospel. By saying ‘“I know whom I believe,” he has made his faith all the more personal. Faith now has something at its focus—the Lord God. God is the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). When we focus on God and his promises, our faith stands strong and secure.

In this world, there will still be a struggle to anyone’s word. We know that human promises will never be perfect in this life. There will continue to be lies and broken promises that will cause worry and doubt in. But we know that we can continually place our confidence in God, who has kept all promises to us in Christ, and will continue to keep all his promises to us. So while we continue our journey here on earth, we confidently say with Paul that we know whom we believe. We are confident that he will one day bring us home with him.

Jan

2020

God has it handled

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on September 19, 2017.

God has it handled

by Holly Bahr

Anxiety is a feeling of worry or uncontrollable nervousness when thinking or obsessing about an event or a situation where the outcome is uncertain. Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental illness in the United States. According to Scott Stossel, author of My Age of Anxiety, “Forty million Americans have an anxiety disorder.” He goes on to report, “One in six people in the world will have an anxiety disorder for a minimum of a year within their lifetime, and one in four people will experience crippling anxiety some time in their life.” With these staggering statistics, one has to ask: Is the person sitting next to you in church suffering from anxiety? Have you felt the worry or fear of the unknown in your life? If you haven’t experienced the life-changing panic associated with anxiety, odds are someone worshiping with you suffers in this way. So, in the life of a Christian where trust in our Savior is first and foremost, what do we do with anxiety? We understand pain and suffering are part of our lives. We dive into God’s promises for strength—his gospel means of grace. Knowledge of life-giving rebirth we experienced through baptism and the forgiveness of sins received through the Lord’s Supper can ease the hurt of anxiety.

Even with God’s grace coming to us through the gospel in his Word, in baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, our human weakness gets in the way. The devil uses anxiety as a weapon causing us to doubt ourselves, our faith in God, and God’s power. We need the gospel to speak to our worries and strengthen our innermost being. God’s assurances to Joshua put down the devil and point us to the strength we develop through trust in God. “Have I not commanded you?” God said. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). When the panic of anxiety stubbornly takes hold of us, we look to the Lord for strength to overcome our worldly doubts.

The sacrament of baptism is a rebirth for us and a powerful reminder of the work of faith the Holy Spirit continues tirelessly to perform in our hearts. We may feel anxiety and worry, but we also know the Holy Spirit continues to nourish faith in us and connect us to our all-powerful God. Suffering from anxiety is a never ending cycle of negative self-talk and hopelessness, but remembering the benefits we receive through baptism can encourage us to switch from negative thoughts to the positive work the Holy Spirit does in our hearts.

Baptism started our faith life, and holy communion offers ongoing reminder of the peace we receive through the means of grace. Communion gives us forgiveness of sins, lifting the burden of anxiety off our shoulders and placing this burden on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. God sent his Son to die for our sins, even the sin of worry and doubt. God’s forgiving love can lessen anxiety and comfort us from the fear of the unknown.

Anxiety is a real mental illness with debilitating symptoms, but with faith in God and his promises, along with professional help, this disease can be eased. God is our great healer. He has our future planned and will not let us fall into harm’s way. We look to the Lord for strength. We trust in his unfailing love for us. We seek his peace in regards to our fears and worries. “’Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High, will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust’” (Psalm 91:1-2). Instead of dwelling on the fear within us, we turn this gripping fear over to God and his promises. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). Fear and worries will keep coming, keep changing. But we can find solace in the never-changing promises and all-encompassing love of our all-powerful God.

Jan

2020

Prayer Q & A

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on September 2, 2017.

Thoughts on Prayer

by Ashley Renstrom

What is Prayer?

“You are in my prayers.” “I’ll be praying for you.” Christians often share those words with others, but what do they really mean? What is prayer? Prayer is a Christian’s way of communicating with God. It is conversation with him, the communion of a believer’s heart with God. Prayer is the work of the Holy Spirit in Christians. The Holy Spirit works through the Bible; that is the means by which he fills us with God’s grace and enables us to pray.

Prayer is not just rambling words, as Jesus reminded us when he said, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words” (Matthew 6:7). Prayer involves our words and our heart. King David wrote, “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight” (Psalm 19:14). In prayer, we want to align our hearts with God.

Prayer is not magic. It does not make demands. Prayer is not a guarantee against suffering. It is not an opportunity for us to show off. Prayer is not a last resort. Instead, prayer is talking to the one true God. Prayer is a wonderful privilege, a blessing earned by Jesus and granted to believers.

Why Do Christians Pray?

Prayer is an amazing privilege, a blessing earned by Jesus and granted to believers. Prayer occurs when a believer talks to God with heart and mind. We know what prayer is, but why do we pray?

One reason Christians pray is to spend quality time with our heavenly Father. Here on earth, we talk with people on a daily basis. As we communicate with them, we understand them better and build a relationship with them. The same is true with our heavenly Father. We have the opportunity to talk with him daily about anything and everything, spending quality time with him and growing closer to him.

We also pray because God directs us to pray to him. He tells us to call on him in the day of trouble (Psalm 50:15), and to pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Christians pray because God promises to hear and answer our prayers (Psalm 91:15). We pray to God to give thanks to him, to praise him, and tell him our thoughts, worries, and troubles. God loves to hear our prayers (Proverbs 15:8), and desires for us to talk to him each and every day.

What Can Our Prayers Include?

Joseph Scriven was an Irish poet who lived in the 1800s. He suffered many tragedies and trials in his life, including the deaths of two fiancées and bouts of depression. After the death of his first fiancée, Scriven emigrated from Ireland to Canada. While in Canada, he received word that his mother had fallen severely ill. He wrote a poem to comfort her. In that poem he wrote, “What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.” That poem was later set to music and is known as the hymn, “What A Friend We Have in Jesus.” Joseph Scriven nailed it on the head: we can pray to God about anything and everything.

An acronym frequently used to help people focus their prayers is ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication.

Adoration is all about praise. In a prayer of adoration we get to express our love for God and praise his power and majesty.
We need to come before God in confession each and every day. We sin daily and fall short of God’s perfection. So we confess our sinfulness and specific sins, ask for forgiveness, and thank the Lord for his unending mercy and grace. Each time we confess to God, we trust that he forgives us. We also ask for help to turn away from future temptations.
Prayers of thankfulness give God glory. There is much we are thankful for! We can thank him for all of the earthly blessings he bestows upon us, but do not want to forget thanks for our spiritual blessings as well. Thank Jesus for dying on the cross for you. Thank the Holy Spirit for the faith he has worked in you.
Prayers of supplication can be for ourselves and for others. No prayer is too big or too small. We pray in accordance with God’s will for desires for ourselves and others in this world. No matter what we are praying about or praying for, we pray in the name of Jesus and pray according to God’s will, for he knows best.

What’s The Answer, God?

God delights in our prayers and he hears all of them. He is never too busy to listen. We don’t have to leave a message on the answering machine and wait for him to listen and respond. He listens to our prayers the moment we begin speaking to him.

Not only does God always hear all of our prayers, he also answers all of them. God may answer our prayers in a few different ways. He might say, “No, that’s not good for you. I love you too much and have a better plan.” When our prayers are not answered in the way we want, it does not mean that God did not hear the request. It does not mean that God did not answer your prayer. When he doesn’t answer in the way we want, he is answering in the way that is best for us. It is not always easy to understand in this life. However, we have his promise that he will always do what is best for us.

Another answer God gives to prayer is, “Wait, and keep talking and listen to me.” While we wait, God draws us closer to him and strengthens our faith. A psalmist wrote, “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope” (Psalm 130:5). In this day in age, people want instant answers to everything. However, God does not follow our timeline. God has his own timeline, and it is the best. While we wait, we wait patiently, leaning on his word.

God may also answer a prayer with, “Yes, here it is right now,” or “Yes, here is what you asked plus a little more.” God answers our prayers with answers that are best for our welfare. He loves us and takes care of us spiritually and physically. God knows what he is doing. Jeremiah wrote, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).

We see God’s answers in our lives and hear his answers when we read his Word. It is important for us to stay connected to God through his Word and listen to him. It becomes easier to accept God’s will in answering our prayers when we remember that he “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). God loves us, and we can trust him to answer our prayers according to what he knows is best for us—because his way is perfect.

Jan

2020

The meaning of church

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on August 5, 2017.

Church is about what’s inside

Article and illustration by Cortney Manning

The church is the entire family of believers in Christ. But we may also use the word “church” in other ways, like describing the places or buildings in which believers gather around the Word. Church buildings may look different or be different sizes — like early churches in people’s homes, medieval cathedrals, small one-room buildings, or a campus chapel. What is most important, though, is that the Word of God is proclaimed and the sacraments are celebrated.

I really enjoy seeing different church buildings, but the appearance of the building is not what guarantees that members of Christ’s church are inside. The loveliest, most ornate church could lack God’s Word in its truth and purity while a tiny, unimpressive building could contain solid teaching of the Word and faithful use of the sacraments. There the Holy Spirit is at work in people’s hearts with the means of grace.

It is important that we not be too focused on the visible church building. No matter how beautiful it is, it will not last. While it is great for believers to use their talents, gifts, and abilities to create a beautiful building and maintain and clean it, we also need to remember that this is not what is most important. Like Martha, who focused on cleaning and preparing a meal for Jesus, I know that I sometimes get too focused on earthly things and appearances. But I can remember also how Martha’s her sister Mary focused instead on Jesus and his Word. Jesus said, “Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42). I want to do the same.

Jan

2020

A letter to the depressed

Originally published on the Electric Gospel on August 26, 2017.

An open letter to those dear to me who are suffering with depression

by Hannah Carter

First of all, I just want to say that I love you immensely. As do all of us—your family, your best friends, and most importantly, God loves you more than anything.

I know how hard it is to describe how you’re feeling. I know it makes it even harder that very few people seem to actually understand you. I, too, don’t understand why your emotions are the way they are. I know you often times don’t understand why either. Why God chose this to be your cross to bear. I know you feel weak, but I’m here to tell you how strong you are – rather, how strong God has made you.

You are strong, so unbelievably strong. You feel so many things that you can’t describe, and yet you still live each day, day-to-day, like anyone else. Not many people can even tell what you go through. You put on a brave face and a wonderful contagious smile. When you tell people about your depression, they are shocked. They would never have guessed.

I know you feel like you have to hold things in. You don’t want to burden others with your problems—which you feel are insignificant, but they aren’t. They are significant to me and, more importantly, they are significant to God. I am here for you as much as humanly possible, but God is there for you always. Every single second, you can always go to him in prayer and he hears you. You can trust him no matter what, and he promises to sustain you. He will never leave you.

I know you don’t feel like you are worthy of anything – unworthy of love, unworthy of happiness, and many other things – but you are! You are worthy. Through Jesus’ death on the cross for you, you are worthy of God’s love. And does he ever love you! He loves you more than I do and that’s saying a lot.

Please never think that you shouldn’t belong here. God placed you on this earth for a reason. He knew you at the creation of the world and he created you with a purpose in mind. You are such a blessing in my life and lives of all of those you touch. Never let depression be the only thing by which you define yourself. You are so much more than that. You are funny, caring, and kind. You are smart. Your soul is beautiful. You are a child of God.

My prayer for you is that God continues to grant you the strength to carry on. That he continually shows his love to you and gives you many wonderful gospel lights in your life to motivate and remind you of his love and faithfulness.

Remember that I am always here for you, always praying for you, and sending love to you always.

Loving others

Forsaken … but not forsaken

Shining like the brightness of the heavens

All God’s People Are Priests

Confidence in God’s promises

God has it handled

Thoughts on Prayer

Church is about what’s inside

An open letter to those dear to me who are suffering with depression

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