27
Dec
2019

Are you listening?

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on December 10, 2015.

Deuteronomy 18:15 –  The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.

A Prophet Like Moses Will Come

by Amanda Becker

It happened again, as it had happened many times before.   I had given my students directions for an important assignment.  Immediately a hand went up and a student asked the dreaded question: “So what do we have to do?”

My immediate thought was, “Didn’t I just explain this thirty seconds ago?”

Have you experienced this with your own children, family, friends, or coworkers? Have you ever found yourself asking the words: “Are you even listening to me?”

Can you imagine how Moses felt every time the Israelites didn’t listen to him and God’s commands? How many times did he have to tell them to stop worshiping false idols, stop complaining, stop mistrusting the Lord? Can’t they just follow directions?

How many times have we been like the Israelites, not listening to the Lord? How many times aren’t we like children, asking, “So, what do we have to do?” when God has already told us. But instead of turning away from us in frustration, God sent us a teacher whose word we needed most of all. He sent a prophet like Moses but better than Moses – his very own Son, Jesus. We listen to Jesus because our very souls and eternal life are at stake. The ultimate Prophet, Jesus, tells us, “Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24).

Are you listening to Jesus?

Prayer: Dear Lord, forgive me when I fail to listen to your commands. I never have to demand to be heard by you, for you always listen to my heart.  You are a God of love and forgiveness. Please help me to be a more loving listener to you and to the people in my life, and forgive me when I stumble. Amen.

Posted by kyriesellnow
27
Dec
2019

Escaping the prison of guilt

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on October 30, 2015.  On October 31 each year, Protestants recall the anniversary of the Reformation – a movement that began in 1517 to reclaim the life and joy and hope of the gospel within the church.   Students in a history course I taught read a biography of Martin Luther, which highlighted not only his personal history but the main themes of the Reformation movement.   The following student writing was an essay from a student reflecting on Luther’s experience … and her own.

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Brought to life by the gospel

by Grace Williams

“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” ~ Galatians 2:21

Could you imagine living in a world where everything was up to you?  As Christians, we know full well that God has already done everything for us to secure our salvation. But what if this truth was not set in stone?  If achieving eternal life was based even in the slightest on our adherence to the law, the Bible spells out a very terrifying message: All persons have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  If this is true, how then could we possibly do anything to make ourselves pure in God’s eyes?

This is the question that tormented Martin Luther’s each and every waking moment during the years before he nailed up his famous 95 Theses.  Luther had been raised under the law-driven doctrine of the medieval Roman Church, and his spiritual state fully exemplified the dangers of excluding the gospel in one’s worship life.  He was constantly surrounded by church officials ordering him to repent of his sins, and tearful confessions were a daily ordeal.  Every time Luther committed even the “smallest” of sins, he would be overcome with grief and shame and go running to a priest to beg for assurance of forgiveness.  Often, he would even physically punish himself or go days without eating, in order to show penance for what he had done, in hopes that God would have mercy on his soul.  The worst part of it all–the pain, the torment, and the utter humiliation–was that he never knew if the measures he was taking were enough.

Most of us can’t even imagine living in a state of constant fear that our repentance isn’t enough.  While many may find it next to impossible to relate to Martin Luther, I have witnessed firsthand how powerful of a prison penance can be–and how the gospel changes everything!

When I was very little, I had severe Tourettes and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).  Today it has toned down quite a bit, and I have learned to cope with it and accept it as part of who I am.  It is just one of the many blessings God has given me to make me unique.  But I did not always see it this way.  In fact, it used to make my life a bit miserable.  Part of having OCD and Tourettes is that your mind is miswired to fixate itself on things that bother your conscience.  For instance, if you are brought up taught that “stupid” (for a mild example) is a bad word, you will be more inclined to have that word inadvertently cross your mind.  You can imagine as a Christian how fixated you could become on the bad sins you had committed!  I used to go through periods of time where I was so overcome by sins that I could not get out of my head that I was literally praying nonstop throughout the entire day.  (And I assure you, this is, sadly, no exaggeration!)  Some nights I would stay up hours on end, asking God why I was so sinful and begging that he would forgive me for all the terrible things I had committed that day.  I knew that Jesus had saved me … but I had also been taught that we should repent of all of our sins, and I was completely overwhelmed!  Finally, one night, I broke down in front of my parents. That is when God swooped in with his life-saving gospel!

Looking back on it, I realize now how foolish it was for me to doubt God’s forgiveness and mercy.  For a long time I wondered how God could possibly use that chapter of my life for my good–aside from me having A LOT of one-on-one time with him in the early hours of the morning.  It wasn’t until recently that I realized why he allowed me to carry that cross for so long.  Thanks to my experiences, I can relate to those who are burdened down by sin, and I can offer them the reassurance that God’s love covers over even a multitude of sins.  I understand better than ever how the law, without gospel, is meaningless!  Without gospel, we are slaves to sin and penance.  We cannot earn our way into Gods arms, nor can we atone for the good we have failed to do.  The gospel is truly the life-giving message that people so desperately need to hear!  That is why Luther’s work and the Reformation are so vital to Lutherans today.  God help us never to lose sight of the gospel, so that in confident faith we may proudly proclaim, “That no one is justified by the law before God is evident; for, the righteous person shall live by faith” (Galatians 3:11).

The law is a prison … but the gospel is the power of God for salvation, to everyone who believes!

Posted by kyriesellnow
27
Dec
2019

Journeying toward forgiveness

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on September 20, 2015.  In a summer class, participants were asked to write a doctrinal or personal article, pondering some aspect of our faith in Christ.  Desiree Alge penned a very personal account and has graciously granted permission for me to share her story on The Electric Gospel blog.  I deeply admire Desiree for her openness and willingness to talk about difficulties in life and overcoming them through Christ.

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Forgiveness — My Journey

by Desiree Alge

When children wrong their friends or their family, they are taught to apologize and ask for forgiveness. The trouble we find, though, is that it is simple to say the words, but to actually mean them is a bigger task. Sure, everyone makes mistakes, but coming clean and admitting the wrong you’ve done takes much more courage. And even harder is the challenge of forgiveness.

Sometimes I wonder if my mother was ever taught this fundamental lesson. After a rough childhood, she chose to follow the same path as her parents, with alcohol and drugs consuming her life. This vicious cycle led her to be these same people she hated. She became a wife and a mother at sixteen, divorced at eighteen, and was sent to prison several times in her young life. Because of the custody battles, I was sent back and forth between homes until I was six years old. During those years, I was left alone for days, stranded to take care of my baby brother and sister. I was surrounded by parties with alcohol, drugs, and drunk men. I dreaded the days my grandma dropped me off with my mother, and anxiously awaited her arrival to take me home with her. Even years after, my mom bribed me with gifts, but always failed to show up after I’d be waiting on the porch for hours. I felt let down, alone, and unworthy.

I never realized how hurt I was until I became older. Until recently, I hadn’t spoken or seen my mother in over ten years! Our first conversation left me bitter and angry. It contained no apologies or even a hint of regret. I caught myself thinking, “It’s impossible to forgive someone when they don’t even care!”

As I was contemplating all of the mean names I could call my mother, my mind led me to the cross. If Christ had this same attitude towards me as I did towards my mom, I would be sunk. There have been so many times in my life where I’ve been defiant, knowing right from wrong, yet choosing the wrong path. I’ve also ignored repentance, thinking that, “I’m forgiven anyways, so what’s the big deal?” If God decided to forgive only based on apologies received, I would have a lot of sins still on my slate. If Jesus forgives all of the terrible sins that I’ve committed, then who am I to withhold forgiveness from a fellow sinner in desperate need of God’s love?

I am human. I am sinful. I hold bitterness in my heart. I don’t want to be a prisoner to my mother or to resentment. I don’t want her to have this hold on me. Although I may feel like I’m punishing her by withholding forgiveness, I’m actually only hurting myself. The path to heal bitterness is through forgiveness.

No one deserves for their errors to be wiped clean — neither me nor my mother. We are on the same level of sin, no matter the earthly opinion. Whether I’m disrespectful or a liar, I deserve the same eternal punishment just like someone who neglected and abused her children. The words that stem from “forgive” are mentioned in the Bible 127 times and the concept is written many more! It is obviously a beautiful message that God wanted us to know and to live. Because of God’s forgiveness and grace, we receive eternal life! In Ephesians, it says: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). Why wouldn’t we want to share that peace with others?

Posted by kyriesellnow
27
Dec
2019

Confessing Christian faith

Originally published on the Electric Gospel on September 27, 2015.

In a theology course which included study of the ancient creeds of the church, I invited participants to write their own confessions of faith.  I’d like to share one of those confessional writings, which stated truths of the faith in a clear and thoughtful way.

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A Christian Creed

by Tim Walsh

I believe in God; God the almighty Father, God the perfect Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  These three persons are all God, and God all three of these persons – not one God wearing different masks, nor three distinct Gods, but one triune God, whose nature no one can understand.

This triune God, present from eternity, created everything out of nothing, and the world he made was entirely perfect – in his own words, “very good.” But humanity, the crown of his creation, rebelled against him, ruining the world that God had given to us. From that time, we have been by nature sinful. By our nature we seek to serve only ourselves, and as the first man and woman did, we flee from God at his approach, fearing his holy judgment. And because of this we deserve nothing more than death, for our rejection and hatred of the one who gave us life.

 

But God was not willing to see us separated from him for eternity. And so in his infinite love, the Father sent his beloved Son into our world. The Son of God took on flesh and was born from a virgin, and was given the name Jesus. In him full God and full man coexisted – not by a mingling of the natures, nor by some supernatural possession, or by dividing him into two halves, but together, in a way no one can understand. This Jesus, who was called Christ, lived a perfect, holy life, and he was unjustly executed to pay for the sins of all mankind. On a Roman cross he suffered the punishment that belonged to you, and to me, and to every other person who has lived or ever will. Jesus – God himself – died on that cross, and in his death he paid the price for every sin ever committed. And he did not stay dead! On the third day, he rose from the dead, and after appearing to his followers, returned to heaven forty days later. And I believe that, just as Christ was raised from the dead, so too will I be raised on the last day.

I do not believe any of this by my own choice. Indeed, if believing were left to me, I would surely be damned, for I am a wretched, ungrateful sinner. But through no merit of my own, God chose me to be one of his beloved children. He brought me into his fold by the work of the Holy Spirit, who inspired faith in my heart through the preaching of the good news of Jesus and the washing of baptism. I could never and would never have chosen him, but he chose me.

I do not deserve any of the incredible gifts that have been showered upon me by God. Every day brings blessing after blessing, and all I can do is praise God for his grace. Likewise, when sorrow and troubles come my way, I cling to the knowledge that the gift of salvation – the greatest gift ever given – is mine. No hardship can overshadow the joy that I take from this.

As one of God’s children, my life is not my own. I belong to my Father in heaven. I want to dedicate my whole life to him, just as Christ dedicated his life to me. In everything I do, I seek his glory, not my own. My every action, every step, every breath, is an opportunity to proclaim his name and the good things he has done.

This is what I believe.

Posted by kyriesellnow
27
Dec
2019

Being Christ to our neighbors in the city

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on August 11, 2015.  Henry Tyson wrote this powerful testimony in connection with his ministry in Milwaukee WI. He passionately urges all of us, in every city and town and village, to be living witnesses for Jesus to those among whom we live — to the communities we are called to serve in the name of Christ.

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Living as Christians in Milwaukee’s Central City

by Henry Tyson

How is it possible that there can be so many Christians and churches in Milwaukee’s central city and yet the church seems powerless in the face of segregation, poverty, and crime?  What can we say about the life of Christian and what such a life will look like in a city so gripped with ungodly behavior?  From a biblical standpoint, one can see that the life of a Christian in Milwaukee’s central city – in the face of all that we see – will be marked by extreme joy, increasing holiness, radical love, and urgent, prayerful solitude, all to the glory of God.

Satan has laid claim to this city by leading people away from the Lord and thoroughly destroying the fabric of traditional families and communities.  The resulting chaos enables Milwaukee to lay claim to the ignoble titles of most segregated city in America, city with the highest incarceration rates among African Americans, an extremely high homicide rate, and one of the highest rates of child poverty in the richest nation on earth.  If Christ were a Milwaukeean today, what would his ministry look like?  Where would we find him?  What would people make of him?  Surely we would find him joyful in demeanor, radical in love, urgent and prayerful in solitude, and fruitful in his ministry.

In his first letter, the apostle Peter explained why the life of a Christian will be a life filled with joy.  Following a clear and concise explanation of the pure gospel, Peter wrote, “Though you have not seen Christ, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls”  (1 Peter 1:8-9).  The “salvation of your souls” is in reference to the Christian’s movement from eternal death to eternal life as described by Paul: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24).  Therefore, the life of a Christian is filled with joy regardless of events or circumstances, because we have been justified by faith and our salvation is certain.  This is not something that we have to wait for but it is something that we have already received.  For this reason alone, the life of a Christian will be marked by a length and breadth of joy that cannot be understood by the world.

In addition to joyfulness, the life of Christian will be marked by increasing holiness.  What does this mean?  It means that the life of a Christian, as he or she matures, will be increasingly identified with the life of the Lord Jesus and therefore increasingly look like the life of the Lord Jesus.  The apostle Paul got at the heart of the matter when he wrote:  “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2).  The process of being “transformed by the renewing of your mind” is the process of sanctification – the process by which the Holy Spirit shapes the Christian’s life into a oneness with Christ.

The great 20th century theologian, Oswald Chambers, captured this wonderfully when he assured his readers that “sanctification does not mean anything less than the holiness of Jesus being made mine manifestly,” and “it is his patience, his love, his holiness, his faith, his purity, his godliness, that is manifested in and through every sanctified soul” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest). The Christian life therefore — in Milwaukee and at any time and in any place — is a life that increasingly reflects the holiness of Christ.

It is this concept of increasingly becoming and reflecting the holiness of Christ that mandates that the life of a Christian in a broken city and a hurting world will be marked by radical love.  Martin Luther King, Jr., understood the radical love of Christ when he wrote from Birmingham City Jail, “Was not Jesus an extremist for love – ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you’” (Letter from Birmingham City Jail)?  Dr. King understood that “Jesus love” goes far beyond the usual interpretations and extends as far as loving enemies and blessing those who insult us.  Further evidence of Christ’s radical love is found in Jesus’ tendency to hang out with sinners (Mark 2), his willingness to break social norms and talk to a Samaritan woman (John 4), and his willingness to forgive the very men who were conducting his execution (Luke 23).  And for those who doubt the radical nature of Christ, perhaps it is worth considering his very death – a wicked, lonely, brutal death that he chose out of obedience to the Father and love of mankind.

What sort of actions, then, does radical love display in the life of a Christian?  It will certainly look different from one to another but it will always be radical.  It might be radical in how much one gives to the poor, or where one chooses to live, or how much time and energy one sacrifices for children, or the boldness with which one speaks against the moral depravity of 21st century America.  Certainly, the life of a Christian in our hurting world will look nothing like the pursuit of the American dream, for the American dream is contrary to the holiness of Christ.  Indeed the natural reaction of the world to the radical love of Christ will be to persecute the Christian and view him or her as someone strange and different.  Peter identified this reality in his first epistle when he referred to the friends to whom he was writing as “aliens and strangers in the world” (1 Peter 2:11).  The life of a Christian, therefore, is on track and appropriate when he or she completely identifies with Christ and self-describes as an alien and stranger in the world.  This is the natural outcome of the radical love of Christ.

When the life of a Christian is full with a glorious and inexpressible joy, is increasingly holy, and responds to the world with an exhausting, radical Christian love, the Christian life — like the life of Christ himself — will be drawn toward and indeed will depend on times of solitude and prayer.  We note in Christ’s life, how in response to the beheading of John, the feeding of the five thousand, the fear of the disciples, the faithfulness and subsequent faithlessness of Peter, and the healing of the sick, that on more than one occasion, Jesus “went up on a mountainside by himself to pray” (Matthew 14).  So engaged is the Christian worker in the life and activities of Christ, that he or she will, by both desire and need, find himself or herself in regular solitude and prayer.  Just as Jesus needed this time to connect with the Father, so the Christian worker needs this time to connect with Christ and the heavenly Father.  The Christian life is not just praying in church or at bedtime.  The Christian will, in the words of Paul, “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:16).  Regular times of solitude and prayer will be a mark of the Christian life in the central city.

The Gospels and the books of the New Testament paint a wonderful picture of the life of Christ, the lives of the earliest church workers, and provide a clear road map for modern day Christians.  In a city with so much hurt, so much divisiveness, so much ungodly behavior, it is easy for Christians to retreat to their homes and churches and disengage from the world.  But we must not.  Instead, we stride forward and exhibit the glorious joy that comes through our justification by way of the cross, the holiness that comes through sanctification, the radical, engaging love of Christ, and constant times of prayer and solitude that fill us up and draw us ever closer to oneness with Christ.  This is the life of a Christian in Milwaukee’s central city.

Posted by kyriesellnow
27
Dec
2019

Jesus has built a home for us

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on July 9, 2015.  The following devotion was written in connection with a Devotional Writing course that I led. 

A House Built for Us

by Monica Sletten

It’s nice to have a house to call our home.   We all live in structures built by someone – houses, apartments, mobile homes.   Every sort of house was built by a carpenter or other types of builders.  After the builders do their job and build a house, people like you and me live in them.  Once the house is finished, people move their stuff into their new home.

Sometimes when we get new things we are very protective of that “stuff” and the houses in which we keep our stuff.   We can become overly worried about what our houses look like, whether our stuff is as nice as our neighbors’ stuff, and other such concerns about things we have in this world.   It is very easy to get so caught up in who has the most toys, the prettiest clothes, the coolest cars, or who had the best carpenters and builders to build their house.  Not all builders do the same quality of work.  Sometimes they forget a nail, use an imperfect piece of wood, or simply don’t make a very attractive style of house.

But you know what?  The style of the houses we live in here on earth and the things that fill our houses are not truly the most important things.  There is a carpenter who has built us a house that is perfect, a home that is flawless. There is nothing wrong with the house he has built, and he promises he has a room in this house waiting for each member of his family.  Does anyone know who this carpenter is that I have in mind?

Jesus!

Jesus was raised as the son of Joseph, a carpenter.  He likely learned how to build things as part of growing up with Joseph and Mary in Nazareth.  But I’m talking about a different sort of house-building that Jesus has done.  Jesus said, “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3).  Jesus has made rooms ready in heaven for us by the work that he has done for us.  He has built places in the heavenly Father’s house for each of us by his life and death and resurrection.  Through what Jesus did, we have a place with God, a home for eternity.   All our sins are forgiven and we now have a room waiting for us. We don’t have to do anything to earn this place in God’s perfect house.  We simply trust Jesus, who promises he will take us there to be with him.

This is truly such a blessing that Jesus has given to us – the gift of an eternal home with God!   With that heavenly home in view, we will stop fussing so much about what sorts of houses or garages or other stuff we have here on earth now.  If someone has a house that is more beautiful and bigger than yours, don’t worry about it.  Jesus promises us that he will take us to live with him in his Father’s house, where he has prepared places just for us.  I can’t wait to experience what that house is like!

Posted by kyriesellnow
27
Dec
2019

An invitation to church

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on June 12, 2015.  The following was written as a “letter to a friend” assignment in one of my Bible courses.

Come to church with me!

by Elizabeth Jeske

Hey, Jack!

It was so good hanging out with you last week! It seems like it’s been so long since we have spent some quality time together. It totally felt like the moment we left off though, as if no time had passed since we last hung out. I’m glad that we are that close!

You know that I care about you very much and only want the best things for you. Because of this, I can tell when you are not doing so well. I have noticed that you have not been going to church lately. I am not making any accusations and judgments, merely stating what I have observed. I know that there are dozens of reasons that people miss church, like sickness or traveling. But since this has been happening frequently, I have become a bit worried as to why you are regularly missing church.

The Bible has quite a bit to say as to why we attend church. First and foremost, it is a way to preserve and strengthen our faith.  We are encouraged to “draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:22-25).

This section of Scripture speaks about several reasons we should go to church. First, we go to church because we are sinful beings. We consistently sin. I mean, we can’t NOT sin. We always are falling short of what we are supposed to be doing, falling short of what is expected of us. What better way is there to be reminded of our forgiveness, to have our consciences cleansed, than immersing ourselves in the Word in worship?

Another purpose of church is to get us into the habit of fellowship. The ability to profess your faith with other Christians is a wonderful experience. Being able to worship with other Christians helps strengthen our faith. It is also encouraging to see others in the faith worshipping alongside you. And Christ says that when two or more are gathered together, he is also there.

Faith needs to be nourished and stay active.  An idle faith is sure to lead to no good. When we do not use our faith, it is not growing. It is not doing anything. An idle faith is not prepared for the temptations and devastations of the world. Regular worship is beneficial to keeping faith refreshed and prepared for the sin that constantly surrounds us. Continually going to church is a good way to stay active in our faith.

You might say that it is not worth going to church when your heart is not in it. While it might seem that way, it is quite the opposite. Going to church, even when our hearts are not in the right place, allows the Holy Spirit a chance to enter into our hearts. Closing our minds to going to church eliminates any chance of that happening. Going to church might be exactly what our faith needs.

Look, I know that hearing this from a friend is not the easiest thing to deal with. I know it might change our friendship a little bit, but I care about your faith-life enough to express my concerns. This is by no means a way to claim I know everything about you or to make you feel belittled. I just care enough to try to be helpful when I can.

If you would like, I would love to take you to church sometime. We can even explore a new congregation that we have not been to before, if you’d like. I would not mind if we went out to brunch afterwards. Just let me know!

Hope to hear from you soon,

Elizabeth

Posted by kyriesellnow
27
Dec
2019

Self-worth: You are precious

 Originally published on The Electric Gospel on June 1, 2015.

You Are Precious in His Sight

by Emily Hunt

Have you ever seen the PBS television show, Antiques Roadshow?  The program features local antique owners who bring in all kinds of obscure items to be appraised by experts. Most often, the owners walk away disappointed after being told that their item is worth about as much as it looks like it would be worth. However, every time I watch this show, I am shocked at the number of seemingly worthless items that receive appraisals of thousands, or even tens of thousands of dollars. How can something so ugly be worth so much?

Do you ever feel like the people on this show? Do you feel the need to seek not only the approval of this world, but an appraisal as well? Do you present yourself before the “experts” of this world to ask your worth? I know I do. “Here I am world! Here are all my talents, abilities, personality traits, my looks, and my possessions! What am I worth? Do you want me?”

If you are anything like I am, you may sometimes walk away from the expert appraisers of this world with your head hung low. You thought you had a lot to offer, but why doesn’t anyone else see that? You fought so hard for that position or promotion, but somebody else beat you out. You work yourself ragged day in and day out, yet you never hear those words of thankfulness from the people you love. You gave everything you had to that man who said he loved you, but he left you anyway. You struggle to understand your purpose in this life. You find yourself consumed with questions like, “Why am I not good enough? What is wrong with me? Why doesn’t anybody appreciate me? Why doesn’t anybody want me? Why doesn’t anybody love me?”

Maybe you’re on the opposite end of the spectrum and the appraisal you receive from the world pleases you and in it you find your worth. You are generally well-liked. You got that job you worked so hard for. You live in a highly respected neighborhood in a beautiful house that is the envy of all your friends. You keep up with all the latest fashion trends and can even afford to fill your closet with such things. Life is treating you well and you feel that you have found your place. If this describes you, you must ask yourself: “What if I lost all of this? What if I had nothing? Would I still be content? Would I still feel worthy?”

No matter which end of the spectrum you identified yourself with, we all share the same problem. So often, we run to the appraisers of this world to find our worth. We throw everything we have at them and beg them to tell us that we are worth something. We compare ourselves to everyone else around us and wonder why we can’t have what they have. When did we get the idea that we have to be found worthy in the eyes of the world? Who told us that we need to fit in with this world? The answer is simple: The world itself tells us that. Our sinful, worldly flesh seeks the desires of this world. We look to the world to give us our value.

To understand what is wrong with this picture, I want you to think about a dollar bill. Who determined that a dollar bill is worth 100 cents? The government set that value. What gives the government the right to give a dollar bill its value?  The government created the dollar bill. What if the dollar bill gets crumpled up, stomped on, or even spit on. Does it still have the same value? Absolutely.

I hope you are starting to see where I am going with this. What right does the world have to determine your value? Does the world have any ownership over you? No. Then why, WHY do we look to the world for our worth? Just like that dollar bill, our value is determined by our Creator. God tells us in the Psalms that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). We know who our Maker is, and it is in him and from him that we find our worth.

And our God loves us so incredibly much that he seeks after us when we stray from him and his Word. Our God loves us so incredibly much that he does not count our sins against us; rather, he has already prepared a place for us in his perfect and glorious heavenly kingdom. If you are still struggling with feelings of worthlessness, please let this last truth sink in to your heart. Our God loves us so incredibly much that he gave up his one and only Son. Our perfect Creator sent his perfect Son to live a perfect life and die an innocent death in our place. You probably know these words by heart, but let the words resonate in your heart:  “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  How is it even possible that we could ever feel worthless after hearing such a beautiful message as this?

Do you remember my question at the beginning of this article about Antiques Roadshow? I asked, how can something so ugly be worth so much? Here we are, the ugliest of sinners, standing before our Maker. Our appraisal should tell us that we are completely worthless; so worthless in fact, that we deserve to die eternally in hell. However, God in his amazing mercy and love looks at us through the grace of Jesus and sees his beautiful children whom he loves unconditionally.  God looks at us and sees people who are more precious than gold or silver, so precious because of the blood of his own Son.

When you are feeling worthless, remember that God loves you with an unconditional, all-consuming, and redemptive love. Remember that your appraisal comes from Christ alone. Remember that you are so deeply loved, highly treasured, and mercifully redeemed. Look to the world no longer. Look to Christ. You are precious in his sight. 

Posted by kyriesellnow
27
Dec
2019

Do we truly love each other in the church?

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on June 26, 2015.

In a religion course that I taught, I asked participants to say something in a personal way about the church — either in the form of an essay or in poetry or song or by an artistic creation. They had much freedom of what form their words or images would take.  I received many thoughtful and beautiful pieces.  One of the most striking testimonies came from a dear soul who came from the Caribbean island nation of  St. Lucia to study in the United States. She wrote in urgent, stream-of-consciousness fashion.  Evodia evokes our heartfelt response.  She speaks of  struggles within what is supposed to be the loving community of the church.  How often within the body of Christ, the church, do we leave individual members feeling similar aches and distress?  How often do we forget what Christ’s apostle urged of us? 

  • By the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.  For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. … Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.  (Romans 12:3-5, 10-16).

I pray you will appreciate Evodia’s honest expressions of hurt and hope … and that we all find greater hope and love in community with one another.  This is a longer item here on The Electric Gospel blog, but well worth your time.

Running on Empty

by Evodia Cassius

I wish I were able to truly express how I feel. This my sixth attempt to write this essay and the words still do not pour out of me naturally. I am hesitant and unsettled. I guess my title “Running on Empty” is proving itself to be true on many accounts. Apart from the five failed attempts at this paper, I also have two failed poetry attempts and two failed paintings. Honestly the paintings were not failures, they just do not accurately express my story.  Neither did the poetry or the other writing attempts. Hence this blog entry … this series of blog entries. This real-life talking style about my failed successes and empty full life. The irony is painful. As I write, the butterflies in my stomach seem not to enjoy the frenzy in my head because they are trying their best to escape. This is my story, my blog, my irony.

Insanity

Shy? Afraid? Unsure? Quitter, deserter, pitiful coward, downer … these are not me. So why do I feel like it is becoming second nature to be all these things? Why do such attributes seem to be the very essence that makes up this temporary dwelling in which my soul lives? Why has living become so hard? Why do I feel defeated before I even attempt something? And more, why do I keep trying if I know that the outcome will be the same?  I am beginning think that I MISSED SOME IMPORTANT LESSON that God attempted to teach me, so as a result I go through and do the same things over and over again expecting a change. The very definition of insanity.

Broken

Helpless, needy, clingy, desperate, attention-seeking … these are not me. But someone said even though you glue the pieces back together, you can still see the cracks. Someone else said once it is broken—though you may make the unit whole again—the element is now weaker than it originally was. If these theories are true, what can be said for something that is repeatedly broken and smashed? Does it not stand to reason that one day like Humpty Dumpty the pieces will not be able to be put back together again?  I wear a mask. A façade, a camouflage, if you would like to call it that. Something that hides the cracks and the holes where the pieces that once were are now lost.  Yes I admit it, I am broken.  … And just when I think that by some miracle I am healed and whole, something bumps me over again, reminding of how weak my structure is, of how fragile I have grown over the years. Of how unstable I really am.

Empty

Depressed, sad, lonely, losing faith? These are not me.  A priest once told me that questions do not equal lack of faith. I agreed; it was more my curious nature that drove the questions. But when the questions have been answered and yet still they linger or they resurface, a door is opened. A door that allows more things to come in, but not go out. This door brings past hurts and darkness creeping back in. Slowly but surely, the once brightly-painted room is overcome with a darkness, and the fear is that all the light will be gone.

“What brought all this about?” you may ask. God, the devil, myself? That is an excellent question. You see, I had thought not too long ago that life was splendid. Grand with images of butterflies and rainbows behind every corner. Allow me to explain what I believe happened.

Seeing the light

You know that feeling when some startling revelation occurs, when a conspiracy is uncovered, when some big holes are poked into something you thought was all good? That feeling you get of deep despair and confusion and a stomach ache that you cannot explain? That is the feeling that I felt. That is what I experienced. I came to this unknown place with the best of intentions. I was told, “You will be among God-fearing people, people who believe in the same thing you believe. People who love God just as much as you do.”  And that brought me face to face with a painful irony … I love God … but I don’t love you?  The Bible itself asks how can you love someone you cannot see but hate the people you see.  “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen” (1 John 4:20).

So which love is it? Which love will mine be?  Which love will be in the hearts of those around me?  It’s hard to come to terms with love within the church when the church has lost the love it had at first (Revelation 2:3).  Where is love when your loyalty to God is measured on your attendance statistics at each and every religious service, and not on how you treat and relate to the people in your very presence?  Where is love when you can have a conversation with someone now, and five minutes later not acknowledge their presence? Where is love when you are treated differently because you are different, or just because?  When judgment is cast without knowledge of the person?   It is sad. It is hurtful. It is infuriating.

I asked my mother, “How can they say they love God, my God, and behave the way they do? Is it just me? Am I the wrong one?”  I pray almost constantly, “God, if I am at fault, help me see and help me change.”  But it had gotten increasingly difficult to deal with life within the lukewarmness of my surroundings.  Increasingly difficult to smile, to be, to live.  A minister friend tells me, “You are exactly where God wants you to be.” And I need to believe this because it is the only thing that keeps me going at times. But is it true … or is it a means of pacification so I stop questioning things? I am not saying that I am the only person who struggles, and the Lord knows that my issues may be rather insignificant compared to others. So who am I to complain? But I do feel empty and low. I feel like a failure because I am not happy where I am. God has richly blessed me and all my endeavors; he always has. I cannot say that he has ever left my side. But where I am at the moment feels wrong … in my gut, in my soul. Sometimes if feels like everything around me is rejecting me, telling me constantly, “You do not belong. Something here is different, you are the odd one out, a foreigner that has infiltrated and is not wanted. A cancer. A poison.” I walk into a room and people go quiet. Conversations cease and people walk away. People’s attitudes towards me change overnight. I am not so self-centered to think that I am always the topic of conversation, but I am old enough to know when life is like high school all over again.

Should I stay in my room and brood or cry?  That’s not me.  I feel like I need to stifle myself and change to be accepted as one of the masses. That’s not me. I do not want to fit in, be one with all others, if being one of the masses means that I am no longer an individual but a drone. I want the respect I deserve.  I deserve it not because of the color of my skin or the country of my origin, not because I am better than anyone else. I deserve respect as a child of God – not because I have not done anything to deserve that title.  But the Lord has lavished his love on me and called me his own in Christ (1 John 3:1).  And, I will remember, the Lord has called many others as his children too – people different from me, people not like me.  And we owe each other love and respect as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

Prayer

Lord, help what Paul prayed be true for me.  Help what Paul prayed be true for those around me.  Help us, within your body, your church, to be more and more filled with the love of Christ and with love for one another. …

  • I pray that out of his glorious riches, the Father may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:16-19).
Posted by kyriesellnow
27
Dec
2019

Don’t make life more difficult for those hurt by others’ sins

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on May 6, 2015.

A dear friend wrote the following thoughts about life as she had experienced it.  Her message is something we in the church need to consider.

***********************

My Life as a Child of Divorce

Author’s name withheld

I am a product of divorce.  It has surrounded me my entire life.  As a child, it defined me.  As an adult, it scares me.  In the United States, an estimated fifty percent of marriages end in divorce.  That means when you get married, there is a high chance it will fail.  In our churches, we believe that there are two biblical causes for divorce: malicious desertion and marital unfaithfulness.   The divorces that impacted me fell into such a category.  It didn’t matter though.  In the church I was treated differently because of them.   My parents were divorced – so of course I must be a troubled child.  At least that’s how everyone made me feel.

I was too young to remember my parents getting divorced.  As I started school, however—a church-sponsored school—I started to notice that I was being treated differently than the other students.  For one, I was new and the other kids just kind of looked at me funny.  Second, I was always naughty.  Maybe I played into the assumptions, sure.  If I was going to get reprimanded, might as well get to enjoy what I would be scolded for.  This was first grade.  As school continued, it got worse.  Although I did make friends, you would never hear me talk about my parents and their being divorced.  I knew divorce was bad, and I would get embarrassed and worried for my parents spiritual lives when we would talk about the 6th commandment in school.  “You shall not commit adultery.” Divorce means adultery.  It would click in my head, and I would sit there and not say anything about it in class. I sometimes wonder if my teachers ever noticed that it bothered me.

Time moved on and I ignored things and was still “talking too much” or “not listening.” I would dread the talk on commandments but school was school. It was normal.

In my 6th grade year, my mom got married again.  He was a great guy;  my sister and I really liked him.  But later, we found out he was a struggling drug addict.  In 6th grade, you are just turning into a teenager; you’re awkward, and you care way too much what your friends think.   As selfish as it is, I didn’t think too much on the fact that my family was falling apart but more at the idea of my mom getting ANOTHER divorce.  I was embarrassed and sad, wondering if my mom would be okay to go to heaven.  I heard not a word from anybody in my church or school about it.  It seemed it wasn’t to be talked about.  I look back and wonder why no one could have made it clear to me that I was okay, that my sister was okay, that my mom was okay.  This man’s drug addiction, which he chose over us in the long run, was him not doing his marital duties.  He essentially deserted us.  The comfort I would have had in hearing that sort of understanding from the church would have changed my life, I think.  But no, I avoided having friends come over, avoided ever talking about my family.  And when the 6th commandment came around in class, I remember not wanting to go to school that day.

I went to school that day.  No one clarified anything to me or comforted me or anything.  To their credit, maybe they didn’t know I was struggling with such things, and maybe I should have asked.  But what twelve-year-old is going to raise her hand in class at a religious school and say, “Is my mom’s divorce okay?”  That would never happen.

Eventually I came to my senses a little.  I looked into it myself and started putting things together.  I realized, my mom’s divorce was biblically sound.  Still, that didn’t mean I wasn’t treated differently.   I went to a Christian high school, and not many people there had divorced or separated parents.  Even though I started to get my school life on track and realized I didn’t have to be the wounded, naughty student, it didn’t stop certain things in my life.  I had a serious boyfriend for about two years, who ultimately broke up with me because my parents were divorced.  He said he “just couldn’t deal with it and felt like he could never marry me.”   Couldn’t marry me … we were just kids in high school!  But it showed me again how divorced persons are perceived as having committed some heretical sin.  My boyfriend knew the whole story and still felt that way.  It is infuriating.

Divorce is hard on children.  As a small child and even as a teenager, dealing with your parents splitting and the conflict and assumptions around you – it is really hard.  I always wanted to be the pastor’s daughter whom everyone loved and had “no problems.” As silly as that is, it was impossibly hard to think that you will always be looked at like you’re sinful because your parents are divorced.

God knows that mistakes are made.  I’m not saying he approves or is okay with sin, but he knows we humans are sinful.  Sometimes divorce can be looked at by some people as about the worst of sins.  Why is that the case?  One sort of sinner is not better than another.  People who get divorced—even not for biblical reasons—can be forgiven.   Our focus shouldn’t be on the stigma of certain sins, but on the repentance and faith of the sinner.

Now the real question is: What can we do about this?  It goes further than just divorce. What about the people who struggle with other challenges and sins?  People who are judged for their circumstances can be turned off by such judgment.  I’m not saying to accept people in their sins, absolutely not.  But we need to show patience and understanding.  Both law and gospel need to be applied.  Struggling sinners are forgiven because Jesus died for them.

Also, do not make assumptions.  You do not know the story behind a divorce most of the time.   Do not assume everyone who is divorced came to that position by pursuing sin.  Some have been deeply hurt and sinned against.  And we have no clue what is in another person’s heart. Approach persons with support and with loving words.  That could be all they need to begin healing.

The point of this article is not to complain about how challenging my childhood was or how everyone around me handled things wrong.  That is not true.  Although my childhood had rough spots, it was not horrible.  I am writing this to raise awareness of things that could be happening if we are open to helping one another.  Life is hard; we are sinful people.  What is most important—in fact, the ONLY thing that is ultimately important—is what Christ did for us.  “God gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him may not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).    Let us praise our Lord above for being a gracious loving God who forgives all sins.  And let us seek to help and forgive each other, rather than making life even more difficult for those who’ve been affected by hurtful sins.

Posted by kyriesellnow
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