Posts - The Electric Gospel

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!

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

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.

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).

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.

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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 6^th 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 6^th 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 6^th 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 6^th 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.

Dec

2019

Springtime thoughts

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on March 21, 2015. March 20th of that year was the first day of spring … inspiring some springtime thoughts for this blog.

Nurturing Growth

by David Sellnow

Spring has sprung … and I’m reminded of all that’s amiss in my yard. The boulevard is more dirt than grass. There are bare spots and weeds throughout the main lawn. The bushes in back and hedges out front are part dead, part unruly and overgrown. The flowerbeds never got raked out properly before winter came; they are mucky mess. Much must be done to get things growing and going in the right direction.

When our yards need tending, we tend to labor with springlike eagerness. Do we work at relationships with human beings with as much energy?

Maybe a connection with a coworker is gnarled and thorny. Rather than avoiding contact, might you pay more attention to each other and prune away places where you get twisted around each other?

Maybe roots with family have gone dormant and your love has browned. What watering can you do to rejuvenate family ties and green things up?

Maybe you’re a teacher and a student’s performance has been poor – not much is budding or blooming. Will you let that student wither away or do all you can to prod her, cultivate her interest, nurture learning and understanding?

Jesus once told this parable (Luke 13:6-9):

“A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

“‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

Jesus’ words point specifically to our spiritual condition and the Lord’s patience in dealing with us. God grant us the patience to be nurturing and supportive with our fellow human beings – first and foremost in regard to spiritual growth, but also in the day-to-day aspects of our relationships as the Spirit strives to awaken new life in all that we do.

Dec

2019

When heaven seems silent

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on March 28, 2015.

We’re heading into Holy Week – an annual remembrance of Jesus’ darkest hours. At week’s beginning, he was hailed with cheers and acclaim by the people of Jerusalem. By week’s end they looked upon him with revulsion and demanded his death. During his unthinkable suffering, his thoughts were on us, the people for whom he was living his life, for whom he was dying in ignominy at our hands. In any suffering we face now, we look to our Lord as the one who has suffered for us, who has redeemed us, who gives us hope.

Writing to someone she knows is suffering, Jenni Mickelson points to Jesus and the hope we have in him — even when circumstances seem hopeless. We know that not only did he suffer for us; he reclaimed his life in victory and assures us of victory.

A letter to someone who is suffering

by Jenni Mickelson

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For the one who wants to let go…but must hold on: “We walk by faith, not by sight.”

(2 Corinthians 5:7)

—

“I believe in the sun even when it is not shining.
I believe in love even when I do not feel it.
I believe in God even when he is silent.”

– Etched on cellar wall during the Holocaust
—

Dear one, I feel your pain behind the smile, the hopeful words and “musts” and “dos.” You are longing for a present much better than the one you are in. It’s as if you are in a thick mud at the side of a road, struggling in panic like an injured deer, back legs broken, to flee her fear and her pain. You speak of a new day, a new heaven and a new earth, and you pray and you read and you thank. But in the next breath you are crying for another time, another place, another life.

Let me tell you this: Your life has been a prelude to this moment. This moment, when the cross feels too unbearable to carry, the strain too great for your feeble arms, the fear and the agony too overwhelming to endure one more step on the narrow road. God has led you here, to this moment, to follow the blood-stained footsteps of Jesus.

Rejection, torture, anguish – these defined the hours, the days, the years of our Lord here on earth. True God and true Man – and this was his destiny: to be forsaken by his children, to be gruesomely flogged and crucified like a criminal, to hang in the sight of unbelieving onlookers and a Father who put his only Son through the pain of hell – for us.

“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?…
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)

Sin did not waste its time in tormenting our Savior. But sin was not greater. Sin’s wrath did not define our dear Jesus. For, on that early Sunday morning, in the pale of a new dawn, he rose above the grave and received the glory of life. And it is this that he gives us, too, willingly.

When you fall under your cross, let the blood of our God renew you and give you strength. As you collapse under the load, let the power of Jesus’ love and mercy pick your feeble body back up. And when sin finally threatens to impale you with the nails of hell forever, point to the hill at the end of the road – the hill of victory, the hill of God’s Passion. You will live another day. This moment is God’s love letter to you: “Live. Do you see the light of my Son in you? ‘Your faith has made you well’” (Luke 17:19).

“I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:13-14).

Dec

2019

Giving up something for Lent (and more)

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on February 21, 2015.

Giving up ourselves for others

by David Sellnow

Have you given up something for Lent? The history of Lenten fasting dates back to the ancient church. Many Christians continue to observe Lent as a time to set aside things of this world and focus on faith. And nowadays the practice of giving up something for Lent has been adopted by many non-religious people too. 31-year-old David Powers of Los Angeles, disc jockey and band member and medical marijuana seller, hasn’t participated in church since he was in high school. But as a personal thing, during Lent he gives up his own marijuana use. He says, “Lent has been a great excuse for me to take a much-needed break from pot, and I have learned that I really don’t need it to get by. … I think that the idea of giving up something that you love, especially something that isn’t especially good for you, once a year, is a really good idea that everyone could benefit from.”[1]

David Powers’ approach – give up something you love for a while – is a popular approach. According to the ultimate source of truth on what’s happening in the world, Twitter, the #1 thing that people are giving up for Lent is chocolate. Fast food and junk food rank in the top ten also. Oh, and the #2 thing people are giving up, according to Twitter, is … Twitter.[2] So, well, maybe that’s not an entirely reliable source of truth then.

I don’t want to trivialize the habits of those who give up something for Lent in a serious-minded way as a part of a Christ-centered devotional focus. After all, as a very gospel-focused man once said, “Fasting and other outward preparations may serve a good purpose.”[3] But I do wonder if the whole concept of me giving up something for a while to try to be a better me is missing the point of what it means to live a life of faith.

What if instead of me giving up some small thing (like chocolate or junk food) for six weeks, the Lord asked me to give up my whole self for my whole life? What if living as a redeemed and reborn person in Christ meant, in my relationships with others, having “the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5)? That for you it means you “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit” but instead you “value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you looking to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3,4)? That is, of course, exactly the sort of life Christ calls us to live as his people —

Christ, who himself came not to be served but to serve;
Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for many (cf. Mark 10:45);
Christ who, as the apostle Paul reminded us, “gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14).

My brothers and sisters, redeemed people of God in Christ, rescued from our own sinfulness and set free to live in love by the strength of Jesus’ love for us, we are called to give up ourselves, to give up our selfishness, to give up our me-first attitudes … and to do so not just for Lent but for all our days.

The apostle Paul talked about giving up ourselves—putting ourselves in second place in relationship to others—in regard to matters we refer to as adiaphora, matters where there is not one absolute way in which we must view things or do things. In “disputable matters,” as Paul termed them, the important thing is that we give up our own ambition to be always right or always in charge or always getting our way and live in love and consideration of one another.

These are selected verses from Paul’s letter to the Romans (14:1 thru 15:7):

Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. …
For none of us lives for ourselves alone,and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. …
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. …
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. . We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” … May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

[1] Gabrielle Canon, Celebrating Lent: Why Non-Religious Millennials are Choosing to Sacrifice,” Southern California Public Radio (March 29, 2013). http://www.scpr.org/news/2013/03/29/36612/celebrating-lent-why-non-religious-millennials-are/

[2] http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2014/march/what-to-give-up-for-lent-2014-twitter-reveals-top-100-choic.html?paging=off

[3] Martin Luther, Small Catechism – “The Reception of Holy Communion”

Dec

2019

The Christian and cultural celebrations

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on December 30, 2014.

The holiday season is full of traditions. A lot of cultural traditions attach themselves to Christian holidays … and there are cultural holidays and traditions unconnected to Christian themes also. That’s true not only in the United States but in other countries as well.

This edition of The Electric Gospel comes from Joyce Christmas, who talks about one of the cultural traditions in her country — and the freedom Christians have to participate in cultural events in a wholesome way. We need not turn away from all things within our culture that are not themselves a part of the Christian tradition. We have freedom to enjoy life in our communities and display our “good behavior in Christ” for all to see (1 Peter 3:16).

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Christian Freedom

by Joycelyn Christmas

Every year in Antigua and Barbuda, the country celebrates a cultural event called Carnival. The historical idea behind this event is celebration of the abolition of slavery in the 1800s. It is said that upon emancipation, freed slaves took to the streets with pans and drums and celebrated by beating them and dancing freely and wildly. Nowadays, many islanders have come to the conclusion that Carnival has lost its true meaning and people use this time as an excuse to party and get drunk. Based on the society in Antigua, Christians are told not to go to Carnival celebrations. Some view participating in the steel pan music competition or Calypso competition as excessive revelling. They think that the Bible has an unwritten law which forbids people from dancing to cultural music or playing the steel pan to secular music. These people think that Carnival celebrations do not honour God and therefore are sinful.

How can people with this mindset say this is God’s word? The Bible does not say that a person must refrain from cultural celebrations. It is similar to the fact that the Bible does not tell us what we should eat. Instead, what the Bible informs us, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). There are areas of our life where God has not given a command to do something; neither has he given a command that forbids us. Such areas are known as adiaphora. We are to exercise Christian freedom in our daily lives. People who do not understand the idea of adiaphora do not understand why we can go to watch the Carnival parade of people dressed up in colourful costumes dancing in rhythm to sweet soca music.

Essentially, the reason why we are able to participate in the celebration of our rich culture– namely, Carnival–is as a result of the ultimate freedom we have in Christ. Christ’s death on the cross did not only free us from the bondage of sin, death and the devil but it also freed us from the old covenant. As a matter of fact we were not even bound by the Old Testament cultural laws because they were intended for a different audience, namely the chosen nation of Israel. Christ came to fulfil the law in our place (Matthew 5: 17). Obedience to laws or rules does not make us righteous. Those who rely on a legalistic system by obeying laws or rules to win God’s favour are in for a rude awakening. The true law of God reminds us that we can never meet God’s demands. This does not imply that we are to disregard God’s will and do as we please. What it means is when we practice our Christian freedom we are to remember our justification and sanctification. A sanctified life will make decisions which bring glory to God.

In exercising our Christian freedom, we are to be open-minded in thinking about our neighbours and how our actions will affect them. We consider new converts and how weak their faith might be, so we proceed with care that we do not cause them to stumble in their faith. At the same time we explain the concept of Christian freedom to those who are ignorant of it. The purpose of this knowledge will give insights into God’s Word and steer people from making laws where there are none.

A Christian can participate in Carnival without going against God’s will. One might question such a statement as Carnival is often associated with revelry. Arguably, that is true for some people; but it is not so much as where you go but how you act or the manner in which you conduct yourself. How is a person bringing dishonour to God by going to listen to steel pan music or by being part of a steel pan group which plays cultural songs? When did God say that persons cannot celebrate their heritage? The situation is different if a person goes to Carnival and gets caught up in the drinking so much that they become consumed with alcohol. Although the Bible does not forbid drinking of alcohol we are reminded by Paul that we should not want to be “mastered by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12). Excessive drinking leads to intoxication.

In matters of adiaphora, it also is the case that we think not only of ourselves but of those around us: “‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say – but not everything is beneficial” (1 Corinthians 6:12). We are considerate of our brothers and sisters in Christ because we do not want to create a stumbling block for them. So we limit the amount of alcohol consumed during festive activities and in that way honour Christ, who said, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Basically, you can have a good time with some clean fun without bringing disgrace to God’s name. Indeed, you may well be shedding light on the way one truly lives in Christ and celebrates a cultural event in a proper way.

God help us to share the knowledge of the freedom we have in Christ—even freedom in our daily life activities—so that the society we live in can understand rather than make judgments about us.

Dec

2019

Three little words

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on December 2, 2014.

When we say, “I love you,” do we mean it? Karla Kehl offers some thought on that subject – with a focus on the consistent reliability of God’s love.

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I. Love. You.

by Karla Kehl

“I love you!” is a common phrase. How often have you heard this said? Many times, it seems we cannot say it enough to someone and other times we say it because we feel we have to, or merely to fill a moment of silence. Just think about the last time you said or heard, “I love you!” – a phrase that claims to say it all. What really was meant?

Let’s look at the phrase more closely. “I” is a simple enough word to understand. It tends to be the word we interject into our conversations even if the conversation isn’t about us. “I” becomes the subject we talk about the most, not necessarily because we are arrogant, but because we know the most about it. Other words, such as “me” and “my” are related and seem to stream out of our mouths more than all other words. Look at any story from a 10-year-old child. The writing will most likely begin every sentence with “I” in some way or form … and our perspective tends to stay that way as we age. When it comes right down to it, we are only concerned about number one: me.

Now let’s venture into the vast world of “love.” There are many kinds of love—agape (committed love), philia (brotherly love), eros (erotic love) , etc. Depending on the person we say the word “love” to, the meaning changes. But do we actually love the person? Many times we are tempted to think of our feelings when we think of people we love, not necessarily the person and their qualities. For instance, how many times has “I love your sense of humor,” or something similar, entered our conversations? What is the subject of that sentence? The subject is “I” and the verb is “love.” So really, we aren’t focused on the other person at all! Again, it’s all about number one and how that other person makes me feel. “I love your sense of humor” may well mean “I love that you make me laugh.”

And now let’s talk about “you.” Although the word “you” is used quite a bit in everyday language, it usually to refers to another person or group of people. Did you catch that? We are talking about people here. There is nothing more complex on the face of the earth than people. So it begs the question: When we say, “I love you,” are we saying we love the whole person and all the complexities and details we could possibly think of, even their faults?

The answer to all of these questions is simply: God is wonderful, humans are not. Jesus can say, “I love you” in perfection. You see, he is the subject of our lives and our salvation. When he says, “I,” he means it. After all, he is God, the ultimate number one. And God never minces words with “love.” If you could look at the Greek version of the New Testament, you’d discover that God has a specific purpose each time for the specific word for “love” that he chose to use.

As saved and redeemed children of our wonderful God, we are truly loved, even when we were dead in sin. And best of all, God loves all of us, our whole person, so much that in Christ he became human with us, lived a perfect life in our place, and then spread his arms out on the dreaded cross to die for us. And he rose again from death to claim the victory over sin, death, and especially the devil.

In the end, only God can say, “I love you” and truly mean it. This does not mean, however, that we should forget ever telling someone we love them or that we have to come up with a new phrase to tell people we love them. The beauty of the phrase is its simplicity—I’m not going to argue with that. It connects two people who really, truly love one another with only one word that says it all. Love is what connects people. The point is to think about what “I love you” really means and how much more powerful it is when our dear Lord says it to us as sinners … and how much more powerful our love for others is when the love of Christ is in our actions and words.

Because of the love of our gracious God, we will go to our heavenly home someday. How incredibly wonderful that will be! We can truly say God loves us and we love him!

A House Built for Us

Come to church with me!

You Are Precious in His Sight

Running on Empty

Nurturing Growth

A letter to someone who is suffering

Giving up ourselves for others

Christian Freedom

I. Love. You.

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