leadership

Nov

2025

A message for Christ the King Sunday

Christ is our King. We are at peace, and we spread his peace.

by David Sellnow

Readings … Jeremiah 23:1-6, Colossians 1:11-20, Luke 23:33-43

I am not royalty. I’m not a VIP. I’m just an average guy, and I have more demerits than accolades on the report card of my life. Who am I to stand in the presence of Christ the King as someone speaking for him?

Yet that’s just the thing, isn’t it? Christ “is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17). But he does not hold himself out of reach, out of touch above us. He descended down to us. He walked among us as one of us. He called himself “the Son of Man”—a human person, like you and me. He said (and demonstrated by his life): “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Ultimately, he laid down his life for us, his death atoning for our sins; his resurrection vindicating us (Romans 4:25). Jesus does not push us down, as people beneath him. He lifts us up, to be his people and serve alongside him. That’s the kind of leadership Jesus provides us.

What kind of leadership do we frequently see in this world? We see bossiness, bullying, and belittling. We see intimidation, aggressiveness, and oppression. We see pettiness, pickiness, and bean counting.

By “bean counting,” I mean paying more attention to reports and spreadsheets of every little detail rather than asking, “Are we meeting the needs of the people we serve?” A former deputy in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy described the problem as holding civil servants accountable for strict compliance with complex rules and requirements rather than evaluating the success of public services provided. There’s no holistic view of whether agencies are effective and helpful. It’s all about making sure workers jump through the prescribed procedural hoops (The Atlantic, 6/12/2023).

It can happen in more dramatic fashion too. In recent history, we’ve seen a government department head publicly post a memo that said: “All employees will receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week [listing five accomplishments]. Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.” That strategy lasted only a short while and did NOT inspire the workforce (Just Security, 2/22/25).

We live in a world where bad leadership happens repeatedly. Our culture is saturated with the knowledge of that reality. Books and movies and TV series abound that tell of toxic work environments and maniacal corporate figures (Succession, Mad Men, Horrible Bosses, WeCrashed). Horrible handling of political leadership has been portrayed in shows such as House of Cards, The Regime, Scandal. Art is imitating life. In real life, examples of ruthless leaders span across the globe, from the likes of Hitler and Mussolini and Stalin to others like Muammar Gaddafi, Idi Amin, Pol Pot. Those are only some of the names from the past 100 years, with many more from the centuries that came before. Think of great epic sagas in literature or film, like The Lord of the Rings or Star Wars. Even in visions of mythical lands long ago or galaxies far, far away, we can’t imagine life apart from a struggle against tyrants and warlords and evil empires.

The Scriptures tell us what the pattern of leadership and governance is like in this world. Nations are constantly in an uproar and kingdoms totter (Psalm 46:1). Those who are supposed to be shepherds often “destroy and scatter the sheep” (Jeremiah 23:1). They are supposed to lead the people but instead “have driven them away and have not attended to them” (Jeremiah 23:2).

Recall what God said about rulers in this world when the people of Israel said they wanted a king to govern them, like other nations (1 Samuel 8:5). The LORD told the prophet Samuel to grant their request, but also to “solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king[s] who shall reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:9). Kings would be less concerned about them, the people, than they’d be about building up their own armies and power, their own palaces and ballrooms and court attendants, their own wealth and prestige.

When we speak of Christ as our King, we are not thinking according to the pattern of kings and bosses and rulers in this world.

Christ, our King, does not speak from the skies or come to us in our dreams to demand of us, “What five worthy things did you accomplish this week?” Rather, he speaks to us invitingly, saying, “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens … for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29).

Christ, our King, is not eager to eradicate his enemies, eliminate anyone who isn’t obedient to him, or condemn those who’ve gotten into trouble. When Jesus’ enemies commanded soldiers to nail him to a cross, he said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). To a criminal crucified alongside him, who asked, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom,” Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-43).

A true king, a devoted king, is not one who stands above the people and looks down on the people. A true king, a devoted king, is one who lives for the sake of the people, who suffers with and for the people. Jesus dying on the cross is what a true, devoted king looks like.

Jesus’ kingdom is a different kind of kingdom. He doesn’t lead by pomp and circumstance, even though he is Lord of the universe. He welcomes everyone into his kingdom—welcoming criminals and sinners—by granting forgiveness of sins. He doesn’t seek power and domination, because everything is already under his dominion. His kingdom is about making wars cease, about breaking the weapons of war (cf. Psalm 46:9). Jesus gives us peace of mind and heart that the world cannot give (John 14:27). He assures us, “Be still, and know that I am God.” He is with us as our refuge and strength, our help in trouble (Psalm 46:1,10,11). Jesus makes us “strong with the strength that comes from his glorious power,” so we may have all endurance and patience.” In Christ’s kingdom, we are rescued from the power of darkness and have redemption (Colossians 1:11-14).

Think of what Jeremiah prophesied. God would raise up a Righteous Branch from the family tree of David, who would reign as the true King. The name by which the Messiah would be called is “The LORD—our righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:5,6). That name proclaims how Christ saves us and makes us secure. He gives us righteousness. He absolves us. When Jeremiah says that through him we will be saved, he used the same word that formed the basis for Jesus’ name. The angel announcing Christ’s birth said, “You are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The salvation Jesus brings is not merely some political promise. Jesus saves us eternally. The safety and security that Jesus provides can never be shaken. As the psalmist said, some trust in horses and war chariots, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand firm (Psalm 20:7-8).

So, if our hearts are raised up in faith in Christ and we stand firm in hope in him, how then do we live? Will we be narcissistic, self-serving, rude, and dismissive? Certainly not. Yes, we are fallible and flawed. Yet Christ lifts us up and makes us his chosen people, a holy nation, people belonging to him (1 Peter 2:9). Jesus has “freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom” (Revelation 1:6), saying that we now are “kings and priests” in his name and that “we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:10 NKJV). The Lord makes us his representatives, his spokespersons. He emboldens us to be agents of his mercy and peace, to go against the grain of all the bullying and browbeating and abusiveness that occurs in this world. We “are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20). We entreat others on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God and to one another.

Whether we think so or not, we all are leaders in the lives that we lead. Parents are constantly molding and shaping their children. Brothers and sisters are examples and influences for one another. We show our neighbors and friends the kind of life we believe is worth living. We model integrity and commitment in how we serve in our workplaces. Everywhere we go, we are showing to others the life that Christ has awakened in us.

Martin Luther said we are like “little Christs” to others in the way that we live toward them. In his booklet, On the Freedom of a Christian (1520), Luther wrote:

A Christian will think: “Though I am unworthy, my God has given me in Christ all the riches of righteousness without any merit on my part, out of pure, free mercy. Therefore, I will give myself as a Christ to my neighbor, just as Christ offered himself to me.”
We do not serve so that others feel obligated to us. We do not distinguish between friends and enemies or anticipate their thankfulness or unthankfulness. We simply extend ourselves and what we have for others, without worrying about whether we gain any reward.
When we recognize the great and precious things given to us by our heavenly Father, our hearts are filled by the Holy Spirit with the love that makes us joyful servants of our neighbors—each of us becoming, as it were, a Christ to the other, and Christ may be the same in all, and we may be truly Christians.

Christ is the King who served us with his life. Christ calls us to serve alongside him in his kingdom, sharing his peace in this conflicted, difficult world. While the kings of this world lord it over people, we are not to be like that. Rather, Jesus said, the greatest among you must become like the lowest and the leader like one who serves (Luke 22, 25,26). Jesus led like that, getting down on the floor and washing his disciples’ feet (John 13). He came to our earth as one who serves, and he calls us today to serve others in his name. May we see ourselves daily as ambassadors of Christ’s kingdom of grace and hope, bringing the message of Jesus’ love and peace everywhere we go, to everyone we meet, in all that we do.

Scripture quotations, except where otherwise indicated, are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Jan

2025

Living in hope, loving our neighbors

Thoughts for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 2025

It doesn’t happen often that a president is inaugurated on the day dedicated to honoring civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. The only two previous occasions were 1997 and 2013. The next time the inauguration and King’s birthday observance coincide will be 2053.

I’ll admit I have mixed feelings about the overlap of events this year. The incoming president has invited many billionaires to his inauguration events and plans from day one to begin mass deportations of many immigrants. Martin Luther King, Jr. was known for the Poor People’s Campaign and his efforts on behalf of the disenfranchised and those discriminated against in society.

It seems the country currently has mixed feelings about where we’re heading. CivicScience data shows that 46% of U.S. adults report feeling at least somewhat optimistic about the future (compared to 38% saying so a year ago). The positive outlook, though, depends on who you ask. 63% of Republicans are feeling optimistic right now, while only 32% of Democrats feel that way—and 28% of them are strongly pessimistic. (Cf. CivicScience, 12/2/2024).

Maybe we need something more than optimism and politics to shape our outlook on life. We would do well to commit ourselves to what the apostle Paul called the three things that “will last forever—faith, hope, and love” (1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT). Rather than harboring suspicions about persons who look different than us or have different beliefs than our own, as people of faith we are called to love every neighbor and bring hope to our communities.

Hope is not the same thing as optimism. Hope can look at a situation that is bleak and commit to actions that will build up what is good. When things aren’t the way they should be in our world, with faith we “will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope,” as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said (I Have a Dream, 8/28/1963). Hope is resilient. Hope keeps going. Pointing to Dr. King’s example, a psychology professor from Hope College and her research team define “‘virtuous hope’ as striving toward a purposeful vision of the common good—a hope often shaped by hardship and strengthened through relationships” (The Conversation, 4/2/2024).

A book recommended to me recently emphasizes this same point. In Embracing Diversity: Faith, Vocation, and the Promise of America, authors Darrell Jodock and William Nelsen assert: “Hope can exist even when there is no evidence of progress, even when the storm clouds are dark. Hope is built on the confidence that God is present—that God is at work behind the scenes opening new possibilities and bringing good gifts to humans. Hope includes the confidence that God is fostering shalom, even when we are discouraged and confused” (Fortress Press, 2021, p.124).

Let’s move away from “glass half full” and “glass half empty” estimations of whether it’s a time for optimism or pessimism. As God’s people in this world, we are called to make the most of all our time, even when the times may be hard or evil (cf. Ephesians 5:16). In any and every circumstance, we will devote ourselves to hope and the common good in relation with our fellow human beings. Our “vocation knows no boundaries,” as Jodock and Nelsen remind us. “A sense of vocation involves the realization that, as a human being, I am not an isolated unit but am nested in a larger community and that my highest moral responsibility is so to act in all areas of my life as to benefit that community and the individuals in it” (p.105).

As a new administration takes over in Washington, may our main concern not be primarily with what’s happening in politics on the national level. [Although we acknowledge, along with Dr. King, that “the habits if not the hearts of people have been and are being altered every day by legislative acts, judicial decisions and executive orders from the President.”] Let’s focus on what we can do ourselves to live in love and hope toward our neighbors—of every race and creed—and how we can live in community beneficially together.

Let us listen to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. on this subject. In his draft notes for a sermon on Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan entitled “On Being a Good Neighbor,” King wrote:

The good Samaritan will always remain the conscience of mankind because he was obedient to that which could not be enforced. No law in the world could have made him do what he did. No man-made code could have produced such unalloyed compassion, such efflorescent love, such thorough altruism. The ultimate test of a man’s goodness is whether he is obedient to the unenforceable. …
Today more than ever before men of all races and men of all nations are challenged to be neighborly. …We cannot long survive living spiritually apart in a world that is geographically one. … My friends, go out with the conviction that all men are brothers, tied in a single garment of destiny. In the final analysis I must not ignore the wounded man on life’s Jericho Road, because he is a part of me and I am a part of him. His agony diminishes me and his salvation enlarges me.
In our quest to make neighborly love a reality in our lives, we have not only the inspiring example of the good Samaritan, but we have the magnanimous life of our Christ to guide us. … He lived his days in a persistent concern for the welfare of others. His altruism was universal in that he saw all men as brothers. He was a neighbor to the publicans and the sinners. When he addressed God in the Lord’s Prayer he said “Our Father” which immediately lifted God above the category of a tribal deity concerned only about one race of people. Christ’s altruism was willing to travel dangerous roads in that he was willing to relinquish fame, fortune, and even life itself for a cause he knew was right. … His death on Calvary will always stand as history’s most magnificent expression of obedience to the unenforceable.

[See draft version of “On Being a Good Neighbor”
at Stanford University’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute.]

For previous Martin Luther King Jr. Day posts on The Electric Gospel, see this tag:

https://theelectricgospel.com/tag/martin-luther-king-jr/

Sep

2022

Humility = Service (part 2)

For Labor Day, 2022

Be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).

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

This post is a follow-up to last week’s post on Humility = Service. The thoughts stemmed from readings for Pentecost 12: Proverbs 25:6-7, Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16, and Luke 14:1, 7-14.

Acknowledging our ability to be of service to others

As we consider, humility and service, a second point needs to be made. If you read the previous post, maybe my descriptions missed some of you. Quite likely, a number of you are not pushy or bossy or intrusive or insistent. You let others go ahead of you. You’re patient while waiting your turn. You are completely content to be the quiet person in the back of the room. You aren’t looking to be on center stage. That may be just fine … but it also may be unhelpful. Let’s consider what can happen when you are too humble, too self-effacing, too willing to keep quiet on the sidelines.

I’ve seen humility go too far and impede godly service to one another. Too often, people who have gifts to serve and gifts to lead are asked to use those gifts, and they say, “Oh, no, not me. I can’t do that.” They sound like Moses when he hesitated, saying, “O my Lord, please send someone else” (Exodus 4:13).

I remember a meeting of a board of elders at a congregation. It was suggested that the elders do more than have meetings. The proposal was that every other month–instead of just meeting around the table at the church–they would start with a prayer, then go out to scheduled appointments to visit with church members. The elders around the table turned pale as ghosts when the suggestion was made. Doing the actual work of ministering to others frightened them.

Or there was a woman in a congregation, someone others looked up to. Others would approach her for advice. She was spiritually well-grounded, and others could see that. When her pastor asked her to take on a more formal role, as a deaconess in the congregation, she professed all sorts of humility and said she wasn’t worthy of such a role. Maybe that was okay. Maybe she didn’t need any official title. If she continued doing the mentoring she was doing when others approached her, that would still be good. But she needn’t have shied away from stepping up to higher responsibilities, when asked to do so for the good of others.

When someone calls upon you to “come on up” to a higher position of responsibility, or to a task of leadership to which you are particularly suited, are you ready to answer that call? Or will you let an excess of humility get in your way?

If you are called to come up to a higher place and serve others around you in your life, don’t wave a white flag of humility and say you’re not worthy. It’s quite true that none of us are worthy by our own virtue to serve as ambassadors for Christ. But Christ, in his mercy, has given each of us gifts and calls each of us into unique roles of service. “If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly” (Romans 12:8 NLT).

This principle applies not just in your church life, such as the church examples I gave. Being ready to step up and serve applies daily in your personal life. Each of you has connections, situations, opportunities that arise day by day. When an occasion arises which calls you into action, that’s not a time for you to hide in humility and say, “Oh, it’s none of my business,” or, “Someone with more knowledge or skill should be the one to help.” The situation is in front of you now. The friend or neighbor or family member is needing you now. Don’t pull back, afraid. Be open to others’ needs. Be ready to help as best you can. Most of all, just be. Be present. Be there for people when they need you. When someone is calling out with a need, recognize that God may be calling you to step into action. Often those calls are not verbally expressed, but you know the need is there. Without being a busybody, you can offer yourself as a friend, as an ally in Christ. You can offer resources and referrals to other sources of help too. Look for those real-life opportunities to be Christ to your neighbor. “Who knows? Perhaps you have come to [the position you are in] for just such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).

Acting on behalf of others is a way of exercising proper humility. You don’t use humility as an excuse in such situations, backing away and ducking out. You exercise humility by putting others’ needs ahead of your own, others’ comfort and care ahead of your own potential discomfort and fears. You use your time and your talents in the interests of others. Having humility and compassion means you’re not just looking out for yourselves. Through your love and labor, you become humble and devoted servants to one another (cf. Galatians 5:13).

In your lives, what opportunities are presenting themselves where someone is saying, “Friend, come on up” to a higher place, to an added responsibility, to a role of helping or leading others? Keep your eyes and ears open for those opportunities. Keep your spiritual senses tuned in. Recognize that God is calling you to use your gifts in humble service to your neighbor. When you see someone hungry, you’ll be ready to give them food. When you see someone thirsty, you’ll give them something to drink. As Scripture urges (Hebrews 13:1-3), you will “let mutual love continue.” You will “show hospitality to strangers.” You will “remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them.” You will do whatever you can to assist those who are feeling tortured (experiencing pain or suffering in their lives), ”as though you yourselves were being tortured” along with them. You will “continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God” by doing good for others and by sharing yourself and what you have with others, “for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (Hebrews 13:15-16). You will welcome into your life “the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind”–those who cannot repay you–knowing “you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 7:13,14). In doing even just the little things for those who seem the least significant or least influential in this world, you offer service to Christ, who says to you, “‘Truly I tell you, just as you” do these things for “the least of these who are members of my family,” you do it for me (cf. Matthew 25:35-40). Amen.

Scripture quotations, except where otherwise indicated, are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Nov

2020

The King who Inscribes his Character on Us

A message for Christ the King Sunday

Our King does not dominate or dictate
Our King invigorates us to be like him

There are a number of churches around the world named “Christ the King.” The Cathedral of Christ the King in Mullingar, Ireland, is reportedly the first church given that name. The Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta is one of the ten largest congregations in the United States. Those are just a couple of the big Christ the King churches. There are numerous smaller congregations too.

I don’t know of any churches named “Christ the Tyrant” or “Christ the Despot” or “Christ the Dictator.” I Google-searched for such names, but couldn’t find any. I did find an opinion piece arguing that Christians tend to view their Lord that way–as a benevolent dictator. But if there are people of faith who take that view, they’re mistaken. Christ the King is certainly not like some military strongman or arbitrary emperor, nor even like a benevolent dictator. Christ is not someone who looks upon us as weak subjects who do his bidding simply to suit his whims. Christ did not become our king by standing above us, pointing out what we must do from moment to moment. Christ became our king by standing with us, among us, leading us in a path we could not have followed without his leadership. Jesus said to those who followed him, “I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:27). On the night he said that, Jesus proved his point by getting down on the floor and washing his disciples’ feet (cf. John 13).

Quite clearly, Jesus is the opposite of a tyrant. He won our allegiance by going into battle against tyrants and overlords for us. The tyrant was sin. The tyrant was the devil who accuses and all the demons that torment us. Those are the sorts of rulers that dictate and demand, that control us by fear and guilt. Christ is not like that.

Jesus is also much different from even the most benevolent dictator. Such a ruler believes that he must decide all things for the people underneath him because they are underlings and he is so much above them. Now, it is true that Christ, our King, certainly does know what is best for us. Christ is “the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24). As high as the heavens are above the earth, so far are his thoughts higher than our thoughts (cf. Isaiah 55:9). But the fact that Christ is superior to us in all things does not mean he deals with us as inferiors. Rather, he comes alongside us and shares his life and strength with us. He invigorates us with his words, his Spirit, so that we become alive in him. We become more and more like him as we grow in our relationship with him.

I have known God-fearing people who haven’t understood this, who haven’t grasped how Christ is seeking to lead them. They trouble themselves over every detail of their lives, searching desperately for some sort of sign from God. “What is God’s will?” they’ll say; “What does God want me to do?” I knew a woman who struggled over the smallest decisions like that. She begged to know what actions God wanted her to take, almost hoping a daily to-do list would appear like handwriting on the wall, so she’d know she wasn’t making any mistakes. In her anxiousness, she once put two pens side by side on the table and asked, “Now, which pen does God want me to use? The blue one or the black one?” That’s going too far in expecting God to direct our lives. Yes, Christ is our leader by night and by day. But Jesus leads us not as though we are blindfolded and he must guide our feet for every step we take. He instills his character and his way of life in us, so that we make our own decisions as the new persons that we are in Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17). It’s an outmoded way, a childish way, to want God to dictate every direction to us, to tell us exactly what to do in every instant. It’s a new way of life, as we become mature in Christ, that we make our own decisions and take actions that flow from the mind of Christ which is in us (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:16).

Consider the Epistle assigned for this weekend for the festival of Christ the King. The prayer for the Christians at Ephesus remains an apostlic prayer for us today. Notice the emphasis on how the power of Christ works in us and inspires us as he extends his kingdom into our hearts.

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you … and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion …. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all (Ephesians 1:17-23).

Christ as king is head over all things for us. That’s not an image of some giant head floating in the air like the Great and Powerful Oz. There’s no false pretense of power with Christ our King. He rules in a way far better than the way any authority in this world operates. Even while Christ is seated high above in the heavenly places, he is at the same time intimately connected to us, like the head to members of the body. His thoughts pulse through us and we operate in unity with him. We are his feet to run out into the world, his hands to extend help and care to persons in his name, to put into practice his love.

Consider also the description of what Christ will find when he returns at the end of time, when he “comes in his glory, and all the angels with him” and “all the nations will be gathered before him” (Matthew 25:31-42). Who are the people he calls his own, who truly have known him?

The king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me” (Matthew 25:34-36).

When Christ says this to his people, what is their reaction? “When did we do that?” They wonder what he’s talking about. Christ’s people do such actions on behalf of “the least of these” fellow members of the human family not because they’re keeping score of their good deeds, not because they’re trying to impress God by their actions. They do such things just because that’s who they are, because the spirit of Christ inhabits them and propels them into action. The people of Christ’s kingdom serve everyone they encounter without thinking, “This is something I must do because the king has issued an executive order.” Yes, the kingdom of Christ has laws, but those laws are designed by our Lord for our good and the good of our neighbors. As we grow in our understanding and relationship with our King, we embody more and more the spirit and compassion and action that he has for all who are in need. We become Christ to our neighbors.

Martin Luther famously wrote on that theme–that we become like “little Christs.” In his booklet On the Freedom of a Christian (1520), Luther wrote:

Since God has overwhelmed me with such inestimable riches, why should I not freely, cheerfully, and with my whole heart do all that I know will be pleasing to him? I will therefore give myself, as a sort of Christ, to my neighbor, as Christ has given himself to me. I will do whatever is advantageous and wholesome for my neighbor, since by faith I abound in all good things in Christ. … We each become a sort of Christ to each other, so that we may be mutually Christs, and that the same Christ may be in all of us; that is, that we may be truly Christians.

Our life as Christ’s people, in his service, is not like serving an earthly ruler who dominates and bullies to get his way, and whose subjects survive by trying to ingratiate themselves with the ruler. We serve as people whose character has been transformed by the grace and goodness of our king. We become his allies in extending the life of his kingdom into a world that has not understood him and operates by principles so often opposite to his.

Which leads to one final point that must be mentioned. We need to take notice of the other sort of approach that predominates in this world. It is an approach not only by the rich and powerful, who lord it over others in positions of power and authority. It’s also an approach adopted by people in general toward authority — including God’s authority. It may work with the powers that be in this world, but it doesn’t work with God. In the Gospel reading for today, did you notice how those who are on the wrong side of Christ respond when Christ says they did not do the things that people of his kingdom do? They say, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you” (Matthew 25:44)? And he will answer them, “Just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me” (Matthew 25:45). They thought they had done good things.They thought of themselves as good people. They expected God should be pleased with them, because they had minded their own business and stayed out of trouble. They may even think they had done great undertakings for the King, that they would have an elevated position in his kingdom because of high-powered things that they did. Jesus described such persons in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:21-23):

Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?” Then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.”

Too often people have the wrong idea, thinking Jesus owes it to everybody to be nice to them. And they also think that if they go out of their way to do things they think God wants, that then they are entitled to extra rewards, sort of like people may think their donations or efforts on behalf of some political leader entitle them to perks and privileges in that person’s administration. But Christ our King doesn’t operate by those principles. Christ calls his people to follow him, not worldly “philosophy and empty deceit” or “human tradition” (Colossians 2:9). We are called to follow the truth according to Christ, whose kingdom is not of this world (cf. John 18:36). So let’s not be confused. Let’s not slip back into worldly thinking, into tallying up our good deeds as though keeping a scoresheet will impress Christ the King, or boasting about where we think we stand with God or how right or righteous we are. Being servants of Christ’s kingdom means setting ourselves aside and simply serving others. Christ established his kingdom by laying down his life for those whom he loved and came to serve. As servants of Christ the King, we carry on in his kingdom and extend his kingdom in the same way. We deny ourselves. We take up whatever crosses we may be asked to carry, and we do all we can to help others carry their crosses too (cf. Luke 29:23-25). As the word of our King tells us, “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2). That’s how we serve–and whom we serve–as the people of Christ the King.

Sep

2020

Work is essential

by David Sellnow

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, state governors issued orders identifying essential workers whose labors were needed for community health and sustenance and safety. As pandemic conditions have persisted, we’ve come to see how work is essential for everyone. Those who’ve been forced into unemployment are painfully aware of how much their work mattered, especially as extended unemployment benefits ran out.

Even in Eden, work was provided for Adam and Eve. We may sometimes think of work as a necessary evil, but meaningful labor is actually an ongoing good that God intended for us in this world. Being on a perpetual vacation with nothing to do would not be paradise. Vacations provide needed respite from overwork. A weekly day of rest (sabbath) is a divinely designed time to withdraw from busyness and renew our spirits in communion with our Creator. But work itself is a vital part of our human experience. Anyone who has ever lost a job and been out of work knows what a blow to personal identity and security and hope it is.

Work is God’s way of providing for our needs in daily life, as well as the needs of our neighbors and communities. Studies have found that job loss and insecure employment have damaging effects on individuals’ emotional well-being and overall health. A 2009 study found that “unemployed workers died more than a year earlier than average” (Houston Chronicle, 2/1/2019). As to community wellness, a study published in 2001 in The Journal of Law and Economics found that “a substantial portion of the decline in property crime rates during the 1990s [was] attributable to the decline in the unemployment rate.” When work is unstable, our own health and the stablility of whole communities is threatened. .

All work that has a beneficial purpose is godly work. A devoted church worker, Martin Luther, labored hard to teach this truth about work outside of church. In his era, clergy persons were held to be somehow holier than ordinary people simply by virtue of the religious positions they occupied. Luther reshaped the outlook on vocation or “calling,” assigning honor to all community members who were doing good work for their neighbors.

In his address To the Christian Nobility in the German lands (1520), Martin Luther wrote: “A cobbler, a smith, a peasant—each has the work and office of his trade, and yet they are all alike consecrated priests and bishops. Further, everyone must benefit and serve every other by means of his own work or office so that in this way many kinds of work may be done for the bodily and spiritual welfare of the community, just as all the members of the body serve one another.” Luther also has been quoted saying, “Every occupation has its own honor before God. Ordinary work is a divine vocation or calling. In our daily work, no matter how important or mundane, we serve God by serving the neighbor and we also participate in God’s ongoing providence for the human race.” Marc Kolden, writing in the Lutheran Journal of Ethics (2001), emphasized that Luther’s thought wasn’t so much about what formal occupation you might have. Any and every role in which you labor for others–even “the most mundane stations” and lowest tasks–”are places in which Christians ought to live out their faith” and help others by their efforts. In his writing On the Estate of Marriage (1522), for instance, Luther highlighted the noble duty of a parent changing diapers as an act of faith and love and service.

As COVID-19 began to ravage the United States, healthcare workers were hailed by members of their communities, from the banging of pots and pans each evening at 7:00pm in New York to residents going outside and howling at 8:00pm each night in Colorado. This was welcomed as recognition of essential efforts. I pray that through this present crisis, we learn to applaud work and workers in all sorts of needed roles, and also respect and remunerate workers appropriately for what they do to hold our communities together. Many of those considered “essential workers” under governors’ orders are in positions that are paid minimum wage or not much more. In my state, someone working full-time at minimum wage must spend roughly half their income to afford a one-bedroom apartment. They’d spend quite a bit more than half their income on rent in a metro area. According to government-defined standards, households that spend more than 30% of their income on rent are defined as “cost-burdened” and qualify for public assistance. Those spending more than 50% of their income on rent are “severely cost-burdened.” Something does seem amiss when persons doing work that we consider essential to community life have a hard time making ends meet as residents in the community.

So, as we observe Labor Day, let us pray:

with deep thanks for our own employment if we continue to have employment;
with passionate concern for all who are facing unemployment or reduced employment and income;
for generous gifts to churches and charities who work with persons in need;
for strength and hope and help if we ourselves are financially burdened and at risk;
for recognition of all workers’ worth and the value of others’ work on our behalf;
for a willingness to share in supporting one another as neighbors in society;
for wise leadership in our nation and world to guide economies through difficult challenges;
for personal commitment to do all forms of labor and service as acts of faith in answer to our calling as Christ’s people.

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms“ (1 Peter 4:10).

“Brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good” (2 Thessalonians 3:13).

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Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Jun

2020

The Bible is not a prop, and religion is not a drug

by David Sellnow

In the early 1800s, revolution was in the air. The French Revolution had introduced ideas of liberty and equality to the masses, and the masses were restless. Napoleon enforced law and order by a willingness to shoot shrapnel out of cannons into crowds of protesters (in 1795, as he rose to power). He believed he was destined to take the Revolution to its proper conclusion. But his portrayals of himself as a man of the people were more about ensconcing himself in power as leader than about the people’s hopes and dreams. Napoleon knew the people revered religion, so he sought to reinstate the Catholic Church’s position within France (which had been damaged during the Revolution). Napoleon’s Concordat (agreement), however, made the church endorse his government and, essentially, serve his government. In 1804, Napoleon arranged a grandiose ceremony in Notre Dame Cathedral. He compelled the pope to be present and hand him a crown, which Napoleon then placed on his own head to designate himself as “Emperor of the French.” To Napoleon, the backdrop of a church was not due to any deep personal faith. The cathedral was a place to present himself to the people as the man God wanted to lead them. He had said, “In Egypt I was a Muhammedan; here I will be a Catholic, for the good of the people.” Religion was an expedient tool for him to gain public support.

Other princes and kings fought against Napoleon and his new world order. They wanted to preserve the ways of the past and their own hold on power. But their approach to the church was not unlike his, endorsing religion as a stabilizing force while conducting themselves in ways that contradicted faith-based convictions.

Prince Klemens von Metternich of Austria, dominant in Europe from 1815 to 1848, championed the church as an institution of society, saying that “religion cannot decline in a nation without causing that nation’s strength also to decline.” In his Memoirs, Metternich wrote that rulers must protect their authority against radical forces that would overthrow “everything which society respects as the basis of its existence: religion, public morality, laws, customs, rights and duties.” He urged all rulers to follow his example and “maintain religious principles in all their purity, and not allow the faith to be attacked.” Yet this selfsame Metternich was a “great womanizer” who went from woman to woman over a series of three wives, multiple mistresses and additional lesser trysts and affairs. One biographer said of him, “‘His favorite recreation was the seduction of high-born women.” Metternich would attend mass, but that seemed a matter of propriety and formality. According to a historian’s description, Metternich’s capital of Vienna was “a city lukewarm to religion. Attending mass was, to be sure, still the custom. But the priest who could say the quickest mass (about twelve minutes by some reports) would attract the largest crowds.” Metternich, government defender of the institution of religion, was not himself a particularly spiritual person. As Czech historian Miroslav Šedivý puts it, “Metternich’s own Catholicism had no real significance in his Weltanschauung (worldview).” Religion was primarily for policing the behavior of commonplace people.

This was the societal context in which Karl Marx made a remark about religion for which he has become famous: “Religion is the opiate of the masses.” That’s a clipped version of a larger thought. The broader statement, as published in an article by Marx in 1844, was: “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.”

Marx may have been wrong about many things. But he wasn’t altogether wrong in his assessment of how religion was being used by persons in power as a tool to tamp down criticism and subdue protests by the people underneath them. The answer is not, as Marx proposed, to abolish religion. Rather, we pray for men and women of genuine conviction who live by faith. We pray for that in ourselves. We admire it when we see it in societal leaders.

Standing beside a church and holding up a Bible does not make someone a person of faith or a friend of the faith. The Bible is not a prop and the church is not a showpiece–though plenty of political figures in past history have sought to use it that way. May we not look at the Bible that way in our own lives. James, the brother of Jesus, urged us, “Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like” (James 1:22-24).

James also had something to say about religion’s role in society and our lives: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1:27). Honest, heartfelt religion is not a drug we use to numb ourselves against injustices in this world (as Marx suggested it was). Rather, it gives us the grace and resolve to do good for one another in our world. Believing in Jesus Christ and his resurrection not only prepares us for the next life but also invigorates our living in the present. Faith means having “the eyes of your heart enlightened” to know “the immeasurable greatness of God’s power” which is in at work in us as believers — the same power that God “put to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion” (Ephesians 1:18-21).

The Bible is not merely something to hold up for show. “Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Religion is not a means to cover over society’s problems or inequities. Rather, earnest faith will motivate us to do all we can for one another as fellow children of God. “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

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Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

May

2020

Pray for good government

Give wisdom to those who govern

by David Sellnow

An account has come down to us from the ancient world. The pharaoh ruling over Egypt had a pair of dreams that frightened him. In one dream, seven healthy, well-fed cows appeared. Immediately afterward, seven scrawny, starving cows came up out of the Nile River and devoured the healthy cows. The second dream was similar. Seven healthy ears of grain were consumed by dry, withered heads of grain.

The pharaoh sought someone to give meaning to his dreams. He found Joseph, who had a prophetic gift. Joseph said, “What God is about to do he has declared to Pharaoh” (Genesis 41:25). Seven years of abundant harvests were coming. Then seven years of desperate famine would follow. Joseph advised the pharaoh to collect and store twenty percent of the kingdom’s harvests over the next seven years to prepare for anticipated years of food shortages. The pharaoh followed Joseph’s advice and put Joseph in charge of the kingdom’s emergency preparedness program.

We may wish a prophet had predicted our current crisis in the modern world. Had we known a deadly pandemic would be unleashed, we could have done more to prepare. Then again, there were voices that gave advance warning. They weren’t divinely inspired, but they were quite prescient in their projections. After the Ebola scare of 2014, Bill Gates gave a TED Talk in 2015 titled, “The Next Outbreak? We’re Not Ready.” In 2016, the National Security Council developed an extensive Playbook for Early Response to High Consequence Emerging Infectious Disease Threats and Biological Incidents. In September 2019, the US Naval War College ran a pandemic wargame that foreshadowed much of what we are experiencing now with COVID-19. There is a human tendency, however, to avoid dealing with things we hope won’t happen. When the novel coronavirus began its global spread in recent months, governments around the world were challenged beyond their readiness. And people who normally didn’t want governments to play too large a role in their lives found themselves wanting and needing government agencies to do more.

Another human tendency–during good times–is to want government off our backs and out of our pocketbooks. We don’t like high taxes or a proliferation of regulations. It’s easy to see government as an obstacle that gets in the way of personal liberties and the pursuit of profits. But when a crisis comes along, then we expect government to be there, protecting citizens, preserving stability, providing basic necessities. Even politicians who typically have fought tooth and nail over the purpose of government came to quick agreement when pressed by a pandemic. An enormous rescue measure passed by a vote of 96 to 0 in the Senate, and subsequent aid packages passed with similar wholehearted support. The fourth such bill was passed in the Senate by unanimous consent and a vote of 388 to 5 in the House of Representatives. When the situation is dire, the need for intervention by government becomes immediately apparent.

In my days teaching history and religion, I used to assign the following take-home question to ministry students: In explaining the Lord’s Prayer petition, “Give us this day our daily bread,” Martin Luther said one of the things we pray is that God would give us “good government.” Using examples from history, compose an essay that attempts to answer the question: “What constitutes good government?”

Respondents to that question tended to focus on key common factors such as:
– Providing equal justice for all persons, without favoritism;
– Showing concern for the people and acting in the interests of all the people;
– Leadership and guidance during times of stress and crisis;
– Keeping citizens safe (criminal justice, national defense, public health);
– Building and maintaining infrastructure (roads, utilities, etc).

Their answers echoed things said by ancient prophets. Amos decried those in positions of power who abused the people under them. He said, “Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the courts” (Amos 5:15). Moses stated these basic principles for government officials: “You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality. You shall not take a bribe …. You shall follow that which is altogether just” (Deuteronomy 16:19,20). Governing authorities are servants of God, set in their position for the good of the human community (cf. Romans 13:4). We are grateful when government serves its purpose well. We pray “for kings and all who are in high places” (1 Timothy 2:2), so that we can live peaceful lives on this earth.

When Solomon became king in Israel after the death of his father David, he prayed for his own capability to govern. He asked God, “Give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil” (1 Kings 3:9). The Lord approved of Solomon’s prayer. “God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have you asked for riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice … I have done according to your word. Behold, I have given you a wise and understanding heart” (1 Kings 3:11-12).

Let us pray today for wisdom as we face a difficult test of people’s mental, physical, financial, and social well-being. Pray for local leaders in towns and cities and counties. Pray for those serving at the state level, supervising laws and programs and human services. Pray for national officials who provide oversight for countries–our own as well as other nations. Pray for the work of global institutions in guiding collaboration to develop strategies and solutions. And pray for yourself and your neighbors, that we all may learn to love our neighbors as ourselves and do our best for one another. As we are being reminded often during this international health emergency: We are all in this together.

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Prayer: On Memorial Day, we remember those who have died in active military service. Lord, fill us with gratitude for such dedication by members of the armed forces that serve and protect our nation. At the present time, make us mindful and thankful also for essential workers in healthcare, food production and grocery work, mass transit and other roles, hundreds of whom have lost their lives to the coronavirus pandemic. Help our communities, country, and world to find wisdom and strength to navigate the present challenges. May governments do the work you have established for them to do, good Lord, in the interests of all people. Amen.

[Bible quotations taken from World English Bible.]

Christ is our King. We are at peace, and we spread his peace.

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Give wisdom to those who govern

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