worship

Jan

2024

Epiphany message: A starry beacon up there for the rocky road down here

As with gladness men of old
did the guiding star behold;
as with joy they hailed its light,
leading onward, beaming bright;
so, most gracious God, may we
evermore be led to Thee.

Hymn lyric by William Chatterton Dix,
written January 6, 1859

The festival of Epiphany (January 6th) “recalls the visit of three Magi, or wise men, to the infant Jesus, and their sense of wonder at the encounter. It is the 12th day after Christmas and closes the Christmas season” (PBS.org).

As this day of Epiphany was approaching, my mind went back to the thoughts and cadences of an Epiphany sermon preached last year by Pastor Gerhardt Miller. I prepared the following abridged version of that message, which Gerhardt graciously has approved for sharing with you here on The Electric Gospel.

A starry beacon up there for the rocky road down here

by Gerhardt Miller

At Epiphany, we remember and ponder the journey of the Magi, “wise men from the East” who “came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage’” (Matthew 2:1-2).

The wise men—whatever their number, two or three or twenty or thirty—did not find their way to the baby Jesus by accident. The wise men, wherever their hometown, were on a mission, and they completed that mission with diligence and faith. They depended on God’s grace. We too realize that anything we accomplish is accomplished with God’s grace. Make no mistake, these Magi did not stumble by accident through the front door of the private home of the Infant Jesus. That the wise men were brought to the humble threshold of Mary and Joseph and the child Jesus was because God had blessed them with more than education and insight and privilege. God also blessed them with faithful perseverance, matching the challenge of finding this precious child called Jesus. These figures we call the wise men, I suppose they were privileged. These wise men were blessed with an education. They were scholars. They studied astronomy and astrology. They knew the heavens and the stars and the planets. Their learning included more than what was above their heads. It also included what was written and reported at their fingertips. These learned souls were students of ancient literature as well. Their education would have included discourses on the forces of good and the forces of evil.

These wise men had learned Scripture and were committed to finding the Christchild. Wherever they had learned Scripture and astronomy and theology, they had to reapply that learning to a journey over real roads with real hardships and hazards. Think of it, these Magi left what was familiar and safe. They ventured into the unfamiliar and the strange—willingly, even eagerly. They left the comforts of home, endeavoring into the discomforts of the rocky road at best and the unmarked, roadless wilderness at worst. They threw themselves into the perils of becoming foreigners, when they could have just stayed put in the comforts of their own ivory towers.They left all of that behind to seek Jesus.

Let us praise the wise men for their persistence. Persistence requires faith. We do not persist if our doubts are greater than our faith. The wise men had faith in the promise they had heard. The most glorious evidence that God is love is found in the flesh and blood of a small child. The wise men wanted to see, and to bow in worship. When they left home, the wise men did not know the address or longitude or latitude of their destination. When they set out, they did not know how many miles they would travel. When they packed their bags they did not know who or what they would encounter in their quest to find this new king. When they left home, all they knew was that they were following a sign to wherever and whomever it would lead them. Let us praise these wise men for their willingness to go the distance. They went the distance in all of its mess and muck to discover God. They went the distance with all of its heat and cold and wetness and dryness. They went the distance with all of its uncertainty and pitfalls and sorrow. But in taking that journey, these wise men had a starry beacon to lead them, to show them the way.

Sometimes we need a beacon to shine—to know which way to go and have a safe road. We think of these figures having a starry beacon to show them the way when the way was clear. But the leading star above them did not remove them from the dirt and sand and danger around them. The star up there guided them, but they still had to go through the difficult road below. The starry beacon up there fortified them for the challenges ahead of them. When we are inspired, we are fortified. And the wise men were inspired.

How has inspiration given you strength in your journey? The Lord gives us strength and inspiration through Scripture and also through the people and happenings around us. God gives us strength to do the things that are difficult for us to do. When we are inspired, we are fortified. Sometimes our roads are rocky, and we need a star. Sometimes our days are dark and we cannot see a star. But we remember learning about a light and even seeing the light … and the sheer memory of God’s light gets us to put one fearful foot in front of the other fearful foot, to get us through the scary dark into the loving light.

For those wise men, when the road was rocky, they could see the star. When there was no road to follow, they could see the star. When the way was rough and steep and strange and frightening, they could see the star. When they encountered fearful circumstances around them and experienced doubt within themselves, they could see the star. When they were tired and cold and hungry and thirsty, they could see the star. As long as they could see the star, they could keep on going.

Have you ever wanted to just give up? We want to match the determination of these wise men, these learned souls. When the star was not seen by them, it was remembered by them—and in its being remembered, it shone on. The light in their memory could keep them going. Whatever the mess around these wise men, whatever the difficulty challenging them, they could see the star or look for the star or just remember the star. So, they could keep on going.

When we are inspired we are fortified: the starry beacon up there for the rocky road down here.

May our inspiration in our quest to discover truth and beauty—to discover God in God’s countless forms—be the Christchild, Jesus. May our beacon be Jesus’ love, for Jesus’ love and grace and understanding give us strength to carry on. Not only that, but Christ gives us the guidance to know where to go. May the name of Jesus be our beacon in our quest to discover God in our commonplace lives (that are not so commonplace in the end). Despite their high position and all their finery, the Magi had to work to find Jesus. Like the wise men, sometimes we have to work to find Jesus. Like the wise men, we have to work to see a small sliver of light to carry us over rocky roads and through the wilderness. Like the wise men, may we find strength in our purpose, so we can navigate life’s difficult roads. May our eyes be opened to see heavenly beauty when we feel bogged down on the rocky roads here below.

Prayer: Lord, have mercy for each and every one of us, especially for the times we have failed to see how you are with us in our lives. Teach us, so that we may understand and know that you are living and loving and with us, almighty God. Shine your beacon of light on us, to strengthen us for the roads we walk, trusting in Jesus. 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.

Apr

2023

Ponderings for Palm Sunday

We Serve the One who Served Us

Do you ever feel like if people really knew you, they’d see you aren’t as good or capable as you appear to be? Psychologists call this “impostor phenomenon.” Some call it impostor syndrome, but that makes it sound like a pathology that applies to just a few, when actually this is a widespread tendency across the human experience. Even the most highly accomplished people can feel like they aren’t good enough. Maya Angelou, the award-winning author and poet, once said, “I have written eleven books, but each time I think, ‘Uh-oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.’” The impostor phenomenon names the gap that persists between what we know is inside ourselves—multiple, contradictory, incoherent feelings, swirls of shame and regret and competing desires—and how we try to present a more composed, consistent version of ourselves to the world. As one of the original researchers of the phenomenon has described it, impostor feelings come from a conviction that “I have to mask who I am.” (See “Why Everyone Feels Like They’re Faking It,” by Leslie Jamison, The New Yorker, 2/6/2023.)

Beyond the psychological dimension of feeling inadequate about who we are, there’s also a spiritual dimension. In our souls, we are aware of our inferiority. It’s not because we are inferior to each other. We all are equal. But we know deep down that we fail to measure up to the standards of what we should be. In biblical terms, “there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22,23). Inwardly, we all know that truth about ourselves … but often we are not ready to admit it. We try to mask it. We try to prop ourselves up superficially with self-image and ego, and we minimize our failures. We seek to assert ourselves, our position, and our own opinions as having high importance. In reality, we are all insignificant individuals in the sea of humanity—except for the importance and value given to each of us by a gracious God.

God is important. He is supreme, sacred, superior. Jesus Christ is as perfect as perfect can be. There is no inferiority in him. And yet he was willing to step down and lower himself, to become one with us in our struggling, imperfect world. He did so to lift us up so we can be all that we are meant to be in him. As a result, we can stop hiding behind masks and feeling like we can’t ever measure up. Through Jesus coming down to our level to redeem us and make us his own, we can be confident about ourselves and who we are, because we are God’s people. And we will serve one another and others in the same way Jesus served us.

Let’s consider Christ’s humility and the honor and worship now due to him because of what he did. Ponder these words about our King from Philippians 2:11, quoting from Eugene Peterson’s The Message translation:

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.
Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.

Martin Luther, in a sermon for Palm Sunday concerning this Philippians scripture, commented on the description of Christ as God becoming human:

Unquestionably, Paul proclaims Christ true God. Had he been mere man, what would have been the occasion for saying that he became like a man, and was found in the fashion of other men, and that he assumed the form of a servant, though he was in form divine? Where would be the sense in my saying to you, “You are like a human being, are made in the fashion of a human being”? You would think I was mocking you, and might appropriately reply: “I am glad you regard me as a human being, I was wondering if I were an ox or a wolf. Are you crazy?” (Sermons of Martin Luther, volume VIII, page 176)

Jesus’ original identity is not as a man, but as God. He has existed from eternity. In the beginning he was with God and he was God and he is by nature God (cf. John 1:1). Even in his incarnation, becoming human, Jesus’ divine nature and form remained clear to see. He was flawless and perfect in every action. He taught the teachers, even when he was a boy. He did miracles of power and amazement that only God can do. He preached messages of authority that set him apart from all other rabbis and teachers. Even as a human being, Jesus still displayed the attributes of God. Who he was was obvious from how he was: absolutely powerful and wise and sinless. He is God.

And yet Jesus did not consider this equality with God something he had to cling to or exploit, but made himself nothing to serve us, in our humanity. Though all glory and power was naturally his, Jesus emptied himself of it. In that final week leading up to his death, Jesus set aside his powers as God. Never did he appear more human:

He would be arrested. How do human beings arrest God and take him into custody?
He would be put on trial. How can corrupt human justice accuse the one who is the judge of the universe?
He would be beaten and whipped, pummeled and punched, spit on and mocked. How can God be a victim of abuse?
He would be nailed and hanged, crucified, dead, and buried. How can God die?

God, in Jesus could do all these things, because he emptied himself of his divine rights, did not use his divine powers, and let himself stand in for us humans in fully human helplessness. He became obedient to the Father’s will, suffering for our sins. He became obedient even to the point of a most horrible death. That is how low and how humble Jesus made himself in his work of redeeming us. Again, as Luther described:

He accepted the most ignominious death, the death on the cross, dying not as a man, but as a worm; yes, as an arch-villain, a scoundrel above all scoundrels … Losing even what favor, recognition, and honor were due to the assumed servant form in which he had revealed himself, and he perished altogether. (Sermons of Martin Luther, volume VIII, page 178).

Jesus died a death reserved for only the worst in the world, when, indeed, he is the best and purest of any who ever walked this earth.

Already the way Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday showed his intent to divest himself of his regal, divine privilege. A mighty king or ruler would have ridden in on a mighty steed, an impressive horse of proud bearing and gait. Jesus comes in on a donkey – on a colt, the foal of a donkey. In modern terms, whereas great leaders parade into town in limousines with police escorts and traffic-halting motorcades, Jesus would be coming in on his own, on a bicycle – on a bike with training wheels, the baby of a bicycle. Palm Sunday was a humble entrance to what would be an even more humbling week, as Jesus very literally made himself nothing, to save us nothings and make us something.

And because Jesus did this, we worship him. God has exalted him. The Father has restored him, and Jesus sits at his right hand, in all authority and glory. We bow to Christ in love and trust and admiration, in service and praise. We serve the one who served us. He gave us an identity in him and with him, allowing us to live without putting on a mask to hide who we are.

How do we go about serving and praising Jesus as our Lord? The initial verse of Paul’s psalm of praise in Philippians tells us where we fit in: “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). “Think the same way that Christ Jesus thought” (CEV). The way that Jesus humbled himself is to be a pattern for us as we live for him.

So, how humble are we? How selfless and self-sacrificing are we willing to be? How readily do we take on ourselves the form of a servant? Or do we imagine ourselves instead as masters of our own destiny, lords of our own castles, owners of our own bodies, in charge of our own possessions?

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we will not be about pushing ourselves forward. Rather, we will be about serving one another in service to God. We are God’s servants, indebted to him out of love for how he was treated so shamefully for us. We are not merely to be waiting for God to wait on us, like we’re restaurant patrons and church is where God serves up our spiritual Sunday dinner. Certainly he does serve us. That’s why we call the worship hour “the divine service.” God serves us in our souls with his word and sacraments. But if we attend church only to be served by him, to take from him, we are only considering half of the story. Then who is the Lord and who is the servant? Do we treat God sometimes like some sort of waiter or busboy, and we are the very important persons who expect him to be at our beck and call whenever we want something?

My friends, we are not lords and masters, we belong to the Lord, our Master. We remember how the Lord, our Master, lowered himself to come and serve us. Our attitude shall be the same as that of Christ Jesus. He, the God of all creation, gave up his position of power and glory to come and serve us—even to the point of pain and shame and dying for us, to forgive us of all our selfishness. Surely, now in return, we can give up ourselves and our selfish interests and become servants to him, and serve our neighbors as he served us all. We will devote heart and mind, body and soul, money and materials, energy and efforts, and our very lives to God and to his glory, at home and in our congregations and in our communities. May God by his grace and by his Spirit make that happen among us. “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 21:9) Let us confess and live daily the truth “that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:11), and to the benefit of our fellow, redeemed human beings.

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For a previous Palm Sunday blog post, see:
“Cheering on Sunday, Jeering by Friday”

Feb

2022

Why church?

I initially sketched out the thoughts of this post as a conversation starter for a church committee. I’ve reworked the thoughts for sharing here. Feel free to join the conversation here via comments, or to share with others if you find the thoughts useful.

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Why church?

Our mutual need for spiritual encouragement

Attendance at church services was dropping year by year before COVID happened. Getting people back into church settings after pandemic lockdowns added further challenges. When anyone can access anything they want online, including spiritual videos and writings, who needs church?

We do need church … although not necessarily in the sense of buildings we meet in. Martin Luther reminded us that a building “should not be called a church except for the single reason that the group of people assembles there.” Those who gather give the house of worship the name “church” by virtue of their assembly (Large Catechism: Apostles Creed). We gather in order to connect with each other and with the Lord, to keep “encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:25). The first Christians (in the first century) didn’t have church buildings to meet in. They gathered in each other’s homes. They met wherever they could meet, knowing that holding onto hope and living in love wasn’t easy (cf. Hebrews 10:23-24). Like those first century believers, we still need community with each other and communion with God. As another writer on this blog has attested: “The benefit of having a close community with your church is immeasurable–a family of believers who all look out for one another in love, support each other in faith, and build each other up” (The Electric Gospel, 6/13/2014).

Image credit: Liturgy.co.nz

As Christians, we want to share the life and fellowship that we have with others. We invite others to join us in church–to be included in our prayers, in our songs, in listening to words from God together with us. At the same time, we seek to extend Christ’s message outside the church walls too, in every form of outreach available to us. Technology has been a blessing, allowing us to connect with persons near and far through blogs, emails, videoconferencing and live streaming. Where the ancient church used letters (“epistles”), disseminated from congregation to congregation, we rely on the information technologies of our time to stay in touch. If you’re reading this as someone outside the church, and you’re not yet comfortable stepping inside a church, by all means explore, browse, stream, investigate from where you are. Look for ministries that convey Christ’s love and welcome for all people. Listen for the warmth of Christ that says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). I pray you will find a gospel-focused ministry in your area that could become a church home for you.

I’ve known plenty of people who have been uneasy about churches and ministries, as they had been deeply hurt by religious institutions and individuals. There are now institutes and studies examining religious trauma, which usually stems from struggles within an authoritarian religion or religious group, and then persons begin to “question the true extent of what they’ve been taught to believe” (Apricity Behavioral Health, 2020). There are podcasts, such as Cafeteria Christian, for listeners who want a connection to Jesus but have been disillusioned by the actions of many professed Christians. It’s understandable for non-churchgoers to be skeptical of the church. It’s imperative for those of us who are churchgoers to show our neighbors that they truly are welcome in our community. The church is to be a place for mutual spiritual uplifting, a place where Jesus guides how we treat one another: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). When someone is in need of encouragement and seeks spiritual guidance (whether by attendance at church or accessing ministries online), we want them to know they have a friend in Jesus–and in us.

Let people come together–inside the church and through the extended outreach of the church–in ways that provide mutual spiritual encouragement in the spirit of the Savior.

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Just as I am, though tossed about
with many a conflict, many a doubt,
fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, thy love unknown
has broken ev’ry barrier down;
now to be thine, yea, thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

– “Just As I Am,” Charlotte Elliott (1835)

Apr

2020

Got Gospel

The Power is in the Word

by David Sellnow

I’ve had a tune running through my head a lot lately. It’s an old tune, attributed to an English organist of the 18th century:

By the waters, the waters of Babylon
We sat down and wept, and wept, for thee, Zion.
We remember, we remember, we remember thee, Zion.

If you’re not familiar with how the tune goes, you can listen to Don McClean’s version from his American Pie album (1971). It’s a haunting canon that may begin playing in your head perpetually now too. The song gives melody to the thoughts of Psalm 137. The Jewish faithful, living in exile far from their home, longed for their worship place, the temple on Zion hill in Jerusalem.

By the rivers of Babylon—
    there we sat down and there we wept
    when we remembered Zion.
On the willows there
we hung up our harps.
For there our captors
    asked us for songs,
and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,
    “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
How could we sing the Lord’s song
    in a foreign land?
If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
    let my right hand wither!
Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,
    if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
    above my highest joy. (Psalm 137:1-6 NRSV)

Jerusalem had been besieged and pillaged by the empire-building Babylonians. The great temple built by Solomon had been torn down too. Thousands of people from the Kingdom of Judah were taken into exile in Babylon (some before Jerusalem fell, some after). It was hard for God’s people to sing songs of faith in a far off land, especially knowing their home city and temple had been destroyed.

In recent weeks, with churches closed in the midst of a pandemic, many of us have been feeling a sense of longing to be back in our houses of worship. We are in a better situation than the Jews in exile. We are in our homes. Our churches have not been destroyed. (Though many ministries are encountering financial challenges during these present times; support your congregation if you can.) We look forward to when we can come together again in person, in song and praise, in fellowship and prayer.

In the meantime, we have what we need the most. We have pastors streaming their Sunday sermons so that we can still hear the good news. We have podcasts and blogs. We have devotional books and church magazines. We have our Bibles — in print, on e-readers, online. We have the good news.

Whether we receive the gospel in our accustomed church setting or through other means, God’s grace in Jesus is conveyed. The gospel remains the same. The gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith” (Romans 1:16 NRSV). The power isn’t in the venue or format in which or through which the gospel is heard. The power is in God’s word itself, in whatever way it is delivered. The “got milk?” campaign for getting bodily nutrition doesn’t ask, “Got carton?” or “Got jug?” or “Got pitcher?” The milk is the thing, not the container it comes in. So too with “the pure, spiritual milk” by which we “grow into salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). In whatever way we receive the message, the power is in the “still, small voice” of God speaking his truth (1 Kings 19:12 KJV).

Apr

2020

Worshiping in spirit and truth

by David Sellnow

I woke up this morning to hear Baton Rouge pastor Tony Spell being interviewed on CNN. He was seeking to explain his church’s decision to go ahead with Palm Sunday services in defiance of the Louisiana governor’s shelter-in-place order. He had been quoted in the New York Post (4/5/20) saying, “We’re defying the rules because the commandment of God is to spread the gospel.” The CNN interviewer asked Pastor Spell whether he was endangering public health by gathering 1,800 people for worship last week, and again this Sunday planning to bus worshipers from around the city together to be at Life Tabernacle Church. Spell responded, “We believe the science of this … however, we do have a command from God, and there are no governing bodies that can tell us we cannot gather to worship freely.” He went on to say that while his church has the ability to livestream and televise services, he refused to do so “because the Word of God commands us to assemble together.” He asserted, “Neither the pressure of our friends, family, lawsuits, jail or death will stop us from operating our conviction, which is, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’” In a previous interview, Pastor Spell had told Insider (4/1/20): “I cannot baptize people in a livestream. I cannot lay hands on people in a livestream … and this is our biblical command—to lay hands on the sick and when they recover baptize them by immersion in water.”

Certainly, worshipers who are abiding by public health recommendations are feeling a sense of loss on this Palm Sunday. We’d like to be assembled together and commemorate Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem at the start of a momentous week. We want to sing, “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna!” and rejoice in one another’s presence in church—in a place dedicated to the praise of God.

We also know, though, that caring for the health of our neighbors is a biblical imperative, and that the worship of God is not restricted to any particular place. Once, when questioned by a woman about whether worship in a place outside Jerusalem was acceptable, Jesus answered, “ Believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. … The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:21,23-24).

Ministers who are doing their best to stream online services to their parishioners are doing a godly thing. Churches that are providing devotions and resources for individuals and families to use at home are doing a godly thing. All of us, now realizing that delving into God’s Word is not just an at-church activity but an at-home priority, are learning how things were in ancient days for God’s people. When there was only one designated place of worship—the original tabernacle (then later the temple, in Jerusalem)—God instructed all households to keep God’s words always in their hearts, to “talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise” (Deuteronomy 6:7). Before there were churches, before there were synagogues, the people of God prayed and praised and gave thanks regularly in their homes. Our present situation under shelter-in-place orders doesn’t stop us from worshiping. It simply asks us to adapt our worship and service to the needs of the community today. As Angela Denker, author of Red State Christians, said this past week: “Church in America will never be canceled, because the church is not a building.” The church isn’t a physical location. It’s not bricks and mortar. The church is the people of God, who, like living stones are being built into a spiritual house and offering “spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4-5).

We believe God can and does bless people through the touch of a kind hand, as well as anointing with oil in the name of the Lord (James 5:14). But to gather hundreds together during a viral pandemic because a particular pastor thinks he has a personal mission to lay hands on people—that is presumptuous. Jesus’ response to such a suggestion well might be, “It is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test’” (Matthew 4:7). Consider the fact that the Old Testament instructed that someone found to have a severe infectious disease “shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp” (Leviticus 13:26). Our God is not one to ignore public health concerns.

We pray God enlivens the church by his Spirit now as he always does—through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether shared on websites, in blog posts, via livestreams, through mail and phone and other means of communication, God will get his gospel work done. With proper respect for the governing authorities who look out for our communities’ physical well-being, we will look out for one another’s spiritual well-being in ways that are appropriate to the current coronavirus situation. At a later date, in due time, we will go into the house of the Lord again with gladness (Psalm 122:1). Meanwhile, let’s work all the more diligently to encourage one another in faith, using every alternate way we can find.

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

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

Why I go to church

Originally published on the Electric Gospel on July 23, 2015. Someone the author knew, who didn’t attend church, asked Rebecca Hinderman why she went to church. Rebecca wrote this wonderful letter in response to the question.

Why I go to church

by Rebecca Hinderman

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When you asked me, “Why do you go to church?” so many thoughts were racing through my head. I apologize for the short, incomplete answer I gave you. I am writing this letter to share fully what it means to be a Christian and why I go to church.

Starting with the word “church.” It’s not just a building or a group; it’s a family of fellow believers in Jesus Christ. We gather to worship and praise our Savior for what he has done for us – not because we have to but because we want to. We learn about Jesus, our need for salvation, sin, the power of the devil, forgiveness, love, the grace of God, and so much more. All this we find in the Bible, our instruction manual for life. Christians believe the Bible is God’s word. Even though there are many authors throughout the Bible, it is the true word of God; God-breathed, so to speak.

God’s word shows us how we are all sinful from birth. “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). We are all sinful not just by our actions, but also by our thoughts and words.

Our sinful nature was inherited from Adam and Eve who committed the first sin. Because of sin and our human inability to earn forgiveness, we are all condemned to death and hell. I know this is a strong, powerful statement. This truth should rattle us to the core. But there is a way to be right and sinless before God. God, through his love and grace, sent his Son Jesus to suffer and die the death we all deserve. Jesus was our substitute and saved us from our sins. “Look, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). We now appear to God as perfect and sinless as Jesus was.

The gift of salvation through Jesus is the gift of God’s great love for us. This great love–this grace– goes beyond our human understanding. The love and forgiveness God has given me is why I go to church. I want to thank him and praise his name for the gift of salvation given through Jesus. Knowing the truth of his love has moved me to share that truth with you and others. Attending church services gives me strength and support, a time to rest my soul and focus on what is truly important.

Without this renewed strength and focus, I can become easy prey for the devil. The Bible says, “Be self-controlled and alert for your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). We are all weak and vulnerable to the devil’s deceitful ways and can get sucked into situations and relationships that are harmful to our souls. Slowly, so subtly, we can be moved away from Christ and the saving gift of grace. It can be a battle both external and internal. What weapons do we have to ward off this attack? The answer again is God’s word – the Bible. God’s Holy Spirit will work in our hearts and minds to strengthen us and create faith as we read the Bible. Even a little each day, a short chapter, gives the Holy Spirit the opportunity to work its work in us. Knowing this gives me such peace and comfort as well as the boldness to talk about the truths of God’s word.

The first disciples, by the power of the Holy Spirit, began preaching and teaching the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. What unshakable faith they had! They endured much suffering and persecution as well as being put to death for their beliefs. Rejection of the salvation message was as commonplace then as it is today.

Still, I will speak up and risk your rejection of me and God’s word. Why would I still do this? You are too important. You are God’s creation. He desires you as his dear child. I pray through me you will feel his love for you, understand his word and believe in Jesus as your Savior from sin.

All I have said are God’s truths. I am not forcing any expectations on you nor am I putting myself above you. We have all messed up, sinned, knowingly or unknowingly. One person is no better than the next.

I invite you to join me anytime to attend church services and learn more for yourself. We also have a Bible study time. During this time we look at certain sections of Bible or specific topics and read what God says about such things. It’s a time to ask questions and learn in a non-judgmental small setting.

I will continue to pray for you and value your friendship. Thank you for your question and I hope my answers have aroused some curiosity and move you to come and learn about Jesus!

Dec

2019

Encouraging one another in worship

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on June 13, 2014.

In one of the religion classes I taught, I showed students a letter from a church that aimed at improving church attendance. But that letter (used in an actual congregation) did so in an exceedingly harsh and judgmental way. I asked students to critique that letter or write a replacement letter. Candace Hoefert wrote a letter with a wonderfully gentle and encouraging spirit. I urge you to read it … and to attend worship this weekend! 🙂

An invitation to church

by Candace Hoefert

Dear members of the church, called to be faithful to the Lord,

“For 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).

Isn’t that joyous news? God has forgiven us of our sins through his Son Jesus! This is something we want to share to one another and remind each other daily. Unfortunately we don’t have somewhere we can get together every single day to remind ourselves of this joyous news, but we do have somewhere we can gather at least once a week to praise our Lord for this gift he has given to all of us!

I know, you think that I’m here to preach to you about how you should attend church every Sunday and it is a sin to not be in church … but that’s not why I’m writing you this. It is not for me to question someone’s faith based solely on their church attendance. There are some circumstances that don’t allow for regular attendance and no one should automatically assume that because someone isn’t in church it’s because they don’t believe Christ’s word. But the benefit of having a close community with your church is immeasurable – a family of believers who all look out for one another in love, strengthening and supporting each other in their faith and building each other up. These are things that are hard to find on your own outside the church. I encourage everyone to attend church because of that sense of family, the sense of belonging. Christ promised us, “Where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them” (Matthew 18:20). The opportunity to worship together with other believers surrounded by God is an incalculable sense of comfort.

You never know who in your congregation may need your faith and your smile to help them have a better day, to perhaps strengthen them in their own faith. The lives that I could change by sharing my faith among a community of believers is of great motivation to me. You don’t have to be a minister in order to be a worker of the gospel. Christ gave the command to all of us to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). This wasn’t just for your pastors or teachers, but the whole nation of believers, for me and for you.

Therefore I urge you in the brotherly love of our Savior to come and share your faith with one another in the Word. You have something to offer that no one else does, your own faith and your person and your unique experiences with God’s love in your life. Rejoice with those who will joyfully say to you, “Let us go to the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1).

We Serve the One who Served Us

Why church?

Our mutual need for spiritual encouragement

The Power is in the Word

Come to church with me!

Christian Freedom

Why I go to church

An invitation to church

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