Good Shepherd Voices

Idols

2010-09-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

So what is a false God? 7th and 8th graders began their confirmation year by looking at the first commandment the other night. I've been trying to meditate on it all week.

"You shall have no other gods."

What does this mean?

"You should fear, love, and trust in God above all things."

Luther pointed out that a false god or idol is anything in which you put your faith and trust apart from the one true God made known to us in Christ. It's a pretty humbling experience to sit down and really think about the places where you put your faith and trust. I mean seriously, if I asked you to search your heart and think about the things that bring you security, the things that you've put your faith in in this world, wouldn't the list start with things like the savings you've put away in case something goes wrong, or the insurance policies you have, or the stability of your job, or maybe something like the support of your family, which although less blatantly idolatrous still isn't quite in keeping with the command?

Of course when pushed on the subject we tend to come back to God, right. I mean we have faith in all of these things, but then we want to be able to say that we do have an ultimate faith in God and we acknowledge that he is the one who has blessed us with said job, insurance policies, nest egg, etc. But the question isn't whether we can cognitively trace blessings back to God, the question is where does our heart really put it's faith and trust? I have to admit that my faith and trust tends to go with the items that our society is selling me: namely, insurance policies, proper savings and retirement accounts, etc. and it's bumming me out to think about this. Not because I didn't know that I was sinful. As it says in Romans, "all sin and fall short of the glory of God," right? It bums me out because I know that God wants more for me than to put my trust in things that can give no true security.

It's important, when we look at any of the ten commandments to think about how God begins speaking these words to the people of Israel and to us. The verse where the ten commandments are given in the book of Exodus goes like this:

"I am the Lord your God who brought you out

of the land of Egypt, out of slavery. You shall

have no other God's before me."

This doesn't seem all that significant at first blush, just sounds like standard Bible-talk, right? But notice what God is doing, He's reminding the Israelites who they are and who He is as their God. He's essentially saying:

"Hey, don't forget who I am. I'm the one who loves you and showed it to you by freeing you from slavery, and you are people who were lost without me. So knowing that I love you and that you are free, now I'm going to tell you a thing or two about how to best get along with living your life... First of all, don't put you trust in other people or things because they won't do what I can do. I'm the one who has already freed you..."

And God can say the exact same thing to us today:

"Hey, baptized child of mine. I've freed you from your sins and from all the things that hold you back here on this earth. You are mine and I love you on account of my son, Jesus. In fact, when I look at you I see nothing but him, and I am well pleased. But just to help you along in life, let me tell you a couple of things. First of all, don't put your faith in things like stock markets, and retirement accounts, or even jobs and family, because these things are not perfect and cannot do what I can do. Remember who I am, remember who you are, and put your faith in that..."

You see? God wants us to be free, and has in fact already freed us. Ultimately we are His, but we don't always live like it and therefore don't receive the full benefits of being his children here and now. This is what bums me out. God has given me His full and complete love and security, yet I still fret over things like stocks and bonds... What's up with that?

Programs vs. Ministry

2010-09-08T20:26:00.000-07:00

Earlier this evening I (Joe) told our newest confirmation class and their parents that confirmation is not a program but that it is a ministry. I told them that confirmation is how we minister to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders and their families. I also told them that unlike most "programs" that we encounter in life, like weight lifting programs, diet programs, debt relief programs, etc. that a ministry (and therefore confirmation) is not about specific steps that lead to a designated goal. But rather, ministry is about relationships. It is about being the church together or being the body of Christ. Most simply put, it is about "doing life together." Doing life together within the context of our shared Christian beliefs, which means that we don't necessarily know where it is going to lead. It's about struggling together, laughing together, working together, and playing together.

I'm not sure what the group got out of my talk. Maybe not a whole lot. It can seem like mere semantics at first. But the more I think about it, the more I want to take it even further. You see, not only is something like confirmation in danger of being seen as a mere program and not a ministry, but church, itself, can also be in such danger.

Here's what I mean. I went on to say this evening that depending on what you expect to get out of confirmation, you will get different results. If a family and a child look at confirmation as a program of study to get through in order to reach the day of confirmation in which one affirms their baptism, then that is exactly what they will get. There will, no doubt, be hoops through which to jump along the way. These can be jumped, checked off, and left behind. But, if a family and their child look at confirmation as an opportunity to get to know other people better and explore the Christian life together with them, then that is what they will get. They will be engaged in the life of the body of Christ by coming together with others. They will find friendships. They will find meaning. They will find life. Not in the tasks completed, but in the journey together.

Similarly, for those who approach church as something of a program, something to do on a Sunday morning, part of a devotional regimen, perhaps, or merely a religious component of a larger life, then that is exactly what they shall get. They will get some religion in their life. They will get some of the Christian religion. But, if they engage church as something more, if they engage it as being about relationships--with, first and foremost, Christ, but also with one another as the body of Christ--and put effort into nurturing those relationships, then that person will get so much more. That person will get not just some religion in their life, but life of a whole new sort. They will receive the sort of life that Christ talked about and that he came to share. You see, this is no small difference, as if the second person merely has a greater share than the first. No, the second is getting what Christ actually came to bring--Life in him--while the first gets something of a completely different nature--mere participation in an institution, mere program...

So what would you like? Some religion in your life or some true life out of your religion?

Sharing The Experience

2009-07-16T07:29:00.001-07:00

We're preparing to leave for New Orleans and the National Youth Gathering. It’s always exciting to leave home, but it has changed some over the years. Now, along with the excitement comes a little fear and regret that I will be away from Kristin and the kids for over a week. I just know that when I return, Nick, our one-year-old, and maybe even Libby, our three-year-old, will look a little different. They will have changed while I was away. And, in fact, I will have changed too. I will come back having experienced things that I will attempt to share with my wife, but I won’t be able to share the experience of New Orleans and the Gathering with her in mere words. No matter how much I try to set the stage and explain all that happened while away, my words will not capture the excitement of being in a different place and the impact that a spiritual experience like a youth gathering will have on me.
I’m sure you have all experienced the sort of thing that I’m talking about. Something happens to you and you want to share it with others, but when it comes time to relay the experience and the impact of it on your life, you just can’t communicate the fullness of it, you can’t bring another person into the experience with you.
Isn’t this how it is with our faith? As much as we would like to communicate it to others and to give them the same sort of peace that we feel because of the experiences that we have had as we’ve come to know God and his Son, we can’t always bring others along for the ride as we would like—especially not with mere words. But like when we return home from a trip a changed person, what we can do is live in a way that shows others how we have been changed. As Christians, we let our lives tell the tale of our faith and use our words as mere support and explaination.

Catechism Time!

2009-06-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

So we're going to be looking at Luther's Small Catechism during our Coffee and Conversations time this summer. Now I know that for some of you the mere mention of the catechism probably brings back memories of a dull room, a droning pastor, and tedious memorization. But I'd like you to keep those memories safely repressed for another few months, because we are not going to be teaching the catechism as you remember it. In fact, we're not going to be teaching it at all.

What we are going to do is to use the Small Catechism as a way of getting into the topics that Luther thought were important for everyday life. So, we will look at what Luther put into it and what he had to say about his topics as a way of beginning our conversation about such things as the Ten Commandments, the Apostle's Creed, and the Lord's Prayer.

And, with hope, we might just replace some of those repressed memories with new memories of interesting conversation about what Luther was interested in and up to when he wrote the small catechism. Because maybe he wasn't simply interested in the torture of middle-school-aged children. Maybe there is something more...

The Shack -- The Problem of Evil

2009-04-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

In some respects, The Shack is the story of Mack's struggle with the problem of evil, or theodicy. He can't understand how a good God could have allowed his daughter to suffer in such a terrible way. He can't justify it. Ultimately, The Shack doesn't allow Mack or the reader to get caught in the trap of theodicy. Mack is continually told that although God is all powerful and all loving and that it is not God's intention for people to suffer, that evil still exists.

Having stepped into the world of this story along with Mack, was it difficult for you to swallow God's explanation that although evil is not His intention or doing, that it is allowed to exist?

The Shack -- The Mysterious Trinity

2009-04-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

Last night, I mentioned how I appreciated the way that The Shack examined yet upheld the mysterious nature of the trinity. We also spoke about how much we enjoyed Young's depiction of the relationship between Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu. But some have pointed out that Young's depiction could be confusing.

Did this book help or hinder your understanding of the trinity? If so, how?

The Shack -- in relation to the N.T. canon

2009-04-21T12:42:00.000-07:00

I know that Judie had some thoughts on this topic, so here begins the conversation. Take it away, Judie... (or anyone)...

The Shack -- Radical Forgiveness

2009-04-21T07:03:00.000-07:00

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book is how it makes you face up to the radical forgiveness that we so often speak of within the Christian church. It is very easy for us to say that sin is sin and no one sin is greater than any other before God. It's easy to say this, but extremely hard to actually believe it. When we read The Shack we enter into Mack's world and his pain. We enter into his struggle with forgiveness as The Judge prods him to forgive the man who brutalized his daughter. And, of course, we struggle with it as readers. Yet the message of the book, (and I would argue of the gospel of Jesus Christ) is that we are to forgive even the most heinous of crimes.

But why? How? Can you forgive as Mack is asked to forgive? How does your own theology comprehend such radical forgiveness? How does The Shack explain this forgiveness?

HOLY WEEK

2009-04-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

Well, it's Holy Monday. And my question for you is, "how is it treating you?" Does it feel like a more Holy Monday than any other? Hopefully, it does. Hopefully you've so enjoyed Lent as a time of reflection, meditation, fasting, and prayer, that as we come into Holy Week, your spirit is at peace and you can't help but feel a little different knowing that Easter is fast approaching.

But, if you're anything like me, then you know all too well how even Holy Week can tend to feel just like any other week. Holy Monday is, after all, Monday. And just like most Monday's, many of us are back to the office, or the salesfloor, or the warehouse, or factory, or to being the only one home with the kids again. Yes, back to the grind of life, even on "Holy Monday."

But just because this Monday is just like any other Monday does not mean that it isn't holy. In fact it means just the opposite. This Monday is holy just like every other Monday! Because of what we celebrate later this week, everything we do, every day that we live has been reclaimed by a holy God and it is now holy in His sight. It may not always feel or look that way, but it is. This coming Sunday, we will proclaim that Jesus has been raised from the dead. Death and the Devil have been overcome. We have been reclaimed as children of God. Certainly everyday is now Holy! Not even the Monday doldrums can take that away.

So yeah, sometimes Monday's stink. And even "Holy Monday" is still Monday. But let us not forget the loving God that gives us each and every one of these holy days of life as a gift and who restores us to himself in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen, and happy Monday!

A Manly Idol

2009-03-29T06:18:00.000-07:00

(Joe's Jottings from the April Newsletter)

In our February newsletter, I listed a set of quotes about men and the church from a book with the provocative title, Why Men Hate Going to Church by David Murrow and promised that the story would be continued. (This article was posted earlier on this blog). I have received several comments and responses and found our collective reaction to the article to be rather interesting.

What was surprising, and telling, to me was the basic acceptance of Murrow’s starting point— that men are underrepresented in churches and that this is connected to a lack of masculinity within the Christian church. Both the men and the women from whom I heard, readily affirmed the notion that Christianity, as it is most usually expressed and practiced, simply does not appeal to men as it does to women. Yet, when I look upon our congregation on any given Sunday, we seem to have a fair balance between men and women. We don't have a 1 to 1 ratio, but we do have a decent share of regularly attending men in this congregation. But even within these men, there seemed to be a recognition that the church was not a particularly masculine place. For these men, however, this lack of masculinity did not preclude their involvement with the church.

This has me wondering about the male population. What is it that makes some men interested in engaging with what is generally accepted, at least here, as a fairly non-masculine religion while others are not? Is this merely reflective of a spectrum of masculinity within males? (i.e. are the men in church less masculine than those who are not?—which Murrow does intimate on more than one occasion). I, for one, reject that claim and am offended that Murrow would hint at such a thing. But we still have to deal with the fact that even within our own ranks there is a recognition that church does not appeal to some men and that this is somehow connected to their masculinity.

Another thesis that Murrow puts forward is that some men have adopted masculinity, itself, as their religion. That is, that they find their identity and security in their masculinity and not in God. This seems to explain much, but is too simplistic to be of real value for our ministry. It’s easy to say that the men who are not interested in church are simply worshipping at the feet of an idol named Masculinity. But this would tempt us to either write these men off because of their own stubbornness or attempt to make the church into the temple of masculinity they unconsciously desire.

No, what we must do is remember that we are not only dealing with a demographic group, but with individual men. Husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons. Men who are in need of God’s saving grace in Jesus Christ, and who may also be in need of some help in sorting out what it means to be men in our society, because they don’t often receive such help elsewhere. We should seek to connect with men and to positively shape their masculinity not as something opposed to Christian faith, but as one of the gifts that God has given them, as something to be celebrated, but not worshipped. Let us begin, by simply being more mindful of the this group and the individual souls that make it up.

Blog Addendum:
I didn't have a lot of room to elaborate in the newsletter, but what I am trying to say is that our congregation does recognize an opportunity to do a better job of connecting with men. That is, we could strive to "be more masculine" if you want to speak of it in those terms. But what does that mean, exactly? I think that we would do well to be more mindful of ministering to the men in our midst, but this does not mean a one-size-fits-all approach. As for what that means in terms of our day-to-day life as a congregation? Well, I leave that to you to discuss...

Lent Drama III: March 18th

2009-03-18T13:39:00.000-07:00

(These come from our Confirmation Small Groups)

Questions For Further Thought:

In tonight’s skit, the Prosecuting Attorney attacked the integrity of the early church by implying that James was merely using his brother’s fame to come to power himself. This implies that Christianity as a whole is merely the result of a few people’s desire for power and prestige.

1) What do you think about this argument?

2) How might someone say the same thing about Christianity today? (Think about the hierarchy of the church, the power of the Pope, etc.)

3) How did the witness, James, and the Defense attorney respond to this claim? (Notice that James didn’t have a great argument, but could only say that he was caught up in the love of God through his experience with Jesus.)

4) What about you? Why would you say that you believe in Jesus and his resurrection? What would you say to someone who claimed the church was just a man-made sham? (Let the kids really think about this one, even if they don’t put answers into words. Point out that we trust the witness of James, Peter and the others and that this witness has been carried down over the years through the Bible and in the preaching and teaching of people like Pastor John, Pastor Nancy, and more importantly moms and dads, grandparents, etc.)

Bonus Question:
5) Some people still like to argue that Jesus was not raised from the dead and that the early church merely created the resurrection story to cover up his defeat. Can you think of any logical arguments against this theory?

(One of the best logical arguments against this idea might be the fact that the gospel accounts often show how much the disciples did NOT understand about Jesus and his teachings. They are often shown to be incompetent, unfaithful friends who don’t have a clue. If Christianity were merely a lie to maintain honor and prestige, why would they allow themselves to be portrayed in this way?)

Lent Drama II March 11th

2009-03-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

(From our Confirmation Small Groups)

Questions For Further Thought (March 11th):

Cynics have often attacked the church as a place for weak or feeble-minded people. In tonight’s skit, the Prosecuting Attorney implied that Jesus preyed upon the weak and insecure in order to gain followers using Mary Magdalene as an example. He went on to say that the church continues to do this today.

1) What did you think about this argument?

2) Do you know of anyone who says things like this about Christianity?

3) How did the witness, Mary, and the Defense attorney respond to this claim?

4) In Jesus’ time, the Pharisees criticized him for associating with tax collectors, prostitutes, and other sinners. His response was that it is not the healthy that need a doctor or healing, but the sick (Matt 12:9). What does this mean? Relate it to the arguments made tonight.

5) What about you? Are you one who has always been healthy? One who has been healed? Or one who is sick and in need of healing?

(Teaching point: Healthy implies no need for healing or saving. As Christians, we acknowledge this need and rejoice that we have been healed on account of Christ. However, we also remain in need of further healing in this life as we continue to battle against sin)

Lent Drama I

2009-03-18T13:33:00.000-07:00

(I've been writing questions about our Lenten Dramas for the confirmation kids to go through after the service. Sorry I didn't think to share them here sooner)

Questions For Further Thought (March 4th):

In tonight’s skit, the Prosecuting Attorney accused Jesus’ disciples of being hypocrites because they did not always show perfect love for one another. He went on to say that because of this Jesus was a fraud.

1) What did you think about this argument? (give adequate time for reply)

2) Do you know of anyone who uses arguments like this?

3) How did the witness, John, and the Defense attorney respond to this argument?

4) Is it fair to judge Jesus and his message by the actions of his followers?

5) What would your life tell others about Jesus?

Men and The Church

2009-01-28T09:33:00.000-08:00

Here is my (Joe's) article as it appeared in the February newsletter:

Disappearing Men

“Where have all the men gone?” This is the predominant demographic question that mainstream Protestant and Catholic churches have asked for the past 10+ years. It has been the topic of articles, books, synod conventions, etc. A provocative 2005 book entitled, Why Men Hate Going To Church, by David Murrow, points to a lack of masculinity in the church as the reason men make up only 40% of the weekly attendance and an even smaller percentage of church workers and volunteers. Quotes from this book have me thinking. Are comments like those below accurate descriptions of church in general and Good Shepherd, in particular? Please read these over, think about your church, discuss with one another, consider blogging about your thoughts, and pray. Pray for the men of this congregation and for our ability to minister to them. (Disclaimer: I do not think that these quotes are necessarily true of the church at-large, let alone Good Shepherd, but I am interested to hear your thoughts on this.)

“More than 90 percent of American men believe in God, and five out of six call themselves Christians. But only two out of six attend church on a given Sunday. The average man accepts the reality of Jesus Christ, but fails to see any value in going to church.”

“When men need spiritual sustenance, they go to the wilderness, the workplace, the garage, or the corner bar. They watch their heroes in the stadium or on the racetrack… Church is one of the last places men look for God.”

“Today’s church has developed a culture that is driving men away. Almost every man in America has tried church, but two-thirds find it unworthy of a couple of hours once a week. A wise Texan once told me, “Men don’t go to church ’cuz they’ve been.”

“...the church has gained a reputation as a ladies’ club in the minds of men. Cliff does not attend church for the same reason he does not wear pink: neither is proper to his gender.”

“of the men who do attend church, most decline to invest themselves in the Christian life as their wives and mothers do. The majority of men attend services and nothing more. Jay is such a man. He’s in church most Sundays, but he’s not very excited about it. “I go mainly for my kids and my wife,” he says. “Church is okay, but it really doesn’t enthrall me like it does her.”

“Visit the church during the week, and you’ll find most of the people working there are female. Drop in on a committee meeting, and you’ll find a majority of the volunteers are women—unless it’s that small bastion of male presence, the building committee.”

“Men’s disinterest in Christianity is so consistent around the world, it can’t be explained by pride, father issues, sin, or distraction. Neither can we say, “Well, men are just less religious,” because this is untrue. Male and female participation are roughly equal in Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. In the Islamic world men are publicly and unashamedly religious—often more so than women.”

So, What do you think?

Please do not be shy. Write how you feel about this author's claims and about the state of men in the church. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the larger church and especially on Good Shepherd.

For more on the book from it's author visit http://www.churchformen.com/, especially the "where are the men?" tab OR do a search on Why Men Hate Going to Church to look for varying points of view. (Sorry, I can't find any one site that gives more than one or two viewpoints/reviews, so you'll have to search also).

My Musings about the age of first communion

2008-10-15T12:32:00.000-07:00

Me Too!

A few weeks ago an occurrence reminded me of something which has been concerning me for some time. While I was distributing communion on a Sunday morning a mom and a young girl came forward in line. I blessed the young girl with the sign of the cross and then said to her mother "The body of Christ given for you", placing the bread in the mother's hands. As mom turned to receive the wine the little girl broke away from her and scurried back toward me. She cupped her hands together, looked up and said, "Me too!" Her mom quickly redirected her and I was spared trying to explain to her the "rule".

There was a time when the "rule" stated that you received communion only after you were confirmed. We kept our rented confirmation gowns for two weeks and used them again on the Sunday after confirmation for celebrating our first communion. That "rule" changed about thirty years ago because we were in real danger of confusing the Lord's Supper with something we could earn. Since God's grace and forgiveness is a gift, the gift is given independent of any earning it on our part. What can we do to earn what Christ has done for us on the cross? Because of this, the "rule" was changed allowing young people as young as the 5th grade to receive the sacrament. This was an arbitrary age based on the belief that at this age the child could "understand" what Holy Communion entailed. The thing that has concerned me for some time is this. Since Christ's death for us in unearned and undeserved and it comes to us as a gift, what degree of understanding is necessary for the gift to still be a gift? How many of us older Christians really understand what the sacrament is all about? Can any of us say that we understand a love that unselfish or a gift that great?

Many congregations have offered Holy Communion to much younger children. Providing instruction involving whole families becomes an opportunity for parents, pastors and the congregation to explore what it means to join Jesus at His meal. Maybe that little girl had as good an understanding as her pastor of deeply yearning for what Christ offers through his meal. She had watched often the reverence of her mother's need to be fed and on this day decided that she too needed to be fed with more than a reminder. What would it be like to make the "rule" that the church shares Christ with anyone who says, "Me too!"

I am very interested in your response and reactions to my musings. Please respond to this blog, call or email me at pastorjohn@gswausau.org and share your thoughts.