Jesus

The “bronze snake”

/ The Pastor

Amazing and merciful God,

Our “bronze snake” has been lifted up.
Our Savior has won the day.
Our Lord reigns on high.

And through this “lifting up” we find forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ.  When we grow impatient,
When we become disobedient,
When we long for that which does not save,
you still show amazing love, grace and faithfulness.  As those Hebrews bitten by those snakes in the desert, we too deserve punishment and wrath.   But as you showed mercy to them you show mercy to us as we confess our sins.

May we look to our “bronze snake” and live.
May we look to our “bronze snake” and see victory.
May we look to our “bronze snake” and give you all praise and worship.

Amazing and merciful God…we give you thanks. 

Amen

“Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim till all the world adore his sacred name.”
“Come, Christians, follow where our captain trod, our king victorious, Christ, the Son of God.”
[ELW 660 “Lift High the Cross”, chorus and vs.1]

edh -|—

Authority of Jesus

/ The Pastor

Do you want to know what never, ever gets old with me?

What never gets old with me is the fact that when Jesus says something…IT HAPPENS.  No if, and or buts about it.  When Jesus speaks, people (and demons) listen.  I guess that is also why I enjoy preaching on texts, like what we have for Sunday ~ Mark 1:21-28 ~ the authority of Jesus/casting out evil spirits.

Jesus teaches with authority (not like that of the scribes).  The scribes, when they taught, would rely on the authority of the great teachers that came before them.  Their teaching would be full of phrases such as:

[So and so] said [this] about [this] Commandment and therefore according to [so and so] you should live in [this way].

This got old for the people.  The scribes never taught with their own authority.  They didn’t make their own judgments.

But Jesus did…and the people loved it.

You see…Jesus’ authority wasn’t just in the manner he spoke.  It wasn’t just in his voice inflection. It wasn’t just in his facial expressions and body language.  Jesus’ authority was much different…and powerful.  Jesus’ authority was his own’s and he didn’t need teachers who came before him.  Actually…no one came before him because he was God for crying out loud.  You don’t get any more authoritative than that.

And Jesus displayed that authority through his powerful words when he commanded those evil spirits to leave that man…and the evil spirits listened (kicking and screaming on the way out).  But that shouldn’t surprise you because…
…when Jesus speaks people listen.

…when Jesus speaks his words do something
[“Lazarus, come out”, “Take your mat and walk”]

…when Jesus speaks he means exactly what he says.
[“Your sins are forgiven”]

Wow…that is authority.  That is awesome.  That is powerful.

We are God’s children because He says so.
We are forgiven because God says so.
We are saved through faith in Jesus Christ because God says so.

Next time you are in worship and hear the pastor announce forgiveness, know that the pastor does that with the authority of God and therefore the words being spoken are from God himself…AND therefore…you can trust that the words will do what they actually mean:  YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN.

Thank you, God, for calling me your child, forgiving me when I stray and embracing me when I return.  May you be praised always and forever. Amen!

edh -|—

Sealed and marked

/ The Pastor

This past Sunday (yesterday) the Gospel text was from Matthew 22:15-22.  It is the text where the religious leaders are trying to trap Jesus by asking him whether it is lawful to pay the tax to Caesar.  After Jesus asks for the coin used for the tax and after quizzing the quizzers on who’s image and inscription is on the coin, Jesus says:

“Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s“.

Jesus never directly answers the question.  He never says whether it is lawful or not.  Jesus simply states what is truly important; leaving the quizzers speechless.

So on Sunday I talked about being marked.  The coin was marked and so are we.

How?

We are “sealed with the Holy Spirit and MARKED with the cross of Christ forever.” (from the order of Baptism in the Evangelical Lutheran Worship book)

So what does this really mean for you and for me?  What does it mean to be marked?

(1)  It is about placing a claim on something (or someone).  You claim a brand new car by putting a license plate on it.  You claim a household pet by putting a collar/tag on it.  God places a claim on us in baptism through the mark of Christ ~ the cross.  God says to you through baptism, “You are mine“.

(2) The mark says something about the claimer.  A car license plate says a lot about the person who claimed (bought) the car.  An animal tag says something about who owns that pet.  The mark of Christ, the cross, shows us how serious God is about us.  Jesus went to the cross, an instrument of torture and death.  The cross shows us how much God loves us.    Indeed…the mark says a lot about God’s love for you.

(3) Lastly…marking something says something about the claimed. You don’t mark something if you don’t intend to claim or redeem it.  You only mark something that has value.  The very fact that Jesus went so far as the cross and that through baptism we are sealed and marked with the sign of the cross, says that we are valuable (to put it mildly).  God has claimed us and through faith in Christ, God intends to redeem us.

So at the end of the sermon I invited people to come forward to the baptismal font to receive the sign of the cross on their foreheads.  I told the people that this is  NOT because their mark from their own baptism has worn off, but rather this is a simple reminder that they are claimed by God.

One by one people came forward.  I dipped my finger in the water; making the sign of the cross on their foreheads, I said these words: “Child of God, you have been sealed with the Holy Spirit and MARKED with the cross of Christ forever.” It was a very powerful moment for me; to see most everyone come forward to acknowledge their gift of baptism.

As Martin Luther told people, I encouraged people whenever they splash water on their face, let the water remind them of their baptism.  Make the sign of the cross on your own forehead and say, “I am baptized“.  What a great way to start your day.

Reflect on your own baptism today (and everyday for that matter).  Consider the MARK God has placed on you.  Contemplate the fact that God considers you valuable.  Ponder the lengths Jesus went to in order to show how serious he is about you.  And rejoice in God’s love for you.

What an awesome God we have!

edh -|—

Claimed

/ The Pastor

Matthew 22:18-22
18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?”21 “Caesar’s,” they replied.Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

I share with you the following prayer with the invitation for you to use it as your own today. Dip your finger in some water and make the sign of the cross on your forehead as you say, “I have been seal with the Holy Spirit and MARKED with the cross of Christ forever.”

Almighty and merciful God, through my baptism you
sealed me
marked me
claimed me
and spoke to me: “Child of God, you have been sealed with the Holy Spirit and MARKED with the cross of Christ forever.”

Wow God…that is amazing.

When I consider this “marking” I can’t help but think that you claimed me because I am somehow valuable, otherwise why would you claim me?  After all…
I am sinful
I am unfaithful
I am disobedient
I am definitely not worthy

But despite that you have placed a claim on me through baptism.  You have said that I belong to you.  You have comforted me with the gift of life.  You have saved me from this world.  What belongs to Caesar is that which belongs to the world.  What belongs to you is that which you have marked and claimed…  

ME

Thank you, God.  May water be that everlasting reminder of you your:
Love
Faithfulness
Sacrifice
through Jesus Christ my Lord.

Thank you, God that I belong to you.  May your name always be praised.

Amen!

May God bless your day 🙂

edh -|—

Deny, carry and follow

/ The Pastor / 1 Comment

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
(Matthew 16:24-26)

Loving, holy and gracious God…Your Son and our Lord Jesus Christ has called us to follow.

We are called to deny ourselves ~ (that’s hard).
To dethrone ourselves.
To move ourselves down the priority list.

We are called to pick up and carry our cross ~ (that’s scary).
To make sacrifices.
To suffer.

We are called to follow you (that’s not always fun).
To obey you.
To trust you.

But this call to deny, carry and follow is done out of love.
Help me to see this.

This call to deny, carry and follow is done so others may know you.
Help me to see this.

This call to deny, carry and follow is done for your glory.
Help me to see this.

Jesus Christ is my TRUE Lord and Savior.
Help me to PROCLAIM this.

Amen!

-edh-

Not that bad…really?

/ The Pastor

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
(1 John 1:8-10)

Maybe you have never said that you are without sin.
Maybe you have never claimed to be perfect.

But…

Have you ever said or thought:
“At least I am not as bad as that person sitting over there”
“At least I am not living in sin like that couple.”
“At least I attend worship more than that person.”
“At least I don’t________” (Fill in the blank).

Sin can be a tough thing to talk about or listen to because many people don’t want to hear that they are sinful, they want to hear how to make their lives better.  Our society today has been so inundated with the prosperity gospel that any talk of personal sinfulness has become very offensive to people.

“Don’t tell me I am sinful, tell me how to be successful.”
“Tell me how to have a better marriage.”
“Tell me how to be blessed by God.”
“Tell me how to be happy in this life.”
“Tell me that, deep down inside, I am a good person.”

Go to the self-help section of any bookstore and you will see book after book after book that uses scripture to “teach” you how to be successful, to be happy, to get ahead in this world.  These authors claim that God wants to bless you and this is how you can make that happen.

Really?

The Good News is not that God wants to bless you, but the Good News is that because we are SINFUL God has blessed us with his Son, Jesus Christ.  There are no steps or actions we must take, but…

Jesus has already died on the cross for you.
Jesus has already risen from the grave for you.
Jesus has already made the offer for forgiveness.
Jesus has already gone ahead to prepare a place for you (John 14:1-7)

And Jesus has done all of this because we really are that bad.  We are sinful, evil people.

[Sorry if I just burst your bubble.  Well…actually…I am not sorry.]

Being happy and successful in this life is something Jesus never promised.  But what Jesus has promised is that we can have a PEACE that surpasses all understanding and HOPE in this life of eternal life.  And it is this PEACE and HOPE that sustains me in this life…even when things are not going my way because I know that there is more than just THIS life.

Admit your sinfulness and know that God is faithful and just and will forgive your sins through Jesus Christ.  For in the end, that is all we truly need.

Dear sinner…have a great day basking in the love of God through Jesus Christ our Lord 🙂

-edh-

Who is Jesus?

/ The Pastor

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
(Matthew 16:15)

Who are you Jesus?

You are not a genie in a lamp.
You are not a creation of my imagination.
You are not a “get rich quick” scheme.
You are not simply a way to live care-free.

Who are you Jesus?

You are not a law-giver.
You are not a soul-condemner.
You are not a distant ruler.
You are not an uninterested observer.

Who are you Jesus?

YOU ARE my…
Savior
Lover of my soul
Grace-filled Lord
Friend
Teacher
Patient Father running out to meet me ~ a prodigal.

You are more than I can imagine.
You are more than what I could have possibly hoped for.
You are more than anything this world can promise.
You are the Son of God.
You were dead but didn’t stay that way.
You are my life.

——————–

But what about YOU…who do YOU say Jesus is?

-edh-

Great day

/ The Pastor / 4 Comments

I had a great day yesterday.

Saturday, Feb. 12 was my birthday…the big 4-0.  Some people might get depressed about hitting that milestone but for me it just means I move into a new running age class (the 40 – 49 group).  Leave it to a dorky runner to be thinking about that.

But Saturday was special to me for another reason…

I was reminded yesterday of all the special people I have in my life.  Throughout the day I received numerous Facebook messages from people wishing me a happy birthday.  This is one of the many joys of Facebook ~ but that was only part of the specialness of the day.

Mid-afternoon I received a text message from a colleague of mine here in Jackson who is moving to a different house in town.  He asked me if I could come over at 5pm to help him.  I asked Connie and she said that would work fine before we went out.  My friend said it would take about a 1/2 hour.  At 5pm I went over to my friend’s house.  As I was helping him I began to wonder what was going on.  My friend seemed to be stalling me for some reason and I began to wonder why I needed to help him then when they weren’t moving for a few weeks.  I didn’t say anything.  At 5:30 I said I needed to go so Connie and I could go out for supper.

As I drove home various scenarios started playing in my head but I tried to squash them because I felt guilty for expecting any elaborate plan to get me out of the house.  I turned into the parking lot and there were no vehicles but I immediately thought “well…they just parked somewhere else.”  I shook my head trying to rid myself of that thought.  I walked into the house and began to take my shoes off.  I looked up…and saw a strange coat hanging on the chair (my suspicions were confirmed).  I walked into the living room and there they were ~ a whole host of my friends waiting for me (apparently they forgot to hide that coat I saw).  My wife had decorated while I was gone…and had been planning for quite a few weeks.  It was a great night.  Even though I had my suspicions I was still pleasantly surprised…and felt very blessed.

As I played through various scenarios in my head from 5 to 5:30pm they did not compare to what I felt when I actually experienced the real thing.  It is like that with God as well.  We can read about God in scripture.  We can hear stories about God’s faithfulness in the Bible.  We can hear others talk about their encounters with God.  All of these are great but they can’t hold a (birthday) candle to your experience of God’s love in your own life.  Every time I am blown away.  Every time I am lifted up.  Every time I am made to feel like the only one in the world.  When ever God does something in my life I feel like I have had the best night of my life.

God is like that, you know.  God celebrates you each and everyday.  God is happy that he created you.  God brags about you to the angels in heaven.  And…God sent his Son, Jesus, to die and rise FOR YOU that you may have life.  That is God’s gift FOR YOU.

I thank my wife and friends for a special day yesterday…I will never forget it.

But most of all…I thank God for making everyday to eternity special through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

-edh-

All things new

/ The Pastor / 6 Comments

Last night we watched the movie “The Passion of the Christ”.  I have seen this movie about 5 times or so…and each time something else grabs me.  Granted…it is a hard movie to watch.  The flogging scene and the crucifixion scene gets harder and harder to watch each time, but I force my way through those scenes because it shows me how much Jesus loves me and how serious he was about his mission.

But what grabbed me this year?  It came during the scene when Jesus was carrying his cross through the streets.  At one particular moment he fell down and Mary came running through the crowd to Jesus (as a flashback scene shows she did when Jesus fell down as a child).  When Mary got to Jesus she spoke something to him and Jesus responds, “…today I make all things new“.  I got goose bumps as I thought of what Jesus truly did for us.  Wow!

All things new…indeed.  Praise be to God!

What does it mean to you to hear Jesus say “I make all things new”?

-edh-

The Heart of a Pastor update and pondering

/ The Pastor / 7 Comments

No doubt you have noticed my absence from blogging.  It seems that has been happening more often recently.  I go through “sabbatical” times where I am discerning whether or not to continue and then I come back strong…blogging a few times a week.  Now I have been gone for a while and I am still trying to figure out if this blog has run its course or not.  Maybe Lent has gotten the best of me (it has been strangely busy this year).  The last two weeks have been extremely overwhelming for me (and Holy Week isn’t even here yet).

So where does that leave us?

I do not know.

I have been spending a lot of time doing ministry via Facebook and Twitter.  And I have been putting a renewed focus on education here at Salem (things are really taking off there).  Part of me is thinking I need to put more focus on writing lesson plans for here and shift some focus away from blogging for a while.  Part of me is reluctant to pull the trigger on this blog.  So I am still left wondering what to do.  I know some people have gotten sick and tired of waiting for me and I understand that.  I just don’t know what is next.

This blog has been up and running for nearly 4 years now and that fact completely blows me away.  How have I had that much to write about?  In any case…I am still around.  I am doing well.  And I still don’t know where this blogging is going next.  Maybe the time down after Easter will give me some clarity on the direction of this blog…who knows (God knows).

I thank you for your understanding.

So in the mean time I hope and pray you have a blessed Lenten and Easter season…celebrating the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Praising God…always and forever!

-edh-