David Bahn – Reflections

Light from the Word and through the lens

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In 1968 Jerry Snell opened a door in the hallway outside our first hour chemistry class. He invited me into what I discovered was a darkroom. Soon I was on the school newspaper and annual staff as a photographer. Later I learned that Jerry was a Lutheran who was planning to become a pastor. A few years later I was not only a Lutheran, but I was heading off to seminary to become a Lutheran pastor, too. Jerry followed a year later and served as a pastor in Missouri until his untimely heart attack and death. I thank God for Jerry and enjoy photography still today – not to mention rejoicing in having served as a Lutheran pastor in congregations in Utah, Colorado, Arkansas and Texas. I’ve retired now and serve part time as a Congregational Support Specialist for the Texas District of the LCMS. I also provide coaching and leadership training through various PLI cohorts and with individual congregations and organizations. David Bahn is a follower of Jesus Christ, husband to Diane, father and grandfather. He is an avid amateur photographer. His photo website is “Flowers by God Photos by David” He also publishes a devotional blog DavidBahn-Reflections.com. He and Diane live in Cypress Texas and enjoy visiting their grandchildren who live in the United States and Germany. He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in 1979, and earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1991. Diane, his wife, is now retired from PLI (PLIleadership.org). They have offered presentations on Marriage and Ministry Partnership, Leadership, Changing Your Congregation’s Culture, and Missional Living. They look are working with PLI International training pastors and wives of the ELVD Diocese of the Lutheran Church of Tanzania. David’s personal mission statement is “Leading people to realize Jesus’ calling and plans for their lives.”

Fierce Love

God cares. He is engaged. What happens here on earth and into eternity matters to him. Angels do his bidding. Shepherds seek lost sheep. All this happens at his bidding.

 

Grasses Lit by the Setting Sun
Grasses Lit by the Setting Sun "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." (Isaiah 40:8)

Matthew 18:7-13

[Jesus says,] 7“Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! 8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.

10“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

We think it would be so much easier if God would just disengage – at least when we’ve got a handle on life or when we want to go our own way without accountability or correction. But we are sadly wrong if we think we can take even one small step apart from him. And don’t even imagine a life without accountability or a life without consequence.

Jesus speaks here of us being thrown into the eternal fire, or the hell of fire. These are dire warnings. His better alternative of cutting off hands or gouging out eyes seems like saying it would be better to die from a heart attack than from a painful auto accident. Neither is preferable if we have the choice.

The raging retribution of God is of little comfort unless we understand the significance of his intensity. God is intensely passionate about our salvation. He is intensively concerned about our eternal well-being. He cares deeply about our souls. He is engaged.

The worst kind of love is a love that lets another person self-destruct for the sake of not offending. Jesus seems intent on offending disciples in their sin. He will not sit idly by and let us think that sin is no

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