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.”

  • Joining the Chorus

    Psalm 86:9

    All the nations you have made shall come and bow down before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.

    Titus 2:11

    The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all.

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    Yesterday was Epiphany, the Christmas of the Gentiles. It is the day set aside to remember the visit of the magi to the Christ Child with their gifts and worship. That was 2000 years ago. But the worship, giving, and seeking embodied in that event continue on today. In fact they will continue on forever.

    Worship is not only something we ought to do; it is something we actually join. When we bow down – whether in prayer, receiving the Lord’s Supper, in praise, or in humble submission to God’s word, we are not doing God a favor. We are embracing a reality and joining an ongoing expression of honor and praise to the One who alone is worthy of our worship.

    God is worthy of all glory and honor because of who he is, and what he has done. He is love. He is Creator. He is over all. He has revealed his worthiness by becoming a baby: grace appearing in a manger, and through acts of kindness, love, mercy, healing, and goodness. He has brought salvation to all. Those who receive that gift join an unending chorus of praise to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

  • Seeing our Concerns in their Proper Context

    Psalm 89:11–12

    The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it—you have founded them. The north and the south—you created them.

     Colossians 1:16

    In Christ all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him.

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    I heard a prayer this morning on one of the podcasts I regularly receive. It was offered by a pastor in behalf of a young man who was concerned about an argument he had with his girlfriend. The prayer went like this:

    Dear God of creation, who created the universe from nothing, scattered billions of stars at a mere word, engineered every favorable condition necessary to support life on this blue planet, populated the oceans and the land with creatures of unimaginable variety and complexity, orchestrated all of nature and made man its master;

    God of David who with a river stone dropped a giant to his death and made a shepherd boy a king;

    God of the disciples who on Pentecost received your power, spoke in other languages so 3000 were baptized in one day, and then turned the world upside down for Christ;

    Father of Jesus who made the blind see and the lame walk, lepers whole and the dead to rise, and gave his life to rescue those who were hopelessly dead in sin and made them alive to righteousness and eternal life;

    God of creation;

    God of history;

    God of the Bible;

    God almighty,

    Could you possibly be of some help with this young man’s girlfriend? Amen.

    Wow! That’s a prayer in its proper context! I wonder if more of our prayer time was spent honoring God, and recalling his works and wonders we would see our concerns in their proper context. But make no mistake: The God who is above all things, who created the world and called the stars by name has his eye on the sparrow, and cares about all the affairs of women, men, boys and girls, you and me. He is a mighty God, faithful and true, worthy of our worship and attentive to our prayers. May his name be praised!

  • Christmas of the Gentiles

    Matthew 2:1-12

    Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

    6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
        are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
    for from you shall come a ruler
        who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

    7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.11 And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures,they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

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    Today is Epiphany: the 12th day of Christmas; the Christmas of the Gentiles. A simple question: who are you most like in this story?

    • King Herod: he wanted to kill the Christ Child
    • The Religious Scholars: They wanted to dismiss and ignore the Christ Child
    • The Magi: They did all that they could to worship the Christ Child.

    We know what the answer ought to be. Blessed are we if we do it.

  • Sorry Star Wars Fans…[No Spoiler Alert Needed]

    Psalm 139:23–24

    Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

    Ephesians 3:17

    Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

    The Janion

    I haven’t seen the latest Star Wars movie yet, so this is not a kabash on the movie. Nor is it necessarily a kabash on the franchise. But a recent quote from Martin Luther struck me in strong counterpoint to a line in one of the previous movies. Luke speaks to Darth Vader and says, “There’s something good in you…” (or words to that effect).

    We would all like to believe that there is something good in us; something worth redeeming, or making us worthy of love. It’s as though we believe we’re entitled to God’s love. Luther says something about God’s love that is at once challenging and reassuring:

    The love of God does not find, but creates, that which is pleasing to it. The love of man comes into being through that which is pleasing to us.

    It may not seem like a very complementary thing to say that God’s love does not find anything in us which is pleasing to it. We would rather think that there’s something good in us (ala Luke Skywalker to Darth Vader). But this is dangerous and not truly comforting. What if we are convinced (as we should be) that we are sinful through and through apart from Christ? What hope would we have for God’s redemptive love? There is nothing good in us (check out Romans 7:18 in case you need a reminder of this reality).

    The only hope we have is that God’s love does not find goodness in us, but creates good in us. That good in us is Christ. God’s Holy Spirit brings us to faith, and through faith Christ reigns in our heart. God’s love creates goodness in us for which all glory goes to God.

    The worst evil we can embrace is to believe that for any reason God owes us his love. Nothing could be farther from the truth. But neither does our lack of goodness prevent God from loving us. And that is truly good news. God’s love depends on his character, not on our worthiness.

    Now that God’s love has found us, Christ dwells in our hearts by faith. And that is abundantly good!

  • New Year Hopes and Foundations

    Psalm 136:3–4

    O give thanks to the Lord of lords, who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever.

    Ephesians 3:20–21

    Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

    Sebastian & Co

    When it comes to the New Year, I’m like many others: hope takes root in my being. I’m not really big on New Year’s Resolutions, but I am big on looking forward with anticipation to what the New Year will bring.

    We have planned a major trip this summer, and I’m looking forward to that. We look forward to seeing our 9 grandchildren and their parents, as well as our single son over the coming months. I have registered for a one-day photography intensive to which I am also looking forward. We’ll host people in our home, enjoy some great friendships and other experiences.

    We also anticipate welcoming a new associate pastor to St. John early this year. Together with the launch of Cypress Chapel, and the on-going mission of God at St. John, we anticipate many challenges and opportunities to see God’s faithfulness and favor at work in our lives.

    All of these are blessings from God for which we will give thanks.

    Truth be told, however, we have no idea of how the year will play out. There will surely be “crazy Ivans*” thrown our way along the path of 2016. Unexpected illnesses, a death or two, economic challenges, or personal struggles of one kind or another will surely come along.

    That is why I keep in mind the foundation of life: the goodness and steadfast love of God. I also embrace a hope: God can accomplish abundantly far more than all we ask or imagine. These twin pillars of truth hold up a life of hope and confidence founded in God’s character and promises. For that reason I do give thanks to God for his past faithfulness, and give him the glory for his favor in Jesus Christ now, in the New Year, and forevermore!

    • A “crazy Ivan”is an unexpected turn of events, or an unexpected and radical change in direction, literally or metaphorically. The term came to my attention in the movie Hunt for Red October, where it refers to a sudden change in direction of a Soviet submarine in an effort to see if the sub was being followed. Thankfully God is never surprised by our sudden changes in direction – nor by those around us. He knows all things and is never surprised by any turn of events.

  • Four Deceptions We Must Reject

    James 1:16-18

    Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

    Trip to Moody Gardens' Festival of Lights

    Writing to Christians in the earliest of days following Jesus’ death and resurrection, James speaks of the importance of not being deceived. That strikes me as nearly unnecessary. Why would followers of Jesus need to be warned about being deceived?

    Consider these four deceptions about God and his gifts to his people – and all people for that matter. I offer these in reverse order of their potential danger.

    • God doesn’t give good gifts. Most followers of Jesus realize how dangerous such an idea is; they reject this notion outright. We know that God gives good gifts and we are thankful to God for these gifts. We do need to be warned against such despair, however, when we are in difficult times.
    • God’s good gifts are something we deserve. It is so easy to consider ourselves as not only deserving of God’s good gifts, but as something to which we are entitled. We must embrace God’s gifts as acts of his grace and not as entitlements if we are to maintain a proper humility before God.
    • God has nothing to do with good or bad things that happens to us. God is at work in the world and in our lives. He has not simply wound up the clock to let it run out over time. He is active and engages in the lives of all people for the purpose of bringing us to faith in Jesus and having abundant eternal life in Jesus’ name.
    • The most dangerous deception is to believe that we don’t need to be warned of possible deceptions such as these. We battle sin of all kinds, the gravest of which is the sin of thinking we do not need God, or the correction or the warnings of his word.

    God gives good gifts: the best of which is his Son for our salvation. The second best is his work in our hearts to bring us to faith. The remainder are wonderful additions and displays of his goodness, faithfulness, and love.

    What gifts would you number among those God has given you in the past year?

  • I’m Ready For This

    Philippians 2:9-11

    Therefore God has highly exalted [Jesus] and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

     

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    Certainly thousands of people have gotten it wrong over the years about Jesus’ rule and reign. Some have made it about a particular political agenda or philosophy. Others have made it about a very narrow understanding of moral behavior. Still others have made the rule and reign of Jesus Christ all about certain theological formulas, churchly rites, or triumph of nations.

    I believe Jesus’ rule and reign is all about his redemptive work taking hold in a person’s heart, and showing itself in the worship of God in truth and Spirit, love for brother and sister in Christ, and love for others that serves our neighbor’s earthly and eternal well being.

    There are others who are committed to the demise of Christian thought and belief. Whether for selfish, political, religious, or social reasons, they see the rule and reign of Christ Jesus as an impediment to their agenda. They are driven by hatred, self-righteousness, willful defiance of God’s laws, or a supposed superior understanding of life and the world.

    There are times and places where these are apparently winning the battle. Jesus’ followers have been murdered and persecuted. God’s ways are abandoned. Evil reigns unimpeded. Make no mistake: all is not perfectly in line with God’s will for his creatures and creation. For now.

    But the day will come when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Some will do so under duress. Others will do so in joyful celebration of the consummation of Jesus’ redemption. I look forward to that day, and I’m ready for that Day!

  • Attitude Determines Altitude

    Philippians 2:5-8

    Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 

      
    I believe attitude does determine altitude, in life, in career, and in relationships. It seems to me, however, that the correlation is inverse. The less humble my attitude toward others the lower they are likely to think of me. If, however, I take on an attitude of humility and servanthood, the more likely people will look up to me. Certainly there are exceptions to these dynamics, but they they occur mostly on the part of people who have little respect for others, and whose judgment I do not respect. They are the ones who take advantage of others, and treat a weakness in others as something to be exploited. They prey on widows, the weak, and the vulnerable. A show of humility to them results in put down and further haughtiness on their part. 

    Nevertheless, I seek to be humble. I’ll let those who know me best see whether they agree with my self-assessment or not. I know I don’t do it perfectly. But I do believe that an attitude of humble servanthood is best; and that partly because truly humble people are nice to be around. 

    But Paul’s words in Philippians 2 remind us of a better reason: Jesus’ example and the impact of his redemptive love and servant’s attitude. Humility isn’t actually a means to an end. We don’t do it best when we seek to be honored by others because we’re so humble. We embrace an attitude of true humility best when we do so in an effort to imitate Christ, and because we believe in him and his way, and want to follow him. A humble attitude will put us in good company, worthy of a follower of Jesus.

  • Glory to God in the Highest. Amen!

    Luke 2:13-20

    And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

    14 “Glory to God in the highest,
        and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

    15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

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    When I think of the glory of God, I think of grand displays of power and majesty. I think of things that would cause me to fear him. I imagine splendor, light, might and God’s sovereign rule. I think of choirs of angels piercing the night’s silence with bold and beautiful songs. I think of this scene with the shepherds and their flocks bathed in the aura of God’s brilliance.

    But an Amy Grant song, El Shaddai, comes to mind, and in particular one of the lyrics: your most awesome work was done in the frailty of your son. I don’t know how well the angels understood what was happening that first Christmas. Whether they realized that God’s glory was going to be hidden for 33 years in the man, Jesus of Nazareth. But I do know that God’s glory was being wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger for shepherds to see and magi to worship.

    Holding to the true glory of God in Jesus Christ is vital if we are to capture the true meaning of Christmas. The implications of that true meaning are that even the most humble service or servant in the hands of God and for his rule and reign will forever bring glory to God in the highest. That is a privilege for which I greatly hope.

  • Fear, Love, and Trust Writ Large

    Luke 2:8-12

    And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

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    This most familiar of Bible accounts warms our hearts and touches our souls. There is such a splendid array of characters, combination of events, and implied promises in just these four verses. They show us three essential dimensions to our relationship with God: Fear, love, and trust.

    Fear is clearly expressed by the shepherds. Luke reports that they were doing their shepherdly thing when an angel appeared to them, replete with a manifestation of God’s glory. They were filled with great fear. God’s glory, being, angels, and raw presence is a fearful thing. We properly fear him.

    There is, however, also love. Engendered by the baby, expressed in the gift of a Savior wrapped in common baby garb and laid in a manger. God’s love is shown here: a love for shepherds and for all people. For implicit in the announcement to the shepherds is the desire of God to deliver his people. The word to the shepherds and the invitation to go see the sign and the baby along with the command, “fear not,” show the love of God for us all. Love of God tempered with fear: this is a powerful combination!

    Add to that trust, and you have the makings of an eternally-blessed relationship. Embracing God’s promises; believing the words of his messengers; trust in God’s goodness: these are the essence of faith. God invites us to such faith as is seen in the shepherds who will “go and see this thing that has come to pass.”

    Fear, love, and trust are foundational to our relationship with God. Is there one to which God is calling you today?