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.”

  • Today’s Psalms – A Call to the Righteous

    Psalm 105:1-11

    Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
    make known his deeds among the peoples!
    2 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
    tell of all his wondrous works!
    3 Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
    4 Seek the Lord and his strength;
    seek his presence continually!
    5 Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
    his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
    6 O offspring of Abraham, his servant,
    children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

    7 He is the Lord our God;
    his judgments are in all the earth.
    8 He remembers his covenant forever,
    the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
    9 the covenant that he made with Abraham,
    his sworn promise to Isaac,
    10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
    11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
    as your portion for an inheritance.”

    Psalm 135:13-21

    Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
    your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages.
    14 For the Lord will vindicate his people
    and have compassion on his servants.

    15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
    the work of human hands.
    16 They have mouths, but do not speak;
    they have eyes, but do not see;
    17 they have ears, but do not hear,
    nor is there any breath in their mouths.
    18 Those who make them become like them,
    so do all who trust in them.

    19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord!
    O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
    20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord!
    You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
    21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
    he who dwells in Jerusalem!
    Praise the Lord!

    These psalms – two among many throughout the psalter, and among the five psalms I read this morning as I prepared for worship – speak to the righteous, the people of God. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are mentioned in Psalm 105, and Psalm 135 ends with a call to the house of Israel, Aaron, and Levi, then those “who fear the Lord.” The call: Bless the Lord!

    We don’t add any glory to God by praising him and blessing his name. We simply express the reality of the glory of our God. In these days where we see worship attendance declining an many churches – healthy and struggling alike – this is a reminder to God’s people: worship is befitting for God’s people. There is no excuse appropriate to neglecting worship. Martin Luther says in explaining the Third Commandment, that we should not neglect preaching and God’s word, “but hold it sacred and gladly hear it and learn it.”

    One of the reasons for the decline in attendance is that people are worshiping fewer times per month. The reason for that is that with affluence comes mobility. We don’t have to stay home anymore; we can go whenever we want – and especially on the weekends.

    Wherever you are today, find a place of worship. Make it a point to gather with other believers in worship and praise of God. Sing praises to him and bless his name.

  • Intruder Alert

    Acts 16:16-24

    As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

    19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

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    Her life was a mixture of power grab, manipulation, together with slavery and addiction. She was able to entice and seduce men and women to pay large sums of money to gain her services. Sound like the slave girl mentioned above in Acts 16? Indeed it does, but it applies to any number of persons who make a living for others by their various, and often nefarious ways and means.

    Slavery was abolished by law in the United Sates during the days of Lincoln. But despite the Emancipation Proclamation, many still live in slavery today. Sometimes it’s self-inflicted. Often it is coerced and imposed by others. Never is it as simple or easy to conquer: testimony to the reality and terrible impact of sin in the world and people’s lives.

    True emancipation is found in Jesus. His message is a freeing message. Paul says so in Galatians 5:1, “It was for freedom that Christ has set you free.” Jesus himself talked about it in John 8, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Ah…there’s the rub: truth. Truth is, sometimes we don’t want to be rid of our slavery. Sometimes we would rather muddle through life beguiled and distracted by the momentary pleasures and short-term relief that is found in such pursuits.

    It’s no wonder that when Jesus comes on the scene some people don’t like it. The American Atheists group has a 15-second digital billboard in Times Square which reads, in five-second intervals, “Who Needs Christ During Christmas?” then for five seconds, “Who Needs Christ [the word Christ is crossed out] During Christmas? Nobody” then, “Happy Holidays American Atheists.” At the bottom of each 15-second display is their website, atheists.org.

    You don’t think you need Christ if your life is marked by selfish ambition, self-determination, self-reliance, and self-worship. You don’t think you need Christ if you think you don’t need a Savior. You don’t think you need Christ if you think you’re not enslaved by sin. Sadly, however, those who think this way are the people who enslave others, deceive and beguile the weak, and take advantage of the poor and needy.

    Paul, Silas, and Luke’s encounter with the slave girl, freeing her from the evil spirit was met with strong opposition. Those who were enslaved by their love for money and a lifestyle enriched at the expense of others, didn’t want Jesus intruding into their lives. Purveyors of all manner of evil enticements have no use for Jesus. He is an intruder to their way of thinking.

    There is just one problem with such a way of thinking. We all are accountable to our Creator for our lives, pursuits, treatment of others, and attitude toward God. If we don’t face that fact now in repentance and faith, we will face it on the great Last Day, when we stand before the judge of all. The beauty of facing that truth today is that this truth sets us free. For Jesus is not an intruder with only truth. He is also full of grace. And by his grace we are freed, and enriched in every way.

    You might think of Jesus as an intruder at your company Christmas party, or your Saturday night pursuits. If that’s the case, you desperately need him there, so that you are able to experience the truer joy and purer pleasure of his grace and love.

  • Is it time for a Paul and Barnabas Split?

    Acts 15:30-40

    So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32 And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. 33 And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

    36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

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    Several years ago a friend and colleague suggested that our church body, The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, was ripe for a “Paul and Barnabas split.” He was referring to this moment in the Early Church where these two brothers in the faith had such a falling-out that they determined to go different directions in pursuit of the mission of God. My friend’s assertion was that our church body had two different views of ministry and mission which could not coexist. One group would need to disengage from the other. We would each need to go our separate ways.

    The issue for Paul and Barnabas might be summarized as mission versus mercy. Paul was so keen to take the gospel to new places and people that he wanted nothing to do with Mark who had earlier pulled away from the mission team. Barnabas was not called the Son of Encouragement for nothing. He had earlier stuck by Paul, introducing him to the apostles, and standing by him and joining him in missionary efforts. Now he saw that Mark needed encouragement and support that he could give. He didn’t want to see Mark discarded as a key part of the mission of God. His response to the situation was to have mercy on Mark and do whatever was necessary to help him stay on the team. Paul’s response was to pursue the mission, even if it meant leaving some behind.

    In the end it appears that both were right. In 2 Timothy 4:11, Paul mentions Mark as being “useful…for ministry.” Paul and Barnabas appear also to have been reconciled, evidenced by Paul’s favorable mention of Barnabas in 1 Corinthians 9:6. But the fact that both were right does not mean that both were not also wrong. Jesus prayed for the unity of his followers in John 17. There he says that the world would know that he was sent from the Father because of their unity. Whatever else you might say about Paul’s and Barnabas’ motives and decisions, they are not united at this time.

    Somehow being right is not enough. Each could argue his case. Each would find justification for their decisions. But living under Christ in his kingdom requires more than just being right. It requires humility, long-suffering, love, and lavish amounts of grace – for ourselves and one another. We do not know how things would have gone had Paul and Barnabas stayed together. Perhaps the tension and stress of working together under those circumstances would have rendered this second missionary journey ineffectual. But we do know that when Paul later commends both Barnabas and Mark the reality of their unity in Christ held sway.

    I sometimes wonder whether my friend was right. In the case of our church body the constant fighting and posturing, claims of false teaching and false priorities gets wearisome. There is little doubt that we have sincere Christ-loving brothers and sisters on both sides of the many issues facing us. There is also little doubt that the devil gets the better of us all from time to time.

    Paul and Barnabas split over the issue of mission versus mercy. We might describe the issues facing our national church body as that of mission versus maintenance. Truth be told, however, both are vital: mercy and mission, as well as maintenance and mission. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that while there are plenty in the church today who will speak up for and support the health of the church, very few people outside the church will come to us and ask why we are not evangelizing them. While I deeply appreciate Barnabas’ ministry of encouragement, Paul’s missionary efforts are commended by the Holy Spirit. God’s  mission must move ever forward. I look forward to the Day when we are all united in that mission, and able to bring along all who would be part of it.

  • Personal Relationships

    Acts 16:11-15

    So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

    We are in Colorado with our son, his wife, and their growing family as I write this today. It has been a joy to see them and to hold our newest granddaughter. We also look forward to the baptism soon, of our newest granddaughter, Jacqueline Jules, born just last week.

    Marriage is often a package deal when it comes to religion – families uniting around one church – even if they have come from different religious backgrounds. In the case of our family such is the case; each of our sons and their families are members of a local church, worshiping together as a family. For this we are deeply thankful. But it isn’t always the case these days. Some familes are divided. Others practice no faith at all.

    In the case of Lydia and her household, her conversion was not an isolated event, devoid of impact on the rest of her family. Her conversion also brought the rest of her family into the faith. Her whole household was baptized. That would have included several generations; children, parents, grandparents, and possibly even great-grandparents.

    We hear people speak of a personal relationship with God, which is not a bad thing. Sometimes, however, such language may imply a need for a level of faith or personal expression that may not be essential to true discipleship. The more significant and far-reaching personal relationship is that which we have with other followers of Christ. God put us into families (the building blocks of society). We also have the extended families of the church which bond us close to Christ.

    The most full and rich expression of our Christian faith will never be a religious conviction isolated from family relationships. We are stronger when we are together with our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is an ever more precious blessing these days when those relationships are celebrated in our homes with our children, parents, grands, cousins, uncles, aunts, and inlaws.

    How might you epxress that relational faith today?

  • Sunday’s Psalms

    Psalm 98

    Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things!
    His right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him.
    2 The Lord has made known his salvation;
    he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
    3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
    to the house of Israel.
    All the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation of our God.
    4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
    break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
    5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
    with the lyre and the sound of melody!
    6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
    make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!
    7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    the world and those who dwell in it!
    8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
    let the hills sing for joy together
    9 before the Lord, for he comes
    to judge the earth.
    He will judge the world with righteousness,
    and the peoples with equity.

    On Sunday mornings I like to read the Psalms. This morning I read Psalm 8; 38; 68; 98; and 128. Two of those are fairly accessible (Psalm 8 & 98). One is easily dismissed in politically-correct circles (Psalm 128). The other two are more difficult to explain and don’t lend themselves to ready life-application. And while this one (above) is more easily grasped and embraced, the fact that it is fairly simple and straight-forward might cause one to overlook its deeper and more profound personal implications.

    The idea of singing a new song has a little to do with learning a previously-unfamiliar hymn or singing a newly-released Christian contemporary song from Chris Tomlin. While these may well be worthy of our praise to God, the newness of the song has less to do with it’s unfamiliarity to us as it has to do with the song that springs from a heart made new by the work of the Holy Spirit who brings us to faith in the One who makes all things new. The old song of hopelessness, guilt, shame, and self-gratifying pursuits has been replaced with a song of praise to God who has filled our hearts with hope, forgiven our most vile sin, glorified us with Christ, and pointed us to the abundant life of service to God and neighbor.

    In the mean time we wait. The world is not fully set right. Our hope is not yet realized. Nations and lands, the world and all creation may roar and tremble. But there is a song that goes on. From church to church, from Christian home to majestic cathedral: songs of praise will arise this day to the glory of God and the praise of his name.

    I’ll be happy to join my voice with those who sing his praise this morning. Whether we are able to gather with the saints at Holy Cross, here in Colorado Springs, or whether it is the five of us who are here kept in by the severe cold and the attendant discretion of keeping a newborn safe and warm: we will sing God’s praises. We have seen God’s salvation in the birth of the Bethlehem Baby, the teaching of the Galilean prophet, the suffering death of the Son of God on the cross and his triumphant resurrection from the grave. And we rejoice in his steadfast love and faithfulness.

  • Sometimes

    Acts 16:1-10

    Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.
    And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night:a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

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    We got into the HOV lane Thursday morning on the way to the airport. We were morally and ethically properly in that lane. But there was someone(!) in that lane who didn’t understand the rules of the road: You don’t go slower than the non-HOV-lane traffic when there’s room to go faster. You especially don’t do that when you are the only person in the car: that’s just wrong – on every level! But I digress… We did the wrong thing: we should have gotten into the lane only after we had passed that slower-moving car. Wrong choice. Not sinful, immoral, or even unethical – and frankly of little real consequence.
    Paul’s reasoning for circumcising Timothy is a case of making a choice that is not specifically moral or ethical. That choice, however, was vitally important: Paul didn’t want Timothy’s lack of Jewish bonafides to get in the way of the message of the Gospel. The result was that the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily. It was the right call.
    When it came to the missionary band’s intent and plan to go into Asia with the message of the Gospel, however, that proved to be the wrong call. And they realized that was the case only after the fact. God had another plan: He wanted them to bring the Gospel to Europe. He would use the man from Macedonia to further that plan.
    The one constant in all this was Paul’s desire and commitment to share the Gospel according to God’s direction – wherever that might take him. His willingness to circumcise Timothy and his decision to go into Macedonia was guided by that desire. And his plans changed along that way as need be. When it came time to circumcise Titus, however, Paul refused. On other occasions his intended missionary trek was not impaired. But in the end, all that mattered to him was that he was able to spread the Good News of Jesus to new places and new people.
    A focus always on doing the right thing might get us a good reputation in certain circles. But a focus on following God wherever he leads, and being willing to make different decisions based on the circumstances will much more likely serve the cause of the Gospel of Jesus.
    This is no call to abandon the True North of God’s word. Nor is it a call to ignore traditions and best practices. But we must always be ready to examine our commitment to those things that could get in the way of spreading the Good News. Sometimes they may need to be laid aside for the sake of the Kingdom.
    Here’s my list of possible candidates:

    Strategic Ministry Plans may need adjusting along the way no matter how well done and carefully thought-through they may have been.
    Ministry Teams may need to be divided or re-arranged in order to accomplish the mission more effectively.
    Governance Models may need to be re-defined to allow for more agile response to mission opportunities.
    Spending Plans may need to be changed in order to meet new challenges.
    Favorite Ministries may need to be honorably retired in order to allow for more effective initiatives to take root.
    Summer Vacation Plans may need to be set aside in order to do a family mission project.
    Busy Schedules may need to be cleared so that you can connect with your neighbors and share the message of Christ with them.

    What might be on your list?

  • NWHPC Christmas Prayer & Song

    I am a member of the Northwest Houston Photo Club, and the default chaplain for the group. At our Christmas party each year I offer a prayer before the meal. This year, as in the past several years, I wrote out a poem/prayer. It is a bit light and somewhat whimsical, but I make it a point to pray in Jesus’ name in the end. In addition this year I sang a song that mentions some of our photographic pursuits as a prelude to the prayer. So I offer both as a holiday gift of sorts. There are two “camps” of photographers in our club: those who shoot Canon (like I do) and those who shoot Nikon (slightly more than half of our members do). There are a few who shoot Pentax, Sony, or Olympus as well. The reference to Nikonians and Canonites is my good natured way of recognizing that.

    Red and green tortilla chips are part of the festive food offerings at our photo club dinner.
    Red and green tortilla chips are part of the festive food offerings at our photo club dinner.

    O Come All Ye…! (Tune: O Come All Ye Faithful)

    O Come, all ye Nikonians
    Joyful and triumphant!
    O come, ye, O come ye to Bear and Pam’s
    Come and behold this
    Feast so generously spread
    O come let us eat fine food!
    O come let us drink rich drink!
    O come let us be merry: It’s NWHPC Christmas Party Time!

    Sing choirs of Canonites
    Sing in exultation!
    O sing all photographers gathered here.
    This is our party
    Time of celebration
    We’ll have awards aplenty
    We’ll see our photos brightly
    Thanks to Alan’s urging, they’ll be on the screen.

    Yea folks it’s time now
    Time to eat our dinner
    Just one thing remains for us to do
    Our resident chaplain
    Must pray for our dinner
    He’ll bless the food before us
    We’ll dive in and devour it
    We happy, we blessed members and guests of NWHPC!
    Prayer

    O God I pray
    For this wonderful group of friends
    Who gather again as this year ends
    Whether Nikonian, Pentaxian, or Canonite
    Though we do each have our own favorite
    We wish each other Yule cheer
    And offer our well-wishes dear.

    We have people with different affinity
    With religions and traditions aplenty
    We’re OK with Miksang or Stieglitz,
    Or, Adams or Salgado, or even no Glitz
    There’s some who love flowers and others who love birds
    And some even take pictures of things almost weird.

    Thank you, God, for the food and for the chatter
    For the drink and the dessert – calories on this night don’t matter!
    Suffice it now to say,
    Thanks for your grace sent our way
    In your Son whose birth marks this season
    And who gives us every good reason
    To celebrate, feast, and rejoice
    In whose name I lift up my voice,
    And those who wish may join me to say
    Without malice or reproach on this day
    Our heart-felt thanks once again,
    Ending this prayer in Jesus’ name…
    Amen.

     

  • The Case for Minimum Standards

    Acts 15:19-21

     Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. 21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”

    St. Paul's Cathedral

    We are not fans of minimum performance standards. In our opinion all these do is lower the standards by which people judge themselves and generally convey an attitude that seeks to do just enough to get by. We first encountered this with our sons in clemently school many years ago. Somehow they got the idea – although they had plenty of intelligence – that they needed to perform only to satisfy the minimum standard. Now I see it when people – employees or co-workers seek to do just enough to get by. I don’t want to have to tell someone how much they need to do in order to make it to the minimum level of performance; I want people to be all in for the work which they have undertaken.

    In the case of the new Christian converts – the new Gentile believers – James makes a case for minimum standards of a different sort. These minimum standards were for proper and n0n-offensive behaviors on the part of the new believers – especially in relation to the Jewish believers. These standards flow from a controversy in the Early Church about what it means to be followers of Jesus, who was a Jew, and the fullest expression of a Son of Abraham; all in relation to the new reality of non-Jewish converts coming into the fellowship of the Church.

    Not too long ago a quasi minimum standard for proper “Lutheran” worship was offered: Scripture readings, confession and absolution, use of the ecumenical creeds, and celebration of the sacraments were the foundational standards. This, also was offered in the context of those who have long-standing appreciation for traditional liturgical worship forms in the face of growing numbers of those who prefer a more contemporary and less-formal worship style.

    Relationships within the Body of Christ ought to be marked by respectful appreciation of ancient traditions even as we see new expressions of faith and new forms of faithfulness spring up around us. This is never a problem when the church is in maintenance mode. When no growth or new people groups or outside influences come our way, we don’t have to accommodate different modes of thought or practice. But when God is stirring people and bringing people into the church, and those who are being brought do not have the same appreciation for traditions and practices we treasure, there comes the rub.

    It is interesting that this issue is framed, finally, on the minimum requirements toward the new converts, and not toward the necessity of the established believers to accept these people. The first implies the second. But the minimum requirement proscribed is an act of acceptance and recognition that God’s grace is for all people. We may have to limit our requirements if we are to live in fellowship with those who are not like us. That never calls for dumbing-down the truth of God’s word, but it may well call us to examine some of the ways we apply those truths to our lives and in our churches.

    Those of us in the church will well think not of minimum standards, but of our high calling as followers of Jesus who died for the sins of the world, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Jesus went far beyond the minimum standards for us, and calls us all to go the second mile for the sake of our brother or sister.

    Acts 15:12-21

    And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,

    16 “‘After this I will return,
    and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;
    I will rebuild its ruins,
    and I will restore it,
    17 that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord,
    and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
    says the Lord, who makes these things 18 known from of old.’

    19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. 21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”

  • Centered in Grace

    Acts 15:1-11

    But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

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    Sometimes you just have to stand up for what you believe. Hobby Lobby is doing that today as the Supreme Court will hear their case for allowing the company’s explicitly-Christian values to remain unviolated in the face of the new healthcare mandate. Patrick Henry famously said, “Give me liberty or give me death.” Rosa Parks decided one day not to give up her seat on the bus. Martin Luther declared, “Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me.”

    But where do we draw the line? Why, for example, might we be charitable with one another regarding the mode of baptism, or the form of worship, but stand firm on issues regarding Jesus’ identity as God in the flesh? How do we determine that it is OK for a group to meet to worship on a Saturday or Thursday night, but stand strongly against a group’s requirement that worship be only on Saturday? How could it be that Paul refused to have Titus circumcised, but chose to circumcise Timothy on a different occasion?

    The answer lies in the center-most tenant of one’s faith. Faith centered in the grace of God will seek to see how one decision or another flows from or toward faith. Faith centered elsewhere will lead to capricious or fickle conclusions. Worse yet faith centered in anything other than the grace of God in Jesus Christ will become a stumbling block, leading people away from the true hope we have in Jesus.

    When the men come down from Judea, requiring circumcision for salvation, the issue would ultimately become one of centering. Where would the central place of the Christian faith be established: Jerusalem or Judea? What would people be pointed to when questions about proper practices were to be decided? What is the essential core of our faith?

    Some speak about religion – and even Christianity – as a series of dos and don’ts: “Do this. Don’t do that.” The men from Judea were of that persuasion.  Better to speak of our faith as the simple word, “Done.” Jesus has done it for us. His death and resurrection, and his perfect righteousness are our salvation. Whatever adornment we may hang on our lives and faith practice will best point to God’s grace and flow from that center. Peter’s statement, “…we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will,” centers our faith squarely in God’s grace. Any other center will be a wobbly-wheel faith – dangerously prone to jar us from the path of life.

    Acts 15:1-11

    But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. 3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. 5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

    6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you,that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart,bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

     

  • Thanksgiving Reminder

    Psalm 107:1

    Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

    A few years ago, Pastor Stephen DeMik spoke regarding Thanksgiving that we too easily give thanks for but fail to remember the One to whom we are giving thanks. We thank and praise the Lord. So on this day, let us thank our God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has given us his Holy Spirit so that we may believe in him, be enlightened to the truth of his word, and enjoy the blessings of his grace forever. In the presidential proclamation for Thanksgiving Day in 1863, President Lincoln had this to say:

    “It is the duty of nations as well as of citizens to owe their dependence upon the overruling power of God; to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord.” “We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as n o other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us , and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.”

    “It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently and gracefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and those who are at sea and those sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.”

     Seems like this could have been written for us in the 21st Century, rather than 150 years ago. Thanks to Pastor David Schultz for that reminder.

    I am thankful to God for these two brothers with whom I serve at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas.