A Loving Hand - a sermon

A Loving Hand
Matthew 18:15-20 (Romans 13:8-14)
Chris Byars

I’m what they call a Gen-Xer and the thing about my generation is that we were the generation of great change. PCs, Laptops, Dayrunners, Palm Pilots, Cell Phones all came into existence and we became the multi-tasking generation and were hard to label or define for the most part. It could also be said that our generation helped to ‘invent’ ADD and ADHD because often times we have so many things going on in our heads that we can seem so scattered, but often focused at the same time. We hated labels, but often we would end up embracing them – you had punks, Goths, non-conformists, skaters, etc. They go on and on. From my generation and beyond the world has had a drastic shift in how we understand things, for example when you hear the term ‘cut and paste’ most no longer think of scissors, paper, and glue. There are other things that have changed also, many of them positive, but some very negative for example the ideas of love, responsibility, accountability, sin, and judgment.
No longer can it be assumed when these things are spoken of that everyone will know exactly what you are talking about or will understand it the same way as you do. With things like accountability and responsibility, I believe, they have been affected the most. When I was a kid I had a temper. My parents had divorced when I was four and I was angry. I had seen a lot of fights up to that point and I was angry and that translated into a temper. My parents did remarry one another when I was nine, but when I was younger and began going to school, I was angry and I got into a lot of fights. So much so, that in the first grade I was very familiar with the principles office and had many an argument with my teacher in the midst of class. The reason was I needed something of a structure in my life and I needed that in class, in school, but I wasn’t receiving it from my teacher. Midyear this teacher and the principle tried to label me as a problem child and wanted to send me to a different school. Fortunately this did not happen and I was moved to the other first grade class at my school with a teacher that was very strict and fair and I loved it. I was never allowed to excuse my behavior on my past – my parents wouldn’t allow it. Society has moved from trying to stuff problems away to pulling them out in the open, but when they do this they also try and place blame away from the perpetrator.
You hear it with everything that has happened recently along the Gulf Coast, especially in New Orleans. We have this great tragedy with Hurricane Katrina and look at what’s happening! We have people looting, shooting at rescue helicopters, etc. The media and some ‘experts’ try and explain it away because of what has occurred. I know that I can understand with food that some would break into a grocery store to get food and drink for their family, but stealing is still stealing. People are stealing clothing, jewelry, electronics, guns, etc. The tragedy that occurred is bad enough, but the greater tragedy is that we tend to see more of the negative and have experts try and explain it away instead of truly calling the negative, negative and focusing on the great acts of humanity throughout this suffering. In general, we live in a time where instead of dealing with the issues that are confronting us we look for pills or other things to cover up the issue. Its to the point that we have commercials on television that tell us if we feel down or depressed for a period over two weeks talk to your doctor and we have the pill for you. Never mind that along with sadness you may not feel anything else either. Our kids are often being prescribed medication to settle them down instead of dealing with them with the loving hand that they may truly need. I understand that there are many that are helped from medications for ADD and ADHD and I am not trying to prescribe for them, but is a pill always the answer? Is the past an excuse for current bad behavior? Some of you may say yes, but the question comes to what is it that we are to do as Christians? Are we called to give a loving hand of help and support? What is meant and how can we determine that?
Now we come to these verses of Romans and Matthew that tells us of love and of dealing with wrong doing. We read it and what is it saying, what are we being told to do? We are a community of faith, but what does that mean? What differentiates us from the world? Jesus was asked by a teacher of the law, “What is the greatest commandment?” and in Matthew 22:37-40 he gives us the greatest commandments:

Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

In our love of God we are called to love, we are called to love our neighbor as we would ourselves. So, first we must understand and know what love is and really know the love we have for ourselves. And in our reading for today from Romans it is explained for us. We are to be indebted to no one except in love.

Romans 13:8-9 (NIV)
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Love writes the law on our hearts. We are changed inwardly by the love of Jesus Christ. As we grow in that love the desire to do those things to harm it fall away. Ezekiel 11:19-20, put it this way:

Ezekiel 11:19-20 (NLT)
And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their hearts of stone and give them tender hearts instead, so they will obey my laws and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God.

Our hearts are turned away from those selfish interests that divide us from others and place us in community in Christ and Christ’s love. In our world today we have differing views of love and what that means. Love is turned as I spoke of earlier to a feeling of desire and often times a sexual desire. How often is it that we hear these words either on TV or movies? “But Daddy I love him?” or “We’re in love.” Often right, you watch a TV show which is portraying High Schoolers in all this drama, whether it be The OC today or whatever show. They are sleeping around and doing all these things in the name of love. The love that they show tends to selfish and self-serving; it is convenient, so we begin to understand this term love as being equal to lust. Is that truly all there is? Just a fantasy, something created in a studio for us to view on TV or in the movies? Is our concept of love being reduced to a concept defined by what we watch, listen to, or read? Or do we know this thing called love a little differently? Let me ask you this…how do we know love?

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

This is a verse that many that aren’t familiar with their Bible probably recognize. It is said at many weddings, but in a world with divorce at such a high and throw away relationships being more of a norm is this truly believed? If the world’s view is so dark when it comes to love and marriage, how do we know it? How do we know this love that is described above? The love that is described above is the love that Christ gives us and as followers of Christ why would we give any less to anyone else? Love turns our hearts. I understand that there are those that don’t love themselves and one might ask, “If someone doesn’t care for her own well-being why would she care for another?” The odd thing about this if someone is fighting depression or low self-esteem she usually really cares for others and placing them above her own well-being. For that reason as a community we are to come together and pour the love we receive through Jesus Christ back on those that feel unloved or unlovable.

Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Why is it that when we hold up boundaries of petty differences that stop us from loving our neighbors? Issues that have nothing to truly do with eternity, minor issues that become giant obstacles stand before us. Is that how we are called to live in community? Someone misspeaks or disagrees with a view or a mindset and communication stops. Why is it that when we see someone in the midst of suffering, especially family and instead of comforting words the words that flow easily off our tongues ring as judgment and disappointment to the ears of listener? When someone is fighting depression are the words that we say truly compassionate and are they expressing Christ’s love for them or are the sounding more like frustration and disappointment? Are the words and the desires being expressed truly gentle, humble and full of patience and compassion?

Romans 13:10-12 (NIV)
Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Love does no harm to its neighbor. That is such a powerful statement! When we truly love we forget about those selfish desires that we hold. As we grow in that love a change occurs. In love we no longer are first. We see this with parents and their children. That we see in the nights that they stay awake and all that they do because in love we become sacrificial. I know that as a child my parents didn’t have a lot of money, but they gave me all that they could and would sacrifice things that they wanted or, maybe, needed. God has done that for us in His great love giving us His son Jesus Christ on the cross for us and continually pouring down grace on us. We are no longer bound to the sin that once tied us down; we can come to God with anything and be forgiven. In love we find understanding. Christ’s love is such a wonderful gift especially in a time and an age that tells us that we should hold grudges. If someone does me wrong, I’m going to get them back. Why is it we do this? Is this truly how we want to live? How many of you feel truly happy when you are holding a grudge against someone? Not one person ever feels better when they are angry and stewing against someone, but how often is it that we truly live our lives this way?

Romans 13:13-14 (NIV)
Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

We are called into community. For that purpose there is an expected and acceptable way that we should behave. This is to promote agreement.

Matthew 18:19-20 (NIV)
“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

What a promise! When we come together in Christ in prayer, praise, and worship we are joined by our Lord, Jesus Christ. How wonderful, we are not left to our own devices, but our guided in the Spirit. This relationship is so powerful that when we come together in faith and agree, whatever we agree upon will be done by our Father in heaven. That is why we must take vows and promises seriously and with great preparation. It is true that love makes us free. We no longer have to worry or be jealous when bound in love. However at the same time that love makes us free love makes us accountable. We are no longer free to do what we desire because we are now bound in love and don’t wish to do something that may damage or injure that love. Martin Luther put it best in Freedom of a Christian:

“A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none.
A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.”
- Martin Luther, “The Freedom of a Christian”

Some of you may be familiar with catechism which is something that was once more commonly studied in the Lutheran church and is still commonly studied within the Catholic Church to help instruct in the faith. Well, in this teaching we discuss the various doctrines or teachings within the church tradition and one of these doctrines of faith is the Office of the Keys. The Office of the Keys is the doctrine that covers the concepts of confession and absolution, to move away from “churchy” language it is the idea of how we tell another that we trust those sins, those misdeeds, that we have done that are weighing heavy on our hearts. The purpose of this is two fold, either to forgive and release from the heavy burden or to bind depending on if there is a true desire conveyed that there is turning away and a change of heart or not. This is described in Matthew 18:18:

Matthew 18:18 (NIV)
"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Christ has given us an awesome gift, but also a heavy burden. Because we are forgiven in Christ we are given the ability to forgive others for the sins that the commit, but it calls for some discernment or deep thought. It is not simply to forgive, but to release from the burden of sin. If someone were to tell you his sin you may either forgive him and release him if they truly are showing a desire to repent or turn away from that sin, however if he doesn’t seem to truly show any desire to change you may also bind that sin to him until such a time that he truly shows a desire to change or turn away. What power! One may think, but if you think that you misunderstand because it is not meant to be a power that you hold over another. The reason that we are given this is in Christ we are called to be accountable for one another.
We are to be “our brother’s keeper”. We are to offer a loving hand to our neighbors to help them. We are bound as brothers and sisters in Christ and for that reason Christ desires for each of us to be willing to help one another in our suffering and our struggles. As one African Lutheran pastor once said, “Evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where the food is.” It isn’t that we are placing one above the other, but we are just helping each other out. To understand this we need to pose the question: What does it mean to be accountable? Accountability is not judgment. Because we are all facing various issues and struggles in life we aren’t to judge someone for a misstep or gossip about it. We are to come in community and suffer with each other because accountability comes out of love. When someone is in the midst of suffering and pain she may not be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Accountability is freeing. The reason for this is in how we can best define accountability. Accountability is being willing to accept responsibility or to account or answer for one’s actions. This frees because there is nothing to hide. When we are accountable for ourselves and one another in a community we don’t need to worry because we know that in love we will not be judged and we are among people we can trust, so how are we to be accountable? As we look through the gospel lesson we will find that in love we are to approach one another in confidence and with concern.

Matthew 18:15 (NIV)
"If your brother sins against you go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

We aren’t to go out gossiping and telling others about the issue, but we are to approach with great confidence and concern, not slinking up or acting like we have some dirt on them. It’s not about power, it’s about love. Sometimes that will fail so we are to involve others only when one-on-one fails.

Matthew 18:16-17 (NIV)
But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Now this is sometimes misunderstood or misused within faith communities. I was once in a conversation with a pastor in another tradition and he began to discuss this verse with me. I was troubled because he had told me that in their tradition if someone doesn’t turn away from the behavior or sin that is being called into question they kick them out of the church. This troubled me because isn’t that person the person that needs to truly be in the church? I understand that she would need to be removed from any leadership position if they held one until such a time as they turn away from the sin, but to cast them out. Uh-uh. We aren’t to be the judge; we are to be the physicians. We are to help them, pray for them, and ask the Holy Spirit to heal them. If they walk away we are to leave the doors open for their return and like the prodigal son celebrate when and if they return. We are to pray for them constantly holding them up. We are to forgive when they turn away from sin and we are to hold them to account when they refuse to turn away. These things are true and the gift and burden that we have been given in Christ. The great power of Christ is that He loves us where we are, but he loves us too much to leave us there.
As a community of faith we are given a great duty in coming together and reaching out to a community that is so desperate for the Gospel. We are called together in a community of faith that pours out upon the world the only unconditional love that exists. The unconditional love of a Father that gave His only son that we may come to Him. The forgiveness that we can know through Jesus Christ is so vast and so awesome that nothing can separate us from it apart from ourselves. We are to be filled with grace and forgiveness, but we are also called to pour that out on a world that only knows selfishness and materialism. We are to be accountable to one another as a people joined in the love affair that is Jesus Christ.

Christ’s love was poured out on the cross when He was suffering and dying it is written in Luke that He was crucified with two criminals, one on each side, and one mocked Him, questioning His divinity. The other criminal defended Jesus knowing his own guilt, but even more knowing Jesus’ innocence and in Jesus’ pain it says in Luke 23:43:

Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." Luke 23:43 (NIV)

The one who mocked and did not wish to turn away that felt righteous and proud of his acts or sin and died with no hope, but when the one that came to him knowing that he deserved what he received came to the defense of our Lord asking for forgiveness, he received it. The criminal dying along side Jesus knew his sin, knew his wrong, but what he found was far greater than what he may have ever expected. Salvation!
The great gift, the great power that we have given to us in the community of Jesus Christ is that we can walk in the knowledge that we are forgiven. No sin is too great, no sinner too bad. We are given the gift of forgiveness. We are given the promise! We are given the hope of the promise! We are to be that loving community of faith joined in love and being accountable to one another in that faith and love. Now ask yourself this: As we come for the bread and the cup, is there anything that is burdening you. Is there someone that you need to approach to ask for forgiveness or to offer forgiveness too? This gift of salvation, this gift of redemption or making new, this gift of absolution or cleansing of wrong is the freedom given to us in Christ’s love, are you willing to accept it? Is there a heavy burden you are carrying? Are you ready to give it over? Do you feel the loving hand of God pushing you to turn away from sin? Is the loving hand of God driving you to ask someone’s forgiveness? Is the loving hand of God driving you to forgive another? When you see someone in hard times do you offer a loving hand or do you look away in shame or disgust? Are you in the midst of some struggle and you are looking for that loving hand to pull you up? We are a community bound in our faith and in our love, if someone were to enter are there ways that each and every one of us may do better in showing it? God’s loving hand is out there ready for you to grasp hold have you taken it? When we approach the cross are we going to be like the one criminal mocking Christ or are we the one aware of our guilt, but asking to be remembered in His kingdom? Christ knows your heart, come to Him and let Him take your burden from you.

A World Full of Prayer

A World Full of Prayer

God has placed in my heart a passion for prayer and for bringing change to our world.  With the resurgence of prayer movements with IHOP in Kansas City and the 24-7 Prayer movement God is doing something and the question is simply, will I be a part or will I sit on the sidelines.  I am continually saddened by the divisiveness of the world that we now live in – liberal vs. conservative, democrat vs. republican.  Being a seminarian at a Lutheran (ELCA) seminary it is amusing for me the views that I hear and how I am looked upon.  Because I hold a high view of scripture I am a conservative evangelical fundamentalist, but when I speak theology with family and friends that are what could be viewed as fundamentalist I am a liberal protestant all the way.  Amusing, I must say, but in my view this is the perfect place to be.

Within the ELCA I believe far too much energy and focus has been on this whole homosexuality thing and much of that has been perpetuated by the very vocal GLBT movement that has been pushing for acceptance and a turning away from traditional and scriptural understandings of homosexuality in order to create a full “acceptance” of GLBT people into the church through blessing of Gay Marriages and Ordaining Gays and Lesbians in committed relationships.  This has created a movement that has taken focus away from Jesus Christ where it belongs and placed it on an emotional divisive argument.  An ecclesiastical argument if there ever is one in my opinion.

God has been calling me, as He has many, to a movement of prayer.  It is a time that we need to focus on the Bridegroom and be an effective and loyal bride unto Him.  In prayer we can truly serve our communities in the preparation for mission to those in need and give the promise of our Lord to all people.  The idea of acceptance and tolerance needs to be returned to focus on God’s understanding and away from the emotional response that continuously traps us.  We love and accept everyone, but not the sinfulness that holds each and every one of us down.  God loves us where we are, but He loves us too much to leave us there.  Why should our love be any different?  We can only change hearts in prayer and let the Holy Spirit do the changing as only the Holy Spirit can.  We love those in their pain and in their suffering, suffering with them.

God continually guide me and guide those that seek your heart, be with our world lord…amen.

Primary Care Givers

Over this week I have been pondering some things. My wife and I travelled to Oklahoma to visit family and visited some friends in Kansas along the way. It was a wonderful time and gave an opportunity to reconnect. Particularly with a couple of friends that live across from where my wife group up. A mother and daughter living together and taking care of one another and it reminded me of my great aunt and uncle when I was a child. My uncle joined the military to get away from the farm at the beginning of WWII to see the world and was captured by the Japanese in 1941. He was a POW for the entire war and survived what is most famously known as the Baton Death March. After he was liberated and returned home to the farm where he lived his life. His sister wanted to get away from the farm also, so she went to New York City to study and was raped. She returned to the farm then also. Brother and sister living together, taking care of each other, until the end of their lives, each the primary care giver of the other.

While pondering this I began to think of this whole gay marriage issue. I never was against the civil union idea, but I felt and still feel that the GLBT activists really shot themselves in the foot when they brought out the idea of "gay marriage". This whole concept does not only disturb most Christians, but also Jews, Muslims, and most other organized religions. This issue has unfortunately been made an "us and them" issue and each side argues and back-bites and it has all been made "Christian". This thought came to me because the whole idea is that of rights, privileges, and protections offered to two people who commit to the care of one another.

It is not uncommon for platonic relationships to form between family members and friends that have no desire to be in a romantic relationship, but care for one another - Primary Care Givers. Well, thinking of this why is it that we don't institute a primary care giver status that allows for two people that commit to the care of one another to receive the same privileges and benefits of married people? It doesn't only cover GLBT people, but also those people like my great aunt and uncle or my wife's friends. That way they have the right to share company health benefits, property protections, and death benefits. It would create a contractual relationship in a civil context and each party to receive these benefits would file with the state and in order to be released from the contract would require judicial action similar to divorce with all the risks, i.e. palimony.

Marriage, within a religious context, is something set apart from the governmental/civil side of things and is up to the churches to decide what is appropriate or not. I could not marry homosexuals just like I could not marry siblings, cousins, or the like. I, also, know that there are heterosexual couples outside of those listed that I may deny to preside of their marriage. This needn't be seen as hateful as long as decisions are made in good conscience and with a loving intent. I really believe that primary care giver status would be a great medium and would not being giving anyone preferential status in the eyes of the government.

ELCA Sexuality Recommendations

This week has been the ELCA Assembly in Orlando, FL and it has been a very tense week for many of us. The reason is because of the ELCA's three recommendations that the Assembly was voting on. The question was brought forth in 2001 and they developed a study program Journey Together Faithfully in order to create an opportunity in congregations to discuss the normally taboo topic of sexuality and most specifically the question of homosexuality. I have to be honest at first I was excited about the study which was put in two parts until I read them and felt that they were lopsided and leading. I tried to enter the conversation with some of the issues that were troubling me and was called names. It's amazing for me since at one time I was considered "straight but not narrow" and had many gay and lesbian friends. It was only upon my coming to faith that I was highly convicted of the sinfulness of homosexual relations and it wasn't by the highly heated rhetoric, but a heavy and difficult realization when coming into faith. I became aware of my own sinfulness.

I digress, the recommendations were 1) for maintaining unity (kind of ambiguous) 2)for pastoral care of gays and lesbians (vague also, maybe opening the way for blessings) and 3) to allow for the ordination of gays and lesbians in committed relationships (not vague at all). Well, 1 & 2 passed, but 3 was defeated thankfully. The problem with this whole discussion is it was shrill with the emotions of the GLBT protests and was disrupted by the guests who refused to follow the rules of order. This wasn't a great example of a mature and open discussion.

Now, I realize that this will not be the end of this discussion. However, I do hope that it can become less shrill and more civil.

Here is my belief (and my opinion):

Sexuality is a normative that must be defined by moral standards and is not genetically defined hetero or homo.

Society has given the boundaries that guide our choices, however if not given societal norms sexuality would become more of a hedonistic, animalistic fulfillment of desire. God gave us as humans one thing that separates us from other animals is our soul and with our soul we receive rationality to know the difference between right and wrong.

The Vision
by Pete Greig

So this guy comes up to me and says "what's the vision? What's the big idea?" I open my mouth and words come out like this…
The vision?

The vision is JESUS obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus.

The vision is an army of young people.

You see bones? I see an army. And they are FREE from materialism.

They laugh at 9-5 little prisons.
They could eat caviar on Monday and crusts on Tuesday.
They wouldn't even notice.
They know the meaning of the Matrix, the way the west was won.
They are mobile like the wind, they belong to the nations. They need no passport.. People write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their strange existence.
They are free yet they are slaves of the hurting and dirty and dying.
What is the vision ?
The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes. It makes children laugh and adults angry. It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago to reach for the stars. It scorns the good and strains for the best. It is dangerously pure.

Light flickers from every secret motive, every private conversation.
It loves people away from their suicide leaps, their Satan games.
This is an army that will lay down its life for the cause.
A million times a day its soldiers

choose to lose
that they might one day win
the great 'Well done' of faithful sons and daughters.

Such heroes are as radical on Monday morning as Sunday night. They don't need fame from names. Instead they grin quietly upwards and hear the crowds chanting again and again: "COME ON!"

And this is the sound of the underground
The whisper of history in the making
Foundations shaking
Revolutionaries dreaming once again
Mystery is scheming in whispers
Conspiracy is breathing…
This is the sound of the underground

And the army is discipl(in)ed.

Young people who beat their bodies into submission.

Every soldier would take a bullet for his comrade at arms.
The tattoo on their back boasts "for me to live is Christ and to die is gain".

Sacrifice fuels the fire of victory in their upward eyes. Winners. Martyrs. Who can stop them ?
Can hormones hold them back?
Can failure succeed? Can fear scare them or death kill them ?

And the generation prays

like a dying man
with groans beyond talking,
with warrior cries, sulphuric tears and
with great barrow loads of laughter!
Waiting. Watching: 24-– 7-365.

Whatever it takes they will give: Breaking the rules. Shaking mediocrity from its cosy little hide. Laying down their rights and their precious little wrongs, laughing at labels, fasting essentials. The advertisers cannot mould them. Hollywood cannot hold them. Peer-pressure is powerless to shake their resolve at late night parties before the cockerel cries.

They are incredibly cool, dangerously attractive

inside.

On the outside? They hardly care. They wear clothes like costumes to communicate and celebrate but never to hide.
Would they surrender their image or their popularity?
They would lay down their very lives - swap seats with the man on death row - guilty as hell. A throne for an electric chair.

With blood and sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights and fruitless days,

they pray as if it all depends on God and live as if it all depends on them.

Their DNA chooses JESUS. (He breathes out, they breathe in.)
Their subconscious sings. They had a blood transfusion with Jesus.
Their words make demons scream in shopping centres.
Don't you hear them coming?
Herald the weirdo's! Summon the losers and the freaks. Here come the frightened and forgotten with fire in their eyes. They walk tall and trees applaud, skyscrapers bow, mountains are dwarfed by these children of another dimension. Their prayers summon the hounds of heaven and invoke the ancient dream of Eden.

And this vision will be. It will come to pass; it will come easily; it will come soon.
How do I know? Because this is the longing of creation itself, the groaning of the Spirit, the very dream of God. My tomorrow is his today. My distant hope is his 3D. And my feeble, whispered, faithless prayer invokes a thunderous, resounding, bone-shaking great 'Amen!' from countless angels, from hero's of the faith, from Christ himself. And he is the original dreamer, the ultimate winner.

Guaranteed.

If you want to know more information on this I would urge you to go to 24-7 Prayer online. God is doing something great in the world. This is neither evangelical nor liberal protestant,it is beyond all normal monicres that we placefaith. It is a powerful movement that is bringing more and more of the disenfranchised into faith in Christ. Maybe I have been focusing too much on this homosexuality thing and not enough on Christ. My heart still aches when I hear the misinformation that I hear in the world, but I know that I am able to do nothing without Christ. I will neither preach anti- or pro- on the homosexual issue from the pulpit because there is where the Gospel needs to be delivered. I will preach on message and one message alone and that is pro-Christ and will never worry about the offense that that message can bring to those that find it offensive. Christ is offensive because He causes us to face our own ugliness. Life...Death...what does it matter, outside of Christ there is only death, but in Christ is a fullness of life that only He can give. He causes me to fall to my knees crying out that I need more. The Holy Spirit is working heavily in the world the only question is, "Will you take part?" It is a faith question and in it is risk.

I cry out because I see a world hungry for Christ, but we get sidetracked in our own agendas...name them...post-modernism...evangelicalism...denominationalism...non-conformism...liberalism....conservatism... what does it matter. Like Ecclesiastes cries out, "All is vanity!" We place value in meaninglessness. I am labeled because I hold views that are "conservative" by some and "liberal" by others. Some of faith call me a "liberal protestant" where others call me an "evangelical fundamentalist." I find no joy in any of these titles and don't really seek to satisfy them, but look to only satisfy the one and only King, Jesus Christ. The only one who meets us where we are and loves us as we are, but doesn't want us to stay there. I still remember when I truly met Jesus and from that moment on my life has been a mess. Oh, glorious Christ, You turned my world upside-down and continually do so, if only everyone could know this wonderful uncertainty.

Making Time for God

Well, these last few times the postings have been very heavy and serious. I will say to comment on the question posted to me on my belief of this being the proper place to post my views on homosexuality and I say that it is the perfect place. It is the place to give another point of view because we live in a world where the media and the GLBT lobby seem to receive all the voice and they parade around Phelps and his God Hates Fags ministry as if that is the only voice that feels that homosexuality is a sin, but now when reading a German blog on faith I came across a great article on making time for God.

If you'd like to read it in German it is at the Glaube24 site the article is titled 3-Minuten Gottesdienst and speaks to the heart of the majority of the world - "I don't have time for God." With businesses staying open on Sundays and services not always being the most flexible around schedules it is often hard for some people to attend services and worship and then you pile on that some people's aversion to church because of them being forced to attend as youths well time for God is just not made.

So, here we have a team in Germany get together to reach out to people in the middle of the street. One of the team members wears a sign that says "Drei-Minuten-Gottesdienst" which we would translate as "Three Minute Worship" and that person stands up greets the people, reads a verse and briefly talks on it, a prayer is said, then the blessing and benediction, so in three minutes people have been given a mini-worship. What the team has found is that most people will stay and want to hear more.

What brave souls to stand up and give the Gospel showing people and telling people that God wants to have a relationship with them, just telling them what God truly wants for them and that He is willing to meet you anywhere. How powerful of a witness. The gospel is one that brings hope to anyone and brings with it a message of love. Jesus Christ loves us and meets us where we are at in our lives, but the most glorious thing is that He wants better for each of us. I am so thankful that Christ continually lifts me up and out of my own sinfulness. Worship doesn't have to be as formal as going to a filled church and praying in the pews, but it can be as simple as gathering a small group of people together to hear the Gospel and join together in community in prayer. As a Lutheran, worship is understood as the Gospel being rightly preached and the sacraments being given and that I believe is just as true. Give them Jesus in Word and Sacrament holding nothing back and let the Holy Spirit do the rest in the hearts that He touches.

Glorious is our Lord!