Persuaded

“There was a certain rich man who clothed himself in purple and fine linen, and who feasted luxuriously every day. At his gate lay a certain poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. Lazarus longed to eat the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Instead, dogs would come and lick his sores. “The poor man died and was carried by angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. While being tormented in the place of the dead, he looked up and saw Abraham at a distance with Lazarus at his side. He shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I’m suffering in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received good things, whereas Lazarus received terrible things. Now Lazarus is being comforted and you are in great pain. Moreover, a great crevasse has been fixed between us and you. Those who wish to cross over from here to you cannot. Neither can anyone cross from there to us.’ “The rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, Father, send Lazarus to my father’s house. I have five brothers. He needs to warn them so that they don’t come to this place of agony.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. They must listen to them.’ The rich man said, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will change their hearts and lives.’ Abraham said, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, then neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’” (Luke 16:19-31, CEB)

I have always found this reading interesting. An unnamed rich man and Lazarus, a poor man, both die and one is with the dead and the other with Abraham, presumedly in Heaven. And the rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus to care for him in the torment. But there is a great crevasse (the River Styxs?) that separates them. So the rich man asks for Lazarus to go back and warn his brothers. Abraham says that they have Moses and the prophets and if they won’t listen to and understand them, then they won’t get it if someone comes back from the dead.

Well, Jesus came back from the dead, so if we don’t get what Moses and the prophets said will we understand why Jesus came back from the dead?

Sometimes even the things that establish our faith don’t make sense. We can’t really prove it, but isn’t that what it’s called faith?

Loving People. Loving God.

least

Everyone was overwhelmed by God’s greatness. While everyone was marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, “Take these words to heart: the Human One is about to be delivered into human hands.” They didn’t understand this statement. Its meaning was hidden from them so they couldn’t grasp it. And they were afraid to ask him about it. An argument arose among the disciples about which of them was the greatest. Aware of their deepest thoughts, Jesus took a little child and had the child stand beside him. Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me. Whoever welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever is least among you all is the greatest.” (Luke 9:43b-48, CEB)

When you seek out power you are showing you are not the greatest.

Whoever welcomes a child… How many congregations actually welcome children? Children, who act like children? We need to not worry about how great we are and start focusing on what Jesus told us to do. Love God and love our neighbor as ourselves and accept everyone as they are and welcome them. For when we do this we not only welcome the stranger, we welcome Jesus and we welcome God.

Loving People. Loving God.

Saved by grace for what?

At one time you were like a dead person because of the things you did wrong and your offenses against God. You used to live like people of this world. You followed the rule of a destructive spiritual power. This is the spirit of disobedience to God’s will that is now at work in persons whose lives are characterized by disobedience. At one time you were like those persons. All of you used to do whatever felt good and whatever you thought you wanted so that you were children headed for punishment just like everyone else. However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace! And God raised us up and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus. God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus. You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives. (Ephesians 2:1-10, CEB)

We are saved by God’s grace because of faith, and this is God’s gift. It is not something we possess or something we can be proud of or boast about. God did all of this for us so that we might do good things. Things that God planned for us to do way before we were ever here.

This passage has the Lutheran catch verses, Ephesians 2:8-9 “You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. It’s not something you did that you can be proud of.” And we have used this verse as a reason to not do anything for a long time. Salvation is a gift of God. There is nothing I can do to earn it and I don’t have to do anything to get it, so I won’t do anything. But that isn’t where the good news ends. Verse 10 needs to be included.

“Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives.” We are God’s accomplishment created to do good things in the world. We can not do good things to earn our salvation but we can do good things so that others know they are saved too.

Loving People. Loving God.

If you say you are giving…

I’m not giving an order, but by mentioning the commitment of others, I’m trying to prove the authenticity of your love also. You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Although he was rich, he became poor for your sakes, so that you could become rich through his poverty. I’m giving you my opinion about this. It’s to your advantage to do this, since you not only started to do it last year but you wanted to do it too. Now finish the job as well so that you finish it with as much enthusiasm as you started, given what you can afford. A gift is appreciated because of what a person can afford, not because of what that person can’t afford, if it’s apparent that it’s done willingly. It isn’t that we want others to have financial ease and you financial difficulties, but it’s a matter of equality. At the present moment, your surplus can fill their deficit so that in the future their surplus can fill your deficit. In this way there is equality. As it is written, The one who gathered more didn’t have too much, and the one who gathered less didn’t have too little. (2 Corinthians 8:8-15, CEB)

The other day I saw a cartoon of a church administrator telling the pastor that the congregation’s biggest complainer was leaving and wanted their giving back. The administrator asked if she should write a check or simply give the person $2.00 in cash. We laugh because it’s funny, and it’s funny because it’s true.

People sometimes talk a big game. They say one thing and then don’t follow through which is why I tried hard not to have budgets based on pledge cards. Actually, in several congregations, we did pledge cards, collected them one Sunday, and returned them to the members the next unopened. Because they are something that is between that person and God, they can not be used for budgets. Because circumstances could change and the pledge might not be possible because of financial hardship. Or there could be a time you are able to give way more than you thought when the pledges were done.

We should be faithful to what we say and uphold those gifts as well as possible. We need to be people of our word. If you say it, mean it and do it.

Loving People. Loving God.

spare change?

In the presence of all the people, Jesus said to his disciples, “Watch out for the legal experts. They like to walk around in long robes. They love being greeted with honor in the markets. They long for the places of honor in the synagogues and at banquets. They are the ones who cheat widows out of their homes, and to show off they say long prayers. They will be judged most harshly.” Looking up, Jesus saw rich people throwing their gifts into the collection box for the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow throw in two small copper coins worth a penny. He said, “I assure you that this poor widow has put in more than them all. All of them are giving out of their spare change. But she from her hopeless poverty has given everything she had to live on.” (Luke 20:45—21:4, CEB)

What do we give to God? This woman is used by many. She is used as an example for stewardship when I don’t think that is what Jesus is getting at here. She put in her money as an obligation to the system and the others were merely tipping God.

God doesn’t deserve our spare change. God Deserves everything. We do not give God what is left over, we give to God first and then use what is left to provide for ourselves. I have said it and typed it many times, show me your checkbook register and I will tell you what your god is.

Do not tip God. Love God with everything you are and have.

Loving People. Loving God.

free yet slave

Although I’m free from all people, I make myself a slave to all people, to recruit more of them. I act like a Jew to the Jews, so I can recruit Jews. I act like I’m under the Law to those under the Law, so I can recruit those who are under the Law (though I myself am not under the Law). I act like I’m outside the Law to those who are outside the Law, so I can recruit those outside the Law (though I’m not outside the law of God but rather under the law of Christ). I act weak to the weak, so I can recruit the weak. I have become all things to all people, so I could save some by all possible means. All the things I do are for the sake of the gospel, so I can be a partner with it. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23, CEB)

Paul here says he is free yet he makes himself a slave to all so that they might see and know the love of God.

We are free from the constraints of this world but some do not understand that so we need to meet people where they are and help them see the love of God for them. We are a slave to them in the way we interact with them, yet always free in the grace God gives to us.

We live in a way that shows forth God’s love in everything we do.

Loving People. Loving God.

Spiritual Gifts

My understanding of spiritual gifts really has not been expanded, as I have done lots of work on the Natural Church Development (NCD) in the past and also the 3 passages of the body of Christ in the Pauline corpus and the gifts listed there.

I did love the discussion we had about tongues and interpretation. The understanding of vertical vs. horizontal tongues. How one can pray in tongues to God and that is vertical. We can say things even we do not understand but that is the Holy Spirit speaking through us in “sighs too deep for words… (Romans 8:26). We pray in a way that gets our thoughts to God even when we do not understand. I still believe that if one is using tongues horizontally or between people there needs to be interpretation as Paul says.

According to the Spiritual gifts assessment we took tonight in class (Spiritual Gifts Assessment Tool – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) my top gifts are:
Music-Instrumental
Artistry (Which I think is because the artistry questions to me were about my music ability – so I would say this is the one above.)
Teaching

I love playing music in both worship and secular settings. It is always fun to play in a pit orchestra and get to know the other musicians and actors and have them get to know me as a person not associated with the church and then when we get to those moments when we talk about what we do for a living since none of us make enough playing to survive and I say I am a pastor, their jaws hit the floor because they have never met a pastor like me. A pastor who is real and genuine. I think if more of us lived our lives in the way we would be and did not worry about what others would think we would be honestly who God created us to be and we would lead more people to the understanding that God is love and loves everyone as they are.

Teaching was not necessarily a surprise for me, and I would say I teach in many different ways. One of the things I had a lot of fun doing was developing an online curriculum for confirmation. This was done over several years and I have used it in teaching confirmation in my call in Wisconsin. I also know other members of the writing team still use it as well as other pastors around the country. It is a curriculum for multiple years and can be used for any age.

I would like to use my gifts for music more in my campus ministry setting but also am self-conscious about making it all about me and having the focus be on just me. This is not my ministry but a ministry I get to serve. I want the ministry to flourish and thrive in a way that will allow it to exist long after I am the called leader here.

So is not using our spiritual gifts a spiritual gift? Is there a time when using something is more self-fulfilling than fulfilling the will of God and how do we discern that and know when we are actually doing the will of God?

rejected

While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees confronted them. They were incensed that the apostles were teaching the people and announcing that the resurrection of the dead was happening because of Jesus. They seized Peter and John and put them in prison until the next day. (It was already evening.) Many who heard the word became believers, and their number grew to about five thousand. The next day the leaders, elders, and legal experts gathered in Jerusalem, along with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others from the high priest’s family. They had Peter and John brought before them and asked, “By what power or in what name did you do this?” Then Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, answered, “Leaders of the people and elders, are we being examined today because something good was done for a sick person, a good deed that healed him? If so, then you and all the people of Israel need to know that this man stands healthy before you because of the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. This Jesus is the stone you builders rejected; he has become the cornerstone! Salvation can be found in no one else. Throughout the whole world, no other name has been given among humans through which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:1-12, CEB)

The stone you builders rejected; has become the cornerstone.

God gave clear signs of how the building was to be built but those with the plans thought they had a better idea for how to make the structure. So they rejected the stone provided for the base and went their own way.

When we do not use Jesus as the foundation of our life things will be off. But when we have Jesus as the cornerstone and basis for all of our life things will be the way God intended even when we do not understand them.

We do not need to fully get it, but trust that it is the right way.

Loving People. Loving God.

Who do you serve?

Jesus also said to the disciples, “A certain rich man heard that his household manager was wasting his estate. He called the manager in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give me a report of your administration because you can no longer serve as my manager.’ “The household manager said to himself, What will I do now that my master is firing me as his manager? I’m not strong enough to dig and too proud to beg. I know what I’ll do so that, when I am removed from my management position, people will welcome me into their houses. “One by one, the manager sent for each person who owed his master money. He said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil.’ The manager said to him, ‘Take your contract, sit down quickly, and write four hundred fifty gallons.’ Then the manager said to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ He said, ‘One thousand bushels of wheat.’ He said, ‘Take your contract and write eight hundred.’ “The master commended the dishonest manager because he acted cleverly. People who belong to this world are more clever in dealing with their peers than are people who belong to the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves so that when it’s gone, you will be welcomed into the eternal homes. “Whoever is faithful with little is also faithful with much, and the one who is dishonest with little is also dishonest with much. If you haven’t been faithful with worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? If you haven’t been faithful with someone else’s property, who will give you your own? No household servant can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Luke 16:1-13, CEB)

As I typed the title to this devotional I sang in my mind the song Who do you love?

But this is an interesting passage where a business manager cheats the land owner and is commended for it. And then Jesus says you cannot serve God and wealth.

So who do you serve?

Do you serve God or wealth?

If you show me your checkbook register I can tell you who you serve. We need to live but when we serve God our needs are provided for.

So share the love you have been given and serve God.

Loving People. Loving God.

Model or slave

Jesus sat across from the collection box for the temple treasury and observed how the crowd gave their money. Many rich people were throwing in lots of money. One poor widow came forward and put in two small copper coins worth a penny. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I assure you that this poor widow has put in more than everyone who’s been putting money in the treasury. All of them are giving out of their spare change. But she from her hopeless poverty has given everything she had, even what she needed to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44, CEB)

This passage is used all the time for stewardship. Look at this woman and how she has given everything but the others aren’t getting close to what she is giving. It could be moving.

But is she giving because she wants to or because she has to? Is the system set up so that if you are not giving you are not a part of the system? The reading says, “Many rich people were throwing in lots of money.” Those who had money were throwing in large sums because it was expected you would give. So this woman only having two small copper coins has to give. She could have given one, but then she probably doesn’t have enough to live on and she has to give even though she needs both copper coins to live, so now I will just give it all. And we read it as she is a great steward. When in reality the system of religion is making her a slave.

Let us liberate the world with God’s love. Share it as you go.

Loving People. Loving God.