Mystery of Trust

Paul at the Areopagus by artist Kennedy Paizs

One of the great mysteries of faith is why some people believe in Jesus and others do not.  One trusts completely while another turns away.  In Acts 17, Paul comes to Thessalonica and preaches in the Jewish synagogue.

And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three sabbath days argued with them from the scriptures,  explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This is the Messiah, Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you.”  Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. (Act 17:2-4)

Paul was persuasive and some came to trust in Jesus, yet many did not believe. I recognize that the Holy Spirit, prayer, and human temperament all play a role, yet I am amazed that within one family, exposed to the same environment and influences, some members place their trust in Jesus and other members do not. The parents and church community express the gospel in word and deed, but not everyone hears and responds. It is like the seed in Jesus’ parable of the sower in Mark 4. Some seed falls on rocky soil, some among the weeds, some on the trodden path, and some on the good soil. Only the see in the good soil takes root and bears fruit.

Occasionally what seems to be the random nature of faith can be disheartening. My intellectual curiosity can twist me into knots. At those times, I “fold the wings of my intellect” and simply rest in  Jesus. I trust in his mercy and grace. Jesus has touched and changed my life through the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Word of God has impacted my life. And I have seen other lives changed as well. With hope I continue to fling the seed of God’s Word, trusting in God and not myself.

So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ, Romans 10:17

Lord Jesus, create in each of us a faith that bears fruit for your kingdom.

Team Work at RLC

I am blessed at Resurrection Lutheran Church to work with a great team. Yesterday we had a day-away planning session to look towards the coming year. The room was a buzz of ideas, reflections and possibilities. We laughed, prayed, ate and celebrated. What a joy to serve with such people as Betsy, Hannah, Sue, Sarah, Brad and Larry.

Team ministry has always been part of the church. Jesus chose twelve disciples to share in his ministry. In the early church, Paul worked with Barnabas on their first missionary journey through Asia Minor. Then Paul and Barnabas split and Paul worked with Silas and Timothy. They shared in the struggles and victories together.

To be a good team, there needs to be not only shared vision but also a deep trust in one another. We need to disagree and argue for the sake of the mission without hurting each other’s feelings. This can be challenging for some of us who think conflict means “you don’t like me.”  Jesus challenged his disciples, yet loved them deeply. It is in the wrestling with ideas and priorities that we discover how God is at work and that we truly can trust and love each other.  As Patrick Lencioni says in his book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, “Trust is knowing that when a team member does push you, they’re doing it because they care about the team.”

I am so thankful for a staff that can challenge and improve my ministry; I pray that I can do the same for our team. We all want Resurrection Lutheran to be the best congregation possible, by becoming what God called us to be. And together the whole congregation can rise to meet the challenges and opportunities we face.

Lord Jesus, challenge us to become what you created us to be.

Garage Sale Stewardship

Testing a Garage Sale Donation

Thursday, May 10, begins the big Woodbury Lions Club Garage Sale and Resurrection Lutheran will be participating. The church is being transformed into a market place of new and used items.  I took a few minutes this morning to test a donation.

The test remined me of a discussion with fellow pastors about stewardship. It was triggered by one pastor’s comment that his congregation does not “do” special fundraisers like car washes or garage sales. “Our congregation has adopted the stewardship philosophy that all funding comes through the offering plate. Our members believe in the mission of the congregation and they donate directly to its budget.”

I agree that the bulk of the stewardship giving needs to be through the offering plate or direct contributions to the congregation. This has become more sophisticated with on-line giving and electronic fund transfers such as Simply Giving from Thrivent. We recently added QR codes to our bulletins so that people can use their smart phones on Sunday Morning to make contributions. I am delighted with how many members of Resurrection Lutheran stepped up in March to make special contributions for our High School youth who will be attending the ELCA Youth Gathering this summer.  Direct contributions remain the primary way people give to their congregation.

As Paul wrote to the church at Corinth about being generous in giving,

This relief offering is a prod to live at your very best, showing your gratitude to God by being openly obedient to the plain meaning of the Message of Christ. You show your gratitude through your generous offerings to your needy brothers and sisters, and really toward everyone. (2 Corinthians 9:13, The Message)

Still I think there is a place for special fund-raisers like the Garage Sale. It allows a variety of people to participate actively in a congregational ministry, thus building relationships. It promotes the recycling of various items, eliminating some of the waste that goes in landfills, a form of environmental stewardship. It also allows new and old residents to visit our church building; last year I met two people who later came back for our outdoor worship. We also provide a service to the shoppers by having clean restrooms and shelter. The garage sale has become a unique form of ministry for our congregation.

I certainly don’t want our church building and volunteers to do this every week. It is neither our primary mission nor our primary form of stewardship. There will probably come a day when Resurrection will not participate. Still, for three days this week, Resurrection Lutheran will be a place of friendly hospitality and great deals. Check it out.

Lord Jesus, guide each of us to be good stewards of our time, talents and treasures.

Snow Making Machine

Yesterday I realized that I have a “regional snow making device.” As I was taking down the heated roof cable from my roof, I thought,

The past fifteen years I have placed this cable on my roof and each year we have had minimal amount of snow, except last winter. The winter of 2010-2011 we had lots of snow, and for several reason, I did not put up the roof cable that winter.

If I take the time and effort to put it up, we receive minimum snow. If I do not put it up, we receive lots of snow. So obviously, my roof cable MUST be the cause of minimal or maximal snow fall.

I realize this is crazy thinking, a kind of magical thinking, but many of us practice it. We have lucky shoes for races, or lucky golf club, or favorite fishing shirts. At the root of such thinking is the desire to have some control over things that are beyond our control. Whether it is the amount of snow that falls, or the fish we catch, we wish to have influence and power.

Naturally there are things we can control. If I become a practiced fisherman, I can learn where and when to fish a particular lake, what bait to use, what depth to try. Still the elusive walleye will not be magically summoned by the shirt or hat I wear.

Yet many things remain far outside my control. As I wrapped up my roof heater coil, I enjoyed the gift of sunshine on my back and the budding trees. I do not control the weather, but I know the one who does and trust in God’s mercy and kindness. I know that God sends the rain for all humanity to enjoy. As Paul preached to the non-Christians at Lystra,

God has not left himself without a witness in doing good—giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food and your hearts with joy (Acts 14:17).

Still, as I packed the roof cable away I wondered, “Would any of my friends who love cross-country skiing and snowshoeing be willing to make a donation to Resurrection Lutheran so that I would not put up my roof cable next fall.” Just wondering.

Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of this day and its myriad of blessings. I trust you to be Lord.

The Grass Withers

Spring has arrived in Minnesota. The lilacs are in bloom and the trees are in bud. The grass has turned green and my days of mowing have begun. Vibrant life surrounds us.

Still, in the back of my mind, is this nagging sense. This season will pass. The trees in bud will drop their leaves. The grass will wither.  Spring is transitory and fleeting.

A voice says, “Cry out!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. Isaiah 40:6-8

Robert C. Roberts in his book Spiritual Emotions: A Psychology of Christian Virtues reflects on Isaiah’s message,

You are grass: your life is a blooming and a fading, a flourishing and a withering, a birthing and a dying. This thought frequents the human mind – though mostly in its recesses. Walking to work, peeling potatoes, chatting at a cozy party over a glass of wine, holding hands with your spouse, playing silly games with your children. And there’s the lurking thought: flesh fading and disappearing, withering grass. (Robert C. Roberts. Spiritual Emotions: A Psychology of Christian Virtues (Kindle Locations 663-665).

Our mortality can never be totally denied. We may try to push the thought of death far from our minds, yet death will come to us all. Roberts continues,

But at times this truth comes home with a special shock, and what is only a nagging uneasiness changes into outright terror: the sudden absurd death of a friend, a close brush with accidental death in the midst of play, a pain that I interpret as the first symptom of a dread disease. (Roberts, (Kindle Locations 665-667).

So if we are such transitory beings who know that death awaits us, why not just despair and turn to drugs, alcohol, sex or some other pain killer to escape that reality? Because God our creator has provide a steadfast hope for us.

A person who is inclined to view his own life honestly and admit without casting his eyes aside that all flesh is grass will welcome the thought of an enduring rock amidst the flux of things. Isaiah’s preaching, if we really hear it, touches our deepest need. He ministers to the worry that pervades all our thoughts. But why does he say that the word of our God endures forever? Wouldn’t it be enough to proclaim that God is eternal, that he stands forever? (Kindle Locations 678-679). Kindle Edition.

No, God’s eternal nature is not enough for us as humans, but rather God’s eternal connection to us, his word of steadfast love and mercy is what we need to heal our fear. God is not only eternal, but has created us with an eternal longing to be connected, to hear the message of God’s love.

When I die, I trust God’s first word to me will be, “Beloved child, welcome home.” And it will be a word that only God can speak and my heart hear.

Lord Jesus, calm my fear with your word of grace.

The Rock in the Storm

The Book of Psalms has been the topic of our Men’s Bible Study this month. The Psalms were the worship songs of the ancient Israelites and they reflect both the tremendous joy and extreme sorrow the people experienced in their relationship with God and their neighbors. One frequent theme is that in life’s struggles, God is our rock and refuge. The rock image has been a favorite of mine throughout my life.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge. Psalm 18:2

You are indeed my rock and my fortress; for your name’s sake lead me and guide me Psalm 31:3

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken. Psalm 62:1-2

Among the ancient Israelites, the sea was a symbol of chaos and catastrophe. The rock was the opposite symbol, a sign of continuity and steadfast devotion. The picture above captures some of the energy and wildness of the sea as it crashes against the rock. In that moment, the sea seems victorious, but the wave recedes and the rock remains.

In our life, we are often hit with waves of wild chaotic energy that threatens to destroy us. It can be moments of grief when we remember a loved one who has died. It can be the sudden change in the marketplace when our job or career takes a beating. Or the wave might be a diagnosis of some health issue that causes our life to spin. Or it can be a relationship that suddenly shifts in a difficult, unexpected way.

Or sometime it is the chaos we created within ourselves by the bad choices we made.

In the moment we seem overwhelmed; but we need to remember that God remains our rock, our fortress in the midst of the challenges. God is steadfast.

For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. Psalm 62:5-7

God remains the ultimate source of peace, calm and hope.

Lord Jesus, be my rock and fortress today and always.

Spiritual Emotions?

I am reading Spiritual Emotions: A Psychology of Christian Virtues by Robert C. Roberts, preparing for a preaching series this summer. Twenty years ago I read his book, The Strengths of a Christian, which continues to shape how I look at the virtues of self-control, patience and perseverance. I posted on Strengths previously.

In Spiritual Emotions, Roberts asks the questions, can Christians shape or tend to our emotions? Or are they simply electro-chemical reactions in our brains that we have no control over? Can emotions be something that we cultivate and link to our Spiritual lives?

Roberts proposes that emotions are concern-based construals, a framework for interpreting a situation and responding  to it. I am reminded of an example of this in Stephen Covey’s classic, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. In the book, Covey described riding on a subway car and becoming very irritated with a father whose young children were acting out. The children’s behavior was loud and disruptive and Covey became more and more irritated, even angry, with the father for not intervening. Finally Covey confronted the father about the obnoxious behavior of his children. The father, who seemed preoccupied, looked over at his children and then responded, “Yes, I guess they are being unruly. You see, we just came from the hospital where their mother, my wife, died today.”

Suddenly Stephen Covey’s understanding (construal) changed from one of anger to one of compassionate understanding. At first he interpreted the situation one way, “an inattentive father,” that fostered anger within him. But his interpretation or construal changed when he realized that the father was inattentive due to grief, fostering compassion.

Now, according to Roberts, Stephen Covey had some choice in how to respond to the new information. He might have stayed angry, thinking that his subway ride was still being interrupted by these disruptive children and that it did not matter what the reason was. Most of us would see such a construal or interpretative framework as being selfish and un-Christian. Or Covey might have become embarrassed and upset, again focusing more on his own needs. Instead Covey made a choice (perhaps out of habit) to respond with compassion and offer assistance.

Emotions are not just feeling that arbitrarily hit us and we have no control over them. Neither can we automatically dictate what emotions we will have. They are fruit of the Holy Spirit, which we help cultivate and grow over time, practice and attentiveness.  I believe Robert’s book will help me in this practice.

Lord Jesus, shape my heart to be a harbor of love and not fear.