“By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust and to dust you shall return.” –Genesis 3:19

It’s Ash Wednesday today, which is the start of the Lenten season of the church. Most people will probably will post or repost things about what Lent means and why we give things up (which I already have… Sorry), but I want to take a different approach. I like different. I’m different and like change, but that’s another story. What does it mean from dust you are to dust you shall return? I view this as one of the best Law/Gospel messages anyone could ever hear.

            Think about dust, or ashes. It is dirty and messy and gets all over everything right? Nobody can get away from dust because we are part of the reason it is there. Our dead skin cells and such. It even clogs things up and causes things not to work correctly. That is exactly like our sins. They are dirty and messy. They get all over everything and can screw things to the point they don’t work. Nobody can get away from them, it is just a matter of whether you believe they are sins or not. But then let’s think about dust again. When God created the world He made everything perfect. There was nothing wrong with it. He then took some of that perfect dust and made man. A little later God realized that there was no suitable partner for Adam, and created Eve from one of Adam’s ribs which originally was made from, you guessed it, perfect dust. Creation was perfect at that point. There was no sin or pain, war or destruction. It was perfect. And to that perfect dust we will return. Jesus will come again to claim the living and the dead. To remind us that we have been washed clean of our messy, dirty, sin infested lives and we were made perfect. Nothing keeping us from enjoy that perfect dust and perfect world any longer.

Question for Reflection: What does dust to dust mean to you?

“Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection into eternal life.” –Book of Common Prayer

“For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” –Jude 4

Have you ever read the book of Jude? For a while when I was younger I thought Jude was one of the longest books in the bible because I would see Jude 24-25 on a lesson and think we were talking about 2 whole chapters! Then I came to the realization that Jude was only 1 chapter and even then it was only 25 verses long. Anyway… If you haven’t read the book of Jude I encourage it. It is an interesting read. Jude smacks you with the law and it seems that you have no hope, and then he gives you the gospel (he is a good Lutheran!). As I was reading this morning, one thing stuck out to me. Usually we think about all of the evil that is going on in the world and how all of these outside forces or groups will be the ones to come in and cause us to fall away or stop believing in Christ. Jude however warns us otherwise. In verse 4 he says “For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation….” It isn’t necessarily going to be those people outside the church that lead others away from Christ. It will also be those who have made it into leadership roles in the church that lead people away. That scares me. Think about it. There will be people in the church, pastors, DCEs, elders, teachers, members, you name it, who will be leading others away from the church. Yikes! I bring this to your attention because it worries me.

I was having a conversation the other day about people who give Christians a bad name and sometimes I think that I may be one of them. Not because I go around blatantly sinning or doing evil things but because I forget to show others how Christians really act. James talks about the sin of omission and the fact that we are being held accountable for those things that we don’t do as well as sins that we do. Sadly, I fall into those categories a lot, and so do you! We all sin and get caught up in those sins but there is something that sets us apart from other people. We know the saving and forgiving nature of our Father. We know that He is aware of all of our sins and yet He doesn’t condemn us for those. He still takes us in His arms, and tells us that He loves us no matter how much we screw up. Forgiveness is what sets us apart. Forgiveness is what carries us through our lives. Forgiveness is what will take us home!

Question for Reflection: What can you do to show others that Christianity isn't an exclusive and judgmental ideology of club? That it is really about people’s eternal welfare.

“False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.” -Socrates

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” –Joshua 1:9

I don’t know about you guys, but once in a while (or maybe a lot more often than that) I hear a song that I just can’t get enough of. I listen to it over and over and over... and over. A lot of times it is because the song has something to do with the situation that I am in, but many times it is just because I am passionate about music and it is just a really good song. Well recently I have fallen into that rut again. This time it is because it connects to the situation in my life and it is a good song. Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong United is a very well written and powerful song and starts like this:

“You call me out upon the waters, the great unknown where feet may fail.”

Peter’s story floods my mind every time I hear this song. Jesus calls him to walk on the water, and everyone knows that people can’t walk on water. It is the “great unknown where feet may fail”. Peter gets out trusting that Jesus will let him walk on water but not understanding how it works or where he is going. This is right where my wife and I are right now. We are looking into the great unknown trusting in God’s plan and trusting that He knows what is going on, but we don’t have the slightest clue. Thankfully we know that we have a God who can walk on water and move mountains. He brings us high and knocks us down in order to keep us trusting and relying on Him. HE has the plan for everyone’s lives, including ours! We just need to trust and pray that we follow His will. If anyone else finds themselves in this same spot I ask you pray this knowing that He has our lives under control and is with us wherever we move or go:

“Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders,

let me walk upon the waters wherever You would call me.

take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

and my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior.”    Amen

“Moving on, is a simple thing, what it leaves behind is hard.” -Dave Mustaine

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’? Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” –John 8:31-38

What do you believe to be true? Now I’m not necessarily implying Christian answers here. I am simply asking what do you believe to be true? How do we come to those conclusions? Usually it is by some sort of reasoning or facts. For example: World War II happened. How do I know that is true? I know that is true because there is detailed record of what happened throughout that era of time. Battles were fought and won or lost, people were injured or killed, and countries have the marks and memorials to prove it. How do we know what is a lie? Well usually we can disprove something or show that it didn’t actually happen. Another example: Hogwarts is real. Now don’t get all technical on me and point out that it was a place that was filmed and we now call the castle of Hogwarts. Hogwarts isn’t a real place.  So that begs further question: What is Truth? What is truth?

Is there a difference in the questions that were just proposed? I would argue there is. You see we find two different kinds of truth in this world. The first being the truths that the world gives us and wants us to believe. Like having money and power will give you all the happiness you could ever want, or that celebrities have it made in the shade and they never have any problems in their lives. And then there is the Truth that we can live by. A Truth that says Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. He is the only Truth that matters in our lives. The Truth that Jesus was crucified in our place, defeated the power of the devil, and rose again to grant us the best thing we could ever ask for. Our eternal life! So what Truth or truths do you let yourself believe?

Talking Points:

·         How would you describe truth?

·         What truths do we let ourselves believe?

·         How do those truths affect our lives and the lives of others around us?

·         What are some Truths that we know from scripture?

·         How do the Truths of the bible affect our lives and the lives of others around us?

·         Discuss: “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” - Arthur Schopenhauer

·         How can we combat the truths of this world and focus on the Truth of Christ?

“Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” –Psalm 27:14

Happy Wednesday to everyone! Let me start by asking you this question: How much time do you spend waiting every day? Need some examples to jumpstart your counting? Think about the time you wait at stoplights, in line at the store, for your coffee to brew, for your shower to get warm, or for Facebook to load just to name a few. How much time do you think you spend waiting in one day? I don’t even want to put a number on it. I wait for so many things and don’t even think about it all day, but when it comes to waiting and letting God work His plan in my life I get so impatient. For example: Right now I am waiting for an email. This email will give me a clue as to where the next phase of my ministry will begin, and it is all I can think about. We are not a patient society.
            Thankfully, God’s timing is something that we can’t rush. As much as I want to be in control of my own life and my own situations, He has something picked out for me that is better than I could ever choose. That doesn’t mean I won’t try to be in control because I like to think that I can do it all on my own. And when I fail and fall on my face, who is there to pick me up and reassure me that everything is going to be okay? No not my non-existent dog Pongo, it’s Christ. He is there to remind us that one of our many sins is a lack of trust. We get so caught up trying to do things our way that we forget to wait for God’s plan. David reminds us that we are to be strong and take courage. Waiting isn’t a bad thing. God has everything under control. Just trust that He has the best in mind for you (and me!).

“We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.”

-Joseph Campbell

February 10, 2014:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not parish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

Valentine’s day is this coming Friday for all of you who have yet to get gifts for your significant other. I just thought I would give you a heads up. Now you may ask…why are you talking about valentines. It is only Monday! You are right, I won’t talk about love till Friday. The one day a year that it is acceptable.

Oh you are still reading?

How about now?

Okay you twisted my arm. Love is an interesting thing am I right? When was the last time you said “I love ___?” I use that phrase way too liberally and I’m sure you do to, because I love chocolate, or ice cream, or the Olympics, or “embracing the awkward”. But what do you mean when you say that? Define love. What does it mean? Merriam Webster dictionary describes one version of love like this: the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration. Now that sounds about right doesn’t it? I definitely love my mint condition from Caribou Coffee like that. But what happens when we love stuff like that? We definitely end up breaking the 1^st commandment don’t we? We end up loving the things of this world or the people of this world more than we do our Heavenly Father.

            That is where the good news comes. Our Heavenly Father has a different idea of what love is. It is this Agape form of love. A love that is priceless no matter how much we do to try and earn it. A love that never gives up no matter how much we screw up. A love that always puts us first no matter how much we put in front of Him. A love that never ends, even when we think there is nothing left. It’s this kind of love that will sustain us no matter the situations of our lives. Good, bad or ugly our God loves us so much that He was willing to die in our place and pay for all of our other “loves”. You have been and always will be His Valentine!

“God’s math: 1 Cross + 3 nails = 4given” –Unknown

January 22, 2014:

“Come, everyone who thirsts, and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.” –Isaiah 55:1-3

Today I want you to do something. Especially if you are reading this on Facebook because that means you have the time. Pull out your phone. No, seriously pull it out. Now go to your timer setting, and set it to 1 minute. Now before you start here is what I want you to do. Without falling asleep, start the timer, close your eyes, and just listen to what is going on around you for the entire minute. Then tell me what you heard. I’ll do it too. Ready go…. Okay so what did you hear? I heard a phone conversation between a mom and her child, computers running, an 8 o’clock alarm go off, and babies crying from down the hallway. Did you start thinking about other things you had to do today? Maybe later this week, or even next week? I did. I was thinking about all of these things that I need to get done before I leave the office for a few days.
            This exercise is tough for people. A lot of times there are too many things going on and our lives are so busy that we don’t have any time to rest, relax, and recoup. We often find ourselves getting loud and distracting with the activities of everyday life. Kind of like my office right now. Holy Cow! It’s Wednesday morning and people coming in and out talking and needing things, kids coming in for chapel time, and pastors getting ready for a memorial service. Talk about distracting! These things are all in service to God, but we still get caught up in doing them and forget that God has a plan in mind if we just listen for it. Larry King said it well when he said “Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening.” The same thing can be said for our spiritual lives. We will learn a lot less if we are doing all of the talking and none of the listening. When was the last time that you sat down and spent 5 un-interrupted minutes just reading your bible, praying, and listening? Our lives get so overrun with stuff to do and people to see that we forget to take time to nurture the best relationship we could ever have! Our relationship with Christ! It is important to take time, and listen so that we can do our best to hear what He has to say!

“One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.”

-Bryant H. McGill