Category Archives: Jesus

Done Enough?

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Yesterday our e-mail and website went down. Our domain name, resurrection-woodbury.org, was dropped as our congregation transitions to a new webhosting site. I am so thankful for people like our office administrator, Sue Guck, and our web volunteer, Matthew Mayer, who immediately saw the problem and are now working hard to correct it.  We should be back up by tomorrow. Technology is a great tool, but it has its glitches.

Though frustrated by this event, it caused me to reflect on my overreliance on such technology tools and the constant “buzz” it produces. I have this feeling that I NEED to be connected. Such feelings can become unhealthy. Sort of like overtraining in running, or becoming a workaholic, it is too much of one thing. God gave us work, exercise and community as gifts, but they are not to become “gods.”

The Sabbath is also a gift from God. Wayne Muller has written about sabbath rest for the Lutheran magazine. He asks the question, “When have we done enough?” Since many of us think we cannot rest until we have finished everything, we never rest.

I remember being on a retreat with a large number of pastors and doing a devotion on resting in God. The one response that stood out was a pastor who said he could never rest, since there is still one more person to visit, one more couple to counsel, one more family to help. God “expected” him to bring care to the entire congregation. I wondered silently, “are you trying to be God, rather than God’s agent?”

So many of us just keep plowing along. Sabbath is the promise of God that we have done enough, worked enough, served enough. It is the promise that we can rest in God’s promise that we are God’s children in spite of our inadequacies and unfinished business. It is a gift of grace that needs to be practiced weekly, whether we are finished or not.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Lord Jesus, let me rest in you today.

Stir-up Sunday

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This week is filled with colorful adjectives: Thanksgiving Thursday, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday.   Somehow Sunday was skipped.  Perhaps we could name it Stir-up Sunday (from Bishop Larry Wohlrabe).  He is remembering the prayer for the first Sunday in Advent:

Stir up your power, O Lord, and come. Protect us by your strength and save us from the threatening danger of our sins, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  (Lutheran Book of Worship, p.13)

The prayer is based on Psalm 80:1 -2.

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead  Joseph like a flock!  Stir up your might and come to save us.

I certainly could use some of that stir-up power.

Jesus and the Temple in John

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Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple by Michael Smithers

With my recent posts on Isaiah and the Temple in Jerusalem, I am reminded that Jesus had some harsh words about the Temple. Solomon’s temple had been destroyed in 587 BC by the Babylonians. The temple was rebuilt in 515 BC but it was not as grand as the previous temple. King Herod had started a major rebuilt of the temple prior to Jesus’ birth.

Early in John’s Gospel, Jesus had a confrontation with the Temple leaders. After driving the money changers from the courtyard with a whip, he was asked, “What sign can you show us for doing this?”

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking of the temple of his body.  (John 2:19-21)

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman by He Qi

Later in the gospel, Jesus had a conversation with a Samaritan woman regarding the proper place of worship. Samaritans worshipped on Mt. Gerizim while Jews claimed Mount Zion as the one true place to honor God. Jesus responded,

“Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:21-24)

Jesus redirected our understanding of worship away from rituals and places to the essence of worship, a transformed heart or spirit. When our spirit aligns with God’s Spirit worship becomes true and real.

Finally in John’s Gospel, after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, he appeared to the disciples in the locked upper room. Clearly this is not the Temple. But Jesus breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:22) The Spirit of God no longer resided in a building of stone, but in gathered human community. You are God’s Temple now. The temple of God has become the portable tabernacle again. Anyone have a tent?

Lord Jesus, send your Holy Spirit into my life today! Transform me into one who worships you in spirit and in truth.

Tears of Joy and Sorrow

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Braedon Hyland

Deep emotions are part of the human experience that Christians embrace. This past Friday I experienced the wondrous joy of celebrating the marriage of my son. I rejoiced with family and friends as God’s blessing was placed upon Jon and Maggie. Yet as I came back to Resurrection Lutheran I learned that many are grieving the death of a high school senior, Braedon Hyland, who was killed in an automobile accident last week. Though not a member of our congregation, he was known and loved by many in our community.  As a community we weep with the Hyland family.

St. Paul wrote, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). Christians do not ignore or reject such deep emotions as joy or sorrow. Jesus himself wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus. The psalmist cries out with both celebratory praise and with deep anguish. The ups and downs of life are not eradicated by faith in God, but transformed into opportunities for trust and hope. God is to be found in both the wedding and funeral, in both the birth of a child and the death of a grandpa. All of life belongs to God and He gives us strength for the journey.

But there is more than simply the comfort of God’s presence. There is also the hope of God’s promise. The psalmist writes, “Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:6). As Christians we trust in a God who suffered death for us on Good Friday, but rose up from the tomb on Easter Sunday. Sometimes we weep the bitter tears of Friday, but sometimes we taste the sweet joy of Sunday with the dance of Christ’s resurrection. Often we live in between on Saturday, remembering the sorrow, yet anticipating the joy.

Jon dances with his FarMor

Plus being God’s children, we do not experience these emotions alone, but share them in community. That is why Paul encourages us to rejoice with others and weep with others. No one need walk life’s journey alone, but rather join in God’s cosmic dance with other, anticipating the great dance of heaven itself.

You have turned my mourning into dancing, you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy (Psalm 30:11).

Lord Jesus, guide me in my weeping and rejoicing with others in need.

Preparing the Pre-Wedding Feast

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This week will have fewer posts due to the joyous celebration on Friday of my son Jon and Maggie’s wedding.  I have taken the week off so I can assist my wife and daughter as they prepare the rehearsal dinner on Thursday.   Since daughter Suzanne is passionate about cooking, she will be preparing a marvelous meal for the 60 guests at Jon and Maggie’s church in Edina.  My primary task is grocery pick-up and delivery plus airport taxi.

I have been reflecting upon how the Bible use the metaphor of the wedding feast as a description of God’s kingdom.   In John 2, Jesus preformed his first miracle at the wedding of Cana, turning several large barrels of water into the best wine.   In Mark 2, the Pharisee’s criticize Jesus for not fasting.   Jesus responded, “The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.”   And in Revelation 19, St. John has a vision of the church prepared as the bride of Christ and an angel says, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

I am not sure if our rehearsal dinner will be comparable to the heavenly banquet, but I am confident that our week-end celebration will be a kind of foretaste of the feast to come.  And I certainly want to invite you to that most glorious wedding when the King of Heaven and Earth gathers in his bride, the church.  We all have an open invitation from Jesus,

Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. (Rev. 3:20)

Doesn’t it make you hungry to feast with God?

Lord Jesus, let our joy be ever as your bride.

Spying On Our Fears

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As Resurrection moves quickly through the Old Testament, many wonderful stories must be skipped. This Sunday we will jump to the book of Deuteronomy which is Moses’ final sermon to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land (recounted in the book of Joshua).

But this was not Israel’s first attempt to enter Palestine. The book of Numbers recounted a previous attempt to invade the land (chapters 13 and 14). Moses selected twelve spies from the twelve tribes to spy out the land of Canaan. They were selected leaders and instructed to be bold and observant. The spies returned with a huge cluster of grapes suspended on a pole. Their report emphasized a land flowing with milk and honey and with abundant fruit.

However their report also stated that the occupants of the land were many and strong, their towns fortified and very large. Caleb, one of the spies, countered “We can take the land.” The other spies disagreed, saying, “We cannot go up against this people for they are stronger than we.” Their fear overrode their trust in God’s promise. The fear of the leaders/spies also infected the people.

The whole congregation said to Moses, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to fall by the sword, would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” (Exodus 14:2-3)

Fear can destroy a family, a congregation or a nation. We see a potential danger and magnify it beyond reality. We feel threatened and we either seek to fight or flee. The people of Israel wanted to flee.

Caleb spoke again to the people, trying to turn their focus to God.,

The land that we went through as spies is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only, do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” (Exodus 14:7-9)

The people did not listen to Caleb that day. Their rebellion against God resulted in God’s declaration that this generation which yearned for Egypt must die so that a new generation of hope can arise. The story has a Christian connection: the fearful “old Egyptian” in each of us must die so that the new Christ can rise up within us. Baptism is a reminder of our being joined to Jesus’ death and resurrection.

I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:19-20

When has fear diverted your trust in God? When has your faith in God overcome fear?

Lord Jesus, today, kill the fear within me and reignite my trust in you.

Baker’s Vocation or Vacation

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Vocation and vacation sound alike, but rarely overlap in meaning. Vocation means calling and is often used interchangeably with job or career. Vacation means freedom from occupation or time away from job or career. My trip to Coloraod was a vacation from my role as pastor, but it was also a chance to witness my daughter’s vocation.

Suzanne Smiles in Her Domain

Though she graduated from college with a creative writing degree, Suzanne’s current passion and love is baking. Two years ago she went to Estes Park with a college friend to seek summer employment. I remember the frustration in her voice when she phoned home to tell us, she could find no work in Estes, not even at McDonald’s or Subway. I was preparing to drive out and bring her home, when my friend, Michael Johnson, suggested she look at guest ranches in Colorado. A few phone calls later, she had an interview at Lane’s Guest Ranch. The interview led to a job as pastry chef and my opportunity to enjoy her baking and cooking.

Baking in the mountains was a challenge. The high altitude affected dough and the kitchen was often over 100 degrees. This summer they were short staff most of the season. Still I enjoyed her strawberry shortcake, whole wheat rolls, white chocolate Torte and blueberry pancakes. I also discovered a big secret to making delicious brownies is a cup of brandy in the batter (at least I think it was a cup; Suzanne is very secretive about her recipes).  Suzanne is now back in Minnesota, seeking a winter vocation.

On the drive home Suzanne reminded me of the significance of bread in the Bible. God told Adam that it would be “by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread,” when God removed Adam and Eve from the Garden (Genesis 3:19). Thus the work for bread is part of the curse we endure as rebellious sinners. Yet God provided bread for the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 16) and for the prophet Elijah in his journey (I Kings 19).

Jesus transformed bread from Satan’s temptation in the wilderness (where it is a reminder of Adam’s curse) to the miracle of feeding 5,000 with just five loaves. Afterwards Jesus stated, “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35). Finally Jesus promised Holy Communion when we eat the bread that is his body (Matthew 26:26). To be a baker is to have a holy vocation.

How is your vocation a place for God to work?

Lord Jesus, thank you for all who sweat and work for my daily bread.

Mountain Guide

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First, I want to thank Sarah Storvick for being my guest blogger last week.  I appreciate her thoughtful reflections on participation in a “fake” book club and our call to be authentic followers of Jesus Christ.  I am so thankful for having gifted co-workers to share the call to trust, live and serve.

Pastor John Atop Hallett's Peak in RMNP

Second, I am thankful for a refreshing vacation.  I had some great hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park, including the top of Hallett Peak on the Continental Divide.  While atop the peak, I met a volunteer ranger named John. He named all the surrounding peaks for me and told me stories of some of his past hikes and climbs.  He was carrying an ice axe which was not needed on the hike up.  He informed me that he was planning to descend via Andrew’s glacier, an alternate return route that I had been considering.  But seeing his ice axe caused me concern since I did not carry one.  I asked, “Do you think I could descend the glacier without an ice axe?”

He responded,  “I honestly don’t know, but you are welcome to follow me and together we can find out.”

Ranger John preparing to descend Andrews Glacier

Ranger John lead me across the boulder-strewn divide to Andrew’s Glacier and there he stopped to attach some light hiking crampons to his boot. He then directed me on the best angle to descend the ice field and how to navigate beyond the small lake at the glacier’s bottom.   His guiding presence gave me peace and confidence through some tricky parts.

Shortly after John and I parted, I wondered if I would have been as patient and caring to a fellow hiker?  Ranger John certainly was enthusiastic about hiking and proud of the many hidden splendors of Rocky Mountain National Park.  He was a natural evangelists for the park and especially the back country.  Am I as enthusiastic about my journey with Jesus Christ and the high country through which he guides me?  Are you?

Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people” (Mark 1:17).

Lord Jesus, guide me this day along the path you have given to walk.  Prepare me to be companion guide for the people I meet.

Hiking with Suzanne and with Jesus

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I am looking forward to my two-week vacation, starting next Monday. The second week will be traveling out to Estes Park, Colorado, to bring daughter Suzanne home from her summer job as a pastry chef at Lane’s Guest Ranch . I am going out early to do some hiking and camping. The mountain trails in Rocky Mountain National Park stir my soul and challenge my heart, lungs and legs.  Mountain hiking is true Body/Mind/Spirit exercise for me.

Suzanne Climbing the Path

I often associate Suzanne with Rocky Mountain National Park, not only because she has worked there the past three summer. In 1996 my wife’s family had a reunion at nearby YMCA of the Rockies. Most of the week was cool and cloudy with frequent rain showers. One afternoon Suzanne and I took a special hike together. We climbed a small prominent peak near the camp and contemplated the vista. I remember the hike well, because I marvel at Suzanne’s ability to hike in spite of her open heart surgery five years before. She was a trooper and celebrated the climb with a shout of victory and a granola bar.

Climbing a mountain is one of my favorite metaphors for the Christian life. Our path in life is often uncertain and challenging. We may only be able to see the next few steps. We persevere through blown down trees or muddy streams. Life in Christ often has its challenges. The path may be steep and long. Still we trust the path will eventually lead us to our goal. As we climb higher our vista opens and we experience the joy and wonder of God’s creation and majesty.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:7). The psalmist sang, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path” (Proverbs 119:105).

How would you describe your recent path with God?

Lord Jesus, be my guide this day as I seek to follow your path for my life.

Living Generously

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The Rock and the Rainbow as Promises of God

Jesus lived generously.  He gave himself easily to others.  When a religious leader asked him to heal his sick daughter, Jesus immediately started towards his home and eventually healed her (Mark 5:21-43).   When Jesus saw the hungry crowd, he took what his group of disciples had and fed 5,000 people (Mark 4:30).  He graciously gave of himself as he blessed little children and invited the rich man to join his school of discipleship (Mark 10:13-17).  Ultimately Jesus gave his very life for all humanity.  Jesus lived graciously and creatively, never fearful of his choices to give.  He has become the rock of our salvation, the culmination of God’s creative promise in the rainbow to redeem the world (Genesis 9:15).

Gracefulness, generosity and creativity are interrelated and form key elements of a Godly character.  Seth Godin, author and speaker, wrote,

Fear.  It creates anger and selfishness.  They sit together, supporting each other, as inseparable as red, orange, and yellow on the spectrum.

Generosity, creativity, and gracefulness are at the other end in a similar cluster.  If you seek to be creative, start by being generous.  Like blue, indigo and violent, they live together.

At which end of the spectrum do you reside?  When have you experienced grace and generosity together?

Lord Jesus, thank for your never-ending spring of life. Show me the path to generosity and gracefulness.