Sufficiency

 December 8, 2021

“Our sufficiency is from God,” —II Corinthians 3:5 

If there’s one thing this past year has taught us, it’s that there is much in our lives over which we have little control. Covid has dominated conversation and life itself, attacking some with virulent rapacity and devastation, while others emerge relatively unscathed. Not just individuals, but society itself has been quarantined, shuttering businesses, creating shortages, fueling inflation. Internationally, we have squandered any influence we might have had; no one believes we have the moral courage to resist those who seek dominance in the world scene.

Where once we thought we could accomplish almost anything, we now doubt our ability to even provide for our basic necessities. Big Tech and Big Pharma appear to be in cahoots with Big Government and the educational lobby, controlling what we think, how we think, and what we put into our bodies.

For anyone already struggling with self-confidence or self-esteem, our present time offers little by way of assurance or assistance. I’ve often looked over my life and felt that I’ve fallen short of my potential, which is not a very comforting thought at my age. The enemy of our souls is all too eager to capitalize on such brooding, telling us that we don’t measure up, that we cannot return from the wrong turns we made years ago, and that we will always fall short.

Of course, the Bible tells us that, too, in Romans 3:23, but the story doesn’t end there. Later in the letter, Paul reminds us that what we were unable to accomplish, God did for us in Christ (Romans 8:3-4). Then there are these words in 2 Corinthians.

No matter how insufficient I may be in and of myself, God in Christ has all the bases covered. I read something awhile back that captures our situation perfectly: “When God put a calling on your life, he already factored in your stupidity.” Christ is sufficient even for that, and for my sin, and for the times in which we live. I don’t live by my own sufficiency, for that always falls short. I live in the sufficiency of the Christ whose riches are inexhaustible, whose wisdom is incomprehensible, and whose love is unshakable.

The Greatest Generation

 December 7, 2021

“The Greatest Generation” is all but gone, victim of time and age. The world they fought to save has all but disappeared, and what they left behind to us would be in many ways unrecognizable to them. Freedom is not really free, and the sacrifices of one generation pave the way for the ease of their children, which in turn paves the way for the re-enslavement of their grandchildren. It is a tale told in large letters throughout history.

My grandfather (father to one of the Greatest Generation and not a committed Christian) once commented on something he saw on television. As he turned the set off, he said that the content was “smutty,” a word I haven’t heard in years. I would hate to hear what he would say about today’s programming. Bit by bit, the ways of this world have insidiously encroached upon us, so subtly that we can’t pinpoint where it was that we began to accept what would have been unthinkable a generation ago.

It would be discouraging had not the prophets and Jesus himself warned us of what it would be like as the end approached. Phrases like “lovers of self rather than lovers of God,” “disobedient, deceitful, not only participating in evil, but encouraging others to do so,” were presentient then, and present today. But in the midst of it all are words of encouragement, offers of salvation and healing of the nations.

Pearl Harbor Day commemorates our entry into World War II, the greatest conflict yet to be seen. Millions died, including hundreds of thousands of Americans. At every Memorial Day service I’ve ever attended, we pray that it not be necessary for us to send young men and women off to war again, all the while Jesus’ words echo in our minds—“There will be wars and rumors of war, but the end is not yet.” Our prayers end with the cry for the day when ploughshares will be beaten into pruning hooks, and we will learn war no more. That day will come, and until then, we live by Jesus’ words to “watch, that the Enemy not enter in while we are asleep.”

Highway to Heaven

 December 6, 2021

“And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”” —Luke 3:3-6

John preached repentance for the forgiveness of sins, but we don’t always know what repentance means. We have images of craven groveling, the wringing of hands, and flowing tears, but that isn’t what John had in mind. The words of Isaiah which he quotes tell us exactly what he meant by repentance. 

Repentance means straightening out that which is crooked, filling in that which is lacking, tearing down obstacles, and smoothing the paths so God has ready access to our hearts and we have clear and unobstructed access to God. Repentance often involves words, but also needs the corrective action that changes the direction of our lives. Where once we were thrown off course by every twist and turn of life, repentance paves the way for the newness of life offered in Christ. When we truly repent, we need not always be talking about it; people will see the salvation of God at work in us. 

The wilderness is where all this happens; those barren, harsh times that strip away every comfort, reducing us to elemental matters, where life is raw and dangerous, and survival is not guaranteed. We tend not to repent in times of ease and success. It is in the wasteland of failure, of sorrow, of sickness and loss where we are forced to face the emptiness of our lives. We don’t like the wilderness, but it is there we are most likely to meet the God who creates out of barren nothingness a people tested and purified for holy purposes. 

“Lord, we shrink from the desert, but you still beckon us forward into it, that we may be stripped of all the false gods to which we cling. Straighten that which is crooked and deformed in us; fill in the empty valleys of self with the glories of Christ. Level the mountainous obstacles we have erected to protect ourselves, but which only hinder the work of your Holy Spirit in us. Stride down the highway of repentance into our hearts, that we may return to you.

Grace Alone

 December 5, 2021

If one takes it seriously, preaching is about the most humbling activity in which one can engage. Two weeks of preparation, revision, prayer, consultation, and more revision and prayer all went into this morning’s sermon. I’m by no means a novice at it, but I came away as I often do, thinking of what needed to be said that I left unsaid. 

I’m not looking for any pats on the back, or words of encouragement; I’m merely revealing my inner thoughts on this business of preaching. If I did not believe I was called to do it, I never would have courage to actually stand in front of a congregation and dare to present the life-giving Word of God. It is a fearful responsibility little understood by anyone who hasn’t attempted it. 

It’s not hard to present an orderly message, to provide illustrations, and to drive one’s point home. It’s not particularly difficult to dissect the text to extract its full meaning. What is difficult is making sure I am proclaiming Good News, not merely good advice. People can get good advice most anywhere; there’s only one place where the Good News can be found. But it’s surprisingly difficult to keep from drifting back into good advice. Revealing to people their situation and their place in it isn’t hard. Diagnosing the problem of sin isn’t hard; anyone with eyes that work can see what’s wrong in this world. And most people with a bit of life experience in life are not shy about giving their remedy for it all, usually in the form of what can or could be done to fix it. The Gospel however, isn’t about what we can do, but about what God has already done in Jesus Christ.

Tonight’s reading took me to Isaiah 12:2-5

“Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’ ” Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation. And in that day you will say: “Praise the Lord, call upon His name; Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, For He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth.”

The heart of these verses isn’t what we can do, but what God has done, and of my responsibility as a preacher to point out to everyone “his deeds among the peoples,” the “excellent things” he has done. In our human limitations and sinful leanings, it is easier to talk about what we need to do. Only by the power and leading of the Holy Spirit is anyone able to speak only of what God has done in Jesus Christ for our salvation. May God forgive me when I have failed to be clear about this, and give grace to be so clear in the future.

Hubble

 December 2, 2021

The Hubble telescope is 30 years old. Yesterday I watched a video of some of the images of deep space it has taken showing stars that turned out to be galaxies, clusters of galaxies millions of light years distant, each galaxy containing millions if not billions of stars. In echoes of God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis15:5, the commentator noted that there are more atoms in a single grain of sand than there are stars in the universe.

Psalm 8:3-4 is more poignant than ever before. “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars which you have ordained, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man, that you visit him?”

If anything could make me doubt my faith it would be this question. I have no trouble believing that God is greater than all Hubble has revealed, or that he created it all. The magnitude of the majesty of God I can understand. The real challenge to my faith is that with a universe far more vast than Abraham could have imagined, that God would be interested in, let alone send his Son to die for me. In the unimaginable vastness of the universe, a God who sees this little speck called earth, and loves those little specks living on it is almost unbelievable. “Amazing love, how can it be, that thou my God shouldst die for me!”

Bright

December 2, 2021

“Three gifts bright;” that’s today’s gratitude prompt. I looked at the forecast this evening, and if the weatherman is correct, we won’t be free of overcast skies until the middle of the month. I guess we should be used to it by now; but it makes me very thankful for the bit of sunshine that graced our skies this afternoon. It gave way to a drizzling rain by dusk, but living in Western New York, I’ll take every bit of sunshine we can get.

They are harder to see during the day, but when darkness falls, the lights on our Christmas trees (you read that right—it’s plural) shine all the brighter. They help lighten our hearts.

What shines brightest however, is the future. Too many look around and see only doom and gloom. It’s easy to do; media is forever pumping out disaster and fear. The newsroom adage is true: “If it bleeds, it leads.” “Husband and Wife Still Love Each Other After 50 Years” doesn’t make the news, although these days, it’s unusual enough that it should.

Tough times are ahead; if the pundits weren’t saying it, our faith does. Trouble and tribulation are promised us, not comfort and ease. This world we live in will end in fire and smoke, according to Peter and John. Jesus himself spoke of great trials to come, but he also promised to be with us through them, and that beyond the trouble there is a future bright with peace, health, joy, and love. The Bible gives mere hints, but those hints are enough for us to be confident: the future is bright with hope for all who trust in Christ. 

The Secret Place

December 1, 2021

“Those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” —Psalm 91:1

In the UM minister’s service handbook, these words are front and center for use in funerals, and over the years, I’ve quoted this verse countless times in such contexts. They are well-worn words that have become so familiar that they’ve lost much of their meaning. What is actually being said here? What is this secret place, and how does one get to it, let alone dwell there?

No explanation is given in the text itself, but Israel’s history suggests that it may be the Holy of Holies in the temple. It was secret in the sense that only the high priest could enter it, and that only once per year. And yet, this psalm speaks of dwelling there, taking up residence in the presence of a God so holy that to gaze upon his face meant instant death. Most of us would be doing well to occasionally visit this secret place, and we wonder why instead of the shadow of the Almighty protecting us from the glare of the desert sun of this world that leaves us parched, we find ourselves exposed to the withering blast of its heat.

In the past six months, Linda and I have walked with people through the valley of the shadow of death, a very different shadow than the one God offers. We’ve joined others praying for friends and families bending low beneath the burden of sickness, quarantine,  and all they see on the nightly news. Kids are struggling in school, trying to survive behind masks that constrict not only their breathing, but their ability to interact with one another. Life can be hard, and we in this country are only dealing with a fraction of what is happening in some places.

The temple was guarded to keep unauthorized people out. That includes us, unless we have the sanction of the High Priest, Jesus. He invites us not only to come, but to live in this Holy Place, but to do so, we must leave whatever place we are currently occupying. We cannot dwell in the secret place of the Most High if we refuse to leave the ghettos of our present life. Jesus said, “Abide in me.” It isn’t enough to be a visitor, a tourist. In Christ is my home; only in him am I sheltered from the blast and heat of the day. In him I live and move, and have my being, my dwelling place.