Love Does No Wrong

Jesus' great commandment comes to us this weekend from Romans 13. "Love your neighbor as yourself" is one of the most well worn verses of all scripture. It is used as a guide by Christians to remind us of our duty to our neighbors, and it is used by non-Christians to remind us of our hypocrisy. The simple truth of the matter is that love of neighbor is commanded, but it is never complete. There is always another neighbor to love. There is always another action so that "love never ends" (1 Corinthians 13:8) until one has given away everything for another.

Given everything? Every single thing? Your time, energy, interests, reputation? All the things that make you you? Yes, all of it. This is what fulfilling the law looks like. Forgetting all about you and thinking only of the needs of others. It shouldn't take us too long to realize that love means our death, and then to realize exactly what Jesus does in loving us. He gives his whole, entire life to us; his kingdom, his righteousness, his goodness, his perfection. 

The gospel, therefore, is not a demand for you to love better. It is the simple, unbelievable message, that in Jesus Christ, God has loved the world - not to be your example, but to be your new life. Love one other, not because it is owed, but because in Christ you no longer need any of the things that make you you. 

Pastor Lars

A Cross Before A Crown

Having a Mind of Christ 

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers [and sisters], by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice. … Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that you may prove what is the will of God …” (Romans 12:1, 2; RSV)

“[As Jesus and his disciples entered the district of Caesarea Philippi, with all of its natural splendor and economic wealth] … Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes,  and be killed, and on the third day be raised.  And Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you [with all of your popularity and power]. … [But after correcting Peter,] Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:21-22, 24; RSV) 

These two texts for this coming weekend, as we continue our study of St. Paul’s Letter to the Church at Rome … joined together with this passage from the “hinge chapter” (Jack Kingsbury) of St. Matthew’s gospel … beg the following kinds of questions: “What is this matter of ‘a living sacrifice’ of ‘non-conformity’ and having a ‘renewal of your mind’ – not only in the time of the early church but in ours as well – that St. Paul is referring to? And why is it that Peter and Jesus get into such a heated exchange?  What’s at stake here? What does it mean for us today, to ‘deny ourselves and take up Christ’s cross and follow him’?”

To begin with … Is it not that our role as Christians, as the people of the Cross within this world with all of its pressure to conform, precisely what Jesus said it was: to be salt, yeast and light (Matthew 13; cf. St. Paul’s echoing voice in Philippians 2:5-11). Our Lord’s metaphors for his community of witness were all of them modest ones: a little salt, a little yeast, a little light.  Hmm? And yet Christendom has tried to be great, large, magnificent: from Cathedrals to mega-churches, from powerful Curias to TV evangelists, from gunboats to China to opportunistic political lobbying. Christendom tried and thought (note the past tense) itself the object of God’s expansive grace; it forgot the meaning of its election to sacrificial and transformational responsibility.

Today, we are constrained by the divine Spirit of God made manifest in Christ, to rediscover the possibilities of … hmm … littleness (‘oft expressed in a spirit of humility).  We are to decrease in order that the saving Gospel “good news” news of Jesus Christ may increase. But we cannot enter this new phase without pain (“God forbid, Lord!” Matthew 16:22). For truly we have been glorious in this world’s own eyes and terms. It seems to many of us a humiliation that we are made to reconsider our destiny as “little flocks.” I mean, how in-the-world can St. Paul confess: “When I am weak, then I am strong” (II Corinthians 12:10)?!  Is he out of his “mind”?! And can such a calling of Jesus be worthy of the servants of him who is the Sovereign of the Universe?! Yet, if that Sovereign be the One who reigns from the cross, could any other calling be thought legitimate? 

See you at Saturday Vespers or Sunday morning …
In Christ

j.r. christopherson
Senior Pastor 

Disobedient Mercy

"The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable" (Romans 11:29). That is St. Paul's emphatic conclusion to any questions that may arise about backsliding, rejecting God's will, or even feeling sin hanging around you. Whatever trials, accusations or guilt you are experiencing, trust that when God gives a gift and when God calls you through the gospel, God did not make a mistake and is not looking for a reason to drop you out of his kingdom. God gave you, sinner that you are, a gift and calling without any chance of taking it back. That's what irrevocable means.

But why then do we continue to experience these troubles? In the strangest turn of events in the entire Bible, we hear what nobody could have expected. God imprisoned, bound, and held us in disobedience in order to show his mercy toward us (Romans 11:31-32!). This means that it is not God's will that we all be perfectly obedient, good little girls and boys. But rather, knowing our disobedient hearts, God's will is done when he has been merciful to us. That is nothing short of amazing.

And what is more, is that God will show mercy to sinners no matter what. So he is always showing mercy to the wrong sort of people. How else could it truly be mercy?

See you in worship,
Pastor Lars

Control

Control.

This little word embodies our struggle to find our way in the world. The more we try to maintain control, the more we struggle when we lose it. Narcissism runs rampant in our culture; trying to control every outcome.  But what happens when we lose control? Where do we turn? We also want to try to control who is in, and who is out.

The apostle Paul writes in Romans 10 that those who try to maintain control of their own faith, and especially of their own righteousness, will struggle to do it. When we believe that we can live up to the demands of perfection as laid out by the law, and expected from those around us, we are dependent on maintaining control; and because it is demanded since birth, who of us has really done this?

Paul says that it is impossible, nor necessary for those in Christ. And how do we hear of this great relief? By someone telling us His word of promise, and claim us in Christ’s name. What Paul is demanding is for each of us to tell those around us of the good news of Jesus Christ. That Jesus is in control and the he has the final word over you and your life.

Come to worship this weekend to hear Jesus’ claiming word for you, a word so near to you that it is on your lips, and in your heart!

Jeff Backer, Intern Pastor

The Choosy God

Being chosen is a distant second to being the chooser, but it is still better than being completely ignored. The only thing worse is to be chosen and then un-chosen. Any kid on the playground can attest to it, and big kids being drafted to professional sports can too. You want to be selected first, but if that doesn't happen you just want your name to be called. But what happens if the chooser chooses you, but then suddenly says, "I meant the one next to you." That's devastating.

St. Paul has been arguing that God is the chooser, and that he has chosen you in baptism. He chose the unrighteous (the old you) in order to make you righteous (the new you) simply because he chose you. He sent a preacher to choose you in baptism, to take you away from sin and death and give you forgiveness and life. That's his choice for you. But now comes Romans 9 along with the questions: "Didn't he choose others first? What about the Israelites?" 

Just how choosy is God? Has he turned his back on his "chosen people" because they rejected Jesus? If so, will he not just choose the best Christians and un-choose the rest? Can God just choose to ignore his previous choosing? No. God is faithful to his promise. Each one. Every choice. Always keeping his promise.