Arnold Schwarzenegger, Heaven, and the Reality of What He Said

 I saw the clickbait headlines, and I clicked.  

That's what they are there for, right? 

And when a famous movie star says that heaven is a fantasy and that those who say we won't get to be reunited with those who have died are effing liars...well, that makes news.

And, boy, was I formulating a response.  Was I ready to jump into the fray and hammer what was reportedly said.  I had it all laid out and ready to go.

But, the thing about clickbait headlines and the articles that follow is: they often are misleading.  They pull quotations out of their context and create a narrative that may or may not be true to the initial setting.

So, before I decided to open up with both barrels, I decided to search for the original commentary in Interview Magazine.  Please read it if you have not.  It is worthwhile if you are interested in this story as I am--particularly as a pastor, theologian, and someone who preaches the reality of heaven.

As I read through the interview, I see a man whose life experiences have led him to a place where it is natural to question the existence of heaven.  Just read about what Schwarzenegger's life was like in Austria.  The guy knows poverty.  He knows what it means to struggle.  He had to use an outhouse and dream of having music in his home.  (These are things that many of us in the U.S. have no clue--no friggin' clue--about.  

Schwarzenegger found a pathway out of that poverty through weight training, joining the military, obtaining his passport, and coming to the U.S.  He was given opportunity through the generosity and care of famous gym owners.  

Schwarzenegger recognizes that he is no self-made man.  He knows there were people who gave him breaks.  He knows there are people who helped him along the way.  The tribute he gives to these people is packed with emotion.

And he is grateful.  Extremely grateful for everything that he has.  From extreme poverty to absolute wealth, the contrast he has experienced in his life is amazing.  And here is the thing: if you take into account where he started to where he is now, he has passed from hell into heaven.  From a house with no electricity and no running water to sitting down with famous people, smoking Cuban cigars, able to buy whatever he wants.  How could it get any better for him?  I mean, really, how could it get any better?

He went from the lowest of low to achieving the highest possible position of power that he could achieve in the U.S.--as the governor of California; the highest possible position of fame--a Hollywood movie star who has been in multiple blockbuster movies; to one of the wealthiest people in the world.  What more is there to look forward to?  How could heaven possibly be better?

And that's likely why death scares him, in my opinion.

Arnold claims to be no spiritual expert, and that comes through in his conversation in the interview.  As I read it, he is wrestling back and forth with the concepts of nihilism, hope, spirituality, body, soul, and how it all might work out.  It's much more nuanced than many of the headlines and articles report.

And I am thankful for his wrestling.  I wish the news articles would have highlighted that more, and I'd love to have a conversation with Arnold regarding these matters.  It might be difficult to persuade him, but on the other hand, it might not be.

Because I would like to ask him what his perspective might be if he had never gotten out of Austria; if he had never become Mr. Universe and a movie star; if he had never achieved the status that he had achieved.  Would he be as enamored with this life now?  Would he think that there could be nothing better than this life?  How does he grapple with the billions of humans who never come close to experiencing the life he has?  How does he deal with the fact that millions upon millions of people never experience justice, satisfaction, fulfillment, and the like?  

Would he look at a mother and father who are burying their still born child and say that the person who tells them they will see their child again in heaven are liars? Would he tell them that the child is simply going to disintegrate, to get over it?  Would he say the same to a mother and father staring down into the casket looking at their daughter's body for what seems like an eternity, not wanting to close that casket because when they do, it rams home the reality that they will never see her dance, sing, or laugh again?  Would he look into the eyes of a widow or widower who has just lost their spouse of 50+ years and now has to think of what life will be like without that person; who wonders how they will move on and deny the existence of heaven?  Will he look down on a person suffering from cancer whose every breath is painful; who is wondering why this disease has come upon her and wondering if this is all that life has to offer; and say that someone telling them about heaven is an effing liar?

I don't think so.  I don't think he would at all.  He's mad that we die. That comes across plain and clear in his interview.  He doesn't want it to be that way.  He wants someone or something to blame.  But he also has no clear way to resolve these thoughts.  Intellectually, he is in a rough space.

He is not alone.  He's not the only person who wrestles with such things. Lots of people do.

Those of us who are Christians have a resolution to these problems: answers that have been passed down for over 2000 years.  They are still very good answers, but they are also best shared in person; face to face; over coffee, beer, lunch, dinner, and the like.  Not likely that any such meeting would ever take place between me and Arnold, but I have had those conversations numerous times.  Some of them took place with the examples I shared earlier--those weren't made up.  They were situations I found myself in as a pastor, and I cannot express how the Christian view empowered each and every one of them to face the days ahead with a sure and certain hope.  I hope Arnold has someone who can sit down with him and help him see it too.

Looking Up to My Grandfather; A Tribute to Roy Grote

I'll never forget the day of my ordination, kneeling before the altar at St. John Lutheran Church in Robstown, TX.

It was time for the presentation of the stole--the time where the burden of becoming a pastor is laid upon an ordinand's shoulders.

I was privileged on this day to have my grandfather, Roy Grote, do the honors.

Grandpa was retired at this point.  No longer gracing the pulpit week after week, he was still active in leading Bible Study weekly.  He and my grandmother had traveled down to South Texas to be a part of this momentous event in my life.  I was very happy to have them there.  I was thrilled that my grandfather would place the stole on my shoulders.

As I knelt there, I looked up to my grandfather.  He took the stole from my bishop.  He moved in front of me.  And he spoke.  Shunning a microphone and speaking as he had preached for many years he spoke of how honored he was to be placing this stole on his grandson.  It was the passing of a torch in many regards.  There have been several clergy in my family.  God willing, there will be another after me.

I wish I could say that this moment was the highlight of my grandfather's career as a pastor, but that would probably be a lie.  Well, maybe it was in one fashion, but he has never spoken to me about the day of my ordination.  There was another event in his career that he spoke of many, many times, however.

It seems when he was starting out in his ministry, a community member had passed away, and my grandfather had been called upon to preach at the man's funeral.  The man was an avowed atheist and no member of any congregation.  A rather large crowd had showed up to see what this young preacher would do in this situation--how would he handle it.

Grandpa said, "I wondered what I should preach, so I prayed and God led me to the Gospel.  I read John 3:16, 'For God so loved the world that God gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life.'  I sat down my Bible, and I said, 'I am sorry your loved one did not believe that promise.'"

According to my grandfather, the family wasn't exactly happy with him, but within a few years, many of them had joined his congregation and were worshiping regularly.  Grandpa would always begin this story with the question: Do you know the most influential sermon that you've ever preached?

I'm still waiting on that sermon.  I don't know if I will ever get that opportunity or see that kind of fruit.  But interestingly enough, John 3:16 (and 17 for good measure) appear in nearly every sermon I preach these days.  Every.  Single.  One.

I can't say exactly that it was this story that influenced me in preaching in such a fashion.  It would be another piece of wisdom that Grandpa imparted unto me.

That wisdom came several years ago after I had gone through a bit of burn out.  My family and I had traveled to visit him, and I was very much in need of healing.  I spent several afternoons just talking to Grandpa, and I asked him if he had ever gone through burn out while he was preaching.  He began going through his memories.

They were long and fruitful, and I came to realize just how alike the two of us were as clergy.  I would not have thought it considering that there were times when I found Grandpa utterly frustrating in his single-mindedness and hard headedness.  (On second thought, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised at our likeness...)  But he, like me, had an aversion to getting involved in all the church hierarchy.  He, like me, refused to attend local clergy gatherings.  He, like me, avoided synodical gatherings and the like.  He, like me, was a simple, country preacher.

And he realized this about himself.  He knew that he had never pastored anything close to a mega-church.  He knew that he had never risen the ranks of the church, corporate ladder.  But he had been a faithful pastor and preacher.  He had followed the Lord's calling.

Reflecting on those things, he spoke a sentence that is forever ingrained into my heart and soul, "I didn't accomplish much in the eyes of the world, but the Lord and I are on very good terms."

Aside from the good news of Jesus Christ, there hasn't been a statement that has affected my life as much as that statement.  For right after Grandpa uttered those words, I understood why I had burned out, and I also knew the solution to avoiding burn out for the rest of my life.  I had been living my life focusing on that first clause.  Grandpa was living his life in the second.  And that's where I needed to be.

And I knew that I could spend a lifetime trying to accomplish that first clause.  I also knew that the second clause had already been accomplished--not by anything that I had done, but by everything Christ had done.  "For God so loved the world..."  The first part of my grandfather's statement convicted me, the second helped bring me to healing.  Feet firmly planted in the reality that the Lord and I are on very good terms, I no  longer worry about how I am seen in the eyes of the world, and I know beyond a doubt that it is now my job; my calling; my duty; my joy to bring others to the One who brought them to good terms with their Creator.

I understand now why Grandpa was so unwavering in his commitment to faith.  I understand why he didn't care what others thought about his stances.  It wasn't because he was trying to be difficult or that he thought he was better than anyone else.  It was because he focused on his relationship with the Lord.  It was because he trusted the Lord.  It was because he knew what he was called to do--what he was called to be.  Nothing could pry him away from that.  He didn't fear much of anything because he knew that he and the Lord were on very good terms.

I find myself still looking up to my grandfather and wondering if I will have that kind of resolve as well?  Perhaps others already see that I do although I am not as confident in myself.  Maybe one day, I will get there.

In these last few years, Grandpa has longed for release.  He was not afraid of death--not at all.  One could say that he was ready to embrace it.  He had a long, fruitful and faithful life.  There is no way I can encapsulate all the things he has done in this post.  All the places he has lived.  All the lessons he has taught.  All the stories he has shared.  A man who grew up in the horse and buggy days marveled at my dad showing him how to use an iPad.  Things had changed greatly during his lifetime.

But his trust in Jesus never changed.  His desire to speak of the things of God never changed.  His generosity never changed.  His understanding of God's goodness and grace never changed.  Many in the church he once served would consider him a dinosaur; unenlightened; out-dated.  I don't think so.  Not in the least.  In fact, I am proud to carry on his legacy.  He was the original country preacher.  I'm 2.0.  If I am lucky, I will one day pass along his wisdom and understanding to my own children and grandchildren.  If I am granted the opportunity, I will share with them my most influential sermon.  If God allows, I will share with them what is most important in life--not a list of accomplishments that the world revels over--but the love of the God who died for them and with whom they are on very good terms.

Rest in peace, Grandpa.  I told you how influential you were in my life before you left.  I am still not sure you realize just how influential and what our conversations meant before you died.  But I know that you know now.  Until we meet again.

The Agony of Facing Death

 This morning, I am going to be very real with all of you.  I am going to confront the one thing that each and every one of us will face one day.  I am going to confront the one thing that I have helped people to face year after year after year.  I am going to confront the reality of death.  For some, this is a very morbid topic.  Many would prefer to put it out of sight and out of mind.  It brings to the surface fear, dread, anxiety, especially since we neither know the day or the hour.  Death in our society and in our culture is seen as the great enemy–something we battle and rage against.

 Why do you think we argue so much about health care and how we pay for it?

 Why do you think we argue about guns and the violence that is associated with them?

 Why do you think we emphasize safety at airports?

 Why do you think we pass so many laws regarding traveling in cars?

 We strive to protect and preserve life even at great cost.

 And so, when people face the very real aspect of their own deaths or the death of a close family member: when terminal cancer strikes, when a major surgery is on the horizon, when a funeral must be planned for a child, I am called.  How does one deal with the immanent threat of something that one has worked so hard to avoid?

 The answer to that question varies by person.  Some rage against the coming night fighting with all their being to hold onto whatever bit of life they can manage.  Such deaths are horrible to witness.  They scar the brain.  Others peacefully accept what is happening, and most of the time, I hear people say, “Wow, this person was very peaceful about their death.  They handled it just amazingly.”  Most family members pray that their loved ones simply go to sleep and die in peace without struggle or pain or suffering.  For most of human history, the one who faces death with bravery, courage, and peace is greatly admired.

 The history of Christianity is full of stories of those who have died without fear; without worry; without anguish.  Many of these folks who have faced death in such a manner are called the martyrs–people who have been killed strictly for following their belief and trust in Jesus Christ.  Interestingly enough, most of these martyrs are remembered because they were very peaceful as death approached.  Even as they were burned at the stake, tortured, or fed to wild animals, these Christians are celebrated as having faced death while proclaiming the Gospel or singing hymns and praises to God.  Many think, “May I have such courage.  May I face death with such bravery.”

 I want you to contrast this thought with what you see happening in our Gospel lesson from the 14th Chapter of the Book of Mark.  This snippet is the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus spends several agonizing hours in prayer.  Compared to the martyrs; compared to many who face death, Jesus is not at all peaceful.

 The scene begins with Jesus taking his disciples to Gethsemane which means olive press.  Apparently, this is a garden with an olive press where olive oil was produced.  Jesus asks His disciples to sit while He goes to pray.  I want you to take note of how Jesus begins distancing Himself from the disciples.  There is a real sense of a shrinking circle of support.  Remember, Jesus had just decreed that all of the disciples would abandon Him.  That process is starting.

 For after leaving the majority of the disciples behind, Jesus asks Peter, James and John to follow Him.  Then, Mark tells us that Jesus “began to be distressed and agitated.”  This is extremely vivid language here.  Nowhere else is Jesus described in these terms.  Walter Liefield writes, “The two verbs translated “deeply distressed and troubled” together “describe an extremely acute emotion, a compound of bewilderment, fear, uncertainty, and anxiety, nowhere else portrayed in such vivid terms as here.” 

 I want you to think about this description for just a moment.  Why would Jesus become so troubled in spirit?  All throughout the book of Mark, Jesus has been steadfast and resolute.  All throughout Mark, Jesus has embraced His mission.  On at least three occasions that Mark records, perhaps even more given that Jesus probably said things over and over and over, Jesus saying that He would be handed over to the chief priests and scribes and be killed.  Jesus has also said that He would be raised from the dead.  Jesus knows what is going to happen to Him at the hands of men.  He has known all along.  Why is He so deeply distressed?  Hold onto that question.

 And Jesus said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.”  Again, we see something remarkable.  Jesus has never been this shaken throughout the Gospel.  He has never been this deeply grieved or disturbed.  Jesus even says that he essentially feels like he is going to die.  Why would Jesus feel like He were about to die?

 We get the answer in the next sentence.  35And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.”  What is the cup that had Jesus so terrified?  What is the cup that had Jesus feeling like He would die?  We have already seen that it can’t be the knowledge of His impending death.  He knew that would happen.  We know that it is not His betrayal.  He knows that is going to happen.  He knows He will be raised from the dead.  What could possibly be so bad about this cup that it absolutely terrifies the Son of God?

 Imagine for a moment that you have a lifeline.  Imagine for a moment that this lifeline provides you with every bit of love, compassion, and support that you have ever needed.  Whenever you hold onto that lifeline, there is nothing anyone can say to you that hurts.  There is no sadness that grips your heart.  There is no worry or fear that can touch you.  This lifeline is like the very air that you breathe.  As long as it is there, nothing ever bothers you.  Nothing at all.  Then, imagine that this lifeline will be cut.  Would that not fill you with terror?  Would that not fill you with absolute horror.  Imagine now having to face every fear; every darkness; every insult without the thing which sustained you through them.  What would that do to your soul?

 In Jesus’ case, that lifeline was His relationship to the Heavenly Father.  For all of eternity, Jesus and the Father, and the Spirit for that matter, had been in a divine dance of love.  They poured themselves into each other.  They sustained one another.  They loved one another with reckless abandon.  Jesus never felt anything less than fulfilled.  He never felt anything less than loved.  He never felt anything less than complete and whole.

 And in just a few hours, all of that would be taken away.  All of that would be removed from Him.  The Father would turn His back on the Son, and Jesus would feel totally abandoned as He faced the Father’s wrath against all sin ever performed and ever to be performed.  Imagine all of the sin, grief, and shame this world has ever and will ever produce.  Imagine the destruction of World War I.  Imagine the Holocaust.  Imagine the pogroms of Russia.  Imagine the Killing Fields of Cambodia.  Imagine the billions upon billions of seemingly little sins committed each and every day. Imagine all of that heaped upon Jesus–the one who had never known sin, and imagine Him paying the penalty for that sin on the world’s behalf.  Would that not terrify you?  Would that not cause you to be troubled even unto death?  Would that not cause you to beg to have such a thing removed from you?  Would that not cause you to beg for another way?

 Mark Edwards puts it this way in his commentary on this text: It is one thing, fearful as it will be, to answer for our own sins before a holy and almighty God; who can imagine what it would be like to stand before God to answer for every sin and crime and act of malice and injury and cowardice and evil in the world?  In acquiescing to the Father’s will of bearing ‘the sin of many, interceding for transgressors”, Jesus necessarily experiences an abandonment and darkness of cosmic proportions.  The worst prospect of becoming the sin-bearer for humanity is that it spells complete alienation from God, an alienation that will shortly echo above the desolate landscape of Calvary, “MY God, My God why have you forsaken me?”

 And this is why Jesus begged and pleaded.  This is why Jesus wrestled with this for nearly an hour.  “But not my will, but yours be done.”  Jesus resolutely sought to follow the Father’s will.
 Three times Jesus prayed this.  Three times Jesus pleaded.  Each time, Jesus finished praying, He faced the reality of human nature.  Three times Jesus found His closest followers sleeping, abandoning Him in His need, weary from eating and drinking and staying awake long into the night.  He first speaks to Peter who at this point, Jesus calls Simon because he is far from living up to his nickname of the Rock.  Each time the disciples have no excuse.  They become embarrassed.  At the time of Jesus’ greatest need; at the time when He is facing the reality of having His Heavenly Father turn His back upon Him, Jesus faces it completely and totally alone.

 It is tempting to point fingers at the disciples here, but we must remember that this text is not about them.  This text is not about their failure.  It has been well established that we fail time and again when it comes to being faithful to our Lord.  It has been established throughout the book of Mark that the disciples just don’t get it.  This text’s focus as is the focus of every Gospel is not upon the disciples or upon us, but upon Jesus.  And William Lane articulates what is going on here beautifully.  He writes, “The remarkable element in the scene is that in the midst of an unparalleled agony Jesus...came to look after his three vulnerable disciples and to warn them of their danger of failure in the struggle which was about to overwhelm them.”  Jesus’ compassion knows no bounds.  Jesus’ love of His followers and of the world has now bounds.

 Even after three times of pleading.  Even after three times of being disappointed.  Jesus is resigned to the Father’s will.  Jesus will not be like the first Adam who in the first Garden gave into temptation.  Jesus will not put His will ahead of the Father’s.  Jesus will suffer for our sake.  Jesus will become sin who knew no sin.  Jesus will face the wrath of God against the sin of the world.  He will lay down His life for the very ones who keep falling asleep and failing to support Him. 

 And He will do it because He loves them.  He will do it because He loves us.  He will face the most horrible thing anyone could ever face because of an overwhelming love.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved by Him.”  Jesus faces the most horrendous thing possible, so that we will not have to.

 And it is because we do not have to face the judgement of God that we can be at peace and face our own deaths.  It is because of Jesus that we can become like the martyrs: we can go toward our deaths at peace.  We can know that Jesus has paid for our sin, our guilt, our shame, our failure.  We can know that He faced down our greatest threat–eternal separation from God.  Death no longer has power.  Death no longer has sting.  On the cross, Jesus paid the price.  Three days later, at the tomb, the end is revealed.  Eternal life.

 I remember vividly arriving at the bedside of one of our members who died quite a few years ago.  She was a tremendous woman of faith.  She had fought long and hard with disease.  She strove and battled.  She was unconscious at the moment of my visit, but she was still trying to fight.  I placed my hand upon her head, and I spoke in her ear, “It is okay.  You have fought long enough.  You have done everything that you could.  It is time to be at peace.  It is okay to let go.”  Almost immediately, a peace and calm came over her.  Almost immediately, she seemed to realize that her earthly journey was about to continue into eternity.  She was able to rest assured that she would be with Jesus.

 My brothers and sisters, when we understand what Jesus has done on our behalf; when we understand that He has paid the debt of our sins; when we understand what He revealed to us in the resurrection; we are free to face death with a different lens.  We are free to face death armed with hope.  We are free to live without constant worry and fear and anxiety.  Because of Jesus and His struggle, we do not have to.  We can live life without fear, and we can die at peace because of His love.  Amen.

Pat Robertson, Texas Floods, and the Why Question

Okay,  I know Pat Robertson really didn't say he was stuck in a quandary trying to figure out why God sent flooding to my home state.  Snopes is a wonderful tool to help wade through some of the garbage which surfaces on the www.   But Robertson and others have, in their history, made comments about natural disasters and God's wrath being administered through those disasters.  There are those who both cheer and jeer such pronouncements, and with good reason.

At the heart of such matters is the question of why such disasters happen.  From a atheistic perspective, the question is irrelevant.  Such flooding is simply part of the way the world works.  There is no rhyme or reason for the randomness.  It just happens.  Deal with it.  Cope with it.  Get over it.  If you lost loved ones or property, grieve--we will help you get back on your feet, but don't ask about any greater purpose or reason behind such matters.  There is none.  This answer is satisfactory for some.

For people of faith, the rejection of a "why" answer is not satisfactory.  We wrestle with the nature of such events.  We want to know if there is a purpose behind them. We want to know whether or not hope springs eternal.  For in the atheist answer, you have resolved the problem of suffering, but you have removed hope.  What hope is there for those who lost loved ones in this flooding?  What hope is there for those who have lost everything to flood damage--who believed they needed no insurance because they were high enough above the flood plain?  Those seeking hope want and need answers.

They are not always easy to find.

The Punishment Answer

Robertson and others have used the punishment answer in regards to natural disasters numerous times.  The idea is that society in general or some people in particular have committed grievous sin, and God is extending His wrath upon society with such disaster.

This answer is not without precedent.  In fact, it is found in Scripture on numerous occasion.  The great flood recorded in the Bible is one instance of divine punishment upon the evil of humanity.  An earthquake swallowing up a great deal many Israelites for betraying the covenant is another instance.  Venomous serpents in the desert is another.  In all occasions, God punishes sin by natural occurrences.

This does raise a bit of a quandary for those of us who believe God is a God of love.  Why would God punish people in such a manner--even "innocent" women and children?  Sometimes, the response leaves one scratching one's head.  "That's the God of the Old Testament, not the God of the New Testament."  (That argument was rejected by the early Church long ago and was deemed heresy.)  "God didn't really do those things.  Those things just happened, and the bibilcal writers just theologized the event."  (Well, you could do that to every single event in Scripture then.  That would make the Bible just a bunch of human events that people projected onto God.  Hello Freud.)

Punishment is a very effective tool for changing behavior.  Just ask any parent.  We use it all the time.  "If you don't stop hitting your brother, you will get a spanking!"  "If you don't clean your room, you will lose your ipod."  "If you do not eat your food, you will not be allowed to go outside and play."  And so on and so forth.  The threat of punishment, and the subsequent follow through is still used by the legal system today.  This is why we have speed limit signs, anti-discriminatory laws, and the like.  There are behaviors which must be curbed.

Throughout the Old Testament, God effectively uses punishment to change the behaviors of people who are failing to follow His commands and live according to His will and His way.  When people commit idolatry: God punishes.  When people fail to live justly, God punishes.  When people abuse the poor and downtrodden, God punishes.  God cannot stand the sight of sin, and to get people back on the right path, He sent punishment.

One can effectively argue that with each and every disaster, natural and otherwise, that God is punishing society and individuals for their sin.  For no one is innocent. 

There are those who might dispute that last comment, but I would like to remind you of the biblical nature of sin.  Sin is not simply the things that we do--it goes beyond that.  It is the condition of the human heart, and the human heart is naturally turned toward itself.  It naturally seeks self-preservation.  It naturally seeks self-gain.  It naturally seeks its own self-interests.  As Nietzsche once put it: we all seek our own will to power.  In this light, no one can escape guilt.  As the reformer Martin Luther put it: we are in bondage to sin.  It is the condition of our hearts.  Therefore, God is justified in punishing such sin.

The Problem with Punishment

But there is a problem with simply punishing.  For while punishment changes behavior, it does not change hearts.  What do I mean by that?

Whenever the threat of punishment disappears, people go right back to doing whatever it was they were doing to begin with.  Kids will wreck havoc when parents go away because the threat is gone.  Their fear is gone.  Therefore, they push through boundaries thinking they will not get caught.  Behavioral change was only temporary.  It was not lasting. 

On the other hand, if someone loves and respects the ruling authorities, then following the rules is a joy.  Following the law is a delight.  Why?  Because one knows that in following the rules, one is bringing delight to one's superiors. 

But how do you get another person to love you?  How do you get another person to see how much you care for them?

Jesus gave us the ultimate answer to that one, "No one has greater life than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."  Jesus wasn't the first one to say that.  Others had said it before, but this was the first time in history when God took on human flesh and not only said such a thing, but did it.  Every other time the gods came down to earth, it was to wreck destruction and mayhem or because they were interested in satisfying some sort of perverse desire.  Jesus took on flesh to die--not only for His friends but for His enemies as well.  No greater love has ever been shown.

The Cross

And, of course, that death took place on a cross.  It was the worst sort of death.  The Romans had perfected the art of killing someone so that a person not only died but died without dignity and in massive amounts of pain.  This was the death that Jesus experienced--the same Jesus who did not deserve to die; who was completely and utterly innocent; whose heart was perfectly attuned to His Father's will. 

There is a bastardized understanding of Christianity that flows around the world these days.  It's the proclamation that if one just believes in Jesus and seeks to follow Him and has enough faith, then one will experience healing of every sort.  One will be completely whole in finances, health, and relationships.  God will grant victory in bank accounts, bedrooms, social relationships, and hospitals if one simply begins believing.

The cross destroys such ideology.  Jesus' lived the perfect life, and He was crucified.  The earliest disciples--who saw Jesus raised from the dead, met their demise in persecution, suffering, exile, and imprisonment.  Christianity does not promise a life without suffering, but it does offer eternal hope.  It offers consolation when suffering occurs.  It offers the knowledge that when the worst happens, God will have the last say.

The Resurrection

For the cross was not the end of the story.  Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead and proclaimed that all who trust in His work will share with Him in this resurrection.  Two things are important: the work of Jesus and the future hope.

The Work of Jesus

The cross for Christians is not only the result of humanity's worst.  It is not simply a man being hanged because He dared challenge the power structures of the day.  Jesus certainly did that; however there was more to it; much more.

In the context of the Jewish sacrificial system, Jesus became the perfect sacrifice--the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the whole world.  Theological jargon, I know, but let's try and break it down a little.  Mind you, there have been books written about this.  I'm trying to get it done in a blog post. 

Whenever sin occurred, one had to justify oneself toward God.  Atonement had to be made.  This isn't as foreign as it might seem to us living so far removed from the situation.  How so?  Well, whenever someone wrongs you, you demand justice.  You demand recompense.  You demand that things be made right.  Whenever you pay for goods, and those goods do not meet specifications, you demand your money back or that the goods be fixed.  Things must be made right.  In relationships, if you are hurt by another person, you demand an apology.  You demand that the person fix the pain caused. 

Yet, if you forgive another person, you bear the cost of that forgiveness.  You bear the cost of the broken goods.  You bear the pain of broken relationships.  On the cross, Jesus bore the cost of our brokenness with God.  He bore the cost of our hearts being focused on ourselves.  He bore the cost of our actions that break God's laws and commands.  He took the punishment so that we do not have to fear it, and instead of fearing God's wrath, we can look toward God's love and promise.

The Future Hope

Being assured of God's love and freed from worry about His wrath, we can now live lives honoring God.  We can be free of fear of death and destruction.  We know Who holds our future, and our lives are built upon Him.

The reformer Martin Luther summarized this in one of the stanzas to the hymn "A Mighty Fortress:"

Were they to take our house,
Goods, honor, child, or spouse,
Though life be swept away,
They cannot win the day,
The Kingdom's ours forever.

Wrapped up in this verse is the knowledge that suffering will occur.  There is the knowledge that it is not God who brings such suffering upon us.  We still don't have the answer for that; however, just because we don't have the answer to "why", we are free to ask the question, and we are free to know what the ultimate solution will be.  We are free to know the ultimate and final say will be a new heaven and a new earth where all bad things will be undone.  This is the promise of the cross and the resurrection. 

As flood victims are striving to put their lives together, the outpouring of support and love will do wonders to bring healing.  It is my hope that well intentioned people will not try to solve the why question, but instead will point to the God who suffers with and then turns mourning into dancing--the God who took suffering upon Himself and then transformed death into life. 

Two Great Things that Go Great Together (Apologies to Reeces Peanut Butter Cups)

Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

    It is very good to see so many of you here this morning in worship.  It is always great to see a church full of people.  Easter is one Sunday when that normally happens because most know the importance of the day or many have their curiosity peaked and come to see what this Christian faith is all about.  For whatever reason you are here, I give thanks to God that you are here, but I also would like to ask this question: where were you on Friday?

    I mean, we also gathered together then to worship, but the church most definitely was not full.  Where were you on Friday?  Now, please do not think that I am asking you this to instill within you a sense of guilt or obligation.  Far from it.  The Church throughout history has been guilty of trying to motivate people through guilt and fear far too often.  I do not want to add to that history.  My question is one of curiosity as to why few show up for Good Friday services.  I mean, I do understand some folks who say, “Pastor, I love coming to hear the good news of Easter.  I love coming to hear that Jesus is risen from the dead because in a world like ours where we are constantly bombarded by bad news and news that makes us scared, I love hearing something positive for a change.  I don’t like hearing about death and dying.  I don’t like hearing about blood and torture.  I don’t like hearing about nails and thorns.  I’d much rather hear about life and abundance.  I’d much rather hear about good news.”  I understand where you are coming from, but I’d like to remind you this morning that there is a reason we call it Good Friday and not Bad Friday or the Death of God Friday.  No.  It is also a very, very good day.

    At this point, you may be wondering why I am talking about Friday so much.  You may be scratching your head thinking, “Isn’t this Easter.  Aren’t I supposed to be hearing about the resurrection?  Why this talk of the cross?”  Let me answer in this fashion.  You see, I am old enough to remember when Reeces Peanut Butter Cups used to do a lot of advertizing on television.  I don’t know how many of you actually remember those commercials, but I do.  Usually, there was a guy or gal walking down the street or sidewalk eating a bar of chocolate.  Then there was another person walking down the street blissfully eating peanut butter.  Both were oblivious to the world around them.  Somehow, the two always managed to run into each other, and somehow, magically, the chocolate bar always ended up in the peanut butter.  After a moment of complaining that the two things were mixed, the folks would taste the result of the accident and say, “It’s delicious.”  Then the announcer would say, “Two great tastes that taste great together, Reeces Peanut butter Cups.”  You see, Recees is making the argument that chocolate and peanut butter are better together than they are separately.  It’s an important point.

    Now, there was a part of me that wanted to put this together a little differently.  I mean, part of me wanted to use part of the theme song to the television series, Married with Children.  You know, the little song that went, “Love and Marriage; Love and marriage, go together like a horse and carriage.  Let me tell you brother, you can’t have one without the other.”  I wanted to use that, but I wasn’t sure it was appropriate given the nature of the television show. ;-) But the point is this: the crucifixion and the resurrection go together.  The two are inseparable.  As they combine, we see the Gospel in all of its fullness–in all of its glory.  The cross is God’s redemption of the world–truly good news.  The resurrection is Jesus vindication and the revealing of the hope we share when we trust in Jesus’ action–again, truly good news.  Both are great in and of themselves, but when you put them together, then you have something truly marvelous!  You may wonder how it all goes together.

    This past Lent, during our Wednesday evening worship services, I preached a sermon series titled, “What is the Gospel?”, and I spent time laying out the Christian narrative.  It began with creation as God created a world where all was good, where everything fit.  We have echos of that world in our midst today.  In the recent past, I was visiting with someone who works in the medical field who said that our brains were hard wired for doing good things–for helping one another; for compassion and kindness.  What a wonderful echo of the way God had created us.  Imagine if we all functioned with kindness, compassion, and doing good for each other at all times.  This is the way God intended it!

    However, the story progressed because we know that none of us act with kindness and compassion at all times.  None of us work fully for the good of another at all times.  There is something deep within that is corrupt.  There is something deep within that seeks our own well being; our own satisfaction; our own desires above the needs of another.  Where did this come from?  Christianity points to a particular point in human development when we decided to be like God.  We decided we wanted to know good and evil and decide that for ourselves.  We decided we didn’t want God’s guidance and instruction, but that we could handle such matters for ourselves.  We looked to ourselves for our own well being and our own satisfaction.  In short, we decided to be little gods ourselves, and the results were disastrous!  Now, you might wonder how this might be a bad thing and whether or not this is still true of even yourself.  You might wonder if we still want to be little gods in this day and age of marvelous technology and advancement.  I would argue, yes, in every way this is still very relevant.  Aside from much of the evil and greed we see happening in the world, there is this: who among you here this morning at some point and time hasn’t said, “If everyone would just believe like I believe and do the things I think are right, then the world would be great!”  Do you see what you are trying to do in that statement?  Do you see what your heart is actually getting at?  If everyone would just do as you say they should, then the world would function great.  You are trying to be a little god and pontificate to the world!  Yes, this all rings very, very true.

    And as I said before, such things prove disastrous for our relationship not only with God but with one another.  “How?” you might ask.  Well, think about it: if you think one particular way is the right way, and another person thinks the exact opposite is the right way, what is going to happen?  Will you come to any sort of resolution?  Will you be able to work things out and through if you are convinced in your own mind that you are absolutely and completely right?  No.  You will never be able to do so.  You will work either through power or manipulation to achieve your goals and your desires no matter what happens to another.  Convinced of your own rightness, you will end up stepping on those who disagree with you, and eventually seeing them as the enemy.  Do you wonder why our political system is in gridlock?  Do you wonder why Republicans and Democrats cannot get along?  Do you wonder why liberals and conservatives spend time finger pointing and digging trenches instead of building bridges?  It all goes back to thinking that I have all the answers and that I am a little god unto myself.

    Of course, when we try to be little gods ourselves, not only are our relationships with one another strained, but what does that do to our relationship with our Creator?  What does that do to our relationship with the one who desires to truly be God of our lives?  Well, it strains it too, to say the least.  It creates a gap between the true God and ourselves–a gap that cannot be crossed despite our best efforts.  You may wonder why we cannot cross that gap.  You may wonder why we can’t make things right with God.  Here’s why: first off, God demands perfection.  He wouldn’t be God if He asked for anything less.  We must love Him above all things and then love one another as we love ourselves second.  If we are honest with ourselves, we know that we don’t do this.  Secondly, if we are honest with ourselves, we know that we only strive to follow the law when there is threat of punishment.  My famous example of this is driving the speed limit.  How many of us only slow down when we see the flashing lights ahead of us?  How many of us only slow down when we see a DPS vehicle coming up from behind?  What motivates us?  Fear.  Is fear a healthy motivation for living in a relationship with another?  Of course it isn’t.  And so, if we are living in relationship with God in fear of being imperfect and only following the commands out of fear, then we don’t have a relationship.

    God realized this.  God realized that living by the law only led to fear on our part.  It only led to obedience by threat of punishment.  It was not healthy.  So God acted on His part to make things right.  God acted when we could not fulfill the law and would not fulfill the law.  While we were still living in our sin and disobedience, God sent Jesus into the world to live the life that we should live; to die the death that we deserved so that things might be made right between God and man.  God, took on human flesh in the divine man Jesus to die for the sins of the world.

    For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through Him.

    And where did God die the death we deserved?  Where did God’s ultimate act of sacrificial love take place?  Where did God redeem you and me?  Where did God pour out His very life so that we might be made right with Him?  On the cross.  You were bought with a great price.  A great price indeed.  You were redeemed on the cross of Calvary.  This is why Friday was so good–so very good indeed.

    Yet, Friday would have not been so good if that was the end.  I mean, sure, we would have been reconciled to God, but then evil would have triumphed.  Death would have been the final say.  Injustice would have gotten the upper hand.  Perhaps I would be right with God, but then I would have no hope. 

    But that would not be the case.  That would not be the case at all.  For reconciliation with God now has a final result.  The earth shook.  The stone moved.  Jesus emerged alive!  It is a foretaste of the feast that you and I will share when we believe and trust in His actions!  For no matter what befalls us in this life–no matter if we lose a child; if we suffer from cancer; if we lose our savings; if we win the lottery; if we have a successful business; if we fall on our face or rise to new heights.  No matter if we experience loss or gain; God will have the final word.  God will have the final say.  God will bring life out of death; light out of darkness; hope out of despair.  This is the resurrection promise! 

Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

    And we must put the cross and the resurrection together.  We must see what God has done to redeem the world in Jesus’ life and death.  We must see what our hope is as Jesus rises from the dead.  These two belong together.  They cannot be separated, for in them we see the true nature of the Good News.  We see the true nature of the Gospel.  And it is meant to be shared.  The women in the book of Mark today ran and hid in fear.  They told no one.  I think you know the better response.  Tell the world what God has done in the cross and in the resurrection.

Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed.  Alleluia!  Amen. 

How do You Deal with the Fact You Will Die?

    I would like to begin my sermon this morning by saying something rather provocative; although it may not be provocative to many of you here this morning.  Everyone is seeking salvation.  Now, there might be some who would say, “I am an atheist, I am not seeking salvation.  I don’t believe in God or an afterlife or anything like that.”  Still, I say, even you are seeking salvation.  You just don’t realize it.

    Before I push on any further, let me say, this is not my thought.  I’m not the one who came up with the idea.  In fact, there are many, many who are smarter than I; are more famous than I; and who are much wealthier than I who have said the exact same thing.  In fact, I’d like to read a quote from one of those folks right now.

    Not too many years ago, a gentleman by the name of Luc Ferry wrote a very good little book titled, A Brief History of Thought: A Philosophical Guide to Living.  Mr. Ferry is a french philosopher and secular humanist.  This means, he is an agnostic bordering on atheist.  His book was very well received, and at the very beginning, he says this:

    I suggest that we accept a different approach to the question, “What is philosophy?’ and start from a very simple proposition, one that contains the central question of all philosophy: that the human being, as distinct from God, is mortal or, to speak like the philosophers, is a ‘finite being’, limited in space and time.  As distinct from animals, moreover, a human being is the only creature who is aware of his limits.  He knows that he will die, and that his near ones, those he loves, will also die.  Consequently he cannot prevent himself from thinking about this state of affairs, which is disturbing and absurd, almost unimaginable.  And, naturally enough, he is inclined to turn first of all to those religions which promise ‘salvation.’

    I hope you caught what Ferry was saying.  If you didn’t, let me try and help you.  Basically, we are the only species that knows we are going to die.  We are the only creature on this planet, that we are aware of, that can think about the fact that we are going to die.  And it is disturbing.  It is absurd.  It is quite difficult for us to imagine it and wrap our heads around it.  Salvation, for Ferry, becomes our ability to cope with our mortality.  Somehow, some way, we need to solve the problem of death, and I would submit to you that we haven’t exactly done a very good job of it.  Even in the church, we haven’t done so well.

    Some of you here this morning might question me on that one.  You might say, “Well, pastor, I believe in God.  I believe in Jesus, so I’m not worried about death.  I’m not worried about what will happen to me when I die.”  I hear you loud and clear, and the first part of this sermon isn’t necessarily directed at you.  Perhaps you might find your toes being stepped on in a few moments though.  Hang in there.  A few of you might have come to that place in your lives where you look at death and you compare it to all the trials and tribulations you are going through.  You might welcome it. 

    That may sound a bit morbid, but I learned a valuable lesson from my grandfather when he was dying of cancer.  I remember taking him to radiation, and it was literally burning him from the inside out.  He was in pain and agony.  When we got back to his house, I remember him clearly crying out from his bedroom, “Why is it so hard for a man to die?  Why is it so hard for a man to die?”  At that point in his life, death was preferable to the misery he was going through, but my grandfather wasn’t afraid of death.  He knew what was on the other side.  Many today don’t.  Including many who consider themselves Christian.  Many, many are still seeking salvation.  Everyone does even if they are not aware of it.

    You might tell me right now, “Okay, pastor, you’ve said that twice.  You’ve said that everyone seeks salvation even if they aren’t aware of it.  Where is your proof?  Where is your evidence that even those who do not believe in God are seeking salvation?”

    First, I gave you Luc Ferry’s quote from a guy who is really, really smart and well accepted in his area of expertise.  Now, I turn your attention to how we in society act.  I will submit to you that we are deathly afraid of death; consciously and unconsciously.  How so?  Well, as they say, “Actions speak louder than words.”

    Think about this for a moment: why do we spend billions upon billions of dollars on health care?  Why does this industry keep growing and growing and growing and making more and more off of procedures, drugs, and other such things?  Why was there such an uproar and still is an uproar surrounding health care in our nation?  Why do we consider health care a right?  Why do we spend hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars on procedures and treatments for people who have incurable diseases?  Why?  I’ll tell you why.  The healthcare industry is working to stave off death as long as possible.  The healthcare industry is working to keep death at arm’s length and stave off the inevitable because every second we draw breath, according to them, is precious.  Some believe we should fight for every last minute of life we have on this planet because death is the enemy.  We must keep it at bay.

    Think now about this: why do we have the department of homeland security?  Why, since 9/11 have we given up many of our individual rights to the government?  Why do we subject ourselves to body scanners, pat downs, and other such things in airport security?  Why have we become accustomed to the government scanning our emails and listening in on our cell phone conversations?  Why have we spend countless billions, even trillions of dollars to keep us safe?  Here’s why: we want to be safe.  We want to ensure that no terrorist will come along and bomb us and rob us of our lives.  We will give up our freedom to stave off death.  Our lives are too precious.

    Here’s another one: why are there so many items available to help you look younger?  Why do people spend millions and millions of dollars on make up; hair coloring kits; shampoos that prevent you from going bald, and other such things?  Why is the health food section in stores growing larger and larger?  Why do we focus on exercise and eating healthy?  Why do folks tell us to avoid fast food, sodas, sugar, and anything that actually tastes good?  Because, it will kill you, and you don’t want to welcome death any earlier than you have too, right?

    There is more we could say about how we spend our money.  Let’s talk a moment about how we spend our time.  Why are we so busy?  Think about this deeply for a moment because I know what some of you will say.  Some of you will say that I’m busy because I have to do so many things.  I have to get the kids to all their activities.  I have to get my work done.  I have to attend these meetings.  I have to attend these events.  There is so much to do and so little time to get it all squeezed in!  Let me stop for just a second and say two things.  Number one: no, you are not required to do all those things.  You choose to do them.  We all choose to do them.  If something is a priority in our lives, we make time to fit it in.  Retired people say this all the time: I wonder how I got so much accomplished while I was working?  You got so much accomplished because these things were important to you!!  That’s the reality of life.  If something is important to us; we find the time to do it!  So, if that is the case, why do we fill our calendars up with so much stuff.  Why is everything so important?  Why do we make sure we are at all our children’s events?   Why do kids have so many events these days?  Why are there so many options of things to do?  Why are there so many fundraisers and activities on the weekends?  Why do kids’ sports now last all year?  Here’s why: we want to squeeze as much as possible into our lives.  We want to value every single second of every single day because...because we only have a limited amount of time.  We only have a short period of time here on earth, and we have to make the most of it.  Our time is valuable because one day, we will no longer have any time.  We will die.  Our busy-ness is directly related to our view of death.

    Do you see why I say everyone seeks salvation?  Everyone seeks to stave off death?  Everyone seeks a solution to the problem of death through healthcare; through safety; through diet, exercise, and trying to look younger; through filling up every waking moment so that we cram as much into our lives as possible.  We are busy trying to obtain our salvation by fighting off death!!

    And where is it leading us?  How do most of us feel at the end of a given week?  How do most of us feel late Saturday night after the kids’ or grandkids’ baseball game?  How do most of us feel after going to one more fundraiser? How many of us find ourselves full of energy?  Full of joy?  Full of vim and vigor ready to tackle one more thing? 

    That would be, none.  Well, maybe my vision is clouded.  Maybe I’m wrong, but I sure as hell don’t see anyone full of energy; full of joy; and full of happiness.  I see folks just trying to survive.  Just trying to get through one more thing, but scared to death to say no to anything–or check that–to say no to the right things so that they can actually find salvation and have their lives transformed.

    If you noticed, every example I used earlier are examples of us trying to save ourselves.  Every example is us trying to spend money, or use our time to stave off death on our own.  We are trying to obtain salvation by our own efforts and our own strength because we think its all up to us.  We have been convinced that we can attain salvation on our own and defeat death if we just try harder, just spend more money, just make ourselves look younger, just find the right doctor, just keep ourselves busy so that we don’t have to think about it.  We think we can do it all on our own, but the truth of the matter is: we cannot save ourselves.  We cannot spend enough money.  We cannot put in enough hours.  We cannot avoid death forever.  Eventually, it creeps in on us, and we have to face it.  And we have to face the fact that we are unable to obtain our own salvation.  We have to face the fact that our salvation can only come from outside ourselves.

    The ancient people knew this.  They knew it much more readily than we do.  They did not have all the trappings of technology to keep their minds occupied.  While they were farming; while they were tending their flocks, they were forced to think.  Death was ever around them as infant mortality was high.  People only lived into their 40s or 50s.  They understood that death was right on their doorstep, and they had to wrestle with it.  They knew that salvation must come from something outside themselves, and they searched for it.  They searched for someone or something to bring them salvation.

    1 Peter chapter one beginning at verse 10, “Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours made careful search and inquiry, 11inquiring about the person or time that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated, when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the subsequent glory.”  The prophets searched and searched.  They knew that one day salvation would come.  God had promised such salvation to them.  And they wondered what it might be.  They wondered how it would be enacted.  They had some inkling through what God had revealed in their prophecies, but they wondered how long it would be in coming.

    Verse 12, “12It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.”  God revealed to these prophets that they were not going to see this salvation.  They were the heralds.  They were the ones getting things ready for us.  God was using them to say, “Get ready.  God is acting in history, and He will act with some very good news.”

    And what is that good news?  What is the Gospel? 

    For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through Him.

    God acted decisively through Jesus to bring about our salvation.  It was done purely and solely by Jesus who lived the life we should have lived and died the death we deserved.  Jesus made things right between us and God on the cross, and then at the resurrection showed us what the end result will be.  For those who trust in Jesus, we too will be resurrected because Jesus’ righteousness has been bestowed upon us.  Death is defeated.  Death has lost its sting–not by anything we did or can do, but by everything Jesus did.  Salvation is accomplished for you, on your behalf at a great cost, not to you, but to God.  God died for you while you were unlovable to bring about your salvation.

    When this enters into your heart, you start learning to say no to all the things that promise you salvation.  You start saying no to all the busy-ness, and you start saying yes to worship.  You start saying no to saving yourself through your job and work, and you start saying yes to loving God and your neighbor.  When your heart is convicted that death is only a threshold into eternal life, you realize you have all the time in the world.  No longer does fear drive you.  No longer do you have to squeeze every minute out of life.  No longer are you driven by safety and security.  You are now free because you are bought with a great price.

    Some of you may wonder why I include John 3:16-17 in every sermon.  You may wonder why I keep hitting it over and over and over.  You may wonder why I keep telling you God died for you when you were and are a sinner to obtain your salvation.  Here’s why.  Angels long to look into these things.  The Greek word there is a bit stronger than long–it’s usually translated lust–an unsatisfied desire.  Angels lust to look into the Gospel–into God’s saving action on behalf of you and me.  It’s that mind boggling.  It’s that wonderful.  It’s that liberating.  Jesus has obtained your salvation for you when you did not deserve it.  Live into that freedom.  Amen.

I Needed to Worship

    My grandmother died on October 10th at 6:15 in the morning.  I was in San Antonio visiting my in-laws with my wife and children, and we anticipated the funeral services would be scheduled for Monday.  Dawna was observing classes at a local junior high.  I took the kids to El Mercado to have some fun shopping.  It helped lighten the otherwise melancholy news.

    On Saturday, other events made my head spin.  It started when I let our dogs out in the morning.  They started barking at the dogs next door when suddenly I heard yelping.  Turns out, my dog “Lucky” got his ear caught on some sharp ended wire and ripped it open–badly.  It took us a couple of hours to stop the bleeding. 

    Then, just at lunch, Kevin, Jr. walks up to us and says, “My head hurts.  My tummy hurts.”

    “Do you feel like you are about to throw up?”

    “Right here it does.”

    Ten seconds later.  He does.  Dead grandmother.  Hurt dog.  Sick kid.  Will anyone else get sick before the funeral?  Will I get sick and be unable to attend my own grandmother’s funeral?

    Worship loomed large less than 24 hours away, and I would be leading it.  I drove in early Saturday afternoon from San Antonio leaving Dawna, the kids and the dogs behind.  My head was spinning after all of the events.  My emotions were a wreck.  I had difficulty thinking.

    More than a few folks were surprised to see me at church on Sunday.  A few were bold enough to
ask/chide, “What are you doing here?”

    My initial response was, “Who else could do this on such a short notice?”  (Which does give me pause for future concerns–in case something does happen.)  But as the morning progressed, another answer came forth.

    Early service was difficult.  I didn’t seem to have the umph in my preaching.  Emotions weighed heavily. 

    Then, at the second service, I stood to sing the Gospel acclamation, “He is Exalted.”

    He is exalted the King is exalted on High.  I will praise Him.
    He is exalted forever exalted, and I will praise His name.
    He is the Lord.  Forever His truth shall reign.
    Heaven and Earth, rejoice in His holy name.
    He is exalted, the King is exalted on high.

    And there was peace.  There was reassurance.  There was order in the midst of chaos.  Worship refocused everything.  EVERYTHING!

    “Seek first the Kingdom of God and everything else will be added unto you,” Jesus said in Matthew 7.  It all became clear.

    Worship is the time when our lives center–even for just an hour–on God and His Kingdom.  It is the time where we block out all the false gods which try to place themselves at the center of our lives–false gods which only bring chaos and disharmony into our being.  As God becomes the center and we hear of His actions and deeds, everything else falls into place–not that we completely understand it; however, we have a deep sense of trust in the One who watches over us daily.

    Many I visit with talk about how their lives are chaotic; busy; burdensome.  Our society certainly seems this way–a lot.  Is it any wonder?  Worship, for the most part, is no longer central to our lives.  False gods dominate us and cause chaos.  And instead of turning to worship, we try harder to appease those false gods!  It’s a self-defeating proposition.

    If your life resembles chaos.  If you find yourself without peace.  If you find yourself being pulled every which way but loose, worship.  Regularly.  When God becomes the center, things change drastically.  You find what I found after my grandmother died, my dog was injured, my son became sick, and I was overcome by the chaos of it all.  I needed to worship. 

No Expiration Date

I almost lost my grandmother earlier this week. 

She was admitted to the hospital this weekend with a pretty severe case of pneumonia.  She grew weaker and weaker.  I talked to her on Monday, and she sounded terrible.

Then Tuesday about 3:45 p.m. I received a phone call from my dad, "If you want to see your grandma before she dies, you'd better get down here."  Dad was crying.  I knew it was bad.  Dad never cries.

I told my wife I needed to go.  Thankfully she handled the kids' homework and dinner.  It was a three and a half hour trip to Corpus.  There was plenty of time to think.

As I drove, my thoughts centered on my grandmother--this often happens when a loved one is near death.  We think about all our interactions with them.  We think of specific times and instances which shaped our relationship.  We think of particular quirks, sayings, habits, and the like.  Sometimes, we are overwhelmed by all the memories to the point where we have trouble recalling all of them.  In those moments of blankness, you sometimes think--how is it that I've known this person for so long but cannot think of a single thing right now? 

And so you think of other things for a moment.

One of those other things did not settle well with me.  The terminology I have heard used in hospitals recently regarding death.  I dreaded hearing, should my grandmother die, the words, "The patient has expired."

Oh, I know the term is an archaic usage which means death.  I am also aware it means to come to an end or to the exhaling one's breath (of which a final expiration is a sign of death).  

But what is so hard about saying someone has died?

Is it more sensitive to say that someone has expired?

I mean, really, when I hear the word expire, I immediately think about the stores of food I have in my pantry.  What's the expiration date?  When is that moment when something becomes unusable?  Worthless?  Unsafe to digest our use because it might bring harm?

Maybe expiration date wasn't the best of choices of words to use when talking about food items because this is now the main usage of the word, I believe.  It's certainly how I use the word most often, and I don't like talking about death in terms of expiration.

I mean, if my grandmother "expires" does she suddenly become worthless?
Is she suddenly "unusable" as if we humans were meant to be used for something?
Is she suddenly "unsafe" or a threat to harm someone in some fashion?

No.  She would simply be dead--a state all of us will eventually enter into.

And I know my visceral reaction to this term when applied to death comes from my adherence to the Christian faith.  Death is not an expiration date.  It's a transition.  It's a threshold.

"For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain."  So said St. Paul in Philippians chapter 1.  For Paul, death meant a reunion with Christ--a joyous occasion when the temporal became eternal.  For Paul, death was a transition, not an end--not a termination--not an expiration.

Christians believe we do not have an expiration date.  The body may die, but we will be raised again to a new life.  And because of the eternal nature of the self, Christians believe we all have value--we are not simply useful creatures; we are not simply here for another person's pleasure or the pleasure of the state, capitalism, our family, or what have you.  We are here, made in the image of God, as creatures of immense worth--even in our brokenness.

In my opinion, using the term expired--particularly in the context of our culture and society today--cheapens the value of human life.  And as a Christian, the term is simply not true at all.  :-)

The Great Reversal or Don't Wait Until Death is Imminent

Yesterday, I had lunch with a man who is dying of cancer.

Don't get me wrong.  He's hopeful--as anyone would be hopeful.  But he also knows the facts.

His cancer is not responding to the latest chemo.

Docs told him it wouldn't be very long.

He's losing copious amounts of weight.

But, he's at peace.  He's getting things in order, but hoping he will live.

I noticed something about him that I have noticed repeatedly about folks who are facing imminent death.

There almost always is a great reversal.  Almost always.

The things once thought of as trivial become important, and the things once believed to be of utmost importance become trivial.

Maybe another way of saying this is: the things we take for granted become precious and the things we think precious become taken for granted--minor.

Family and their well being becomes prominent.  Things once argued over (what to wear, whether one is right or wrong about a minor fact, what kind of music one prefers, what kind of car one drives) all become irrelevant.  Expensive cars, good paying jobs, cheering on one's favorite team diminish in importance as time becomes a precious commodity to be spent with those who one loves.

Faith asserts itself.  Whereas prayer and times of quiet reflection seemed so tedious and superfluous, they now become profound times of healing--not in the sense of physical healing, but spiritual and mental healing--which lead to peace and acceptance of what is going on.  Marveling at the good, the beautiful of creation happens time and again throughout the day--not just on special occasions.

Why is it that for many, this only occurs when confronting one's mortality?
Why is it that we get convinced so easily that trivial things become important and important things are trivial?
What is it about this world we live in; this culture we are a part of that keeps us so focused on, well, us?

Perhaps when confronted with the final loss of "us" in death; before we go to be with God, we come to see it's really not about us.  It is about us in relationship with others.  It's not about how my needs are satisfied by what I want to pursue.  It's about how I seek the good of others as they seek my good.

One of the most interesting things I have heard to explain the nature of God--the Christian perspective of the Trinity--is that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, have lived from eternity in a mutual relationship of glorifying one another.  The Father glorifies the Son and the Spirit.  The Son glorifies the Spirit and the Father.  The Spirit glorifies the Son and the Father.  The constant glorification and love that the "persons" of the Trinity give to each other fulfills them completely.  They had no need for anyone or anything to give them glory or worship.

So why create humans?  Not to receive, but to share.  To share the wonderful sense of love and fulfillment of this relationship.

Too many times, folks only begin to understand this when their death is imminent.

Why wait?

Be a Witness

    Long ago, when I was in high school, I actually had the privilege of having my dad teach me Algebra, Physics, Chemistry, and Pre-Calculus.  I know I am biased, but my dad was a very good teacher.  I learned a lot from him.  But there was one thing which rather upset me at the time.  Dad wouldn’t help me with my homework at home.  If I had a question about anything, I was required to go to his class during study hall.  He just wouldn’t help me at home.  It was rather frustrating!  Why would my dad do this to me?  Why would he make me go to study hall to get help?  He was right there!  It didn’t seem fair. 

    But, let’s think about this for just a moment.  Let’s think about why my dad did what he did.  Let’s think about what is and isn’t fair.  And let’s think about it by asking this question: Did Jesus need to be baptized?  Ponder that for just a moment.  Did Jesus need to be baptized?
    The obvious answer is “No.”  I mean John the Baptist is blunt when Jesus shows up to be baptized.  John looks Jesus straight in the eye and says, ““I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 

    Jesus is God incarnate–the fully human, fully divine Son of God.  God doesn’t need to be baptized–at all.  God doesn’t need repentance or the forgiveness of sins.  Jesus is blameless before God and before humanity.  There is no need for him to go through this process.  At all.  Yet, Jesus shows up to be baptized by John, and Jesus makes John go through with it.  “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.”   Why does Jesus demand to be baptized? 

    Let’s turn to the opening statement of our second lesson from the book of Acts.  Peter is addressing the household of Cornelius–a Gentile.  Please remember in the context of this time, Jews and Gentiles did not mix.  They were like oil and water.  Jews considered Gentiles unclean.  Peter had just had a vision in which a sheet was lowered out of heaven with all sorts of unclean animals on it.  God commanded Peter, “Get up. Kill and eat.”  Peter replied, “Nothing unclean has ever touched my lips.”  God said, “What I have called clean, do not call unclean.”Immediately after this vision, messengers from Cornelius arrived at Peter’s door.  They said Cornelius had received a command to contact Peter while praying.  Peter went to the household.  When he arrived, he found a group of God-fearing Gentiles who were receptive to the message of Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit brought them to faith.

    Upon seeing this, St. Peter addresses the people who had gathered in the house, “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”  Now, we usually take this text and run with it and talk about how God doesn’t show any sort of favoritism based upon one’s cultural context, one’s gender, one’s sexuality, one’s skin color, or what have you.  There is nothing wrong with doing such a thing, but I think we need to push it farther.  We need to push God’s impartiality all the way through.  Even to His own Son who came to live among us.

            Why was Jesus baptized?  God shows no partiality.

    Why did my dad refuse to help me at home?  Dad shows no partiality.  Not all the students could access my dad as easy as I could.  It wasn’t fair to them if he helped me at home.  Dad wasn’t going to show favoritism.

    God wasn’t going to either, and this has some very important implications–some very important implications.  How so?

    Well, let’s think just a moment about what things might have looked like if God showed partiality.  Let’s think just a moment about what Jesus’ life might have looked like if God showered Him with favoritism as the Word became flesh and dwelled among us.

    Do you think Jesus would have been born in a stable?  Not hardly.

    Do you think Jesus would have been raised in a rather poor family and been taught the trade of carpentry–a trade considered very, very low on the social totem pole?  Probably not.

    Do you think Jesus would have lived for 30 years in relative obscurity with no one knowing much about Him?  Again, no.

    If God showed any sort of partiality, Jesus probably would have been born in a palace.  He would have had the best of wealth and privilege.  He would have eaten the finest foods, enjoyed the finest drink, gone to the finest schools and had the finest clothes.  He would have enjoyed all the best things the world had to offer and never had to deal with social outcasts and misfits.  Life would have always been grand and marvelous IF, IF God showed partiality to His Son.

    But God shows no partiality.  God shows no favoritism.  Even to His Son.

    And so Jesus was poor, like the vast majority of the world’s population.

    Jesus had to work, and His hands were calloused from the labor of carpentry–just like most people in the world have to work.

    Jesus was surrounded by ordinary people who did ordinary things and who eked out their living.  Jesus never had a place of wealth and privilege.  He was just like the vast majority of people who lived.

    And Jesus was not immune to suffering.  “God shows no partiality.”  If God showed favoritism, there wouldn’t have been a cross.  But there was.  There was a cross.  A horrible, bloody cross that Jesus hung upon.  Just as we suffer, Jesus suffered. 

    But there was more to Jesus’ suffering because He did not carry simply His own suffering.  It wasn’t just His pain He bore on the cross.  No.  “This is my Son,” God said at Jesus’ baptism, “with Him I am well pleased.”

    God’s Son sent to reconcile the world to God.  Jesus didn’t just hang on the cross experiencing His own suffering because He took upon Himself our suffering.  He took upon Himself our shame.  He took upon Himself our guilt.  He took upon Himself our sin.  He took upon Himself our pain. 

    For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but so that the world might be saved through Him.

    Just as God showed no partiality in how Jesus lived, suffered, and died, so God will show no partiality in salvation.  “Because He lives, we shall live also” and “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

    This is grace without partiality.  For you and for me and for all who call upon the name of Jesus.  And we are witnesses to this Grace.  We are witnesses to what God has done through Jesus Christ.  We are witnesses of how God did not even show favoritism to His own Son.  We are witnesses to the God who is not above suffering, but who suffered like us and who showed us what the final word will be.

    Is this news worth telling?  Is this grace worth sharing?  Do others need to hear about the God who suffers with them and promises them hope?  Is there any doubt about what we are called to do?  Live God’s Word Daily.  Be a witness.  Amen.

What Happens when We Die?

I received the following email this past week:

Since the passing of my father recently the question of what happens when we die is ever on my mothers mind. I might add mine too. I have read a lot on it on the internet and the Bible and I must admit it can be overwhelming for a simple minded person like myself.  I wanted to ask you if on your blog did you address the question and if so when. I tried looking in the archives but was unable to find one...After reading a lot of thoughts from other people and their reasoning I always came to the thought of what is Pastor Haug's thoughts.

Heady topic with lots of stuff out there.

Interestingly enough, this week's Living Lutheran: Ask a Pastor section was on this very topic.  Answers there vary.  Answers with a lot of pastors and professors vary.

Here's my short answer: we don't know exactly.  That's the truth.

There's only been one person that I know of who experienced the fullness of death for three days and then returned, and He didn't do too much talking about what was going on when His body lay in the tomb.

Sure, there have been others who have had near death experiences.  Some have tried to explain these experiences as the brain going into shut down mode and having a hyper-burst of activity.  However, there are some experiences where the brain is completely shut down for days, and yet these experiences still occur.  Some have recorded these experiences and sold them on the market.  At the recommendation of church members, I have read both:

Heaven is for Real

Proof of Heaven

Both of these books are quite interesting and intriguing.  Both have sold thousands of copies, but they are vastly different in what they convey about life after death.  Vastly different.

So, what is true?

I don't know, but this is what I trust:

When I die, I believe I will go to be with God.

Yes, I know this doesn't exactly gel with St. Paul's understanding of death: that we fall asleep until the resurrection.  But it does gel with other portions of scripture.

For instance, this Sunday's Gospel passage from the book of Luke.  Jesus is asked a question about the resurrection by the Sadducees.  Of course the Sadducees don't believe in the resurrection of the dead.  They believe once a person is dead: that's it.

Yet, Jesus doesn't buy that train of thought.  He answers them rather profoundly (bold emphasis mine):

 27 Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him 28and asked him a question, ‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; 30then the second 31and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. 32Finally the woman also died. 33In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.’  34 Jesus said to them, ‘Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; 35but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36Indeed they cannot die any more, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. 37And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.’ 39Then some of the scribes answered, ‘Teacher, you have spoken well.’ 40For they no longer dared to ask him another question.

"Now, He is God, not of the dead, but of the living; for to Him all of them are alive."

This is quite the interesting statement, is it not?  How can Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob still be living?  Their bones have surely decayed and returned to the dust long sense?  How could they be considered living?

Jesus offers more insight when He gives the parable of the rich man and Lazarus:

19 ‘There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. ²⁰And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, ²¹who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. ²²The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” ²⁵But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. ²⁶Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.” ²⁷He said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— ²⁸for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.” ²⁹Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.” ³⁰He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” ³¹He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” ’ 

While this indeed is a parable; it does tell us something of how Jesus viewed what happened after death.

#1. There is life after it.
#2. Some are taken to be with Abraham wherever he may be (With God?).
#3. Some head to torment.
#4. There is a separation between these two places that cannot be crossed.

Some might like to stop here, but Jesus certainly doesn't.  Jesus, as Paul talks about the resurrection.

Some folks like to do an either/or.  Either heaven and hell or resurrection to a new heaven and a new earth.

I like to combine them with the both/and.  Some part of us goes on living--goes to be with God (or torment) as we await the last judgment.  Then, on that day, we are reembodied at the resurrection.

Again, I don't know for sure.  Haven't been on the other side to check.  One thing is for sure: we'll all find out.