Sunday, June 29, 2008

“So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future – all belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.” 1 Corinthians 3:21-23

Today is the feast day for both Peter and Paul. The two are remembered on the same day because of the legend of their being martyred together on the same day in A.D. 67 or 68. What unites them even more closely is their common confession of Jesus Christ, the same confession that unites us still as the body of believers. This is true of Peter and Paul even though they were often times quite critical of one another. Peter was critical of the complexity of Paul’s teaching at times, while Paul often felt that Peter was too caught up in the old traditions, unable to grasp that God was up to something completely new in the person of Jesus Christ. It is no stretch to draw comparisons to our own time, in which the church has fragmented into denominations and sects over a wide variety of issues. Even in our own ELCA, the fabric of our unity is threatened by disagreements over a variety of issues. It is important for us to have these conversations as we seek to discern God’s will, but it is more important to remember that our unity derives not from agreement on this or any other issue, but from our common confession of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Peter and Paul were able to do this even in the face of deep disagreement over the direction of the church, which they were able to do because they knew that Christ is the Lord of the church. We must face the many issues of our time, but as Paul and Peter teach us through their own faithful example, we must also always remember that we our united by our confession of Jesus alone.

Monday, June 30, 2008

“And said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest.’” Luke 9:48

Although Erika and I have yet to cross this particular bridge, we do love dreaming about the time when we have our first child. It’s fun to think about for many reasons, but we also know that it will be an awesome responsibility. Children, after all, our gifts from God. I don’t mean this in a mushy sense; I literally mean that they come from God, and with the gift of parenthood come the responsibilities of parenthood. This is why our baptism rite stresses the promises that are made on behalf of this child. Parents promise that they will raise their child in the faith; that they will teach children the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the creed; that they will bring the child faithfully to God’s house of worship. In other words, parents are promising not only to welcome their child into the world, but to welcome them in Jesus’ name into the family of faith. This is the vocation of Christian parenting and is never to be taken lightly. No amount of church programming can make up for parents who fail to take primary responsibility. But with that responsibility comes joy, the joy of welcoming Jesus into your hearts and home as you watch your child grow in faith and years.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

“They came before the priest Eleazar and Joshua son of Nun and the leaders, and said, ‘The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance along with our male kin.’” Joshua 17:4

The church today remembers one of its most gifted hymn translators, Catherine Winkworth. She spent most of her life in Manchester, England, where she was an early proponent of women’s rights. She reminds us of the women who long ago went to stand before Eleazar and Joshua, demanding their inheritance rights in spite of their gender. These women were granted their rights in accordance with God’s will, and Catherine Winkworth embraced a similar mission. She also recognized the inheritance of God’s gifts that come through talents. She claimed her gifts as a musician and translator, especially after traveling to Germany and falling in love with that tradition of hymnody. She rendered beautiful English translations that are still sung in congregations such as our own. These include some of our dearest hymns: “Jesus, priceless treasure,” “Christ the Lord is risen again!,” “Lord, keep us steadfast in thy Word,” and “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty.” Although it seems obvious to us today, Winkworth reminds us of the gifts that God has given to his people to use, regardless of gender, race, or circumstance. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty indeed!

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

“Elijah said to her, ‘Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son.” 1Kings 17:13

It seems these days that you can’t turn on the television or open the newspaper without hearing about how tough the economic situation in our country has become. This is true. Gas and food prices are up while house prices and incomes are down. Belts are tightening. During such times it’s tempting to focus on scarcity: we don’t have this and we can’t do that. The truth, however, is a little more complex. After all, are we not blessed? Do we not have food in our bellies and roofs over our heads? Our verse today seems to be about a miracle story, but it’s really all about economics. During the time of Elijah, a drought struck the land. People endured real scarcity. Starvation was a real threat. So when the prophet asks the widow of Zarephath for food and drink, you can imagine her hesitancy: “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing,” she replies. But Elijah has faith, urging her to feed him and promising that her jar of meal and jug of oil would not go empty. And Elijah was right. The widow’s situation was bad enough that she needed a miracle, and a miracle she received. How much more will the Lord our God continue to bless us? We are not bereft of resources and bankrupt of blessings. We still have more than we need. May we, like the widow, continue to open our hands in praise to God and generosity toward our neighbors. Our jugs and jars are still quite full, and God’s promises haven’t failed us yet.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

“Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’” John 11:16

We don’t usually think about him much during the middle of the summer. The Apostle Thomas usually only comes across our radar screen during Easter. It was the occasion of the resurrection, of course, that led to his being immortalized in our memories as “Doubting Thomas.” But Thomas was not quite so one-dimensional. In the light of Jesus foretelling his own death, Thomas suggests to the other disciples that they “also go, that we may die with him.” Life without Jesus was not worth living, as far as Thomas was concerned. Perhaps this is why he had such a hard time believing that Jesus had been raised from the grave. He needed to use all his sense to come to believe in the resurrection. In this way, Thomas does serve as a model for our continuing walk this Advent. Thomas was willing to take things on faith, but he wanted to be as involved as he could be. He wanted to know all that he could find out. He kept his eyes and his ears open, looking and hoping for signs. This is the call for us, as well, as we march closer to the blessed dawn of Christmas morn. Let us keep our eyes and our ears open, and all of our senses alert, that we might stand with Thomas, and confess Jesus with him, “My Lord and my God!”

Friday, July 4, 2008

“For you were called in to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another.” Galatians 5:13

The old, silly riddle goes: Do they have the Fourth of July in England? One is tempted to say they don’t, because of course they don’t celebrate American independence (if anything, quite the opposite!). But of course they do have July 4 in England, just like they do in the rest of the world. Here in America, it is a major celebration, as well it should be. In the dawn of the American experiment a new hope was born, a vision created of a world in which all people (not just the landowning white men first envisioned by the Founders) would have a voice in determining their future. In terms of history, few developments have more positive importance. We celebrate our freedom from tyranny and servitude. But this is not quite the same thing as Christian freedom, and the two types of freedom should not be confused. In Christ, as Paul reminds us today, we have been set free from the powers of darkness and death that oppress us. But we have not been released from bondage. Instead, our slavery, as Paul calls it, is now to Christ himself, and through Christ, to one another. We always are tempted to think that freedom means we are in control. But true freedom means living in truth and reality that is grounded in the divine. Yes, in Christ we are free. But in Christ we also are bound: bound to each other in all things, bound to the earth that we live on, bound to the Creator and bound to his Son. Freedom isn’t for us. Freedom is for one another.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

“I thank my God every time I remember you.” Philippians 1:3

Just over four years ago, on June 27, 2004, I started writing these devotions. My first passage was Philippians 1:3, which I chose in honor of my devotional predecessor. Today we come full circle. I am the one who is now leaving the First English family. Today I choose these words from Paul because of each of you. I am thankful to God for the almost five years I have been a pastor at First English. I am thankful to God for 32 years of love and support, first for me, and then for Erika as well. I am thankful to God for what we’ve done together, and most of all, I am thankful to God for what he has done for us. And I suppose I’m just plain thankful that you’ve read my ramblings in these pages for the last four years. I’ve always said that I write these for myself; it’s just a bonus that others find them helpful in prayer and devotion. So thank you. Tomorrow morning, Erika and I bid farewell to you and head to our next adventure. And no, I won’t be writing daily devotions in my new congregation, at least not right away. My fingers need a break! But as we say goodbye, we remember that we are bound together forever in the unity of Christ Jesus, and that is a promise and a future that cannot be broken. I’ll think of you often, and when I do, it will be with thanks. God’s peace and blessing to you. May the love of God hold you in the grace of Christ, to whom be all glory, this day and forever.

Devotions – Year Five – Week Twenty-six

Pastor Dave Lyle