Winter of Discontent

“Now is the winter of our discontent”
-opening line from Henry III; William Shakespeare

Let’s be honest: the weather has been truly awful this winter. It has been cold, snowy, and unrelenting. Even for me, a veteran of long depressing winters, this has been no fun and I am longing for days of spring, sunshine, and warmth. I know there are many who feel similarly, and some who truly suffer in this season.

In winter, we are restricted and confined, kept indoors by snow and ice. In winter, we struggle to keep warm and keep our spirits up. Compounding this is the current international financial crisis. We are worried about our jobs, our homes, our retirement, and our way of life. Anxiety, doubt, fear, and winter, what a glorious combination! In the midst of all these dis-ease, unhappiness, and discontentment, is there any good news to share?

As Christians, whether we know it or not, we have a deep storehouse of resources to combat difficult and challenging times. Scripture is filled with the story of God’s faithful action, intervention, and deliverance on behalf of God’s people. The stories of the exodus from Egypt, exile from Babylonia, and of course Jesus’ sacrificial death remind us of God’s deep love and compassion for us. God is neither absent nor unconcerned with our pain and suffering. God’s compassion and love for us is infinite and absolute.

It is also true however, that God does not shield us from unpleasant and difficult circumstances. God gives us strength to endure and the reminder of his presence, but the human experience is often filled with times of discomfort, pain, suffering, and hardship. God does not cause these things to happen, but they are allowed. For us then, times like these become opportunities for growth and development. What can we learn about ourselves in the midst of difficulty? How is this time in life preparing me for something later? How can I use this time to give God glory?

Times like these are never easy and require strong faith and confidence in the enduring presence, goodness, and love of God. Yet, we also know how this story will end. In Christ, we have our clearest picture of God’s heart. In Christ, we have a God of resurrection and redemption. In Christ, we experience the complete and total transformation of our lives and our world. In Christ, God transforms life from death, hope from despair, faith from fear, grace from guilt, victory from defeat. With full and certain knowledge we proclaim to the world, by the death and resurrection of Christ, confidence that despite a long and dreary winter, spring is on the way.

“I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:11-13

Following Jesus

What does it take to be a follower of Jesus? What does it mean to be a disciple of the crucified and risen Jesus?

I have been thinking about these questions deeply over the past several years. As a pastor, it is my job, my calling, to empower and enable people to become followers of Jesus. So what is a disciple and how do you know if you meet one? Put another way, would a stranger be able to tell, by looking at your life, that you were a Jesus follower?

This is a tough question which causes us to deeply examine our lives and most likely repent and seek forgiveness. Lutherans in particular, have difficulty understanding discipleship. We know that being a good person and making Godly decisions are not what achieves and maintains our relationship with God. It is only through God’s amazing gift of grace and love, and not by our own doing, that we can be in relationship with God. Yet being convinced of our inherent sinfulness does not excuse us from the path of discipleship.

It is not enough for us simply to accept the gift of grace and believe the right things about Jesus. (Well in a sense this is enough, at least in regards to our salvation.) God expects us and needs us to be agents of grace and peace in the world, to be God’s hands and feet, to share the love of Christ with a hurting and suffering world. We cannot make this kind of impact unless our lives become transformed, sanctified, and prepared by God’s love and grace. We cannot become these kinds of people without growth, change, and disciple.

Being a disciple is an important and most necessary calling. Being a disciple of Jesus requires work and effort. Being a disciple of Jesus requires us to make sacrifices and live lives that are different from those around us. Jesus was constantly challenging his would-be followers to change their lives, to allow God to transform them to whom they were created to be.

‘Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’ Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the moneyto the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.” Mark 10:20-22

In the story of the rich young man, Jesus discusses the transformation a person of wealth must undergo. The young man had been faithfully following the law his entire life and yet Jesus asked for more. It was not enough simply to follow the law, the young man had to give up what he held most dear, his wealth. It isn’t being wealthy that is the problem for him, but it is the elevated status wealth played in his life which required change. It was a challenge to give up what he held most dear in order to fully follow Jesus. Being a disciple means more than following the law and having the right beliefs, being a disciple means submitting our lives to God. Being a disciple means putting God first. The young man was happy to follow God when it was easy, but when it required sacrifice he fell apart.

To become a disciple we must give our heart and our lives to God, without holding back. It is a difficult, sacrificial, arduous road. But it is a road which leads to our transformation, growth and liberation. A road which leads to the life God intended for you, and life which positively impacts the world. I pray that God might grant you the strength and courage to follow Christ with your entire heart and life, knowing that neither your ability nor inability to become a true disciple will change your salvation, but through God’s grace you have been afforded the opportunity to live a life of significance and meaning.

What is keeping you from being a true disciple? What are you holding back?

Go, See, Share!

Do you expect to see God at work in your daily life? Are looking for the signs that God is active? Are you sharing with others what you see?

What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret…For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:26-32)

Paul was a wonderful teacher and pastor of the early church and was extremely concerned that the budding Christian communities he helped establish would be hospitable to all people. Paul goes out his way, time and time again, to address the real and present needs of the people, and encourages them to find ways to live together in community.

In his letter to the Corinthians, and in particular in chapter 14, Paul is trying to bring order to a chaotic and unruly worship experience. It seems as though the people are so excited to share their “God stories” in worship that they are not taking turns. Everyone wants to speak at once and the unstructured nature of worship is causing problems for the church. Can you imagine what it would be like to have this problem? What would our church be like if people came together and eagerly shared their stories, so eagerly in fact that they tripped all over themselves trying to share?

It seems that Paul’s exhortation to bring order to worship has been taken extremely seriously in the history of the church. We like order and tradition and predictability—this is human nature. Chaos and disorder are disturbing and threatening. But are we missing something? Could we use a bit more disorder in our lives? Are we making room for the Spirit of God to intercede and show us something new? Are we making time to listen to God and one another?

In our life together as church, I would love to have the problem of the people of Corinth. I would love to have so many powerful stories of what God is doing in our lives that we have to be reminded to take turns.

An even bigger issue for us isn’t order or disorder in worship. I believe many haven’t yet opened their eyes to see what God is up to in the world. God is alive and moving in our lives and in the world. Are you looking? We can easily get so caught up in our own busy lives that we don’t even look for God. Or perhaps even worse, we believe that God is not present in our everyday lives. But God is present in all of life: at home, at work, at the grocery store, on the street, and even in the church.

So start looking for God and you will see. "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9) Then come and share with the rest of us, I promise we will all get a turn.

Still Days

Now that all of the presents have been opened, the food has been eaten, and family members have returned home, what is next? Each year we hustle like crazy preparing for and anticipating the Christmas celebration, and each year we inevitably suffer a post-holidays let down. After so much excitement, is there anything more depressing than a return to normalcy?

In many ways January is a most depressing month: the weather is cold and dreary, there are no more big social gathering to attend, and by now our New Year’s resolutions have already been broken. It all sounds so awful doesn’t it? Yet for me this time of year is truly wonderful, and not just because I really enjoy cross country skiing. We are given great opportunities in non-exciting times to examine our lives and make important changes. It is in times of quiet, when I have a chance to reflect, that I have moments of insight and self-discovery. It is moments of true stillness I have felt most deeply the presence of God.

“Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

This is one of my favorite scripture passages because it reminds me to calm down and make room for God in my life. In fact this verse from Psalm 46 can be a mantra of sorts with me. Whenever life gets hectic and out of control, taking time to seek the peace and presence of God can make a huge difference

Perhaps the quiet and still days to come are opportunities to connect in a deeper more meaningful way with God. Perhaps the days to come will give you an opportunity to reflect upon your life and your priorities and make needed changes. Wherever you happen to be in life, take time this season to be still and feel the presence of our Lord. The stillness of January is a blessing and I pray you find peace and strength in the days to come.